CE or S2 with upgraded pickups?

[InTooDeep]

I have not played an S2 for any length of time, but I know when I was shopping for my first PRS, I played a lot different PRSi at the store, C24, C22, McCarty, McCarty rosewood neck, and the original Tremonti model. I played mostly rock/metal and I couldnt get into the Customs. I really liked the McCartys, but they didnt have the aggression I wanted. The Tremonti sig was totally awesome, but I couldnt find anything used at a good price. one day just for the heck of it I tried the cheap and lowly CE (or so I thought at the time) I was blown away! It was exactly what I was looking for, that awesome PRS craftsmanship, way more snap and agressive attack than the set neck PRSi I had tried, and they were all over the place used from $900 to $1500. So I ended up buying my first PRS, a 1999 CE24. About a year later I spotted one that had a Killer quilted top (signed by PRSh congratulating on a top that wasnt normall found on a CE) and bird inlays. I had to have it, so I snatched it up and sold the original one I had. Back then birds on a CE was pretty rare too.

So I think you really have to play them for sure, it seems most people prefer the Custom's set neck, but I do not. I was coming from a neck thru ESP Horizon, and a Schecter C-1 Classic. both of which I quickly sold after buying the first CE24. Now, I mostly play music at my church which the CE still covers very well!
If you go used, you will have enough spare for an MT15 too!

 

[Spiralizer]

I have not played an S2 for any length of time, but I know when I was shopping for my first PRS, I played a lot different PRSi at the store, C24, C22, McCarty, McCarty rosewood neck, and the original Tremonti model. I played mostly rock/metal and I couldnt get into the Customs. I really liked the McCartys, but they didnt have the aggression I wanted. The Tremonti sig was totally awesome, but I couldnt find anything used at a good price. one day just for the heck of it I tried the cheap and lowly CE (or so I thought at the time) I was blown away! It was exactly what I was looking for, that awesome PRS craftsmanship, way more snap and agressive attack than the set neck PRSi I had tried, and they were all over the place used from $900 to $1500. So I ended up buying my first PRS, a 1999 CE24. About a year later I spotted one that had a Killer quilted top (signed by PRSh congratulating on a top that wasnt normall found on a CE) and bird inlays. I had to have it, so I snatched it up and sold the original one I had. Back then birds on a CE was pretty rare too.

So I think you really have to play them for sure, it seems most people prefer the Custom's set neck, but I do not. I was coming from a neck thru ESP Horizon, and a Schecter C-1 Classic. both of which I quickly sold after buying the first CE24. Now, I mostly play music at my church which the CE still covers very well!
If you go used, you will have enough spare for an MT15 too!

I'm coming from a thru-neck esp myself. Never played a bolt on. Unfortunately the only thing dealers here have are SE's which I'm not interested in. So many prs options to explore...

 

[InTooDeep]

I'm coming from a thru-neck esp myself. Never played a bolt on. Unfortunately the only thing dealers here have are SE's which I'm not interested in. So many prs options to explore...

Yeah, when I used to read the ESP forums and such they had pretty much convinced me that bolt on construction is an inferior attachment technique that results in low sustain and low energy transfer. Oddly enough, my neck through ESP, even though it seemed to be a very well made guitar it left a lot to be desired sonically.
I truly think that PRS uses the best construction technique for the sound they are after.