Since its introduction in 2013, PRS’s S2 range has worked to bridge the gap between the company’s most affordable and most expensive guitars. PRS’s cost-savings strategy for the S2 was simple. The company fitted U.S.-made bodies and necks, built using the more streamlined manufacturing processes of PRS’s Stevensville 2 facility, with Asia-made electronics from the SE line.
But with the introduction of the 2024 S2s, PRS made a critical change to that formula. Now, the S2s use the same homegrown pickups and electronics featured in PRS’s Core lineup, which, depending on your perspective, makes the new S2s more like entry-level Core guitars rather than instruments situated a whole rung down the status ladder. The U.S.-made electronics mean a price bump from older S2s that averages around $300. But in the case of the pretty S2 Vela reviewed here, that adds up to slightly more than $2K, which among American-made solidbodies represents a fairly competitive price.
Less Flash From the Birds
Among PRS purists, at least, the offset Vela has always been a bit underappreciated. The new S2 version is a lovely guitar, though. It’s built around a solid mahogany body and set mahogany neck with a rosewood fretboard, and the asymmetrically beveled shape provides forearm comfort and helps set the Vela apart from more slab-like offset designs. Though the asymmetrical double-cutaway and horns echo classic PRS looks, there’s also something a bit SG-like about the overall result. It’s impressively lightweight, too, at just less than 7 pounds. Our review guitar came with a gloss finish that PRS calls scarlet sunburst, but four other gloss options are available, or you can save yourself about 300 bucks and opt for a satin-finish version.
The neck is carved to PRS’s “pattern regular” shape, a comfortably rounded medium-depth “C,” with a width of 1 21/32" across the nut and 22 medium-jumbo frets. The scale length is 25". Synthetic bird inlays grace the unbound fretboard, but the rest of the cosmetics are elegantly austere, which helps reduce the price, but will also appeal to players that like the PRS profile but care less for the flash.
“One of the cool things about this model is that it doesn’t sound quite like anything else.”
The S2 Vela’s pickup complement includes a U.S.-made DS-01 humbucker in the bridge position and a Narrowfield humbucker in the neck spot. This configuration differs from earlier S2 Velas, which used a DeArmond-style Type-D single-coil in the neck position. Wiring and switching use the same components as Core models. In addition to the 3-way toggle, there’s a push-pull pot on the tone control that splits the coils of the DS-01. This feature employs elements of the popular DGT wiring, which uses a resistor between the push-pull switch and ground, so part of the “dumped” coil output remains to fatten the signal and tone.
Hardware includes a set of PRS Low-Mass locking tuners at one end, and the relatively new plate-style non-vibrato bridge at the other. The bridge employs slots for top-loading the strings, and two 3-string brass saddles, each milled and angled for compensation and adjusted with two intonation screws per saddle for further fine-tuning. The setup is effective. The Vela rings like a bell when played unplugged, and intonation is perfect right out of the included gigbag. The setup also made the S2 Vela an easy player across the whole neck—a PRS hallmark, most would agree.
Vicious Vela-ciraptor
Paired with black-panel Fenders, Marshall-style heads, and a Fractal FM9 modeler, the S2 Vela is very versatile despite some distinctly retro sonic leanings. One of the cool things about this model is that it doesn’t sound quite like anything else. If you need sonic archetypes for reference you could consider the DS-01 a blend of the Gretsch Filter’Tron and the PAF-style Gibson humbucker, while the Narrowfield sounds a bit like a low-wind P-90 crossed with a Stratocaster pickup. Together they add up to a very original palette and plentiful options. This is a guitar that can do a little of everything and just about anything a gigging player would need on a given night.
In full humbucking mode, the bridge pickup can send overdriven sounds to soaring lead-tone heights. And while there’s arguably a brighter, more biting edge here than some traditional humbuckers express, it’s not harsh or shrill. Tame the distortion at your amp or gain pedal and you can use the DS-01 for thick tones ranging from fat cleans to crunch, each in their own distinctive color. In single-coil mode, too, the DS-01 doesn’t obviously reference any specific tone template. Brighter and lighter than the full-humbucking tone, it’s also a little scooped and even slightly out-of-phase sounding, even though it isn’t out of phase. It serves all kinds of jangly, chimey styles well, and truly shimmers through modulation and reverb effects.
The Narrowfield pickup, meanwhile, is well-suited to the neck position, delivering the warm feel of a vintage humbucker without the dull or muddy response that is often a trade-off. It adds a touch of extra cut to the bluesy leads and mellow rhythm work that you’d usually use a neck pickup for, but with an appealing richness and depth that are, again, very much their own.
The Verdict
Whether you need Telecaster twang, throaty Strat-like blues tones, grinding garage-rock crunch, or something more distinct, the S2 Vela is game. It’s well-rounded and impressively well-made, and the styling and sound are simultaneously fresh and retro-leaning in ways that can and should broaden PRS’s appeal. Together, the lightweight mahogany body, plate-style bridge with brass saddles, and DS-01 and Narrowfield pickups produce resolutely different tones within the PRS family and among many solidbody standard bearers. And it achieves these ends with gusto, flare, and value that make it a very appealing option.
USA-Made Pickups Now in PRS Guitars S2 Vela & Custom 24-08 | First Look
- “Tonewood” Doesn’t Matter. Wood Does ›
- 10 Things We Learned from Paul Reed Smith ›
- First Look: PRS Horsemeat, Mary Cries & Wind Through the Trees ›
- PRS Makeover: Blasphemy or Alchemy? ›
While digital audio workstations (DAWs) have revolutionized music production, offering unparalleled editing and flexibility, many producers, including me, still mix back into an analog console for the sonic character and three-dimensionality that it imparts. But buying a professional console isn’t cheap! This is where console summing boxes come into play, offering a unique way to enhance your mixes and elevate them to a professional level.
How Does It Work?
Very simply put, recording consoles have two basic sections: an input section (all the channels of mic pres, and EQ) and a center section (that sums all of the channels together and routes those signals to various configurable outputs such as inserts and aux buses). A console summing mixer is essentially the center section of a console and is designed to sum the individual audio channels, aux buses, stems, and submixes from your DAW in an analog domain.
In a DAW, digital summing—the process of combining multiple tracks and buses into a stereo mix—is handled through complex binary algorithms that, while precise, can sometimes lead to a mix that feels lifeless and one-dimensional, lacking the warmth, depth, and cohesion that analog consoles impart.
One of the most significant advantages of using a summing box is the introduction of harmonic distortion, a natural byproduct of analog circuitry. This isn’t like amp or pedal distortion, but rather a subtle harmonic saturation that adds richness and character to the sound. Low-end frequencies gain girth and definition, while high frequencies have a smooth, silky quality. You can achieve natural compression through subtle variations in phase and amplitude, but that depends on how hard you push the summing mixer box.
But the best benefit, in my opinion, is its ability to produce an undeniably open stereo image. Digital summing, while accurate, often lacks dimension or a sense of space. Analog summing introduces subtle variations in phase and amplitude, creating a sense of width and depth that makes each instrument feel like it occupies its own space in a more 3-D stereo field, which results in a more engaging and polished mix. I’ve also found summing boxes encourage a more deliberate and thoughtful approach to mixing, as it requires submixing certain elements.
API’s ASM164 ($3,195 street) is wildly flexible, offering VU meters, multiple inserts, two separate stereo mix options, and more.
For those who work “in-the-box” and aren’t in the market for a summing box, let alone a console, incorporating a summing box can also serve as a valuable learning tool. By running stems through a summing box and comparing the results to an entirely digital mix, you can train your ear to recognize the subtle qualities that make a mix feel warm, cohesive, spatial, and dynamic. This heightened awareness can then inform your in-the-box mixing decisions, even when you’re not using a summing box.
“Whether you want to add depth and dimension to your tracks, enhance your stereo image, or bring a touch of analog magic to your mixes, a summing box can be a gamechanger."
It’s important to choose the right summing box for your needs and budget, as different models offer varying sonic characteristics. Good summing mixers typically start around $2,000, such as Rupert Neve Design’s 5057 Orbit Summing Mixer. While more expensive, API’s ASM164 ($3,195 street) is wildly flexible, offering VU meters, multiple inserts, two separate stereo mix options, and more. The key here is to understand your needs.
Pairing a summing box with high-quality outboard processors, such as compressors or EQs, will allow you to shape your mix in ways that are impossible within a purely digital setup.
Whether you want to add depth and dimension to your tracks, enhance your stereo image, or bring a touch of analog magic to your mixes, a summing box can be a gamechanger. For anyone serious about mixing, it’s a tool worth considering—one that can make the difference between a mix that’s good and one that’s truly exceptional. Until next month, namaste
The exquisite BilT Brothers collaborative guitar: a Frank Brothers Ultra Light in BilT eggplant sparkleburst with Arcane 3x3 Gold Foil Humbuckers and loaded with a Caroline Custom Cannonball Distortion.
It was like any other random day at work: We had customers coming in, items shipping out, services on the bench. I was simultaneously working on a pedalboard for a customer and making plans with some vendors. I was on the phone with Brandon Darner of BilT Guitars when DHL dropped off our latest Frank Brothers guitar. Now, I’m never shy about talking up builds from any of our vendors. Spec’ing guitars for our shop, seeing their execution exceed my expectations, and then getting it into the hands of its new owner is one of my absolute favorite parts of my job. So, naturally I mentioned that we just got a new Frank Brothers in. Brandon told me how much he loved their stuff—sort of a “game recognizing game” kind of thing.
After we unboxed the guitar, I called Tim Frank to let him know how we continue to be impressed with their work and how much we loved the new arrival. I also mentioned Brandon had some very nice things to say about their work. Tim’s response was something like, “Oh wow! That’s really cool. Their stuff is amazing and we have a lot of respect for those guys.” At first, I thought he was just being polite, but I’ve gotten to know him pretty well. I knew that the compliment and sentiment was genuine and past the point of his wonderful Canadian pleasantness. One thing led to another, and I started a group text. Very quickly, they became friends. In fact, Brandon even ordered a Frank Brothers shortly after the introduction.
The Frank Brothers and BilT team, left to right: Tim Frank, Tim Thelen (BilT), Nick Frank, and Brandon Darner (BilT).
My last call of the day was to Philippe Herndon from Caroline Guitar Company. As we talked, he was glowing about the pedal building community and how friendly and collaborative it is, and obvious questions popped into my head: “Why aren’t guitar companies like that?” “Why can’t we do a collab guitar?”
Long story extremely short, with tons of excitement, I got Brandon and Tim on the phone and proposed the idea of doing a guitar together. Without hesitation, the response from both was “Hell yeah, let’s do it!” and it was time for us to spec it. We decided on a Frank Brothers Ultra Light. BilT would apply their world-class fit/finish as well as their signature effects treatment. I picked my favorite finish in the BilT repertoire called eggplant sparkleburst, selected Arcane 3x3 Gold Foil Humbuckers, and tapped Philippe on the shoulder to ask if he had any Custom Cannonball Distortions—the first pedal I bought from Caroline in 2013—that he could provide for the build, to which he happily obliged.
A year or so later, the BilT Brothers was born. Of course, it is exceptional beyond words and is a true testament to the results of these incredible companies working together to produce something truly remarkable. We decided, with custom shirts and all, to proudly debut our creation at Fretboard Summit in Chicago. The reaction from everyone exceeded our expectations and showed me that the level of mutual respect and admiration in this business can lead to phenomenal results.
This project has opened a lot of doors that I’m not sure anyone knew existed. For me, the most exciting part of all of this is the fact that, like the smaller pedal companies, there is an actual community here filled with like-minded, pure enthusiasts who also happen to be master craftsmen—and who truly geek out over each other’s work.
Never was this more evident than at the Wood Wire Volts show this January, where not only did the BilT and Frank Brothers crews travel and stay together, they were also often in deep chats with fellow luminaries Sacha Dunable (Dunable Guitars) and Carlos Lopez (Castedosa Guitars), discussing the trade, the work, and ideas for the future. If the vibe is any indicator, we can safely assume that while the BilT Brothers was, by all accounts, the first ever collab guitar of its kind, it will not be the last.
This entire experience is reminiscent of the DIY community ethos that I’ve clung to and has inspired me for most of my life. There is a cliché about the journey being greater than the destination, and while the destination in this case is one of the finest guitars I’ve ever laid my hands on, I’d have to say it holds true
