PRS SE Custom 24 Semi-Hollow OB

PRS SE Custom 24 Semi-Hollow OB review

The PRS SE Custom 24 Semi-Hollow OB is built for players who want electric guitar sounds and a piezo option in one instrument. Its mahogany body has a flamed maple top with an F-hole, while two 85/15 S humbuckers handle the magnetic sounds. A L.R. Baggs/PRS piezo pickup adds another voice, with its own volume control. The guitar has been available since November 2024 and lists at $1,222.

Despite the F-hole, this is a semi-hollowbody guitar, not a fully hollow instrument. That distinction matters when assessing its design and intended use. The orange finish, binding on the body, neck, and headstock, and matching headstock give it a distinctive look. Bird inlays mark the rosewood fingerboard, and nickel hardware completes the visible details.

Build and playing comfort

The maple neck is set into the body and has PRS's Wide Thin profile. It measures 21 mm thick at the first fret and 23 mm at the 12th, with a 42.9 mm nut width. The 635 mm scale is shorter than a 25.5-inch scale, and the fingerboard has a 254 mm radius. There are 24 frets. Together, these dimensions make for a compact-feeling neck with room to move across the fingerboard.

One owner describes the guitar as comfortable and well balanced, including when seated. They found the fretwork careful and needed only a small adjustment to the action and intonation. They also reported good tuning stability. These observations point to a guitar that can feel ready to play without extensive setup, though individual instruments and player preferences vary.

The package includes a gig bag, but not a hard case. The PRS-designed tuners and PRS tremolo are part of the standard specification. The tremolo provides pitch movement, while the shorter scale and familiar 24-fret layout support a broad range of playing styles.

Magnetic pickups and piezo sounds

The two 85/15 S humbuckers cover the bridge and neck positions. Their magnetic volume and tone controls include a push-pull function, and a three-way blade switch selects pickup combinations. A player who bought the guitar for both electric and softer material praised the humbuckers for having usable sounds across their range. They also found the split-coil tones more characterful than the thin or bland split sounds they had encountered on some other guitars.

The piezo system expands the available palette, especially for players moving between electric parts and acoustic-style passages. Its dedicated volume control allows the piezo level to be adjusted independently. The connector is a jack, and the instrument is supplied with a gig bag.

Piezo results depend heavily on amplification and equalization. One owner found that the raw piezo sound needed careful correction to feel natural, using equalization and impulse responses in an external processor. They recommended building custom settings and taking time to refine them rather than expecting a finished acoustic tone straight from the guitar. That is a practical caveat for players who plan to rely on the piezo for exposed acoustic-style parts.

Important limitation with high gain

The most significant concern in the owner feedback involves the piezo output during high-gain use. One player reported hearing sharp high-frequency sounds from the piezo in the combined output, even with its volume turned fully down. They noticed the issue by setting both volume controls to zero and striking the strings. Using the separate magnetic-pickup output avoided it, but that solution reduced the convenience of switching between the guitar's voices.

The same player felt the piezo level was much higher than the magnetic pickup level, making it difficult to balance or change sounds quickly with the onboard controls. Another owner suggested that an ABY box could help with fast switching. These are individual reports, not a guarantee that every guitar will behave the same way, but players using high gain should check the combined output and switching behavior before relying on it in a live setup.

Verdict

The PRS SE Custom 24 Semi-Hollow OB has a comfortable neck, a striking finish, and magnetic pickup sounds that earned strong praise from owners. Its piezo pickup adds genuine flexibility for quieter and acoustic-style parts, provided the player is willing to shape the sound with suitable equipment. The reported high-frequency piezo issue under high gain is worth testing in person, particularly for players who need seamless switching between electric and piezo tones. For players focused on clean sounds, moderate overdrive, and varied material, the combination offers a compelling range in one guitar.