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PRS SE Custom 24 Semi-Hollow Piezo
Fender American Ultra Stratocaster
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Playability
72
Sound
74
Build
65
Value
65
Score
70
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Playability
70
Sound
79
Build
74
Value
69
Score
74
FIND IT ON:
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The Fender American Ultra Stratocaster was discontinued. It was replaced by the American Ultra II Stratocaster. Check out our comparison.
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PRS SE Custom 24 Semi-Hollow Piezo vs Fender American Ultra Stratocaster Specs Comparison
PRS SE Custom 24 Semi-Hollow Piezo Fender American Ultra Stratocaster
General
Brand: PRS Fender
Year: 2024 2019
Configuration: HH SSS
Strings: 6 6
Made in: Indonesia United States
Series: SE American Ultra
Colors: Black, Blue, Orange, Red White, Sunburst, Black, Blue, Brown Burst
Left-Handed Version: No No
Body
Type: Semi-Hollow Solid Body
Body Material: Mahogany Alder
Bridge: PRS Patented Tremolo 2-Point Deluxe Synchronized Tremolo with Pop-In Arm
Neck
Neck Joint: Set Bolt-On
Tuners: PRS Designed Deluxe Cast/Sealed Locking
Fretboard: Rosewood Maple
Neck Material: Maple Maple
Decoration: Birds Black Pearloid Dots
Scale Size: 25" 25.5"
Shape: Wide Thin Ultra Modern D
Thickness: 1st Fret: 0.82'' (20.8mm) - 12th Fret: 0.91'' (23.1mm) 1st Fret: 0.82'' (20.8mm) - 12th Fret: 0.87'' (22.1mm)
Frets: 24 Medium Jumbo Nickel Silver 22 Medium Jumbo Nickel Silver
Fretboard Radius: 10" 10" to 14"
Nut: PRS Propietary Bone
Nut Width: 42.9mm (1.688'') 42.8mm (1.685'')
Electronics
Bridge Pickups: 85/15 “S” (Humbucker / Passive) Fender Ultra Noiseless Vintage Strat (Single Coil / Passive)
Middle Pickup: Fender Ultra Noiseless Vintage Strat (Single Coil / Passive)
Neck Pickup: 85/15 “S” (Humbucker / Passive) Fender Ultra Noiseless Vintage Strat (Single Coil / Passive)
Switch: 3 Way 5 Way
Knobs: Speed Bell
Pickup Mods: Coil Tap, Multi-Voicing S-1 Switch
Volume Controls: 2 1
Tone Controls: 1 2
Hardware
Strap Lock: No No
Hardware Color: Nickel Chrome
Show Diagrams Comparison
PRS SE Custom 24 Semi-Hollow Piezo pickups switch and push knobs diagram
PRS SE Custom 24 Semi-Hollow Piezo's switch options
Fender American Ultra Stratocaster pickups switch selector and push knobs diagram
Fender American Ultra Stratocaster's switch options

Reasons to Get
PRS SE Custom 24 Semi-Hollow Piezo over Fender American Ultra Stratocaster

Decorative Top
Flame Maple vs None
Finished with beautiful natural wood patterns
Release Year
2024 vs 2019
From a more recent year
Neck Profile
Wide Thin vs Ultra Modern D
Comfortable neck that works for most people
Pickup Mods
Multiple vs S-1 Switch
Body Type
Semi-Hollow vs Solid Body
Lighter and allows more gain than a hollowbody
Volume Knobs
2 vs 1
More volume control
Pickups
HH vs SSS
High output without hum
Number of Frets
24 vs 22
Allows to reach higher notes
Neck Thickness at 12th Fret
0.91'' (23.1mm) vs 0.87'' (22.1mm)
More comfortable at higher frets for big hands
Nut Width
1.688'' (42.9mm) vs 1.685'' (42.8mm)
Less likely to mute strings by accident and more space for fingerstyle
Scale Length
25'' (635mm) vs 25.5'' (647.7mm)
Easier bending, shorter fret separation and warmer natural tone
Avg. Weight
7.4065lbs (3.4kgs) vs 8.225lbs (3.7kgs)
Tends to be lighter

Reasons to Get
Fender American Ultra Stratocaster over PRS SE Custom 24 Semi-Hollow Piezo

Country of Manufacturing
United States vs Indonesia
Built with higher quality standards
Compound Radius
10" to 14" vs 10"
Balanced playability for chords and single-notes
Neck Profile
Ultra Modern D vs Wide Thin
Thin and flat neck for playing fast
Pickup Mods
S-1 Switch vs Multiple
Modifies the pickups
Neck Joint
Bolt-On vs Set
Allows you to detach and swap the neck
Body Type
Solid Body vs Semi-Hollow
Feedback free
Switch Positions
5 vs 3
More tone options
Tone Knobs
2 vs 1
More tone control
Pickups
SSS vs HH
Beautiful cleans and good tone versatility
Locking Tuners
Yes vs None
Easier to change strings
Neck Thickness at 12th Fret
0.87'' (22.1mm) vs 0.91'' (23.1mm)
More comfortable at higher frets for small hands
Nut Width
1.685'' (42.8mm) vs 1.688'' (42.9mm)
Favors small hands, easier bar chords and other shapes
Scale Length
25.5'' (647.7mm) vs 25'' (635mm)
Lower action and brighter natural tone
Value Score
69 vs 65
Better price/quality relationship

Other Key Differences
PRS SE Custom 24 Semi-Hollow Piezo vs Fender American Ultra Stratocaster

Bridge Pickup
85/15 “S” vs Fender Ultra Noiseless Vintage Strat
Different Bridge Pickup
Neck Pickup
85/15 “S” vs Fender Ultra Noiseless Vintage Strat
Different Neck Pickup
Body Wood
Mahogany vs Alder
Different Body Wood
Fretboard Wood
Rosewood vs Maple
Different Fretboard Wood
Headstock
3-3 vs 6
Different Headstock
Nut Material
PRS Propietary vs Bone
Different Nut Material

Shared Features
PRS SE Custom 24 Semi-Hollow Piezo vs Fender American Ultra Stratocaster

Neck Wood
Maple
Same Neck Wood
Strings
6
Same playing style
Neck Thickness at 1st Fret
0.82'' (20.8mm)
Same neck comfortability
Paint Finish
Poly
Resistant paint that ages well
Bridge
Tremolo
Simple vibratos without too much maintenance
Pickups Power
Passive
Cleaner sound and no battery needed
Type of Frets
Medium Jumbo
You'll feel the fretboard when pressing down the strings

Common Strengths

  • High-Quality Nut
  • Top Pickup Brand

Common Weaknesses

  • Stays in Tune (Evertune)
  • High-Quality Frets
  • Luminescent Sidedots
  • Strap Lock
  • 21:1 Tuner Ratio
  • Active/Passive Preamp

Price History Comparison

PRS SE Custom 24 Semi-Hollow Piezo Prices

SET PRICE ALERT

Fender American Ultra Stratocaster Prices

    SET PRICE ALERT

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    Hand Size Comfortability

    And after taking into account the scale length, nut width, neck profile and fretboard radius, we can conclude that the PRS SE Custom 24 Semi-Hollow Piezo favors large hands more than the Fender American Ultra Stratocaster. But it's still more comfortable for people with small hands, as you can see in the score meter below.

    PRS SE Custom 24 Semi-Hollow Piezo:
    Big Hands
    Small Hands
    Fender American Ultra Stratocaster:
    Big Hands
    Small Hands

    Beginner Friendliness

    The Fender American Ultra Stratocaster meets 7 out of our 8 criteria items for beginner friendliness, while the PRS SE Custom 24 Semi-Hollow Piezo meets only 4. 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 Semi-Hollow Piezo
    • Comfortable shape
    • Easy-to-use bridge
    • Tall frets
    • Comfortable neck
    • Comfortable fretboard
    • Narrow nut
    • Short scale
    • Locking tuners

    New Player Friendliness

    Fender American Ultra Stratocaster
    • Comfortable shape
    • Easy-to-use bridge
    • Locking tuners
    • Comfortable fretboard
    • Tall frets
    • Narrow nut
    • Comfortable neck
    • Short scale

    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

    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.

    Woods Used in the PRS SE Custom 24 Semi-Hollow Piezo

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

    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.

    Woods Used in the Fender American Ultra Stratocaster

    Alder wood pattern used for guitar building
    Alder

    Alder is the most popular wood that Fender uses in most of their guitars nowadays. Even though they say it's because of its balanced tone with an emphasis in the upper midrange, it probably is because it isn't too expensive, and it's also pretty lightweight—more than Mahogany. Find out more about Alder.

    Winner: PRS SE Custom 24 Semi-Hollow Piezo.

    Pickup Configuration

    The PRS SE Custom 24 Semi-Hollow Piezo has an HH configuration while the Fender American Ultra Stratocaster has SSS pickups.

    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.

    On the other hand, SSS is perfect for players who like to play clean. The definition you get between notes and the crispiness is unmatched by most other configurations. You can still use it for distortion, but you won't get the same kind of output and power compared to a humbucker, and the hum they produce also makes them less adequate for high gain.

    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.

    However, the Fender American Ultra Stratocaster has a slight sound quality advantage when taking into account other factors like the type of pickups, magnet, position, etc.

    We found the same or similar pickups to the Fender American Ultra Stratocaster's online:

    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: Fender American Ultra Stratocaster.

    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

    The Fender American Ultra Stratocaster gives you 5 switch options while the PRS SE Custom 24 Semi-Hollow Piezo gives you 3. This means that the Fender American Ultra Stratocaster gives you more options to find the right pickup combination for the type of sound you want to achieve

    Both give you different pickup mod options.

    The PRS SE Custom 24 Semi-Hollow Piezo offers Coil Tap, Multi-Voicing.

    Coil Tap is similar to Coil Split but it works a bit differently. Instead of completely cancelling one of the coils of the humbucker, it only cuts part of the output once activated. Some people believe this gives the split pickups a more real single-coil sound.

    Multi-Voicing means the pickups come with multiple ''voices'', which means they can change the tone and gain by a simple switch or knob. Piezo, Fishman and similar are considered multi-voicing pickups.

    On the other hand, the Fender American Ultra Stratocaster comes with the following: S-1 Switch.

    An S-1 switch can do a lot of different pickup combinations. It can split them, connect them in series, parallel, add more pickups to each position, and more. Check out the diagram to know how it affects this model.

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

    Winner: Fender American Ultra Stratocaster.

    Final Sound Quality Scores

    PRS SE Custom 24 Semi-Hollow Piezo
    Pickups 85
    Sustain 65
    Versatility 81
    Tuning Stability 65
    Sound 74
    Fender American Ultra Stratocaster
    Pickups 100
    Sustain 60
    Versatility 82
    Tuning Stability 75
    Sound 79

    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 Semi-Hollow Piezo compares to the Fender American Ultra Stratocaster.

    Country of Origin

    The manufacturing country can tell a lot about the build quality of an instrument. The PRS SE Custom 24 Semi-Hollow Piezo is built in Indonesia while the Fender American Ultra Stratocaster is made in United States.

    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.

    The United States is considered one of the best electric guitar manufacturers in the world. A guitar made in this country is supposed to have world-class quality control. Nowadays, guitars made in other countries can beat some of the ones made in the US, but most of the time, this country offers the best you can get. Of course, that comes at a price.

    Winner: Fender American Ultra Stratocaster

    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 Semi-Hollow Piezo has 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.

    On the other hand, the Fender American Ultra Stratocaster comes with a Bone nut. It's a type of nut found in high-quality instruments. They sound similar to Ivory since they give a lot of sustain and a bright sound (at least when striking open strings). The only problem they can run into is that you may get a bone piece that simply doesn't sound as well as others because that's just how natural materials are.

    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.

    Both come with a similar bridge: 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: Tie.

    Tuners

    The Fender American Ultra Stratocaster has the best tuners of the two because they are locking tuners. They'll help to keep your guitar in tune because they allow you to tune it without wrapping the strings around the posts. This avoids variations in the tuning due to the strings changing position at the post after a bend. They come at the disadvantage of being slightly heavier than regular tuners. Also, it makes it a lot easier to restring.

    Winner: Fender American Ultra Stratocaster.

    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.

    The PRS SE Custom 24 Semi-Hollow Piezo has 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.

    On the other hand, the Fender American Ultra Stratocaster comes with Bolt-On neck joint. This neck is joined to the body by 4 bolts that you can simply unscrew. This allows you to replace the neck or take it off for travel. It's the most common and cheapest way to build a guitar.

    Winner: Fender American Ultra Stratocaster.

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

    Strengths & Weaknesses
    PRS SE Custom 24 Semi-Hollow Piezo
    • Expensive Wood
    • PRS Propietary Nut
    • Top Brand Pickups
    • Coil Tap, Multi-Voicing Pickups
    • Tremolo
    • Cheap Fret Wire (NS)
    • No Locking Tuners
    • Made in Indonesia
    • No Neck-Through Build
    • No Luminescent Inlay
    • No Compound Radius Fretboard
    • No 21:1 Tuner Ratio
    • No Strap Lock
    Strengths & Weaknesses
    Fender American Ultra Stratocaster
    • Locking Tuners
    • Made in United States
    • Bone Nut
    • Top Brand Pickups
    • S-1 Switch Pickups
    • Tremolo
    • Compound Radius Fretboard
    • Cheap Fret Wire (NS)
    • No Expensive Woods
    • No Neck-Through Build
    • No Weight Relief
    • No Luminescent Inlay
    • No 21:1 Tuner Ratio
    • No Strap Lock

    Final Build Quality Scores

    PRS SE Custom 24 Semi-Hollow Piezo
    Quality of materials 50
    Features 65
    Quality Control 80
    Build Quality 65
    Fender American Ultra Stratocaster
    Quality of materials 51
    Features 80
    Quality Control 90
    Build Quality 74

    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 Semi-Hollow Piezo Nut Width
    PRS SE Custom 24 Semi-Hollow Piezo Nut Width
    Fender American Ultra Stratocaster Nut Width
    Fender American Ultra Stratocaster Nut Width

    The nut width will affect the separation between strings at the nut. In this comparison, the PRS SE Custom 24 Semi-Hollow Piezo has the wider nut with 42.9mm (1.688'') vs 42.8mm (1.685''). This is a 0.1mm (0.0029999999999999'') difference

    This means that it will be more difficult to do bar chords on the PRS SE Custom 24 Semi-Hollow Piezo, 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 Semi-Hollow Piezo's Scale Length
    PRS SE Custom 24 Semi-Hollow Piezo's Scale Length
    Fender American Ultra Stratocaster's Scale Length
    Fender American Ultra Stratocaster's 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.

    The Fender American Ultra Stratocaster has the longest scale: 25.5". The PRS SE Custom 24 Semi-Hollow Piezo is only 25" long. This is a 0.5'' (12.7mm) scale length difference.

    This longer scale means that the strings need more tension to get in tune. This is good if you want to avoid fret buzz, which can happen when the strings are too loose and touch the frets while vibrating. This is especially important when playing in lower tunings. This will also let you reduce the gap between fretboard and strings (low action) to make them easier to press down. However, this higher tension will also make it harder to perform bends and vibratos as the strings will feel stiffer.

    This also means that the frets have a longer separation between each other, so this will make it harder for people with smaller hands when playing some chord positions.

    Another characteristic of a longer scale is that it makes the guitar sound 'snappier' or brighter. This is due to the extra separation between harmonics and overtones produced by the tension. This influences tone more than any other factor (except the pickups).

    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 Semi-Hollow Piezo Neck Profile
    PRS SE Custom 24 Semi-Hollow Piezo's neck profile
    Fender American Ultra Stratocaster Neck Profile
    Fender American Ultra Stratocaster'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.

    In this case, both have different neck shapes:

    The PRS SE Custom 24 Semi-Hollow Piezo has a C type of 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.

    The Fender American Ultra Stratocaster, on the other hand, has a D neck. This is a thin and flat neck that is made for playing fast. If you prefer a neck that doesn't get in your way when soloing, this is the shape you should use. Guitarists that prefer to have a bit more grip won't like this type of neck.

    Fretboard Radius

    PRS SE Custom 24 Semi-Hollow Piezo Fingerboard Radius
    PRS SE Custom 24 Semi-Hollow Piezo's Fingerboard radius
    Fender American Ultra Stratocaster Fretboard Compound Radius
    Fender American Ultra Stratocaster's Compound 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.

    In this case, the Fender American Ultra Stratocaster is the only one with a compound radius. This is a huge win because it will give you the best of both worlds: a more curved radius in the first few frets for chords, and flatter as you come closer to the body for soloing.

    Fret Size

    PRS SE Custom 24 Semi-Hollow Piezo and Fender American Ultra Stratocaster 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 Semi-Hollow Piezo
    Bending & Vibrato Ease 70
    Chord Playability 70
    Solo Playability 75
    Playability 72
    Fender American Ultra Stratocaster
    Bending & Vibrato Ease 60
    Chord Playability 80
    Solo Playability 70
    Playability 70