Worship Musician Magazine November 2024 | Page 51

• Semi-Hollow Body with Single F-Hole
• PRS Patented Molded Tremolo
• PRS 85 / 15 “ S ” Humbucking / Single Coils
• LR Baggs Piezo Pickup system
• 24 Frets on Mahogany Neck
Paul Reed Smith is ramping up manufacturing with all the latest electric models , including the SE Custom 24 Semi-Hollow Piezo . Despite its feature-filled design , this high-end guitar is surprisingly affordable , making it a great value for its price . It ’ s the latest release in the SE line , designed by PRS and signature artists . The materials are well chosen for sound , beauty , and playability , and it ’ s even lighter than the PRS Silver Sky Rosewood . Here are my first impressions .
OUT OF THE BOX : Upon unboxing , I was surprised to find the guitar shipped in a simple cardboard box , protected by a gig bag . This speaks volumes about PRS ’ s confidence in the guitar ’ s durability . The instrument arrived almost perfectly in tune , ready for immediate use . The brown SE gig bag it comes in is versatile , fitting various guitar sizes . The package also includes a tremolo bar , truss rod tool , and a small Allen wrench for bridge adjustment . While not as elegant as the premium black PRS gig bags , it ’ s likely to offer better durability .
The SE Custom 24 Semi-Hollow Piezo is available in four striking colors : Charcoal , Lake Blue , Orange Tiger Smokeburst , and Vintage Sunburst . The review model , with its Lake Blue finish , is sure to make a stunning visual impact on stage .
THE GUITAR :
KEY FEATURES
This guitar contains lovely details you wouldn ’ t expect on a guitar under $ 2,000 . It has a Mahogany Back and a Maple top with a flame Maple Veneer . This wood combination is an excellent recipe for tightness and clarity . It ’ s semi-hollow with a single F-hole and a shallow violin-like carved top . They gave it a beautiful Lake Blue sunburst stain and topped it with a white binding . The binding provides the body with more definition and style . For the set neck , they chose mahogany with a rosewood fingerboard . The extended 24-fret neck has a 10-inch Radius and 25-inch scale length with large frets . It sports the classic PRS bird fret markers . The headstock also has a matching Lake Blue finish with white binding . The headstock has PRS-designed tuners with a removable cover to access the PRS doubleacting truss rod .
ELECTRONICS : The SE Custom 24 Semi-Hollow Piezo comes loaded with black 8515 “ S ” treble and bass humbucking pickups without covers for more high-end . There are three pots with vintage style ‘ lamp shade ’ knobs … Volume , a Push / Pull Tone knob , and a dedicated Volume for the acoustic pickup . I like that they put that behind the bridge and out of the way for convenience . The Push / Pull Tone knob puts the pickups in single coil mode . A three-way blade switch is used for pickup selection . You ’ ll find two separate ¼ inch output jacks on the bottom . The Mix / Piezo jack allows for mixing in the Piezo pickup with the humbuckers . The second MAG output is Humbuckers only . The Piezo will not affect this output even if the battery dies . The beauty is that you can use both outputs simultaneously and run two separate cables , with the Piezo into a PA or DI for recording and the Humbuckers into an amp . A convenient battery compartment is located next to the jacks for easy access to the 9v Piezo battery .
MY TAKEAWAY : This guitar is a versatile powerhouse , capable of producing a wide range of sounds . It could be a perfect House of Worship guitar since it has an acoustic piezo pickup . As a modern worship leader , you could switch back and forth between acoustic and electric . Sometimes , I ’ ll play
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