Sitting at home this morning (waiting for Parcelforce....) I've been reading about the S2 series on the PRS website. It goes into quite a lot of detail, but it's very reminiscent of reading guitar specs on the Gibson site - everything is talked up very positively, but there are just little
hints about savings that are kind of glossed over:
Wood is the foundation of a guitars tone. If you sacrifice the foundation, there is little hope of achieving an exceptional instrument. Believing this, we have chosen the same traditional tonewoods that are used on PRS Core guitars, such as maple tops, mahogany backs and bodies, mahogany necks, and rosewood fretboards. While some of the design and construction methods used in the S2 Series (the neck blanks starting dimension across the Series and the S2 Customs wood grade, for example) allowed us to use less expensive and more readily available woods, no compromise has been made to the tone or integrity of S2 instruments.
So, less expensive and more readily available.... but still maple and mahogany.... but no compromise. No mention of one-piece bodies (or otherwise). And what was that bit about "wood grade"? :? :lol:
Our PRS S2 locking tuners are used across the S2 Series. These proprietary tuners are reminiscent of our Phase II tuners and follow many of Paul Smiths tweaks, including a brass shaft and specially-configured internal construction. The locking mechanism itself is identical to the one used on our Core guitars, which helps the guitar stay in tune.
Reminiscent of... but not the same. Perhaps the same as the SE tuners, but with added locking mechanisms?
When designing, sourcing, and building the S2 Series, we were encouraged and excited to build quality instruments that were both inspired by our Core line but also truly new for PRS. We believe this is evident in every detail. If there was a time that we could not share a component with our current Core lineup, we set out to design a new process for ourselves or source new, proprietary components from our partners.
....because it was too expensive.
That said, the nut, jack assembly, fret wire, electronics knobs, and strings are all shared between our Core and S2 instruments. It is long-lasting and is comfortable to play. The electronics knobs are made in our own proprietary mold, which results in a handsome and ergonomic design.
Good news. But note it says "electronics knobs", not "electronics, knobs".... a typo, or a hint that the actual electronics are cheaper? :P
I'm just having a bit of fun with this, but they are definitely playing a game here, dropping hints when they could just have said "the timber is cheaper so we can sell you the guitar cheaper" or "the pickups and hardware are made by our partners in Korea". They'll say when something is the
same as the "Core" (new term that's appeared from nowhere?) US line, but they're a bit coy when it isn't. Just come out and say it, PRS. I'll probably still buy the guitar. :lol:
