Paul Reed Smith SE Soapbar

Features have been stated by others. It's a supremely designed guitar, considering the price.

However, I read most of the reviews here, before I bought, and wasn't aware of one fact that I discovered when I got it home:

This guitar was designed with a High Pass tone circuit. If you are playing with a dirty amp, or high quality distortion/overdrive, when you turn down the volume knob, you can clean up your tone without significantly losing volume, and retain full, glorious P-90 tone. Again, this is a supremely designed guitar for it's range.

Signal chain: Strat/SE Soapbar --> Diamond Compressor --> BBE Green Screamer --> Diamond Phase --> Fender Blues Junior /w extension cabinet.

I play everything from 60's to today, rock & hard rock, pop, etc. This is displacing my Strat for all dirty sounds, and some clean tones. It has better tone than my Gibson Les Paul Special ('93 /w P-100's), and far better than my Epi Les Paul Classic.

Some noise when I approach my amp, with the OD on, which is to be expected with single coils.

This was at the store for about 6 months before I bought it, so it may have been set up after shipping. I raised the pickups slightly, and will be going to .011's instead of .010's for hotter, louder tone. I tightened up the machine screws, strap pegs, and truss rod cover myself. The frets need a bit of polishing, as well, but as stated, it was on the floor for 6 months. That being considered, it was in impeccable shape.

Structurally speaking, this is not the MOST durable guitar I've used, but I would trust it without a backup, as I'm careful with my instruments - a broken neck/headstock is a broken neck/headstock, regardless of the guitar.

Electronically speaking, this is a simply wired, well laid out circuit, with extremely clean work. I trust the circuit and hardware completely.

Overall, this is an extremely sexy guitar, with phenomenal tone, that begs to be loved, not tossed around. Unfortunately, it's discontinued, so if it gets lost/stolen, I'm back on the hunt for my go-to guitar. Until then, this one is now #1.

KOREAN, mohogany body, 2x P90's, 1 tone control and 1 volume knob, arched top, single cutaway. curves round the back so it wont dig into ur ribs (ie strat vs telecaster), cherry red very pretty. lack of additional tone and volume knob makes for a very clean, uncluttered look which i like. a pickguard would be nice but with the arched top it would have to be a les paul style one and that would make it more clunky.

FANTASTIC TONE!! The P90's has a great vintage type tone, and compare very favourably with my Dimarzio P90's which I had on another guitar. The sound is FAT but not muddy with a nice brightness to it, pickups not noisy at all. All 3 positions are very musical, the choice of wood and pickups are really well matched up on this guitar. I think it sounds like a SG with P90's but bit warmer because it have more wood/arched top, sometimes the SG's with P90's can sound a bit shrill, but not this PRS! Perfect for blues/bluesy rock/classic rock type of vibe and doesn't loose definition when you crank on the distortion either, nice sustain to boot.

Action is fantastic, no dead spots plays well all over, even with the single cutaway you still get quite a nice access to upper range of the guitar. It has a clear finish which shows off the wood beautifully. Its just a nice classy guitar, cant fault the workmanship on my guitar, frets are very well done. Love the frets on these baby makes bending really comfortable and the guitar easy to play. I think this has one of the best necks I have played.

I have played a few gigs with this and it felt great, the strap buttons are HUGE, i normally install strap locks on my guitars but who needs it when they are this big! The simple layout means not much can go wrong and really when u r playing live would u want to twiddle a million knobs to get ur tone? Would happily gig with this without a backup.

Havent dealt with them before.

Love it since the day I bought it and never given me any problems, a guitar with mojo what more can you ask for?

Made in Korea in 2004. You probably know the features. I purchased this used, and mine was modded with an extra tone pot, which I like. I also swapped out the original pickups with Gotoh P-90's, and I'm a big fan. The originals weren't bad at all though. Anyway, as far as features go, it's pretty much like a Tele, in that, it's simple but it has everything I need.

Sounds amazing. I thought it sounded pretty good stock, but the inexpensive pickup swap made it even better (they're only $25 each). I own twenty-something guitars, with many USA Fenders, Gibsons, and PRS guitars amonth them, and this one really holds its own. P-90's have become my favorite pickups due to their inherent versatility. I mean, they can do everything...blues, country, rock, metal, you name it. Hard to rate this category since I swapped the pickups, but the originals sounded good enough to warrant an 8.

Holy crap. This is where I can't beleive I scored this for 300 bucks. The action may be the lowest of any guitar in my collection, to include those expensive guitars noted above. And no buzzing. This has become my go-to guitar.

Intonation is spot-on.

Finish was great. It's a pretty thin poly finish, so mine shows a few dents and dings, but it's all good.

This guitar looks like it will last for a very long time. I plan to grab some tonepros locking studs, but that's the only other upgrade I have planned. The nice thing about keeping it simple is that upkeep is kept to a minimum.

Honestly, it's the single best deal I've found in my twenty something years of playing. I can't say enough about the value of this guitar. It plays as well as my USA PRS's, and I'm not afraid to take it out of the house...LOL.

2009 korean lespaul like
22 frets
solid body
volume tone
two p90's
mahogany i think
very simple guitar, that's why it gets only a 5

here we are : i play mostly stoner rock and blues, so i need a good crunch and overdrive sound, i play this beats thru an orange tiny terror and the orange 1x12 cab, with a vox wha wha a tube screamer and a BBE soulvibe .
Bridge and neck pickups alone make a little hummm, this sound disappear when both are selected . anyway i'm used to noisy strats, so that doesn't bother me much..
neck pickup : damn warm ! i don't use the tone pot at all, i would have prefered a more bright sound, but maybe i'm used to the single coils clarity. I can fix that mellow violin-like sound, perfect for singing blues leads.
Both pickups together : that's becoming interesting : in clean an OD, there's a lot of definition in this position, and a kind of acoustic resonance : ballsy and trebly at the same time : very nice to work wit that..
bridge pickup : think of a lespaul junior : we have that mid-trebly p90 bite, perfect for rock in my opinion, i would have prefered a sound with more balls, but maybe i'm gonna change this pup for a bare knuckle P90
it gets a 9 in this category cause i expected much more from the pickups...

Perfect set up : no buzzes, action almost perfect, pickups adjustment was perfect too
came with a very nice gig bag !!
flawless...

i would use this as my main guitar, for gigs without any doubt. My japanese strat will now be my backup guitar.
Knobs and switch seems very solid...time wil tell
it has a very glossy finish, and i like a lot worn instruments, so i hope it will wear off !!!!

no deal with them yet

i play guitar since 12 years, i owned a lot of guitar : cort lespaul copy, telecaster lite ash, ibanez RG , resonator guitars, ES335 and some others....
I think that i'm coming very close to what i was searching in terms of sound : With the PRS and my Orange , i nail that "clear distorted" tone , with plenty of balls and energy, but i can clean up as well . I don't play in a cover band, so i don't give a **** about having the same tone than SRV or jimmy page...To you all wannabes and GAS addicted : spend some time playing and nailing your own sound, instead of putting sloppy reviews on youtube....that is so boring ! how can we figure what an instrument sound like without having tried ?
forgive my bad english writing....but my message about this axe is : it's a nice sounding, very comfortable instrument, but it will not make you play better ! play, play , play and play again, untill your fingers bleed !!

2009 SE Soapbar Single Cut, blackburst. 2 cream colored soapbars, 2 dials (volume/treble), wide neck. Came with a nice gig bag.

I'm the kind of player (a complete idiot) that gets less done with more. This guitar is simple, natural looking, and the wide neck is perfect for my gorilla palms.

I was originally looking to get a Epifony Les Paul looking guitar, with thoughts of replacing the pick ups. While looking up P-90's I stumbled upon this guitar, and I'm glad I did. Like I said, I love the natural look of the blackburst and the sound, kicks my other guitar's ass (reverend commando... they don't make em' any more, probably for a reason.). I went to GC to play it but they didn't have any from Boston to New York. Which geographically speaking, was a problem for me. I took the chance of ordering it online, out of the box, and I couldn't have been more satisfied.

I've been playing for about 10 years. This is my third electric guitar. My first was a cheapo Strat, the second a Reverend Commando. To this day I don't really know why I decided on the commando... a story for another time. In comparison to my Reverend Comando which has a single coil at the neck and a humbucker at the base (that you could turn off and on), the SE Soapbar had a meatier sound and way better bridge tones than the humbuckers on the reverend (imho). The reverend had more buttons and switches that manipulated the sound, but add em' all up and they still don't sound half as good as the Soapbars.

I like to play all sorts of music, but I've been pounding out classic rock solos on my princeton 65 amp with a little reverb, just because I haven't had a guitar that's sounded this great with out an effex pedal.

I'm not a master of tone, but with little adjustment, a great difference in sound can be achieved. Great rhythm tone in the middle position, best part is that the p-90's cancel their hum out in that position.

Perfect out of the box. Literally nothing needed to be done to it.

We'll see. I'm going to take care of this one.

Haven't had a reason to talk to them yet. lifetime warranty. I think it goes to 2 years if you replace any of the parts. I was thinking of replacing the P-90's before I got it, but I truly like it the way it is.

Like I said, love the sound, love the fact I have a les paul looking guitar, great fretboard, awesome natural look, great price. I wish I knew about this 5 years ago.

I would probably buy it again if it was stolen.

Simple, light weight, inexpensive tone machine, bought secondhand from t internet auction site 3 years ago.
2004 Korean made. Factory Antique White finish (I've been told only 60 were made with this paint job before the lawsuit with the big G halted production). Mahogany (or something that sounds just like it) single-cut body & 22 fret wide-fat neck. Rosewood board. 2x Soapbar single coil p/ups, 2 knobs - vol & tone, 3-way switch, chromed aluminium stopbar bridge/tailpiece. Came with quality PRS SE branded gig bag. Drops a point for sharp edged nut and slight neck-heavyness.

The magic of P90s - I was skeptical about this style of pickup, until I realised that a lot of music I like has been created on old Gibsons with these little beauties on-board. The high price of vintage LP juniors and specials meant it was unlikely I would ever get to play one, until I noticed this guitar on eBay. Now I want to get another...
The neck pickup is a bit like a VERY hot but woody strat, the mid position is quite telecaster, but the bridge on it's own is all Junior. Full and chewy, a little bit honky or screaming, all with plenty of mid-range guts and sweet treble. Cleans up well when the volume is rolled down too. Hums when too close to an amp, fluoro lights or monitor screens - drops a point for this.
Sounds superb all round. Tried it with 12s and a high action for bottle neck and loved it. Which is why I want another!
My amps are a Gibson GA30RVS, an Orange Tiny Terror (all through Celestion Vintage 30s) or a Pignose for gig, practice or home, respectively. My effects board currently has a Keeley modded DS-1, an MXR GT-OD, Marshall Vibratrem, Boss Chorus and either a Digiverb or Boss Delay.

Bought secondhand, so can't rate the factory set up.
Neck and fret job on a par with a US PRS I have. Feather light and resonant. Intonation was bang on, despite the one-piece bridge. Tuners were ever so slightly vague and the nut was a bit sharp. 2 minutes with a small screwdriver and a fine file sorted those issues tho. Feels and plays like something much more expensive

Have gigged this as my main guitar without the fears that I have had taking out my 1000 quid american PRS. The white paint is still unmarked after 3 years of practice, gigs and being knocked over by my little boy.
Strap buttons were on the small side, so swapped em for Schaller strap-loks. The tuners may get replaced somewhere along the line, but they're still holding up. This guitar gives me a lot of confidence, is easy to maintain and is lots of fun to play.

Emailed PRS about changing pickups in my CE24 over Christmas and they replied within 2 days. I was impressed with the speed of the reply. The guy who responded suggested that I change my amp instead of the pickups though. Still not sure if he was joking - sometimes hard to tell with email, ain it?

Been playing over 25 years and had all sorts of crap, ok and fine guitars and amps. I really rate this SE Soapbar. I paid 180 quid and it continues to surprise and delight. It has a great range of tones clean or dirty, is responsive whether picked or strummed, weighs next to nowt and looks sooooo rock n roll. If it got nicked or lost, I would get another. The only thing it really needs is a sister to be tuned to open E with a high action!

2009 SE SOAPBAR SINGLECUT. Mine is the vintage cherry. 2 Soapbars, 2 controls, PRS stopbar, "wide fat neck" - although to me, it's not really fat like a Gibson 50's or 59, it's tall like a Fender Strat neck; kidney tuners, soft case included. This guitar is similar to a Les Paul but much lighter, more comfortable and easier to play.

I really like the distinct sound of this guitar. I used to owned an SE SOAPBAR II and missed it a bit, which led me to buy this one. I love the Les Paul shape, the smooth stopbar finish (easy on the palm of the hand), the tuners, the larger neck and especially the sound. IMO the soapbars provide for a smoother less harsh sound than regular Humbuckers. The pups sound full, clean and they breakup nicely when driven and growl when asked. The PRS body and neck are comfortable and fun to play. Guitar can be used for any style, jazz, rock, country, metal.

As best as I can tell, the build quality is as good as any Gibson or Fender that I have had. Possibly better. Setup was good from the start. Outrageous for the modest price. Looks cool!

It's built well. The pup switch is noisy. The tuners work well. Guitar seems to hold intonation well. Everything else seems solid.

Unknown. Have not used.

This guitar is a great buy for the price and would fill the need for any purpose. Great way to get a PRS at a low price. I have been playing over 30 years and have had very nice equipment over the years. This guitar is one of the best and a lot of fun to play. I use it a lot. Highly recommended.

Features if this guitar include a mahogany body, gorgeous gloss finish, two soapbar pickups, volume and tone control and a rosewoord fretboard.

The P-90's are in a class of their own, tonally different from my other guitars. I really like the sound this guitar produces. the bridge pickups is bright and the neck pickup is thick, they both scream when distortion is on and sign on the clean channel.

The guitar was sold to me "out of the box" so the Music Store sold it to me without checking it over. I didn't plug it in at the store but I checked the action and fit and finish. This is one well built guitar and it was set up very well from the factory - whoever did it knew wht they were doing and takes pride in doing a good job. Fixed bridge has perfect inntonation which was a concern. I'm giving it a perfect 10 because that is as high as I can go!

I can't wait to take this guitar into a live setting - I am using it for practice right now and it is better than expected. The finish appears to be a polyurethane finish and if so should be very durable. I expect I could use it at a gig without a backup but I never do that. The tuners seem to be good, volume and control knows have a nice fluid feel to them.

No opinion here as I ahve never had to deal with Paul Reed Smith but I hear that they are good to deal with.

I have been playing for over 22 years, and besides this guitar I own a Gibson Les Paul Standard, two Fender Stratocasters (one american standard adn one Highway One) and an Ibanez RG350DX. I bought this for the P-90's and the sound is awesome. I really love the fact that this Korean made guitar is built to PRS standards and it is a quality instument. I bought it at a Grand Opening sale and feel like I stole it. My brother and friends all want me to sell it to them and I would NEVER sell it. If this instrument were ever stolen I would be heartbroken and would get another one. This is an affordable guitar and quality wise is as good as guitars twice the price.

This is a 2008 Paul Reed Smith SE Soapbar, made in Korea I am reviewing. I bought it for the soapbar P-90 pickups, as I didn't have a guitar with 'em. Came with a cheap cord and truss rod wrench in a nice gig bag. All other features have been mentioned so I won't bore you by repeating....

I bought this guitar at a grand opening of the new Long & McQuade store in St. John's NL. It was a real deal! I never even plugged it in at the store, just checked the action and bought it. You wanna talk about the pleasant suprise when I plugged it in! First I ran it though a Peavey Bandit and it sounded pretty good - then I ran it through my Traynor Custom Special 100 stack and wow!!! I was SHOCKED at the sounds this baby produced for me! Nicest sounding neck pup out of my collection! Nice sustain, and lots of bite when you want it, and clean when you don't! Very versatile guitar as it can produce a wide range of sounds.

The action was perfect out of the box - no need for adjustment.It was pretty much equal from the 1st to the 22nd fret and lower than I was used to - but I really liked it! I was impressed with the frets - finished nicely, not what I would have expected in this price range. Very good construction with no notable flaws, and the finish is beautiful.

Quality wise I expect this guitar will handle a gig with ease. I have practiced with this guitar and it feels good, it's a quality instrument and I woulnd't worry if I only had this guitar with me at a gig. I always have a backup but hey, that's me. It's quicker to swap guitars than change a broken string, right?

Never had to deal with the company and I left the box with the warranty info at the store - no opinion in this section.

Been playing for over 22 years now, I have a Gibson Les Paul Standard, Fender American Standard and Highway One Stats, and an Ibanez RGX350DX, plus this PSR. This guitar has exceeded my expectations and cannot wait to use it in a live setting. I love the P-90's and the neck. The guitar looks as nice as it feels and sounds. If it were ever stolen I would get another right away - they are that good! It is a fantastic value at its retail price, but I feel like I stole it at the price I got it for!

Basically a LP Jr design, all mahogany singlecut shape with contour body, wide fat neck with rosewood fingerboard, 22 medium jumbo frets, moon inlays, 2 soapbar pick ups, 1 tone and 1 volume control, 3 pos switch.
Mine was made in 2007, nice trans black (they call it a blackburst, but I can't see much of a sunburst here, I'd rather say black BURNT ;-)) A flawless finish anyway, even if I don't usually love black guitars.
Comes with a well padded and designed gig bag, with lots of useful pockets to bring your first aid kit (jack, picks, tools).
Lots of features for a 490 bucks guitar!

The sound is what you can expext from a 2 soapbar mahogany guitar: fat p90 sh sound, cuts through the mix of any whatever-loud band.
The pick ups may not be the best soapbars on the market, but they make a damn good job, by being dynamic and touch responsive and very expressive playing.
They perfectly match my style and music, that goes from Blues/Southern Rock to Classic Rock. I think they could manage any kind of music but peed/Death Metal.
Very good for my taste.

Right out of the box it was well set up, just had to re-string it; action was pretty low, great fretting job: no buzz to be heard here!
The finish is flawless.
Absolutely outstanding on any guitar, even more on a 490 bucks axe!

I have another PRS SE, the singlecut model, and I regularly gig with it without a back up. This guitar seems exceptionally well built and I bet on it that my nephews will be playing with it (I don't have sons yet, as far as I know ;-))

I had some contacts with the Company through J Hayes for information matters and he was always fast, kind and helpful. But I really don't know about tech support...

I won't bother you with my biography... I know what I like, and I do like this babe!
Good sound is first in your heart, then in your head; your fingers are meant to do the job of making it real: your gear is just the final tool. This one is a good tool coped with my fingers, head and heart; I don't know about your "sound chain", but I tell you you'd better give it a try!
To me is a fantastic value!