Looking for sound samples of a PRS SE played through a Kemper

  • Hi,


    I'm thinking of buying a PRS SE since they seem to deliver lot of value for the price and I don't wanto to spend more then 600 Euro on the next guitar. Still dont know which model. Well before I go to a music store to check them out I'd like to know if anyone here is using this combination and I'd love to hear some sound samples. I want to use it for alternative rock. Sonically I think of stuff like Muse, Queens of the Stone Age and sometimes maybe also a metal riff.

  • Which model are you thinking of buying? There are several different SE models and many will sound different due to different specs.


    I have a couple of SEs, an Akesson and a SE245. I replaced the pickups in both, although the stock pickups were actually quite nice. They're great guitars, especially for the money. Actually, in my opinion, you can't find a better quality guitar at that price point. They sound really nice, are built well, and usually come set up from the factory really nice. The only thing about them I find inferior is the tuners, but they're easily replaced.


    There are a few things I don't like about mine, but these are mostly just personal preferences. First, mine have TOM bridges that don't offer individual saddle height adjustment. This in combination with the small radius fretboard (curvy) makes it tough to get the guitar set up perfectly so that you have low action without buzz and so that notes don't fret out on big bends. You can only adjust action by raising/lowering each side of the bridge and to do this you need to slack the strings. Don't get me wrong, I've been able to set mine up really nicely but it takes more effort than some of my other guitars. I'm just really picky about having a perfect setup.


    Also, I find the singlecut style more difficult to play while sitting (which is how I play most of the time) compared to guitars with more of a strat-style body. Seems more difficult to keep it from slipping on my leg. I've come to realize that singlecuts might just not be my preference in terms of body type.


    Finally, my SEs both have 24.5" scales. This is nice for playing up closer to the nut. Makes wide stretches and complex chords seem really easy there but for leads past the 12th fret the spacing gets a little tight and my fingers get cramped.


    I don't have any soundclips at the moment but I don't think they'd be that helpful anyway since I've changed out the pickups.


  • IThey're great guitars, especially for the money. Actually, in my opinion, you can't find a better quality guitar at that price point.


    See, that's the one quote I always come across when I research the PRS SE. While I like my fenders and my gibson, I'm looking for a guitar where you only pay for the quality and not the brand.

  • I have a PRS SE Santana but I've changed the pickups to PAF Joe and Mo' Joe Dimarzio's. What amp profile are you looking to hear out of it? I have a Gibson Les Paul with 36th ann pickups, a Warmoth Korina Strat with tonerider vintage pickups and a Warmoth Tele Deluxe with tex-tone humbuckers. I would have those to compare it sound wise against. It was $375.00 used. I've changed the pickups as noted, put locking tuners and an RS superpot as well as push/pull. I've also sanded the back of the neck. The Santana has a wider fatter neck like the Les Paul which is why I liked it so much. I would say it sounds in between a strat and a Les Paul. They are definitely a good deal in the used market and since pickups are cheap (somewhat) you can get whatever sound you want within reason.

    "More Guitar in the Monitors" :thumbup:

  • I picked up a 13' Santana SE early last year and like it. I always wanted to like PRS's but just felt that the necks were too thin and honesty, I thought that they sounded a little sterile. I tried SE 245s in the past but I also liked the wider neck on the Santana. I also think that the stock neck pickup sounds great. The tuning stability on mine sucked as soon as I touched the bar on it but I just replaced the nut with a pre slotted one off of eBay and should have done this a year ago - MUCH better now. I don't know why they send these out with those crappy nuts? I think they want people to use 09's on them, maybe.


    The guitar sounds excellent through the profiler. Just set your clean sense where you like it and enjoy. The guitar can rock out but since I'm not a shredder, one of my favorite sweet spots is using the neck with a mid gain/dynamic sort of profile and it has a fat, warm tone.

    "Tone is in the fingers" is not a necessary response to anything that I might type on any internet forum threads. Thank you.

    Edited 3 times, last by BuckeyeBrown ().

  • I have an SE 24 and Torero. Perhaps pick a few profiles and what style you want to hear? That would make it easier for you to make a fair comparison and for us to give you what you want.