The Angelus is PRS’s more modern style cutaway acoustic guitar body that has been part of the SE line for a few years now. Refined over years of making these guitars this is the best the Angelus has ever looked or sounded for this price.

It might be relatively affordable, but the A40E is not dressed down in the slightest. The fretboard is decorated with PRS’ trademark bird inlays, and the purfling and rosette are made with an eye-catching copper-like acrylic, which contrasts nicely with the cream-colored body binding. 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.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 Acoustics

PRS Hybrid 'X'/Classical Bracing - Utilizing an innovative design that allows the top to vibrate freely, this hybrid bracing system ensures detailed clarity and acoustic projection. The SE AE40E’s top features PRS’ hybrid X/classical bracing. According to the company, this design uses a traditional X at the soundhole “with classical fan bracing across the belly.” The goal is to let the top vibrate more freely for enhanced sound projection and a warmer tone. 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.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. 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.

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! Credit subject to status and affordability. Terms & Conditions Apply. Guitar Guitar Limited is a credit broker and is Authorised We love PRS' interpretation of the classic acoustic guitar and think this would make an excellent investment for a student guitarist or a reliable gigging guitar for a professional musician. Features We Love: Angelus Cutaway BodyAt the base of the T40E, just below the strap button, is the housing for the nine-volt battery, which will need changing every 100 hours or so. Should that moment arrive while on stage, the battery compartment’s location means changing can take place while standing with a strap. It’s a pet hate of ours when guitars need to be taken off, and the strap removed, just to change a battery. These wonderful acoustic guitars are part of PRS’s SE range. These are made out in China to exacting standards by a carefully chosen factory. Paul Reed Smith and his team have taken decades to build up their reputation for quality, so instruments bearing his initials, even those made outside the USA ( especially those, to be fair), need to come up to scratch. In interviews, Mr PRS speaks of putting 6.0 in with the goal of getting 5.8 out. To that end, PRS guitars are fitted with high-quality, tonally responsive materials for the best possible sound. We’d suggest that, even at this modest price point, the SE T40E adheres to that ethos, and is well worth a test drive soon. These are all highly satisfying instruments with firm, resonant voices and plenty of charm. Despite being broadly similar, they do all hold their own tonal surprises, so it is worth having a play on a few before totally making your mind up. Earlier this year, Acoustic Review reviewed one of PRS’s well received new(ish) electro-acoustics, the SE T50. It was good – very good, especially so for the money. Word in the guitar business is that PRS has decided to make a redoubled bid for the affordable mid-market acoustic scene and the result, this new generation Korean built SEs launched for 2018 bears that out. Certainly, both the earlier T50 we reviewed and the SEA40e we were sent for our second recently bear witness to that – this was also another very well built and set-up instrument.