I Spent £100's Modding My PRS SE, Can It Match a £3000 Core Model? Radioshop Pickups, Tuners & more!

Can you make a PRS SE play and sound like a Core model? I spent several days (and around £500) upgrading my PRS SE Custom 24 Semi-Hollow Piezo to find out. What I Changed: Installed RadioShop PAF pickups (replacing stock PRS 85/15s) Upgraded to PRS SE locking tuners Rewired with 5-way super switch for better tone options New CTS pots and vintage braided wire Replaced those horrible yellow/gold knobs with black lampshade knobs Full setup: fretboard treatment, fret polish, new strings (D'Addario NYXL 10-46) Mods Covered in Detail: ✓ Pickup replacement ✓ Installing locking tuners ✓ Electronics upgrade (pots, caps, switch) ✓ Setup tips and truss rod adjustment ✓ Before/after tone comparisons This wasn't just about copying my Core Custom 24 - it was about making this SE the best gigging guitar it could be. The piezo pickup is fantastic for switching between acoustic and electric tones mid-song, and with these upgrades, I've got a serious workhorse instrument. Parts Used: PRS SE Locking Tuners (£90) RadioShop PAF Pickups Oak Grigsby 5-Way Super Switch CTS Pots Orange Drop Capacitor Vintage Braided Wire D'Addario NYXL Strings (10-46) Monty's Instrument Food I learned a LOT about the differences between SE and Core models during this process - some you can fix with upgrades, some you can't. Watch to the end for my honest verdict on whether it's worth modding an SE or just saving for a Core. 💬 Would you mod an SE or save for a Core model? Let me know in the comments! ☕️ Learned something and want to support the channel? Feel free to buy me a coffee! https://ko-fi.com/craighallmusic #PRSGuitars #PRSSE #GuitarMods #PickupUpgrade #GuitarSetup #Custom24 #RadioShopPickups #GuitarReview #GearReview #LockingTuners ⏱️ Chapters: 00:00:00 - Intro 00:00:59 - What I'm Changing 00:01:33 - String Choice 00:02:08 - Fretboard Care 00:03:10 - Locking Tuners 00:03:27 - New Knobs 00:04:20 - New Pickups 00:10:26 - Removing the Strings 00:11:58 - Top Tip! 00:13:08 - Fret Polishing 00:15:06 - Fretboard Care 00:15:59 - Installing the Locking Tuners 00:16:54 - What is this stuff? 00:19:59 - The Tuners are on! 00:21:23 - The Factory Wiring 00:21:51 - Goodbye Disgusting Knobs! 00:24:56 - Removing the Wiring 00:26:31 - Damage to the finish 00:27:06 - Removing the Pickups 00:28:58 - Making a Wiring Template 00:29:57 - The New Pickups! 00:44:53 - Re-Strung and Ready to Go! 00:49:33 - Upgrade - Complete! 00:50:47 - Bridge Pickup A/B 00:52:08 - Bridge Pickup (Split) A/B 00:53:26 - Both Pickups A/B 00:55:12 - Neck Pickup (Split) 00:57:07 - Neck Pickup A/B 00:58:21 - First Impression 00:59:32 - Overall Thoughts 01:02:59 - Total Cost