The best constructed SE guitars came from WMI...

[Eddiebaby]

I've had one SE from Indonesia my beloved DGT.
I've got 2 from Korea, a Bernie and a Myers. I've also had 2 Variax JTV59 from 2014 to 2017.
Got to say the fantastic sounding DGT has dodgy holes drilled for the rear cover plates and awkwardly fitted pickup rings. The MIK guitars even have recessed rear plates.

Any views? I do think new fittings are a bit better but the actual woodwork seems lower quality.

 

[Uncle Salty]

I like mine. 2017 Santana

I put an old Dimarzio PAF in the bridge for now.

 

[Prina]

IMO the Korean SEs are some of the best values on the planet. Awesome workmanship. Yes, they benefit from upgrades, especially the pickups but can then be amazing guitars.

My SE245 Soapbar isn't going anywhere, ever.

 

[sergiodeblanc]

I really like them up until 2013 or whenever they switched from flat tops to the rounded edges.

I have an EG, a Soapbar II “maple”, an Orianthi, a Bernie, a Nick Cantanese, and a Custom 22 Semi w/Bigsby that are just really really good guitars with some mods.

I’ve been less enamored with the SE’s I’ve bought after then, they look way fancier but they don’t feel as good.

 

[Abe]

Well I have 2 China SE's and 1 Indonesia SE. Quite happy. Some little short-of-perfect stuff in/of each, but happy to be here having them. Don't know if I'm gonna have a Korean SE or skip it as I go towards the apple Core. As I understand it the Korean SE's are the oldest and like 2019 and prior? Yea, I mean these are pretty good quality at their level, and no huge complaints. Making due. Thank you Paul and planet Earth people. All I can really do is appreciate and climb. Glad they're mine.

 

[SinSir]

Preach! MIK or MIC all the way

 

[andy474x]

Agree, and I'll add that I don't care for the feel of the finish as much on the new set neck models compared to the older WMI SE's. Kinda feels like the guitar got dipped in plastic on the new ones.

All the MIK SE's I've owned were absolutely flawless, and my Akesson is still one of my favorite guitars.

However, I will say, the bolt neck SE's coming out of the Cortek factory are surprisingly good, especially in terms of the build and finish. Great, thin satin on the necks, and my NF3 has amazing sustain. Not to mention the sound of those narrowfield pickups. I'd recommend an NF3, SE CE, SAS, SS SE, etc. over any of the Customs, DGT, Paul's, and so on. Although I did play a nice SE 594 the other day.

 

[dogrocketp]

I have both. I think the wood and fretwork on the MIK’s are better. The nuts have been replaced on most of mine, and the pickups as well. The INDO tremolos have a different thinner alloy, and I don’t like the way they feel. My SAS got a USA trem I happened to have. The fretwork on the bolt on maple neck/maple board wasn’t good. I was incredibly disappointed with it. A new guitar shouldn’t need fretwork. The pickups were very good.
My MIK’s were good out of the box, made better with a new nut, sometimes new pickups, and always locking tuners.The necks have never needed ANY work. The neck profiles do vary more, but they’re always fine. The INDOS are brighter shinier toys, but I won’t buy another one. The fact that I have too many may have something to do with that.

 

[sergiodeblanc]

Agree, and I'll add that I don't care for the feel of the finish as much on the new set neck models compared to the older WMI SE's. Kinda feels like the guitar got dipped in plastic on the new ones.

All the MIK SE's I've owned were absolutely flawless, and my Akesson is still one of my favorite guitars.

However, I will say, the bolt neck SE's coming out of the Cortek factory are surprisingly good, especially in terms of the build and finish. Great, thin satin on the necks, and my NF3 has amazing sustain. Not to mention the sound of those narrowfield pickups. I'd recommend an NF3, SE CE, SAS, SS SE, etc. over any of the Customs, DGT, Paul's, and so on. Although I did play a nice SE 594 the other day.

What’s crazy is those WMI SEs were dipped in plastic. lol.

When I was drunk and sad and doing all those “Dimebag” threads I learned first hand how much poly was really on those things.

Doesn’t make a difference to me though, I still think they sound and feel good.

 

[TheCraftsman]

I’ve a tremonti se and Soapbar 1 both Korean and my 24-08 is Indo. I do admit I replaced the trem and did a lot of fret polishing on the indo but hell it’s a player. Maybe has a few more issues than the older ones and weighs an absolute ton, the Mann trem and brass block added to that as did the locking tuners but still love to play it

 

[Prina]

I really like them up until 2013 or whenever they switched from flat tops to the rounded edges.

I have an EG, a Soapbar II “maple”, an Orianthi, a Bernie....

The Bernie run was 2011-2015 so I'll advocate that great quality was there 'till at least 2015. I also have a feeling that some of the SE245 variants like the Bernie as well as the Soapbar got special treatment.

In my 2015 Soapbar's case, the one piece neck (even S2s have 3 piece necks) plus the bookmatched hog back (the entire back is from the same piece of wood) stand out. Even the little wings on the headstock match almost perfectly, better than on the Cores.

 

[bodia]

The Bernie run was 2011-2015 so I'll advocate that great quality was there 'till at least 2015. I also have a feeling that some of the SE245 variants like the Bernie as well as the Soapbar got special treatment.

In my 2015 Soapbar's case, the one piece neck (even S2s have 3 piece necks) plus the bookmatched hog back (the entire back is from the same piece of wood) stand out. Even the little wings on the headstock match almost perfectly, better than on the Cores.

Completely agree with this.

 

[SinSir]

Don't know if I'm gonna have a Korean SE or skip it as I go towards the apple Core. As I understand it the Korean SE's are the oldest and like 2019 and prior?

Yes, skip the MIK se and find a used core..Best decision I made was selling off some se for my first core.

The later MIK when they were making them in Indo too aren't as good. I mean if you were about to lose a contract would you care as much? My 2019 or so was my least favorite MIK. It's what pushed me to go core. My 2015 30th se is killer though. Probably never sell. But I have more money and time into it than I'll ever recoup.

 

[Eddiebaby]

But I have more money and time into it than I'll ever recoup.

I know that feeling. If I sell any of my SE's the Mannmade bridges and different pickups will be removed and the stock ones refitted as they will not be reflected in the money hd fet. Far better to sell them separately. Like mountain bikes, sell the components and get more money for not too much additional work.

 

[Mentalo87]

I definitely agree, I have a first gen Santana SE (2001) by WMI and imho it’s heads on with my ’98 CE. Less bells and whistles (no violin carve, tuning machines, pickups) but the craftsmanship is superb. Feels and sounds like a plain Standard 22 Core.