That IS a nice looking guitar. I'm not usually into PRSs, but that one certainly looks like a nice combination of features . . . with a classy top. Enjoy it!
When I went to the PRS Experience in September I was talking to a few employees and J Hayes. J is the guy that demo's PRS guitars on the site and on Youtube. Out of all of the PRSi the guy could choose, his main gigging guitar is the semi-hollow custom. I was shocked when he said that. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9bvWY2eozxM
It's the PRS SE Custom semi hollow. The top is bookmatched maple better than Iv'e seen in a long time. AAA quality at the very least. It is truly the same piece of wood butterflied open. I mean it's got to be. It plays smooth with close action and smooth fret ends much the same as any fat/wide standard PRS would. Working on sound quality definition for you, but it does sounds great. The pick-ups are a tad bit hotter than regular American PRS pick-ups IMHO. I would like to keep them and coil tap them. I am wondering if they have individual magnets in each pick-up, wound separetly or one big winding around one big magnet? It has 95% of the size of what you would call a standard "fat/wide PRS neck". The quality of chrome, hardware, wood, paint, finish, and overall craftsmanship is 100% among the best American made products, bar none. I had $4000 cash and went to buy the American PRS but left with this one. The American PRS semi hollowbody is ultra light weight whereas this one is just a good light weight guitar. This SE Custom will withstand all tests.
They do. I played two of them here in Cincinnati. They are based on the model 22 and I seem to find them in honey colored stain around $3500. They have the carved top whereas my SE has the flat top.
For 600$ they are a good buy. The top is just a flame laminate top on a plain maple top, not a AAA flame maple piece of maple. They are probably the best korean made guitars in that price range. The pickups are hotter than the US version, and are decent but not the best. The finish and hardware are really top for a guitar this price, but I would change the pots. The SE line has just gotten better and better.
I recently bought a SE hollow (same as the the one in this thread) I have played strats for decades so this is a nice change. Mine is 6 pounds exactly and I am loving it. I thought I would want to replace the pick-ups,but I find them to be excellent. I do find the taper of the pots to be odd. Any suggestions on suitable upgrade replacement pots?
Yes' it does have just a maple cap. I am sorry I did not make that clear. But I am tellin ya, the flame in the veneer is the best I have ever seen. The grain does not fade and all grain lines and grain shading, on mine, match perfectly, and are fancy and detailed to look at. I think that PRS has seen the potential of a vast market for high end, "far east" built guitars, that rival all others as well as many mass produced American built pieces, and be able to sell them for under $1000. And PRS feels secure enough about there American built guitar market that they can do this without fear of loosing sales in that arena. I (IMHO), think the quality control, on PRS imported guitars, has got to be tightly controlled and personally monitored by PRS thenselves more-so than with other guitar manufacturers.
Congrats on the SE! I've been looking at the singlecut SE for awhile now. I tried a Singlecut at GC then tried a Singlecut SE and liked the SE better. the feel was just right and not as "chunky" as the expensive PRS Singlecut. The Youtube demo of the Custom SE is excellent. You may have seen it already but Harmony Central under VideoTheater has a interview with Paul Reed Smith about the SE line. Man this guy just has a passion for what he does and is extremely proud of the SE line, manily because he was called a fool for offering an overseas line and putting the Korean name on the back of the headstock. I'll be going to GC to try the the Custom SE tomorrow!