"Message to Paul" or better "Please Paul Reed This"

polluxx

New Member
Joined
Feb 18, 2024
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23
Dear Paul,

I hope you read this

first of all I would like to express my enthusiasm for your creations, your products are outstanding.
Unfortunately, I have to get something off my chest that really annoys me:

I finally had some money left over to buy a better guitar and I knew immediately that it had to be a PRS. After a lot of research into the specs of the individual models, I decided on an S2 Standard 24 Satin in the color Charcoal. Pattern Thin and also the 43mm nut and everything else convinced me.
Unfortunately, I could no longer order this color from the German dealers, so I went looking for it on the second-hand market. But that's not my point.
After a long wait, I finally found one as good as new (Build 2021) and bought it directly and had it sent to me.
After a short period of use, I realized that it couldn't be the neck thickness and nut width I wanted and a remeasurement confirmed this namely 42mm nut and pattern regular neck. Then I did some more research on the internet and realized that there was a lot of confusion and ignorance about this model. I actually fell for it that at some point the neck, nut and also the pickups were changed by PRS and if I went back in time it would happen again as it's not transparent at all. Even the dealers list specs that don't exist, such as the following link, where the 85/15 "S" pickups are listed even though this combination with the neck and nut never existed, and that's how it goes through the dealers even they get mixed up how can a consumer not fall for it.
It wouldn't be so bad, as the parts you use are always very high quality, but I was so annoyed by the neck and nut width and for someone like me it's a tragedy to spend so much money (1200 euros) on a guitar that i didn't want.
Of course it's my own fault, but I still have to get rid of it and would like you to be more transparent about it.
Now I'm unfortunately stuck with the guitar and can't get to grips with it, although everything else about this guitar is a dream.

Thank you for reading this and maybe you'll take it to heart
 
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Of course it's my own fault,
Yes, user misinformation spread on the internet including some dealers.

would like you to be more transparent about it.
PRS can't get much more transparent than this


I'd contact the dealer. If specs don't match that's on them.
 
You misunderstood me, I bought it second-hand from a private Person.
It's just dangerous if you research the specs and the change to a previous model was so serious that you don't expect it, apart from that you also have to know that something has changed at all. Unfortunately there is no overview by year of manufacture and specs and that is the problem, a history would be desirable
 
PRS guitars are a revolving door of "innovation" (changes). They should disclose that crap on their website. IMO, YMMV.

They're just as bad as Marshall amps with the dumbass model names and different components/circuit layouts yearly.
 
As a person who thought I could only play one neck shape for along time , if you like the tone of the guitar give it some more time , I have found that it actually improves my playing to go between different scale lengths and neck shapes.
Hope you find what you are looking for or grow to love the one you have
 
As a person who thought I could only play one neck shape for along time , if you like the tone of the guitar give it some more time , I have found that it actually improves my playing to go between different scale lengths and neck shapes.
Hope you find what you are looking for or grow to love the one you have

Agreed, until physical limitations kick in. For my style and current physical limitations, I'm only able to play for about a half hour a week unless the neck is a thin, flat D shape similar to my Ibanez. I miss playing my PRSi. :(
 
I’ve only seen one nut width on the S2’s and one neck shape. Did I miss something? My three are identical, although different years. As I understood it, that was done as a cost saving measure. By the way, if I didn’t have a core, I could gig happily forever on an S2.
 
There are at least three different neck craves on the S2s right now.

One thing to remember is that PRS doesn’t benefit directly from used sales, so it makes sense that they don’t do things that would promote people choosing used guitars over new guitars.
 
Agreed, until physical limitations kick in. For my style and current physical limitations, I'm only able to play for about a half hour a week unless the neck is a thin, flat D shape similar to my Ibanez. I miss playing my PRSi. :(
Ever tried a Holcomb? Different from the typical PRS to be sure, but notably has a super-flat 20" radius and wide-thin carve
 
Where did you find your specs that made you decide this was the model for you? Did you specifically search out specs for that model year? As the link SinSir sent you above of the spec page from that model year, it clearly states it has a pattern regular neck profile which if memory serves me is the fatter of the profiles. Now fairly enough the link doesn't state nut width, but.... The link you sent even states pattern regular profile.
It appears you researched your specs based on the current model year. How would PRS have communicated to you about changes? This is a now more than 2 year old model? I guess they could create a model change log, But nothing i would expect from them. Would it be nice sure, but...
Just seems more like a mistake on your part for maybe just not doing enough research first. And I don't say this in a fanboy, point fingers at you kind of way. Hell i just bought a standard 22 that i thought was a McCarty. like yourself, it came down to me just not doing "enough" research and unfortunately I am buying used as well, so now i gotta deal with it.

I think most guitar manufacturers innovate pretty regularly, and change up specs of their models. and most i believe post specs on their websites. Again, would some type of company created change log be nice, of course.
Believe me I know the feeling of making an expensive mistake hurts, I am going through it with ya, but we as consumers gotta take more responsibility.
 
That's exactly the point, I couldn't have done any research, I opened a thread in the largest German guitar forum, but even there they were sure that the S2 only has the specs as it currently has except for the pickups. I also knew about the pickups, but not the rest. And Thomann Germany didn't know anything about it either, I called them to make sure. In the end, I stuck with knowing that only the pickups were different and so I bought a second-hand guitar. I was also confused by the dealer's specs, but after several forum users assured me of the 43mm, I thought that the dealers were making mistakes, just like with the pickups.

So there is a lot of confusion.

Of course I consider myself to be at fault, but unfortunately I didn't have many options to protect myself
 
That's exactly the point, I couldn't have done any research, I opened a thread in the largest German guitar forum, but even there they were sure that the S2 only has the specs as it currently has except for the pickups. I also knew about the pickups, but not the rest. And Thomann Germany didn't know anything about it either, I called them to make sure. In the end, I stuck with knowing that only the pickups were different and so I bought a second-hand guitar. I was also confused by the dealer's specs, but after several forum users assured me of the 43mm, I thought that the dealers were making mistakes, just like with the pickups.

So there is a lot of confusion.

Of course I consider myself to be at fault, but unfortunately I didn't have many options to protect myself
I just Google 2021 prs s2 standard 24. And the first result is the prs site which states the correct specs... that's all I'm saying. If the seller represented different specs then I would start a claim.
 
I did it now too, the first result is this link, on the page they even manage to mention both pickups, 85/15 in the specs and the 58/15 in the description, it's really the first result for me and there's nothing about the nut.


The second result is the official PRS site, no info about the nut there either.


And at some point you also believe in one direction and then react accordingly. As I said before, if I got into the delorian and traveled back, the same thing would happen to me again and I think that's an extreme shame, especially if you've saved up for your dream guitar.
 
The second result is the official PRS site, no info about the nut there either.
First hit on Google.


It sucks, but it's on you. Lesson learned. Both are great profiles. Play it for a while and you might like it? I'd prefer the pattern regular. It's one of mine and many favorites. I'd also prefer the 5815 pickups. Sounds like one of those happy accidents to me. Hopefully once you get over the "issue" you'll feel the same.
 
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@SinSir

You can only understand life backwards, but you have to live it forwards.
I'm just saying that you're always smarter afterwards, but the danger of confusion is very great. I've never seen anything change so drastically within a model, so I didn't expect it. the nut width and the neck profile are very serious.
But ok, of course the blame lies with me, as I've already said, the risk is just very high of getting a guitar with the wrong specs.
 
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