Does anyone have any personal experience or information about how the Pattern Vintage neck differs from the Wide Fat neck on the SE models? According to the little information available in the specs, it’s basically exactly the same thickness at the nut, body, and ½ fret (42.85mm, 57.15mm, 22.22mm) and is less than a mm different at the 12 1/2 fret - 24.20mm on the Wide Fat vs 24.99mm on the Pattern Vintage. What the specs don’t say is whether this is the thickest part of the Pattern Vintage carve (24.99mm), or if its thicker at some point along, or the effect of the asymmetrical carve.
I’m use to playing both a SE Paul’s Guitar and a SE McCarty 594, which both have the wide fat carve, and recently got the chance to play an S2 McCarty 594 with the pattern vintage. The Pattern Vintage felt a lot thicker, and as if I was reaching a lot more than on the SEs. I was surprised because its supposed to be basically the same, and I really don’t think I would feel a difference of less than 1mm if that’s all it actually is. I’m also feeling it around the 1-3 frets, not 12th, so I don’t really know what’s going on. Perhaps it’s the asymmetrical cut.
Besides that, wow. People talk about how good the SE instruments are, but the S2 is a far superior guitar in every single way. The tone is exceptional. It also has the 58/15 LT TCI pickups and electronics (anniversary edition), which are so much better, clearer, and richer in every way over the S pickups in both the SE Paul’s and McCarty. It’s a shame these S pickups are the standard on the S2 models as that is about their only drawback.
