What SE should I Buy?

[Gemal]

Hello guys,

Long time PRS player looking to find a fill in SE to add to my collection.
My current guitars are,

97 cu 24 with trem
96 cu 22 stop tail w dragons 1
98 SAS w trem
2010 prs 305 w trem.

I want to add a low cost prs but I'm looking for a guitar that doesn't duplicate what I have already. Maybe the semi hollow?
Please chime in,

Thank you,

Gemal

 

[Jhenri]

Tremonti se or one of the other singlecuts seems to be the most logical to round out your collection unless you don't like singlecuts.

 

[OsirisProtocol]

I'd go for the SE Custom Semi-Hollow or a SC245 in your case. I'm more partial to the 245 but that's due to me being a big fan of SC's in general.

 

[Mikegarveyblues]

Semi-Hollow sounds good... take a look at the Bernie Marsden too!

 

[tolm]

I'd say the new semi-hollow with Bigsby. They look good (aesthetically and spec wise) and short of a very high-end USA PRS it'd be hard to find something similar when they're stopped!

 

[swede71]

Korina one.You will be suprised how many different tones you can get from a single p-90 and a volume knob.Torero for the EMGs,Floyd,ebony fretboard and scalelength....a totally different animal for a PRS,very cool guitar if you ask me.I think EMGs are excellent pickups,many dont

 

[CantankerousCarl]

I don't have a semi-hollow or either of the two that swede mentioned above, but of the 4 SEs I have, the newer SE Santana is my favorite. It's become my "go-to" that I actually will leave the house with because if anything happens I can easily replace it The neck pickup sounds especially good clean and with low to moderate gain. I have seen quite a few clean ones used lately, so you might score a good deal.

The 245 is great as well...I was surprised how different is sounded from the Santana, considering same neck and the pups are supposedly very similar if not identical between the two. Very throaty. Like it so much that, after reading all of Mike's posts about the Bernie I almost pulled the trigger on one as well.

RE: semi-hollow, no experience, but I think the pups are the same ones as in the other SE CST24/singlecuts. I have those in my SE 24, and they do not blow me away...they are a thinner and less distinctive than the Santanas/245s, although on higher gain settings those really come alive.

 

[Hopeful Sinner]

I've had good experience with my newer model SE Santana. BUT, ive replaced everything but the wood with U.S. components over the course of a year. Great guitars!!!

 

[crgtr]

Torero baby!! SHRED-CITY!!

 

[Letrow]

Santana SE. Great guitar in itself and worthwhile to replace components on.

 

[themike]

Bernie Marsden. Get that phatttttttt, singlecut tone

 

[cobrafast1]

I just got my SE Custom Semi-Hollow body about a week ago and love it. I haven't owned a hollow body since the 1960's. That was Gibson ES-330-TDC with a Bigsby tail piece. I bought that in London, England when I was on leave that from the Air Force. Did some R&R there and bought a guitar. Later sold it to fund a Martin D-28.

I love the SE Custom. Nice tones for blues or rock and it gets that creamy sound for leads.... The neck feells good but not as fast as my Strat, but that has a Maple neck and a different radius.

In all, for the money, the SE Custom is a great guitar. I have locking tuners coming in UPS tomorrow and might do other mods later after I get bored. But I do like it. Mine is Scarlet Red. I wish it had zebra pickups in it. That would really set it off.

 

[rugerpc]

My semiholow in natural with a stoptail is my 'go to lessons' guitar. It plays as well as any of my US made PRS guitars and has the advantage of being lighter to cart around since I am also usually carrying a thick notebook and session recorder.

 

[Danerada]

Another vote fo Bernie!!!!!

 

[Gemal]

Wow where Have I been...Its been ages since I posted here. But I did take all of your advice and considerations on buying an SE. For me the logical choice was the ZM. I got it a couple of months ago and I gave the 245's a great run through live and on stage. However, I needed (in my opinion and ears) a bit more clarity, sustain, mids. So I popped in a pair of Joe Bonamassa SD custom shop pickups. What a great fit! My ZM is singing, high but not shrill and clear definition between each toggle setting. The slightly aged covers look better as well on the guitar. It's just about my favorite. Next project is swapping out dragon 2's on my custom 22 and putting a pair DGT's in. Oh Baby!