Updated PRS S2 lineup

Strat54

Whitecat said:

https://www.suhr.com/headstock-engraving/

Suhr aren’t allowed to say “Made in the USA” anymore. 

If PRS were in California they wouldn’t be able to say “made in the USA” either. That’s a state-specific law. Fender can’t say “made in the USA” on their USA-made instruments, for example, and they don’t. Only 5% of components or parts can be imported in order to put that label on them, or 10% if it’s impossible to source any American equivalents - none of the above meet that standard. 

/pendantry

I'd mark them Born In The USA if I were John.....

RaymondLin

Correction, my Bogner says "Handcrafted" in Los Angeles CA USA  

Strat54

They'll need to discount these new prices....I mean who pays £2500 for a Custom S2 when you can buy a pretty stunning used Core model for a couple of hundred quid less? 

Chimpankie

Strat54 said:

They'll need to discount these new prices....I mean who pays £2500 for a Custom S2 when you can buy a pretty stunning used Core model for a couple of hundred quid less? 

I suspect the model is to get people to buy it on finance (whereas you can’t finance the used core model). But the prices are nuts. I bought a brand new core DGT for 2.7k in 2020!

Strat54

Chimpankie said:

Strat54 said:

They'll need to discount these new prices....I mean who pays £2500 for a Custom S2 when you can buy a pretty stunning used Core model for a couple of hundred quid less? 

I suspect the model is to get people to buy it on finance (whereas you can’t finance the used core model). But the prices are nuts. I bought a brand new core DGT for 2.7k in 2020!

Ah of course, never done finance for guitars....is it popular? I bought a nearly new Core DGT in 2011 for £1399 from Coda lol.

Chimpankie

Strat54 said:

Chimpankie said:

Strat54 said:

They'll need to discount these new prices....I mean who pays £2500 for a Custom S2 when you can buy a pretty stunning used Core model for a couple of hundred quid less? 

I suspect the model is to get people to buy it on finance (whereas you can’t finance the used core model). But the prices are nuts. I bought a brand new core DGT for 2.7k in 2020!

Ah of course, never done finance for guitars....is it popular? I bought a nearly new Core DGT in 2011 for £1399 from Coda lol.

Very, I think. Easy too, a few clicks and a form. I’ve used it a couple of times (0% over 10 months) but they also do products like 12 months buy now pay later which I do not trust myself to go anywhere near. 

bacchanalian

Coda have a couple of used S2 at the moment. The 10th Anniversary are more expensive than the standard version. The update seems to bring them in line with the Anniversary spec.

dindude

I’ve read / heard a few times from different sources that the middle market for guitars is the hardest sell - the £1k to £2k mark. Cheaper sub £1k and high end are the key markets - if this is true then they are playing to this. 

Jez6345789

I think we are all grinding on prices at the moment and certainly wages are not keeping up with many price rises. That said on our little manufacturing side of the business every part component seems to have had big price hikes. Yeah we are not buying in super large quantities but across the board glue screw wood all seem to have risen some well in the 40% and nobodies blinking when shopping around.

Boromedic

Them anniversary ones look like good value, I nearly got one from Peach last night!

normula1

I quite like the 594, just wish it had a single vol / tone.

Philly_Q

Oh well, fuck it, Suhr was a really bad example to pick.  But nearly everyone uses import hardware.

Jez6345789

Philly_Q said:

Oh well, fuck it, Suhr was a really bad example to pick.  But nearly everyone uses import hardware.

I am always a little surprised big companies don’t have their own metal hardware production. Or does metal production not get cost effective until it hits a high volume.

guitargeek62

Philly_Q said:

Oh well, fuck it, Suhr was a really bad example to pick.  But nearly everyone uses import hardware.

Yep, very little hardware is US made. And remember, even Gotoh (MIJ), Grover (MIC), Schaller (MIG), Kluson (MIK & MIJ), and TonePros (MIK) would be classed as import hardware for a US-builder.

I think I’m right in saying that CTS pots aren’t typically US-made these days either?



*edit* @Jez6345789 indeed, it’s expensive to make complex hardware like tuners and bridges, that’s why there’s relatively few options to choose from and even then, many brands are built by other manufacturers, e.g. Fender’s tuners are made by Ping, as are Grover’s; Gotoh produce the Goldo-distributed Kluson hardware, but the US-distributed (by WD Music) Kluson stuff is produced by Ping.

crunchman

Strat54 said:

They'll need to discount these new prices....I mean who pays £2500 for a Custom S2 when you can buy a pretty stunning used Core model for a couple of hundred quid less? 

I prefer the S2, especially if it now comes with better pickups.  Ther maple top is thinner, which I think helps the sound, and the chamfer at the edge of the body is a lot more comfortable than the carve on the expensive ones.

I wouldn't pay £2500 for one though, but I wouldn't pay the current prices for a core model either.

mrkb

Jez6345789 said:

Philly_Q said:

Oh well, fuck it, Suhr was a really bad example to pick.  But nearly everyone uses import hardware.

I am always a little surprised big companies don’t have their own metal hardware production. Or does metal production not get cost effective until it hits a high volume.

Where do you define metal production as starting from? Iron Ore and Bauxite?

Most metal working will need plating afterwards (ie chrome) which is a dirty process with toxic chemicals. Not really suitable for a small production run setup.

Musicman20

Am I right in thinking Musicman make a lot of their hardware in house? I might be wrong...

guitargeek62

Musicman20 said:

Am I right in thinking Musicman make a lot of their hardware in house? I might be wrong...

Unlikely - they probably have a manufacturer that produces stuff to their spec, but not in-house per se.

Incidentally, even PRS (US) and Gibson don’t physically make their own hardware either - it’s subcontracted out to other companies. 

PRS used (John) MannMade Inc. for their bridges and modifications to Schaller tuners in the earlier era; I forget who Gibson use for bridges etc but it’s likely more than one supplier.

Philly_Q

Phil McKnight's reviewed the new S2 Standard 24 Satin:

Boromedic

@bacchanalian with reference to your post in the closed Gibson QC thread, it was me that posted a dentists chair in here, not sure it's peak internet and it took me about 20 secs. Not much time and very little effort to do so, and have a little laugh at the same time. I'm easily pleased, what can I say