What could PRS do better for the SE line? (and story of my purchase)

[Black-Viper75]

After the job you did on your uke, you can handle this. You’ll need a razor blade, small hammer, small flat blade screw driver, super glue, and maybe some fine sandpaper.

Score the edges around the old nut with the razor blade (or a hobby knife, probably safer). You do this to make sure you don’t chip any of the finish when you remove the old nut.

Place the flat blade screw driver against the nut on the fretboard side, and lightly tap the handle end of the screw driver with the hammer. That old nut will just pop off.

Use the sand paper and lightly clean the area where the old nut was.

Put a couple of drops of superglue on the Core nut, and put it in place.

Done.

Since I'm having some tuning issues on my 35th Anniversary SE CU I'm considering a nut change but I'm a total noob when it comes to DIY guitar repairs. I took my guitar to get it professional set up yesterday and my friend who's going to do the set suggested that he'll put some Stewmac Guitar Grease in the nut slots and see how it goes before considering a nut change.

 

[SinSir]

I think of the entire line of PRS Guitars as a ladder. Equally spaced steps from rung to rung.
SEs are the bottom rungs - where you start the “climb”
S2/CE24s are the next rungs
Core are next
Wood Library slot in next
Private Stock - top rung.
All of your suggestions are good ones. The problem is that they make the SEs more expensive and make that first step harder to take. Plus it starts to encroach on the next step price-wise, the S2s and CEs.
I hope that makes sense. It’s past my Saturday nap time.

I agree with the rung concept, but I also look at it a bit different. At end of the day they are all gateways. The SE typically being the beginning and the PS being the pinnacle but probably not the end. I know when i got my first SE I thought to myself why would I want a core? Now I think will this SE lead to a core?

The SE serves multi purposes in the line up. It gets you a PRS for a fair price but also allows us to experiment and try different style guitars. All of us can't swing a wall of cores. Sometimes we may try a SE first and then go up the ladder, others the SE will do just fine, or maybe fill that gap in the collection. There's also the artist or experimental model SE aspect. SEs are solid guitars as sold and if you want there's plenty of ways to go about making it your own.

I really don't think the SE line needs anymore tweaks or upgrades besides the already mentioned nut replacement. I haven't had any issues myself but too many people have to know the problem does exist. Any additional changes will drive up the price and its already at the ceiling of a tier. Let's be honest a $1k guitar isn't exactly cheap.

I view the CE as its own animal, being a bolt on neck, but at the same time it's a rung as well. But that's another thread entirely...

 

[PRSfanboy46]

I agree with the rung concept, but I also look at it a bit different. At end of the day they are all gateways. The SE typically being the beginning and the PS being the pinnacle but probably not the end. I know when i got my first SE I thought to myself why would I want a core? Now I think will this SE lead to a core?

The SE serves multi purposes in the line up. It gets you a PRS for a fair price but also allows us to experiment and try different style guitars. All of us can't swing a wall of cores. Sometimes we may try a SE first and then go up the ladder, others the SE will do just fine, or maybe fill that gap in the collection. There's also the artist or experimental model SE aspect. SEs are solid guitars as sold and if you want there's plenty of ways to go about making it your own.

I really don't think the SE line needs anymore tweaks or upgrades besides the already mentioned nut replacement. I haven't had any issues myself but too many people have to know the problem does exist. Any additional changes will drive up the price and its already at the ceiling of a tier. Let's be honest a $1k guitar isn't exactly cheap.

I view the CE as its own animal, being a bolt on neck, but at the same time it's a rung as well. But that's another thread entirely...

Personally SE leads to the S2 in my mind. The CE is it's own thing. The S2's are built in america but have over sea's parts. You can categorize them into one section but CE is something of it's own. God I would love a CE.

 

[Dirty_Boogie]

Personally SE leads to the S2 in my mind. The CE is it's own thing. The S2's are built in america but have over sea's parts. You can categorize them into one section but CE is something of it's own. God I would love a CE.

To me, the jump from SE to S2 is too small to consider it a major step up. If you really want a significant leap from build quality and tone, you go to core. If you were to trade your late model Hyundai for a Honda, and then to a BMW, would you really be gaining much by going to the Honda? But would it feel like a huge difference going from either of those to the BMW? Absolutely! (please, no one take offence at the choice of car brands I used in this analogy. )

 

[vchizzle]

There’s not much to improve the SE line to keep things feasible from the price point aspect. I think do whatever possible to keep/improve quality. The nut seems like a relatively inexpensive improvement, so maybe that’s it.

That and if you’re doing roasted maple neck runs, put a dang satin finish on it! That’s all.

 

[TonyG]

Simple. New Chris Robertson model (with USA pups of course)

 

[dogrocketp]

Other than the nut, I think the SE’s are fine. More colors, custom features drive up the price. The big strength is build quality vs everyone else. I have a couple of S2’s which are noticeably better than the SE’s , which I also have a couple of. From S2 up, I think you’re talking guitars you can keep for the rest of your life. Yes, my core are better, but depending on when and where when we start playing again, I won’t hesitate to reach for any of the other ones. It’s about sounds, not price or necessarily features.