PRS S2 or SE, not a hard choice for me

[SinSir]

This is close to my dilemma also.

I'm about to come into some money thanks to the Australian Tax Office, which would be enough to buy the S2 594 I have been lusting after for several months. I sold my SE Cu24 a while ago as part of my plan to buy the McCarty.

But it's going to cost almost $3000AUD, and a big part of me (not to mention a bigger part of my wife) is really wondering whether I could just as easily buy the SE Paul's they also have hanging on the wall.

For a start it's only half the price of the S2, and they have a used SE HB I could maybe sneak in as well. I do though think my wife would be just as peeved if I came home with TWO guitars, given we don't have much space and they hang on our bedroom wall.

I've got no problem buying an SE guitar. They are great quality. But the allure of that S2 594 - an American made, lifelong purchase, DREAM guitar... is hard to resist, even for someone that just plays at home for fun. I'm never ever going to buy a Core model, but the S2 will absolutely satisfy me.

All of those are solid choices but if the 594 is your dream guitar I'd go that route. I get wanting different guitars all too well, but you can always add those later. Your dream guitar will inspire you more and you already sold a guitar for it. Follow your dream...

Good luck!

 

[Hotspur]

I recently sat in a guitar store and compared the SE HB Piezo and the S2 594, guitars priced $150 apart.

It wasn't clear to me in any way that the S2 was a better instrument. Great guitars. I'd be happy to own one, and probably will, at some point. But I walked out of their with the SE and feel really good about it.

 

[CrimesAgainstMusic]

You gotta figure a way to snag the used Hollowbody... and still do the S2 594. The used instrument is "transient", here one minute, gone the next . So you may have to "cop" while the opportunity presents itself.

I'm just getting acquainted with mine (US IRS Tax Refund !) and Mann it is a "thing". The first and only non solidbody guitar I've ever had . They are sweet. The Pauls SE I'm thinking is an improvement over the SE CU24 (I have 2 of those puppies) ... Better pickups in the Paul, cooler switching options and the flamey/stripey top.

But the S2 594 is a very sweet piece. I copped a Thinline, as I was initially put off by the Pattern Vintage on the 594 DC and SC's. Those are a chunly neck carve ! .But after fooling around with one in a local Guitar Center, I really started digging it.

But the Pattern Thin on the Thinline, is a no muss no fuss better fit for me. The Wide Fat on both the Pauls and the HB are not as chunky as the Pattern Vintage ...

The SE Pauls get some good reviews though. I think YouTuber Darrel Braun was really high on it. Compared its coil split tones directly to a Fender Strat... where the Pau'ls did well against the reference.

The sad truth is, you have to have all 3... Maybe if you knocked off a few kids Lemonade Stands . Or got a lead on US Girl Scout Cookies (Have not seen any since COVID !)

Then there' s the wife ... Australia huh ? ""Great Barrier Reef" ? ... Increase in Great White Shark Attacks ?

I'll let you take it from there

 

[aphantomvaper]

Dr Survival says "2 is one and one is none."

So yeah...you're buying "one" guitar

 

[Tom Bradovich]

If you can (1) afford the S2 without shorting some other pressing need or want AND (2) avoid long-term wife discontent, then by all means buy the S2! I think they are fantastic. Best guitar I've owned to date - fit & finish, playability, tone flexibility, and great looks without being ostentatious. So, if you can pass tests 1 & 2, go for it and don't look back.

 

[ScottR]

Hmmm...well I have my SE strapped on and it feels, sounds, and looks pretty real to me. It has PRSh name on the headstock, so I believe that makes it a "Real" PRS. Just for the record, I'm on my 4th SE and they have all been great guitars.

I owned a Silver Sky, and it showed up with a squeaky neck joint (east fix but I mean c'mon) not to mention I decided to sell it because of the dreaded "crackling" issue that was an issue with no real fix at the time.

My point being...the USA built SS had issues, and for far less than half the price of the SS not one of my SEs have let me down or given me any issues what so ever.

Not everyone wants/needs/or is able to spend more than $1000 on a guitar. To jump in and sh!t all over the SEs, alienates a lot of folks. Not only on the forum but also IMHO, people just getting on here for the first time. It would for sure turn me off and would concrete the "cork sniffers only attitude " opinion so many people have of us.

All that being said play/buy what makes you happy. Please just don't come on here and spew insults and expect anything more than a cold reception. It just makes us all and the brand itself look bad to other guitarist in general. But you do you dude.. just one guys take on your post.

 

[CrimesAgainstMusic]

Not everyone wants/needs/or is able to spend more than $1000 on a guitar.

Like my salesdude at my local Sam Ash ....

Wonder if any of Jimi's guitars ever costs $1,000.00

I think we tend to lose sight that of the Guitar/ Pickup/Amp/ Cable hookup ....

The most important component in the mix is what's standing/sitting BEHIND the guitar ...

 

[GuitarJammin]

I have mentioned that SEs, while decent guitars, are not real PRS guitars. SEs do not hold their value like real PRS guitars. Here is an example. I can sell my McCarty 58 for more than paid for it. I learned an important lesson when purchasing gear a long time ago, and, that is, buy once, cry once. Quality gear always holds its value. Yes, there may be dips in the market, but there is always a rebound. Budget gear rarely holds its value (compare the resale prices of old Marshall amps compared to old Peavey amps). It is like burning one's money. If one is just starting out or needs a beater, okay, an SE is decent buy, but, then again, any Asian contract manufactured guitar will fill the need. However, if I one is thinking about spending $1K on a Cort contract manufactured guitar with PRS slaped on it, it makes sense to spend a little more and purchase an S2, which is manufactured in Stevensville (a.k.a. the real thing).

A lot of guys will say something along the line of, "but the SEs have nicer tops." That is because what one is seeing a thin figured veneer on top of a plain maple cap. The figuring does not go all the way through the top like it does on an S2, CE24, or core model, which can be easily determined by matching the figure on the natural binding with that of the top (the curl on a Stevensville guitar can be seen in the binding). That is a sizable difference wood quality and manufacturing cost, which makes the S2s absolute bargains compared to the SEs. The wood guys at PRS in Stevensville do stellar job of selecting figured maple because one never knows what is going to happen when one starts carving into a figured maple cap. Besides the threat of tear out, the figure can change through the thickness of the cap.

People play what they play. SEs are not bad guitars at their respective price points...if you are shopping at that price point then you've already decided to make compromises to stick to a budget. When you look at options at the said budget the SE does a good job at offering a good value. A player's goals with their music is really what determines what's a good/bad guitar value.

However for me personally I see BOTH S2 and SE lines as not bearing the full PRS build philosophy. Though I'd still classify them as PRS guitars because they are Paul's creation at said price point.

 

[Ovibos]

You gotta figure a way to snag the used Hollowbody... and still do the S2 594. The used instrument is "transient", here one minute, gone the next . So you may have to "cop" while the opportunity presents itself.

I'm just getting acquainted with mine (US IRS Tax Refund !) and Mann it is a "thing". The first and only non solidbody guitar I've ever had . They are sweet. The Pauls SE I'm thinking is an improvement over the SE CU24 (I have 2 of those puppies) ... Better pickups in the Paul, cooler switching options and the flamey/stripey top.

But the S2 594 is a very sweet piece. I copped a Thinline, as I was initially put off by the Pattern Vintage on the 594 DC and SC's. Those are a chunly neck carve ! .But after fooling around with one in a local Guitar Center, I really started digging it.

But the Pattern Thin on the Thinline, is a no muss no fuss better fit for me. The Wide Fat on both the Pauls and the HB are not as chunky as the Pattern Vintage ...

The SE Pauls get some good reviews though. I think YouTuber Darrel Braun was really high on it. Compared its coil split tones directly to a Fender Strat... where the Pau'ls did well against the reference.

The sad truth is, you have to have all 3... Maybe if you knocked off a few kids Lemonade Stands . Or got a lead on US Girl Scout Cookies (Have not seen any since COVID !)

Then there' s the wife ... Australia huh ? ""Great Barrier Reef" ? ... Increase in Great White Shark Attacks ?

I'll let you take it from there

Well, that was a journey.

 

[Draconomics]

Not everyone wants/needs/or is able to spend more than $1000 on a guitar. To jump in and sh!t all over the SEs, alienates a lot of folks, not only on the forum but also IMHO, people just getting on here for the first time. It would for sure turn me off and would concrete the "cork sniffers only attitude " opinion so many people have of us.

All that being said play/buy what makes you happy. Please just don't come on here and spew insults and expect anything more than a cold reception. It just makes us all and the brand itself look bad to other guitarist in general. But you do you dude.. just one guys take on your post.

Yup. I wasn't gonna go there, but sure, I'll say it. Dont be a gear snob. Do you have any idea how many people used to chide me for using Windows based PC's instead of Apple? I get those Karen looks from people when they ask about the little plastic FAB distortion on my board. I've played with cats who have rigs that cost more than my car, and I'll show up with a Boss Katana. The question is, can you play like a mofo with what you have?

Just to add, if Paul didn't think the SE line represented his company, he strikes me as a cat who thus wouldn't put his name on it, and for a long time that's the way it was. Times have changed, and I think Paul's attitude toward the potential of the SE line has too. There is nothing wrong with veneer tops, nothing wrong with scarf joints, or three piece bodies. If you can make an instrument that is 90% as good as the US model but 15% the cost, sign me up. That's a win.

Also yes, PRS already has had an elitist, "cork-sniffing blues lawyer" stigma for a long time; anything that reinforces that stereotype is counterproductive to brand awareness and popularity.

 

[GarrettIvo]

If there was an SE 594 I would definitely get it. But I doubt there ever will be.

I'm open to getting a 245 sometime I the future maybe.

But this is likely to be my one chance at getting a US made 594, even at S2 level. There's no real used market here.

 

[GuitarJammin]

Everyone makes good points. I tend to agree with Em7 for any number of reasons when it comes to instruments I'll invest my own hard-earned on. And I kinda lean toward 'real PRS' are made in Maryland', but mine is just one singular lunatic's opinion! I don't have a PhD in Philosophy of Guitar.

....
I'd rather have one Core PRS than an unlimited number of SEs, or a few S2s. However, it's also true that I don't play much high gain stuff, where the differences between guitars are harder to discern, and I like my tone as vintage sounding as I can get it, while still enjoying all of the ergonomic benefits of a modern guitar. In the PRS line, that means Core, regardless.
....

I play a lot of High gain stuff into the Metal territory and I too prefer the cores...and the cores just respond better...give more clarity. For what I demand out of my guitars the Cores and up are all PRS have for me. Also not every core guitar I've owned or picked up did the job....but the one's that have been magic I've kept...(except for one..Sad..but if I find it again I'm buying it...Tough for me cuz it was a WL run of 10) I play a wide variety of stuff..usually the PRS get er' done.

FWIW...I liked your entire post you always seem to hit the nail on the head.

 

[SamIV]

Recently received a CE24 that I did not bond with and sent it back. Had a Single Cut SE that I recently sold before I got the CE to help fund a bit of it. Sent the CE back and picked up an SE Standard 24 a fellow bought and just put in his closet. I am quite happy with the SE and don’t miss the CE. Not implying it was a bad guitar, just was not enamored with it.

The SE Standard needs a fret level that I can handle. Also own a Tremonti SE Custom that I did fret work on as well. Maybe I will own an American made PRS one day, but for now I am content. Saw a Video on an S2 Vela that perked my interest. And in my tight azz, frugal, cheap budget. I am considering pickup changes though in my SE’s. And for those who prefer the Core and S2 guitars, I have zero issues with that.

 

[DISTORT6]

Ever think about the POS guitars that we all started on?
Would you have taken a SE instead?
Ya gotta start somewhere.

 

[jak3af3r]

Ever think about the POS guitars that we all started on?
Would you have taken a SE instead?
Ya gotta start somewhere.

I started with an SE as my first electric. I still have it and 3 interestingly optioned cores. The SE was a gateway and an eye-opener to how much better guitars can be over some other bigger and more popular brands.

 

[Draconomics]

Ever think about the POS guitars that we all started on?
Would you have taken a SE instead?
Ya gotta start somewhere.

I had a Squier with action so high you could drive a truck under the strings. The pickups were rusty, one of the tuners was broken, and the pickguard had a hole in it.

 

[Ovibos]

I had a Squier with action so high you could drive a truck under the strings. The pickups were rusty, one of the tuners was broken, and the pickguard had a hole in it.

AND WE LIKED IT.​

 

[LunarRock]

I have bought SE both new and second hand and done the same for S2, this was before the recent inflationary pricing

Best bargain out there is a good second hand S2 for the price of a new SE, the ranges don't have complete cross over in model types though.

 

[chicagoslim]

I always liked the sound of Gretsch guitars, but I couldn't stand their necks. At one point, I was a full time musician, playing a beat-up, second hand, SE Custom 22. I put GFS Memphis pickups in the guitar, and I liked the way that it played and sounded. This is back when they used such light wood, That the ding on the front of my guitar, was actually a crater. Now I had Gibson, Fender and Heritage guitars, that were very good guitars. I also had a PRS SAS, that I saved for the work that I was doing for recoding artist's, in studio and stage.

The SE Custom was pretty ratty, but I loved playing it. I used it a lot, while giving guitar lessons. I liked to use guitars that my students, could afford. So, I decided it was time to upgrade SE. I bought a 2006, SE Custom 24, and installed the Memphis pickups. That guitar got me through until 2009, when PRS came out with the core Starla. I played Starla's until recently, when I replaced them with Custom 22's. This time they were S2 and core models.

I started with a core Swamp Ash Special and stilled liked (and still like), my SE and S2 guitars.

 

[László]

I play a lot of High gain stuff into the Metal territory and I too prefer the cores...and the cores just respond better...give more clarity. For what I demand out of my guitars the Cores and up are all PRS have for me. Also not every core guitar I've owned or picked up did the job....but the one's that have been magic I've kept...(except for one..Sad..but if I find it again I'm buying it...Tough for me cuz it was a WL run of 10) I play a wide variety of stuff..usually the PRS get er' done.

FWIW...I liked your entire post you always seem to hit the nail on the head.

Thanks!

I've sold a few of the great ones, and have my regrets about that, too.