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PRS SE Singlecut
List: $950
The PRS singlecut has lodged its name in electric guitar’s venerable history as a phoenix- one to disintegrate under legal coercion, only to rise from its ashes, more captivating than ever. Upon its resurgence, PRS has expanded its offerings to include a singlecut model in the Student Edition family, an affordable unit with very little compromise.
Construction/ fit/ finish
Unlike the secondary offerings by popular brand names of its established models, the SE Singlecut isn’t about a cost-cutting exercise by PRS exclusively. What we have here is an immaculately constructed guitar, entrusted to South Korea’s World Music Company to manifest PRS’ fine guitar philosophy. Everything about the SE here screams WELL MADE! Absent are the minor glitches, sloppy lift-off marks, hardware burrs & finish/ stain blots to render this guitar guilty of QC ineptitude.
The SE body isn’t quite a reflection of the US counterpart, namely due to the absence of a solid maple top. In place of it, are two pieces of maple, the top most layer being a visually stunning flame unit, the other being a buffer layer to compensate the thickness of the cap. The edge binding helps mask the layered top & this is peculiar to the SE makes, not employed on the American counterpart. The carved top is also less pronounced & the overall body depth isn’t as massive either.
The neck profile is an attempt to mimic the American’s wide-fat specifications but upon handling, it feels shaved. A sensible account for this would be an issue of balance to the body’s (slimmer) proportions. However, it is substantially fat & grab-worthy, the overall feel off which is liberally compounded by the lacquer overcoat.
There is nothing short of superb in this department.
Tone/ In use
If you are expecting a typical bass-inclined, Les Paul drone, it is likely that this would be your initial encounter with a PRS. Despite its Les Paul resemblance, the SE Singlecut has no obligations to replicate a Les Paul tone & this can be heard quite markedly upon plugging in. What the SE Singlecut offers in its bridge humbucker voicing is a strong bass response in addition to midrange clarity. There’s nothing too excessive in the upper frequency end either, everything is pleasing. Over at the neck, the midrange gets a polished treatment, what you will hear is an above-average reproduction of a PAF-type tone; all vintage & limited muffles. This guitar adapts to clean & driven settings impressively, with the bridge pickup outperforming its neck counterpart in the latter department.
It is pleasing to note that the bridge’s rounded edges give maximum picking hand comfort but those of us who are used to the tune-o-matic design will find chugging/ palm muting more challenging. The strings are made to sit flush against the bridge’s top hence limiting the break-angle of which muting techniques become more convenient. The rosewood grade is also excellent, possessing a healthy hue of brown & displaying no crucial dryness.
The nut, however, needs more lubrication. Despite being graphite, as indicated by the manufacturer, & displaying competent incisions, there are evidences of choking & the overall retention of tuning stability isn’t quite top notch.
Parting words
The SE Singlecut is an affordable lure by the manufacturer; a comprehensively gorgeous guitar, nothing too compromising in every aspect. Is this model merely a cosmetically enhanced Tremonti SE? The thought of it does feed this reviewer’s perception but the SE Singlecut offers a different voicing drive-wise. While the Tremonti SE was bent on replicating fierce overdrive (by virtue of the endorser’s reputation), the SE Singlecut offers avenues to sound vintage & intimidating drive-wise. There will be a sizeable number of players who will not hesitate to spend $100 more for this guitar (Tremonti SE listing for $850) to avoid having an endorser’s markings on their guitars & more convincingly, to own a more visually pleasing unit.
Please do not approach this guitar with a Les Paul copy mentality, it is quite unique in its own turf, there are other copy models to satiate your ‘strictly Les Paul’ concerns. The introduction of this guitar isn’t about to snub other competitors at their roots, players who are after a particular bass honk would give the SE Singlecut a re-evaluation before finally parting with their funds.
A highly recommended guitar for beginners & seasoned players alike.
Likes:
• Simple design, sturdy fit & top class finish
• Not a one-trick pony, tone-wise
• Functional tuners
• Player-friendly overall mass
• Price
Dislikes:
• Nut needs more lubrication
• Out-of-the-way pickup toggle switch
• Compensated intonation bridge ridges limit string gauge applications
Worthy competitors:
• Edwards E-LP-85CD
• Tokai LS70
• Burny RLG45
• Epiphone Elitist
• Yamaha AES920
