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PRS SE Custom 24 Floyd
PRS SE Custom 24
VS
Playability
72
Sound
79
Build
62
Value
71
Score
71
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Playability
75
Sound
72
Build
59
Value
74
Score
69
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PRS SE Custom 24 Floyd vs SE Custom 24

Reasons to Get
PRS SE Custom 24 Floyd over SE Custom 24

Neck Thickness at 1st Fret
0.83'' (21.1mm) vs 0.82'' (20.8mm)
More comfortable open chords for big hands
Neck Thickness at 12th Fret
0.9'' (22.9mm) vs 0.91'' (23.1mm)
More comfortable at higher frets for small hands
Nut Width
1.688'' (42.9mm) vs 1.656'' (42.1mm)
Less likely to mute strings by accident and more space for fingerstyle
Bridge
Floyd Rose vs Tremolo
Allows intense vibratos and techniques like Dive Bombs

Reasons to Get
PRS SE Custom 24 over SE Custom 24 Floyd

Decorative Top
Beveled Maple Top with Flame Maple Veneer vs None
Finished with beautiful natural wood patterns
Release Year
2021 vs 2014
From a more recent year
Neck Thickness at 1st Fret
0.82'' (20.8mm) vs 0.83'' (21.1mm)
More comfortable open chords for small hands
Neck Thickness at 12th Fret
0.91'' (23.1mm) vs 0.9'' (22.9mm)
More comfortable at higher frets for big hands
Nut Width
1.656'' (42.1mm) vs 1.688'' (42.9mm)
Favors small hands, easier bar chords and other shapes
Bridge
Tremolo vs Floyd Rose
Simple vibratos without too much maintenance
Value Score
74 vs 71
Better price/quality relationship

Other Key Differences
PRS SE Custom 24 Floyd vs SE Custom 24

Nut Material
Locking vs PRS Propietary
Different Nut Material

Shared Features
PRS SE Custom 24 Floyd vs SE Custom 24

Bridge Pickup
PRS 85/15 S
Same Bridge Pickup
Neck Pickup
PRS 85/15 S
Same Neck Pickup
Body Wood
Mahogany
Same Body Wood
Neck Wood
Maple
Same Neck Wood
Fretboard Wood
Rosewood
Same Fretboard Wood
Headstock
3-3
Same Headstock
Strings
6
Same playing style
Body Type
Solid Body
Feedback free
Switch Positions
3
Same pickups versatility
Volume Knobs
1
Same volume control
Tone Knobs
1
Same tone control
Pickups
HH
High output without hum
Number of Frets
24
Same maximum octave
Paint Finish
Poly
Resistant paint that ages well
Scale Length
25'' (635mm)
Same string tension and fret separation
Fretboard Radius
10'' (254mm)
Same fretboard comfortability
Pickups Power
Passive
Cleaner sound and no battery needed
Neck Profile Type
C
Comfortable neck that works for most people
Neck Joint
Set
Neck is glued to the body
Type of Frets
Medium Jumbo
You'll feel the fretboard when pressing down the strings

Common Strengths

  • Pickup Alter Switch/Knob
  • High-Quality Nut
  • Top Pickup Brand
  • Expensive Wood

Common Weaknesses

  • Neck-Through Build
  • Weight Relief
  • Stays in Tune (Evertune)
  • High-Quality Frets
  • Compound Radius Fretboard
  • From a High-Quality-Standards Country
  • Luminescent Sidedots
  • Strap Lock
  • 21:1 Tuner Ratio
  • Active/Passive Preamp

Table of Contents

Price History Comparison

PRS SE Custom 24 Floyd Prices

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Which One is Better Overall?

After going through our comparison algorithm, the results show that the PRS SE Custom 24 Floyd is probably the better product overall with its final score of 71 compared to the PRS SE Custom 24's 69 score, although not by a lot.

The PRS SE Custom 24 Floyd wins when it comes to sound, build quality. On the other hand, the PRS SE Custom 24 has the upper hand when it comes to playability, value for the money.

If you got small hands, you'll probably feel that the PRS SE Custom 24 is easier to play.

Which One is Better for Beginners?

If you're looking for your first guitar to learn how to play, the PRS SE Custom 24 is the better choice.

The PRS SE Custom 24 meets 5 out of our 8 criteria items for beginner friendliness, while the PRS SE Custom 24 Floyd meets only 3. This takes into account the type of frets, scale length, nut width, bridge type, fretboard radius, and neck profile to determine the easiest combination for new players.

New Player Friendliness

PRS SE Custom 24 Floyd
  • Comfortable shape
  • Tall frets
  • Comfortable neck
  • Comfortable fretboard
  • Narrow nut
  • Short scale
  • Locking tuners
  • Easy-to-use bridge

New Player Friendliness

PRS SE Custom 24
  • Comfortable shape
  • Easy-to-use bridge
  • Tall frets
  • Narrow nut
  • Comfortable neck
  • Comfortable fretboard
  • Short scale
  • Locking tuners

Nevertheless, when it comes to choosing an instrument, you should pick the one more compatible with your personal style. Still, below we'll try you to give you our results as objectively as it's possible to help you decide.

PRS SE Custom 24 Floyd Overview

  • From PRS's 2014 SE series
  • Made in Indonesia
  • 6 strings
  • 25"'' scale
  • 10" Fretboard Radius
  • Mahogany body
  • Maple neck
  • Rosewood fretboard
  • Bridge pickup: PRS 85/15 S (Humbucker/Passive)
  • Neck pickup: PRS 85/15 S (Humbucker/Passive)
  • 1 volume and 1 tone Speed knobs
  • 3-way Switch
  • Original Floyd Rose Tremolo bridge
  • Pattern Thin Set neck
  • 24 Medium Jumbo frets
  • PRS Designed Tuners tuners
  • Compare Specs >

PRS SE Custom 24 Overview

  • From PRS's 2021 SE series
  • Made in Indonesia
  • 6 strings
  • 25"'' scale
  • 10" Fretboard Radius
  • Beveled Maple Top with Flame Maple Veneer top
  • Mahogany body
  • Maple neck
  • Rosewood fretboard
  • Bridge pickup: PRS 85/15 S (Humbucker/Passive)
  • Neck pickup: PRS 85/15 S (Humbucker/Passive)
  • 1 volume and 1 tone Speed knobs
  • 3-way Switch
  • PRS Patented Tremolo, Molded bridge
  • Wide Thin Set neck
  • 24 Medium Jumbo frets
  • PRS Designed Tuners tuners
  • Compare Specs >

Sound Quality Comparison

The wood used in an electric guitar or bass is not as important to determine the final tone. However, some people prefer specific wood types, so we'll take a look at those first. Then, we'll take a look at the electronics to determine the versatility and sound quality of each instrument.

Woods Used in Both

Maple wood pattern used for guitar building
Maple
Rosewood wood pattern used for guitar building
Rosewood
Mahogany wood pattern used for guitar building
Mahogany

Maple is one of the most popular necks for good reasons. It is a strong wood that is relatively cheap to make and looks beautiful. The highest quality maple is the hardest that comes from North America. Find out more about Maple.

Rosewood is an almost purple-looking wood that is used mainly for fretboards since it's heavy, rare, and expensive. It's sometimes used on acoustic guitar bodies to create stronger warm tones. Find out more about Rosewood.

Mahogany is a fairly rare wood nowadays. It's used mostly for bodies due to its relatively lightweight. Gibson popularized it with their Les Paul guitars during their golden years, so this wood has a lot of good reputation behind it. The most expensive type comes from South America and it's still used by Gibson even today. Find out more about Mahogany.

Winner: Tie.

Pickup Configuration

Both pickup configurations are HH. Double Humbucker (HH) is the choice for people who want a fuller, more round sound with tons of mids and lows. Humbuckers also get rid of the hum noise that plague single-coil pickups. They can work out for almost any genre going from Djent to even Jazz.

Pickups Quality

Both come with very good pickups from at least one of the specialized brands in the market. With pickups like these, you probably won't need an upgrade anytime soon.

Both use Passive pickups. This is what's used for most music genres. They have a regular output and will serve you for both high-gain and clean tones. The alternative (Active pickups) offer a higher output that is mostly used for heavy music.

Winner: Tie.

Versatility Comparison

Some instruments offer you more ways to explore your creativity than others. Below you'll find how both compare when it comes to versatility.

Switch Options

Both are equal when it comes to the pickup switching option.

Both offer you the same type of pickup mod: Coil Split.

Coil Split lets you disconnect one of the pickup coils. When used with humbuckers, it turns them into single-coil with lower output and cleaner tone.

They both share the following switching options:

PRS SE Custom 24 Floyd and PRS SE Custom 24 pickups switch and push knobs diagram
PRS SE Custom 24 Floyd and PRS SE Custom 24's switch options

When evaluating versatility, we also take into consideration bridge and neck joint type, number of frets, switch options, amount of pickups and more.

Winner: Tie.

Final Sound Quality Scores

PRS SE Custom 24 Floyd
Pickups 85
Sustain 70
Versatility 74
Tuning Stability 85
Sound 79
PRS SE Custom 24
Pickups 85
Sustain 65
Versatility 74
Tuning Stability 65
Sound 72

Build Quality Comparison

When it comes to build quality, we like to take into account everything used to build the instrument. This includes materials, hardware and the quality control expected depending on the country where it was built. Let's see how the PRS SE Custom 24 Floyd compares to the PRS SE Custom 24.

Country of Origin

The manufacturing country can tell a lot about the build quality of an instrument. Both in this comparison where made in Indonesia.

Indonesia is becoming the most popular country for guitar building because they can make good instruments for a low price. Some people think that they're 'the new China' when it comes to build quality. But the truth is that Indonesian guitars are more consistent, although Chinese quality has improved a lot in the last few years.

Winner: Tie

Nut Material

If you want your guitar to stay in tune and sound good, you need a well cut nut. Nut quality can be inconsistent even when comparing two copies of the same model. The best way to make sure you're nut will be well done is by getting a nut made by an expert company like TUSQ or Micarta.

The PRS SE Custom 24 Floyd has a Locking nut. Instead of a regular nut, this guitar has a locking system that will lock down the strings at the nut, preventing it from getting out of tune. It removes one of the disadvantages of tremolo bridges, tune stability.

On the other hand, the PRS SE Custom 24 comes with a PRS Propietary nut. It's similar to TUSQ nuts, but they're not as hard, and the tone is not as bright. However, the material is self-lubricating, and it's usually well cut, so they have good tuning stability.

Winner: Tie.

Fret Material

Most fret wire is made of nickel silver. This material eventually wears down after a lot of use and most instruments end up needing a complete fret replacement. However, some expensive models come with stainless steel frets. This is what you should aim for if you can afford it.

Unfortunately, none of them come with stainless steel frets.

Winner: Tie.

Bridge

The perfect bridge for you will depend on your playstyle because they all have advantages and disadvantages. However, some bridges are more expensive—like Floyd Roses and Evertunes—and thus add more value to a guitar.

The PRS SE Custom 24 Floyd's brige is a Floyd Rose. This is a double-locking bridge system that allows you to perform techniques like dive bombs and pinch harmonics. The locking nut allows your guitar to stay in tune even after the most intense tremolo usage. The disadvantage is that it takes more work to change the strings and set up everything correctly.

On the other hand, the PRS SE Custom 24's is a Tremolo. Tremolo bridges give you more versatility than fixed bridges. They let you perform the intense vibrato effects that would be impossible with a fixed bridge. However, since the bridge floats and there's less contact with the body, the strings lose sustain slightly faster. They can also be a bit harder to restring and set up correctly than fixed bridges.

Since we need to be objective, the most expensive type of bridge will be the winner of this section. In the end, this doesn't matter if you're not going to use the bridge for its original purpose, so choose the bridge that fits your playing style better.

Winner: PRS SE Custom 24 Floyd.

Tuners

Both come with regular tuners. Both come with PRS Designed Tuners.

Winner: Tie.

Neck Joint

Contrary to popular belief, the difference in sustain and tone that some neck joints give to a guitar is simply unperceivable—if they're all well built. However, some of them do have advantages over the others.

Both have a Set neck joint. This neck is tightly glued to the body. They give you the least versatility because you can't swap them for a neck that fits your hand better if you want to, unlike bolt-on necks. Some people think this gives more resonance and sustain, but there's no real difference if the bolt-on joint is well built.

Winner: Tie.

Here is the list of features that were considered when choosing the winner in the Features subcategory:

Strengths & Weaknesses
PRS SE Custom 24 Floyd
  • Expensive Wood
  • Locking Nut
  • Top Brand Pickups
  • Coil Split Pickups
  • Tremolo
  • Retainer Bar
  • Cheap Fret Wire (NS)
  • No Locking Tuners
  • Made in Indonesia
  • No Neck-Through Build
  • No Weight Relief
  • No Luminescent Inlay
  • No Compound Radius Fretboard
  • No 21:1 Tuner Ratio
  • No Strap Lock
Strengths & Weaknesses
PRS SE Custom 24
  • Expensive Wood
  • PRS Propietary Nut
  • Top Brand Pickups
  • Coil Split Pickups
  • Tremolo
  • Cheap Fret Wire (NS)
  • No Locking Tuners
  • Made in Indonesia
  • No Neck-Through Build
  • No Weight Relief
  • No Luminescent Inlay
  • No Compound Radius Fretboard
  • No 21:1 Tuner Ratio
  • No Strap Lock

Final Build Quality Scores

PRS SE Custom 24 Floyd
Quality of materials 41
Features 70
Quality Control 75
Build Quality 62
PRS SE Custom 24
Quality of materials 48
Features 60
Quality Control 70
Build Quality 59

Playability Comparison

Let's now compare their playability. Bear in mind that the instrument will feel different depending on your hand size and play style. That's why you should always test before buying. But if you can't or want a second opinion on it, we can still take a look at each of the important measurements of the instrument for you. This way, we can predict how easy a guitar might be to play, or how different it will feel compared to the other.

Remember that, even though the difference might seem small, every inch counts when it comes to feeling of the instrument in your hands. Any variation can completely change how comfortable a guitar feels in your hands.

Nut Width

PRS SE Custom 24 Floyd Nut Width
PRS SE Custom 24 Floyd Nut Width
PRS SE Custom 24 Nut Width
PRS SE Custom 24 Nut Width

The nut width will affect the separation between strings at the nut. In this comparison, the PRS SE Custom 24 Floyd has the wider nut with 42.9mm (1.688'') vs 42.1mm (1.656''). This is a 0.8mm (0.032'') difference

This means that it will be more difficult to do bar chords on the PRS SE Custom 24 Floyd, especially closer to the nut. However, it's also easier to play without muting strings accidently. This favors people with big hands.

Scale Length

PRS SE Custom 24 Floyd and PRS SE Custom 24's Scale Length
Both have the same scale length

The scale length is one of the things that influences playability the most. This is the distance between the nut and the bridge and will affect everything from low action allowance, difficulty to perform bends, fret separation, and even tone.

In this case, both have a scale length of 25".

This scale is close to a Les Paul (24.75''), but it's slightly longer for those who want more tension of the strings and a slightly brighter sound (but not as much as with a 25.5'' Stratocaster scale).

This longer scale will also mean the frets are slightly more separated, which can affect your speed when playing. However, since this increases the tension of the strings, it will also allow you to lower the action even further without getting fret buzz. It comes at the cost of making the strings feel stiffer, which makes bending more difficult, though.

However, remember that you can also change the tension of the strings by using different string gauges.

Lastly, remember that you can also affect the tension of the strings by changing your string gauge. You can use a thicker gauge for more tension and a lighter one for less tension.

Neck Profile

PRS SE Custom 24 Floyd Neck Profile
PRS SE Custom 24 Floyd's neck profile
PRS SE Custom 24 Neck Profile
PRS SE Custom 24's neck profile

No single neck shape is better than others. However, most people tend to prefer a thinner necks because it doesn't get in their way when playing fast and most hand sizes can adapt to it pretty well. However, some people still prefer thicker necks for a better grip, especially if they have big hands.

Both the PRS SE Custom 24 Floyd and the PRS SE Custom 24 have a C-shaped neck. This is what you'll find in most modern guitars. Most people feel like the thickness of a C neck is simply the less intrusive one for playing fast, while at the same time allowing you to grab the neck easily for resting if you want to.

Fretboard Radius

PRS SE Custom 24 Floyd Fingerboard Radius
Both Guitars Have The Same Fretboard Radius

Most guitar fretboards are not flat; they usually have a curve or arc across their width. A curved fretboard will make it easier to perform chords without muting strings, while a flatter one will make it easier to play single notes, which is good for bending and soloing in general. The best fretboards have a compound radius that varies across the fingerboard, but they're not common since they take a lot more work to build.

Both the PRS SE Custom 24 Floyd and the PRS SE Custom 24 have the same fretboard radius of 10". This is slightly flatter than the typical modern Stratocaster, but not by a lot. This radius will make it comfortable to play chords without muting strings accidentally. However, when compared to Strats, the extra .5 inches radius will make it slightly more comfortable to play solos without sacrificing too much chord playability.

Hand Size Comfortability

Everyone has a different hand size, and that's why it's recommended to try a guitar before buying, even if others tell you that it's comfortable to play. However, we can know whether a guitar favors small or large hands just by knowing its exact measurements.

And after taking into account the scale length, nut width, neck profile and fretboard radius, we can conclude that the PRS SE Custom 24 Floyd favors large hands more than the PRS SE Custom 24.

PRS SE Custom 24 Floyd:
Big Hands
Small Hands
PRS SE Custom 24:
Big Hands
Small Hands

Fret Size

PRS SE Custom 24 Floyd and PRS SE Custom 24 Frets Size
Both have a similar Medium Jumbo fret size

Both have a Medium Jumbo fret size. These are slightly shorter than full Jumbo frets, so you'll still feel the fretboard when pressing down the strings. However, they interfere less with your fretting hand than medium-size frets. This is a good size if you like easy-to-press frets, but would still like to feel a bit of the fretboard when playing.

Final Playability Scores

PRS SE Custom 24 Floyd
Bending & Vibrato Ease 70
Chord Playability 70
Solo Playability 75
Playability 72
PRS SE Custom 24
Bending & Vibrato Ease 70
Chord Playability 80
Solo Playability 75
Playability 75

Specs Side-by-Side

PRS SE Custom 24 Floyd vs SE Custom 24
General PRS SE Custom 24 Floyd SE Custom 24
Brand: PRS PRS
Year: 2014 2021
Configuration: HH HH
Strings: 6 6
Made in: Indonesia Indonesia
Series: SE SE
Colors: Black Pink, Black Burst, Blue Burst, Gold Burst
Left-Handed Version: No Yes
Body
Type: Solid Body Solid Body
Body Material: Mahogany Mahogany
Bridge: Original Floyd Rose Tremolo PRS Patented Tremolo, Molded
Neck
Neck Joint: Set Set
Tuners: PRS Designed Tuners PRS Designed Tuners
Fretboard: Rosewood Rosewood
Neck Material: Maple Maple
Decoration: Birds Birds
Scale Size: 25" 25"
Shape: Pattern Thin Wide Thin
Thickness: 1st Fret: 0.83'' (21.1mm) - 12th Fret: 0.9'' (22.9mm) 1st Fret: 0.82'' (20.8mm) - 12th Fret: 0.91'' (23.1mm)
Frets: 24 Medium Jumbo Nickel Silver 24 Medium Jumbo Nickel Silver
Fretboard Radius: 10" 10"
Nut: Locking PRS Propietary
Nut Width: 42.9mm (1.688'') 42.1mm (1.656'')
Electronics
Bridge Pickup: PRS 85/15 S (Humbucker / Passive) PRS 85/15 S (Humbucker / Passive)
Middle Pickup:
Neck Pickup: PRS 85/15 S (Humbucker / Passive) PRS 85/15 S (Humbucker / Passive)
Switch: 3 Way 3 Way
Knobs: Speed Speed
Pickup Mods: Coil Split Coil Split
Volume Controls: 1 1
Tone Controls: 1 1