PRS SE Bernie Marsden Sig Guitar Demo & Full review

[MGBlues]

Full 20 minute demo & review link:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lT7sRliRHH8 Available in 720p



5 minute extract from the vid if the 20 mins is a bit much!... Just a minor blues jam:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2bEDe9gL778



This is a truly great guitar for the money!!! Based in part off Bernie Marsdens Les Paul (The Beast).

Well worth checking out if you're in the market for a LP type guitar in the 'under £$1000' bracket.

Long vid but i've tried to cover as much as possible!!!

 

[dividedsky]

Great demo, thanks!

 

[MGBlues]

Cheers bud!

tried to cram as much info in there as possible hence the long vid!

It's off to my tech today to have a new nut fitted. That's the ONLY issue with this guitar (and a few SE's in general i've played). Seems a bit cheap - not sure what material is used but it was a roughly finished and the slots where too deep and barely wide enough to accept the stock 9's.

I did mention about the bridge pup being a bit average sounding but... That's just personal opinion. The neck pup sounds great though.

For the money though... Fantastic guitar which I love to bits!

 

[MGBlues]

Had the tech fit a new Tusq nut today. Did a great job. Cut to perfection and changed the string spacing.

It's a shame PRS choose to put such cheap nuts on the higher end SE's. Everything else about the guitar is great and yet they choose to cut corners there.

Anyhoo... Don't let that put you off if you're thinking about one. You may be too impressed with everything else to really care. Worth factoring a new nut into the cost though.

 

[papersoul]

MGBlues, do you find this Bernie Marsden as good as the AMERICAN MADE prs MODELS???

 

[papersoul]

bump

 

[MGBlues]

Hey bud, completely missed this...

I've only briefly played a couple of US PRS's... I can't remember what the first one was but the second was the SC-58.

To me they felt like something special. Expensive, but you could see, hear and feel why.

Having said that, the Marsden (based on this somewhat limited experience) feels like it's perhaps 90% of the way there.

Guitarist magazine (Well respected UK mag) was of the opinion the current batches of SE singlecuts where better than the original US singlecuts PRS did.

Of course, this is just opinioin, but it's also worth knowing that they put the SE Marsden up against Bernie's '59 LP and another Gibson LP and the Marsden did very, very well for itself. A $/£600 Korean guitar up against one of the best examples of the so called holy grail...!

It's a great guitar that punches well above it's weight. YOu'd be getting a lot of guitar for the money without a doubt, but it's never going to be on the same par as an LP standard or US PRS. At the sme time, not as far off as you'd think!

 

[papersoul]

Not sure about that. I have a few American PRS guitars and have owned a McCarty and two Custom 22 models. My Santana SE is easily on par with any of those and also my LP Standard and SG for that matter. The Marsden SE I tried, I also felt was in the same league!

With PRS making SE guitars so reasonably priced for top shelf quality, there really is no reason for me ever to buy an American made guitar again.

Hey bud, completely missed this...

I've only briefly played a couple of US PRS's... I can't remember what the first one was but the second was the SC-58.

To me they felt like something special. Expensive, but you could see, hear and feel why.

Having said that, the Marsden (based on this somewhat limited experience) feels like it's perhaps 90% of the way there.

Guitarist magazine (Well respected UK mag) was of the opinion the current batches of SE singlecuts where better than the original US singlecuts PRS did.

Of course, this is just opinioin, but it's also worth knowing that they put the SE Marsden up against Bernie's '59 LP and another Gibson LP and the Marsden did very, very well for itself. A $/£600 Korean guitar up against one of the best examples of the so called holy grail...!

It's a great guitar that punches well above it's weight. YOu'd be getting a lot of guitar for the money without a doubt, but it's never going to be on the same par as an LP standard or US PRS. At the sme time, not as far off as you'd think!

 

[jojogun1957]

I was A/B ing a SC-58 and the Bernie Marsdan a couple days ago,and I agree with MGblues,the Marsden is about 90% there.

The sc-58 was a little more refined and could do a better jazz guitar impersination but the Marsden could sure rock.

I was also impressed with how complex open chords were on the Marsden,and the wrap around tail piece gave it a little extra punch.


I would love to get a sc-58,but think I well settle on a Bernie Marsden signiture for now.

It has got to be the best single cut humbucker guitar I've played for 650.00 new.

 

[MGBlues]

Not sure about that. I have a few American PRS guitars and have owned a McCarty and two Custom 22 models. My Santana SE is easily on par with any of those and also my LP Standard and SG for that matter. The Marsden SE I tried, I also felt was in the same league!

With PRS making SE guitars so reasonably priced for top shelf quality, there really is no reason for me ever to buy an American made guitar again.

They're a LOT of guitar for the money!

Makes we wonder how far PRS will push the envelope in terms of how good they'll make them.

Just picked up the 2012 SE Custom 24 for Xmas last week. Faultless!

 

[MGBlues]

I was A/B ing a SC-58 and the Bernie Marsdan a couple days ago,and I agree with MGblues,the Marsden is about 90% there.

The sc-58 was a little more refined and could do a better jazz guitar impersination but the Marsden could sure rock.

I was also impressed with how complex open chords were on the Marsden,and the wrap around tail piece gave it a little extra punch.


I would love to get a sc-58,but think I well settle on a Bernie Marsden signiture for now.

It has got to be the best single cut humbucker guitar I've played for 650.00 new.

Got to be honest, I wouldn't mind an SC-58 too, although i'm hoping they'll do a US Bernie Marsden. Won't be able to afford it but it'll give me something to lust after!

The Bernie's a great guitar and you can always upgrade it with some quality pickups if you choose. Has to be said the stock ones are pretty good.

 

[DanHorse]

Nice demo! Does it have the LP like rawk to you ears?

 

[MGBlues]

Nice demo! Does it have the LP like rawk to you ears?

Cheers bud!

I'd say with the stock neck pup it's pretty close.

Fitting some aftermarket pups such as BKP Mules gets you much closer.

I've just picked up the new 2012 SE Custom 24 - which is a real nice guitar too - but the Bernie is closer to that LP vibe stock.