Hello & Happy Monday! If you like this video, there are more like it. Here is the playlist of my guitar collections! Enjoy: ua-cam.com/play/PLncM860ccUCQLjUOZJLUVVuZQ9CSCB4SQ.html&disable_polymer=true
I love PRS guitars and whole heartedly agree that for the money, they are 'great' guitars. Whether that's at an SE price point or a Core - compared to other guitars in their price range they are great. The first (lovely colour that Black Cherry btw) has a 5-way rotary switch so you did get that right as well. You are correct that the S2 has imported PU's, bridges etc but the wood is 'cured' in the same way that PS woods are cured and they are built with the same attention that Cores are built - just more basic carves etc so the time taken to sand and prepare is a lot less. CE's do have the Core PU's but still have the same moulded bridge as an SE/S2 - more basic carve and bolt-on neck as you know but still the same wood curing process. I have 4 'core' PRS guitars currently - a 594, 509, Custom 24 and a Hollowbody ii. I do agree that having just 1 guitar can get a bit boring and uninspiring so I have 4 very different PRS guitars. The 594 is a bit like a Les Paul, 509 like a Super Strat, Custom 24 a classic PRS and the Hollowbody is like a ES335 with a Piezo - All different and offer something unique that the others don't. Once I tried a Core PRS, I couldn't play other guitars as they lacked 'something' for me and any guitar I buy has to make me want to play it. If I am constantly reaching for my core PRS guitars because they have what I want/need, not lacking something, then why buy? The only guitars that can compete with my Core PRS guitars are more core PRS guitars. If I bought an S2 for example, no matter how 'great' it is, I will be reaching for my Core PRS because it has something 'extra'. I get you business model too, whether its better to own 1 £10k Private Stock, 2 £5k Wood Library, 3 Core non-10top, 5 CE's or 6/7 S2's or 10/11 SE's. I don't own 20+ guitars and couldn't own 20+ guitars so instead of buying cheap but still great for the price point, I opted to buy High Quality, no compromise instruments that have that 'something' extra. An S2 for example may get to 90% of the Core (not that you can quantify in that way) and a core gets that extra 10%. Its not 3x better despite costing 3x as much but it is better, has something special that others don't. I only have room for 5/6 certainly no more than 8 guitars so I might as well make those guitars be the 'best' guitars I can buy that offer me a kaleidoscope of tonal colours I can use to paint the music I want to play - hence they are all different PRS models and each makes me want to pick up and play. If I owned a guitar that was lacking 'something', lacking that extra 10% for example, I would gravitate to just the 'Core' PRS for everything because it has that 'something' others don't. If you were limited to just 6 guitars, wouldn't you want those 6 to be special, to be different but still compete for your attention, make you want to play it just as much as the others and not 'lacking' some mojo that your others have? That's my position and why I am making every guitar purchase count, not going to buy something just because and PRS guitars have exceptional quality and beauty that makes me want to own, want to play, want to hear etc
I've been a fan of PRS since I tried one in 1987 at a shop in West Los Angeles. Totally flipped over it. A white 24 fret with the bird inlays. The sweet switch, and I remember this from a brochure I read, was to give a more single coil tone to the humbuckers, but it did not split the coils. It's akin to the Dry/Wet switch available on the higher end Yamaha Revstars. It's a way of getting single coil characteristics from buckers without coil splitting and keeping the benefit of hum canceling. I also love the knob which split or selected coils. But I prefer a five way switch most of all. I play an Allender SE model and totally love it. It came with EMGs which I didn't feel were quite right, so I replaced them with a DiMarzio Norton/Air Norton set which fit a lot better. But now I have a Duncan Nazgul/Jazz set and it blows the DiMarzios out of the water. I love the SE and the Classic Electrics. I remember when PRS first put out bolt-ons, and how some pretentious "purists" dogged on them. I felt that was uncalled for. Their bolt-ons are very bit the equal of their set-necks. Just a different production method. I don't own a Core because of how prohibitively expensive they are. They have also undergone what can only be called a Dumbleization. Fetish objects for weekend rockers who work as attorney during the week or some other high earning vocation. Still, fine guitars. No doubt about it. It doesn't get better than a Core. But it's not SO MUCH better than I'm gonna take out a mortgage to get one. I'm fine with my SE. I'll get another someday, maybe a Mira. I love your channel. It's great, and it deals with stuff guitarists need to know about.
The sweet switch was requested by Carlos Santana after he switched to wireless. The sweet switch added capacitance, that mimic the natural capacitance that he had from his extremely long guitar cable.
I've been a PRS freak since the article in Guitar Player magazine..in the early 80's... Paul has captured the essence of what makes a guitar great & built his name on that philosophy
I have watched a lot of your videos over the years, but this was one of the best. I love PRS Guitars and you really seem to be speaking from the heart about the guitars. I have a couple SE guitars, but I need to acquire a CE and S2. Thanks for sharing!
I’m a PRS fan too. 2 SE, CE, S2, and S2 Mira semihollow. It’s hard to choose just one, they’re all beautiful & great craftsmanship. Hope to visit the factory some day. Thanks for the information and sharing your great collection.
This for me is one of the best videos I've seen from you Louis. I love your honsety in your explanations of why you love each of your PRS guitars. Kudos my friend. Cheers
Have a Custom SE 24 I bought 2 yrs. ago. Never had chance to play one. I was hooked from day one. This guitar made me a 100% better player and I've been playing for 52 yrs ! There is just something about a PRS. I will only be collecting PRS from now on.
Hey Tone King - Great video on great guitars. I own six of them! One thing to validate is the manufacture of the 1995 model. For about six months, both factories were running parallel. The CE started in 1995 with a short heel on the neck and a small paul reed smith logo on the headstock that were made in the old factory. During the middle of the year, there were some that had the large neck heel and the small logo made in the old factory. When production was fully moved, the large heel and large logo was adopted. So based on the logo, you may have one of the last out of the old factory or the first out of the new factory. There are also some floating around with a short heel and large logo. Those were Ed Roman conversions that shaved the heel down to the original size. Hope this helps identify your guitar and keep up the good work.
Chuck Levins is great! I bought a CE 24 semi-hollow there for a great price (for less than I paid for a solid body CE 24). Both are excellent guitars. Great video! My son and I met you while doing the factory tour in 2018. You recommended CEs for playing country. Thanks very much for this recommendation! I played a S2 Vela that I thought was great, too.
I got hold of some PRS pickups second hand. Some people don't appreciate them! and so I dropped them into a VRS copy and they are great. Given a sound body and neck, its the pickups that matter.
Have a pre CE Dustin waring, a 2017 ce 24 and a 01 custom 22 core model and the CE 24 is by far the most amazing one to play. The shallower top and extremely light weight makes the more affordable instrument the most enjoyable one to me
I own a Violin Burst version of the S2 Custom 22 Semi Hollow. Everything you said about it... spot on. I love that guitar so much it is the go to for me. Now I want to get my hands on the Semi Hollow Vela that is about to hit the stores. I used to be a die hard Fender guy...
I know exactly what you mean, when you said, that some guitars feel better. I once bought a 50th anniversary Strat with matching headstock. This guitar felt great! So i decided to buy another 50th anniv. with a different colour. This felt like dead wood. Or, as my guitar-tech said about a Charvel i once bought without playing it before: "Someone has to tell this piece of wood, that it´s not a tree any longer, but a guitar."
Thanks for sharing your PRS collection with us ! I understand about the core guitar I own 3 PRS one is a core guitar and yes gets pricey but it's awesome! Thanks again T T K
The sweet switch was standard on early PRS guitars instead of a tone control. It reduced the treble to a preset level. A bit like a wah wah pedal into the cocked position. A standard tone control became an option as not everyone got on with the sweet switch. I liked it. I have had 3 guitars with them fitted.
@@barrymiller2272 he's been on YT a long time and I'm guessing a lot of people from his generation of players relate to his skill level. Say what you want about people like phillip McKnight and the andertons crew, but they know how to play their instruments much much much much better than this guy.
@@mmonkeyman1403 I am of approximately the same age. I BLOW this dude out of the water. I never thought he was or is an "Ace guitarist " just thinks he knows gear well. I personally own 21...should say 22 since I just bought another 5 minutes ago. TTK...good guy. I just don't think people should bash on others skills
Then to fulfill my need to have different style guitars Harley Benton has been my brand of choice. The current quality of there guitars at the price point there offering them is incredible.
Depending on the year, the five-way rotary functioned differently and offered a couple of split coil and full humbucker options. The early C 24s didn't have a tone knob so they used a five-way rotary and the "sweet" switch acted a like a mid boost. My Standard 22 came stock with a five-way and I eventually had it replaced with a three-way switch and a push/pull tone pot for split coil options. It's not that the rotary is awful, it isn't, but it's not intuitive and by using the three-switch and a push/pull pot you can actually get a split coil neck option for Strat-like tones, something you couldn't do with the rotary knob. Steve Wilson of Porcupine Tree still uses a five-position rotary and Orianthi runs some of her PRS the same way.
Wonderful collection of PRS guitars you have, thanks for your words about them and for showing them to us all : ) I have a PRS S2 Mira oldish white color / black pickguard and no birds hehe. And my acoustic guitar is a Takamine P4DC, its a nice balanced sound!
Ahhhhhh TTK! Another awesome video! These vids are the best. As a collector myself, I could watch and listen to you talking about your guitars all day. Another great one brother! Thanks man.
Thanks for the tour through your PRSii. I totally agree BTW on the great quality of the lower priced PRS models. I don't currently own any core PRS guitars, because the SE's I have scratch my itch, and play and sound so great that I don't have "core lust".
Greetings from the United (not) Kingdom. Great guitars. You should check out Eastman guitars (sorry if you already have). Yes, made in China but there's no CNC, it's completely handmade by their best luthiers. They are obviously inspired by Gibson but they offer more for the money; in fact, what they do is more akin to Gibson's custom shop guitars. It's the best quality woods, a one piece mahogany body, proper thickness maple tops, and the one I want (singlecut), the SB59, also has Seymour Duncans (some models have Lollars), ebony fingerboard, bone nut, Gotoh hardware, Switchcraft switch, CTS pots, nitro finish, hard case, all for under two grand! Eastman made some of the world's best violins for many years and then started making jazz guitars (again top quality), and have now branched out in to sold bodies. They do a beautiful varnish finish on one of their aged guitars (fabulous attention to detail, not overdone) which is like French polished. Just thought they'd be worth you checking out. I don't work for them at all, I simply covet that SB59.
Very cool video, TK. As for the core guitars, I'm on my second PRS core Custom 24 and it is hands down my favorite guitar I have ever owned or played. It's such a fine instrument all around... tone, feel, looks... a joy to hold, play and look at. Admittedly, the mojo was a factor in going with the core model. I remember seeing the early PRS ads in guitar magazines back in the 80s when I was teen, and used to dream about owning one... they just looked so exotic and refined. As for the price, yeah it's a bit steep and obviously a huge impediment for many. With my newest, I got it for 20% off the street price, so that made it much more palatable. Anyway, just my 2 cents! :)
@@thetonekingofficial Hey TK you should do a video highlighting your 3 favorite guitars from your collection. That would be a really fun one to watch :)
I enjoyed seeing your collection and think they're stunning. I've liked every PRS I've ever tried and currently own 2 core models; a Custom 24 Ten Top and a 513 Ten Top. I got terrific deals on both of them used.
The 95 CE is a core PRS Quarter saw one piece neck, full carve top, core tremolo, core pickups, pots and tuners. The only difference it's a bolt on. The new CE are the dummied down version. With flat saw 3 piece neck, foreign made pickups, SE tremolo and a shallow carved top. I wouldn't even consider buying one of them.
I had a custom in vintage yellow from 85 volume, rotary selector switch and a sweet switch! No tone control i had it modded took sweet switch off added a yamaha push/push tone pot an had the sweet switch controls onto the pot down off up sweet activated! I hated position 4 the 1 next to bridge single coil in paralell or series? But it grew on me perfect Peter Green sound!
i don't watch your videos that much, but this one was pretty good. i thought your reasoning for core vs s2, etc was sound, and well said. when you spoke about the guitars in your collection, you said things that make sense, and avoided mystical b.s. that made it interesting. (for me) i also toured the factory, and i had a blast. anyone in the area should definitely go. it's what sold me on prs guitars. anyhow, i clicked the like button because your content was good in this video.
Hey TTK big fan of your channel i so love how you get it about guitars that they all have something special about them, i have 57 now and counting my PRS SE TORERO is kind of a metal guitar with a Floyd rose & EMGS Never get sick of even just looking at it, anyway another great video $200 or $2'000 you love them all me too Thx!:)
If memory serves me, the sweet switch was in fact a delay line. I want to say about 125 nano seconds delay. It simulates the frequency attenuation and phase shift of the guitar cable of approximately 100 feet long.
You'd need a battery to run that. It's just clicking in a capacitor... one reason I like to build them up, usually Warmoth or USACustom wood - I can fiddle with electronics to my heart's content - I rewired my #1 twice to get it perfect for what ME-ME-ME wanted a git to do. "Resale value" is a hideous trap to ensure you won't sound the best you can. This guy's talking that exactly, around 16 minute mark.
The PRS Custom24, 22 are great guitars. Now the CE24 slowly become a major market for some guitar players. The S2 and S2 single-cut are great guitars as well. Personally, if not look at the core line, only S2 model. Some S2 looks beautiful, some satin finished are amazing, I like the blue color S2 which you have!! The color looks perfect on the S2 single-cut too!!
Great collection! The cores are a little out of my range as well, especially for a single guitar. I'd like to get a nice used CE at some point. At the moment I have a Custom 24 SE but it is quilted Maple with a custom color. It is a great great guitar and plays just as well (to me) as ones that are 4 times the cost.
I'm going to hang out with Paul himself for awhile on Friday at our local music store. They are a PRS dealer and he is playing with his band later that night, also in my town. Since my son missed getting my pic with him at EXP PRS when I bought my CU24 Ten Top (from Doc, no less!) I hope to finally get that picture made. I'm only an hour from Stevensville so we root hard for PRS around here!
In my experience, the import PRS SE guitars have varying quality. My second hand SE Bernie Marsden is killer--you'd have to pay a lot of money to get a Les Paul that beats it. OTOH, my new SE Zach Myers (already sold), while sounding great and with a nice neck carve, had a poorly set neck making low action impossible. I do have a mild case of GAS for a PRS DGT but will be very picky and not mail ordering.
Oh man. That 95 CE. I want. I have a 2002 Purple CE that I just love. I like that it (yours and mine) has black pickup rings. I just wish I could find a fixed bridge version. I've seen them but very rare. Killer collection man.
I am a little bit of a Core snob...but I do love the CE and really wish I would have pulled the trigger on one. The necks are some of the best feeling necks PRS makes.
PRS should give you a core after this video. You have clearly shown that PRS guitars are becoming classic just like older Fender's and Gibson's. I have an SE singlecut and its the greatest guitar I've ever owned. Great video keep up the good work and beautiful guitars by the way.
@thetoneking hey man, what I heard Paul say in an interview once, the “sweet switch” was made for Santana on his signature model to simulate the slight high cut and such from using a long cable on stage. That just stuck out to me one time!? 🤘
From the 3 s2's that I've owned, the "S" model pickups have always sounded muddy to me. I've replaced them with Suhr, bare knuckles and Duncan's, all are much more articulate with high gain. S2's are a great deal tho and fantastic mod platforms, upgrade the pickups and maybe the bridge with a Mannmade trem and you're GTG
I only have One PRS core guitar 30th Annie. 24 fret in the Crimson Red, it's a Ten top but I paid less than a reg. top price. I never pay retail. LOL I like that Blue CE mist and the Red/Black burst one you have.
Good vid. Own two PRS customs, one is the Tremonti custom with a 10 top. The S2s look like huge deals, so I don't blame you there. Since you have a huge collection you should sell some of your imports and pick up a PRS custom for comparison and general satisfaction of owning one.
I have a couple of PRS guitars - an S2 and a couple of SEs. They're great guitars. My only beef is a couple of aesthetic things. On some of the Customs, the flat piece of the neck that goes into the body is too long - like on your first CE. The other thing is on their pickup covers have model etching on them, but it's in the same spot, so on the bridge pickup it's upside down. To me that's a fail for PRS since they're so detail oriented. I have the S2 Mira in the same Blue mist. I swapped for a black pick guard, it's a great guitar, very light as well! The S2 line is a great value, especially if you can get them on a bargain.
I'm so shallow... When I buy a Paul Reed Smith and I own a couple not as many as you but I got a few. I got to have birds. Maybe I was a bird in a previous life,but I feel very uncomfortable playing a PRS without birds on it. I even have a maple fingerboard PRS with black birds on it. I guess you could say I'm a bird watcher....I even like having a bird perched on my shoulder while I play my Paul Reed Smith.
The only PRS I own is a McCarty with moon inlays. It plays and sounds great. I bought the McCarty for a good price at the Falls Church Guitar Center because it was dinged a bit by random mooks. ;-)
Love that blue top! (And I thought only Core guitars got that gorgeous top carve. Now I'm getting ideas! - and I literally just got my first prs [se], not 3 hrs ago... And I'm already planning my next big upgrade! 😂 GAS... what can you do but laugh?!)
My PRS hands down had the best fret board feel of any brand. I had the weird model called the Torero. Only thing that I didn't like was those damn EMG pickups!
Wow! Never owned a PRS, the ones I looked at seemed "preppy" if that makes sense, kind of reminds me of a more expensive and classier Ibanez, after watching this those s2s look really crisp and clean
The CE guitars from the 80's and 90's as as much core guitars as the core line back then. Nowadays the CE line uses import parts in these guitars, but not back in the day. Cheers!
I own 1 PRS Core. I also own 4 PRS SE-Customs(Indonesian made).I personally think they play just as good as the cores do, plus a few of my SE's actually sound just as good as if not better than the 1 Core series that I own.I don't like how people scoff at the SE's because their Indonesian or whatever. You get a hell of a lot of bang for your buck with those things man. and because they're not that expensive you can always modify the hell out of them and put the original parts aside in a gig bag. That's why I own so many SE's.... Price point, causes less guilt when modifying the guitar in question.
@@ziggylayneable I agree. Have a 2000 Standard 22 no birds Great guitar. I just came across a used Trampas Green Custom 24 SE for $475 . with Gigbag. Had to tweak the bridge but it 's a good guitar Especially at that price.
Tk love the series! Curious how you like the dragon pickups? I scored a used PRS that have the Dragon 1 pickups. Very hot and high middy, cuts through the band mix well.
Birds? I never wanted a Paul Reed Smith because of those funny fret inlays. When I found out they were “Birds,” I’ve been giving Paul Reed Smith the bird ever since.
I don’t understand how you can love S2s. Yes they are beautiful. But the import pups are producing the same quality as SEs. The CE has the core pups. Much better in my opinion
Like the semi hollow the best. Man...what do you do to afford all these guitars? Magnetization isn't paying that well. I once owned 24 at a time.....and thought I was pretty awesome. :) I kept my favorite 5 when I downsized. Great video...is there a Top 10 guitars you own video?
I will have to downsize at some point ... my wife already made me aware of that. lol When I do downsize ... the videos will be 'The 5 guitars I'm selling this week'. haha.
Hey tone king I hope you actually see my comment .... Were should I start.. firstly I’m also a CE Owner I have a 1997 CE22 Similar To yours. as far as PrS CE22’s go the one that you have there the 1995 model is the best spec/package because it has the flame maple top and 5 way rotary vs solid color non flame maple top and 3 way of course the CE24 with those features is considered “better” and more expensive . The Old CE’s (Pre Reissue) are far superior to the new were ones.. here are the differences older models have a slightly thicker top carve A one piece quartersawn maple neck countersunk volume and tone controls control plate tremolo cavity plate covers are countersunk also and all the hardware including tuners bridge pickups are USA made Same stuff used on the core models even the pickup rings are better countersunk screw holes... Now The Current CE’s have A much thinner top carve a three-piece Maple neck (headstock and neck heel are glued on ) non countersunk vol and tone controls none countersunk Control Plate tremolo cavity Plate and All The Hardware Used is Made in Korea Same Stuff Used On The SE and S2... By the Way Tone King Your 1995 CE unfortunately was Not one of the Ones Built in the original factory pre 1994 would have been And a easy way to tell is turn over the guitar and look at the neck heel Old factory models have a much smaller shorter more comfy neck heal .. yours has the larger one still used today ) since it is a very early model quality might be better who knows but def not the “handmade “ Pre CNC Old factory CE
I own 3 core and 4 SE and really wont buy anything else at this point. I spent alot of time in this industry since 1989 and I have my go to's. PRS, Mesa Boogie, Fender are my brands. I also bought my first PRS in 1996 which is a 1995 original factory serial. PRS also has a serial trace and registration program.
Not being critical just confused. You stated correctly (I looked) that WIKI says that "the production numbers up to 1995 was 25-30 a day, then later where "mass produced at 700 a month", but if you break that down it averages 35 guitars a day assuming a 5 day work week.. Which is about the same as the early numbers with half the staff, so really they just became less productive, sounds weird, eh?
Hello & Happy Monday! If you like this video, there are more like it. Here is the playlist of my guitar collections! Enjoy: ua-cam.com/play/PLncM860ccUCQLjUOZJLUVVuZQ9CSCB4SQ.html&disable_polymer=true
I love PRS guitars and whole heartedly agree that for the money, they are 'great' guitars. Whether that's at an SE price point or a Core - compared to other guitars in their price range they are great. The first (lovely colour that Black Cherry btw) has a 5-way rotary switch so you did get that right as well.
You are correct that the S2 has imported PU's, bridges etc but the wood is 'cured' in the same way that PS woods are cured and they are built with the same attention that Cores are built - just more basic carves etc so the time taken to sand and prepare is a lot less. CE's do have the Core PU's but still have the same moulded bridge as an SE/S2 - more basic carve and bolt-on neck as you know but still the same wood curing process.
I have 4 'core' PRS guitars currently - a 594, 509, Custom 24 and a Hollowbody ii. I do agree that having just 1 guitar can get a bit boring and uninspiring so I have 4 very different PRS guitars. The 594 is a bit like a Les Paul, 509 like a Super Strat, Custom 24 a classic PRS and the Hollowbody is like a ES335 with a Piezo - All different and offer something unique that the others don't. Once I tried a Core PRS, I couldn't play other guitars as they lacked 'something' for me and any guitar I buy has to make me want to play it. If I am constantly reaching for my core PRS guitars because they have what I want/need, not lacking something, then why buy? The only guitars that can compete with my Core PRS guitars are more core PRS guitars. If I bought an S2 for example, no matter how 'great' it is, I will be reaching for my Core PRS because it has something 'extra'.
I get you business model too, whether its better to own 1 £10k Private Stock, 2 £5k Wood Library, 3 Core non-10top, 5 CE's or 6/7 S2's or 10/11 SE's. I don't own 20+ guitars and couldn't own 20+ guitars so instead of buying cheap but still great for the price point, I opted to buy High Quality, no compromise instruments that have that 'something' extra. An S2 for example may get to 90% of the Core (not that you can quantify in that way) and a core gets that extra 10%. Its not 3x better despite costing 3x as much but it is better, has something special that others don't. I only have room for 5/6 certainly no more than 8 guitars so I might as well make those guitars be the 'best' guitars I can buy that offer me a kaleidoscope of tonal colours I can use to paint the music I want to play - hence they are all different PRS models and each makes me want to pick up and play. If I owned a guitar that was lacking 'something', lacking that extra 10% for example, I would gravitate to just the 'Core' PRS for everything because it has that 'something' others don't.
If you were limited to just 6 guitars, wouldn't you want those 6 to be special, to be different but still compete for your attention, make you want to play it just as much as the others and not 'lacking' some mojo that your others have? That's my position and why I am making every guitar purchase count, not going to buy something just because and PRS guitars have exceptional quality and beauty that makes me want to own, want to play, want to hear etc
@@BAMozzy69 y
Where’s the setup video?
I've been a fan of PRS since I tried one in 1987 at a shop in West Los Angeles. Totally flipped over it. A white 24 fret with the bird inlays. The sweet switch, and I remember this from a brochure I read, was to give a more single coil tone to the humbuckers, but it did not split the coils. It's akin to the Dry/Wet switch available on the higher end Yamaha Revstars. It's a way of getting single coil characteristics from buckers without coil splitting and keeping the benefit of hum canceling. I also love the knob which split or selected coils. But I prefer a five way switch most of all. I play an Allender SE model and totally love it. It came with EMGs which I didn't feel were quite right, so I replaced them with a DiMarzio Norton/Air Norton set which fit a lot better. But now I have a Duncan Nazgul/Jazz set and it blows the DiMarzios out of the water.
I love the SE and the Classic Electrics. I remember when PRS first put out bolt-ons, and how some pretentious "purists" dogged on them. I felt that was uncalled for. Their bolt-ons are very bit the equal of their set-necks. Just a different production method. I don't own a Core because of how prohibitively expensive they are. They have also undergone what can only be called a Dumbleization. Fetish objects for weekend rockers who work as attorney during the week or some other high earning vocation. Still, fine guitars. No doubt about it. It doesn't get better than a Core. But it's not SO MUCH better than I'm gonna take out a mortgage to get one. I'm fine with my SE. I'll get another someday, maybe a Mira. I love your channel. It's great, and it deals with stuff guitarists need to know about.
The sweet switch was requested by Carlos Santana after he switched to wireless. The sweet switch added capacitance, that mimic the natural capacitance that he had from his extremely long guitar cable.
Ah, cool. I didn’t know that, but now I do 😀👍
Thats cool! 👏🏻🙂🎼
I'll show you my sweet switch if you show me yours.
@@miatatommy2000 🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣
I've been a PRS freak since the article in Guitar Player magazine..in the early 80's... Paul has captured the essence of what makes a guitar great & built his name on that philosophy
I have watched a lot of your videos over the years, but this was one of the best. I love PRS Guitars and you really seem to be speaking from the heart about the guitars. I have a couple SE guitars, but I need to acquire a CE and S2. Thanks for sharing!
I’m a PRS fan too. 2 SE, CE, S2, and S2 Mira semihollow. It’s hard to choose just one, they’re all beautiful & great craftsmanship. Hope to visit the factory some day. Thanks for the information and sharing your great collection.
The Mira is the sexiest PRS ever next to the Santana which is what I've got at present
This for me is one of the best videos I've seen from you Louis. I love your honsety in your explanations of why you love each of your PRS guitars. Kudos my friend. Cheers
Thanks dude! 👍🤘🎸😀
Your semi-hollow was last but certainly not least! Good Lord, what a stunning instrument!
Have a Custom SE 24 I bought 2 yrs. ago. Never had chance to play one. I was hooked from day one. This guitar made me a 100% better player and I've been playing for 52 yrs ! There is just something about a PRS. I will only be collecting PRS from now on.
Hey Tone King - Great video on great guitars. I own six of them! One thing to validate is the manufacture of the 1995 model. For about six months, both factories were running parallel. The CE started in 1995 with a short heel on the neck and a small paul reed smith logo on the headstock that were made in the old factory. During the middle of the year, there were some that had the large neck heel and the small logo made in the old factory. When production was fully moved, the large heel and large logo was adopted. So based on the logo, you may have one of the last out of the old factory or the first out of the new factory. There are also some floating around with a short heel and large logo. Those were Ed Roman conversions that shaved the heel down to the original size. Hope this helps identify your guitar and keep up the good work.
Chuck Levins is great! I bought a CE 24 semi-hollow there for a great price (for less than I paid for a solid body CE 24). Both are excellent guitars. Great video! My son and I met you while doing the factory tour in 2018. You recommended CEs for playing country. Thanks very much for this recommendation! I played a S2 Vela that I thought was great, too.
I got hold of some PRS pickups second hand.
Some people don't appreciate them! and so
I dropped them into a VRS copy and they are great.
Given a sound body and neck, its the pickups that matter.
Have a pre CE Dustin waring, a 2017 ce 24 and a 01 custom 22 core model and the CE 24 is by far the most amazing one to play. The shallower top and extremely light weight makes the more affordable instrument the most enjoyable one to me
I own a Violin Burst version of the S2 Custom 22 Semi Hollow. Everything you said about it... spot on. I love that guitar so much it is the go to for me. Now I want to get my hands on the Semi Hollow Vela that is about to hit the stores. I used to be a die hard Fender guy...
I know exactly what you mean, when you said, that some guitars feel better. I once bought a 50th anniversary Strat with matching headstock. This guitar felt great! So i decided to buy another 50th anniv. with a different colour. This felt like dead wood. Or, as my guitar-tech said about a Charvel i once bought without playing it before: "Someone has to tell this piece of wood, that it´s not a tree any longer, but a guitar."
Thanks for sharing your PRS collection with us ! I understand about the core guitar I own 3 PRS one is a core guitar and yes gets pricey but it's awesome! Thanks again T T K
Thank you Stanford! Yes, some day I’ll get to a core. They are wonderful for sure!!
The sweet switch was standard on early PRS guitars instead of a tone control. It reduced the treble to a preset level. A bit like a wah wah pedal into the cocked position. A standard tone control became an option as not everyone got on with the sweet switch. I liked it. I have had 3 guitars with them fitted.
why is he the tone king if I've never heard a decent tone on any of his videos
Because he's not capable of demoing instruments or equipment to a level that makes him an effective reviewer.
@@mmonkeyman1403 He should have sold all this equipment and take guitar lessons instead.
@@mmonkeyman1403 bullshit, the guy hasn't achieved such UA-cam status from being a Schaub.
@@barrymiller2272 he's been on YT a long time and I'm guessing a lot of people from his generation of players relate to his skill level. Say what you want about people like phillip McKnight and the andertons crew, but they know how to play their instruments much much much much better than this guy.
@@mmonkeyman1403 I am of approximately the same age. I BLOW this dude out of the water. I never thought he was or is an "Ace guitarist " just thinks he knows gear well. I personally own 21...should say 22 since I just bought another 5 minutes ago. TTK...good guy. I just don't think people should bash on others skills
My PRS S2 Custom 24 has fulfilled my need for any other high end guitars. PRS quality has been there strength from day 1.
Agreed!
Then to fulfill my need to have different style guitars Harley Benton has been my brand of choice. The current quality of there guitars at the price point there offering them is incredible.
Thanks for the picture of you with your collection.
This makes me less embarrassed about owning 'too many' .
[ currently 8 ]
Depending on the year, the five-way rotary functioned differently and offered a couple of split coil and full humbucker options. The early C 24s didn't have a tone knob so they used a five-way rotary and the "sweet" switch acted a like a mid boost. My Standard 22 came stock with a five-way and I eventually had it replaced with a three-way switch and a push/pull tone pot for split coil options. It's not that the rotary is awful, it isn't, but it's not intuitive and by using the three-switch and a push/pull pot you can actually get a split coil neck option for Strat-like tones, something you couldn't do with the rotary knob. Steve Wilson of Porcupine Tree still uses a five-position rotary and Orianthi runs some of her PRS the same way.
Enjoy your Videos! And Your Passion for your Hobby! I learn so much from your videos!
You have a beautiful collection of PRS guitars and I enjoy hearing the stories about each one.
Wonderful collection of PRS guitars you have, thanks for your words about them and for showing them to us all : ) I have a PRS S2 Mira oldish white color / black pickguard and no birds hehe. And my acoustic guitar is a Takamine P4DC, its a nice balanced sound!
Thanks so much. I appreciate the kind comment. 🤘
@23:00 thats actually called charcoal burst now as the Tremonti has the black burst. The charcoal burst comes on the SE 277 Baritone now only.
Ahhhhhh TTK! Another awesome video! These vids are the best. As a collector myself, I could watch and listen to you talking about your guitars all day. Another great one brother! Thanks man.
Thank you Steven!
Thanks for the tour through your PRSii. I totally agree BTW on the great quality of the lower priced PRS models. I don't currently own any core PRS guitars, because the SE's I have scratch my itch, and play and sound so great that I don't have "core lust".
I have a PRS Mark holcomb and I named her Storm beautiful tops deff like a cloudy day
Greetings from the United (not) Kingdom. Great guitars. You should check out Eastman guitars (sorry if you already have). Yes, made in China but there's no CNC, it's completely handmade by their best luthiers. They are obviously inspired by Gibson but they offer more for the money; in fact, what they do is more akin to Gibson's custom shop guitars. It's the best quality woods, a one piece mahogany body, proper thickness maple tops, and the one I want (singlecut), the SB59, also has Seymour Duncans (some models have Lollars), ebony fingerboard, bone nut, Gotoh hardware, Switchcraft switch, CTS pots, nitro finish, hard case, all for under two grand! Eastman made some of the world's best violins for many years and then started making jazz guitars (again top quality), and have now branched out in to sold bodies. They do a beautiful varnish finish on one of their aged guitars (fabulous attention to detail, not overdone) which is like French polished. Just thought they'd be worth you checking out. I don't work for them at all, I simply covet that SB59.
Very cool video, TK. As for the core guitars, I'm on my second PRS core Custom 24 and it is hands down my favorite guitar I have ever owned or played. It's such a fine instrument all around... tone, feel, looks... a joy to hold, play and look at. Admittedly, the mojo was a factor in going with the core model. I remember seeing the early PRS ads in guitar magazines back in the 80s when I was teen, and used to dream about owning one... they just looked so exotic and refined. As for the price, yeah it's a bit steep and obviously a huge impediment for many. With my newest, I got it for 20% off the street price, so that made it much more palatable. Anyway, just my 2 cents! :)
Hey buddy, great to hear from you. Agreed, those old magazine ads! Haha. I’m still chasing them as well. I will get a core some day! Some day!
@@thetonekingofficial Hey TK you should do a video highlighting your 3 favorite guitars from your collection. That would be a really fun one to watch :)
I enjoyed seeing your collection and think they're stunning. I've liked every PRS I've ever tried and currently own 2 core models; a Custom 24 Ten Top and a 513 Ten Top. I got terrific deals on both of them used.
The 95 CE is a core PRS Quarter saw one piece neck, full carve top, core tremolo, core pickups, pots and tuners. The only difference it's a bolt on. The new CE are the dummied down version. With flat saw 3 piece neck, foreign made pickups, SE tremolo and a shallow carved top. I wouldn't even consider buying one of them.
I had a custom in vintage yellow from 85 volume, rotary selector switch and a sweet switch! No tone control i had it modded took sweet switch off added a yamaha push/push tone pot an had the sweet switch controls onto the pot down off up sweet activated! I hated position 4 the 1 next to bridge single coil in paralell or series? But it grew on me perfect Peter Green sound!
i don't watch your videos that much, but this one was pretty good. i thought your reasoning for core vs s2, etc was sound, and well said. when you spoke about the guitars in your collection, you said things that make sense, and avoided mystical b.s. that made it interesting. (for me) i also toured the factory, and i had a blast. anyone in the area should definitely go. it's what sold me on prs guitars. anyhow, i clicked the like button because your content was good in this video.
Hey TTK big fan of your channel i so love how you get it about guitars that they all have something special about them, i have 57 now and counting my PRS SE TORERO is kind of a metal guitar with a Floyd rose & EMGS Never get sick of even just looking at it, anyway another great video $200 or $2'000 you love them all me too Thx!:)
If memory serves me, the sweet switch was in fact a delay line. I want to say about 125 nano seconds delay. It simulates the frequency attenuation and phase shift of the guitar cable of approximately 100 feet long.
You'd need a battery to run that. It's just clicking in a capacitor... one reason I like to build them up, usually Warmoth or USACustom wood - I can fiddle with electronics to my heart's content - I rewired my #1 twice to get it perfect for what ME-ME-ME wanted a git to do. "Resale value" is a hideous trap to ensure you won't sound the best you can. This guy's talking that exactly, around 16 minute mark.
The PRS Custom24, 22 are great guitars. Now the CE24 slowly become a major market for some guitar players. The S2 and S2 single-cut are great guitars as well. Personally, if not look at the core line, only S2 model. Some S2 looks beautiful, some satin finished are amazing, I like the blue color S2 which you have!! The color looks perfect on the S2 single-cut too!!
Owner of a Goldtop S2 Vela. Very versatile guitar. Sounds great and USA made. Great series TK.
Maxreverse thank you Paul!
Great collection! The cores are a little out of my range as well, especially for a single guitar. I'd like to get a nice used CE at some point. At the moment I have a Custom 24 SE but it is quilted Maple with a custom color. It is a great great guitar and plays just as well (to me) as ones that are 4 times the cost.
I'm going to hang out with Paul himself for awhile on Friday at our local music store. They are a PRS dealer and he is playing with his band later that night, also in my town. Since my son missed getting my pic with him at EXP PRS when I bought my CU24 Ten Top (from Doc, no less!) I hope to finally get that picture made. I'm only an hour from Stevensville so we root hard for PRS around here!
Also Chuck Levin gave me a great deal on mine that day at PRS! Plus I was lucky enough to meet The Tone King and Tyler from Music is Win as well.
@@GearGasms awesome!! Ah, yes, the Doc! He's the best.
Nice Guitars. I have a 245 SE platinum and a 277 Baritone tobacco burst.. Thanks Louis. Todays my BD Buddy. Take care.
Oh dude - happy birthday! 🎊🎉🎂🎈🎁
Thanks Buddy. @@thetonekingofficial
I have a P R S MIRA. and I love it. I play a lot of country and it has that twang ya need.
Paul ReedvSmith's Ted talk was amazing. Thanks for sharing your PRS collection. Rock on!!
Thank you Peter
Beauties man....that first c.e...and last s2 had me drooling..!(ok they All did)....awesome..
Haha. Thanks Chris!
In my experience, the import PRS SE guitars have varying quality. My second hand SE Bernie Marsden is killer--you'd have to pay a lot of money to get a Les Paul that beats it. OTOH, my new SE Zach Myers (already sold), while sounding great and with a nice neck carve, had a poorly set neck making low action impossible. I do have a mild case of GAS for a PRS DGT but will be very picky and not mail ordering.
My lefty se just sits in the gig bag. No soul. Used for 3 hrs. For sale on reverb and eBay cheap.
CE heaven! Love my 2017 CE....it does it all! Good video.
Awesome! I'll have to check this out later.
Hey buddy nice group of PRS's ! I think the semi hollows are my favorite guitars for sure ! They are so versatile ! Have a great week TK !
Thank you Todd!
All my guitars got BIRDS!!!! And I cant stand the rotary knobs they made years ago. Cant tell where your at sometimes.
Bernie Mardsen has a signature 245 SE! We wanted it that way so, Anyone could buy one!
Oh man. That 95 CE. I want. I have a 2002 Purple CE that I just love. I like that it (yours and mine) has black pickup rings. I just wish I could find a fixed bridge version. I've seen them but very rare. Killer collection man.
Thank you Ian!
@@thetonekingofficial most welcome!
Nice collection TTK! Congrats! Not much of a PRS man myself, but I do prefer them with dots.
Thank you Phil.
That Metallic Ice Blue guitar is beautiful.
I am a little bit of a Core snob...but I do love the CE and really wish I would have pulled the trigger on one. The necks are some of the best feeling necks PRS makes.
PRS should give you a core after this video. You have clearly shown that PRS guitars are becoming classic just like older Fender's and Gibson's. I have an SE singlecut and its the greatest guitar I've ever owned. Great video keep up the good work and beautiful guitars by the way.
@thetoneking hey man, what I heard Paul say in an interview once, the “sweet switch” was made for Santana on his signature model to simulate the slight high cut and such from using a long cable on stage. That just stuck out to me one time!? 🤘
Loving these show and tell videos.
Thank you!
PRS is the only guitar I have more than one of...which strangely enough, depending how you interpret that, could be either a positive or a negative.
Great videos always don't King keep it up thank you for the info ice guitars by the way nice guitars by the way thank you
You hit the nail on the head about one or many guitars, I rather have many guitars then one expensive guitar.
Pretty cool vid. Set neck and toggle switch would be better but nice opener.
From the 3 s2's that I've owned, the "S" model pickups have always sounded muddy to me. I've replaced them with Suhr, bare knuckles and Duncan's, all are much more articulate with high gain. S2's are a great deal tho and fantastic mod platforms, upgrade the pickups and maybe the bridge with a Mannmade trem and you're GTG
I only have One PRS core guitar 30th Annie. 24 fret in the Crimson Red, it's a Ten top but I paid less than a reg. top price. I never pay retail. LOL I like that Blue CE mist and the Red/Black burst one you have.
Good vid. Own two PRS customs, one is the Tremonti custom with a 10 top. The S2s look like huge deals, so I don't blame you there. Since you have a huge collection you should sell some of your imports and pick up a PRS custom for comparison and general satisfaction of owning one.
I have been selling some stuff ... so that may be in the works :-)
2:41 Recheck your math TK. 30 guitars/day = 900/month (>600 if the factory closed on weekends).
I have a couple of PRS guitars - an S2 and a couple of SEs. They're great guitars. My only beef is a couple of aesthetic things. On some of the Customs, the flat piece of the neck that goes into the body is too long - like on your first CE. The other thing is on their pickup covers have model etching on them, but it's in the same spot, so on the bridge pickup it's upside down. To me that's a fail for PRS since they're so detail oriented.
I have the S2 Mira in the same Blue mist. I swapped for a black pick guard, it's a great guitar, very light as well! The S2 line is a great value, especially if you can get them on a bargain.
That S2 single cut is sick sick sick....and it was Gordon Smith that made that similar axe!
I'm so shallow... When I buy a Paul Reed Smith and I own a couple not as many as you but I got a few. I got to have birds. Maybe I was a bird in a previous life,but I feel very uncomfortable playing a PRS without birds on it. I even have a maple fingerboard PRS with black birds on it. I guess you could say I'm a bird watcher....I even like having a bird perched on my shoulder while I play my Paul Reed Smith.
They do satisfy that itch l agree with you.
The only PRS I own is a McCarty with moon inlays. It plays and sounds great. I bought the McCarty for a good price at the Falls Church Guitar Center because it was dinged a bit by random mooks. ;-)
I’m a PRS fan, so it’s already a like even before I start to watch the video :)
Haha.
Another great post thank you TK .you have a amazing collection
Love that blue top!
(And I thought only Core guitars got that gorgeous top carve. Now I'm getting ideas! - and I literally just got my first prs [se], not 3 hrs ago... And I'm already planning my next big upgrade! 😂 GAS... what can you do but laugh?!)
Great video dude. Ive got a few Prs artists they are awesome
My PRS hands down had the best fret board feel of any brand. I had the weird model called the Torero. Only thing that I didn't like was those damn EMG pickups!
Wow! Never owned a PRS, the ones I looked at seemed "preppy" if that makes sense, kind of reminds me of a more expensive and classier Ibanez, after watching this those s2s look really crisp and clean
PRS is as close to Ibanez as a human to an ape.
The CE guitars from the 80's and 90's as as much core guitars as the core line back then. Nowadays the CE line uses import parts in these guitars, but not back in the day. Cheers!
No core guitars... That also begs the question: Why no PRS SEs? I have 2 of them (also one core) and I love them.
I own 1 PRS Core. I also own 4 PRS SE-Customs(Indonesian made).I personally think they play just as good as the cores do, plus a few of my SE's actually sound just as good as if not better than the 1 Core series that I own.I don't like how people scoff at the SE's because their Indonesian or whatever. You get a hell of a lot of bang for your buck with those things man. and because they're not that expensive you can always modify the hell out of them and put the original parts aside in a gig bag. That's why I own so many SE's.... Price point, causes less guilt when modifying the guitar in question.
@@ziggylayneable I agree. Have a 2000 Standard 22 no birds Great guitar. I just came across a used Trampas Green Custom 24 SE for $475 . with Gigbag. Had to tweak the bridge but it 's a good guitar Especially at that price.
Awesome video as always & yeah
Cool collection. Wish you had given us some tone samples for each.
Tk love the series! Curious how you like the dragon pickups? I scored a used PRS that have the Dragon 1 pickups. Very hot and high middy, cuts through the band mix well.
Brian Shirley the dragons do sound great. Maybe a tad bit thicker than the stuff on the CEs today, but I still dig them.
I also don’t have any cores just s2 - a singlecut semi hollow and custom 24. No way im paying 2 grand more for pickups, tuners, and a violin carve.
It is a five-way-adjustable rotary switch.
I owned a mira s2
Extremely beat up tho
Still love it and won't sell it at anyhow.
The only change i made were the pickup tho
Great video was always stinks great video as always thank you
Birds? I never wanted a Paul Reed Smith because of those funny fret inlays. When I found out they were “Birds,” I’ve been giving Paul Reed Smith the bird ever since.
I sold my S2 and got a CE and. Core Custom 22. Never looked back. But the S2 was defiantly a nice guitar
I have an s2 Standard 24 and its a great guitar
Chuck Levins! I miss the DC area guitar stores.
Great video 👍
I don’t understand how you can love S2s. Yes they are beautiful. But the import pups are producing the same quality as SEs. The CE has the core pups. Much better in my opinion
Where were these guitars made?
Any plans on doing a video on your BC Rich collection?
TTK: Give use BC Rich collection video now.
Victor Cuebas man I thought those Mockingbird’s back in the day were so cool.
Like the semi hollow the best. Man...what do you do to afford all these guitars? Magnetization isn't paying that well. I once owned 24 at a time.....and thought I was pretty awesome. :) I kept my favorite 5 when I downsized. Great video...is there a Top 10 guitars you own video?
I will have to downsize at some point ... my wife already made me aware of that. lol When I do downsize ... the videos will be 'The 5 guitars I'm selling this week'. haha.
Great video 👍 thanks
love the S2.
Me too 😀. Thank you as always Za Z
To me American PRS are the best guitars made anywhere..
I own 10 cores, 1 se silver sky, 3 other SE's ands 1 S2
Fyi they made the same number of guitars in the new factory as the old factory. 700 guitars a month in the new factory or 25 guitars a day (25×30=750
Hey tone king I hope you actually see my comment .... Were should I start.. firstly I’m also a CE Owner I have a 1997 CE22 Similar To yours. as far as PrS CE22’s go the one that you have there the 1995 model is the best spec/package because it has the flame maple top and 5 way rotary vs solid color non flame maple top and 3 way of course the CE24 with those features is considered “better” and more expensive . The Old CE’s
(Pre Reissue) are far superior to the new were ones.. here are the differences older models have a slightly thicker top carve A one piece quartersawn maple neck countersunk volume and tone controls control plate tremolo cavity plate covers are countersunk also and all the hardware including tuners bridge pickups are USA made Same stuff used on the core models even the pickup rings are better countersunk screw holes... Now The Current CE’s have A much thinner top carve a three-piece Maple neck (headstock and neck heel are glued on ) non countersunk vol and tone controls none countersunk Control Plate tremolo cavity Plate and All The Hardware Used is Made in Korea Same Stuff Used On The SE and S2... By the Way Tone King Your 1995 CE unfortunately was Not one of the Ones Built in the original factory pre 1994 would have been And a easy way to tell is turn over the guitar and look at the neck heel Old factory models have a much smaller shorter more comfy neck heal .. yours has the larger one still used today ) since it is a very early model quality might be better who knows but def not the “handmade “ Pre CNC Old factory CE
I own 3 core and 4 SE and really wont buy anything else at this point. I spent alot of time in this industry since 1989 and I have my go to's. PRS, Mesa Boogie, Fender are my brands. I also bought my first PRS in 1996 which is a 1995 original factory serial. PRS also has a serial trace and registration program.
Not being critical just confused. You stated correctly (I looked) that WIKI says that "the production numbers up to 1995 was 25-30 a day, then later where "mass produced at 700 a month", but if you break that down it averages 35 guitars a day assuming a 5 day work week.. Which is about the same as the early numbers with half the staff, so really they just became less productive, sounds weird, eh?