Are the Core models worth the extra thousands over the S2?

[Bogner]

Just Buy The Very Expensive One And Then You Will Be Too Broke To Look At Anything Else And Will Love What You Have Because That Is All You Will Be Getting For A Very Long Time. The Price Point Will Make You Think It Is Good And Eventually You Will Brainwash Yourself To The Fact That It Is Indeed Really Good And You Will Be Too Embarrassed To Admit It Is Bad (If Indeed It Is A Bad One) Because Of What You Paid For It. All Of These Points Are Positives And A Great Reason To Buy High Without A Try. Live Dangerously!

 

[Prina]

Best way to answer that is to try them out yourself.

And if $$ are really important, consider used where the difference between them is significantly less as are the overall prices.

 

[sergiodeblanc]

Just Buy The Very Expensive One And Then You Will Be Too Broke To Look At Anything Else And Will Love What You Have Because That Is All You Will Be Getting For A Very Long Time. The Price Point Will Make You Think It Is Good And Eventually You Will Brainwash Yourself To The Fact That It Is Indeed Really Good And You Will Be Too Embarrassed To Admit It Is Bad (If Indeed It Is A Bad One) Because Of What You Paid For It. All Of These Points Are Positives And A Great Reason To Buy High Without A Try. Live Dangerously!

This is the realest post of the year.

 

[xchefdino]

Now that the S2 has the same pickups and electronics as the Core, do you think the Core models are worth it for the fancier carves even though the S2 are also made in the same factory as the Core?

Honestly they tend to sound somewhat the same with the same pups. Also the CE as well. But if you can afford the core then go for it. Much more passionate to play with

 

[Rider1260]

I have only had one S2 and it was sweet but it didn't hang around very long.
It just depends on your budget , I would 100% take a used Core over a new S2
and just to muddy the waters more don't forget the Bolt on line ( Fiore , NF53 , Silver Sky , Miles Kennedy Sig, CE 22 and 24 ) along with older models like the NF3 , DC3 . that I find more interesting for similar $$

 

[Broseph]

But what if l a used 2024 S2 popped up?

to me the s2 line is great for 594, vela, and 24-08. All of these are either exclusives or are things that are close to half that of a new core. The same holds true on the used markets.

Wouldn’t surprise me if eventually PRS dumps the CE 24s. Just keep the s2 versions. It will condense their portfolio and highlight the other bolt ons

 

[SinSir]

But what if l a used 2024 S2 popped up?

to me the s2 line is great for 594, vela, and 24-08. All of these are either exclusives or are things that are close to half that of a new core. The same holds true on the used markets.

Wouldn’t surprise me if eventually PRS dumps the CE 24s. Just keep the s2 versions. It will condense their portfolio and highlight the other bolt ons

S2 used is one of the best values out there for a recent model PRS.

I don't see PRS dropping the CE. It's already survived a cut and brought back in it's current incarnation to be one of the better PRS sellers. But I agree, the move to core pickups in the s2 does muddy waters and it'll be interesting to see how this effects CE sales. I'd guess a lot of those sales were people that wanted a Cu24ish guitar with core pickups but at a lesser price tag.

 

[Broseph]

Yep. CE came back in 2016 and filled a void for cheaper USA electronics. Now that’s been done with the s2. CE 24’s gotta be further updated to help justify the price differences. I wonder if the upgraded S2’s will eat into those CE sales.

To be honest I never understood why a bolt on would be cheaper than a set neck

 

[spawnofthesith]

I like having both


I personally wouldn't spend the current asking price of a new core, but you can find used cores for under $2k fairly easily. You may not get to be as choosy at that price point but if you keep an eye out can find great stuff. I got my '00 10 top custom 22 $1700 last year

 

[SinSir]

Yep. CE came back in 2016 and filled a void for cheaper USA electronics. Now that’s been done with the s2. CE 24’s gotta be further updated to help justify the price differences. I wonder if the upgraded S2’s will eat into those CE sales.

To be honest I never understood why a bolt on would be cheaper than a set neck

Doubtful, but I wonder if they'll bring back the full violin carve? That would certainly help the cause. The bolt on thing was more of a perception back in the day now there's other cost savings measures to support a lower ce price point.

 

[Ovibos]

If you put a rubber nut and rubber strings on them they sound the same.

 

[AP515]

It's not about the instrument, it's about you. They both will play well and sound great. They won't sound the same, but no two instruments do anyway. It comes down to what you want and what you can afford. They are few who say they wish the hadn't purchased a core...

 

[watelessness]

TOTALLY worth it! it's the wood, man, the wood. and the top carve

 

[aphantomvaper]

To answer OP, yes they are.

Next question?

 

[Revelation]

I spent some time with the PRS Custom 24, Custom 24 08, and S2 Custom 24 at the wonderful Northeast Guitars in PA. All are very good guitars. I found the S2 a nice step up from the SE guitars. Now that they have the same electronics and pickups they are a very good option. However if you want that carve body of the Core, the binding and overall quality step up that you feel every time you pick it up, you will need to go to the Core model. I also found even with the same pickups, the Core had a fuller sound over the S2. Your paying for double the price for the 13% improvement in sound and look, so only you can make the decision if it is worth it. For me, I would say it is worth it. Now I have a friend who also swapped out the S2 bridge with the Core bridge and he found it had a more open sound with a little longer sustain. So that is another option.

I however found myself just enjoying the looks of the Core model more. The fret job and just the feel and look of the guitar inspired me more. The Customer 24 has a more open top end sound while the 08 has a fuller sound. I personally preferred the fuller sound of the 08, but again its personal preference. With distortion, the Custom 24 and a more mid range punch, while the Custom 24 08 had a more full spectrum sound. The big question is do I want to spend that much money for a Core Custom 24? The answer for me is yes. But I will need to wait over 6 months before I could pull the trigger. Patience is something needed and to forget about it while your saving money for it. I would much rather purchase the guitar from Northeast Music over the box stores and providing local music stores my business which is important to me.

https://imgur.com/4GyDAn1