I’ve been looking through the line up (used and new) and so far I’m leaning toward either an S2 Custom 24 or a CE-24. I have no experience with PRS but I’ve been GASing for about a year now for one. I’m finally getting to a point where I’ll be able to afford one before too long. I like Many types of guitars and don’t get too hung up on neck profiles. I generally make friends with most of them and with PRS’s rep for quality necks I’m sure that’ll be the case here. I don’t mind the three piece neck on the S2 because I don’t think they’d do it if it didn’t work. My only two musts are I want the birds and a figured top. Any helpful insights and opinions would be appreciated.
Want to buy first PRS, who wants to help?
- Thread starter CyFan4036
- Start date
elvis
Hamfisted String Banger
Find one you like and buy it. Looks like you've already got a sense for what you want. There's no down side, they're all very nice.
elvis
Hamfisted String Banger
I think the CE has USA parts, but not sure. The offshore parts are less expensive, but not junk.
elvis
Hamfisted String Banger
Just go with a site that will let you return with no penalty. Sometimes we only think we know what we want.
I agree with that but I just have this retarded OCD thing that makes me always upgrade offshore hardware. Maybe not the most efficient use of money but you can’t take it with you and I’ve learned a lot doing the upgrades myself.
Exactly right!!
justmund
Plank Spanker
Play them all, close your eyes and pick the one that feels and sounds the best
That’s what I’d like to do but I live in the middle of nowhere! Online only.
all the options you outline are going to have the Korean hardware. but I think PRS has higher standards for their Korean manufacturers as well so PRS Korean hardware is still top-of-the-line,
I played one of these in guitar Center it seemed superb in tone and playability, I ended up with the core McCarty 594, I was just testing out the maple neck mahogany body combo. which is fantastic. the picture you've got there gives me serious gear acquisition syndrome.
truly the beauty of the PRS, is the quality. all purchased online, flawless upon arrival, no regret ever. I've owned seven of them now, three of them have gone to close personal friends. the others were traded in to get a better version with more cherries on top. I finally did get a wood library 594.
I think you'll be an extremely happy camper with that blue one. that's a gorgeous color and a gorgeous top. don't forget to browse all of the models. huge variety of scale lengths, trems, fixed bridge, Floyd Rose models so many possibilities. make it your own. fit like a glove.
check out the video, 1:15 seconds review of the CE. he says the Korean hardware is of no concern.
I played one of these in guitar Center it seemed superb in tone and playability, I ended up with the core McCarty 594, I was just testing out the maple neck mahogany body combo. which is fantastic. the picture you've got there gives me serious gear acquisition syndrome.
truly the beauty of the PRS, is the quality. all purchased online, flawless upon arrival, no regret ever. I've owned seven of them now, three of them have gone to close personal friends. the others were traded in to get a better version with more cherries on top. I finally did get a wood library 594.
I think you'll be an extremely happy camper with that blue one. that's a gorgeous color and a gorgeous top. don't forget to browse all of the models. huge variety of scale lengths, trems, fixed bridge, Floyd Rose models so many possibilities. make it your own. fit like a glove.
check out the video, 1:15 seconds review of the CE. he says the Korean hardware is of no concern.
21Hemispheres12
Old Member
- Joined
- Mar 19, 2017
- Messages
- 620
The only Korean parts on the new CE's are the bridge and tuners. I've been playing my CE back to back with my core CU24 and in my opinion the tuners work just as good as the phase III on the core model. The Korean bridge works pretty well but I definitely prefer the core gen III bridge for feel and tuning stability.
With that said the CE is a hell of a guitar for the money, especially used. Besides the bridge I feel my CE is every bit as good as my core CU24, but I do plan to eventually upgrade the bridge to a Mann 2000NOS to bring it up to par with my core trem.
toothace
Zombie Thirteen, DFZ
You ok with a used guitar? There are some great deals to be had if you do a little digging...
Tramp
To and Fro, Mostly Fro
- Joined
- Oct 24, 2016
- Messages
- 94
Always good advice when it comes to PRS. Yes, you’re not likely to be able to return it, as you would with a major retailer, but you can always flip it if need be and still save $ over the depreciation from new. I’ve bought three gently used PRSs over the past year and haven’t felt the urge to sell any! YMMV
bodia
Authorities said.....best leave it.....unsolved
I'll echo above, some great deals on used stuff!
^^^THIS.
...add the 2000NOS and it's fully US spec. Tuners are fine on CE.
85/15 pickups are highly praised. I couldn't make friends with them though.
^^^ and THIS.
Depending on how nice of a flame you want, the S2 or even CE will only give you so much flame.
Seen some sweet Custom 22/24s for great prices recently on Reverb with great flame.
Huggy Love
Vintage member
- Joined
- Mar 10, 2015
- Messages
- 2,766
This is my 2 cents so you can take it for what it's worth, I'm a contrarian by nature.
You say "middle of nowhere" but that is a relative statement, if you are not stationed at ice Station zebra in Antarctica, you should be able to at least take a trip to the nearest metropolitan area that stocks PRS guitars, no? Because that is what I would do. With a little web research you should be able to find a dealer that stocks them and you would be able to put the instruments in your hands to truly get a feel for what you want and like the most. That way you can feel confident when you place your order online for an instrument you've never touched, you will already know what you want. On top of that, it might give you a brief vacation from "the middle of nowhere".
I *HAVE* purchased a PRS guitar online without playing it, and although I don't regret it, I will never do it again. I'll explain, I bought a used PRS single cut hollow body, mainly for jazz pickup gigs and backing vocalists around town. For that it does the job better than my double cut PRS hollow body, but the one drawback is that the single cut, (which has better tone than my double cut), it doesn't play single lines as fluid as the double cut which is really comfortable and easy to play. The single cut kind of fights you back a little, making it better for accompaniment than playing solos. If I would have played the instrument first I would have realized this within the first few runs and might have made a different decision.
The two guitars you are choosing to have a slightly different feel from each other, so that's something to take into consideration, but from your choices I think it all boils down to whether you like a bolt on neck or a glued/set in neck. Both designs, again, have slightly different tone and feel so I think that's your big decision ............ along with taking a road trip that maybe you should consider.
Good luck in your endeavor.
Elliot
Gandalf the Vintage Yellow
- Joined
- Oct 13, 2016
- Messages
- 939
Similar threads
