When Paul Reed Smith announced the SE version in January with a demo featuring John Mayer cutting to the chase and playing "Slow Dancing In a Burning Room," I was somehow drawn into the hype.

It might be because the Stone Blue finish reminded me of a well-worn, Daphne Blue 1964 Fender Stratocaster I once had in my possession. I was struck with a double whammy of nostalgia and hype.

I immediately pre-ordered a unit in that finish (which apparently is the best-selling one and is hard to get a hold of).

Out of the box, it didn't feel the way I expected a PRS to feel. The setup was a bit high for my taste, and the pickups were not at my preferred height. Fortunately, I didn't notice any finish flaws. I chalked it up to the difference between getting a PRS SE in the US and getting one anywhere else.

PRS SE guitars distributed in the US pass through the same quality checks as their Core models and thus get a final setup there. Aside from major retailers that provide setup, other distributors may receive units straight from the factory. These, unfortunately, don't get set up after the shipment. This may lead to a less-than-optimal playing feel because of storage and shipment conditions.

Even before the setup, however, the neck felt really comfortable. The carve is definitely more vintage-inspired as it's slightly thicker from front to back, but the shoulders are in between a soft V and a vintage C profile.

It's surprising to see this neck profile on modern guitars. It's perfect for Jimi-style thumb over chording and leveraging for big bends. Compared to the US Silver Sky, The back of the neck is finished in a thin, satin finish.

My experience with satin finishes is that over time, they naturally gloss up but retain that smooth feel. I've only had this guitar for a few months, and it's beginning to feel a bit more like a worn-in vintage neck. I've seen discussions online about how many people actually prefer this neck over the US, so if that's what threw you off about the core Silver Sky, you might like the SE one a lot better.

As I was setting up the SE Silver Sky, I kept referencing official PRS documentation for neck relief, action, intonation, and pickup height. The nut slots were cut perfectly from the factory, so I didn't encounter any problems there.

The frets needed a little polishing, but I didn't encounter any stray frets that needed hammering. Nor did I feel any rough edges along the side of the fretboard. Some of these things are usually done by a team in PRS' Maryland facility, and I'm fortunate to have some experience setting up my own guitars.

If you're more of a player than a tinkerer than me, getting ANY guitar professionally set up is a must. It makes or breaks even the most expensive instruments.

The Silver Sky SE bridge makes full contact with the body at an angle. This isn't a manufacturing or setup error. I also removed the backplate to mimic the Core model.

The neck is also slightly narrower, close to the nut, when I was comparing the SE with the Core model at the store. The profile becomes more and more similar as you go up the neck. Along with the 8.5" radius rosewood fingerboard (versus the Core's vintage 7.25"), the SE neck feels a bit more comfortable to play with a full grip on the neck. Those with smaller hands would also love this change from the US model.

An important thing to note that I thought was odd at first is the way the bridge is angled from the bridge posts. PRS Chief Operations Officer Jack Higginbotham said in this Guitar World Interview: "We’re going about 2/32-inch up on the front and then decking the back of the bridge. I’ve tried it all sorts of ways: fully decking it, coming up one 32nd, two 32nds and dropping the saddles down – this is what we think is the sweet spot to how to get the guitar sounding the best."

After I had it set up to my preferences, the guitar immediately felt better. Much more important than that, it sounded better. Sustain was excellent, and the pickups, after adjusting them to the factory recommended height by PRS, were surprisingly warm for single coil pickups.

The classic strat tones were still there. They didn't have the plinky-ness of modern Fender guitars. People who are used to the "modern hi-fi Fender" sound may find the SE Silver Sky's pickups to be the equivalent of having the tone knob rolled back slightly.

The PRS 635 JM "S" pickups have a lower resonant peak, even compared to their Core version, as found by Guitar Pickup Database in this investigative post.

To me, however, the warmer, smoother sound of the SE pickups works really well to prevent the typical "single coil icepick" sound. Interestingly enough, I remember the 1964 Stratocaster I had with me to have a warmer and smoother sound than the Fender 2011 American Vintage 62 Stratocaster I had at the time.

The Silver Sky's pickups themselves are named so because of John Mayer's preference for the sound of mid-60's Stratocasters. Particularly those made between 1963 and 1965. I'd say the overall vibe and tonality of the bridge and neck pickups give the SE Silver Sky a unique sound. One that would require other guitars to be fitted with boutique pickups to achieve.

On paper, the Silver Sky SE seems like a downgrade from the Core model. But after my experience with making music with it, it didn't get in the way of me laying down tracks or getting inspired just by noodling around with it.

Despite my guitar lineup consisting of very high end guitars, I found myself habitually reaching for the SE. It's a fantastic guitar to noodle around with while doing other tasks (such as writing this review).

And for a guitar that many might feel is a "lesser" version of a premium one to do that, to creep into my subconscious and grow a habit of me reaching for it in idle times is quite a feat in itself.

I was never actually wow-ed or amazed by it, but it went from disappointing me, to a guitar that I find great comfort in holding and playing. In a way, it's almost like that one person who you didn't like at first, but then as you get to know them better, you become the best of friends. To me, it's the best electric guitar for the money.

Specifications

• Body: Poplar
• Finish: Gloss
• Bridge: 2-Piece Steel Tremolo
• Pickups: x3 PRS 635JM "S" Single-coil
• Neck: Maple
• Scale Length: 25.5"
• Fingerboard: Rosewood
• Fingerboard Radius: 8.5"
• Frets: 22
• Nut Width: 1.625"
• Controls: 1 x master volume, 2 x tone
• Pickup Selector: 5-way blade pickup switch

PRS (Paul Reed Smith) is a guitar brand that's been waves in the electric guitar manufacturing industry. Despite being a premium brand, their more affordable guitars garner a good reputation. Quality so good that Fender and Gibson may need to be on their toes.

Among their highly rated electric guitars is this PRS SE Custom 24.

Right off the bat, this solid body guitar looks stunning. The curves and contours of this stunning guitar are somehow modern yet classic feeling. The guitar is ergonomic without too much of that "Ibanez guitar super strat" aesthetic - the build quality is pretty great.

It also has a maple neck with rosewood fingerboard. It also comes in Black Gold Burst, Bonni Pink and Faded Blue Burst finishes. These have flame maple veneers - nothing less than outstanding at this price point.

It even sports a patented tremolo bar in its compact bridge section.

It's no slouch in tonal options either. It feature 2 “S” humbucker pickups paired with a volume, push/pull tone control split, and 3-way blade pickup selector giving you 6 choices of tone style.

The only downside I can see with this guitar (and this would be seriously nitpicking) is with its approach to versatility. It kind of does not have a distinct tonal character in the way a Tele, Strat and a Les Paul have their own "sound".

But nonetheless, I'm not listing the unique design approach as a fault: somewhat in between a Strat and a Les Paul and a multi-genre musician's dream. The thick sounding humbuckers can be split to achieve single coil tones.

Those guitars I've mentioned have had most of the last century to establish their signature sounds in countless records. Maybe the PRS Custom will become a classic this century! It certainly is one of the most versatile guitars.

If you're not one for tradition and just want the best electric guitar at this pricepoint, the PRS SE Custom 24 breaks the mold. Especially when it comes to playability, looks, sound and affordability.

This electric guitar proves that Les is not the only Paul in the game. It's one of the best guitars under 1000.

Specifications

• Body: Mahogany with Maple Top
• Finish: Flame Maple
• Bridge: PRS Patented Tremolo, Molded
• Pickups: 2 x PRS 85/15 “S” Humbuckers
• Neck: Maple
• Scale Length: 25"
• Fingerboard: Rosewood fretboard with PRS Bird Inlays
• Fingerboard Radius: 10"
• Frets: 24
• Nut Width: 1.6875"
• Controls: Volume knob and Push/Pull Tone Control with 3-Way Blade Switch
• Pickup Selector: 3-way blade pickup switch

The Fender Player Stratocaster HSS is today's Mexican Fender "Fat Strat". It follows the classic Strat alder body design, with pickups akin to modern guitars.

Like its other Fender Player siblings, this guitar comes upgraded with Alnico V single coil pickups. But what sets this apart in terms of pickup ensemble is the warm and characterful Alnico II bridge humbucker.

It's great for that muscular "fifth gear" when single coils just won't cut it in terms of hum-cancelling. They also provide thickness especially in modern high-gain situations.

It shares most of its dimensions and materials with the SSS Fender Player Strat. The HSS is also equipped with an easy to play "Modern C" neck that's like the "Classic C" shape but a little flatter to fit most playing styles.

It also has a maple fretboard that's expected from classic Strat designs. While it won't be up to the specs of what people consider as metal guitars, but it can get the job done.

It has two tone controls. The dedicated tone knob for the bridge pickup is put to extra good use here commanding the humbucker for even more flexibility!

Also, the 2-point bridge tremolo is fast and accurate just like in the SSS Player Stratocaster.

Looking hard for cons, I wish this guitar (and the others in the Fender Player series) came with at a soft case so you can gig with it right away. Although it's at the lower end of the Fender spectrum, there are electric guitars above and below it in terms of price that come with some sort of case.

If you're looking for a Fat Strat that gets you in the door of Fender quality and reliability, this fantastic guitar fits the bill.

Specifications

• Body: Alder
• Finish: Gloss Polyester
• Bridge: 2-Point Synchronized Tremolo with Bent Steel Saddles
• Pickups: Bridge - Player Series Alnico 2 Humbucking, Middle & Neck - Player Series Alnico 5 Strat Single-Coil
• Neck: Maple
• Scale Length: 25.5"
• Fingerboard: Maple
• Fingerboard Radius: 9.5"
• Frets: 22
• Nut Width: 1.650"
• Controls: Master Volume, Tone 1. (Neck/Middle Pickups), Tone 2. (Bridge Pickup)
• Pickup Selector: 5-Position Blade