We’ve previously focused primarily on USA PRS guitars (including some of the more affordable and excellent S2 line), so I thought a shift of gears was in order. What if you want a kickass shred guitar but love PRS? The PRS SE “Floyd” Custom 24 definitely seems like it’s made just for you!

Priced at under $900 and made by World Musical Instruments in South Korea, the PRS SE “Floyd” Custom 24 seems like a great deal, but how does it hold up in the real world?

Let’s dive in!

Features:

The PRS SE “Floyd” Custom 24 features:

-Mahogany Body-Maple Top w/ Flamed Maple Veneer
-Scarlet Red Finish
-24 Frets
-25” Scale Wide Thin neck
-Maple Neck
-Rosewood Fretboard
-1xVolume, 1xPush/Pull Tone, 3-Way Blade
-PRS Bird Inlays
-Floyd Rose 1000 Tremolo
-PRS SE HFS & Vintage Bass Pickups
-Nickel Hardware

Overall, the guitar definitely retains the PRS aesthetic (with the unique body shape and nice veneer/finish), but the Floyd sort of pushes it in a more modern direction.

The maple neck is really stable, and has PRS’ Wide Thin neck shape, which is definitely well suited to shred and metal players.

This is sort of the opposite mantra of some of PRS’ other recent models, such as the Mark Holcomb signature SE. The PRS SE “Floyd” Custom 24 is basically an affordable CU24 with a Floyd and minor spec changes, whereas the Holcomb is a radical departure in many ways.

Check out our review of the Mark Holcomb SE if you want to compare these two metal-oriented guitars and see which one is for you!

Tone

I’m going to give you the bad news first: the PRS stock pickups aren’t the best. They have a relatively vintage output with a well balanced EQ, slightly in favor of the high end, but they do sound a little thin. However, the guitar is still very versatile, especially when you consider the fact that you have a push-pull knob to play around with.

PRS’ USA pickups don’t mess around, but obviously these are inexpensive import models. You have the added benefit of the great low-gain tones PRS is well known for, and no great sustain loss from the Floyd rout due to the substantial mahogany body, but modern players will find themselves wanting something thicker. I’d say it’s best suited to fusion players out of the gate, but luckily a pickup swap is easy.

Build Quality

A tremolo makes or breaks a production guitar. Unsurprisingly, the Floyd Rose 1000 does the former. It’s completely made from steel, except the block, which is made from nickel plated brass. The hard metals used ensure maximum tuning stability. It’s made from exactly the same metals as it’s German brother, the Floyd Rose Original, except the 1000 is made in Korea, making it a more affordable, but very viable option.

PRS tuners felt like they could have been made a bit better, but they felt tuning well thanks to the locking nut, which felt very secure.

The pots functioned without issue, which made the playing experience a bit better. The fretwork was very good, a couple of scratched frets but no major damage that would impede playing

One thing I’ve always loved about the SE models is that they still have a real thick slab of maple for a top, not a veneer. The only veneer here is the flame maple, but underneath is a nice chunky maple top. Most other companies advertise their veneers as tops, but PRS decided to keep it real. Between the top and the neck, the amount of maple on this guitar really gives it some punch.

Overall, PRS have consistently put out some of the best Korean guitars with their SE line, and this guitar is no different. Great guitars can be made in Korea, it just depends on how rigorously a company’s quality control is applied.

Final Verdict

I loved it. There’s really not much else for me to say about it beyond that.

The PRS SE “Floyd” Custom 24 feels like a new guitar, while retaining the PRS vibe. The Floyd has rock-solid tuning stability, and the neck will feel at home to most modern players.

To be honest, I think anyone who wants a Floyd Rose on a PRS is going to want the change the pickups… it’s obviously they’re probably looking for some brutal tones. That being said, the guitar is useable for just about anything out of the box.

9-8-10

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This article was written by Mike Azernov, our editor located in New York.

 

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