I know...pics or it didn't happen but the lens on my camera phone is scratched.
Anyways... I am on record on this forum as having slammed these particular S2 models due to the trem being the import version. Well, after some play time, I still stand by the trem comment. However the guitar had enough going for it to merit purchase. In my case, I had a straight up trade scenario so it made it a no brainer. Here are some thoughts.
1) Fit and finish: I'll give this a C grade. The staining on the back of the neck and headstock is a bit uneven and there are a couple of light spots. Not a deal breaker though. The polyester finish on the guitar does get a bit tacky. This is surprising given that Music Man also uses Poly and their finishes do not get tacky. This gives some resistance to going up and down the neck. Around the neck pocket there are some very minor finish imperfections. The finish on the front of the guitar is pristine though. The fret work, I'm afraid to say, needs some improvement. The guitar will eventually need a level at some point but its not imperative at this time as I only play at home. The rest of the set-up was good and the action was right where it should be.
2) Pickups: B+ This was the surprise with this guitar. The pickups are actually pretty good. Some of the demos out there have not done these justice. Playing through my Marshall 1 Watt, the bridge was very articulate with good bite. The neck pickup actually sounded like a 22 fret neck pickup which was good. The bridge pickup had moderate to high output and the neck pickup was low to medium output. Good balance when switching between.
3) Hardware: C+. The volume pot has way too much resistance when trying to knock volume down on the fly. I'd imagine you'd have a pretty strong hand if you did a lot of volume swells. The 5 way was also pretty rigid to move. The tuners are similar to the phase 2's. The bridge...well...its the SE bridge. It don't hold tune worth a darn. I bought the guitar knowing I'll have to put a USA PRS or mann-made unit it at some point. I can stomach that, especially since I don't feel compelled to swap pickups right away.
4) Appearance: A-. The pictures people post of these do these guitars absolutely no justice. The tops, while only partially figured, have a lot of life in there. There is a lot of subtle maple grain in there that just hasn't been showing up in photos. The inlays are very nice too and their simple understated look compliments the top well. My guitar came with a nice streaky rosewood board. The gold logo on the headstock is a nice touch.
5)Playability: A. This WAS the thing that separated the guitar from others I was looking at in this price range. Aside from the tackiness of the finish and the rigid hardware, the guitar sits perfectly against my body when using a strap. The forearm area is very comfortable. From a playability perspective, I'll take this beveled body over the violin carve any day. The main issue I always had with a normal CU24 was the upturned lip on the edge of the guitar irritating my forearm. That is not the case here. The neck is very similar to a pattern regular which I enjoy. I can shred up and down this neck with little hand fatigue. The other bonus is the guitar is extremely light. I'd guess 6.5 to 7lbs on mine. I'll pull out the scale later. I thought I was strapping on a Parker at first.
6) Sound: A. More lively and vocal than your typical run of the mill CU24. Based on the the weight and what I am hearing with my ears, I'm convinced that African Mahogany is being used for the back and neck material. That, kids, is not a bad thing.
Comments: PRS made some smart and not so smart decisions with this guitar. The clear coat and bridge are obvious detriments. A little more care could have been taken in finishing it and setting it up. Other than that, its a fine instrument worthy of the PRS brand.
Anyways... I am on record on this forum as having slammed these particular S2 models due to the trem being the import version. Well, after some play time, I still stand by the trem comment. However the guitar had enough going for it to merit purchase. In my case, I had a straight up trade scenario so it made it a no brainer. Here are some thoughts.
1) Fit and finish: I'll give this a C grade. The staining on the back of the neck and headstock is a bit uneven and there are a couple of light spots. Not a deal breaker though. The polyester finish on the guitar does get a bit tacky. This is surprising given that Music Man also uses Poly and their finishes do not get tacky. This gives some resistance to going up and down the neck. Around the neck pocket there are some very minor finish imperfections. The finish on the front of the guitar is pristine though. The fret work, I'm afraid to say, needs some improvement. The guitar will eventually need a level at some point but its not imperative at this time as I only play at home. The rest of the set-up was good and the action was right where it should be.
2) Pickups: B+ This was the surprise with this guitar. The pickups are actually pretty good. Some of the demos out there have not done these justice. Playing through my Marshall 1 Watt, the bridge was very articulate with good bite. The neck pickup actually sounded like a 22 fret neck pickup which was good. The bridge pickup had moderate to high output and the neck pickup was low to medium output. Good balance when switching between.
3) Hardware: C+. The volume pot has way too much resistance when trying to knock volume down on the fly. I'd imagine you'd have a pretty strong hand if you did a lot of volume swells. The 5 way was also pretty rigid to move. The tuners are similar to the phase 2's. The bridge...well...its the SE bridge. It don't hold tune worth a darn. I bought the guitar knowing I'll have to put a USA PRS or mann-made unit it at some point. I can stomach that, especially since I don't feel compelled to swap pickups right away.
4) Appearance: A-. The pictures people post of these do these guitars absolutely no justice. The tops, while only partially figured, have a lot of life in there. There is a lot of subtle maple grain in there that just hasn't been showing up in photos. The inlays are very nice too and their simple understated look compliments the top well. My guitar came with a nice streaky rosewood board. The gold logo on the headstock is a nice touch.
5)Playability: A. This WAS the thing that separated the guitar from others I was looking at in this price range. Aside from the tackiness of the finish and the rigid hardware, the guitar sits perfectly against my body when using a strap. The forearm area is very comfortable. From a playability perspective, I'll take this beveled body over the violin carve any day. The main issue I always had with a normal CU24 was the upturned lip on the edge of the guitar irritating my forearm. That is not the case here. The neck is very similar to a pattern regular which I enjoy. I can shred up and down this neck with little hand fatigue. The other bonus is the guitar is extremely light. I'd guess 6.5 to 7lbs on mine. I'll pull out the scale later. I thought I was strapping on a Parker at first.
6) Sound: A. More lively and vocal than your typical run of the mill CU24. Based on the the weight and what I am hearing with my ears, I'm convinced that African Mahogany is being used for the back and neck material. That, kids, is not a bad thing.
Comments: PRS made some smart and not so smart decisions with this guitar. The clear coat and bridge are obvious detriments. A little more care could have been taken in finishing it and setting it up. Other than that, its a fine instrument worthy of the PRS brand.
