Watch It First
Here is a fun fact to open with. Paul’s Guitar is literally the guitar Paul Reed Smith designed for himself to play. This SE version brings that exact design down to a price mortals can reach.
It is not just a cheaper Custom 24 with a different sticker. It has its own pickups, its own switching, and its own personality.
So how much of the boss’s boutique magic makes it onto an SE budget? Quite a lot, as it turns out.
The Short Version
This is one of the most tonally flexible guitars in the SE range, with clever pickups and coil-splitting that give you a genuinely wide palette. It punches above its badge.
Those TCI Pickups Do Something Different
The TCI „S” humbuckers are tuned using PRS’s own analysis of vintage pickups, and the result is clear, open and a bit airy rather than thick and dark.
Each one splits to a single coil via its own mini toggle, so you get four core sounds before you even touch the pickup selector. That is a lot of range in one guitar.
If you are weighing up the PRS SE family, it is well worth reading alongside the PRS SE Custom 24 to see which suits your playing better.
Build and Feel
Carved flame maple top over mahogany, PRS bird inlays, and that unmistakable PRS outline. It looks far more expensive than it is, which is the whole SE trick.
The Neck
The Wide Fat profile is a proper handful in the best way. There is real wood to grab onto, which players with bigger hands love, and it feels reassuringly solid.
Fit and finish is excellent. PRS SE quality control is famously tight, and this is no exception.
That Wraparound Bridge
The one-piece wraparound stoptail keeps things simple, boosts sustain and makes setup a breeze. No fiddly saddles, no fuss, just tune and play.
So How Does It Sound?
Wonderfully versatile. In humbucker mode it is punchy and full for rock and blues, and split it goes glassy and Strat-like for funk and cleans.
It happily covers grungy riffs, smooth leads and sparkly clean work, so it is a superb one-guitar solution for players who wear a lot of hats.
The Niggles
The Wide Fat neck is not for everyone. If you like slim, fast necks it will feel like a lot, so try before you buy if you can.
The wraparound bridge, while lovely and simple, offers less individual intonation adjustment than a full Tune-o-matic. In practice it is fine, but purists notice.
And it is at the pricier end of the SE line, so it is competing with some serious guitars. It holds its own, but it is not an impulse buy.
Who Is It For?
Players who want one do-it-all electric with real tonal range and premium feel, without stepping up to the four-figure PRS Core guitars. Also anyone who loves a chunky neck.
If you want a straightforward cheap rocker instead, the Epiphone SG Standard is great, and beginners should start with the best cheap electric guitars for beginners first.
The Specs
- Body: mahogany with carved flame maple top
- Neck: mahogany, Wide Fat profile
- Fingerboard: rosewood, PRS bird inlays
- Scale: 635 mm (25″)
- Frets: 22
- Pickups: 2 PRS TCI „S” humbuckers
- Controls: volume, tone, 3-way toggle, 2 coil-split mini switches
- Bridge: PRS wraparound stoptail
- Tuners: PRS-designed
- Finish: Slate Blue, PRS SE gig bag included
- Thomann article no.: 637041
Verdict
The PRS SE Paul’s Guitar delivers boutique tones on an SE budget, and it does it with genuine character rather than just copying the pricier models.
Clever pickups, huge tonal range, top-notch build and a look that belies the price. If you want one versatile electric to do almost everything, this belongs on your shortlist.
