CE 24 Review

The CE 24 was designed back in 1988 and it's been in continual production ever since. It offers our comfortable wide-thin neck carve and combines the clarity of our popular 24 fret instruments with the warmth and classic style of a maple-topped, one-piece mahogany body and HFS/Vintage Bass pickup combination.

Features:	9.5
Sound:	10
Action:	9.5
Reliability:	10
Impression:	10
Overall rating:	9.8
Users rating:	9.8
Comments:	13

overall: 9.8

Featured review by: rykoff sexton, on february 06, 2007

Price paid: 1850

Purchased from: Guitar Center, S.D.

Features: Made right here in the homeland at the PRS Factory, this CE 24 has a quilted maple top that almost glows. It came with tighly wound HFS bass and treble pickups, brazilian rosewood fingerboard, and a mahogony back. Classic PRS looks, and sound make this guitar probably my favorite possession. It came with a nice case and all the official certificates. // 9

Sound: I play moslty metal, prog, blues, and rock and this axe specializes in all of them. The tone is very warm and lush, and hits heavily. On a clean channel the in between pickup setting make a crisp bright sound perfect for emphasizing chords changes, strumming clean rythyms or creating ambience. I priamrily use a Carivn V3 with a DigiTech RP200A, Boss DD-6, and sometimes a metal zone, which I have mixed feelings about. I can get a creamy '80s lead with tight with piercing highs, and heavy mids and lows to give the sound a huge punch. The pickups are very responsive, and the ensity of the maple allows the notes to resonate very well, and taper off naturally with great sustain, while holding the true sound of the notes desired pitch. // 10

Action, Fit & Finish: I have the action setup fairly low, and have adjusted the tremelo base to the specifications listed on the web site, 1/16" off the body. I am very savvy at my own adjustments, but if you are not comfortable doing self maintenance, I would suggest going to a professional. The adjustments are worth it, and usually very minor right off the floor. These instruments are known for their high caliber of sound and setups. Take a look at the factory tour on youtube. No flaws, no shortages, clean pickup switching, no hum from the guitar. The topwood is actually two pieces, but from the same piece. they take the maple and cut it in half so the luthier can symetrically line up the maple, to get the famed flame effect on the body. A high gloss finish makes the CE 24 look beautiful, and very show up beautifully in pictures. With black lighting, it almost glows. I set mine exclusively with Ernie Ball regular slinky's. I use heavy slinky's on the 6th and 5th string to really bring out a heavy low end, especially when playing low tunings, which it holds well. // 10

Reliability & Durability: This guitar is a performance instrument. It begs to be played and to be touch. Upon deciding to buy a guitar of this caliber keep in mind you will want to be high end gear and accessiories to go with this, not only for purposes of sound, but holding the instruments value over a long period of time. PRS guitars are truly an investment. Over a short five year period it will hold the original retail value at best, but over 20-40 years, keeping the guitar in prime condition will most likely increase the value. I would confidently use it without back up at a gig anywhere. // 10

Impression: I have mentioned my gear setup, precise adjustments, style and upkeep of this instrument. With the warranty options, I would replace this if it became damaged, and probably go to jail if I found out tht someone stole it. Yes I would kill someone coldblooded if they kidnapped my baby. Before deciding on the PRS CE 24 I debated about and Ibanez S and RG models with wizard necks, higher end Les Pauls and SG. After playing the CE 24 and reading about the Paul Reed Smith philosphy and quality on the website, I felt the call to own this one compared to the others. The only thing I would change; I proabably should have chose black, but metallic green is looks great too. After reading about the different artists that use these guitar I am even a bigger loyalist to PRS and hope to one day be included on that list. PRS player for life. // 10

overall: 9.8

Reviewed by: Simon Acreman, on january 07, 2008

Price paid: 1820.85

Purchased from: Sarum Guitars

Features: A beautifully made guitar. Mahogony body, maple neck, rosewood fingerboard. It features PRS's own patented tremolo system obviously including the bridge, but also has locking tuners to avoid the tuning going awol while using the tremolo arm. It features a volume knob, tone knob and a third knob as a 5-way pick up selector. The options are; treble pickup, outside coils, series single coil, parallel single coil and bass pickup. The 2 humbucker pickups are a PRS HFS (treble) and a PRS Vintage (bass). It is a certainly well equipped guitar for almost any style. // 10

Sound: The PRS CE 24 lives up to the PRS reputation. The 5-way selector allows for a fair variety of tones even before you get to the amp. It caters well for almost any style, although I mostly play hard rock and metal. Plugged into my Vox AD30VT, it is obvious that the two are very happy to work together giving colourful tones or if you prefer, deep and gritty metal tones. It is very happy to deal with anything you throw at it with every little detail of your playing being thrown back at you in the form of the traditional PRS oustanding tone. After playing a B.C. Rich for some time and playing a friend's Epiphone SG from time to time, it is a huge step to PRS's tones. It produces tones guaranteed to put a smile on the face of any guitarist. // 10

Action, Fit & Finish: PRS are known for their fantastic build quality, and it shows in my guitar. The guitar was already perfectly set up, not one adjustment was needed to get the best out of this masterpiece (other than tuning, of course). The attention to detail in this guitar is mind-boggling. I honest can find no faults except the loose fit of the pickup selector knob, which I think I can Live with. I won't make a fuss about that. // 9

Reliability & Durability: This guitar has a fair weight behind it, being mahogony, but that makes it pretty damned hard wearing. I have only recently bought the guitar and so cannot comment yet how well it wears. It certainly seems that it will happily take a beating without much complaint. This truely is a solid guitar and I would happily trust it to get me through every performance I do for the next few decades. I cannot see this guitar giving up the ghost for an extremely long time. // 10

Impression: The CE 24 is quite happy playing heavier rock and metal. It gives the grit I have been searching for over the several years I've played guitar. It has the gritty bassy tones you want for metal and yet it has the soft, warm tones you want for blues. This is a fantastic all-rounder. Compared with my B.C. Rich, it is off the scale in every aspect. After playing my other guitar for 4 years, playing my new PRS fried my brain. There is no comparison here. If I lost this guitar, I would certainly buy another one, provided I had the money but it is money well spent. I can honestly say I am unsure if I will buy a guitar of any other make ever again, it is just too good against the competition. The only thing I wish this guitar had is a different finnish, but I can't complain at that. // 10

Comments

[schwedengitarre]

Amazing.

[Kikuta]

schwedengitarre wrote:

Amazing.

Quoted for truth.

Incredible guitars, these. My only quarrel is the lack of a pickup selector. Could allow for some truly incredible sounds to be made...

[Bullet FMV]

I absolutely agree with everything said here. The pickup selector does take a little getting used to, but once you're used to it, it can be more effective than traditional selectors.

The finish is amazing, however, very susceptible to blemishes. Anyone that has the cash to buy this guitar though, will either take super good care of it, or they're a touring signed musician, and really just don't care, so that doesnt make much of a difference.

Overall, this is an amazing guitar, and you can't go wrong with it if you have the cash to spend on one.

[rykoff sexton]

A few errors in the article I need to point out;
Action fit & finish - line 2 - 1/16" off the body.
Action fit & finish - line 5 - caliber of sound and setups.

Sound - -line 6 - a creamy '80s lead with tight

please inform me of any other grammatical errors, thank you.

R. Sexton

[RhcpGurl]

woah

[Mahoru]

Damn, I want one too (I love the flame Tortoise Shell one to death! PP). Tried it once some time ago and fell in love with PRS inmediately. They're simply perfect; they look so beautiful, play like no others and are the most versatile guitars I've seen thru my whole life (I could play from classical Tarrega pieces to the black metal masters 1349 with only one guitar, I was amazed!!!).
If I get the money (no matter how long does it take!) I'll get one.

[jamiec123]

I've got an SE SIngleCut and its fantastic, so as soon as i get the rest of the money I'm selling it and buying the CE24! If the Korean built guitars are good i cant wait for this American made one

[JrabJrab]

I think this is the hidden gem in the PRS lineup. Sure its got the bolts in the back and it lacks the shiny gold pickups. But, play it and none of that matters. I was able to do some shredding that my current PRS that I payed twice for, just doesn't get it done. Without getting into the SE's, this has to be the best PRS for the money that I have found. Bullet FMV makes a very valid point about the pickup selectors, it will take some getting use to, and maybe the colors aren't my favorite, but the sound is all that matters and we'll all adapt to those pickup selectors as they are located in a somewhat weird location on the axe.

[SmokeroomBooker]

I tried one of the all mahogany bodied versions in indigo blue at my local dealer and spent so long with it, I got a parking ticket - it's the boy! My Lonestar Strat has now been made to walk the eBay plank. Spanky clean or girthsome fat humbucker tones and a trem that stays in tune. Every time. Heck, there's even flame figure on the back of the neck. All for under a grand. Gives my mucker Tex and his 58 Les Paul a great dualling partner. But I got mo frets! Mo tones! Just got a SE soapbar for slide too - these PRS guys KNOW what sounds good.

[condarkis]

I own this guitar, and i agree with everything said in the review, it truly is a great guitar

[Simon Acreman]

jamiec123 wrote:

I've got an SE SIngleCut and its fantastic, so as soon as i get the rest of the money I'm selling it and buying the CE24! If the Korean built guitars are good i cant wait for this American made one

I've played an SE Singlecut and they are nothing compared with the CE 24, seriously - if you think that the SE models are good, the CE or Custom would blow your head off....

[ofshotthefirst]

right i tried an SE custom then a CE24 and ther is a massive difference...
However on looking it up on the net ive got confused and im not sure whether it was a custom 24 or a CE 24 someone Anyone got any ideas how i can work out which one it was?

[Weepin_Guitar]

how does the guitar sound for jazz and softer kinda music???