Blackbird
Pincher of Harmonics
Imagine that - they plugged them in and tried them - who would have thought of that??
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Imagine that - they plugged them in and tried them - who would have thought of that??
Several people, including the OP, have posted in this and other forums that they would never consider an S2 long before they ever saw one in person based upon what they think they know about the neck, the carve, the weight, feel, pickups, tone, trem, tuners what have you. My point is that it might be a good idea to plug one (or more) in and try what is actually there before writing them off completely. If they don't like them after actually playing them and giving them a real try, that is a different story.
Reading 'reviews' by people who have not even played the guitars leaves me scratching my head. Sorry for the confusion.
Ahh yes, I figured it was a veiled jab at the OP. It appears he rubbed you the wrong way regarding the salesperson stuff.
I'm curious though, if you picked up a guitar and it felt inferior or uncomfortable to you, would you still even care about plugging it in? I mean, even if it sounds like angels from the heavens, it still feels like crap and isn't fun to play. I have had the chance to briefly look at an S2 CU24, in person, and yeah it did leave me very underwhelmed for the asking price. Once I held it and played it acoustically, there was no desire to plug it in, because I didn't see the point. Perhaps this is a sub-topic; what is more important to you, comfort and playability or how the pickups sound?
I have picked up guitars and had no desire to plug them in, I'm sure that is true for anyone who has gone guitar shopping. But I have NEVER bashed the tone of a guitar I have not heard in person or played myself.
I'm with you Les.
Maybe it's a generational thing. I had to stop my step-granddaughter from playing with what was left in her plate at a restaurant. She was headed toward making a disgusting mess of it. I worked as a porter in High School one summer. The stuff people did to their plates AFTER they were finished eating was criminal.
I was eating lunch with a couple of younger friends when the youngest thought it would be a good idea to take the top off the salt shaker and put the shaker upside down on the table. That didn't fly with me and a lecture ensued.
I have more stories, but I think at least you understand my point.
Happy to be sharing the planet with you, Les.
Sort of the same thing here as the original post. If you're already into core line USA PRSi, maybe the S2 line is not intended to be attractive to you.I agree that the S2 Custom 24 is kind of "meh," and here's why: in my view, there's a particular price threshold after which I'm no longer interested in a budget option, and am willing to spend much more for a higher-end product. I'm willing to compromise quality up to a certain price point. Once I go beyond that price point, I'm not interested in compromise; I'd rather pay more and get everything I want. That price point varies depending on what the product is (electronics, furniture, guitars, etc.) and even for guitars it can vary depending on the model, brand, etc.
For a PRS guitar, that price point is probably somewhere just below the list price of the S2 line. This is especially true of the Custom 24. Once I'm dedicated to spending more than $1k for a guitar, I'm pretty adamant about getting the carved top, one-piece neck, premium hardware and electronics, and my choice of neck carve.
The Mira and Starla are different; for one thing, the core models are being discontinued, so there isn't a higher-end Mira or Starla to compare the S2 against. But more importantly, the differences in construction between the S2 models and the core models are not nearly as drastic as they are for the Custom 24. The compromise in quality is not as big a deal. This, I think, is the reason most people seem to agree that the Mira looks like the standout of the S2 line. There is very little downside to the S2 version.
Obviously, that pricing threshold differs for everyone, and I'm sure there are folks for whom the S2 represents a good bargain. It is a step above the SE Custom 24, since it has a mahogany neck. It makes sense as a backup guitar, or if you're interested in the Custom 24 but not as your primary guitar (that's how I view the Mira). But for my main squeeze? I already play a Custom 24 from the core line. The idea that I would need to play the stripped-down version to really know for sure whether or not my current axe is better is downright ludicrous when that compromise in quality is the entire point of the line. That's just taking "you can't judge a book by its cover" to extremes. There's nothing bad or wrong about making a judgement on second-hand information if it's reliable.
Sales is a hard vocation. If you haven't tried it before, maybe you should walk a mile in their shoes. I find I get better results when I engage salesmen (and everyone else) as people instead of servants.
But I must admit that I haven't seen a photo of a flame-top one that I found all that attractive.
I almost want to say, "Well, duh." The guitars aren't supposed to be about the fancy tops and the bling. They're supposed to be about the tone and playability. That's why they're 1/3 or so the price of a core line PRS.
Get it Len...but I'm pretty sure that if we took the "fancy tops and the bling" out of our little forum here, we'd have about 50% less posts. How many posts have sound clips vs. photos? How many threads are devoted to us (me included) gushing and posting photos of our beautiful babies?
PRS has said that the tops are comparable to the quality used on the CD maple tops. I have 3 maple-topped CEs - maybe mine are exceptional, but from the S2 pics I've seen so far, I don't see them as being comparable. On the other hand, I've seen some SEs that I couldn't believe we're veneers.
If a guitar is pretty, I'm more inclined to want to walk up to it, pull it down and play it. And if it sounds good I might even buy it. But if I don't like the way it looks, or feel it looks cheap, I'll probably move to another...unless it really, really grabs my ears.
I get that the S2 line is the middle. But $1,400 is still a pretty high middle. As a consumer, if I'm paying 2-3x as much as a new SE for an S2, then I want it grab my ears AND my eyes. I hope at least one does...
And that's "no duh"
Good for you! A lot of sales folks know nothing about sales; it's probably GC's fault for poor training.