Back in 2019, PRS unveiled some of the most striking electric guitars in its history with the limited-run Sand-Blasted Swamp Ash range of Custom 24 and 22 models. The catch? They were only available in Europe. Now, almost five years later, the company has brought the finish to the SE CE 24 and – praise the bird inlay gods – it’s available worldwide.
The SE CE 24 Swamp Ash “Sandblasted” Limited gets its name from its eye-catching look, which is delivered by sandblasting its swamp ash top with air pressure, creating deep valleys in the finish. These are then grain-filled in one of the five colors available on this run: Sandblasted Blue, Green, Purple, Red, or White.
It’s certainly a striking finish, and given we rated the CE 24 for its rock credentials – calling it “very good value for money in anyone’s book” in our review – it’s an aesthetic that matches the sonic performance.
Indeed, in his demo, Lead SE Quality Control Inspector Tom Walls whips out a tasty Alice in Chains-inspired track to demonstrate the extended EQ response of the guitar’s 85/15 ‘S’ Treble and Bass humbuckers, which can be coil-split for a lower-output approach.
The guitar’s other headline feature is the swamp ash top – a wood that was only made available in the core SE line for the first time last year with the launch of the Swamp Ash Special, and replaces the maple top found on the original. You’ll also note the hardware boasts a moody Smoked Black finish.
Elsewhere, the guitar is spec’d as per the regular-issue SE CE 24, with a mahogany back, Wide Thin carve maple neck, rosewood fingerboard, and PRS’s own non-locking tuners and tremolo system.
“We have done runs with this treatment before, but this is the first time we are offering it at scale worldwide. I really fell in love with these guitars after watching the sandblasting process in person. It’s transformational,” said Jack Higginbotham, PRS Guitars COO.
“But, these guitars are more than just eye-candy – they take a ton of care to make, and they are made to be played.”
The PRS SE CE 24 Swamp Ash “Sandblasted” Limited is available now from retailers including Sweetwater for $699 – the same price as the regular edition SE CE 24.
For more information on the new run, visit PRS Guitars.
This latest release follows the launch of the SE NF3 last month, a triple-humbucker bolt-on design that takes its cues from the Silver Sky, but is a different model altogether.
