PRS SE ELECTRIC GUITARS
Beyond its widespread reputation for exceptional quality, the Maryland guitar manufacturer Paul Reed Smith (PRS) is equally celebrated for its affordability thanks to its beloved SE Series. These guitars are priced for the dedicated beginner but designed to meet the exacting standards of more seasoned players.
The Paul Reed Smith SE Series
When PRS founder Paul Reed Smith decided to break into the guitar-making business in the 1980s, the market was dominated by giants such as Gibson and Fender. But Smith’s distinctive approach, which blended traditional craftsmanship with technical innovation, ultimately caught on with discerning guitarists who were looking for an elevated playing experience.
After several decades of success as a maker of distinctive high-end instruments, PRS established its SE (Student Edition) Series in 2000. While retaining many of the characteristics and features that made the original PRS Core Series a mainstay of the upper-tier guitar market, the SE Series features a highly affordable price point that puts the instruments in the hands of many players of all types and abilities.
Over the years, the sheer quality of the PRS SE Series has attracted the attention of major artists who range from Creed guitarist Mark Tremonti to Jane's Addiction/Red Hot Chili Peppers guitarist Dave Navarro to Rock and Roll Hall of Fame member Carlos Santana. These three musicians, among many others, have collaborated with PRS on signature SE models that meet their preferred design and performance specifications.
What Makes the PRS SE Series Different
Affordability has been a key focus of the PRS SE Series since the very beginning, and it remains a favorite of students and players on a budget to this day. To keep costs low, PRS manufactures its SE line in Asia, but this overseas facility builds each instrument to the company’s exact specifications, giving the SE the high levels of design, craftsmanship, and performance quality that have been synonymous with the PRS brand name since the 1980s.
In fact, unlike the American-made PRS S2 and Core line of guitars, the SE line benefits from global manufacturing advancements that are only available in Asia. Through streamlined production processes and logically sourced materials, PRS can deliver tremendous value at a low cost with its SE Series.
SE guitars generally feature mahogany bodies, maple necks, and PRS’s proprietary pickups. Although it doesn’t have all the superlative features of a Core or S2 guitar, the SE guitar offers outstanding playability and produces a highly refined tone for its price range.
While the sound and the feel of the PRS SE have earned the recognition of accomplished professionals such as Santana, Navarro, and Tremonti, the quite versatile yet extremely simple features of this guitar are a great selling point for less experienced guitarists. Its fixed control configurations and streamlined electronics system offer maximum performance with minimum complexity. So if you want to play well and sound good early in your guitar journey, the SE Series offers a straightforward solution at a reasonable cost.
Shop PRS SE Electrics at Brian's Guitars
Brian's Guitars sells a broad spectrum of remarkable PRS SE models as part of both its used electric guitar and general electric guitar collections. We also carry a full line of PRS S2 models. The S2 is a mid-tier guitar series by Paul Reed Smith that appeals to dedicated novices and seasoned professionals alike. Brian's Guitars even offers custom private stock PRS spec builds.
If you are interested in learning more about our PRS electric guitar models or any other electric guitars that we carry, reach out to one of Brian’s Guitars’ highly knowledgeable representatives today! You can also email us at info@briansguitars.com or call us at 1-877-726-0746.