PRS SE Custom 24 Review

First PRS

I've always wanted one and right out of the box it came ready to play. Definitely needs a proper setup but for buying it online without feeling it first I'm incredibly pleased. Easy enough to play that my wife loves it too!

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PRS 24 standard

Recieved mine as soon as available. Very happy with this guitar. Covers all my needs and has sounds in the range of a Gibson and Stratocaster. So I sold 2 guitars , no more needed. Very versatile and a breeze to play and here. Its a keeper...

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As Pictured - Better Then Expected

I purchased this guitar on a whim. And I was extremely pleased with the whole experience from start to finish. Sweetwater itself made this process quick and easy. I explained what I wanted and was surprised with the hands on service I received. And the fact I received some photos of the exact guitar before it shipped is something you can't even get from an in-store order sometimes.… read more This guitar itself is probably one of the best I've purchased at this price point, right out of the box. I do suggest locking tuners. You'll want them, trust me. These pickups provide good tones, and can do a lot more than I anticipated at this price point. The neck is smooth and the thin profile allows for some real room to shred.

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Simply Stunning

Wow, I'm blown away by the quilting on this guitar. This is my first PRS and my first experience with a floating bridge. I will be installing an L bracket to lock the trem so that it can only dive because apparently I have no idea how to USE a floating trem, hah! The pictures simply don't do it justice - and it looks great in the pictures! The only knock I have on the guitar is… read more I feel for the price, we should get a better nut and maybe some locking tuners. The pickups aren't for me, but that's highly opinionated, so I won't knock it there. I'll grab some drop-in PRS locking tuners and probably a DiMarzio Super Distortion for the bridge and Super 2 for the neck and call it the best guitar in my collection. The locking tuners will help when using the trem. A new nut could too, but I'll give it a shot with the locking tuners and see if it holds that way before replacing the nut. Aesthetically speaking, the nut looks great. Overall, I'm not going to deduct any stars simply because of the price point. You're getting out of this thing for less than a grand. It's a steal. If you're on the fence about a PRS SE, you really have nothing to worry about. Just buy it. You'll be glad you did. Oh, and shoutout to my dude Domenic Saracina for helping me choose this bad boy. I had no idea what I was looking for other than I wanted something other than my Fenders that I usually play. He helped me settle on this and, man am I glad he did. Domenic was an absolute pleasure to work with and went above and beyond my expectations of a sales associate. Sweetwater only employs the best, it seems.

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This is my first PRS, and definately not going to be my last.

I decided to go with this guitar as the finish on this was totally up my alley compared to other finishes on a custom 24 SE, great job Sweetwater. Straight out of the box this guitar was set up amazing - perfect intonation issues, no fret buzz, action was a little higher for my taste but was easy enough to lower. This is by far THE BEST playing instrument compared to my other guitars… read more in the near $ price range.The only downside to this was a purely cosmetic one and highly personal - I don't like the look of uncovered pickups. So I decided to get some covers and did a little "mod" by covering the pickups and installing new knobs that matched with the chrome / brushed aesthetic of the tailpiece. Looks much better IMO. Btw, Sweetwater was amazing as usual with the delivery and personalized help.

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SE Custom. 24

Absolutely beautiful guitar! Comfortable neck and right hand playing position.

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By Far the Best Guitar I Own

I have 3 Ibanez guitars that I've upgraded. I have an Epiphone ES-335. I have a Fender Stratocaster (MIM). This guitar is by far my favorite of all of them. It's the best built guitar of them all. Everything is just set up and smooth and feels GREAT in the hands. The versatility is amazing, to boot. The guitar screams when hooked up to an amp. I may yet still change out the pickups,… read more but these are pretty high quality. I am absolutely in love with this guitar, and don't be surprised if you are, too, when you try one out.

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Sweetwater has spoiled me

My sweet Solstice arrived in a super secured double box. Protected from vibrations from the shipping, and my guitar even arrived tuned. I got somecandy in there with my order, which the kid enjoyed. Needless to say, I am one happy customer!

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Fantastic Guitar

Short version: it's awesome, it's pink (which is awesome), it kicks ***. Great guitar all around. Good work horse, don't have to try hard for a good sound. Wanna stand out on stage? Buy this. Nitty gritty version: I bought this guitar for it's supposed versatility, and the fact that it shares a lot in common with the CE 24, which is my favorite guitar I've ever played. This guitar… read more knocks it out of the park. The new carve on the SE series is awesome, and the guitar itself sounds great out of the box. The action was a bit high for me, but honestly, it was very playable. The coil tap does come with a bit of a volume drop, but if you use its very sensitive volume knob (which I LOVE) keep your amp loud, and goose up the volume when you coil tap to even out the sound. Looks, feels, and sounds great. Gig bag that comes with it is decently padded and has ample space for notebooks or a laptop. Some things I would suggest: buy the PRS locking tuners that are direct drop-ins for the ones in the guitar if your gonna use the tremolo arm a lot. I did and it was a great decision. And if you're not a fan of the nut, I suggest the TUSQ XL nut for PRS/Ibanez spacing. It's going to take some time before I make a final decision on the pickups. Some claim they're muddy-sounding, but to that I say: work with your amp and pedals' settings first before ripping the pickups out. Might keep the pickups in. Buy it. You know you want to. And you won't have to hide it from your wife when you do.

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PRS Custom 24

Read all the reviews and watched some videos. Always wants one that could get all the tones in 1 guitar. I was stoked by the clarity from the pick ups from single coil to humbucker. Nice feel and build. Best non American made guitar ever owned and played!

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Super Pleased

I have lots of high end guitars and I am usually a Purest when buying, i.e. American Les Pauls, Strats, etc. but I was blown away by the quality of this guitar in sound, playability, and just overall craftsmanship. I bought this guitar to have a little less expensive guitar to travel with but it is rapidly becoming on of my favorites. This is an incredible guitar value and can certainly… read more be a first choice for anyone . Also the gig bag that comes with this guitar is truly exceptional And, as always, it came set up perfectly from Sweetwater. I can never understand how they can ship a guitar in the middle of winter and have it arrive in tune. All-in-all, a great buy.

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Now my main guitar

So I've been an Epiphone Les Paul Standard guy for a long time. Then I started seeing these PRS guitars pop up on line with both players and teachers. I tried the PRS Tremonti signature, PRS custom, and PRS custom SE. I eventually settled on the SE for its simplicity, playability and tone. The tremolo bar is very responsive, and the push/pull tone pot is perfect for songs with acoustic… read more intros and high gain power chords. These guitars are great for soloing with nice highs and lasting sustain. The only con is that the volume pot is too close to the bridge pickup. I initially kept hitting it with my picking hand but quickly adjusted. With all that said, this PRS SE is now my main guitar.

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Fantastic Studio Workhorse

For months I had been shopping for a versatile guitar for songwriting and recording. After having considered a wide variety of guitars, I kept coming back to how so many people swear by the SE Custom 24. I finally decided to go with it, and it does NOT disappoint. As of this review, I've had mine for a couple of weeks, and I still can't believe how smoothly it plays and how good… read more it sounds. I also chose to have Sweetwater Plek mine (which I HIGHLY recommend)—every single note on this thing rings beautifully. If the SE Custom 24 is in your price range and you're looking for a do-it-all guitar, look no further.

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Great in photos, excellent in-person

This is my first true electric guitar. I've exclusively owned acoustics for the past 17 years and just recently got a Taylor T5 Custom Koa, which is great as a do-it-all guitar but doesn't excel as either an acoustic or electric. The look and feel of this PRS is amazing in every way, and is a beautiful piece of art even if you never pick it up. Photos really don't do it justice.… read more It's also extremely comfortable to play; the new violin carves seem to have really improved the comfort of the body based on what people have said about older models. Plugged into my Boss Katana 100w, this thing sings and has so many different tones to choose from. Cleans are crystal clear and smooth, and it can really crunch when playing heavier rock. Only 2 "cons" I found, if they can even be considered such: 1) The stock pickups are perfectly serviceable and aren't as bad as their online reputation implies, but I may still swap them out at some point in the future just to get the most out of this guitar; and 2) I wish it came with a hard case. That said, the included PRS gig bag is still one of the best out there, IMO. Plenty of padding and a large pocket for all your accessories. I'm not sure if most people do it, but I kept the small piece of foam that cradled the headstock during shipping so I could continue using it whenever it's in the gig bag. That tiny bit of extra protection and stability is a nice reassurance until I get a hard case for it. I know there are concerns about the SE Custom 24 line being built in Indonesia vs. the American-made ones, but I saw no dip in craftsmanship here. Obviously you miss out on the locking tuners and some higher-quality materials that you get with the CE line, but nothing on here looks or feels low or even average quality. Having just bought my Taylor a few months ago I wasn't looking to drop another $2-3k on an electric, so this PRS was perfect and well worth the price - especially with the coupon I had. It feels like it will last a long time, and I would recommend this guitar to anyone looking for a guitar that looks as great as it plays.

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6 months later still in love

This guitar is essentially amazing. The neck is a very slick gloss. It's like that part in National Lampoons Christmas Vacation where he puts the cereal varnish on the sled. It's that slick. Which I love. The tones are great I really like the coil tapping features. I don't use the trem as it's not my kind of thing. However it's easy to see this is one of the higher end trem… read more systems. It holds tune very well. I hung this puppy up on a wall in my apartment that I walk by frequently. It's almost like a magnet pulling my hands towards it every time I walk by. I have a hard time imagining a higher end PRS being better. I completely recommend this guitar. It looks fantastic, plays exceptionally well, and sounds great!

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Stunning!

*experienced player review* First of all, this guitar looks absolutely stunning! The natural wood mixed with the beautiful blue finish instantly caught my eye and I knew I had to have it. Secondly, it sounds amazing! It stands out uniquely compared to the HSS Strat, the LP, and even the Majesty. It's not as high output as the others, but the way it hits those big open chords just… read more feels great! Comes set up for E Standard but after a quick spring adjustment, I keep it in Drop D now. Great for rock!

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Sweetness

Love love love this guitar. Can't say enough good things about it!! Absolutely fantastic. Shout out to my sales rep Matthew Klopfenstein for suggesting this guitar! Best decision ever!

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Amazing guitar!!! 10 outta 10.

Never played a PRS before; bought it because it looked cool. Had a Schecter C-1 Plus, an Ibanez RT650, Jimmy Vaughn Strat, Epi LP&SG. I miss those guitars dearly, but they are no longer with me. Went on hiatus for 9 years. Decided to treat myself after a tough year. Beautiful finish. Right out of the box it's ready to rock. I don't plan on making any modifications, doesn't really… read more need any in my opinion. It doesn't go out of tune at all. Sounds great recorded; so many tones can be dialed in.

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LOVE IT!!!

This is the first PRS i have ever owned or even played before, but i love this guitar so much!!! Best guitar i have ever owned. Its visually stunning, and sounds AMAZING. The split coil mode has the most perfect chime to it, and the versatility of this instrument is phenomenal. In full humbucker mode its a little muddy in my opinion, but rolling off the volume a little bit fixes… read more that for me, or a little eq adjustment (about -2db) around 250hz-500hz balances it out. I am more than happy with this guitar and idk why it took me so long to own a PRS.

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Beautiful piece of art!

I have had the for a couple of weeks now. First and foremost this guitar plays and sounds great, this is my first PRS. Secondly this thing is BEAUTIFUL and a great guitar for the price. Finally this was my first purchase from sweetwater and will not be my last. Very helpful and professional.

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SC custom 24 quilt top black gold burst

The quilt top body and matching headstock are beautiful guitar plays like a dream and rings like a bell extremely pleased

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Lovely!

I am absolutely loving this beauty. It both looks and sounds amazing. Sweetwater does a great job with packaging, shipping, instructions, the whole nine yards. Keep up the great work!! (To both PRS and Sweetwater!)

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Prs SE custom 24 quilted black gold sunburst

In 20+ years of playing this is definitely the prettiest guitar I have ever owned. The top is beautiful, the birds and binding are top notch and the split pickups work great! One thing I will point out is that you either need to let Sweetwater set it up so it comes to you ready to go or take it to your local luthier to get the tremolo set up. From the factory my bridge was set too… read more high and no matter how I set it up I was having tuning issues. PRS specs say the bridge should be 1/16th off the body, mine came higher than that. I have previously only had strats with floating tremolos and the PRS bridge is a different animal. I took it to a local guy who was used to setting them up and now it is PERFECT! Once it is set up it is smoother and tuning is stable. Better than either of my strats. The neck is probably my favorite feature of this guitar. Perfect for any style of music you throw at it! Big thanks to Tomir at Sweetwater for hooking me up!

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Just WOW

Let me just start out with saying the guitar is absolutely beautiful. Right out of the box the action was playable. The finish was flawless. I lowered the action to my specs and changed the tuning machines to grover locking tuners. That was my decision and had nothing to do with the PRS ones. This guitar sounds great as well. If you're thinking about buying one don't think about… read more it just buy it.

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PRS SE custom 24

Beautiful looking guitar. Love this in the 'Black Gold'. Sounds good, has pretty strong hum bucking tones and the coil tap separates the coils to give you some variables - though I find for my use - I prefer the regular 3 way switch for tones...then using my amp and pedals to augment. The neck is described as wide-thin....? Do not particularly like the size as well as my Carvin… read more or my older Gibson (the paul). It seems a bit 'fatter' than i had hoped.. The one big noticeable difference in this and my other guitars is that the fret bars are sitting up awfully high. You can really feel them when sliding across notes and changing frets. I wish they would have 'seeded' them deeper or filed them down... guess that's what you get when you do not buy the top of the line 'private stock' PRS models. This guitar was my test into the PRS world. I am more a Gibson / Carvin guy. It will be kept and played - but it will stay at 3rd choice for now.

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