S2/CE Custom 24 Arm Ergonomics

[Jimmy]

I'm finally ready to upgrade from my SE Custom 24, and wanted to ask about the body edges on the S2 and CE versions. I rest my guitars on my left leg when sitting, with the body in between legs, and my forearm rests on the guitar edge a bit. I can handle the SE edge okay with a sweater, but it does get uncomfortable if I have long playing sessions. Can anyone comment on the S2 and CE body edges? It seems like the S2's edges and bevel might be a little more rounded than the CE.

My local stores have a few CEs to feel locally, but none of them have an S2 to compare it with. Thanks all!

 

[MarcWink]

I have an older CE, a couple of Cores and S2's. The edge of the Cores doesn't really bother m, but I will say I absolutely love how smooth and easy the beveled edge of the S2 is. I can't speak for the current iteration of the CE as mine is from 1997 and has the same exact body carve as a Core body.

 

[Jimmy]

I have an older CE, a couple of Cores and S2's. The edge of the Cores doesn't really bother m, but I will say I absolutely love how smooth and easy the beveled edge of the S2 is. I can't speak for the current iteration of the CE as mine is from 1997 and has the same exact body carve as a Core body.

Thanks Marc! I was leaning towards an S2 Standard 24 Satin, and you really helped me to commit to it!

Funny, if you would have asked me a year ago, I would have been all about flame maple tops and gloss. Lately I've been craving something simple with a satin neck. Now I just have to decide between last year and this year's model as my foundation: 1) Pattern Regular with 85/15 S and 2) Pattern Thin with 58/15 S. I'm actually cool with both neck profiles. Decisions, decisions!

 

[MarcWink]

If it were me, I'd spring for the Pattern Regular and 85/15 S pickups. I find the Pattern Regular to be super comfortable to play, and my brief flirtation with the 58/15 S pickups left me feeling that they were a little meh. I ended up swapping them for a set of 58/15 LT that I was able to grab off of Reverb.

 

[SinSir]

I like both neck profiles, personally I prefer the pattern regular given the choice. It's one of my favorite neck profiles. I'd take the 58/15s over the 85/15s though. You can always change pickups, necks not so much.

 

[Jimmy]

I like both neck profiles, personally I prefer the pattern regular given the choice. It's one of my favorite neck profiles. I'd take the 58/15s over the 85/15s though. You can always change pickups, necks not so much.

Yeah, A-B'ing my Fiore, which is close to Pattern Regular even though it's its own carve, and my SE Custom 24, the difference is definitely there. I can't say that I hate either of them. The Fiore is such a high quality neck and that's the main thing I feel. It's definitely fuller near the nut, making it a hair less comfortable when wrapping my thumb around to mute the low E. I feel like the overall neck feels better though, and I'm more precise with the string spacing. The slightly wider string spacing on the 24 makes things a little sloppier.

Does that jive with how you feel with the neck profiles?

 

[MarcWink]

I tend to favor a generally beefier neck. My favorite necks are Wide/Fat, Pattern, and Pattern Vintage. That being said, I do really like the Pattern Regular neck.

 

[68reissue]

If it were me, I'd spring for the Pattern Regular and 85/15 S pickups. I find the Pattern Regular to be super comfortable to play, and my brief flirtation with the 58/15 S pickups left me feeling that they were a little meh. I ended up swapping them for a set of 58/15 LT that I was able to grab off of Reverb.

For me, the combination of the beveled top, pattern regular neck, and the 85/15s pickups make the pre-2022 Standard 24 a basically perfect guitar. Not that the 58/15s and pattern thin necks on the current S2 Standards aren’t great too, but that other configuration is really something.

I switched from strats to PRS, and I find the beveled top on the S2 no sacrifice in comfort.