£300 to upgrade a PRS SE CU 24. WWYD?

Hairdoom

So as much as I'm lusting after a Les Paul Studio, I reckon I'd maybe be better using the money I'd have spent on upgrading my current guitar (2011 PRS SE CU 24).

Obviously new pickups are a given (which ones though ?) But what else would you do to improve the sound/playability etc?

Lesgrandepotato

Sustainiac and a pro set up?

thegummy

Why are new pickups a given?

The HFS that comes in the bridge of the SE Custom 24 is one of the best pickups I've ever played.

The VB in the neck would probably be decent too if it was in a 22 fret guitar.

I've changed loads of stuff on mine but it's basically back to stock now and the only thing I'd change if I planned to use the guitar a lot would be the tuners, definitely not the pickups.

ICBM

I would spend the money on the Les Paul.

Firstly it’s probably going to be a better guitar, secondly you won’t get the money back on the upgrades if you sell the PRS, and thirdly you will sell it sooner or later because in your heart you will still really want a Les Paul.

Voxman

If you want an honest answer... nothing. Save your money and put it towards another guitar or better amp. You'll never get your money back on upgrades and I doubt they will make much difference anyway.  If the guitar isn't playing right and you don't know how to set it up yourself, then a setup..But that shouldn't cost much...maybe £30 plus strings. 

What amp are you playing through at the moment? 

Nikc

set up, set up, set up

grungebob

I had an SE Dave Navarro years ago. I spent a bit of money upgrading and I kept it for a few years after. 

I replaced the SE pickups with PRS core HFS & VB along with core electronics, didn’t really make much difference to be honest I liked both equally. 

I installed a prs USA nut and it was night and day difference so I’d recommend that. 

Put prs knobs on just coz I liked the clear ones. 

The stock guitar is perfectly fine and is capable of being used night after night with zero issues. If you don’t like it as is now don’t bother upgrading it as apart from the nut there’s not much change to be had. 


( the SE nut is hollow when you remove it the core is solid and has considerably more weight to it)

mbe

grungebob said:

( the SE nut is hollow when you remove it the core is solid and has considerably more weight to it)

A chambered nut?

thegummy

grungebob said:

I had an SE Dave Navarro years ago. I spent a bit of money upgrading and I kept it for a few years after. 

I replaced the SE pickups with PRS core HFS & VB along with core electronics, didn’t really make much difference to be honest I liked both equally. 

I installed a prs USA nut and it was night and day difference so I’d recommend that. 

Put prs knobs on just coz I liked the clear ones. 

The stock guitar is perfectly fine and is capable of being used night after night with zero issues. If you don’t like it as is now don’t bother upgrading it as apart from the nut there’s not much change to be had. 


( the SE nut is hollow when you remove it the core is solid and has considerably more weight to it)

Did you cut the nut open and see that it's hollow? If so, do you have a pic?

drwiddly

The switch and pots are a bit cheap and can fail but, if they're working ok, leave them alone until they need replacing. Personally, I'd fit some locking tuners (Axetec stock a good, direct rep,acement set) and get the nut replaced with a PRS core one or a Graphtech tusq.

Do you like the pickups? If so, leave them alone but if not look at some replacements from Irongear (if you don't want to spend a lot) or Oil City (more expensive but better). Pickup choice will depend on what sort of music you play.

grungebob

The guitar and nut are long gone sorry. It wasn’t completely hollow but the underneath was heavily recessed. 

fretfinder

ICBM said:

I would spend the money on the Les Paul.

Firstly it’s probably going to be a better guitar, secondly you won’t get the money back on the upgrades if you sell the PRS, and thirdly you will sell it sooner or later because in your heart you will still really want a Les Paul.

Voxman said:

If you want an honest answer... nothing. Save your money and put it towards another guitar or better amp. You'll never get your money back on upgrades and I doubt they will make much difference anyway.  If the guitar isn't playing right and you don't know how to set it up yourself, then a setup..But that shouldn't cost much...maybe £30 plus strings. 

Listen to the wise men of thefb. 

Godlykepower

I’ve got a Bernie Marsden SE. Out of the box it was amazing, but I’ve changed everything over the last year, and it just keeps getting better.

I’ve got Bare Knuckle ‘Mules’ fitted, with a custom wiring harness ( Jensen PIO caps, treble bleed and CTS pots,) upgraded Schroeder bridge and some TonePros tuners. As standard, it was wired as master tone control, and a volume pot for each pickup. I’ve wired it as master volume and two tone controls.

Easily up there with something in the £4K bracket.

If you’ve got a trem, I’d change it to a Wudtone. I swapped the trem in my CE24 to one, and its amazing.

thegummy

Godlykepower said:

Easily up there with something in the £4K bracket.

Never played a guitar in that bracket but that's quite a claim!

Godlykepower

@thegummy A claim I would stand behind. I’ve played and owned some very, very expensive guitars in my time.

I paid £800 for my Bernie and have spent around £500 on upgrading parts...it’s easily my favourite current guitar, and if not as good, 99% as good as anything I’ve ever owned or played.

It’s a remarkable guitar for the money! 

thegummy

Godlykepower said:

@thegummy A claim I would stand behind. I’ve played and owned some very, very expensive guitars in my time.

I paid £800 for my Bernie and have spent around £500 on upgrading parts...it’s easily my favourite current guitar, and if not as good, 99% as good as anything I’ve ever owned or played.

It’s a remarkable guitar for the money! 

I've got the guitar also with the same pickups as you and it's a great quality guitar but if it really is equal to a 4 grand guitar, are people who spend that just compete fools since they're spending 8 times the amount for the same quality?

I don't know the answer to that, the most expensive guitar I've played is probably a les Paul standard and there's nothing I can see making that better than the Bernie so you may well be right.

There are plenty of people on here who spend thousands on a guitar, maybe they'll suggest why the 500 quid Bernie is worse than guitars costing thousands.

Funkfingers

ICBM said:

I would spend the money on the Les Paul.

If the PRS SE guitar has a vibrato bridge and accompanying cavity, it is never going to deliver in exactly the same way as a guitar with a fixed bridge, mounted on threaded stud inserts.

Godlykepower said:

I’ve got a Bernie Marsden SE. Out of the box it was amazing, but I’ve changed everything over the last year, and it just keeps getting better.

My version of this story involved a pre-owned PRS SE singlecut Soapbar. Upgrades included Gotoh tuners, American pots and a pair of pre-owned Lindy Fralin P90s. Enormous fun at any price.