S2's: Studio, Vela, and Starla comparison

rockinforJesus

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I have a 2020 Standard 22 that is a fine guitar.
Does everything well, but just not enough chime to it - I typically play Tele's, Gretsch, and Les Paul w/ P90's for reference.
I am drawn to the clarity of vintage style pickups with low output, and the Standard 22's p'ups seem more PAF style than what I was looking for.
So I have been doing some research and am now gassing for one of the guitars I listed in the title.
I currently have an American Tele and a LP with P90's, so trying to find a PRS that would not duplicate what either of those have to offer.
Can you offer your experience with any of the 3 listed in the title: what do you like/love about them, what you wish they improved on them, etc?
I kinda' want a Studio, but finding one now seems like chasing a Unicorn.
Differences between these models?
Thanks for your time and looking forward to your responses.
 
What do you want it to do, otherwise than not replicate the guitars you usually play?

I have only played the starla of the guitars you mentioned, as it happens both the the core and the s2. Different beasts and I guess the S2 should be right in your wheelhouse. Less chimney than the more gretschy core, actually - to my ears - a little less clean, more ragged. Great guitar. The more vintage hardware should feel familiar. However, same could be said for the Vela.

That being said, owning a core starla: my main guitar, having a McCarty korina MC soapy (not the pretty one) and ol' school CE24.
 
What do you want it to do, otherwise than not replicate the guitars you usually play?

I have only played the starla of the guitars you mentioned, as it happens both the the core and the s2. Different beasts and I guess the S2 should be right in your wheelhouse. Less chimney than the more gretschy core, actually - to my ears - a little less clean, more ragged.
Yes, not looking to duplicate what I already have. I want a humbucker guitar that can approach LP tones when needed, but the split coil functions are important for when I want to play clean arpeggiated parts too.
How useful are the split coil sounds?
I actually like them on my Standard, but in humbucker mode, it seems too dark for my liking. That’s what draws me to the Starla pickups.
 
I've had an S2 Vela for several months, and just got an SE Starla.

I'm also constitutionally a Gretsch/Tele/P90 sorta whacker. In my book, P90s and Dynasonics tie for Best Pickup in the Known Universe, and if I had to claim one guitar as my voice, it's a Jet with Dynas. So we seem to come from similar perspectives. I thought I'd sworn off Gibby-sized humbuckers years ago - or at least demoted them to roles as character actors, horses for some but not all courses.

All that notwithstanding, I haven't found any PRS pickups too dark for my ear. Caveat: I haven't played all PRS pickups. I know the 58/15 S; several generations of the 85/15 S; current Core 85/15LT; DS-01; DS-02; at least 2 iterations of the Santana SE pickups; whatever came in an SE Singlecut in 2010; the SE Paul's Guitar TCI S; and Core 57/08. Of that bunch, only the 245s might be considered darkish, but they're in LP-like guitars, so that's the brief.)

And all that digression aside, you wonder how an S2 Starla, S2 Vela, and/or S2 Studio might slot into your Tele/Gretsch/P90 Paul universe.

I haven't personally played a Studio - but as a 1-1-2, I would expect the Studio to cover all the Strat/SuperStrat/screamin'bucker lead bases (which is what I hear in Bryan Ewald's demo at the PRS site). And I have plenty of 1-1-2 (and 2-1-2) experience. I probably prefer the single-coilish tones of the narrowfields to all but the fattest Strat pickups I've heard - and to most any split from a full 'bucker.

I think the Studio would fit into your stable without much duplication of your other guitars. As Ewald says, the narrowcoils' humbucker voice is more like a mini-humbucker or P90 than a typical Gibbobucker. Given all that, I admit the Studio's wide versatility, and its utility as a jack-of-all chameleon. But to me it doesn't have a terribly distinctive, unique voice. That is, all its tones are comparable (but not quite dead-on) to the Usual Suspects: Strat, Les Paul/Gibson.

The Vela and Starla are very much their own animals. (Note: my brief Starla experience is with the SE, but I believe it has the same pickups as the S2.) While they're among the least traditionally-PRS guitars in the line, they're also arguably most unlike any non-PRS guitars as well. Their split tones are eminently usable (though you might want to back down the tone knob to take off the crispy glass and get fuller body) - but there's nothing muddy, dark, or dull about their humbucker tones either. For personality, in the context of your collection, they might sonically resemble a very hot Tele - or a thin mahogany P90 slab. (If your Paul w/P90s is a Special, there's some overlap.) That is, the guitars could get into those territories, and serve those purposes - but that would only be part of the range of either one.

You don't say what Gretsch(es) you have, so I can't compare directly, but I hear the native tone of both guitars as somewhere between what you'd get at a halfway point between the stock Filter'Tron HS pickups and Dynasonics. They don't sound exactly like either, and if I hadn't heard the DS pickups described as maybe-kinda-Gretschlike, I don't know if I would have heard that in them.

Clarity through all frequencies is excellent on both guitars; both tend toward a bright signature. The tone controls are effective in moderating that when needed, but I don't hear dark mud anywhere in their native tonesets. Both guitars have a kind of rude snarl and bite which is pretty compelling. Cheerfully nasty. Full enough, but with a throaty focus. And while you could no doubt dial it in, I don't think of either one as fundamentally lush or velvety. I suppose they could ride in the Twang Rodeo, and I get why they're sometimes characterized there, but it's a different twang than from a Gretsch. Gretschs have kerrang; the Vela and Starla have kwank.

I think if you're looking for conventional, well-recognized "iconic" tones that your current stable might lack, it's probably the Studio for it's Stratastical and bridge'bucker range. If you want a more sonically distinctive ride, it would be one of the others. I don't want to leave the impression that the Vela and Starla are sonically identical - each is its own thing - but they're definitely related.

At least from my impressions so far, the Vela is a bit richer and expensive-sounding, and I love the feel. Mine is the semi-hollow, and it definitely feels more luxurious than the Starla. The Starla is a barely dressed-up street fighter which doesn't know if it wants to take a date to the prom - or crash it and trash the decorations.

But. The SE Starla is lots less expensive than the others - a cheap date (especially used) - and starting there might be an economical way to get started answering your own questions. If you love it, done. If you like it but are curious about big sister Vela, you know what to do. If you hate it, you'd probably hate Vela, so it's off to the Studio.
 
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Well, I dont think there is a real LP sound in the starla. At least not in mine. The S2 may be a little more LPish, but don't get your hopes up. Split coil to my ears are not of much use.

However, I must say that - given your forum name - I think our gigs might be similar and the in between sound (both bridge and neck) with my starla works wonders for your contemporary P&W chime.
 
All that notwithstanding, I haven't found any PRS pickups too dark for my ear. Caveat: I haven't played all PRS pickups. I know the 58/15 S;
And all that digression aside, you wonder how an S2 Starla, S2 Vela, and/or S2 Studio might slot into your Tele/Gretsch/P90 Paul universe.

I haven't personally played a Studio - but as a 1-1-2, I would expect the Studio to cover all the Strat/SuperStrat/screamin'bucker lead bases (which is what I hear in Bryan Ewald's demo at the PRS site). And I have plenty of 1-1-2 (and 2-1-2) experience. I probably prefer the single-coilish tones of the narrowfields to all but the fattest Strat pickups I've heard - and to most any split from a full 'bucker.

I think the Studio would fit into your stable without much duplication of your other guitars. As Ewald says, the narrowcoils' humbucker voice is more like a mini-humbucker or P90 than a typical Gibbobucker. Given all that, I admit the Studio's wide versatility, and its utility as a jack-of-all chameleon. But to me it doesn't have a terribly distinctive, unique voice. That is, all its tones are comparable (but not quite dead-on) to the Usual Suspects: Strat, Les Paul/Gibson.

The Vela and Starla are very much their own animals. (Note: my brief Starla experience is with the SE, but I believe it has the same pickups as the S2.) While they're among the least traditionally-PRS guitars in the line, they're also arguably most unlike any non-PRS guitars
Wow, thank you for all that.
My Standard has the 58/15S pickups in it. How do they compare to the Starla pickups? Similar, or noticeably different? As to which body flavor the Starla pickups come in is not so much a concern for me.
Also you mentioned the Studio (Core?) with Narrowfield pickups. The Studio S2 has the Dynasonic style p’ups in the neck and middle. Just wanted to make sure we’re talking about the same guitar.
Again, thank you so much for all that valuable info.
I have something to chew on for a bit now.
 
Well, I dont think there is a real LP sound in the starla. At least not in mine. The S2 may be a little more LPish, but don't get your hopes up. Split coil to my ears are not of much use.

However, I must say that - given your forum name - I think our gigs might be similar and the in between sound (both bridge and neck) with my starla works wonders for your contemporary P&W chime.
Yes, P&W genre is my focus. Looking for something that will cut through the mix in the cleans as well as the overdriven gain stages.
If I go Starla, I’d consider a good used Core if I can swing it, but would definitely buy a S2 just the same. I like the Gretsch Filter’tron tones, but the ergonomics and build standards of PRS.
 
Yeah, I only had reference to the Core Studio. Unless I'm missing something, I don't think there's an S2 Studio this year - and I've trawled catalogs back through 2015 and haven't seen any. I have no point of reference for an S2 Studio at all!

So I don't know what Dynasonic-style pickups any such S2 Studio might have in it. Maybe more than some pickups, the tone of Dynasonics seems to me very platform-dependent; they sound right in a Jet or Gretsch hollowbody with floating bridge and heavy enough strings. In other uses, I still hear a hint of Dynasoniche - but not nearly as much. Maybe as a consequence of my conditioning, I don't hear the neck pup in the Vela as blatantly Dyna-like.

The Starla pickups, to my ear, have more chime and jangle than the 58/15, and are grittier. They go *POP*, while the 58/15s are to my ear smooth luxe cruisers. The 58/15s are highly refined versions of a pickup our ears are long familiar with; the Starla pups insist on being their own thing.
 
Yeah, I only had reference to the Core Studio. Unless I'm missing something, I don't think there's an S2 Studio this year - and I've trawled catalogs back through 2015 and haven't seen any. I have no point of reference for an S2 Studio at all!

So I don't know what Dynasonic-style pickups any such S2 Studio might have in it. Maybe more than some pickups, the tone of Dynasonics seems to me very platform-dependent; they sound right in a Jet or Gretsch hollowbody with floating bridge and heavy enough strings. In other uses, I still hear a hint of Dynasoniche - but not nearly as much. Maybe as a consequence of my conditioning, I don't hear the neck pup in the Vela as blatantly Dyna-like.

The Starla pickups, to my ear, have more chime and jangle than the 58/15, and are grittier. They go *POP*, while the 58/15s are to my ear smooth luxe cruisers. The 58/15s are highly refined versions of a pickup our ears are long familiar with; the Starla pups insist on being their own thing.
 
I‘ve had an S2 Studio since they came out in 2017. They’re not really Strat like, but positions 2 & 4 have nice quack. The bridge pickup on mine is extraordinary with gain. I mean extraordinary. The neck is pattern regular. It does indeed have a unique voice somewhere between my P90’s and humbuckers. It’s a great guitar that sounds like itself. Mine ain’t going anywhere.
 
I have 2 Velas, 1 solid, 1 semi-hollow. In the case of the Vela, it's very much its own thing - but to compare it to the traditional "icons", the best way I can describe it is a cross between a Tele and an SG, that was raised by a Gretsch. If you're trying, it can get into the territory of any of those 3 guitars, while still being its own thing - it's not going to duplicate any, but it has a relation to them. Les Paul? Not really.
 
Yes, P&W genre is my focus. Looking for something that will cut through the mix in the cleans as well as the overdriven gain stages.
If I go Starla, I’d consider a good used Core if I can swing it, but would definitely buy a S2 just the same. I like the Gretsch Filter’tron tones, but the ergonomics and build standards of PRS.
Well, I use it all the time @sundays and we do play al those very dense mixed songs. Starla holds its own a these dense mixes (disclaimer: a focussed amp sound helps).

My core seems to do that a little better than the S2 of a bandmate. A little more bite in the upper mids, so if you can find a used core: go for it. In Europe the prices of used cores and S2 don't differ that much. I actually bought mine cheaper than most s2s

This was the live stream we did 2 weeks ago. Disclaimer: I was running my own profiles of a new amp (Mesa ta15) and the marshally sounds need some tweaking.

 
Well, I use it all the time @sundays and we do play al those very dense mixed songs. Starla holds its own a these dense mixes (disclaimer: a focussed amp sound helps).

My core seems to do that a little better than the S2 of a bandmate. A little more bite in the upper mids, so if you can find a used core: go for it. In Europe the prices of used cores and S2 don't differ that much. I actually bought mine cheaper than most s2s

This was the live stream we did 2 weeks ago. Disclaimer: I was running my own profiles of a new amp (Mesa ta15) and the marshally sounds need some tweaking.

That was perfect. Really enjoyed your tasteful playing, and it was helpful to hear you in a band setting. All the demos on Youtube are just the guitar being played.
Yes, nice single note runs on the closing song - what I needed to hear. Well, off to Reverb I go to start my search for a good used Core.
Thanks again,
Chris
 
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