PRS CE Alder vs Mahogany

[slimeworm]

I was wondering if anyone out there has an old PRS CE with an alder body or has played one. How does it sound it comparison to the newer CE's mahogany body?

I like the CE's over the customs, as the CE's are brighter. I was wondering if the alder body makes the older ones even brighter sounding (which I would like).

 

As well, has any one played a CE with a chainsaw pickup? What are those pickups like?

 

Thanks!

[dcooper830]

I have two PRS CEs.

 

I don't know what wood they're made out of.

[slimeworm]

if they are pre 1994, then its alder. Theoretically.

[_pete_]

I had a 94 CE24 that was maple/alder and now I have a 96 CE24 that's maple/mahogany.

Honestly the difference in tone is very slight.

The mahogany guitar seems to sustain a bit more and have a slightly stronger midrange.

Both have HFS & Vintage Bass pups and a 3 way toggle instead of the 5 way rotary.

They are both excellent though and I wouldn't rule out either one. Find the best guitar at the best price.

 

I also had a 2000 CE24 that was solid mahogany. It lacked midrange response compared to the other ones. I had to change pups to get the sound I wanted out of it.

[Norcal_GIT_r]

I have an alder CE24. It's very stratty sounding. It's got great snap and has a nice high end to it.

I dont have a mahogany CE to compare it. I've own several CU24s and they were a bit darker sounding than my CE.

[Dogsinotpalc]

I have a '94 CE-22 alder body with maple top and Dragon pickups (I believe...whatever came stock). I also have a 89/90 Custom. They are very bright guitars, the Custom far more so than similarly constructed Gibsons, Hamers, etc. Not only to my ears, but from frequency readouts. It's actually brighter and snappier than the CE-22. Based on the assumption of the traditional formula or the construction and materials the brightness of the Custom is rare/uncharacteristic. Maple is supposed to add some top end, but on my Custom it seems disproportional. That said I have never played a better sounding guitar (equal, but not better as of yet). The CE-22 is also great, but definitely different in sound.

 

Might I also suggest you take a look at the Swamp Ash Special. It's the most overtly Fendery based U.S. PRS available at the moment. Ash body with a maple and maple board...the rule there should equal wonderfully bright (in that great Fender way).

 

Overall, I've found it's hard to go wrong with PRSs guitars. I've been playing them for nearly two decades and have yet to play a bad one that was an official PRS (conveluted story).

[slimeworm]

Actually... I have played 2 bad PRS guitars in my life: One was the swamp ash you mentioned... It was just completely dead sounding. It could well be just the one guitar. It was brighter, but not noticeably when compared with a ce 24 in the same shop. It also sounded 'dead'. I do not know how to explain it more then that.

 

The other was a mccarty soapbar: theoretically an awesome guitar for me, as one of the best guitars I have ever played was an old gibson special. I loved the 90s and the neck and play on that guitar. It has gone the way of the dodo (it was destroyed, not by me and not on purpose) and this prs also had a stop tail (I prefer them to the tremolos). I found that the guitar felt and responded like a Gibson standard or custom. I just cannot stand Gibsons, with the exception of the junior and special models (I have played some 70s delux's which were great, and others that were not so great.) They are too dark and often feel like logs to me. Funny that.

 

Now I am 'trying' to be more careful about the componants: I love the PRS feel and playability. The weight of the customs and ce models is perfect for me (my fender alder strat is a bit light), but I prefer single coils. Perhaps I should try another PRS soapbar out, but the last one really discouraged me. 5 minutes with it told me I didnt want to own it and would never want to own a guitar like it.

[Dogsinotpalc]

Guitars can vary from one to another with all the specs being the same. And my idea of dead may really please you and vice versa. So I would recommend playing as many as possible. Even if you have drive a few hours to get somewhere that has a nice selection (if such a place even exists a few hours from your location) the trade off in time and expenses would be worth it if you found a musical life partner.

 

However, if you've enjoyed the Customs and/or CE-24s you've played in the past, focus on those models. Find the one that's the brightest out of the box and then you can tweak the sound to a certain extent with new pickups and/or circuitry. Both Seymour Duncan and DiMarzio make humbuckers that are voiced to sound like single coils, as well as Humbucker sized P-90s.

 

My final advice is a rehash of above with an additional twist...

 

First, get a store that has the biggest selection of quality guitars that you're interested in. Secondly, forget (to the best of your ability) all the notions of what you think you want and play everything you can get your hands on. You might be really surprised at what you find out you end up buying. That's how I got my CE-22. I was buying a Music Man Steve Morse model. I had the cash and had tested it out for a few weeks compared it with Custom Shop Fenders, PRS Stds, Andersons, Steinbergers, Brian Moore, etc. But just for one last A/B I had the clerk grab a cherry sunburst CE-22 maple top. Well, I'd still like to get a Morse, but it didn't happen on that fateful day 13 years ago or since...maybe one day.

 

Anyway, good luck in your quest.