Bought a brand new S2 Singlecut...

Biowolf78

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Apr 21, 2017
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Hello everyone, I'm new to the boards and to the PRS guitar family.

I'm about to graduate from my University/ birthday coming up and i'm being gifted a guitar of my choice. I decided to go with the S2 Singlecut, however I'm getting nervous. I keep seeing mixed feelings on the guitar. Some people are saying that its just a glorified SE. $xxxx is not just loose change, and I need honest opinions on the guitar. I want a quality piece that resonates and feels/sounds like its worth it's price. I apologize in advance, as i'm sure I'm not the first one to bring this topic up, but how bout helping me out as an early birthday gift? hehe

On a side note: I know they are different guitars, but i'm also looking at the Fender Professional or Elite series strats. I just want this purchase to be high quality, as this is for a special and momentous occasion. (I don't have any nearby music stores to try out the S2)
 
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Having all three levels of PRS - SE, S2, Core - I can say that the S2 is not a glorified SE. SE's are great, but the word work is not the same. While S2s have imported hardware (correct me if I am wrong), the wood work is AMAZING - I would equate it to USA Jackson (of which I played for decades) or EBMM. The bevels on the S2 are VERY comfortable and well thought out and the neck is GLORIOUS.

I have an S2 Singlecut Standard and it hangs happily with my Core PRS'. When I pick it up it doesn't feel "cheap" or "sub-par" in anyway. Aside from changing ONE knob for visual ease, I have HAPPILY kept mine totally stock.

If you aren't happy with the S2 I would be shocked. The feel, for me, it light years beyond the Fender guitars. I dig Fenders - especially teles - but the PRS is in a league of its own....even the S2.

I will explain the three levels of PRS based on MY feelings and opinions of use - others may see/feel differently, and that's cool....

SE - Good meat and potatoes guitar. Looks awesome onstage, feels FAR better than other guitars in the same price range. Awesome for taking into dubious places to play a gig if you still want a good looking guitar. Good enough to be your main guitar.

S2 - GREAT guitar. Look fabulous, feel fabulous, sound is awesome (mine have the S2 7 pickups which I LOVE - other opinions exist). This could EASILY be your main guitar forever. If PRS EVER came to me and said, "Hey! Would you like to endorse the S2 line?" I'd be like, "Hell Yeah!!" I'd be happy playing my S2 Standards and that's it.

Core - OTHER-WORLDLY IN EVERY WAY. These guitars are almost impossible to explain the level of total perfection. I bought a MC-58, picked it up at the GC, and took it STRAIGHT to a gig that same night. Didn't have to do a set-up, I barely needed to tune it....and that was a USED guitar!!!

Long story short, ignore the nay-sayers, get your S2, and play it to death!!!!
 
Welcome to the Enablers Club! What Mark said...put your reservations aside...you'll love the S2, and be on your way to figuring out what your next PRSi will be before you know it!
 
Thank you so much for the responses! You're starting to make me feel a lot better. I was just freaking out with the "glorified SE comments". Any idea why such a pricey guitar doesn't ship with a hard shell, though? Standard Fenders come with em and they're cheaper
 
And yes, this is my first foray into the American PRS. My fiancé is in for a wild future with me, hehe
 
Thank you so much for the responses! You're starting to make me feel a lot better. I was just freaking out with the "glorified SE comments". Any idea why such a pricey guitar doesn't ship with a hard shell, though? Standard Fenders come with em and they're cheaper

Sure thing, man!!

The case? I don't KNOW, but I can just speculate that it is because PRS uses the G&G style cases that are REALLY nice, and Fender uses the SKB style on most guitars. Don't worry, the PRS gig bag is great. I gig a couple times a week and never bring the cases - I put all my guitars (even the Artist package stuff) into one of the S2 gig bags and I never worry. The ONLY time I take a case is if we are travelling more than 45 minutes to do a show.
 
The S2 naysayers have probably never played one, most assuredly never owned one. The level of animosity towards PRS in general on other forums is the stuff of legend.

It's the internet, after all. And human nature is that people pontificate on lots of things they know very little about.

What you really need to do is take a road trip some weekend to a stocking dealer and make evaluations for yourself. ...even if that means you end up with the Fender instead.

You'll be happier about your purchase in the long run.

If you have already made your purchase, take the S2 to a stocking Fender dealer and compare them side by side.
 
If you ever see Paul anywhere, he uses a gig bag on his personal guitars, All my hard cases are under the bed. When I fly, I very nicely ask if I can hang my guitar up in the coat closet, and then I show them the coat hook which is in the top of every gig bag. I have 5 hard cases under my bed getting dusty. My core guitars leave the house in gig bags. Mark is spot on in his descriptions. I`ve never played a bad PRS at any price level. I do have spectacular guitars at every price level, including an S2 custom 22 that is all stock. As long as you understand that it`s a PRS, not a G or F, you`ll love the guitar. By the way I hate guitar snobs, regardless of the price level. i`ve been playing for 50 years, and only play PRS anymore. I just wish he`d been making guitars when I was your age. It would have saved me a lot of money and aggravation.
 
Mark really nailed it. The SE guitars are great, but the S2 is truly at a higher level of build and finish quality. The only areas where SE is on par is the electronics and, if you get a trem guitar, the bridge. Well, the gig bags are equally great as well.

For me, the only true weakness of the S2 is the volume pots they use. Some folks are fine with them though. Worst case, if you don't like them it's less than $20 for a pair of Core pots. The pickups are pretty good, but I don't worry so much about them since there are a million replacements out there and people swap pickups all the time, regardless of level of guitar.

Going with a gig bag over the hardshell is certainly a cost saving method, but also these guitars are largely geared to the "working musician" who travels light. The PRS cases are top quality, but they're heavy and clunky. When I bought my 594, the case almost immediately went under the bed. I keep the guitar in a soft case.

I like what Fender has done with the American Professional series. I haven't played any yet, so can't vouch for the consistency or quality. It's just an entirely different beast. It'll surely do the Strat thing best (obviously), but the S2 Singlecut will be more versatile with the 4 knob layout and dual coil splits. PRS is so darn consistent, you can just pick the one with the top you like best and take it straight to a gig.

Oh, and congrats on graduating!
 
Lol - funny - this is definitely an "enablers club"

I don't have an S2, but do have a CE as well as an American Professional Strat. I love the strat - it's a great guitar, but for me the PRS is a really great guitar comparatively. I would get an S2 over a professional strat - but that is my preference. Don't think you can go wrong with either.
 
Happy Birthday!

I have both the S2 and Am Pro. If I had to get rid of all but one of my guitars, I would keep the S2. (And thats a pretty strong statement. I love Strats)

If you get an older S2 singlecut, I would swap out the bridge.
 
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I really, really love my S2's, have a Custom 22 Semi and a Standard 22 Satin. I also love my SE's (CU24 and Akesson, basically a fancier SE245), now if you made me choose between the Akesson and an S2 Singlecut, it would be tough, but vs. a stock SE245 I would go for the S2 every time. The hardware on the S2's is fantastic IMO. The locking tuners are probably my favorite part. My first S2 from '14 has an occasionally scratchy volume pot, but nothing a quick squirt of contact cleaner spray won't fix, tone pot resistance is a little lighter than the volume, and the pickup selector is not as crisp as it could be. On my late '15 S2 Satin the electronics are all spot on, so perhaps those issues on the earlier ones have been fixed. Don't get me wrong, both work 100%. AND on the S2 you're going to get separate push/pulls to split each pickup individually, which gives you some really good sounding tones, which the SE won't.

As mentioned, the gig bags are ace, I actually prefer them to a hard case. Very protective, comfy to carry, way easier than lugging a hard case into a gig. My hard cases also sit in a closet!

Have you decided on a solid body or the semi hollow? The solids are good for very focused, clear, punchy tones. The semis sound very deep and are more forgiving in the upper notes and don't have an ice pick tone compared to a solid body. Just something to consider.

I did swap out the #7 in my Satin, sounded great in the deeper toned semi but a little nasal in the solid body. Frank at Coral Sky Music hooked me up with a covered 59/09 (thanks Frank!) to match the neck #7 (which is never coming out). Very cool.

Sorry for the long post. But, you're in for a nice guitar!
 
I really, really love my S2's, have a Custom 22 Semi and a Standard 22 Satin. I also love my SE's (CU24 and Akesson, basically a fancier SE245), now if you made me choose between the Akesson and an S2 Singlecut, it would be tough, but vs. a stock SE245 I would go for the S2 every time. The hardware on the S2's is fantastic IMO. The locking tuners are probably my favorite part. My first S2 from '14 has an occasionally scratchy volume pot, but nothing a quick squirt of contact cleaner spray won't fix, tone pot resistance is a little lighter than the volume, and the pickup selector is not as crisp as it could be. On my late '15 S2 Satin the electronics are all spot on, so perhaps those issues on the earlier ones have been fixed. Don't get me wrong, both work 100%. AND on the S2 you're going to get separate push/pulls to split each pickup individually, which gives you some really good sounding tones, which the SE won't.

As mentioned, the gig bags are ace, I actually prefer them to a hard case. Very protective, comfy to carry, way easier than lugging a hard case into a gig. My hard cases also sit in a closet!

Have you decided on a solid body or the semi hollow? The solids are good for very focused, clear, punchy tones. The semis sound very deep and are more forgiving in the upper notes and don't have an ice pick tone compared to a solid body. Just something to consider.

I did swap out the #7 in my Satin, sounded great in the deeper toned semi but a little nasal in the solid body. Frank at Coral Sky Music hooked me up with a covered 59/09 (thanks Frank!) to match the neck #7 (which is never coming out). Very cool.

Sorry for the long post. But, you're in for a nice guitar!
Such great responses!

I went with an S2 solid body Singlecut (Violin Amber Burst). I hear the bridges on these are American
 
I own SE, S2, and core guitars.
I have the same observations as Mark.

Such great responses!

I went with an S2 solid body Singlecut (Violin Amber Burst). I hear the bridges on these are American

I have the semi hollow version of that exact guitar. It gets the same amount of play time as my core and is a quality instrument.

When they came with the compensated stop tail, it was the American core version. Now they come with an adjustable stoptail that seems to be unique to the S2 line. Not sure where they are sourced.

The tuners and electronics are foreign, but the woods and construction is American with the same attention to detail as the core line.
 
OP you've heard it 32 times in this thread but I have Cores S2s and SEs and my favorite of the bunch is actually an S2 satin they are that good and worth the extra cash over the SE no question....
 
Excellent.
And... I'd rather have a better built guitar with a soft case than a lesser built guitar with a hard case.

Very true! Do you fare the S2 Singlecut (with PRS hardware upgrades) would compete with a core? I'm new to the mystique of the core line and don't know just how crazy they are.
 
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