PRS S2: Now with USA Pickups and Electronics

[spawnofthesith]

Pretty neat

https://prsguitars.com/s2


I am a fan of the pickups in my s2 vela and 594 but I think this is a great move

 

[SpaceMan]

I considered making a post recently stating that I would buy a Vela if it had bird inlays…

 

[norminal]

Yeah, I saw that…

From the 750 videos they posted on their YouTube channel, subsequently spamming my feed.

 

[spawnofthesith]

I considered making a post recently stating that I would buy a Vela if it had bird inlays…

I like the pickups in my vela quite a bit, but now I',m curious about the US versions lol. The birds look nice on the velas

 

[Boudoir Guitar]

Yeah, I saw that…

From the 750 videos they posted on their YouTube channel, subsequently spamming my feed.

"So, Paul, if you hadn't founded this amazing guitar company, what do you think you would have done?"

"Used Car Salesman"

 

[Boudoir Guitar]

The s2 standard 24 has me honestly intrigued lately.

 

[spawnofthesith]

I'd be open to a used custom 24-08 in about 6months to a year

 

[Boudoir Guitar]

I'd be open to a used custom 24-08 in about 6months to a year

I reeeeeeeally need to get my hands on a 594 thinline, given how much I've enjoyed my Epi SG.

 

[spawnofthesith]

I reeeeeeeally need to get my hands on a 594 thinline, given how much I've enjoyed my Epi SG.

594s are brilliant guitars

I'd love to try the thinline

 

[JasonE]

This is a needed upgrade on the S2 line IMHO. They should have been making them this way from the start. I get that they were probably building to a price point and that is why they cut that corner. Now the line will be better performing IMHO and people will be happier with it.

 

[SpaceMan]

This is a needed upgrade on the S2 line IMHO. They should have been making them this way from the start. I get that they were probably building to a price point and that is why they cut that corner. Now the line will be better performing IMHO and people will be happier with it.

I don’t disagree, but I think remembering the history of the product line is important. It began during the recession, as a way to reduce the cost of a Maryland-made PRS as much as reasonably possible to meet the reduced demand for high-end instruments. I guess PRS is confident the market for higher end instruments is stronger, pushing the product line in that direction. It probably also makes sense to further distinguish S2 from SE. I haven’t played any of the new models, but I’m sure they’ll remain some of the best value instruments on the market.

 

[spawnofthesith]

The SEs are very nice, but to me the S2s are definitely a significant step above, same pickups or not. Construction differences aside, an S2 feels much closer to core to me than an SE does to an S2

 

[2112]

Ooooph, the Vela satin models look awesome.

A few of my students have the S2 CU24's and they're fantastic instruments.

 

[Alex Kenivel]

Love my S2 Standard 24 Satin I got in 2016. Love it even more that I got it for 1k out the door.

 

[Eagle]

Serious improvements , The PRS SE pickups although not crap are G&B $5/10 OEM units and the Alpha parts are net even Alpha's best. The bridge and tuners are still budget though. I would still look for an older PRS CU22/24 in mint condition, they are out there and underrated and underpriced.

 

[TJontheRoad]

Nice. The old pickups were ok, but rest of the electronics were garbage. They need more semi-hollows in the S2 line now.

 

[JasonE]

I don’t disagree, but I think remembering the history of the product line is important. It began during the recession, as a way to reduce the cost of a Maryland-made PRS as much as reasonably possible to meet the reduced demand for high-end instruments. I guess PRS is confident the market for higher end instruments is stronger, pushing the product line in that direction. It probably also makes sense to further distinguish S2 from SE. I haven’t played any of the new models, but I’m sure they’ll remain some of the best value instruments on the market.

I remember the history. That is what I was getting at with the comment about knowing they were building to a price point.

The other positive thing I see with this change is even though they raised the price to cover the pickups, pots and switches, the increase is less than it would cost you to just buy the pickups. It is worth the extra $350.

I think they felt it was time since the level of imports has come up and their prices have increased as well. This sets them a little farther up and provides a good reason to buy an S2 when compared to other guitars in the market today.

 

[JasonE]

The S2 line came out in 2013, and the CU24 S2 was about $1400. Which, if the inflation calc I used is to be believed, should be $1864 or so today. So, they're basically charging a roughly $385-$400 premium for their pickups, assuming that inflation hit the guitar industry the same as it did everything else. Which it didn't.

It would cost you $400 to buy the pickups if they are even available then you have to buy the pots, switches and jack after that. It is still a smaller increase than what the parts alone would cost someone to buy, if they can get them.

 

[Boudoir Guitar]

It would cost you $400 to buy the pickups if they are even available then you have to buy the pots, switches and jack after that. It is still a smaller increase than what the parts alone would cost someone to buy, if they can get them.

I've got no fault with the current price of the S2s but the above logic is pretty tortuous . . .

. . . "it would cost you more than it should to buy the pickups on their own BECAUSE THE MAKER OF THE GUITAR LIMITS THEIR AVAILABILITY so the price hike is totally in-line with the artificially inflated market price of the pickups, despite the manufacturing cost of the pickups being significantly less than that."

 

[JasonE]

I've got no fault with the current price of the S2s but the above logic is pretty tortuous . . .

. . . "it would cost you more than it should to buy the pickups on their own BECAUSE THE MAKER OF THE GUITAR LIMITS THEIR AVAILABILITY so the price hike is totally in-line with the artificially inflated market price of the pickups, despite the manufacturing cost of the pickups being significantly less than that."

They do make a few of their pickups available for purchase. This is a way to get others already installed in the guitar from the factory just like the core line.