Light weight PRS with Wide/Thin neck

[stevenew]

I have two PRS, a Hollowbody II & a SE Korina Single Cut, both have Wide/Fat necks and both are very light weight, 2.36kg & 2.89kg. After playing a SE Custom 24 with a Wide/Thin neck, I think a Wide/Thin would suit me better, but I do need a light weight guitar.

So does anyone know of any USA PRS that are light weight with Wide/Thin necks. I have been looking online at the natural finish Korina models that were produced around 2008-2009, KL 1812, KL 33, Custom? (unsure if this was called this looks like the KL 1812) but it seems only the Mira Korina had the Wide/Thin neck, even then some references state it has the regular neck.

Any help appreciated.

Steve

 

[shinksma]

Well, you can order pretty well whatever you want via the PS method. But I assume you are looking for something a little more affordable. Do you find the Custom24 to be too heavy? Although heavier than my HB, mine is lighter than my Les Paul.

I dunno...looking around on the PRS website, I don't see Wide/Thin or Pattern Thin offered on too many models other than Cu24/Cu22 type models. I wonder why the AP upgrade doesn't let you pick a neck thickness...

So you will probably have to look around for Korina models, maybe low-volume special runs for certain vendors, and pay a premium but less than a PS build.

Or find a used PS Hollowbody/semiHollow/Chambered that someone had built with a Wide/Thin neck at hopefully an affordable price.

 

[tomsamuels]

My 2009 mahogany Mira has a W/T neck and weighs 5.5lbs. I love it.

 

[AP515]

yep, find a Mira. W/T and mine weighs 6.0 lbs. It is actually lighter than I would like. I'd like to be in the 7's.

 

[tolm]

Another vote for the Mira: cracking looking and sounding guitars.

I wanna spec up a McCarty body-thickness PS Korina Mira with Maple Top, rosewood neck, 408 pickups and a Bigsby some day ...

 

[stevenew]

Thanks for the replies, I am at that age where I am getting back & shoulder problems among other things, so really light is paramount. I actually tried two custom 24s an SE & a USA but I think the neck on the USA one was the new pattern thin, anyway I definitely preferred the SE neck. The weight was not too bad but nowhere as light as my SE Korina. So yes I guessed I would have to look at the Ltd Korinas. Oh PS is way out of my league

I didn't realise the mahogany Mira was that light, the last Mira Korina I saw advertised with a weight was said to be 6.3Ibs. I shall have to start looking at the mahoganies, trouble is being in the UK not that many of any of these guitars come up for sale.

Thanks again

Steve

 

[Whitecat]

As with a lot of guitars there can be significant weight variances from sample to sample. The Korina limited run was mostly super light but there seem to be a handful of heavier ones, and PRS seems to have a good supply of lightweight mahogany... I'm surprised at how light some of the 'hog-based guitars are actually sometimes.

 

[AP515]

Thanks for the replies, I am at that age where I am getting back & shoulder problems among other things, so really light is paramount. ...

I'm right there with you. I had a 10.2 Lb Les Paul. It was sold. Doesn't stay if it isn't going to get played. I like a weight between 7 and 8 Lbs but if it's a great sounding guitar I can expand the weight range a little. Most PRS fall in that range.

 

[tolm]

Hey Steve - hadn't spotted you were UK based! Yeh, it can be tough finding your 'perfect' PRS this side of the pond - watching our US based friends with their limited special runs, online blowouts and Brazilian rosewood smorgasbord!!

PeachGuitars (who I bought my Paul's Guitar from) have some S2 Mira's in stock. - as so GuitarGuitar and some other places. Could be worth a try - I hear great things about the S2 range and the Mira/Starla models looks pretty close to the old Core versions - although I understand there are construction differences, of course.

 

[stevenew]

Hey Steve - hadn't spotted you were UK based! Yeh, it can be tough finding your 'perfect' PRS this side of the pond - watching our US based friends with their limited special runs, online blowouts and Brazilian rosewood smorgasbord!!

PeachGuitars (who I bought my Paul's Guitar from) have some S2 Mira's in stock. - as so GuitarGuitar and some other places. Could be worth a try - I hear great things about the S2 range and the Mira/Starla models looks pretty close to the old Core versions - although I understand there are construction differences, of course.

Hi, the S2 Mira have Pattern regular necks, which I think I have tried on another model (it gets real confusing) I didn't like it as much as a Wide/Thin. It would seem I have to look out for one of the original Mira. Problem is if I buy blind because of distance, getting an idea of the weight, some people seem to not have scales! I have seen a Mira Korina for sale in a shop but it is £1299 which seems a bit steep to me, privately they seem to go about £800 & mahogany ones about £700-750.

Steve

 

[tolm]

Ah - yes - was forgetting the pattern regular is the standard neck on (all?) the S2s.

Yeh, £1299 is a bit steep for a second hand core Mira to my eyes too. I've seen a couple of Korina ones come up in the last year, though, so you never know!

 

[stevenew]

@Whitecat

I notice you have a KL1812 which I believe has a 'standard' neck how do you find it compared to a wide/fat? I am still hunting for a lightweight with a wide/thin but all the korina models I see have regular, standard or wide/fat and none are located closer enough for me to try. The only wide/thin I see are on Custom 22/24. I did see a SE Soapbar with a wide thin which I was tempted with just to see how I got on with a wide/thin.

Thanks

 

[tolm]

@Whitecat

I notice you have a KL1812 which I believe has a 'standard' neck how do you find it compared to a wide/fat? I am still hunting for a lightweight with a wide/thin but all the korina models I see have regular, standard or wide/fat and none are located closer enough for me to try. The only wide/thin I see are on Custom 22/24. I did see a SE Soapbar with a wide thin which I was tempted with just to see how I got on with a wide/thin.

Thanks

I had a KL1812 previously but I found the Standard neck was too thin for my tastes - mainly right at the but end. I actually changed it for a SAS which also had a Standard neck but, being only 22 frets, didn't seem to thin out so much and I much preferred it. But the Wide/Fat or Pattern necks are by far my favourite.

 

[stevenew]

I had a KL1812 previously but I found the Standard neck was too thin for my tastes - mainly right at the but end. I actually changed it for a SAS which also had a Standard neck but, being only 22 frets, didn't seem to thin out so much and I much preferred it. But the Wide/Fat or Pattern necks are by far my favourite.

Yea that's the other thing both my PRS are 22 fret and I do keep wondering how I would get on with 24 fret, my Eggle is 24 but I don't play it that often but find it ok. The reason I am thinking of going for a w/t is i am at that age where I am having problems with my left hand (fretting hand), some tendon tis & arthritis and after a while I find the W/F a bit too chunky but trying various guitars in shops, I come back to the W/F as being most comfy. But the W/T I did try was real nice although the guitar was heavy, although who knows how the neck would feel when playing for long periods.

 

[sergiodeblanc]

I have a pretty bad left hand wrist from years of skating and snowboarding impact, there are times when I'm crawling around on my hands and knees that it'll even give out, and I find the W/T to aggravate it more often than the bigger necks due to the angle it requires my wrist to be at. I know it sounds weird, but the honking huge Santana neck profile on my KL33 seems to be the most comfortable... which I never would've guessed.

 

[stevenew]

I have a pretty bad left hand wrist from years of skating and snowboarding impact, there are times when I'm crawling around on my hands and knees that it'll even give out, and I find the W/T to aggravate it more often than the bigger necks due to the angle it requires my wrist to be at. I know it sounds weird, but the honking huge Santana neck profile on my KL33 seems to be the most comfortable... which I never would've guessed.

I heard others say similar, I am beginning to think maybe I should just stay with W/F. I have never tried a Santana profile. I have a Strat with a huge neck, it was my only guitar for years, but I find it unplayable. I guess the good thing about W/F is it gives me much more choice for the next guitar

Thanks for all your thoughts.

 

[Whitecat]

@Whitecat

I notice you have a KL1812 which I believe has a 'standard' neck how do you find it compared to a wide/fat? I am still hunting for a lightweight with a wide/thin but all the korina models I see have regular, standard or wide/fat and none are located closer enough for me to try. The only wide/thin I see are on Custom 22/24. I did see a SE Soapbar with a wide thin which I was tempted with just to see how I got on with a wide/thin.

Thanks

Honestly, I love both profiles. Pattern Thin/Wide Thin are the profiles that I least get along with, I don't feel like there's enough wood there and they cramp my fingers as a result.

The depth to a Pattern or a Pattern Regular is similar, but the Pattern or W/F is just wider/bigger overall. There is a difference too between Pattern and Wide/Fat - I prefer the former.

The best analogy I can think of is that the Pattern neck feels more like something Gibson might do and the Pattern Regular feels more like something Fender might do. They are still their own thing, by no means identical to either of the competition's neck profiles, but they fall into those camps if you are familiar with the feel of those guitars.

The switch from Pattern to Pattern Regular is not as drastic as a switch from the old W/F to Regular either - the former carves seem closer while still being different.

Hope that's of some help...!?

 

[tolm]

The switch from Pattern to Pattern Regular is not as drastic as a switch from the old W/F to Regular either - the former carves seem closer while still being different.

Hope that's of some help...!?

I'd agree with that: I tried a 24 fret Pattern Regular on an S2 Custom 24 the other day and was very (pleasantly!) surprised: still felt fairly substantial and with a slight(er) "V" feel as per the Pattern. The narrower string spacing on it would still lead me to prefer the Pattern but it was still very comfortable: and not at all as "toothpicky" as I remember the old Standard/Regular to be. I'd kinda like to try a 22 fret Pattern a Regular to see how that feels. If an S2 Mira had been in stock I would have done ... and may well have bought one!

 

[stevenew]

Thanks for the replies, gives me a lot to think about. I have been wondering about the new S2 Mira but not played one yet. I feel like the W/F is almost there if only it had slightly less depth. Perhaps the Pattern is the answer.

Thanks again

 

[tolm]

Thanks for the replies, gives me a lot to think about. I have been wondering about the new S2 Mira but not played one yet. I feel like the W/F is almost there if only it had slightly less depth. Perhaps the Pattern is the answer.

Thanks again

Pattern feels very similar to the Wide/Fat to me. Pattern Regular seems to have a bit more beef than the old Regular so could be a good one for you. Also, I think the DGT is supposed to be somewhere in between Wide/Fat and Regular - although your guitar choices are pretty limited for that one.