NGD - PRS S2 Custom 24

[napalmdeath]

Beautiful, and after a set up, plays like a dream! Pickups are my only complaint. Plan to throw in Duncans...

 

[mudf00t]

HNGD! I kinda had NGD yesterday... I had to exchange a Luke III HSS Sunburst for a Luke III HH Black because the HSS needed a fretjob - probably from being in the store for so long or something.

 

[Lampshade1973]

I like the S2 series and the pups arent horrible I don't think, when you compare them to the core series there is a difference but I think the guitars a comfortable and play great, the cu24 is on my list...

 

[sytharnia1560]

NGD posts are nothing without pictures

 

[napalmdeath]

NGD posts are nothing without pictures

I guess it's working today. Wouldn't let me before.

 

[Burt Reynolds]

Dimarzio > Duncan

 

[napalmdeath]

I like the S2 series and the pups arent horrible I don't think, when you compare them to the core series there is a difference but I think the guitars a comfortable and play great, the cu24 is on my list...

They aren't horrible, they just aren't my cup of tea. The neck pickup is too low output, and bridge pickup is kinda muddy. I like a tighter bridge pickup. But, for leads, they work, with good bite.
I think I'm going Jazz/JB.

 

[guitarobert]

Congratulations! I picked up one of these guitars a few months back and it's been great. Pickups aren't bad but I'm going to swap mine too. I just ordered pots and a cap/resistors as well and will replace all the electronics in the cavity. I did the same to another guitar and it was worth the extra $15 or so. PRS uses a .033 cap in the S2, rather than a .022 that SD and other humbucker makers would advise. So it's worth replacing the tone cap at least.

My only real gripe with mine is that the tone knob moves too easily. Other than this I'm really impressed.

 

[JimmyBlind]

What's the deal with these guitars? Are they as well made as PRS guitars or what?

 

[napalmdeath]

What's the deal with these guitars? Are they as well made as PRS guitars or what?

Not sure I understand the question? It's very well made, and very quality looking & feeling. It's a step up from an SE, I can vouch for that..

 

[JimmyBlind]

What's the deal with these guitars? Are they as well made as PRS guitars or what?

Not sure I understand the question? It's very well made, and very quality looking & feeling. It's a step up from an SE, I can vouch for that..

If I look at Suhr's product line, they have a 'custom' order facility, a 'pro series' which is exactly the same build quality & materials as the custom guitars but with fewer, pre-determined options. Then they have their 'Rasmus' guitars which is their mass-production model (made in asia I think).

PRS have a budget, mass-production model (SE), a standard option (their flagship PRS guitars) & then their custom/private stock guitars that require the selling of your first born into prostitution in order to commission.
The S2 sits between their standard & SE range, so I'm interested in knowing how good the build quality is compared to the PRS standard guitars.
Like I say, the difference in build quality & materials between the pro series & custom suhr guitars appears to be exactly the same.
I almost think PRS should do the same thing. Leave the exotic stock woods & gnarly paint options for the artist pack & private stock guitars & have a lower price point standard guitar, still with the famous PRS quilt & inlays etc.
I think they charge too much for their standard guitars, otherwise i'd almost certainly buy one.

 

[slev]

Don't own an S2 but I've demoed a few and they seem to be to notch like everything PRS puts out. The S2 is the only way you can get the Mira any more which to me is an outstanding rock and blues guitar. Very SG-like. The only complaint I have heard from some has been the pickups on some of the models which is an easy fix.

Nice S2 24 by the way. Looks awesome in black. Congrats!

 

[Ascension]

What's the deal with these guitars? Are they as well made as PRS guitars or what?

These confuse me and many like me as to what PRS was thinking on them .
What many of us were asking for was a real USA PRS with the same hardware same pickups same basic construction as say a normal Custom 24 but with plan woods solid colors and at a working player price-point. What we got was a US body and neck with the cheap import SE hardware and pickups. the 1st one I picked up was a black S2 CU 24 at my local GC that had just come out of the box. It was unplayable as it came out of the box as every piece of hardware on the guitar was so loose that it was about to fall off. I know my local guys well and had the tec tighten up every thing as the pots were so loose that they just flopped in the guitar. Confusingly the set up and intonation was spot on so they took the time to set it up and intonate it but not tighten a single nut or screw that retained hardware on the entire guitar other than those on the bridge properly !!
Tones were not even close to the 07 CU 24 I own and I had with me even though the pickups were supposed to be the HFS/VB set I have in mine + the bridge on the surface looks like a real PRS US trem but is NOT it's the cheap import piece from the SE line as are the pickups and tuners.
What many of us had been asking PRS for was a guitar much like the old CU24 standards solid mahogany, sold colors, dot inlay, real US hardware and construction at a $1500 or so street price. What we got was a glorified SE that is more import than US and a shell of a "real" PRS.
I walked in ready to take one home with me walked out disappointed with what I feel is a substandard shell of a real PRS.
It will be interesting to see what happens in resale on these as they are not up to the PRS US standards and visually don't look as nice as the current SE line does.
I am now looking to pick up a nice used real CU24 Standard or new Carvin CT324 at some point as they can both be bought for about the same money as the S-2 and are vastly superior guitars.

 

[Ascension]

If I look at Suhr's product line, they have a 'custom' order facility, a 'pro series' which is exactly the same build quality & materials as the custom guitars but with fewer, pre-determined options. Then they have their 'Rasmus' guitars which is their mass-production model (made in asia I think).

PRS have a budget, mass-production model (SE), a standard option (their flagship PRS guitars) & then their custom/private stock guitars that require the selling of your first born into prostitution in order to commission.
The S2 sits between their standard & SE range, so I'm interested in knowing how good the build quality is compared to the PRS standard guitars.
Like I say, the difference in build quality & materials between the pro series & custom suhr guitars appears to be exactly the same.
I almost think PRS should do the same thing. Leave the exotic stock woods & gnarly paint options for the artist pack & private stock guitars & have a lower price point standard guitar, still with the famous PRS quilt & inlays etc.
I think they charge too much for their standard guitars, otherwise i'd almost certainly buy one.

This is dead on a what many of us who already own and play PRS guitars expected from them. What we got was something else and a sub par shell of a "real" US PRS. What we wanted/needed was exactly what you described in a stripped down version of the old "standards' but did not get it.
For what we all wanted new a MUCH better option to the S-2 would be a Carvin CT3 or 424 which is a guitar that is close in price point to the S-2 but will absolutely bury it in overall quality, materials and workmanship.
Something like this one in the in stock section
http://www.carvinguitars.com/guitars-in-stock/123065
I suspect resale will be much better on the Carvin that a S2 also long term.

 

[napalmdeath]

God damn, do you expect a handjob from your local store for spending $12-$1300 too? I could care less was Suhr has/sells, and making a general comparison is ignorant. Yes, they cut corners. Tuners are locking, and no SE I owned had locking tuners. Mine was bought new, and I paid closer to $1200 than $1399, and was shipped factory fresh. No pieces were loose, no pieces are falling off. It played very well out of the box, but I did, like always, a set up to my liking, with my strings. My $2000 Les Paul has been in it's case for three weeks, (that I'm replacing pickups in). I have no regrets, nor do I have any bitches that its not on par with a hand-made Suhr. I anticipated the need to do some upgrades, so I wasn't expecting the world top begin with. I've played $4000 Gibsons falling apart, so it's inevitable with all manufacturers, regardless of price point, that a dud exists.

 

[JimmyBlind]

I was just making a point that they don't appear to be on par with the standard guitars that they are famous for building out of Maryland.

I've seen videos of the PRS factory where after cutting, book-matching, gluing & sanding, if it is not absolutely pristine perfect, the body gets band-sawn in half & thrown in the bin.
So actually, it's not as though they have a shortage of mahogany & maple that elevates the price of their standard & private stock guitars (they've been stockpiling timber for decades now) . It's their meticulous QA. I digress.

I'd expect the S2-to-PRS Standard to be more of a Les Paul Studio/deluxe-to-LP Standard comparison, where there's no real difference in playability, sound or craftsmanship. Evidence points to the S2 being more of an SE, built in Md. Not an affordable PRS.

 

[Hollis]

A stripped down, solid color, carved top, solid mohagany, version of their custom 24/22 at around $1500 would sell like hotcakes. I was all set to buy a S2, but the non-carved top was a deal breaker for me. I had an SE Custom 24 once, and I must say, it played wonderfully and I couldn't believe how great the tuners and trem was.

 

[Ascension]

I was just making a point that they don't appear to be on par with the standard guitars that they are famous for building out of Maryland.

I've seen videos of the PRS factory where after cutting, book-matching, gluing & sanding, if it is not absolutely pristine perfect, the body gets band-sawn in half & thrown in the bin.
So actually, it's not as though they have a shortage of mahogany & maple that elevates the price of their standard & private stock guitars (they've been stockpiling timber for decades now) . It's their meticulous QA. I digress.

I'd expect the S2-to-PRS Standard to be more of a Les Paul Studio/deluxe-to-LP Standard comparison, where there's no real difference in playability, sound or craftsmanship. Evidence points to the S2 being more of an SE, built in Md. Not an affordable PRS.

I own a USA 07 Custom 24 now and was excited with the thought of a no frills PRS with the USA fit and finish.
You hit the nail dead on the head with what I expected with the LP studio to standard comparison.
What we got was not that but a different guitar all together with import tuners pots and pickups and different construction on the USA body/neck from the USA's. They are simply IMO too big a step down from the normal line.
Are they bad guitars no are the "real" USA PRS that many of us have come to love no>
Bottom line they are at just about the same price point as the Carvin CT 3/4 series and the Carvins are vastly superior guitars for the $$. I know as I own both Carvins and PRS's.
Now if PRS had built a stripped down plain Jane working man REAL Custom 24 with a street price of around $1500 they would have a hard time keeping up with the demand but they didn't.

 

[napalmdeath]

I'd expect the S2-to-PRS Standard to be more of a Les Paul Studio/deluxe-to-LP Standard comparison, where there's no real difference in playability, sound or craftsmanship. Evidence points to the S2 being more of an SE, built in Md. Not an affordable PRS.

I would rate them closer to LP Studio, than I would SE. Both say PRS on the headstock, so I still don't understand your point - Not sure if you're trolling, or ignorant? They cut corners to meet a price point, is that computing at all? I actually bought a 2014 Les Paul Studio, and sold it in favor of the PRS. Since I actually own one, and play it almost daily, I can attest to it's quality, and tone. For an extra couple hundred over the Studio, I'd do it again.

I would think an actual happy owner that did his homework, and read reviews on 6 different sites & minimum 4.5 star ratings across the board, in addition to accessing other resources with the majority at 5 star ratings, I would say that would hold more weight than a couple water heads that rudely jump in to piss on my thread, and rudely bash my recent purchase. Are you sure you don't think you're at The Gear Page? That's where the snobs hang out? And if you think there's no real difference in playability, sound, or craftsmanship between an LP Studio and an LP Classic, or Standard, you definitely, without a doubt, are ignorant.

 

[Ascension]

I'd expect the S2-to-PRS Standard to be more of a Les Paul Studio/deluxe-to-LP Standard comparison, where there's no real difference in playability, sound or craftsmanship. Evidence points to the S2 being more of an SE, built in Md. Not an affordable PRS.

I would rate them closer to LP Studio, than I would SE. Both say PRS on the headstock, so I still don't understand your point - Not sure if you're trolling, or ignorant? They cut corners to meet a price point, is that computing at all? I actually bought a 2014 Les Paul Studio, and sold it in favor of the PRS. Since I actually own one, and play it almost daily, I can attest to it's quality, and tone. For an extra couple hundred over the Studio, I'd do it again.

I would think an actual happy owner that did his homework, and read reviews on 6 different sites & minimum 4.5 star ratings across the board, in addition to accessing other resources with the majority at 5 star ratings, I would say that would hold more weight than a couple water heads that rudely jump in to piss on my thread, and rudely bash my recent purchase. Are you sure you don't think you're at The Gear Page? That's where the snobs hang out? And if you think there's no real difference in playability, sound, or craftsmanship between an LP Studio and an LP Classic, or Standard, you definitely, without a doubt, are ignorant.

Been playing guitar for a living for over 40 years and owned just about anything you can name I'm far from ignorant on instruments.As far as Gibson is concerned haven't owned one in years because they are so inconsistent that I have seen Studios that were better playing and sounding than Custom Shop Gibsons. PRS has in the past been different and MUCH more consistent in quality. The S2 is not a bad guitar never said it was just said it was not what a BUNCH of us who were PRS players asking PRS to give us in a working mans stripped down lower priced real CU24. I said the same thing here I have said on several PRS boards and many others have also said the S2 is not up to what we have known as PRS USA standards.
I do however stand hard that a Carvin CT324 or 424 is a better instrument in materials and build quality to the S2 at the same price point.
I own this 07 Custom 24 with the stock HFS/VB pickups and because i was looking hard at the S2 as a back up guitar to this one I have several times with several different S2's sat down in front of the same amp with the guitars. Every time the S2 came up well short of my real CU 24 and as a result I will likely build a Carvin CT324 instead now..

The S2 is not on the same plane with a real US PRS and that's a fact. It's better than the SE by a little in everything but looks but not close to a real USA Custom 24.