The first thing most people do after playing the PRS SE Soapbar II is look at the price tag to make sure they’ve got the right instrument. And who can blame them? Who ever thought that you could get the famous Paul Reed Smith feel and sound in a guitar that sells for under $500 (with free shipping, to boot)? The SE Soapbar II has that distinctive PRS double-cutaway shape constructed of solid tropical mahogany plus a set neck with wide-fat profile and two single-coil soapbar pickups.
So how do they do it? Well, it’s simple, really. By having these instruments built overseas to exacting PRS specifications and eliminating some of the cosmetic touches (like the abalone bird inlays), the company can deliver a guitar that offers exceptional playability, superb tone, and most importantly, the look of a much more expensive instrument. We’ve played these guitars and more than a few of us have added them to our own collections because they’re just so good.
The solid mahogany body produces a nicely articulated sound with plenty of sustain that’s a perfect match to the two specially designed, vintage-style soapbar pickups. These are actually single coils, so you get a bit more bite than with most of the PRS humbucking pickup designs, but roll off the highs with the tone control and you’ll be rewarded with a nice throaty growl. The mahogany set neck has that trademark PRS wide-fat neck carve along with a rosewood fingerboard with moon inlays. Add a 3-way toggle switch, volume and tone controls, locking tuners, and the classic PRS stop-tail bridge and you’ve got a guitar that even the most jaded player will agree is something special!