S2 Custom 24... meh

I special ordered two Prs's . I was nervous both times about doing it because I'm old school. I rather play a guitar then order online. I'm a firm believer in, "the guitar finds you, not the player finds the guitar" . Both times , prs didn't disappoint . My dgt is a prime example of what prs is, a company that does listen to its customers and most Prs's are prime examples of that. Btw, the dgt is a gas killer lol

The S2's are probably what they've heard from customers and dealers feedback. They are still a good guitar . Maybe not my cup of tea but none the less, they will fit someone's expectations and their budget,

In the 35 years I've played (started very young ) , prs are the best at what they do IMO. I've had the privelage of playing so many different models and brands, it's not funny . What guitar puts a smile on my face when I pick it up, my dgt.
 
LSchefman said:
So very true! I can remember sitting in rooms playing the models I was interested in, off the rack, one after the other. In a way, it was a fun exercise, but it could take months of trying to find something you could bond with. There was no way you could just place an order and be confident of getting a good one.

There's much more consistency with PRS, and I've been confident enough to special order several.

I've had some very good PRSes, and some fabulous PRSes, but never a dud.
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I've never really enjoyed playing countless guitars but back then it was necessary to a certain extent. I was lucky ... in 1977, I found and bought a new LP Deluxe with P90s. I've used that guitar as my main ever since until I started to play PRS a few years ago. Still use it as my backup.
 
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]-[ @ n $ 0 |v| a T ! ©;99853 said:
Neither does 11top. :tongue:
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Back then I was a lot more interested in women than guitars. Now that I can't get a woman to give me the time of day, I've turned into a gear hound ... go figure :dontknow:
 
S2 Seris

Gibson67v said:
So I was in my local music store yesterday and I saw a Custom 24... right off the bat I thought something was wrong with it... but I couldn't quite tell... it was a Blue Crab Smoke or something (Really nice colour)... I picked it up and I was instantly reminded of the original run of the Santana SE's... I was not impressed... I actually thought for a second that this might be a fake that was traded in or something... then I felt the body and instantly my heart sunk... it was an S2!!!

I knew I wouldn't want one because of inferior pickups and trem system... but I didn't think I wouldn't like the feel of the neck... it felt too fat and kind of hollow...

it must just be a bad make or something (but they cut those up...)

how has everyone felt about their Custom 24 S2s? I really wanted to like them (not buy one) but that one guitar just turned me away...

also... the salesman heard me say to my wife (who was quite pleased that I disliked a Paul Reed Smith) "This is one of those S2 guitars... I'm not impressed". He took one look at me and said "Yeah those are US made!... but if the price tag is too much for you we have the SE's which are Korean made and easier on the wallet". I shaved yesterday... so apparently I look poor with a clean shaven face and rich with a beard because I've never had anyone say that to me... I let him go on with his spiel and he casually asked me "What guitar do you have right now"... I calmly brought him over to his computer so he could check my customer number in his system...I said check what I've bought in 2013... he saw the amount... then I said Check what I bought from May-June-July... he saw that I bought 3 US Paul Reed Smiths totalling 10 grand... I then told him that yes SE's are great guitars and easy on the wallet, however, don't assume that everyone is poor... judging a customer before you actually meet them ruins your chances of making a sale and pleasing a customer... I hate when people do that to others in store (I've seen it a lot) but now it's happened to me lol
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So as someone who's newer to playing guitar (5 Months), I can honestly say I think you missed the point of the S2 line. It isn't meant to be as good as, or compete with, the CE models. The S2 line is for someone like me. I own an SE Singlecut and an S2 Custom 22. The SE line is amazing for the price point, truly, but isn't as nice as the S2. The difference in the electronic and the parts is what separates them. You get better pick ups, Phase II locking tuners, the better woods, and the better finishes. That's what you're paying the extra money for. If you take and SE and upgrade to the hardware of the S2 line than you will spend more money for lesser quality. If you want to start with a cheap blank canvas to mod, or just want to have the best PRS stuff, then no, the S2 is not good. This line is meant to get someone with less experience, such as myself, an American made option to compete with fender and Gibson. Obviously I felt as though they did that. Having bought and played a few Gibson Les Paul that are in the same price range I can see how the S2 is a great idea. It does everything those guitars at that price point do and better. You get more for your dollar.

Now having played a few Private Stocks, Artist Packages, and CE models, there is no comparison. If you have the money and can justify spending that much, do it. Which you have over and over.
 
I understand that point for sure, and it's nice that PRS is offering something in the middle of the road, however I will say that I too was a little let down by the S2 line. I was in my local music store over the weekend and they happened to have an S2 Custom 24 on the wall.

**Let me just say that I am the proud owner of an SE245 (my 1st PRS) and just last week got an American Custom 24 30th.**

Back to my comment..

I picked up the S2 and I immediately noticed three things:

1) I didn't care for the neck carve. I really like the Wide/Fat carve of my SE 245 and I love the Pattern Thin on my Custom 24, but this new Patter Regular or whatever just felt weird to me. Personally, I'm not a fan, but that's just me.

2) While playing the guitar, in all honesty, you could have told me that I was playing an SE Custom 24 and I would have believed you 110%. The guitar just did not have a "good", "higher end" feel to it. I can tell a huge difference between my Custom 24 30th and my SE 245 but I couldn't tell any difference between the S2 and my SE 245. Maybe it just needed a setup or something but for $$ or they're going for these days I don't know that I would buy it. I would rather buy a used full American line or just deal with the SE and upgrade pickups and stuff. My buddy, who was THIS close to buying an S2 this week, also felt the same thing. :/

3) The overall look and feel of the S2 just didn't seem like it was on par with other American made guitars. I understand that it doesn't have the full carve and what not, but still....I picked it up, held it, looked at it, felt it, etc. and if I hadn't known better, I would have thought it was an import. Maybe/hopefully it was an older model and the new ones aren't like this.

Idk...just my .02
 
This thread is timely! I am looking at the S2's, and weighing the price and the reviews. This thread has legs, though it rested through all of 2014; it jumped from Sept 2013 to St Patrick's Day 2015!

They should do an S2+ line, with some of the upgrades people have mentioned. The current top end of the S2 line is the S2 custom 22 semi around $1500-$1600?
Try to do a couple "S2+" hardware upgrade models with the custom 24 and the semi to hit that $1800-$2000 range, still well below a 'core' price point.
Do some S2+case bundles.. No way I keep this thing in a gig bag!!
 
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Hey guys. I just picked up an Antique White S2 Singlecut. A little backstory here. I own 3 late 90s Custom 22s with Dragon 2s and a lawsuit Singlecut with #7s.

Firstly. This is a VERY well built instrument. The intonation, fretwork, and electronics are all top notch US PRS all the way.

The guitar DOES NOT sound like a PRS to me. It has it's own voice. More SG than LP. I swapped out the #7s for Bareknuckle Mules to try to get it less biting and more round/warm. Even with the $300.00 Bareknuckle PAF clones the S2 still has a more jangly and snappy quality than a fat LP tone.

I purchased this guitar to replace my Custom 22s when on tour, and although the S2 doesn't have the growl of my 22s or my Singlecut; it is a work horse guitar that I'm not afraid to havetake a few bruises on the road. Planning on purchasing another as a backup and throwing Duncans in it.

Hope this helps!

-W
 
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I have never liked any of the lower line PRSs at all. I buy PRS because I want the best of the best, and they give me that EVERY time I buy a top model. When they cut corners, it brings them right into the market of many other manufactures who do it just as good, and some (maybe Fender/Guild for one) possibly better. That is a very crowded market, and you can only do so much and keep the price down. I dont think it has anything to do with PRS, its just the cost of building even a mid class guitar and trying to make a profit. Its a very tough market out there, and it sucks PRS and other manufacturers have to go that route to survive, but they do. Not the best of times in the USA right now, thats for sure.
 
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Too each his own I own an s2 Mira hollow body and love everything about it,I could afford a private stock don't wish to own one,for the simple fact It would not be practical taking it out to a gig and babysitting it all night.I believe if you can play then play whatever your comfortable with.not cool to judge a guitar simply by what it costs,believe me I play out all the time ran into a lot of posers and many guitarists with inferior guitars who astonish me.like frank Zappa says shut up and play your guitar whatever it is. My 2 cents
 
Case in point played a gig Saturday two band bill the guitarist from the other band had a Murphy aged 59 he was playing Duane Allman licks like you never heard fantastic guitarist.I had my dgt and my Se One played the se first set,this guy comes up to me and asked what pickup I had I told him it was stock he said one of the best p90 he ever heard.my point being give Al Dimeola an S2anyone and I guarantee all of us will have to lift our jaws off the ground,your sound comes from within.
 
I agree that you can make music with any guitar, even a beater you find at Goodwill or salvation army, but I looked at and tried a couple S2 series and wasn't impressed. It would be a decent axe for bar gigs but I'd buy a used USA PRS core line instrument instead. It wasn't any specific part of the design or fabrication, just the overall feel and playability didn't connect with me. I didn't think they were that much better than the SE stuff.
 
Well we have to applaud prs for theSe and S2l line I use my Bernie/s2mira/my se one/and me se Santana on a lot of gigs not because their inexpensive but because they sound and play great I respect and care for all my guitars.
 
Admittedly I'm a fan boy (if a guy my age can legitimately be called "boy"), but based on the S2s I've handled, I think they're really nice guitars.

In fact, the Vela has really piqued my interest. Not that I need another guitar, but my son has gotten me into trying out his more interesting vintage guitars, and the Vela reminds me of that alternative sorta vibe.
 
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Bluesboy998 said:
Case in point played a gig Saturday two band bill the guitarist from the other band had a Murphy aged 59 he was playing Duane Allman licks like you never heard fantastic guitarist.I had my dgt and my Se One played the se first set,this guy comes up to me and asked what pickup I had I told him it was stock he said one of the best p90 he ever heard.my point being give Al Dimeola an S2anyone and I guarantee all of us will have to lift our jaws off the ground,your sound comes from within.
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Im not sure about your point here. :iamconfused: I dont really care much for Al D these days, but I can play as well on my $189 mexican fender as I can on my PS. I just do not like it anywhere near as much. I think the OP was just saying that for him, he did not like the S2s anywhere near as much as the core models. I could be wrong though. :redface:
 
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LSchefman said:
Admittedly I'm a fan boy (if a guy my age can legitimately be called "boy"), but based on the S2s I've handled, I think they're really nice guitars.

In fact, the Vela has really piqued my interest. Not that I need another guitar, but my son has gotten me into trying out his more interesting vintage guitars, and the Vela reminds me of that alternative sorta vibe.
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Les. PRS makes a lot of guitars. I am sure there are some that you REALLY do not like. I cant think of a single manufacturer that does not make a model I hate. :D

:rock::rock::rock:
 
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