New PRS SEs

Alterlifeson · October 2023

Looks like there is a few new models coming to the SE lineup. Love the look of the swamp ash special. Very smart in vintage sunburst. Striking how similar it looks to the original. I guess including the CE as another bolt on option was an easy choice after deciding to do the Swamp Ash. There is now a quilt top CS24 in the regular line up too.

Image: https://d2zap0z9ahyacn.cloudfront.net/eyJidWNrZXQiOiJwcnNpbWFnZXMiLCJrZXkiOiJndWl0YXItaW1hZ2VzL3NlLXN3YW1wLWFzaC1zcGVjaWFsLTIwMjQtaG9yLXZpbnRhZ2Utc3VuYnVyc3QuanBnIiwiZWRpdHMiOnsianBlZyI6eyJxdWFsaXR5Ijo4MiwicHJvZ3Jlc3NpdmUiOnRydWUsInRyZWxsaXNRdWFudGlzYXRpb24iOnRydWUsIm92ZXJzaG9vdERlcmluZ2luZyI6dHJ1ZSwib3B0aW1pemVTY2FucyI6dHJ1ZX0sInJlc2l6ZSI6eyJ3aWR0aCI6MTkyMCwiaGVpZ2h0Ijo2NjMsImZpdCI6ImNvdmVyIn0sInNoYXJwZW4iOnRydWV9fQ==

Image: https://d2zap0z9ahyacn.cloudfront.net/eyJidWNrZXQiOiJwcnNpbWFnZXMiLCJrZXkiOiJndWl0YXItaW1hZ2VzL3NlLWNlLTI0LTIwMjQtaG9yLWJsb29kLW9yYW5nZS5qcGciLCJlZGl0cyI6eyJqcGVnIjp7InF1YWxpdHkiOjgyLCJwcm9ncmVzc2l2ZSI6dHJ1ZSwidHJlbGxpc1F1YW50aXNhdGlvbiI6dHJ1ZSwib3ZlcnNob290RGVyaW5naW5nIjp0cnVlLCJvcHRpbWl6ZVNjYW5zIjp0cnVlfSwicmVzaXplIjp7IndpZHRoIjoxOTIwLCJoZWlnaHQiOjY2MywiZml0IjoiY292ZXIifSwic2hhcnBlbiI6dHJ1ZX19

Ozzie744 · October 2023

I really like the looks of the first one with the maple fretboard

guitargeek62 · October 2023

The turquoise SAS looks great, it’s about time that model got some more widespread love.

Fingers657 · October 2023

I really like the looks of the first three pickups one above.
But don’t need anymore PRS guitars.
Im happy with the four we already have.

chris78 · October 2023

I’d be very surprised if they didn’t shift a lot of the special. Its stock has risen since it was discontinued from core and I reckon that’s one heck of a guitar at under a grand. I’ll be trying one out

Philly_Q · October 2023

Holy shit, the Swamp Ash Special looks amazing. At a glance I would not have thought "SE" for a moment.

Does this mean there are new core and S2 models, or are they only announcing SEs?

timmypix · October 2023

Looks like the SE Silver Sky paved the way for the SE CE - same neck joint as opposed to the neck joint ok the core CE.

CavemanGrogg · October 2023

I keep hoping for some reason that whenever PRS announces new guitars, that they will re release the SE One, even as a SE again, S2, Core, even Private Stock, really strange in my opinion that they discontinued the SE One in the first place in my opinion.

stickyfiddle · October 2023

Yeah that Swamp Ash even has me interested. Crikey!

Does it count as a Superstrat...?

HAL9000 · October 2023

CavemanGrogg said:

…really strange in my opinion that they discontinued the SE One in the first place in my opinion…

^This. I’m not particularly a fan of PRS guitars but I could definitely be tempted by an SE One (especially in that swamp ash with maple board).

guitars4you · October 2023

The SE Swamp Ash is the clear winner to me - Was always a fan of the original SAS and prefer it to the Silver Sky in that 'Straty flavoured' way - Far more of what a PRS Strat is about IMO - The Silver Sky is not really Paul's Strat it is John's

Interesting they've gone with the 3 way LP toggle switch on the SAS, as per the original format - Preferred later when they went with a 5 way - More logical format IMO - Assuming then with the 3 way switch, it will just switch between the humbucker options and then you bring in a push pull pot for the middle pick-up for those 'in between/split' sounds

The issue is price and how much more would it cost me to buy a used original USA version

guitarfishbay · October 2023

They look great, especially that Swamp Ash model. I was really impressed when I tried the latest SEs and would expect these to be good too.

The review models Phillip McKnight got seemed impressive.

https://youtu.be/UGm6cheni8s?si=wTfCniUppy1whp2T

Alterlifeson · October 2023

I've been looking at the SAS at retailers where they use pictures of the actual instrument - quite a few have poorly chosen or mismatched 3 piece bodies. A darker colour might be a wiser choice.

Grumpyrocker · October 2023

Oddly there's no way of having the single coil on its own on the SAS.

Grumpyrocker · October 2023

Alterlifeson said:

I've been looking at the SAS at retailers where they use pictures of the actual instrument - quite a few have poorly chosen or mismatched 3 piece bodies. A darker colour might be a wiser choice.

This has been a problem on SE models recently. Some of the wood matching on the bodies has been awful.

normula1 · October 2023

I watched the demo of the SAS last night and thought the mixed / split sounds were awful. Shame as I really wanted to like them.

Chimpankie · October 2023

Alterlifeson said:

I've been looking at the SAS at retailers where they use pictures of the actual instrument - quite a few have poorly chosen or mismatched 3 piece bodies. A darker colour might be a wiser choice.

Even on the promo pics, if that's the matching they've got on the best ones then I suspect what'll be in stores will be very hit and miss.

Nice finishes though. Weird pickup selection choice - you have to pop up the tone to access the middle pickup in any position as default is Bridge, Bridge + Neck, Neck. Five way would have been better.

Alun · October 2023

I'd love the CE24 if it was a CE22 with solid colour paint and a stoptail. The CU24 quilt looks awful for my tastes personally but each to their own. The SAS looks and sounds pretty cool but it's a shame that they're multi-piece bodies.

Funkfingers · October 2023

The very first PRS Classic Electric models only came in solid opaque paint finishes.

After a few years, public demand brought the figured maple caps. (Effectively, a poverty model version of the Custom.) IMO, this was a mistake. The screwed-on neck alder/maple guitars had a sonic identity of their own. It complimented the set neck mahogany models.

rlw · October 2023

Alun said:

I'd love the CE24 if it was a CE22 with solid colour paint and a stoptail. The CU24 quilt looks awful for my tastes personally but each to their own. The SAS looks and sounds pretty cool but it's a shame that they're multi-piece bodies.

Cost.

roberty · October 2023

guitarfishbay said:

They look great, especially that Swamp Ash model. I was really impressed when I tried the latest SEs and would expect these to be good too.

The review models Phillip McKnight got seemed impressive.

Phil shows all the stuff I want to see. Lots of value in his deep drives

Philly_Q · October 2023

Grumpyrocker said:

Alterlifeson said:

I've been looking at the SAS at retailers where they use pictures of the actual instrument - quite a few have poorly chosen or mismatched 3 piece bodies. A darker colour might be a wiser choice.

This has been a problem on SE models recently. Some of the wood matching on the bodies has been awful.

PRS were never very good at matching the grain lines on SASs even back in the day, look at these two. But I'm sure some of the SEs will be worse, I certainly wouldn't buy blind.

Image: https://www.soundaffects.com/images/products/1593095990-50924200.jpg

Image: https://massstreetmusic.com/cdn/shop/products/PRS-Special-front-close.jpg?v=1400190956

Alterlifeson · October 2023

Philly_Q said:

Grumpyrocker said:

Alterlifeson said:

I've been looking at the SAS at retailers where they use pictures of the actual instrument - quite a few have poorly chosen or mismatched 3 piece bodies. A darker colour might be a wiser choice.

This has been a problem on SE models recently. Some of the wood matching on the bodies has been awful.

PRS were never very good at matching the grain lines on SASs even back in the day, look at these two. But I'm sure some of the SEs will be worse, I certainly wouldn't buy blind.

The top one isn't too bad, I could live with that. This is one offered by Brians in the US.

Image: https://briansguitars.com/cdn/shop/files/PRSSESwampAshSpecialIriBlueF052274-2_800x1000.jpg?v=1696890474

The charcoal colour varies a lot too, they have one that is nearly opaque.

Philly_Q · October 2023

Yeah, that's not good. Although having said that, it probably looks fine from a distance.

When you look at 1970s ash-bodied Fenders, they don't seem to have even tried to match the grain lines and hide the joins. It's almost like no-one had even considered it as a concept. I've got an early '80s Aria CS-400 with a four-piece ash body, the joins are really obvious but it's a nice sunburst and I still think it looks cool.

MattP · October 2023

Looks like they've put the route for the middle pickup the right way round. Or the wrong way, if the US SAS is the benchmark. Either way, it looks great, especially with the plain maple neck.

TTony · October 2023

I thought they used up all the mismatched pieces of wood on the solid finished SE models?

OK, so it shouldn't affect playability or tone, but - IMHO of course - those clashing grain patterns aren't really consistent with the PRS reputation for wow / beauty / bling guitars.

ellwood · October 2023

Could definitely be on the hook for a SAS….any idea when they are due to go on sale?

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