SE's now made in 3 factories in 2 different countries depending on where you live.

[Fullmoon 1971]

Ok so my new copy of Guitarist magazine just dropped through the door (I subscribe so get about 2 weeks early) In it there is a review of the 2018 SE Santana Standard & Tremonti Standard. Both get favorable reviews but it does mention neither come with a gig bag anymore?. Then I read the little sidebar, according to this America with get Cor-tek Indonesia built models whereas Europe gets PT Wildwood Indonesia models.

I've typed out the sidebar for you to look at (some of the info seems a little odd).

The Standard Background
The first wave of all mahogany Indonesian made SE Standards launched back in late 2014 included a Standard 24, Standard 22, 245 Standard & Tremonti Standard with the Santana Standard & the Santana Standard Special appearing at the start of 2015.
"They were originally developed for the third world markets", Explains PRS Europe's MD, Gavin Mortimer, but a range that kicked off then at £399 (including a gigbag) soon found it's way into the European & then USA markets.
Instead of using their long time partner for the SE line, World Music Instruments in Korea, the Standards came from Indonesia's PT Wildwood facility that, certainly around the time their launch was also building for Yamaha, Schecter, Fender and ESP(LTD) among others.

As of 2018 however, SE's heading for the USA are now being produced entirely in Indonesia by Cor-Tek(Cort). Europe meanwhile, is staying with World Music Instruments (Korean) and PT Wildwood (Indonesia) factories for the foreseeable future.


This leads to to my questions

According to press releases at the time the Standards were first released in the UK (paul actually mentioned this himself when did a tour of UK guitar stores in 2015) not the 3rd world (I know the US president thinks we're a 3rd world country but seriously we're not quite there yet). The more intriguing thing for me is the last statement. Does this mean that all USA bound SE's both Standard and maple capped are now purely going to come from Indonesia, while we in UK & Europe still get the 2 factory tier system?

The reviews are in the Sept issue of Guitarist available in stores at the end of the month.

 

[Glide-bpm]

I would prefer to receive a Korean one...

 

[Peet]

Ok so my new copy of Guitarist magazine just dropped through the door (I subscribe so get about 2 weeks early) In it there is a review of the 2018 SE Santana Standard & Tremonti Standard. Both get favorable reviews but it does mention neither come with a gig bag anymore?. Then I read the little sidebar, according to this America with get Cor-tek Indonesia built models whereas Europe gets PT Wildwood Indonesia models.

I've typed out the sidebar for you to look at (some of the info seems a little odd).

The Standard Background

As of 2018 however, SE's heading for the USA are now being produced entirely in Indonesia by Cor-Tek(Cort). Europe meanwhile, is staying with World Music Instruments (Korean) and PT Wildwood (Indonesia) factories for the foreseeable future.


This leads to to my questions


The more intriguing thing for me is the last statement. Does this mean that all USA bound SE's both Standard and maple capped are now purely going to come from Indonesia, while we in UK & Europe still get the 2 factory tier system?

The reviews are in the Sept issue of Guitarist available in stores at the end of the month.

The SE standard without the maple cap that were recently added to an online store in the US, still indicate PT Wildwood in Indonesia. Some of the maple cap customs indicate CorTek Indondesia.

 

[dogrocketp]

I have 5 Korean SE’s. I won’t buy the Indonesian ones.

 

[jxe]

used to see many cort(ez) guitars in the pawn shops in the 80s — all garbage. but i’m no bijinessmanuru.

 

[Peet]

I have 5 Korean SE’s. I won’t buy the Indonesian ones.

Why might that be?

 

[pac90]

I dont really think it matters that much, the factory has to pass muster whhere ever it is

I've gone off veneers though so not a potential customer

 

[Peet]

I dont really think it matters that much, the factory has to pass muster whhere ever it is

I've gone off veneers though so not a potential customer

I felt the same way. PRS is my first and only (so far) electric guitar. Based solely on my skill level, I decided to limit my expenditure to under 1k. After my research, I thought PRS would be a good choice. That said, my decision was not to purchase a (cork-sniffer) and limited me to a (butt-sniffer)
I considered all import PRS as the latter.
I'm probably wrong here (just ask my wife), but for 2018, Korean and Indonesian solid body models used the same tuners, bridge, pickups and jack. Since I basically just noodle around at home, I wasn't concerned with impressing my wife with a prettier veneer of wood on top. From what I read, PRS inspects each instrument before it goes out to be sold and my guitar had that tag substantiating that inspection.
As for as the expertise of the builder, I didn't think that the Korean factory got top notch CNC machines and the Indonesia factory worked with hacksaws and 80 grit sandpaper.
I'm pleased with my guitar. I have replaced the nut with a core nut and had Mann do the conversion to locking tuners.
Now when my wife walks in the room and tells me I suck, I can agree, but I only $500 suck. I don't $5000 - $15000 suck.

 

[László]

Now when my wife walks in the room and tells me I suck, I can agree, but I only $500 suck. I don't $5000 - $15000 suck.

You have no idea what you’re missing!

It’s much more satisfying to $5000-$15,000 suck.

 

[andy474x]

I’ve had 4 Korean/WMI made SE’s, and have been happy with all of them. One I would say is a real standout guitar sonically (Akesson), the others are probably average for SE’s, which is fine by me, average is quite good, far above other brands in that price range, and just a very good instrument regardless of price. I haven’t owned anything made by the other factories, I have played a few of the newer Standards, and I wouldn’t say I felt a difference in my brief times with them. My guess is that WMI can’t keep up with the large demand, or there’s some kind of import/export logistics that influenced the changes. But you would have to ask Art Vandelay about that.

 

[Tim S]

I absolutely love my Indonesian PT Wildwood SE Standard 22 -- zero issues or complaints.

 

[László]

But you would have to ask Art Vandelay about that.

I asked Art. He says the whole notion that somehow Indonesians aren’t somehow as competent as Koreans in manufacturing is ridiculous.

First it was bias against Japanese goods. That went by the wayside quickly. Then the bias against Korean goods. That, too, went bye-bye, and Korean manufacture became desirable. Then it was China’s turn. Well, the market is flooded with Chinese goods Americans line up to buy. Now it’s Malaysia that’s the object of subtle prejudice.

People really need to get over this sh!t.

You want the best, buy the Maryland product. Be prepared to pay for it.

You want to assign a pecking order to Asian-made goods, that’s proven to be pretty asinine.

 

[Peet]

You have no idea what you’re missing!

It’s much more satisfying to $5000-$15,000 suck.

Only if your the king and you want something that sucks

Sometimes it's better to have not experienced things in life. Scrambled eggs are barely edible now when they're not blanketed with black perigord winter truffles.
I could provide many observations that I've not actually experienced, but the nature of those ramblings would result in them to be deleted by the moderators.

 

[jxe]

blame fender and gibson for the pre-cbs/kalamazoo vs nashville factory paranoia in the musical instrument market. this is just the same thing on a different day.

(because i’m from a certain time, all my favorite fenders were japanese.)

 

[garrett]

I asked Art. He says the whole notion that somehow Indonesians aren’t somehow as competent as Koreans in manufacturing is ridiculous.

First it was bias against Japanese goods. That went by the wayside quickly. Then the bias against Korean goods. That, too, went bye-bye, and Korean manufacture became desirable. Then it was China’s turn. Well, the market is flooded with Chinese goods Americans line up to buy. Now it’s Malaysia that’s the object of subtle prejudice.

People really need to get over this sh!t.

You want the best, buy the Maryland product. Be prepared to pay for it.

You want to assign a pecking order to Asian-made goods, that’s proven to be pretty asinine.

Spot on.

Bottom line is that a guitar is only as good as the specifications it's built to. If you spec a turd of a guitar, it doesn't matter where it's made, it's still a turd. And PRS doesn't spec turds.

And to add more fuel to the (pointless) fire, the new acoustic line is made by Cor-Tek in China.

 

[Peet]

And to add more fuel to the (pointless) fire, the new acoustic line is made by Cor-Tek in China.

Does it indicate that it's made in Jina?

 

[dogrocketp]

Well,basically, I think I ‘ve got my SE thing done. I love my core guitars too. It’s off to a bar with an SE to play tonight. I had an SE Standard for a New York minute. Got it in a trade. Great bang for the buck. And I don’t recall saying anything negative or assigning a pecking order to Asian factories. This is very simple to me. If Paul opens a factory in, let’s say, Nashville, I won’t buy from there if my wants and needs are met by Stevensville. I have both brand and factory loyalty, after running a retail business for the last 40 years.

 

[Elliot]

This thread is ripe for a stereotypical guitar forum "discussion"

 

[pac90]

Just read the mag, and realise they are all hog, so calling foul on my veneer gripe

I preferred playing my old prs se hog due to the upgraded pickups than my bernie with the 53/10s in the end, but honestly its been a long time since not gravitated to the S2 satin. I see them in uk second hand for less than new SE so would advise keep eye out, but as gutarist mag say theres nowt wrong with standards, and great modders platform

 

[swazifiction]

Cor-tek produce way more guitars than PRS and they make Ibbys and Fenders etc under licence, not only PRS. I'm not a fan of Cort but I haven't found fault with any of their own brand. And anyway the SE line is such a big part of PRS that qc must play a major part in the company's thinking. Ultimately it must, as PRS himself says, look good, play good, and sound good. I don't believe the company would compromise on that.