PSA: PRS Starla SE £349 new

guitargeek62

Hell of a deal on these, I'd go for one myself if we weren't about to move house!

https://www.guitarguitar.co.uk/product/191009349548008--prs-se-starla-stoptail-metallic-green

thecolourbox

That is quite cool looking, but couldn't they have softened the pointy headstock a bit?

Whitecat

Jeez.

I really wanted the original Starla Stoptail when they came out like a decade ago. Difficult to find though at the time, most dealers didn't bother with them, they opted for the 'X' instead if anything. Was always gonna be a bit of a black sheep in the PRS catalogue but dammit if the Starla didn't sound better than almost any other model.

Would need to put actual USA Starla pickups in this though... these distant second-cousin OEM pickups they are using do not have the magic. Almost possible to justify at that price, but I really just don't need another dual humbucker guitar right now.

Great colour though. Someone will be happy!

edit... aaaaaand it's gone anyway now. 

PhilW1

Shock!! horror!!-sold out. Funny how that always seems to happen with the real bargains.
All the other bargains are normally that price or cheaper most of the year anyway.

duotone

It’s a bargain but I never did like that colour

Funkfingers

Whitecat said:

Would need to put actual USA Starla pickups in this though... these distant second-cousin OEM pickups they are using do not have the magic.

I beg to differ. I have one of the G&B-made pickups in an S2 Vela, where it sounds very nice, thank you. 

Whitecat

Funkfingers said:

Whitecat said:

Would need to put actual USA Starla pickups in this though... these distant second-cousin OEM pickups they are using do not have the magic.

I beg to differ. I have one of the G&B-made pickups in an S2 Vela, where it sounds very nice, thank you. 

That’s not the pickup in the SE though - they have changed them again. I had a Vela for a good while. It (the Starla pickup) was decent and superior to what I’ve heard with the SE Starlas but did not have the slight Filtertron vibe that the USA Starla pickups had - that sparkle was missing. Did a “thing” still - Paul said in a video that they based the S2 Starla pickups on Teisco Delrays... 

guitargeek62

^ isn't it? I'd be surprised if they offered two far-east variants from the same supplier, but I suppose it's far from impossible.

Yeah, shame it sold so quickly - but no surprise!

Whitecat

guitargeek62 said:

^ isn't it? I'd be surprised if they offered two far-east variants from the same supplier, but I suppose it's far from impossible.

Yeah, shame it sold so quickly - but no surprise!

Yes, different. PRS calls them “DS-02” pickups and the ones on the Vela are “S2 Starlas”. 

Being that there are three different countries involved in the manufacturing equation with those two models it’s not that improbable, esp since the SE is probably even more carefully made to a price than the S2. 

Edit: as of 2020 it gets even murkier - the 2019 Vela has “Starla” as the pickup type. The 2020 spec sheet has “DS-01”. So perhaps same supplier as SE, different wind/output... but it means that 2020 Velas have different bridge pickups to prior models. 

Funkfingers

My mistake. I did not check the SE spec. I assumed that the same G&B-sourced pickup had been chosen again.

Whitecat said:

Paul said in a video that they based the S2 Starla pickups on Teisco Delrays.

That assertion makes sense to me.

Gerz6558

Spotted that deal this morning, was very tempted for 5 mins before rationalisation kicked in. Great deal amongst some questionable ones.