PRS SE Custom 24-08 - Faded Blue Burst, Sweetwater Exclusive Review

Feels as good as it looks!

I love the color and binding on this Sweetwater exclusive. Don't be turned off by this being an SE model. The quality and attention to detail on mine is shockingly good. The fretwork is actually nicer than a PRS CE I used to own. I did change out the knobs for the PRS lampshade style knobs. I just prefer the look and feel of those. I also added the PRS SE locking tuners.… read more The guitar held tune just fine, but I like locking tuners for the string change convenience. The pickups sound better than I anticipated as well. Thought I might have to change them out for something else, but after playing this for a month, they are staying. A very comfortable and easy to play guitar imo. Couldn't be happier with my purchase. And a special thank you to Parker who helped me find exactly what I was looking for (I'm annoyingly picky).

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Awesome Guitar, Great Service

The sustain on this guitar is just incredible and it is absolutely beautiful! Aric Brenner provided excellent service throughout the purchase and delivery. He even sent photos of the actual guitar that was available for my approval before shipping. Sweetwater is the best!

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Perfect, with Some Effort on my Part

I'm a player since 1978, still play in a part-time band, and I own some other good guitars: Gibson, Fender, Taylor, Gretsch, etc. I'm going to write a fair evaluation of this instrument, based on my experience with it over the last 20 months both recording and gigging with the guitar. Spoiler alert: I REALLY like it--it's the best 'all around' guitar that I own, but it took a bit… read more of work on my part to get it there. Before I begin, I'll say that the experience of buying from Sweetwater was (and always is) fantastic. I was able to look at quite a few versions of this model; the sales tech gave me item numbers over the phone, and I viewed eight different models before zeroing in on this one. I also used their 3-payment plan, which made it easy to buy when I wanted it, and their personal sales reps follow up with you on everything. You just can't beat Sweetwater's customer service. I'll start with the things I love about this guitar. First, the pickups are hot but articulate, and sound great clean or overdriven. The dual coil taps produce excellent single coil sound, springy, but it doesn't sound exactly like a Strat--quite usable, especially with both pups on in single coil (which cancels the single coil hum). The 25" scale length and wider neck width/cut make it a joy to play, and the PRS body cut is well-balanced and comfortable. The controls layout puts everything right where I want it--I honestly wouldn't change anything about the design or sound. It's easily the most versatile guitar that I own, and it always goes to the gig. Plus, it's flat-out gorgeous. When the guitar first arrived, the action was set high, so I immediately lowered it to my preferred height--no real problem there. I played it every day to stretch out the strings, but I noticed that there were some issues with it staying in tune. This was happening with all six strings, though some were worse than others, and they seemed to be sticking in the nut. I struggled with it for the first four months, but ultimately it required some work to correct the problem. First I bought a Graph Tech Black TUSQ nut (specifically for PRS guitars, $13) and PRS replacement locking tuners ($100). I decided to pay a luthier ($180) to install these, as well as set up the trem bridge so that I can use the trem to pull notes up a whole step. I could have done the installations myself and saved a bit of money, but I wanted to make sure that it was done right and well. After the extra work, the difference is night and day, and I would easily put this guitar up against the higher-end PRS models, or expensive guitars made by other big players in the industry. It's the guitar I reach for first. Considering the additional parts, I think that the replacement nut made the difference, and I don't know if my issues with the stock nut were to do with the composite material from which it was made, or if it happened when they were slotting it in the factory. The locking tuners are a bonus to speed up string changing but probably weren't needed, though they do provide a little more stability with string pitch. So that's my assessment. I'm giving this a 4-star review because despite the issues that I had, it otherwise has exceptional build quality, tone, and playability, and I think that the issue that I had with the nut is minor by comparison. The extra expense & work not withstanding, I'm still VERY happy that I bought this guitar. I'll play it for years.

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Lovely guitar, great sound

I've been playing a Tele for a while now, so this is a little different. Sustain is incredible. Neck is wider---a plus but also a slight adjustment for me. FEEL of the instrument is great when I sit to play: very balanced, arm lays nicely along the upper body and my hand rests neatly on the bridge (-when that's what I want.) For some reason, my Tele bridge "bites" me at times; this… read more one never does. Color is lovely, finish is smooth. A real eye-catcher. (And to be honest, I wasn't crazy about the green version---this color suits me to a T.) Plays easy. The 8 pickup configurations provide a diverse palette of tones.

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So much more than I expected!

This guitar is so much more than I expected. Has a perfect setup. I can dial into any sound and there's absolutely zero hum from the pickups. My spine is rapidly deteriorating and I was hoping I could drive into it without an increase in pressure. I think this I'll be able to play this guitar long after my neck will force me to close the cases on my others. And the service...called… read more me and went over what I wanted and it's the best setup ever. My excitement was matched only by the tech. Worth the wait and well worth the price...and, oh Yeah...at is GORGEOUS!

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