NGD: PRS SE Singlecut

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DrewPeterson7

DrewPeterson7

Sage of the Order
So, a bassist buddy of mine kind of wanted to learn how to play guitar, listens to a lot of bands that play PRSs (Opeth and Porcupine Tree are two prominent examples), and recently realized that, while PRSs were stupidly expensive, their SE series was actually really cheap. Since he can't really play guitar well, he asked me to come along and play a couple guitars for him and help him pick a good one.

I'd never played an SE before, and really haven't ever even been that interested in even the American PRS models, but I was really surprised by just how nice the things were. In particular, there was a tobaccoburst that I kept coming back to that blew me away, there was something that was just magical about it. Unfortunately my buddy also preferred that one so he ended up buying it (I mean, not really unfortunately - I was there to make sure he bought the best Singlecut they had, and he most certainly did. :p), but when the next day I still couldn't get that guitar out of my head, I went down to another local GC, found another Tobaccoburst that wasn't quite as good but was still pretty damned excellent, and grabbed it myself.

Excuse the crappy flash-less low lighting pic - I'll get better ones up sometime, but:

PRS.jpg


It's funny, because I've never cared for PRS guitars, and based on specs it's almost exactly the sort of guitar I DON'T like - singlecut, short scale, mahogany body, fixed bridge, rosewood board, a PRS... :p However, it's just a fun guitar. It owns for drop-D riffage (the main reason I grabbed it) and sounds huge through my Roadster, but it's also got a great lead sound - much smoother than anything else I own.

I took it home, took off the whimpy Daddario 9's, oiled the (very dry, and also apparently dyed, the rag I used kept coming away with black) fretboard, slapped on a set of 11s, tuned it up, and had a seriously fun guitar that plays amazingly and sounds very different than any other guitar I own.

And the kicker? While every web site (including GC's own) lists them at $619, for some reason they were $499 on the floor, and a further 15% off for a manager's special on Sunday night, so I walked out of there with this guitar for $425. :D I'm fighting the urge to go out, start a band doing Alter Bridge-y riffing, and buy another one or two of these as stage guitars. :lol:
 
I'm a big fan of dean ML's but I would like a Double cut PRS SE. I know chevelle uses nothing but PRS and Mesa boobie mark IV's and I think their tone is alright.

How are the stock Pups?
 
Kingofpain678 said:
I'm a big fan of dean ML's but I would like a Double cut PRS SE. I know chevelle uses nothing but PRS and Mesa boobie mark IV's and I think their tone is alright.

How are the stock Pups?
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Shockingly good, actually. Pretty clear and articulate, they sound beautiful clean, and handle gain well, and pinch harmonic sqeals just erupt from the thing. I'm so used to immediately factoring in the cost of a new set of pickups with ever guitar I buy that I'm not quite sure what to do here. :lol: I want to try something else just for curiosity, but right out of the box this is a great sounding guitar. I'll have to try to record something.

I DO want to throw a Tonepros locking wraparound bridge on this, though - I actually really like how the stock one looks, and it feels very comfortable under my hand, but it's incredibly light (and this may just be heresay, but I was under the impression that heavier was the way to go, for tone...?) and as a lifelong trem guy, I was unprepared for how annoying it is when the bridge just falls off when you take off the strings. :laughings:
 
DrewPeterson7 said:
Shockingly good, actually. Pretty clear and articulate, they sound beautiful clean, and handle gain well, and pinch harmonic sqeals just erupt from the thing. I'm so used to immediately factoring in the cost of a new set of pickups with ever guitar I buy that I'm not quite sure what to do here. :lol: I want to try something else just for curiosity, but right out of the box this is a great sounding guitar. I'll have to try to record something.

I DO want to throw a Tonepros locking wraparound bridge on this, though - I actually really like how the stock one looks, and it feels very comfortable under my hand, but it's incredibly light (and this may just be heresay, but I was under the impression that heavier was the way to go, for tone...?) and as a lifelong trem guy, I was unprepared for how annoying it is when the bridge just falls off when you take off the strings. :laughings:
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Ah, See I'm not much of a trem guy but when I do go for a trem I go for a floyd rose even though they're a huge PITA.
I look forward to hearing a clip if you do decide to throw one up :D

Oh yeah, and congrats on the bitchin new guitar!!! :cool:
 
The PRS SE stuff is kind of cool. I've played two so far, and they felt really comfortable.

I never was a PRS fan until I got mine ('96 CE22). My buddy has some REAL nice older ones that sounded good, but never felt comfortable when I played them. The one I have was extremely comfortable from the moment I picked it up in the store. I'd love to have another just like it.
 
I've never been a PRS fan either - I never gave the SEs a look, and I think everyone who writes them off as overpriced wall candy for doctors and lawyers is more or less right. And, like I said, I'm not big on the specs list.

But, this thing's just fun. :D It sounds and plays way better than the price would suggest, looks great, and is a nice alternative to my usual go-tos, an older Ibanez Universe seven string and a USA Fender Strat.
 
DrewPeterson7 said:
I've never been a PRS fan either - I never gave the SEs a look, and I think everyone who writes them off as overpriced wall candy for doctors and lawyers is more or less right. And, like I said, I'm not big on the specs list.

But, this thing's just fun. :D It sounds and plays way better than the price would suggest, looks great, and is a nice alternative to my usual go-tos, an older Ibanez Universe seven string and a USA Fender Strat.
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I never knew you were a metal dude.
Even more reason to join team ramrod :D:p
 
Kingofpain678 said:
I never knew you were a metal dude.
Even more reason to join team ramrod :D:p
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:p I'm pretty tough to pigeon-hole. When forced, I usually describe myself as an instrumental prog-rock/blues guy, but I'm really pretty off the map. I'm sitting here rocking out to Opeth's Blackwater Park at the moment, but I've been through, um, this Michael Brook dude a buddy of mine wanted me to check out (sort of ambient-y world music with pretty cool lead guitar) and Alter Bridge (blame the PRS!) earlier today, have been rediscovering Hum lately, and have been listening to almost equal parts Soilwork and Andy Timmons before that, with the odd dash of Porcupine Tree and Fates Warning. I consider Satch my biggest influence, followed by David Gilmour, and while Jimi was the first guy who made me want to play, Kurt Cobain was the guy who got me to actually do it, and Howlin' Wolf's Chess London Sessions was probably the album that made me really fall in love with the sound of the guitar.

Meanwhile, I'm sitting here with short hair in a blue oxford, khakis, and a rather nice pair of shoes, so I absolutely DON'T look the part. :p I just like a wide range of music, and think that sometimes extremely heavy music can take you to emotional places that nothing else can.
 
I never wanted a PRS either, and all of the SEs I'd played I hated, until for some reason I picked up this one...

Looked just like the one pictured, except the double cut version. When I finally went back to get it, it was gone. Never found one since that had the same mojo.

I too, am hard to pigeionhole: Jazz, funk, classic prog, ambient, blues, classic rock, southern rock, electronica, even a little disco thrown in :eek: (hey, I'm a bass player). Going through a southern rock/blues phase right now (getting ready for JamFest) and at the moment, I definitely look the part. :D
 
What a timely post. I'm looing at buying one on the weekend.

:):):)

So, you do a lot of 3 or 4 fret bending with those 11 guage strings?

FM
 
FWX is just a fucking awesome album. "Heal Me" owns. :D

pure.fusion said:
What a timely post. I'm looing at buying one on the weekend.

:):):)

So, you do a lot of 3 or 4 fret bending with those 11 guage strings?

FM
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Do it! :D

Actually, yeah. A couple years back, I realized I seemed to phrase better on heavier strings, so I went up from a 9-42 with a .56 low B on my UV all the way to an 11-49, with a 68. On my UV I've come down a little bit since and now run 10-48 with a 68, but on my Strat the lack of the extra thicker string made 10s feel too light, so I just stuck with 11s. On the PRS, I'd originally meant to string it with 10s, and even bought a set with the guitar, but I got home, took off the 9s, grabbed the package, paused and thought for a few moments, and then went for 11s. The slightly shorter scale left me feeling like 10s would be too light...

I mean, I rarely bend more than a step and a half, but whenever I pick up a guitar it's mostly to solo... I just like the feel of heavier strings. :D
 
I've always played with 9's on my '88 Vai model Jem. Lets face it, it's a stunt guitar and anything heavier lost it's agility.

So, over the last few decades I've developed a stlye where I'll happily bend 3,4 or even 5 frets, sometimes with the help of the tremelo.

But inteh quest for solid tome and sustain, this might all end as I play to thring a higher guage on the next fixed bridge axe.

$hit, might have to develop some more musical technique - who woulda thought...

FM
 
Hey, I'm a closet shredder too. :D I just have a pretty heavy pick attack, so the heavier strings work for me - I blame my early days when I was pretty heavily into blues.

Bending the heavier strings is something you quickly get used to - spend some time with an acoustic and before you know it, 10's or 11's feel just as slinky as 9s. Your fingers just need to get used to them.
 
I spent a bunch of years playing a '63 Gretsch Chet Atkins Country Gent, and I discovered right away that Bigsbys don't like slinky strings. I strung Chester up with .011s (wound 3rd) and he came to life.

I also discovered that, in the adrenaline rush of a gig, heavier strings get slinky pretty quickly, and are a lot easier to bend than in the living room.

My SG (w Bigsby) has .011s; my stop-tail 335 has .012s. Don't ask what my Dobros are strung with. Hint: not slinkies.
 
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