PRS Guitars

SE/S2/Bolt-on/Core... Whats the difference?

A popular question we often get asked with PRS Guitars is "what is the difference?" hopefully this should break it down for you. Starting of with the SE range of guitars, these are built in PRS's Indonesian factory which works closely with America to ensure that the guitars are built to the correct specification and quality. Up from SE we have the S2 range of guitars, these are built in America on their second production line. These models utilize the pickups and hardware from the SE line whilst giving you a quality instrument built in the USA. Up from here we have the Bolt-on range which consists of models such as the CE24's, Silver Skys, Fiore ect. These models have the benefits of core range pickups, whilst the CE still uses the same hardware as in S2/SE range. You also have a deeper body carve with a similar to the core range models. All of these models have a bolt on maple neck which is where the range gets its name from. Finally we have the core range models which are all 100% built in the USA, with deep body carves, fancy frills, various pickup, neck, and scale length options to choose from.

PRS Guitars had a humble beginning, built up from one man's ambition. After making his first guitar as a challenge to his college music professor, musician Paul Reed Smith developed his unique brand of PRS guitars with decades of testing, rethinking and reinventing.

In Paul Reed Smiths own words..... Click here

These impressive standards of excellence have been maintained, as the company has grown into a major industry presence, through strict quality control at every stage of the process and the pride and knowledge of the craftspeople in the workshops. PRS guitar production relies on a carefully considered combination of automated processes and hand crafting in order to produce instruments of the highest quality.

Paul Reed Smith set up a partnership to create a factory in Annapolis, Maryland and set off work on producing guitars. The company's first outing was for the 1985 NAMM Show where they debuted the PRS Custom. Featuring a mahogany neck set into a mahogany body with a maple cap, a patented vibrato, customized tuning pegs, and custom rotary pickup switching with high quality electronics, the guitar represented influences from both old and new; something striking in the midst of an industry that was producing “high tech” guitars. Exerpt from Wiki