Modding My PRS SE: What I REGRET 4 Months Later

Product and Modifications

Craig reviews his PRS SE Custom 24 Semi-Hollow Piezo four months after changing its pickups, wiring, switching, tuners, and knobs. He hoped the modifications would improve the guitar and bring it closer to a PRS Core model.

• Pickups: He installed RadioShop PAFs he already owned. They look good and sound warmer than the original uncovered humbuckers, which he found comparatively bright and clinical. He likes the sound at home but misses some clarity in a band mix. The semi-hollow body’s naturally warm character may contribute to this. Knowing that, he probably would have kept the original pickups.
• Wiring and switching: He replaced the original three-way switching and push-pull arrangement with five-way switching. This is one of his favorite changes: it offers familiar versatility and makes live use easier. The rewiring was complicated and took much longer than expected. In hindsight, he would have hired a technician or bought PRS’s wiring harness, which costs about £120 in the UK.
• Locking tuners: They make string changes easier but have not solved the guitar’s tuning problems. In warm weather and at outdoor gigs, the guitar can still drift out of tune. He uses NYXL 10s and generally tunes to E-flat. He notes that his other semi-hollows react similarly to temperature, unlike his solid-body guitars.
• Tremolo stabilizer/block: Detuning—especially to Drop D—threw the other strings out of tune because of the floating bridge. To address this, he added an inexpensive, adjustable tremolo stop from Amazon for about £10. It prevents the bridge from lifting as tension changes while still allowing downward tremolo use. This became the most practically useful modification, particularly when switching tunings between songs, and he recommends it.
• Piezo system: He left it unchanged because it works well. Its quick switch between electric and acoustic-style sounds, especially with a modeler, is a key reason the guitar is distinctive and useful for gigs.
• Knobs: He replaced the original knobs with black ones for appearance and has no regrets.
• Playability: Once set up to his liking, he finds the guitar smooth, fast, and easy to play, with a relatively wide-feeling fretboard. He describes it as a cool, distinctive instrument.
• Finish and build: He noticed cosmetic marks, possible polishing residue, and imperfections around some of the binding. They do not bother him, but he says buyers should not expect a flawless finish.
• Out-of-box condition: He says the guitar was already good from the factory and mainly needed a setup and minor tidying—not extensive modification.

Comparisons and Overall Verdict

The modifications brought the guitar closer to, but not to the same level as, a PRS Core. Craig agrees that someone seeking a Core guitar should save for one; he never expected the SE to become equivalent.

He says an S2 or Core model with this semi-hollow/piezo combination was not available as an alternative for his needs. He also feels more comfortable taking the SE to gigs than his Core Custom 24.

Overall, he does not think the modification project was worth the time and effort, since the guitar was already good. Still, he is glad he experimented. He would keep the five-way switching and tremolo stabilizer but would likely leave the original pickups and tuners in place. The piezo feature and the guitar’s usefulness for gigs remain strong positives.

Speaker Perspective

Craig is the only speaker. He reviews the guitar based on his experience playing and recording it at home and using it at rehearsals and gigs. He also mentions that viewers’ comments prompted discussion about the modifications and helped identify possible polishing-compound residue.