PRS Custom 24 S2 vs. 22 S2


maggior
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maggior
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05/02/2014 1:14 pm
I posted this question in the PRS forums too, but I thought maybe somebody here would have some insight.

Ugh...sometimes too many choices is a bad thing. I like the guitar I bought, but I can't help think the Cu22 would be better. Of course I have no way of holding both in my hands to know for sure since my local guitar stores don't stock both. I was lucky to find the custom 24 in a store. My wife will have a heart attack if I order another guitar from sweetwater just to compare the two :-). I wouldn't be comfortable doing that anyway.

First off, does anybody know if there is a significant difference in the feel regarding how far you have to reach out to get to the open position (first fret)? The custom 24 feels like a little bit of a reach - more so than my strat.

Secondly, is the neck pickup on the 22 really that much darker (less trebly sounding) than on the 24?

Regarding the neck pickup tone, I always thought the neck pickup on my les paul was too dark sounding, so I thought the difference in the neck pickup on the Cu24 would be an advantage.

I like this guitar a lot, but I hate having the feeling that perhaps I bought the wrong guitar!!

I've tried watching videos online and they really don't help.

Any insight anybody might have is appreciated.
# 1
fretsmith
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fretsmith
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05/02/2014 3:29 pm
Hey M - So post sale anxiety has set in? Ever seen " Glen Garry - Glen Ross" (movie).... ha ha :)

My penny's worth: I have a PRS SE Custom 24: I very,very rarely use the 23/24 frets. Wouldn't miss them. The neck pickup is probably the thing I like best about it, very clear and smooth, not boomy or trebley. ((it's also the only guitar I have that I keep the trem arm on- very smooth trem )) I don't notice a hand position change from being 24 fret ( as opposed to an SG , where i DO feel a significant difference- I know what ur saying).

If you're really doubting your choice I would say absolutely order a 22 to compare. I would. Don't worry about Sweetwater's feelings, I would bet this happens often for them. Comparing the two will either validate or alleviate your uncertainty- win/win. U spent a lot of money, u deserve to be totally happy with the end result. Do it now before ur return window closes.

Good Luck/ Take Care
# 2
maggior
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maggior
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05/02/2014 4:01 pm
Yep, post purchase anxiety :-).

I'm not worried about hurting Sweetwater's feelings, I just don't want to deal with the stress of shipping a guitar back. In any case, I emailed my sales guy my concern to see what he suggests if anything.

I actually haven't even put the trem arm in. If I could have, I would have bought this guitar with a fixed bridge. The tuning on this guitar is so darn stable though, I may pop it in for fun. The trem was so finiky on my strat I had it tightened down against the body of the guitar.

It's more the reach that I'm concerned with. I guess I could find an Custom SE 22 and try it. I'll have to bring a guitar strap. When I'm sitting with the guitar the reach feels different. That's why I didn't pick up the reach issue in the store. And I was going to bring a strap with me but forgot. Lesson learned :-).

I should mess with adjusting the strap too. I did that in the beginning and it helped a lot. I play my LP and Strat positioned pretty high up and level on my body. The PRS felt more comfortable when I dropped it down a bit and angled it. I'll have to look at that closer again.

Thanks for the input Frestmith!!
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maggior
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maggior
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05/02/2014 4:06 pm
So of course the 22 fret SE models (Santana model for instance) are a different scale length - 24.5. Not a direct comparison. Sigh...

I'll mess around again tonight and see what I think.

Damn PRS and their infinite number of choices :-).

@frestmith - I haven't seen that movie. But seeing the cast (I'm a big Kevin Spacey fan) I'll have to check it out.
# 4
fretsmith
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05/02/2014 8:38 pm
I wear my guitar kinda high too .... never could do that whole "slung low" thing. A nice, wide, high friction leather strap might help with the awkward feel/reach ? Maybe some minor adj on pickup height might tame that neck pickup u seem to dislike? Like you I also have the trem blocked on most of my floating trem guitars - I don't trem much anyway and it annoys me when the strings go sharp when I rest my hand on the bridge ( especially Floyds ).

That movie has a great part in it that deals with buyers remorse (Al Pacino plays the salesman ).... great movie, one of my personal favs. The last time I watched it (HBO) it had been edited and some really good stuff deleted ...too bad.

T-Care
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markm0926
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05/02/2014 8:39 pm
I was thinking of getting one of the new PRS S2 guitars.
Between the cu24, cu22 and Mira.
Its such a hard decision.
I'd have to go and play a bunch first, and its nearly impossible to find a store with each model available.

In my opinion the cu22 is going for more of an LP type sound, from where the pickups are located makes a difference.
Where the 24 to me would be more like a super strat.
Main Gear: Gibson SG, Gibson Les Paul Sig T, Martin Acoustic, Mesa 5:25+, Orange OR15, Carl Martin Quattro
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maggior
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maggior
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05/02/2014 9:13 pm
I played the Mira S2 in the store. It is an awesome guitar! It compared quite well to the LP Studio Pro I was comparing it to. The only thing I didn't like was it was so light, it felt cheap. Sturdy feeling though, and I really like the quirky styling of it. Plus the pickup switch was busted on it (way to go GC!!). Tone and playability-wise, I couldn't decide between the 2.

In frustration, I picked up the Custom 24 and was blown away with the playabilty toward the top of the neck!

For me, the Custom 24 felt different and would give me something my Strat and my LP didn't have. The Mira and the LP Studio Pro basically gave me what I already have with my faded Studio LP.

On my Strat and LP, I set the volume and tone controls to max and never touch them...never have to. I'm finding that the volume and tone controls on the PRS are quite usable and have good impact on the manipulating the tone. The pickups seem hot, to the point that any amp model I use in my G5 will break up even with the gain at 0. Rolling back the volume will impact this.

So part of this I think is I need to learn how to manipulate this guitar more. Watching some youtube videos, people are getting some seriously bluesy tones out of this thing, so it is possible. :-).

I noticed that Glenngarry Glen Ross is on Netflix for streaming. I may check it out tonight and take a break from guitars. I may just need to step back and reevaluate with a fresher perspective.

Thanks for the feedback guys...I let you know how it goes.
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maggior
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05/05/2014 10:04 pm
So first off, thanks for the tip on "Glengarry Glen Ross". The scene where the guy comes in the next day because his wife was upset and his purchase was really good. Evil Netflix then recommended "Taxi Driver" which I had never seen - another good flick with a really young Robert De Niro, and then "Reservoir Dogs" - one of my personal faves!!

So I was successful in avoiding my guitars on Friday night :-).

Anyway, I have settled on keeping this guitar (cue applause!). I've realized that I can deal with the reach by changing the guitar's position. No biggie. The silky smooth fretboard, neck, and frets make up for any reach issues.

What really convinced me was I played the PRS a bit - bridge humbucker, neck humbucker, and so on. Then I picked up my LP and played some of the same stuff and had an immediate moment of "oh, that's what it's supposed to sound like!!". A bit dejected, I picked up my PRS, selected the same pickup and played the same riff, and it sounded almost identical. Flipped guitars again and now everything seemed on a pretty even keel...except I could kick in the coil splits at get a little edge in there.

It just goes to show you have to keep repeating the experiment until you see consistsency in results!

So now I can put the debate aside and just really learn what this puppy can do!

So thanks for your indulgance in helping me sort this out!

In the process, I discovered a cool movie!

Cheers!
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fretsmith
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05/06/2014 1:15 am
Hi Rich- I'm a big cinema buff. What a cast huh!? That movie was adapted from a play which accounts for it's peculiar script heavy feel. Jack Lemmon gets my vote for best actor of all time.

Grats on coming to a decision. I'm sure you two will have a long, happy relationship. :)

Best Regards- Ken
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Slipin Lizard
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05/06/2014 6:41 am
Originally Posted by: fretsmithJack Lemmon gets my vote for best actor of all time.


Just had to add that I agree 100%- great flick... I've watched it several times. The scene with Jack Lemmon in the living room feels so real its painful. Love Al Pacino's character! Have fun with your new guitar Rich!

Cal
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maggior
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maggior
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05/16/2014 2:35 pm
And you thought this was done... :-).

Ugh! After using my PRS more, I noticed a pronounced hum. Once I noticed it, it was driving me crazy...it would go away when I touched metal on the guitar, except that touching the pickup height screw on the neck pickup made it even louder!

This all coincided with my band gig imploding.

So to cut to the chase, the PRS has gone back and I'll be getting a 2013 Les Paul Standard Plus in it's place. They had a closeout deal going on with a demo model that was really hard to ignore :-). If this works out, my faded LP Studio will go on Ebay. That will make my wife happy - only 2 guitars instead of 3.

In the end, the PRS was going to be my gigging guitar. One guitar would give me the tonal variety I needed on stage. It was also super light and comfortable to play. Honestly though, as far as tone goes, the LP is more appealing to me for humbucker tone.

So once the band gig vaporized, my need for this guitar went away too. Add to that the hum issue, I didn't need any more hints that this guitar wasn't for me at this point in time.

I'm aware of the issues that Gibson has with tuning stability and strings binding in the nut, but I know how to deal with them...it's a known quanity.

If this guitar doesn't work out, I will send it back and crawl back into my hole with the 2 guitars I have at the moment :-). Buying guitars is supposed to be fun, isn't it? :-).

If another band gig arises for me, I will definitely consider a PRS again. There's no arguing the quality and playability (hum issue aside...that appears to be an anomoly). Perhaps it's a generational thing - all of my guitar heroes played fenders and gibsons, so that's the tone the appeals to me.


Another interesting aside if you've made it this far...it's pretty sad that it's become more appealing to shop for a guitar online that in the store. My last trip to Guitar Center here was eye opening. The guitars I picked up were so man handled, they should have been sold as "used" IMO. The selection was also very limited. Smaller mom and pop shops only seem to carry lower end models. It is more economical and less frustrating for me to buy online and compare guitars...even if it means having to pay return shipping! Places like Sweetwater know what they are doing...good for them.
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markm0926
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05/16/2014 3:05 pm
I feel your pain with the guitar issues.
Guitar buying is suppose to be fun! But a lot of times can be frustrating.

I'm still looking for another myself. I'll try some in a few Guitar Centers and buy on-line from Sweetwater. They really do know how to send out a mint and well set up guitar.
Main Gear: Gibson SG, Gibson Les Paul Sig T, Martin Acoustic, Mesa 5:25+, Orange OR15, Carl Martin Quattro
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maggior
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05/16/2014 3:16 pm
Originally Posted by: Slipin LizardJust had to add that I agree 100%- great flick... I've watched it several times. The scene with Jack Lemmon in the living room feels so real its painful. Love Al Pacino's character! Have fun with your new guitar Rich!

Cal


Yes, Al Pacino's character was a highlight of the movie! The living room scene with Jack Lemon had me squirming in my seat - the slimy sales pitch and sales tactics were unsettling to say the least!!

I'm not a big Alec Baldwin fan, but even he was good in the movie!
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wcarosia
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05/19/2014 4:23 am
I have never met someone who actually likes the S2 models.. I looked close at them(being I have wanted a PRS since I was 13- now 29 years old)... I find them to be a head scratching, swing and a miss. This coming from PRS' poster boy.

I went with the SE Custom 24- I would like to hear an argument of why it is inferior to S2's... love the push/pull pickup response knob, overall tone, wide/thin neck is AMAZING, and its built pretty solid. like it more than anything made overseas in SE, S2, Mira...basically anything that doesn't say "made in usa", like the 308 I considered today.

Speaking of sweetwater, go look at their "SE Custom 24 sweetstock"... Maybe just my personal opinion, but I think aesthetically it looked enticing enough to consider buying! Also the SE Floyd Custom 24 should be out somewhat soon, only difference I saw (at a glance) was the bridge, possibly the nut as well.

Good luck, I hope you find what you are looking for!! I literally just bought a PRS SE Angelus Custom Piezo acoustic/electric today. aaand possibly the line 6 jtv 59.. feel free to take a look at the post I am about to write on that ha.
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maggior
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05/19/2014 2:20 pm
I've read a lot of good things about the SE line. The price point of an SE is certainly more attractive :-).

I liked the PRS, but I find I'm partial to the tones of a Strat or a LP. I'm sure this is because all of my guitar heroes growing up played either of these instruments.

I would definitely consider a PRS as a "3rd" guitar...or a gigging guitar. At SE prices, I might be able to justify that. At the price point of the S2, I couldn't justify it.
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john of MT
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05/19/2014 11:57 pm
Hi Guys!

I thought you'd be interested in Joe Satriani's comments about moving from a 22 fret to a 24 fret (referring to his Ibanez). This from the June online Premier Guitar; http://www.premierguitar.com/articles/20701-joe-satriani-outside-the-box?page=1


"Was it hard to adjust to the extra two frets?
The last tour I switched between the 22 and 24 fret models. I thought it was comical that someone of my age and professionalism would be struggling because of two extra frets, but I would sometimes check in visually with the guitar and wonder, “Is that an A or a B?” I thought, “I can’t believe you spaced out like that. How long have you been playing guitar?” But starting with the Unstoppable Momentum tour I was completely comfortable with the 24 frets."

Sounds just like me, "Is that A or B?" Of course, I don't have to be way up the neck to ask the question. :D
"It takes a lot of devotion and work, or maybe I should say play, because if you love it, that's what it amounts to. I haven't found any shortcuts, and I've been looking for a long time."
-- Chet Atkins
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maggior
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05/20/2014 9:04 pm
Hey John -

Thanks for posting the link to that article. Hey, if Joe had an issue with it, I don't feel so bad! Just that little bit can throw off your orientation and you start to doubt yourself. It wasn't too bad for me, but I did have moments.

What was really intersting was seeing that he's playing with drummer Marco Minnemann. I first became aware of his watching a video of Scarafied by Paul Gilbert. The guy is an amzaing drummer. Apparently he likes to play with amazing guitar players :-).
# 17
fretsmith
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05/21/2014 4:47 pm
Hi Rich- I get it. If you're not feeling it your just not feeling it. You gave it a fair chance and it just didn't work out. Hopefully you can still be friends :)

I'd +1 on the user who rec the SE's. I have two (custom 24 / singlecut) and like them both very much. I've tried the S2's but I didn't see any justification for the significant price difference over an SE. I will never own a USA PRS - I just can't see spending that much - even in the secondary market. IF I ever DO spring major on a single guitar it would have to be an ES-335.

As you've encountered - each instrument has it's own "voice" ... Carrie Underwood and Miranda Lambert both have amazing voices - but they're not the same.... similar with guitars. If the PRS (S2) voice didn't appeal to you - that's your personal taste in action. Saw the pic of the LP you snagged - really nice!

Based on your experience I really have to "hmmmm" over the "55 point inspection" Sweetwater is so proud of. 2 guitars and they BOTH have issues that require attention ? I recently gave SW the opportunity to price-match a guitar and they decined based on the value of this 55 point inspection that would "assure me a flawless instrument in every way". Hmmmmm ... ( MF matched it happily and I received a flawless guitar that required absolutely no tweaking of any sort ). (no dis on SW not matching a price by-the-way ... they can run their business any way they want)

Good luck with the new Paul. I have an 02' "Orville Gibson Tribute Les Paul Studio - Gothic" ... totally happy with it but I think I'm going to sell it and get a "Les Paul Classic" ... it appears my own appearance is becoming more-and-more "vintage" so maybe a more "classic" look would be fitting?! :)

Strum on Brother

PS: SlipinLizard: That living room scene w/Jack Lemmon has been CUT in my recent viewings! (as well as a couple of others) WTH are they thinking!!

Best user post this month gets a set of steak knives ... everyone else is fired :)
# 18
maggior
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05/21/2014 5:11 pm
Hey Fretsmith -

As it turns out, we've manged to stay friends. Also, they all signed up for another session at the music store. When they are done with that, maybe we could try again. I'm glad it ended on good terms. Who knows what the future will bring.

Yes, I'm really questioning the value of this 55 point thing also. The buzz/hum on the PRS was pretty obvious and the volume difference between the 2 pickups is very obvious on this new guitar. The fret buzz...that could be playing style. I didn't pay it much mind until I could hear it coming out my amp. The action is already very low, so I should be able to tweak.

Only because this was such a bargain will I look past all of this. Even if it means I have to pay to have it setup by a pro, it would still be worth it.

If I do get a gig playing out one day, I will definitely revisit the PRS. It's versatility was just unparalleled. The coil split on it did something...not so much on the LP. Yep, every guitar has it's own voice.


I can't believe they cut the living room scene. It's good to know that the version on Netflix is the complete version.

Steak knives!?!?!?...what about the caddy? Around here, the top reward would have to be a LP Custom or a PRS CU 24. Second place, a handful of guitar picks...and not the nice tortex ones either, plastic. Everybody else is FIRED!!
# 19
fretsmith
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05/22/2014 1:33 am
"As it turns out, we've manged to stay friends. Also, they all signed up for another session at the music store. When they are done with that, maybe we could try again. I'm glad it ended on good terms."

:) I was actually referring to the PRS experience :) ........... but I'm glad you're still friends with the gang too

Take Care
# 20

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