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 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.

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. These are the first two words we’d associate with PRS acoustic guitars, followed closely by ‘beauty’. Today we are going to have a little look at PRS’s wonderful SE acoustics, in particular, the Angelus and Tonare Grand models... 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 AcousticsSonically, 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 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.

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 A55E and T55E have abalone purfing, birds and rosette detailing, making this the most obviously eye-catching of the range. Having said that, it is still reasonably low-key and tasteful: after all, most of the surfaces here are Spruce, Ebony, Mahogany or Maple! 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 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.

This may seem an odd statement about a guitar as nice looking as the SE A40E Angelus, especially from a brand with the bona fides of PRS Guitars, but it took me a week or so to realize that my generally favorable first impression of this Chinese-built acoustic-electric was actually giving it short shrift. Probably more than any instrument I’ve tested in years, the SE A40E revealed its true potential gradually. This results in a really versatile sound with a strong midrange and some bright overtones that you may not get with a wood like Mahogany. Without thinking about why at the time, I found the part quite easy to execute on the PRS. Same goes for arpeggios with fingers surrounding open drone strings. It’s a subtle thing and may be very particular to both the part and my weaknesses as a player, but it’s a good illustration of how small design choices can make a big difference when you’re trying to get the job done. The A40E has this bracing, and is made with a layered Ovangkol body. Ovangkol is similar to Rosewood but with slightly more in the mids and a brighter top end. As a result, this guitar really sparkles and cuts through a mix! It’s obvious from the off that these are excellently made guitars. The design, construction and inlay work are all high-level, regardless of price, and the guitars all ship with hard shell cases, adding confidence to the integrity of the instrument.