What's wrong with a PRS Vela? (other than being a PRS, obvs)

urban_winter

I rather fancy a PRS Vela but I'm puzzled about why they are so cheap secondhand. Three sold on ebay in the last couple of months for 650, 660 and 725 and the reverb price history (https://reverb.com/p/paul-reed-smith-s2-vela) also shows most sales happening at sub-£700. This is against a new price at Andertons of £1400 (cheaper for the satin finish). That seems like pretty evil depreciation! Is it because people don't like them? Or are they a stunning bargain secondhand?

U.

TTBZ

They're great guitars - only had a quick go on one a few times but loved it. The pattern regular neck is really nice and the body is really light and comfy. PRS just have terrible resale in general I think!

Dominic

They are a great guitar and like most things devalue quite quickly once they leave the shop

Funkfingers

PRS S2 guitars are a halfway house between the Core and SE ranges. Corners are cut on pickups, control electronics, machineheads and some aspects of the finishing. 

In the specific instance of the Vela, some people don’t “get” the Type D neck position pickup. Its offset body shape is begging for a vibrato, if anything, more so than the Starla.

I have one of the semi-hollow reclaimed Brazilian Shed models from a couple of years ago. I find it as enjoyable as other PRS guitars - both cheaper and more expensive.

urban_winter said:

a stunning bargain secondhand?

This.

RaymondLin

S2 also cut corners in making the guitar.  Like the necks are 3 pieces, and where the core takes like a month to make a neck (they would cut it, shape it, let it rest for a week before shaping it again, wait another week), S2 don’t do that. 

The carve is also simpler to save time and easer to buff.

sgosden

I think they sit in a weird place where people don't know what to do with it. 

I've got a satin finish one, and it's lovely to play. I bought it with the intention of mostly playing metal, and ended up with a bkp crawler in the bridge position. But it's still too open sounding for the fast tight stuff, but for riffs and sludgier stuff is feking awesome. 
I then found out it is beautify for lead work on the bridge.
And the dcoil into a clean amp is lush,and you can get some nice sounds with it and the bridge split. 


It's mad how little they go for second hand . Kinda makes me sad I paid full price... But then I had been waiting for over a year for a satin one to appear so never mind  

I picked up an S2 custom 24 for about 700 a few years before . So I guess it's just the resale on S2 is bad! 

grungebob

The vela is a fantastic guitar period. Irrespective of price. 

I honestly don’t know why I sold mine. 

JD50

It's the only PRS I actually like the look of.

Jalapeno

Funkfingers said:

I have one of the semi-hollow reclaimed Brazilian Shed models from a couple of years ago. I find it as enjoyable as other PRS guitars - both cheaper and more expensive.

Me too - they're bloody awesome guitars !

Whitecat

IMO the Vela is the most interesting guitar PRS currently make. The satin edition they did a couple
years ago is nitro finished - worth tracking down if you can find a clean example - and the stock pickups sound good, even though the Starla humbucker sounds nothing like the (excellent) USA Starla. 

RaymondLin said:

S2 also cut corners in making the guitar.  Like the necks are 3 pieces, and where the core takes like a month to make a neck (they would cut it, shape it, let it rest for a week before shaping it again, wait another week), S2 don’t do that. 

The carve is also simpler to save time and easer to buff.

Taylor does scarf joints (IE, 3 piece necks) on all their necks too all the way up to the highest end models they make. It’s not necessarily a bad thing. 

RaymondLin

Whitecat said:

IMO the Vela is the most interesting guitar PRS currently make. The satin edition they did a couple
years ago is nitro finished - worth tracking down if you can find a clean example - and the stock pickups sound good, even though the Starla humbucker sounds nothing like the (excellent) USA Starla. 

RaymondLin said:

S2 also cut corners in making the guitar.  Like the necks are 3 pieces, and where the core takes like a month to make a neck (they would cut it, shape it, let it rest for a week before shaping it again, wait another week), S2 don’t do that. 

The carve is also simpler to save time and easer to buff.

Taylor does scarf joints (IE, 3 piece necks) on all their necks too all the way up to the highest end models they make. It’s not necessarily a bad thing. 

Yup, they do indeed but I'm illustrating that more time is given to the core bodies which ultimately cost money. 

Whitecat

RaymondLin said:

Whitecat said:

IMO the Vela is the most interesting guitar PRS currently make. The satin edition they did a couple
years ago is nitro finished - worth tracking down if you can find a clean example - and the stock pickups sound good, even though the Starla humbucker sounds nothing like the (excellent) USA Starla. 

RaymondLin said:

S2 also cut corners in making the guitar.  Like the necks are 3 pieces, and where the core takes like a month to make a neck (they would cut it, shape it, let it rest for a week before shaping it again, wait another week), S2 don’t do that. 

The carve is also simpler to save time and easer to buff.

Taylor does scarf joints (IE, 3 piece necks) on all their necks too all the way up to the highest end models they make. It’s not necessarily a bad thing. 

Yup, they do indeed but I'm illustrating that more time is given to the core bodies which ultimately cost money. 

For sure. And it’s reflected in the price. But even S2s feel expensive these days compared to what they used to cost and Cores are kind of just a joke... 

Winny_Pooh

Those scarf necks joints save on wasting wood and are usually stronger.

Used S2 models are often bargains.

Arktik83

I think I've had pretty much every S2 going apart from a S2 studio and they were all fab.  I've had core model PRS guitars too and the S2's certainly do not feel like a downgrade.  I actually prefer the stripped down aesthetic of the S2's more often than not.  My favourite of the line was probably the S2 Starla that I had but the Vela was really cool too, really enjoyed the DeArmond style neck pickup.  But yeah, if you're buying new, expect to take a hit if you look to sell it on later.

monquixote

The generation who started playing guitar in the 90's because of Nirvana, Radiohead, etc have now grown up and have a bit of cash to spend. (Well not me personally )

The Starla, Mira and Vela  are clearly the attempt to win a bit of business from that market who might otherwise buy a Jazzmaster, etc.

I think the problem is that people in that demographic often have a lot of inverted snobbery about PRS and associate them with birds and swimming pool tops while the traditional PRS player doesn't want a plain looking guitar. 

I think they are a massive bargain as a result and I'd love one.

stonevibe

Bought mine the week they came out and haven't looked back, really nice guitar and I would recommend it. Really like the bridge and the pickup choice, makes it different from the rest of the brands range and I prefer the Vela to the Starla and the Mira. I think it has a bit more character and so stands out above the other models.

TTBZ

sgosden said:

I think they sit in a weird place where people don't know what to do with it. 

I know what you mean, a lot of people say it's a bit Gretsch sounding which is a massive turn-off for me, I'm guessing that's very much down to the Starla pickup though? I've only ever played a Vela unplugged so no idea what the pickups sound like! I would probably want to put a BKP Warpig or something dirty into it if that's the case

grungebob

The vela handles gain like a champ but still works on a clean setting. I think it’s pickups are magical. 

I think the comment above about those of us who grew up on Nirvana etc look to these stripped back S2’s more than the cores(although I’ve owned plenty of cores)because of our hero’s guitars of choice. 

I don’t want a core anymore but I do want a vela 

TTBZ

I love PRS guitars but only plain ones. Really just want an S2 Standard 22 in plaintop/solid colour or satin, with dots, wraparound hardtail bridge and ideally no pickguard. Then a Vela  

I kinda feel like the S2 line is more what the SE line should really be, ie more stripped down plain versions at a more affordable price. S2 should be where you get birds, fancier tops etc.

chris78

It’s a fantastic gigging guitar. The d single coil has a bit of strat about it. It’s got strat chime but it’s also more hifi and handles gain very well.
 Joe Knaggs reckoned the starla pickup was the best he ever made at PRS. It’s gretschy but more tv Jones powertron than classic. 

It won’t do metal that well, but it’s a superb indie guitar and very pedal friendly. I love it for black keys stuff as an alternative to the goldfoils in my Asher.

In short, they’re a bloody bargain. I’ve just spent too much money on a reclaimed that arrived yesterday having had 3 “standard” versions before that I’ve sold and regretted at various points. The thing I’ve not liked is the poly finish on the necks, but a satin or the reclaimed takes care of that. I’ve also had a studio that @TTony is now the owner of and I think he’s enjoyed the studio, which is very similar.

TTony

TTBZ said:

I kinda feel like the S2 line is more what the SE line should really be, ie more stripped down plain versions at a more affordable price. S2 should be where you get birds, fancier tops etc.

My recollection is that's where the SE range started.  Certainly, my SE Santana II is pretty plain.  But a damn fine guitar.  Over the years, the SE range seems to have migrated ever-upwards with spec "upgrades" and then matching price increases.  The recently announcement SE Hollowbody with piezo is (IIRC) £1399.  No doubt it's a great guitar (based on my non-piezo version), but there's a lot of competition at that price point, and from guitars of similar quality.

I guess the S2 trades the bling of the upper-end SEs for better quality, but less visible materials?

chris78 said:

 I’ve also had a studio that @TTony is now the owner of and I think he’s enjoyed the studio, which is very similar.

I really am.  No bling, but great quality, and the pickups give me a useful change from my usual (in order of preference) P90s, HBs, or, hot-rodded SCs.