PRS Guitars expand their popular SE guitar line with the SE Custom 22, providing vintage tone and feel at a more accessible price point.
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This is part of the two latest SE guitars to come out of their production line, both of which follow after their popular 22 fret Custom 22 model, with the other one being a semi-hollow body version.
The PRS SE line of instruments helped the company better propagate their brand by making their products accessible for players who are limited by their budgets. This gave the average guitarists a chance to own many of the company’s more popular guitar designs at a more modest price point.
This time around, PRS has released the SE Custom 22, a more streamlined and cost-effective version of the popular Custom 22 model. According to the company, this guitar continues their legacy of ensuring each instrument meets their quality standards, while also fulfilling their current drive to provide more accessible alternatives for their main US-made guitar line.
Like the original Custom 22, the SE version sports the same double cutaway shape that the company has made its own. The body is crafted from mahogany and features a nice looking maple top with grains that shine through the two available finishes, which include Vintage Sunburst and Whale Blue. I personally describe this guitar as being a lovechild of the Stratocaster and Les Paul, having a similar body shape to the Strat while sporting LP-style aesthetic features.
Playability wise, the SE Custom 22 follows the usual PRS specs having a medium length 25″ scale length. To make this guitar feel more similar to vintage instruments, the mahogany neck is carved into a more traditional feeling wide fat shape, ideal for blues, rock and other styles that require you to “milk” notes. The fretoard is crafted from rosewood and comes with the company’s signature “Birds” inlay covering its entire 22 fret length.
Giving the guitar it’s vintage friendly voice are two PRS-designed humbuckers, wired to a straightforward 3-way toggle switch with volume and tone control configuration. Regarding the resulting tone, the company says, “This guitar has a pronounced mid-range and clarity that provides a sweet, full tonal bass and shimmering treble, allowing it to easily sit in a live band mix or recording.“
Other features of this guitar include a PRS-designed stoptail bridge, and PRS-designed tuners, both of which are finished in nickel to match the guitar’s vintage appeal.
Pricing information will soon be available, for further details you can visit PRS Guitars.
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