Tammany
New Member
After a lot of research and in store playing, I am about to pull the trigger on a 2018 S2 Singlecut Standard at a local shop. The guitar is in pristine condition and is priced about $150 higher than the most comparable new 25" scale SE 22 fret singlecut, although there is no directly comparable new SE model. If I am understanding things, the SE Starla more or less replaced this model and took it offshore, but that guitar is two controls only and lacks locking tuners. The guitar I am considering has a trans red finish that shows off some nice mahogany grain, while most of the SE Starlas seem to be painted. I also understand that the PRS product progression was this version of the S2, whuch became the US made Starla, which was then discontinued, in favo of the Indonesian SE Starlas.
I am primarily a clean player using a variety of old school Fender circuits, primarily a '65 Deluxe Reverb. I am looking for a warm but clean sounding humbucker guitar and love the coil spiltting options on this guitar that also build in my beloved SC tones. I have played this guitar through a Princetion Reverb at the shop and like the tone a lot but have not brought in my amp, nor have I been able to AB the guitar next to other PRS guitars or even a quality Les Paul. I love the old school LP tone but have never loved LPs themselves because of their weight and tendency to slip off the lap of a seated player. For this reason, the ergonomics of this S2 appeals to me. It's obviously not an LP tone but it is generally what I am looking for.
Before I make the commitment, I am intereted in general impressions of this guitar by PRS players with a broader familiarity with the various tone palettes of these guitars..
Also, I would appreciate specific input regarding the following questions.
A. How does the quality of the imported hardware compare to hardware on PRS Core guitars? The locking tuners and the tail piece look comparable but I really am not sure what's under the hood of those components. Any hands on experience?
B. The guitar has #7 pickups, which I understand are Korean made and less less detailed versions of 57/08s. I am a big fan of Fralin pickups and might consider an upgrade to some version of their PAFs with matching pots. So, I have three questions. 1. How serviceable are the #7s? 2. Would the upgrade be worth the money for the tone I am chasing? And 3. What other suggestions would people have for warm but not muddy replacement pickups other than the Fralins?
C. In terms of resale, is there significant bias out there against S2 guitars or this model specifically (which is now out of the PRS lineup)? I am not buying this guitar to flip it. At my age and stage of my playing, my assumption is that I am buying the guitar for keeps. Nevertheless, if I end up not liking the guitar in my at home playing environment, compared to other guitars in the barn, it will be sold, so this consideration is important to me.
Many thanks for your thoughful comments.
I am primarily a clean player using a variety of old school Fender circuits, primarily a '65 Deluxe Reverb. I am looking for a warm but clean sounding humbucker guitar and love the coil spiltting options on this guitar that also build in my beloved SC tones. I have played this guitar through a Princetion Reverb at the shop and like the tone a lot but have not brought in my amp, nor have I been able to AB the guitar next to other PRS guitars or even a quality Les Paul. I love the old school LP tone but have never loved LPs themselves because of their weight and tendency to slip off the lap of a seated player. For this reason, the ergonomics of this S2 appeals to me. It's obviously not an LP tone but it is generally what I am looking for.
Before I make the commitment, I am intereted in general impressions of this guitar by PRS players with a broader familiarity with the various tone palettes of these guitars..
Also, I would appreciate specific input regarding the following questions.
A. How does the quality of the imported hardware compare to hardware on PRS Core guitars? The locking tuners and the tail piece look comparable but I really am not sure what's under the hood of those components. Any hands on experience?
B. The guitar has #7 pickups, which I understand are Korean made and less less detailed versions of 57/08s. I am a big fan of Fralin pickups and might consider an upgrade to some version of their PAFs with matching pots. So, I have three questions. 1. How serviceable are the #7s? 2. Would the upgrade be worth the money for the tone I am chasing? And 3. What other suggestions would people have for warm but not muddy replacement pickups other than the Fralins?
C. In terms of resale, is there significant bias out there against S2 guitars or this model specifically (which is now out of the PRS lineup)? I am not buying this guitar to flip it. At my age and stage of my playing, my assumption is that I am buying the guitar for keeps. Nevertheless, if I end up not liking the guitar in my at home playing environment, compared to other guitars in the barn, it will be sold, so this consideration is important to me.
Many thanks for your thoughful comments.
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