I'm a hollow body guy. Love my 1963 ES-335 Block Reissue. Loved my Gretsch 6120 before selling it to buy the 335. I've previously tried to love solid bodies. Have purchased a Fender Strat, Gibson SG and a 90's era Guild Bluesbird. They're all gone now. None of them spoke to me. I was left with one guitar, the 335.
As you can tell by now, I like buying guitars. I'm not made of money but only having one was becoming a problem. I learned from previous experiences that I wasn't wild about humbuckers. Seemed a little dark for my tastes. I ended up putting Lindy Fralin P90's with humbucker covers on the ES-335. They really opened up the sound and I love it.
Enter the ever present "buying bug". Is there a solid body out there that I could wrap my arms around and keep for more than a few months? Does it have to cost the fortune previously spent on guitars that I no longer own? What to do? I've known about Paul Reed Smith guitars for a long time. Those beautiful outrageously priced works of art. I paid about $5000.00 for the reissue ES-335 and don't have the talent or money to justify spending that much again on yet another guitar that I might not want to keep. But I can dream ...
Checked out the PRS website. I drooled over the "core" models, dismissed the SE's immediately and completely missed the "S2" link. I went to eBay and Reverb to see if there was a bargain on a "core" model but there doesn't seem to be such a thing. I did notice though some listings for several different "S2" models. They were reasonably priced but I didn't know what they were. After revisiting the PRS site, I saw what I had missed the first time, the S2's. Much research showed me that the wood structure was made in my home state, not imported. Yes, there are some differences with the the cores to keep costs down but it's a solid, first class build. What really peaked my interest was the split coils. The darker humbucker sound was not the only option. I'm a tinkerer so the asian components didn't matter. I'm all about upgrades. I wanted one !
Not knowing who John Mann was in PRS folklore, it was he who I ended up buying, through Reverb, a new S2 Custom 22. I called him because there was a little confusion on my end about the model I wanted vs. the model I ordered. John blew my mind by offering to install an upgraded bridge. Actually his very own Mann made bridge. It was MY error and I was now convinced that this is the guy to deal with. That's when I learned who he was and his history with PRS. The money I saved with this paid for a new PRS hardshell case.
It was love at first sight. Beautiful, the neck played like butter and the sound was acceptable. Acceptable doesn't cut it though. I read that S2's sounded like S2's. I didn't necessarily interpret that as a negative or positive statement but knew that it was full of asian electrics. They had to go.
Like I said, I'm a tinkerer. I had Rothstein Guitars make a wiring harness (beautiful work) and ordered a set of Lindy Fralin Unbuckers from him also. While I had everything apart I copper shielded the cavities just for good measure. I had pickgaudian make .090 thick cavity covers to replace the stock (flimsy) covers.
I have less than $1900.00 into the exact guitar that I wanted and I will not sell it at any price. The sound and feel are to die for and if it ends up with some scuffs and scratches on it I won't freak out like I would with a "core", ie, expensive model.
As you can tell by now, I like buying guitars. I'm not made of money but only having one was becoming a problem. I learned from previous experiences that I wasn't wild about humbuckers. Seemed a little dark for my tastes. I ended up putting Lindy Fralin P90's with humbucker covers on the ES-335. They really opened up the sound and I love it.
Enter the ever present "buying bug". Is there a solid body out there that I could wrap my arms around and keep for more than a few months? Does it have to cost the fortune previously spent on guitars that I no longer own? What to do? I've known about Paul Reed Smith guitars for a long time. Those beautiful outrageously priced works of art. I paid about $5000.00 for the reissue ES-335 and don't have the talent or money to justify spending that much again on yet another guitar that I might not want to keep. But I can dream ...
Checked out the PRS website. I drooled over the "core" models, dismissed the SE's immediately and completely missed the "S2" link. I went to eBay and Reverb to see if there was a bargain on a "core" model but there doesn't seem to be such a thing. I did notice though some listings for several different "S2" models. They were reasonably priced but I didn't know what they were. After revisiting the PRS site, I saw what I had missed the first time, the S2's. Much research showed me that the wood structure was made in my home state, not imported. Yes, there are some differences with the the cores to keep costs down but it's a solid, first class build. What really peaked my interest was the split coils. The darker humbucker sound was not the only option. I'm a tinkerer so the asian components didn't matter. I'm all about upgrades. I wanted one !
Not knowing who John Mann was in PRS folklore, it was he who I ended up buying, through Reverb, a new S2 Custom 22. I called him because there was a little confusion on my end about the model I wanted vs. the model I ordered. John blew my mind by offering to install an upgraded bridge. Actually his very own Mann made bridge. It was MY error and I was now convinced that this is the guy to deal with. That's when I learned who he was and his history with PRS. The money I saved with this paid for a new PRS hardshell case.
It was love at first sight. Beautiful, the neck played like butter and the sound was acceptable. Acceptable doesn't cut it though. I read that S2's sounded like S2's. I didn't necessarily interpret that as a negative or positive statement but knew that it was full of asian electrics. They had to go.
Like I said, I'm a tinkerer. I had Rothstein Guitars make a wiring harness (beautiful work) and ordered a set of Lindy Fralin Unbuckers from him also. While I had everything apart I copper shielded the cavities just for good measure. I had pickgaudian make .090 thick cavity covers to replace the stock (flimsy) covers.
I have less than $1900.00 into the exact guitar that I wanted and I will not sell it at any price. The sound and feel are to die for and if it ends up with some scuffs and scratches on it I won't freak out like I would with a "core", ie, expensive model.
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