The PRS SE A50Eand T50E have a gorgeous layered Flame Maple body, with some beautiful finishes to amply show off the figuring. These are great looking guitars, with abalone birds, purfling and rosette inlay work adding some quiet opulence to proceedings. For those familiar with the way Paul Reed Smith approaches guitar making, you’ll be aware that his philosophy is all about the instrument being ‘subtractive’, meaning that everything on the guitar isn’t adding more tone, or sustain, it is just subtracting less. In essence, that means that anything that touches the strings has the ability to subtract more sustain or tone from your guitar. Today we are going to have a little look at PRS’s wonderful SE acoustics, in particular, the Angelus and Tonare Grand models...

The PRS SE AX20E has a layered Mahogany body to go along with the solid Spruce top, as does the TX20E. The bracing inside is traditional ‘X’ style, designed to let the timber vibrate and resonate in a controlled way for great, punchy tone.Anything that touches the string has the ability to subtract more sustain or tone from your guitar so they have made sure that these guitars are fitted with Bone saddles and nuts for the best possible sound. You won’t find this on many instruments at this kind of price. The SE A20E is noticeably resonant, with a strong midrange and clear highs. And although the low end is slightly less audible, you can still sense its presence underneath the more impressive mid-to-high frequency ranges. As would be expected for an instrument of its size, the guitar has good projection and volume. It rings out enthusiastically when strummed; the notes are clear and pronounced, with good string separation in chords, giving way to satisfying overtones. The guitars we've chosen today are all either Angelus or Tonare Grand models. Each style has it’s own distinction, but first, let us take a look at the features shared by them all.

The perfect all-rounder electro-acoustic - meticulously designed and crafted by the experienced luthiers at PRS Guitars, the SE A40E offers a sublime playing experience thanks to a select offering of tonewoods and innovative construction methods - delivering breathtaking volume without sacrificing any delicate details. Of course, we ( and probably yourselves too) think of gorgeously finished electric guitars with spectacular exotic woods when we visualise PRS. This makes, sense, since it’s what they are world renowned for! But there’s more to it, and today we want to guide you down a slightly different path. These are the first two words we’d associate with PRS acoustic guitars, followed closely by ‘beauty’. Anything that touches the string has the ability to subtract more sustain or tone from your guitar so they have made sure that these guitars are fitted with bone saddles and nuts for the best possible sound. You won’t find this on many instruments at this kind of price. PRS AcousticsSoncially, we are in similar ground to the A50E and T50E, respectively: the Maple adds a layer of sparkle to the overall ‘production’ of sound, and this is well suited to the design and bracing. Sonically, we are relatively different ground here: the layered flame Maple adds a brightness and zing that really characterises the instrument. This is met by the hybrid bracing and body shape to provide a sound that is clear and crisp but still balanced. The Flame Maple adds lots of presence to the slightly larger Tonare Grand style, making the T50E model a wonderfully percussive, satisfying instrument to write songs on. A55E & T55E Credit subject to status and affordability. Terms & Conditions Apply. Guitar Guitar Limited is a credit broker and is Authorised Overall, the A40E was really impressive. As lower-cost import lines go, PRS’ SE brand has always been a little different in that it has its own identify, instead of simply serving as a platform for entry-level versions of U.S.-made instruments. The guitar I tested was a fine example. Every detail, line, joint, fret end, and nut edge was right. Impressions—Second and Beyond