PRS SE Singlecut Trem

This is the new SE in Tobacco Sunburst. 6 strings, 24 frets. I've been playing for about 20 years and have been in a few bands, but haven't really gigged out that much. Maybe a few parties here and there but nothing major. Normally I end up doing little acoustic sets at cookouts. I also play acoustic, bass, harmonica, piano/keys, and a little drums, but I'm not very good - can just keep a beat basically. I've always been a fan of the Tremonti and Santana model PRS guitars, and almost laid down the case for the swamp ash and the se custom, but didn't have the cash.

I paid $600 online at Guitar Center for this guitar. I really wanted to finally get a PRS (Paul Reed Smith) electric guitar, but didn't have a lot to spend. For as much as I play now, I really couldn't justify several thousand dollars so I figured I would spend less than a thousand and maybe if I got into it more I'd drop the cash at a later date. Guitar Center had this guitar to me in about 5 days, which was great and their customer service seemed to be great.

Well, for starters, I like the fact that it's a PRS (Paul Reed Smith). I just think these guys build great guitars, and even the less expensive models are well made and sound great. The single cut is a nice feature as it allows access to some of the higher frets on the fretboard, and the color is great. This guitar comes with the PRS humbuckers and actually has some moon inlays. A nice feature that I was surprised would be included in this price range. I also love the tone on this guitar. It's deep, bassy, and has tons of sustain - exactly what I was looking for.

While I like the fact that a PRS gig bag was included, it's sort of cheap, so maybe that is one thing that I think could be done better. I also, and this is just me being picky, don't like how the SE on the headstock is so big and noticeable. I know this is stupid, but it makes the guitar feel kind of cheap. Sort of like having a C class Mercedes or something.

Although this is a more cost friendly guitar, the construction seems really well done and the guitar is definitely high quality. It has a mahogany neck and back and a flamed maple top in the tobacco sunburst pattern. Fit and finish are near perfect. I'm not sure where they make the SE models (probably China), but the quality standards must be in place because the guitars are extremely well made for the price.

Overall, I think I got a pretty good deal. For $600 I have a real Paul Reed Smith, and some great tone for a great price. Oh, don't let me forget to rave about the neck! I have slightly chubby fingers and the wide, fat neck on this PRS SE works very well for fingering. There's plenty of space and I play much more smoothly than I did on my old Ibanez RG470, which I thought had the strings placed a little too close together. While PRS prices can sometimes be high, the SE Single Cut is proof that you can find this guitar in a cost effective model that has all the features you need. Plus, it's a real PRS.

This review was originally published on http://www.musicgearreview.com