Last up is a PRS that is a little different from the classics. The main negative of PRS at the minute is that they haven’t quite cracked inclusivity across the board, and prices can still be a little too high for most guitarists. With PRS, Gibson and others, it may be as much in the electronics. If you’re looking for professional quality guitar at an affordable price, then the PRS SE Custom 24 is one of the best guitars that money can buy. As you’ve seen from our top selections, the flamed maple top is a very common finish on both SE and premium custom ranges. While this guitar is technically in Paul Reed Smith’s budget line of guitars, there really aren’t too many compromises in terms of quality, sound and playability. It has Seymour Duncan Alpha and Omega pickups that handle high gain music like a champ. These guitars are manufactured overseas in Indonesia to help cut costs. We’d recommend this more for metal guitarists who are primarily going to be playing with distorted tones, as the clean tones are a little muddy and don’t balance up to the premium distorted modes. In fact, its specifications are essentially the same as the PRS SE Custom 24, just without the flamed maple top. The PRS Custom 24 is Paul Reed Smith's claim to fame. Some PRS guitars have a similar shape to the PRS Custom 24, but with slight modifications. In addition, it has a thin body profile that makes it extremely comfortable to play. In this comprehensive PRS Guitars review and buyer’s guide, we’ll take a detailed look at 10 of the best PRS guitars available today. The PRS CE 24 is a fully spec'd American made Paul Reed Smith Guitar at a more affordable price than the Core line. If you’re a fan of Mark Holcomb and Periphery, then this guitar is a no brainer. The PRS Standard 24 comes with 85/ 15 S pickups. Simply but, this deactivates a coil and makes the tone much brighter, sort of like a telecaster. With a truly convincing acoustic sound complementing the vintage warmth and growl of the PAF-style 58/15S humbuckers, the PRS SE Hollowbody II Piezo is a super versatile, high-performance instrument that's delivers a lot of class for the price. PRS SE Custom 24 10-Top – Orange Tiger. Aside from the effortless playability, intonation, tuning stability and old-world resonance (all foundations of the PRS empire), the single-coil voices from these new TCI pickups raise the bar, while the humbucking side seems to pack musical heat, clarity and considerable versatility in equal measure. It offers the exact same features, sound, and performance. The most popular Paul Reed Smith is the PRS Custom 24, but they also have the PRS Custom 22, which is essentially the same exact guitar, only with 22 frets instead of 24. The decision of what is good enough is in the ear of the beholder. Another addition that this guitar brings is the ebony fretboard with a white binding rather than the usual rosewood. Honestly, when comparing the tone to the SE, the new guitars sounded as if there was a blanket over the speaker as some like to say and yes I played with heights etc. The natural finish is from a fine walnut veneer, and you’ll be sliding your fretting hand along a smooth satin maple neck and an ebony fingerboard… perfection! While this guitar is still technically an SE guitar in Paul Reed Smith’s affordable line of guitars, it’s definitely a cut above a regular PRS SE Custom with some extra bells and whistles. Our Verdict. The PRS Silver Sky is John Mayer’s signature “Strat Style” PRS guitar after parting ways with Fender after more than a decade.If you’ve ever played a Fender Stratocaster before, then the PRS Silver Sky will feel right at home. If you want a PRS guitar that excels in metal and high-gain music, then the PRS SE Mark Holcomb signature is the way to go. However, these features were not just reviewed with little to no knowledge, instead, we contacted the manufacturers of each instrument as well as some of the verified musicians who played each model. A stunning guitar that is the best of the best in terms of build quality and performance. For electronics, this guitar comes with PRS-designed SE 245 “S” pickups, which are vintage PAF style pickups that have excellent clarity and punchiness. You’re probably looking at the Custom 22 and the Custom 24 and thinking… what’s the difference? These pickups are also versatile being able to handle low and high-gain guitar tones without any muddiness what-so-ever. Typically, the bridge pickup is slightly hotter than the neck pickup. This guitar features a full mahogany body and neck that give it a thick and beefy tone with excellent sustain. While every PRS guitar I’ve ever played has been good, there is definitely a difference between a Paul Reed Smith Core guitar and a PRS SE Standard. And like I mentioned before, I have NEVER played a bad PRS guitar. Its vintage-inspired guitar features the same dual cuttaway shape, neck carve, and fingerboard radius, and SSS pickup configuration that you would expect from a Stratocaster, but was given the PRS treatment to help make it more modern.