Last Updated on January 8, 2024 by Teemu Suomala

Who crafted this post:

photo reveals owner of guitaristnextdoor.com

Author: Teemu Suomala

I first grabbed the guitar in 2009. I started this website in January 2020 because I couldn’t do window installation anymore due to my health problems. I love guitars and have played dozens and dozens of different guitars through different amps and pedals over the years, and also, building a website interested me, so I decided to just go for it! I got lucky and managed to get awesome people to help me with my website.

I also got lucky because I have you visiting my website right now. Thank you. I do all this for you guys. If you have any recommendations, tips, or feedback, just leave a comment, I would love to chat with you. I have also been fortunate to produce content for several large guitar websites, such as SongsterrMusicnotesGuitarGuitar, and Ultimate Guitar.

I spend my spare time exercising and hanging out with my wife and crazy dog (I guess that went the right way…).


PRS SE Standard 24 – The Best Guitar $700?

Reviewer: Teemu Suomala

Sound
Playability
Overall Quality
Value For Money
Versatility

Summary

Pros:
-Can do almost everything(versatile)
-Fun and comfortable to play
-Clear tone
-Looks beautiful(those bird inlays!)
-Dark and warm tone…

Cons:
-…but the tone could be a little bit brighter and less muddy in my opinion.
-Some out of the box tuning issues, usually these go away with spring and string stretching
-Not the fastest neck

This is one of the most versatile guitars at this price point. If I was searching for a new guitar on a budget, I would be interested in this because it can do almost anything, and it’s a ton of fun the play.

If you are a person who likes to explore different genres, but more than often comes back for distorted riffs and melodic leads, this PRS is absolutely for you.

I would also recommend this to a person who wants to play progressive metal(Dream Theater), hard rock, and lighter metal.

4.5

How PRS SE Standard 24 sounds:

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PRS SE models are usually affordable but still great-sounding guitars, with high quality and comfortable playability. Is PRS SE Standard 24 like that? And is it worth your hard-earned money? Let’s dive deeper!

PRS SE Standard 24 specs:

Body type: Solidbody

Body wood: Bound Mahogany

Neck wood: Maple

Neck shape: Wide Thin

Scale length: 25”

Truss rod: Yes

Fretboard material: Rosewood

Fretboard radius: 10”

Number of frets: 24

Nut width: 1.69” (42.9mm)

Pickups: 2 x 85/15 ”S” Humbuckers (split-coil)

Pickup switch: 3-way

Bridge: PRS Patented Tremolo, Molded

I originally tested this guitar in Oulu, on a music store called Musiikki-kullas.

In 2023 I have used music stores in Helsinki as my guitar testing-grounds.

Teemu-Reviewer

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Why?

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THe Review

Sound

The Mahogany body gives warmth and darkness to the tones. That’s a good sign if you like dark and warm tones great for metal, rock, and warm blues.

Pickups are 2 PRS 85/15 “S” Humbuckers. Se Standard 24 guitars are been equipped with these since I first tested this guitar in 2020. I’ve been loving there pups since.

Pickups also feature a split-coil, and that adds even more versatility. You can dial in some brighter, split coil type, tones if you want. To me, this feature is an amazing addition.

These pickups provide dark and warm tones, and usually, this guitar doesn’t sound too dark or flat…

…I said that ”usually this guitar doesn’t sound too dark or flat.”  And it’s true that sometimes when you play with heavy distortion, the sound definitely is dark enough, but it lacks some brightness in my opinion. And sometimes the sound can be a little bit muddy.

But I noticed that if you play with your amps settings a little…dial the bass down a little and increase the treble, you can make this axe sound clear with heavy distortion too.

So overall, this guitar sounds really good. It can handle any kind of music, but it’s made for rock and metal.

Another sound demo for you:

Playability

The fretboard radius is 10 inches, so there is a small curve on the fretboard. This paired with PRS’s 25″ scale-length and wide-thin neck shape, and you got a guitar that has a slightly lower string tension, a fretboard that can be handled fast, and a neck shape that fits most players really well.

PRS Guitars are not known for their super-fast necks, and this is no exception. It is fast and smooth enough, but there are better options for shredders available. That being said, if you otherwise like this guitar, don’t worry, if the playability didn’t limit me, who is not the most amazing player, it’s not going to limit you either.

The neck shape is Wide Thin. The nut width is 1.69 inches, which is definitely not too wide, even for me with my small hands. The thin neck ensures that thumb positioning is smooth and the neck ain’t too chunky.

This guitar is really fun and comfortable to play. I found upper fret access to be really good too.

photo displays headstock of PRS se standard 24
Wide thin neck with a 1.69″ nut width is easy to handle for most players.

Quality

Usually, PRS SE Standard 24 comes with excellent quality for the price, but it still can have some issues.

One reason for this is the tremolo arm (whammy bar) and the tuners. Tremolo arm can make a guitar out of tune really fast, especially during a couple of first months. But, gladly I got a really good tip from the long-time owner of his guitar (this seems to work):

After you get this guitar or change the strings, make sure that you stretch the strings and play with the whammy bar for several days. This stretches the springs at the back of the guitar. And it also stretches the strings of the guitar. Give the guitar a couple of weeks and after that, it stays in tune better.

Otherwise, the quality is really good. Some users have found some issues with painting(especially in the corners) and with fret buzz, but these are rare and can happen with any affordable guitar after all.

Looks

I like the curvy looks of PRS guitars. It’s different in a good way. It’s not my favorite body shape, but I still like it. And oh those bird inlays, these are one of my favorites.

Summary:

Pros:

  • Can do almost everything(versatile)
  • Fun and comfortable to play
  • Clear tone
  • Looks beautiful(those bird inlays!)
  • Dark and warm tone…

Cons:

  • …but the tone could be a little bit brighter and less muddy in my opinion.
  • Some out of the box tuning issues, usually these go away with spring and string stretching
  • Not the fastest neck

This is one of the most versatile guitars at this price point. If I was searching for a new guitar on a budget, I would be interested in this because it can handle almost anything, and it’s super fun the play.

If you are a person who likes to explore different genres, but more than often comes back for distorted riffs and melodic leads, this is PRS is definitely worth the money for you.

Do the PRS SE Standard 24 make the 5 Best PRS Guitars shortlist?

I would also recommend this to a person who wants to play progressive metal(Dream Theater), hard rock, and lighter metal.

Check Latest Prices:


Alternatives

Best Metal Guitar Under 500 – Schecter Guitar Research Omen Extreme-6 

I would recommend this for any type of metal. But especially for modern metal with fast riffs and solos. This axe is definitely worth the money if you are looking for a high value for money guitar with Floyd Rose for you.

This Omen is not as versatile as PRS SE Standard 24, but it handles distorted tones even better.

You can read my full review of this guitar here: Schecter Guitar Research Omen Extreme-6 Review 2022 – Before You Buy.

And this axe is in my opinion, the best metal guitar under 500(which I know about). It has some minor flaws, but for the price, it’s hard to beat this one.

Check Latest Prices:


Big Brother – PRS SE Custom 22 

This is a level up from Standard models when it comes to:

  • playability
  • quality
  • and tones.

The tone has that crunch and crispiness needed in rock(and in metal). Clean tones still are gentle and clear without being too dull. Quality is high and the guitar is really comfortable to play.

For a person who loves rock and is looking for a versatile guitar with 2 humbuckers, this guitar is definitely worth the money.

You can read my full review of this guitar here: PRS SE Custom 22 Review 2022 – Before You Buy

Check Latest Prices:


FAQ

What does ”SE” mean in PRS Guitars?

”SE ”stands for ”Student Edition”. PRS states that their SE Electric models are: ”Designed by PRS and a number of our signature artists, our SE electrics play and feel like instruments well beyond their price tag.”

Personally I agree with them. PRS SE guitars are great high value for money guitars that don’t break the bank for you.

Where are PRS SE standard guitars made?

SE models are usually made in south-Korea. Chapman, Schecter, and Line 6 guitars are made in the same factory.

Are PRS SE guitars any good?

Based on my experience and research, I would say that PRS SE guitars are great guitars for the price. Build quality, playability, and sounds are all solid. And SE models will serve most guitarists for the rest of their lives.


Conclusion

If you are on a budget and want a versatile guitar that handles distortion well for yourself, PRS SE Standard 24 is a great choice, and worth your money.

But if you only want to play metal, or you are more into blues or jazz, I recommend that you check out the options I mentioned above.

I hope that this review helped you out! If you have any questions, leave a comment down below. Feel free to share this post too.

I wish you all the best and keep rocking!


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Teemu Suomala

I first grabbed the guitar in 2009. I started this website in January 2020 because I couldn’t do window installation anymore due to my health problems. I also noticed that most guitar websites don’t do a really good job, so I decided to just go for it! I got lucky and managed to get awesome people to help me with my website. I also got lucky because I have you visiting my website right now. Thank you. I do all this for you guys. If you have any recommendations, tips, or feedback, just leave a comment, I would love to chat with you. I have been fortunate to produce content for several large guitar websites, such as Songsterr, Musicnotes, GuitarGuitar, and Ultimate Guitar. I spend my spare time exercising and hanging out with my wife and crazy dog(I guess that went the right way…). Expertise: guitar learning techniques, electric guitars, and guitar amplifiers. You can connect with me on LinkedIn or just email me.
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