PRS Custom 24 SE vs PRS Standard 24 SE 2018

alexmitchell17

Hi guys 

I've been looking at the prs se range for a while now mainly looking at the custom until I found the new standard for 2018. As far as I can tell they're the same guitar minus maple cap but with £300 difference in price! Same pickups, same hardware, same wood (expect cap), both have coil splits.. The standard even has neck binding which the custom doesn't..  Am I missing something or isnt this a bargain?! Or would the maple cap be worth £300? I've put the links to them below


https://www.dawsons.co.uk/prs-2018-se-standard-24-electric-guitar-tobacco-sunburst

https://www.dawsons.co.uk/prs-2018-se-custom-24-electric-guitar-tobacco-sunburst

Funkfingers

The SE Standard body blank only needs to be handled three times during the CNC shaping process. The finishing is simple.

The SE Custom has additional stages

• attaching the bulk of the maple (pre-CNC shaping)
• applying the figured veneer
• masking the maple to create the faux binding effect
• removing the masking after translucent colour finishing
• scraping (if necessary)
• Q. A. checking

alexmitchell17

Ah I see so you're paying for the extra labour as well. Am I right in thinking the addition of the maple is more due to aesthetics than sound quality? Without trying to cause a tonewood argument lol!

thegummy

The lack of maple cap will make it a very different guitar.

Also, the SE Custom is made in a very highly regarded factory in Korea.

The Standard is made in Indonesia; I don't know anything about the factory, I'd imagine PRS would have chosen well.

The price difference will reflect the actual differences in the guitars. The same company is unlikely to have a price structure that would allow for such a bargain.

alexmitchell17

Ah Indonesian made too starting to make sense now I guess they can probably pay the staff less in Indonesia than Korea.. I think ill probably stick to the custom

Funkfingers

Assuming that the dimensions of the guitar bodies are identical, the constructional differences should create some tonal differences. 

Looking at the Dawson's advertisement images, I notice that the SE Standard has something around the body edge where binding would be expected to go. Either PRS is using pallid mahogany family timbers or the thing that looks like binding is yer actual glued-on plastic strip. (There go some of the excuses for the price difference.)

My anecdotal experience with PRS SE guitars is that they work especially well with P-90 style pickups. Hence, my bias is towards the all-mahogany models - even before any monetary considerations.

This brings us to the actual monetary considerations. The asking price of a brand new SE Custom should land you a pre-owned US-made S2 Series instrument. All of the parts that you might wish to upgrade on the Asian instrument are already present and correct on the S2 range.

alexmitchell17

All makes there I think I'll probably go for a second hand custom se, I only really wanted to spend around the £500 mark which is why the standard interested me but I think I'll stick to the custom as I've heard a lot of good things about the Korean factory where they're made I didn't realise the standards were made somewhere else. Thanks All!

grungebob

For £500 I’d be looking at a S2 standard 24. 
I have an S2 Vela, S2 standard 24 and a USA Custom 24 the difference between the S2 24 and the core tone wise is marginal, touch less sustain , definition and treble but the last one is due to the standard being all mahogany. 
The difference between an SE and a S2 is quite large. 

guitars4you

without having to write a load of text and info then I'd say @Funkfingers replies have just about covered it
- a pure mahogany based guitar will have a tighter more focused voice - warm and thick - The maple cap adds more articulation as well as of course the trimmings that make it easy on the eye

PRS SE models offer great value for money - build quality tone and playing performance - look out for used and look out for any end of line deals based on slow selling colours and/or end of line models as well

Strat54

Wow.....£799 for a Chinese PRS? I've seen US Custom 24's go for around £1000 on ebay privately and there's a hell of a difference between the two.

thegummy

Strat54 said:

Wow.....£799 for a Chinese PRS? I've seen US Custom 24's go for around £1000 on ebay privately and there's a hell of a difference between the two.

Chinese?

Modellista

Funkfingers said:

The asking price of a brand new SE Custom should land you a pre-owned US-made S2 Series instrument. All of the parts that you might wish to upgrade on the Asian instrument are already present and correct on the S2 range.

The £799 for the SE Custom will actually get you into a new S2 Vela, or at least it did in the sales a month or so back, and Peach still have one at £852. 

The SEs I've played have been good guitars, if unspectacular, but surely nearly £1k for one is missing the point of a budget range?

thegummy

modellista said:

Funkfingers said:

The asking price of a brand new SE Custom should land you a pre-owned US-made S2 Series instrument. All of the parts that you might wish to upgrade on the Asian instrument are already present and correct on the S2 range.

The £799 for the SE Custom will actually get you into a new S2 Vela, or at least it did in the sales a month or so back, and Peach still have one at £852. 

The SEs I've played have been good guitars, if unspectacular, but surely nearly £1k for one is missing the point of a budget range?

Isn't the point just to compete at the 800 price point?

They're surely as good as anything else at that price.

Slartibartfarst42

modellista said:

Funkfingers said:

The asking price of a brand new SE Custom should land you a pre-owned US-made S2 Series instrument. All of the parts that you might wish to upgrade on the Asian instrument are already present and correct on the S2 range.

The £799 for the SE Custom will actually get you into a new S2 Vela, or at least it did in the sales a month or so back, and Peach still have one at £852. 

The SEs I've played have been good guitars, if unspectacular, but surely nearly £1k for one is missing the point of a budget range?

The problem I have with the S2 range (the Vela is a perfect example) is that I REALLY don't like the look of them. The shape is wrong and the finish looks cheap whereas my SE Custom 24 (admittedly with a purple quilted finish) looks a million times better, though I accept this is personal preference. The pickups on the SE are nothing special but I always replace pickups for my own choices anyway and would probably do the same with the S2. The SE Custom 24 is a beautiful guitar and it's my third at the moment. If I was forced into a complaint I'd say that while it's better than my Fender Stratocaster and Gibson Les Paul in every objective way, it doesn't seem to have the same soul or character than either of those.

Strat54

thegummy said:

Strat54 said:

Wow.....£799 for a Chinese PRS? I've seen US Custom 24's go for around £1000 on ebay privately and there's a hell of a difference between the two.

Chinese?

Sorry, Korea....Japan might have been better. 

thegummy

Strat54 said:

thegummy said:

Strat54 said:

Wow.....£799 for a Chinese PRS? I've seen US Custom 24's go for around £1000 on ebay privately and there's a hell of a difference between the two.

Chinese?

Sorry, Korea....Japan might have been better. 

I think some guitar people have a mythological belief about different nationalities having differing guitar factory abilities.

That aside though, it doesn't make sense to compare the new price of one to a used price of another - the SE used would be significantly less than the S2 used.

Strat54

I think it does make sense as a buyer to compare new and used prices from different lines. Guitars don't deteriorate the same as most used products so they do become comparable. Guitars are also one of the few products that increase in value and possibly desirability over time. 

thegummy

Strat54 said:

I think it does make sense as a buyer to compare new and used prices from different lines. Guitars don't deteriorate the same as most used products so they do become comparable. Guitars are also one of the few products that increase in value and possibly desirability over time. 

But it doesn't really mean much to look at the price difference between one model new and another used.

If the buyer is happy going used then he can get either model used where the price difference goes back to a similar ratio to comparing both new.

grungebob

The one new model vs the one used model is a valid comparison when your discussing quality of the instrument for its current purchase price. 
We all agree the difference in quality is reflected in the new price of both guitars but the argument here is that a better quality guitar can be had for the same price (albeit ones new and the others used). 

crunchman

I've not played the SE versions, but based on my experience of the full US line I'd take the Standard over the Custom any day of the week.  I think the all mahogany ones sound a lot better.

For those who are talking about prices, I picked up an S2 Satin Singlecut new for £799 the other week in a sale.

The Satin finish guitars are great.  I have a Vela and the Singlecut I just bought.  All my "Core" US PRS are long since gone and I don't really miss them.