Dang Velas...

Ok, so I have been reading so much about Velas and Aahzz recommended them to me in another post I made earlier. So, when one within my budget became available, I picked it up for a lot less than others. Sure a couple dings, but makes it easier to play. Kind of like the first time a rock hits your car on the highway, you relax a bit more. I was hoping to find one with bird inlays since this is my first and only PRS without birds, but they were a little more costly and my fundage was greatly reduced from my MEV purchase and Mira. So, honestly, first thoughts were, "meh, I expected magic". So, I played it a while.. through an amp and kemper...and picked up my 594 SC to compare now that I had played the Vela. OK, so I guess I had to go on a few "dates" with Vela to see the appeal... And I decided, it's the tele I can love. Yes, I've heard it isn't a "tele", but I have never enjoyed playing a tele. Like a few others who have said, they look and sound great when others play, but I guess I'm a PRS guy through and through. The sounds I got were definitely different than all my other guitars. And to be honest I like the Teleprster sound over the tele. But we all have opinions. :)
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Nice looking Vela :). Vela evangelist that I am, it still took me a couple dates, as you phrased it, to fully fall in love.
 
Call me crazy…but there’s a difference in reclaimed velas. I sold my previous one months ago. Deeply regretted it. Reacquired one. The figuring on the new one is higher. It sounds so much louder acoustically than I previously recall. It does feel slightly heavier than what I had. I read that the perabosa is a naturally heavy wood so that’s why they made them semi hollow. But the acoustic feel to this one is crazy good. The best out of any PRS semihollow i have had (compared to the se, s2, and CE) that i have tried. Somehow this new one is even better than what I had!
 
I loved my reclaimed, REALLY an amazing instrument, just didn’t quite scratch that itch.. They are soooo cool !
 
There are two reclaims with dings and dents posted for over 5500 on Reverb. Insane. I bought mine in mint condition for 1/3rd of that price less than a year ago.
 
yeah the market for these are insane. I'm not sure I can recall an S2 that has already doubled in price in a few years span. Although nobody is gonna bite anytime soon at the 5k prices...I do not think dents/scratches matter much on the reclaimed versions. Heck mine has about 3 holes from nails :eek:
 
yeah the market for these are insane. I'm not sure I can recall an S2 that has already doubled in price in a few years span. Although nobody is gonna bite anytime soon at the 5k prices...I do not think dents/scratches matter much on the reclaimed versions. Heck mine has about 3 holes from nails :eek:

Those are tone ports ;)
 
I’m madly in love with my new Vela. PRS made some minor questionable cosmetic decisions which I’m in the process of addressing (I’m not a fan of the white edges on the pickguard so that was the first thing to go, I’m waiting on a plain rosewood truss rod cover because I don’t dig the stock engraved one, and I have several sets of knobs on order to see what’s going to look best). BUT, the guitar itself is absolutely killer. I expected that I’d probably replace the bridge pickup with a TV Jones Classic Plus or a Power’Tron, but both the stock pickups sound great. It amazes me that these guitars aren’t more popular, even though part of my brain understands it (too plain for the average PRS fan and just not on the radar of Fender/Gibson/Gretsch players because it’s a PRS). But boy is everyone missing out on a fantastic guitar.
We recently A/B’d my Vela next to an NF53. I was surprised at just how similar they are. The NF53 bridge pickup is pretty special, but the neck pickup isn’t as articulate as the D-style neck pickup in the Vela. For the money, the Vela wins hands down.
 
We recently A/B’d my Vela next to an NF53. I was surprised at just how similar they are. The NF53 bridge pickup is pretty special, but the neck pickup isn’t as articulate as the D-style neck pickup in the Vela. For the money, the Vela wins hands down.
I’m somewhat embarrassed to say that since my original post I bought a second Vela and neither of them have the stock pickups, even though I still LOVE the stock pickups. My original one ended up with a Firebird neck pickup that Chris from K-Line guitars made for me and a humbucker-sized Firebird pickup from D’Urbano/Mr. Fabulous. I *highly* recommend Firebird pickups if anyone is looking for a different flavor for their Vela, they sound fantastic. The other one (in my profile pic) I bought specifically because I had a set of Harmonic Design Z-90’s lying around with no home and I thought they’d sound killer in a Vela (I was right).

If I ever abandon the last shred of rationality I have left and buy a satin white Vela (can you tell I love them?) I swear to god I’ll leave the stock pickups in that one.
 
I’m somewhat embarrassed to say that since my original post I bought a second Vela and neither of them have the stock pickups, even though I still LOVE the stock pickups. My original one ended up with a Firebird neck pickup that Chris from K-Line guitars made for me and a humbucker-sized Firebird pickup from D’Urbano/Mr. Fabulous. I *highly* recommend Firebird pickups if anyone is looking for a different flavor for their Vela, they sound fantastic. The other one (in my profile pic) I bought specifically because I had a set of Harmonic Design Z-90’s lying around with no home and I thought they’d sound killer in a Vela (I was right).

If I ever abandon the last shred of rationality I have left and buy a satin white Vela (can you tell I love them?) I swear to god I’ll leave the stock pickups in that one.
If you have sound clips of either or both I would love to hear them. I love the stock pickups right now, but I may buy a semi-hollow to go with my solid body.
 
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