PRS SE Custom 24 Semi Hollow Piezo | First Look

[@LeonTodd]

Who else is cracking a semi today?

[@GearSafari]

😂

[@shaharbar]

“Cracking”? Ouch!

[@GearSafari]

@@shaharbar 🤣

[@PerryCodes]

I wake up to a semi just about every day...

[@jlepre752]

Me! I got a blue one coming

[@camheiliger]

The cat knocking down the lunchbox during the comparison is amazing.

[@LeonTodd]

Absolute highlight 🤣

[@waynetozer3881]

Everyone is a critic- especially cats. 😮

[@JTB--]

This might be the best Bang for the Buck PRS guitar. You're getting a LOT for the money. I've got a PRS Custom 24 Piezo and one thing I like doing because of the 2 jacks on the guitar is going into my Hotone Ampero II Stage effects processor which has 2 Instrument inputs and then setting it to Parallel and setting up different effects for each input. You can fiddle with the FX, Reverbs, Delays etc... for hours coming up with some really cool sounding and interesting tones. Great for Ambient sounds too

[@peterharvin2775]

Never been a big fan of piezo, even on pure acoustics. That one changed my mind. It's just done right.

[@RadityoPramAdi]

piezo acoustic with IR, sound pretty amazing...

[@PhrostMotion]

Awesome! I’ve been wanting a 335 style guitar seeing and hearing yours but I literally ended up buying a peacock blue burst SE hollowbody II piezo yesterday, I absolutely love the character of it. The build quality of the SE models and value for money is crazy good when you look at core model pricing.

[@didamnesia3575]

Love that guitar

[@TheGospelGuitarist]

Everytime I see these I think of the Schecter C1 E/A back in the early 2000's using the Ghost System. Great guitars.

[@Terribleguitarist89]

Haven't been keeping up to date on the SE line. Semi hollow, trem and piezos... That checks the boxes I've been looking for...

[@LeonTodd]

They're seriously good guitars now

[@Terribleguitarist89]

@@LeonTodd the problem is, they have so many cool ones now that my band account will never forgive me 😂 *Quick trip to a PRS dealer, walks out with: DGT, Semi Hollow piezo, SC 594*

[@Robstafarian]

@@Terribleguitarist89 I would love a PRS SE McCarty 594 Singlecut if it had the same nut width as the SE DGT.

[@thesolitarytroubadour9894]

Great adding some Porcupine Tree! Great band to use this type of guitar with!

[@chrisdavies9143]

I really like that guitar, have been considering both a semi-hollow and a piezo for a while, this may be a winner for me. Sounds great clean with the coil split and then the full fat with a load of gain sounded chunky and wonderful. I really love the binding too

[@BLACKSYNTH]

Always the summers are slipping away Find me a way for making it stay........ It seems like a great gigging all rounder, like many PRS guitars, very versatile, Not something I'd use to record songs with or get inspiration from, the PRS sound kills my creativity a little. Something like a Jazzmaster or SG are my goto. But for an SE PRS this is a mighty package!

[@koski666]

Add a TC Electronics BodyRez for the piezo sound, and it will sounds way better, and closer to an acoustic.

[@joshf8097]

Man I love the ragdoll stuff. The very last riff you played is the riff that I just learned. Sounds awesome man

[@LeonTodd]

Cheers dude, that one is addictive!

[@rutger4131]

I really like the binding on the headstock! Makes the headstock look a bit beefier.

[@heavybrett-al4082]

What an interesting set of tone's, looks gorgeous! And hell it's a PRS so it's gonna feel quality to play? I bet?

[@johnnydswing]

Beautiful playing as always! love the guitar

[@r.llynch4124]

Man PRS is knocking it out of the park lately. This one is a real looker and very versatile. The DGT gold top and this for the win, and $2500 USD for 2 killer guitars, get both I reckon. Thanks for sharing your review LT!!

[@LeonTodd]

Hard to go wrong hey

[@Guitardist]

A little trick I've used for years with a piezo is the old fishman aura pedal. Pick a model you like and blend it into the piezo with some verb. I like your EQ idea also.

[@christopherprice3226]

Nice Leon own 3 Core and one S2 Vela... Man the SE are getting as good as a S2 from 9 years ago. Crazy I use my S2 Vela as a Gibson SG

[@LeonTodd]

Which is good because the prices of everything have gone up. Still a lot of guitar for the money.

[@WhaleBluePRS]

I've been gigging with a 2015 Core Hollowbody II Piezo. I about passed out when I saw what they're going for new now. I literally was thinking I'd like an SE Piezo solidbody this past weekend. And darn if it PRS doesn't release one this week. The HBII doesn't have coil taps (doesn't actually need them with those incredible 57/08 pickups). To have all the capability of the HBII plus coil-split and trem is amazing. I wouldn't feel nearly as bad over an occasional ding on the SE, even though it's quite expensive for an overseas made instrument. A couple more months of gigs and I can justify the SE and save wear and tear on the HBII. Super nice playing and demo. Thank you!

[@LeonTodd]

I'd love a core HB but I agree that the prices are unbelievable now. I've gigged this one a few times and it was awesome.

[@WhaleBluePRS]

@@LeonTodd That's great to hear! I'm sold on the SE. Now it's just a matter of cost justification for yet another electric guitar.

[@lorenzosilvio4054]

LOVE the inclusion of porcupine tree! Trains is such a good song

[@LeonTodd]

Phenomenal tune!

[@FastRedPonyCar]

I demoed one of the full hollowbody SE units a while back. It was nice. The pickups were a bit too fluffy and soft for what I was wanting to do with it but I had my FM3 setup with 2 scenes where it would toggle between two different paths with the push of one of the buttons. One path was full send Friedman high gain and the other was a preamp and an acoustic IR and they merged to a single effects path and then at the end, split to the main outputs and outputs 2. Toggling the switch would mute one input and output and switch over to the other set letting me effectively go from full acoustic to full electric and we played a few acoustic shows with this setup. I'd do all the rhythm stuff acoustic and then kick the button on and do full electric leads and it worked hilariously well... kinda like John Petrucci's "evening with Petrucci and Rudess" album. I think that not having a dedicated 3 way toggle for the pickups was the biggest letdown for me and I'm kinda upset that PRS gatekeep that behind the $5000+ USA version. It made me miss my old Ernie Ball JP6

[@MrKingswebe]

There is no SE model that is a FULl hollow body, at least none released yet. The SE line only has semi-hollow bodies.

[@FastRedPonyCar]

@@MrKingswebe Other than a center block for the bridge and pickups, both halves of the other version of this guitar is hollow and unlike something like an ES335, the block of wood in the middle isn't connecting the top and back of that model. How else would you define full hollow body?

[@constantinosmavroyannis9409]

6:15 TRAINS! 🎶

[@duncanatkinson6485]

Love PT!

[@johnchance1959]

One of the more entertaining guitar reviews I've viewed. Your changing facial expressions are quite humorous and also reflect your "feel" for what you are playing. There is a combination sailboat/motor boat sold in the US called a Macgregor. It is often referred to as not much of a sailboat and not much of a motorboat. The Piezo guitars remind me of the Macgregors. This Piezo PRS seemed ok until you played the DGT. Then I immediately thought of the Macgregor boats, just not a great sailboat, nor a great motorboat. I don't question there may be a use for these in a limited context, but for most players I doubt the extra cost will be worth the money. I've been waiting for the 2025's to appear before making a PRS purchase. Makes me wonder if this is the year of higher price but lower value. Good video. First time I have viewed your channel. I'll probably check back. Thanks

[@LeonTodd]

I'm going to remember that term!

[@johnchance1959]

@@LeonTodd Commonly used term in the US.

[@sadwingsraging3044]

10:35 🙀😂 Ooops! So you do Biergarten escapades? Last great player I listened to playing at one of those was John Kilzer playing his Memory in the Making album. Fantastic little know singer/song writer/player John Kilzer. I bet you would love that album Leon.😊 Gimme a Highway!😫🎸🎶

[@820hurleyj]

Pretty amazing guitar!

[@Simeon_Harris]

lovely guitar! top tip, i've been using a guitar equipped with piezos for donkey's years and the best way to make it sound like a real acoustic that i've found, is to tonematch it to one. there are loads of really good acoustic demos on youtube, but the one i used was the demo of the gibson J45 that guitarist magazine did years ago, but i'm sure there are better ones around now. try to play the same thing as the demo and if you see two mics being used, tonematch the left and right sides separately and run it in stereo. you can save the tonematches as user IR's and then drop them into any preset you like. it would make for a really interesting video, i reckon.

[@LeonTodd]

I really need to try this, great shout!

[@Simeon_Harris]

​@@LeonTodd it really does work. it sorts out all that piezo "quackiness" that no amount of eq'ing seems to get rid of. if you have a nice acoustic and a nice mic, you could even tonematch it to your own recording...that would be cool!

[@glaucosouza1971]

To my ears, just every 24 fret PRS have a bright character and that one is no exception. But a nice guitar nonetheless. Maybe a comparison between that and the Epiphone Alex Lifeson?? 🤔

[@waynetozer3881]

Definitely the best demo of this guitar I have seen. The only problem I have with this SE guitar for me is its price in Australia. Do I want one - Yes. Can I justify 2.5k for an SE though?

[@nicholastotoro7721]

Wow, that's nice... like REALLY nice!!!

[@keithhynes7001]

Good man for playing Trains as a test!

[@dentondam]

Some Porcupine Tree eh? Nice! Great tone and playing as usual.

[@TheOtherJohnBrowne]

Piezo is dead! Long live undersaddle pickup! Gorgeous sounds

[@Brennosguitarsandgear]

This one is what I’ve been waiting for from PRS Ultimate Perth cover band guy guitar 😂

[@LeonTodd]

🤣

[@mikerichardson2177]

A huge tone range.

[@stevepoole4707]

❤ can you do a axe FX tutorial on how to do the blend thing with expression pedal? Also can you input both magnetic and pizo into the same preset?

[@ehxmemoryman]

Thanks Leon, great demo! This guitar might check a number of boxes for me. I think Pete Townshend has setup where he is playing piezo and electric from one modded stratocaster and the signals are routed into different amps which he blends. Wondering with the FM9 if it's possible to use the double cable method from this guitar, and connect those to input 1 and 2, and then route each appropriately to different amp/cab blocks. So you could then put distortion in the electric path if needed and blend a clean acoustic sound with overdriven electric one (ala Pete Townshend)??? Don't know if that makes sense.

[@LeonTodd]

Absolutely, super easy to set that up

[@barry3045]

Watching at work. Get that money !! $$

[@RaphaelLowMusic]

gotta know what song was played from 7.29-7.40 T.T but this review made me want one!

[@erik2446]

Great review! Very helpful! 🔥

[@LeonTodd]

Glad it was helpful!

[@Robstafarian]

I would be absolutely mad for this if it had a Pattern Regular neck.

[@chrissladdin4187]

Phenomenal tones and amazing playing, Leon! Really curious how this does sound through an IR on the fractal for sure, like how close to a micd acoustic sound can it get?

[@LeonTodd]

I've had mixed fortunes using acoustic IR's. I suspect if I make one of my own guitar/mic I might have more luck

[@GearSafari]

It looks killer. 🔥🎸

[@didamnesia3575]

Aside from 24 frets, what does this offer compared to the hollowbody or hollowbody 2 piezo? They seem very similar to me besides cosmetics. I recently got a used prs studio 22 satin 10 top. But... now the itch has been scratched and i picked the scab off, meaning n+1

[@thearoom]

When you split it is it a noiseless single coil?

[@JoonKimDMD]

I have Fender Strat and DGT core. You said DGT is like Les Paul + Strat like but I think it's closer to Les Paul than Strat because I struggle to make a transition from strat to DGT due to the sound being too hot/warm and dark. I prefer brighter sound of Fender Strat. Maybe I should crank up the treble tone knob?

[@OwenVickersGuitar]

Did you just Clapton/Rea us with that intro lick?! 🤔 Another stunning looking and sounding guitar! Definitely semi-inducing

[@LeonTodd]

You know it!

[@prestige7jem1]

Leon, have you brought both piezo and magnetic pickups into the Axe Fx III? I have a EBMM Majesty in which I do this with input 1 on magnetic pickups and input 3 on piezo pickups, both chains go to output 1. What I find is that in the AF3 there’s bleeding from input 3 to input 1 chains. It’s especially noticeable when input 1 is high gain. And if I use separate delay or reverb blocks on the routes. If I blend 1 and 3 into the same reverb or delay block it is not as noticeable. Wondering if you have any ideas on how to better do this. Thanks.

[@WhaleBluePRS]

"Grandma used to sing every night while she was praying!"

[@joggerino3284]

Coming from classic guitar, I initially was looking for a LP-sounding guitar without the weight of a LP and better ergonomics and found the PRS SE line. In your opinion, what is the most versatile PRS SE and the best value for money PRS SE? I want a one trick pony, but it is difficult to decide which one to get. I am considering the Paul's guitar, McCarty, DGT, Custom 24-08 or semi-hollow, CE 24 or CE 24 Standard, Hollow Body II piezo. How does the piezo sound with a modeling amp like the Boss Katana 100? This is all very confusing for first-time buyers.

[@LeonTodd]

If you don't need the piezo, DGT every day

[@joggerino3284]

@@LeonTodd Thanks. Is the -08 just a gimmick like the piezo or does it really add more nuance?

[@MattRamsey-p7v]

finally some Chris Rea vibe... 🤗

[@usagi2988]

F*** I love that DGT SE... appreciate the tone comparisons between the two... how do the necks compare?

[@LeonTodd]

Very different. DGT is definitely chunkier

[@usagi2988]

@@LeonTodd Ah, that's good to know! FWIW I'm down with the chunkier neck of the DGT in general. Like Spinal Tap said, "The bigger the cushion / the sweeter the pushin'" (totally referring to "pushin'" out great tones from their amps, right?)

[@SteveR5954]

Its Pizza E O? Great demo as usual

[@eoinjennings519]

Trains Porcupine Tree fan !

[@LeonTodd]

❤❤❤

[@eoinjennings519]

@@LeonTodd if I didn’t already have the lifeson epi with the piezo this one would be a buy

[@shaharbar]

It’s pronounced “beeeta” 😂 Great looking and sounding versatile geetar…

[@mmiller6873]

Still think this is over priced just to have the addition of the piezo. Won't be buying one for myself. The only PRS I own is the Tremonti Signature SE and I do really like it, except for the pickup shifter which sucks.

[@thecaveofthedead]

Leon are you not a fan of acoustic IRs?

[@LeonTodd]

I've never found one I loved. Need to try making them

[@michaelallen434]

This or the DGT?

[@kirkwilliams4942]

One of the most versatile guitars we can buy today and at an amazing price. PRS is just an awesome company.

[@ozkarov]

Watch the Cat 10:37!!! that little rascal!

[@LeonTodd]

Chris Rea - At the Beach

[@ozkarov]

10:04 Please!! What's the name of that song??? at 10:04

[@mob0274]

On the Beach by Chris Rea

[@ivorharden]

I say piss-oh

[@nicopoppe4838]

Its a scam just like the epiphones... if I was totally broke, or couldn't build guitars, I'll just buy a harley benton and pay for a fret level... thats it. And the se pickups aren't great... maybe the 85/15 but meh...

[@HEZ63]

Just like Beetle tires on a Porsche or transistors in a tube amp... Makes no sense to me at all, sorry!

[@hellvulcanoh]

My dream guitar...In baritone version Prs pls!

[@LeonTodd]

Ooooh that would be delicious

[@hellvulcanoh]

Trains!