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NGD 2-18-2016 PRS S2 Custom 22 Semi-Hollow


CoreyT

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I had no intention of having a new guitar when I walked into my dealer back in February.

I took in my PRS SE Zach Myers to my dealer to get it setup properly as I was not "feeling" it anymore for that guitar.

Plus I did not like the aftermarket tuners I had them put on when I bought it a few years ago, so I took them in the same ones I run on all of my other PRS SE guitars, the Planet Waves/D'Addario Autotrim ones.

 

While there the owner showed me a black 2015 PRS S2 Custom 22 Semi-Hollow, and immediately it spoke to me.

"Take me home, buy me now."

I picked it up and it felt so light.

The neck on it is a little fatter than what I like, but it was easy to adjust to.

I played it for a bit, and also another PRS, the CE 24.

Not really keen on 24 frets, so I thought it over, and after I got home and told the owner I want it.

Asked to have it restrung with Ernie Ball Cobalt Super Slinkies in 9-42 gauge, as that is what I have on all of my guitars.

I did however ask to dry out the D'Addario NYXL 9s on the Zach Myers.

More on that in a bit.

 

Dealer emailed me later after I spoke with him, and he said the ZM would be ready Monday as more was involved changing out the tuners.

When I got up Thursday morning a new email from him said both guitars were ready, as it slowed down in the shop.

Took off work an hour early and he had both guitars over by a Mesa Boogie Mark Five 25 amp, just I have at home.

Jacked into the amp first with the ZM and the guitar blew me away.

It did not feel like it did before, it felt much better and I was back in love with it again.

 

Plugged in the new guitar and was also blown away by how it played.

Messed around with it for awhile and then went up to pay the piper.

Loaded them up in my FJ, and after I got home I played them both unplugged and the ZM stood out when letting a chord ring, the D'Addario strings on it sounded better to me than my standard EB Cobalts I have been running since 2012.

Guess who is going to be switching all the guitars over to the XLs when they need to be restrung?

 

I have been kind of wanting another semi-hollow especially after playing my son's Christmas present that I got him.

His SE by the way that I got him is one of the nicest SEs I have ever played.

 

Since this new S2 already comes with locking tuners, there was no need to put new ones on.

The only mods I did was change out the truss rod cover to the official PRS forums truss rod cover.

Hopefully the forum will do another run on them, as I only had bought three of them a few years ago, and I would like at least six more.

I also run Schaller Strap Locks on all of my straps and their end pins on the guitar.

I happened to have a black set of end pins, and they look very stealth on the guitar since it is black.

In the future I am going to have my tech at the dealer take off the covered pickups and swap them out for some nice black bobbin type pickups.

Doing some research on some vintage ones that will give me a nice AC/DC type of sound.

 

Anyway, this new guitar is a joy to play and so light.

I am glad it called out to me when I dropped off the ZM for maintenance.

Oh, also picked up a new SKB PRS TSA approved flight case too.

This makes four of these cases I have now.

Not very light, but they have wheels built into one end, and you can pull it just like luggage.

 

I feel the quality on this S2 pretty much matches my more expensive "Core" model, the 408.

 

Links

 

PRS S2 Custom 22 Semi-Hollow

 

Schaller Strap Locks (Nickle, they have black and chrome at Amazon too)

 

SKB Injection Molded Guitar Case, PRS Shaped Interior, TSA Latches with wheels

 

On with some pictures

 

1.jpg

 

Ten guitars, the SE Custom 24 in front of the TV may be sold to a Boeing semi driver at work.

 

2.jpg

 

Light as a feather!

 

3.jpg

 

Check out the reflection of the tremolo arm and my shirt on the guitar.

 

4.jpg

 

More reflection, this is my first black guitar with a solid color.

 

5.jpg

 

The Official PRS forum truss rod cover.

 

6.jpg

 

Chillin' on the sofa.

 

7.jpg

 

Rear shot.

 

8.jpg

 

Exactly 6.8 lbs.

 

9.jpg

 

Better shot of the scales screen.

 

10.jpg

 

At home in its new bed.

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New Tuner Buttons Installed 2-27-2016

 

To black out my guitar even more, I changed out the stock S2 tuner buttons for some that I got from Stew-Mac, and they are Ebony large Schaller Replacement Knobs.

Very easy to change out, and I used my Grundorf GMT003B Portable Guitar Maintenance Table.

I use this table whenever I change out the truss rod covers, or the tuner knobs like I did on my PRS 408 a few years ago,

(This was before I got my new guitar tech station I posted in here last week.)

 

One thing I noticed is when I loosened the screw or tightened it up on the knob the pitch of the string changed.

I do not remember this happening when I did my 408, I think the pitch did not change, but I could be wrong.

 

The new tuner buttons are the same shape and size as the original S2 tuner buttons.

I do have the screws screwed in most of the way, and this makes it now a bit harder to adjust the tuners , so I may slack off a bit on the screw, but I really do not mind it being a little stiffer.

 

I also used my Stew-Mac Guitar Tech Screwdriver Set.

This is a great compact toolkit for working on the guitars, and I do not have to grab perhaps a greasy tool that I have used on my FJ Cruiser when working on it.

 

I like the blackout look better, and my next mod to this guitar might be some Seymour Duncan 59 pickups in all black.

Bridge

Neck

 

Links

Schaller Replacement Knobs

Guitar Tech Screwdriver Set

Grundorf GMT003B Portable Guitar Maintenance Table

 

The guitar also lost some weight, 1.5 oz to be exact.

The stock chrome tuner buttons weigh in at 2 ounces, and the replacements weigh in at 1/2 ounce.

 

A few pictures from then.

 

11.jpg

 

New buttons, 1/2 ounce.

 

12.jpg

 

Chrome on the left, ebony on the right.

 

13.jpg

 

All ebony buttons on.

 

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Old buttons at 2.0 ounces.

 

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Full shot with new buttons installed.

 

16.jpg

 

Yep, 1.5 ounces weight lost from last Saturdays weigh in when it was stock.

If I get new pickups installed later, not sure if the new ones will weigh less or more than the stock PRS S2 #7 pickups.

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ha! I was thinking the same Ian,, but nothing wrong with this sort of addiction, I suffer from the same......

 

Nice PRS Corey! and love what you have done with your living room! !! YES !!!

Well being addicted to guitars won't kill you!

 

 

Ian

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Thanks guys.

 

Hayden, I think I have enough for now.

What I am waiting on is to see if PRS is going to offer an Archon 25 watt head.

They do have the 25 watt open back combo, but there has been rumor of a 25 watt head coming out, maybe even a signature Mark Tremonti 25 watt head fashioned after the Archon.

Also have heard he may have sued the prototype on his new album he is recording.

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