A quick naming note: PRS has folded the old „SE Standard 24” into the current CE24 Standard line, a bolt-on-neck version of the same shape at an even friendlier price. Same 24-fret double cutaway, same core idea, just with a screwed-on maple neck instead of glued mahogany.
It’s the cheapest way into a real PRS body shape, and it sits just below the PRS SE Paul’s Guitar and PRS SE Custom 24 in PRS’s own lineup, without giving up nearly as much as the price gap suggests.
Let’s see what actually gets cut to hit this price.
What „CE” Actually Changes
Bolt-on maple neck instead of a glued-in mahogany one is the headline change, and it does shift the tone slightly brighter and snappier compared to the Custom 24. It also makes this a genuinely resonant, lively-feeling guitar unplugged, more than you’d expect at this price point.
Owners consistently mention the setup quality out of the box, with good intonation and comfortable action straight from the factory, which isn’t a given at this price bracket. That’s a real point in PRS’s favour over a lot of the competition.
The one cosmetic compromise
A couple of owner reviews flag slightly inconsistent finish tone across the mahogany body on some units, a mass-production reality rather than a defect. Worth a look at photos before you commit if finish uniformity matters a lot to you.
Pickups and Versatility
PRS’s own 85/15 „S” humbuckers are a genuinely good set at this price, clear and articulate rather than muddy, and the push/pull tone control splits them for single-coil-adjacent tones. Between the 3-way blade switch and the coil-split, there’s more tonal range here than the simple control layout suggests.
The Wide Thin neck profile is a genuine crowd-pleaser, comfortable for players coming from either a fast Ibanez-style neck or a chunkier Gibson profile. It splits the difference well.
Who Should Buy This
If you want the PRS look, feel, and 85/15 pickup tone without stretching to the Custom 24’s price, this is the obvious entry point. It’s also a sensible alternative if you like the shape of guitars like the Epiphone Prophecy Les Paul but want a more versatile pickup switching setup.
Specs
- Body: Mahogany
- Neck: Bolt-on maple, Wide Thin profile
- Fretboard: Rosewood, 24 frets, old-school bird inlays
- Scale length: 635 mm (25″)
- Fretboard radius: 254 mm (10″)
- Pickups: 2x PRS 85/15 „S” humbuckers
- Controls: 1 volume, 1 push/pull tone (coil-split), 3-way blade switch
- Bridge: PRS stoptail with brass inserts
- Includes gig bag
Verdict
The PRS SE CE24 Standard is the most affordable real PRS you can buy new, and it doesn’t feel like a guitar built down to a price. Good pickups, a comfortable neck profile, and a factory setup that’s genuinely usable out of the box.
If bolt-on necks bother you philosophically, or you want the extra resonance of a set neck, step up to the Custom 24. For most players, this is plenty of PRS for the money.
