Jerrys guitar bar review
But with the SE, I was pleasantly surprised that this wasn’t the case. I’ve traditionally not been a bridge pickup kind of guy as the highs on most guitars are just too over the top for me. With the bridge pickup selected, you get that classic P-90 tight, bright honk. The responsiveness to pick attack was still present – probably even more so in this position. In this position, the tonal quality became a lot more complex, with a noticeable midrange boost (something I prefer), and just as with the neck pickup, My favorite pickup setting was with both pickups engaged. In fact, in all three settings the guitar responds incredibly well to pick attack. Rolling up the volume produces just a tiny bit of grit, that you can increase significantly by attacking the strings more. The neck pickup produces a nice, hollow clean tone, reminiscent of using the bridge and center pickups on a Strat but unlike the Strat there’s no ringing. With any pickup you can go from clean to dirty simply by rolling the volume knob. It’s truly the first guitar I’ve played in a long time that is SUPER-responsive to volume rolls. Tone and sustain all have to come from the guitar when plugged into this amp, and from that perspective, the SE simply shines. To test how the SE sounds, I plugged it into my trusty 5 Watt Champ, which I’ve found is a great way to test out guitars as all it has is a volume knob. The SE also sports a bit shorter scale length than the Strat – 25″ vs 25 1/2″ – it doesn’t seem like much, but the shorter scale length does help in getting around the neck. Everything it about how you play this guitar speaks of convenience and playability with minimal fuss. From a playability standpoint, PRS truly made this guitar with a gigging guitarist in mind. The volume knob is perfectly positioned for rolling up or down volume with your pinky – very convenient. One thing I really like about this guitar was the simple controls: Two knobs and a 3-way toggle. Phil had the action set on this SE a bit higher than how I usually like it, but despite that minor nit that can be easily remedied, the neck is fast, and the frets are perfectly finished – not too deep and not too shallow, so you can bend and easily articulate nice vibrato without going out of key. The semi-flush heel also allows someone like me with short fingers to comfortably reach notes above the 18th fret with ease. It’s wider than my Strat’s neck, but despite that, it’s just a dream in my hands. All I can say is that the neck on this guitar is just how I like it. I have relatively short fingers, so neck diameter is a real important to me.
When I read other reviews of the SE, I was a little dubious, as most people talked about the wide, C-shaped neck. That alone attracts me to the guitar, as I just love a rosewood fretboard and the warmth it adds to your tone. The neck is a solid mahogany set neck with a rosewood fretboard. The body is solid mahogany with a flame maple top, whose grain is visible through the translucent finish. There were no scratches on it whatsoever!Īs far as the build quality is concerned, I couldn’t see any obvious joints or imperfections on the body. Phil has taken great care of this guitar. Let’s get into the details, shall we?įirst of all, this is one gorgeous guitar! The one I played has a translucent teal finish that beautifully fades into a glossy black lacquer trim and as a dedicated San Jose Sharks fan, what better than to have a guitar that’s the color of my favorite hockey team!!! The neck is also finished in glossy black lacquer. Aw shucks! Looks like I’m soon gonna be adding to my collection! Ne’er to worry, the sound this guitar produces will more than make up for the money I’ll be shelling out. Even better to have a great guitar to play with, as I certainly just did with the PRS SE Soapbar II! My good buddy, Phil, from a local cover band, Phil ‘N The Blanks lent me his SE Soapbar II today to try and perhaps buy. What better way to chill at the end of a busy work week than to come home, strap on a guitar and let your fingers do the walking. Price: $250-$500 Street depending on condition
Very versatile tones from nice, almost chimey cleans to bright, crunchy breakup.Ĭons: Not a whole lot of sustain, but that’s to be expected Pros: Real simple controls: Two knobs and a 3-position pickup toggle. Summary: Made in Korea? Who the hell cares! Workmanship is incredible, the paint job is impeccable, and with the two P-90’s, this dog’s got bite! But roll off the volume, and it becomes a sweet, cuddly puppy.