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Photo provided by: PRS Guitars
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As a Gear Tech, I try to maintain an unbiased opinion about a brand under review. Especially when I own product from the same brand. One of the benefits though, is having familiarity with how a particular brand should sound, and what things I should focus on. Not all models that are made, are exact. Reviewing a guitar “on loan” normally will have had been played previously by another gear tech.
This is something I noticed immediately out of the box. The PRS 24 that I received was not a normal off the production line guitar. I noticed that the height of the pickups was adjusted. One side of the pick-up was lower than the other. A consumer would have looked at thought there is something wrong. Is this something that you should be concerned with? Well, If the right side (typically the high E string side) of your guitar pickup is higher than the left side (low E string side), it’s not necessarily abnormal, but it does raise a few possibilities. Let’s consider several of them:
What’s Normal
What to Check
When to Adjust
Aim for 2–3 mm clearance from the strings when fretted at the last fret, as a starting point. Then adjust by ear.
If the treble strings sound too loud or harsh, lower that side slightly. If the bass strings dominate, raise the treble side or lower the bass side.
So let’s dive into the playability of the PRS Standard 24. After trolling over what was inconsequential to the overall review of the guitar, I couldn’t take my eyes off the finish of the guitar body and neck. There was no comparison with my PRS SE CE and the Standard 24. Two completely different finishes. The satin finish alone, is enough to turn your head. The way it feels in my hands is remarkable. The best way to describe it, is “a comfortable pillow”. However, there is no sleeping on this guitar. In fact, it kept me up many nights “shredding”. I considered possibly joining a band with this beast.
The comparisons didn’t stop there. It is evident by the price difference that there is more to the PRS Standard 24, then the scaled down PRS SE CE. The SE CE model is more of an introductory edition to the PRS family. It is cost effective and has been built to entice guitarists to come over to the PRS brand of guitars. From a Marketing perspective it was genius. As there are only certain guitar brands that I will consider moving forward. The PRS brand being one of them.
The action on the PRS Standard 24 delivers! The height of the strings to the fretboard “out of the box” was perfect for me. The height is considered low, but there was no buzz from the strings hitting the fret board. Which leads me to believe that the previous user of the guitar knew what they were doing.
Out of the box from the manufacturer the string height might need to be adjusted. However, it is worth considering what this entails:
Adjusting Action
Involves tweaking:
If you are not accustomed to making these adjustments, you need to take it to your local repair shop. Yes, there are videos online on how you can do this, but it is safer to have your favor repair shop do it. Especially with a guitar valued at 3,500.00
Pickups. I tend to focus on the pickups that a guitar uses. There is a plethora of pick up manufacturers out there, and not all of them are the same. However, there is no concern here, as the PRS Standard uses PRS 8 pickups. · Voiced for clarity, punch, and a balanced EQ.
· Coil-splittable (in many models) for more tonal range.
Consider the tone profile on the PRS Standard. Afterall, it is tone that really gets us moving when it comes to our next guitar purchase.
Tone Profile
We have covered several important factors, that will generate buzz for the PRS 24 Standard. The shear look and feel to this guitar. Which makes it a head turner. Most guitar enthusiasts will identify it with the PRS brand. However, their intrigue will build as they hear the sound radiate throughout any amplification system. Especially the NEW PRS Archon Classic. Which we will cover in another review.
Bridge and fretwork are top Notch. Which means that there is little adjustment needed for string height. Even the lower profile pickups will not need a adjustment, unless increasing the height is fits a specific need for your playing style.
The standard pickups are anything but standard. Perfect mellow tones, but with the ability to rock out at any given moment. The is just the first review of many to come. Also we will be comparing it with another brand that we had reviewed during the same window. It’s the Severn X7 from Knaggs Guitars. Trust me, you will want to read it as well.
A RECAP OF WHAT YOU MIGHT HAVE MISSED
