Imagine that youโre up on a stage, playing the guitar in front of a crowd. The lights are shining down on you, and as you play, the music takes over the room. Maybe youโre singing too, playing an original song or a cover of one of your favorites. Then, when you finish playing, all you hear is roaring applause.
While this might seem like a dream, you can become a guitarist and play your favorite or original tunes. All you need is the right guitar, education, and time to practice.
If youโve been researching PRS guitars while searching for the right new guitar for you, you might have come across the PRS SE P20E.
As someone whoโs considering buying this guitar, you might be feeling stressed if you donโt know enough about it. After all, with so many options out there, how can you decide which guitar you want?
Fortunately, in this guitar, weโll review everything you need to know about the PRS SE P20E. Finally, you can choose the right guitar for you. Read on to learn more.
The History of PRS Guitars
Back when he was in high school, Paul Reed Smith took many shop classes. In college, he built a guitar to get some credits from his college music professor. After earning an A, he decided that he was going to make guitars, pursuing his dream.
He stayed up many nights brainstorming. Any time he completed a guitar, heโd go out to play it. By doing this, heโd learn what was working and what wasnโt, improving designs over time. He experimented with:
- Headstocks
- Body shapes
- Tremolo designs
He also experimented with different construction methods and woods. Eventually, he started going to gigs, asking guitarists to try out his designs. Players who agreed to check out his guitars included Howard Leese, Al Di Meola, and Carlos Santana.
Eventually, his business took off. By following his dream, Paul Reed Smith was able to finally run his successful guitar company, PRS Guitars.
The PRS SE P20E Model
The PRS SE P20E model is an acoustic guitar. Itโs parlor-sized and has a big voice. Its voice is warm and organic, and it has a construction that is all-mahogany. It has โXโ/Classical bracing, which is a PRS hybrid type of bracing.
This means that it projects a tone that is even and bold, and the top vibrates freely.
Because this guitar is on the smaller side, itโs comfortable and fun to play. Itโs also easy to transport. It also has a pickup system of the Fishman GT1 type and has a plug-in feature.
As a result, this is a great choice for performing, writing, and recording.
Additional features include PRS trademark headstock design and bird inlays, bone saddle and nut, ebony bridge and fretboard, and a mahogany top thatโs solid.
PRS SE P20E Tonare Parlor with Fishman GT1 Pickup Lotus Pink
One of our favorite PRS brand guitars is the PRS SE P20E in Lotus Pink. This guitar has all the features that weโve just covered and comes in a beautiful color. It has six strings, and the on-board electronics consist of the Piezo Pickup.
The finish style is Satin and the year of the guitar is 2020-2021. Reviews are incredibly positive.
Something to note about this guitar is that, even though itโs small, itโs of high quality. If youโre looking for a big sound in a smaller guitar, this is a great choice. The average rating is five out of five stars.
Reviews include, โwould recommend,โ โlovely instrument,โ โa little beauty,โ and โhighly recommended.โ To buy this guitar, you can check out the shop page here.
Famous Artists Who Use the PRS SE P20E
Some pretty famous people have used this guitar. The blues players Blind Lemon Jefferson and Blind Blake have used this guitar. The folk singer Joan Baez, who knew Dylan and performed at Woodstock, played this guitar too.
Itโs not just famous musicians whoโve played this guitar. Did you know that the astronaut Chris Hadfield played this guitar, too?
He did this in zero gravity! He played David Bowieโs โSpace Oddityโ on this guitar.
Considering the people who have played this guitar, itโs a great choice if you want to feel like a rock star while playing a smaller-sized, easy-to-transport, guitar with a big sound.
PRS Guitarsโ Video on the P20 and P20E
In a YouTube video released by PRS, they review whatโs so impressive about the P20 and P20E guitars. They start by explaining the name. โPโ stands for โParlor.โ But what does that mean? A parlor guitar is an acoustic guitar thatโs smaller-sized.
โ20โ means that the guitar has a back as well as sides that are made from mahogany.
The โEโ means that the electronics are in there, too. It isnโt an electric guitar, but it has an on-board pickup.
According to the video, this is a good โsecret weapon.โ It can be very helpful when recording in the studio. This is because you get a tonality that works well.
If youโve been writing some music recently and want it to ring out in a way that works well with parlor guitars, the P20 or P20E can be a great option.
Thereโs also quite a lot of sustain and depth, considering the size of the guitar.
And of course, if youโre traveling constantly, this can be a great option. Want to feel like a rockstar out on the road? This can be a great choice if you donโt have a tour bus just yet.
Justin Johnson Unboxing the PRS Parlor P20E
In another YouTube video, Justin Johnson unboxes the PRS Parlor P20E. Dressed all in black with a cowboy hat on and long dark hair, Johnson looks like quite a bluesy/country/rock star as he opens up this newly-released guitar.
Itโs the black-top guitar that he has received. He describes the guitar, just after seeing it, as โawesome.โ
He goes on to explain that he has seen many PRS guitars. Something he thinks PRS really pulls off is the aesthetics of their guitars. He goes on to admire the beauty of the guitar.
He also says that parlor guitars can be quite useful for blues. This is because parlor guitars, way back when, were one of the most popular styles of guitar. Itโs the quintessential, classic acoustic guitar design, he explains.
Considering this, if you love playing the blues, this guitar could be a great choice for you.
Johnson goes on to continue playing. He says that itโs incredibly comfortable, that the action is great, to the point where it even feels like playing the electric guitar. Additionally, he says that it has great balance when heโs holding it.
Especially for a guitar thatโs acoustic, he says that it has impressive balance. It also has a frequency response thatโs good. He means that the high notes and the low notes ring in a โreally trueโ way.
He says their volume is even when you play notes that are low, middle, and high. After this, he plays the guitar in a bluesy way for a while.
After Playing
Justin Johnson says that this is one of the easiest acoustic guitars heโs ever played. He says itโs compact and that it would be a good โtravel guitar.โ This is because it doesnโt take up too much space but sounds good.
Additionally, he adds that if someone wants an electric guitar feel while playing an acoustic one, this is a great choice. Then he goes on to test it out with the โslide guitarโ method with open-style tuning.
To watch what else Johnson does and says in the video, check it out here.
Sloan School of Music and PRS Guitars
At the Sloan School of Music, weโve built a relationship with PRS Guitars. We love the look, feel, and play of these guitars. For this reason, we recommend this brand to many musicians. If youโre looking for a smaller-sized guitar or one with the parlor sound, the PRS SE P20E is a great choice.
Looking for Music Lessons?
Now that youโve learned everything you need to know about PRS guitars and the PRS SE P20E, you might be ready to buy this guitar. But you might also be interested in learning music from professionals once youโre ready to play this guitar.
In this case, you should look no further than the Sloan School of Music in Hagerstown, Maryland.
We offer many music lessons, including guitar lessons. To discuss your music education needs, contact Sloan School of Music today.
