PRS S2 Series
Meaning “Stevensville 2,” the S2 Series was named for a second manufacturing line that was created inside the PRS Stevensville, Maryland shop. However, since its introduction, the S2 Series has grown to be fully integrated into the same production line as PRS Core and Bolt-On instruments.
“This just makes sense,” said Paul Reed Smith. “We have worked very diligently on pickups for the last several years and made big strides. To infuse the S2 Series with the life that comes with this kind of attention to detail was the next logical step for these instruments.”
Loaded with PRS's renowned 85/15, 58/15 LT, and proprietary Narrowfield and TCI pickups – made right in PRS’s Maryland shop – the S2 Series now carries more PRS DNA than ever. The PRS S2 Series also comes with the same electronics as PRS Core instruments, including potentiometers with extreme audio tapers and other components with custom-designed features. To top off the specs, all Maryland-made PRS electric instruments feature a nitrocellulose finish. This finish is thin, allowing the guitars to have a resonant, organic tone. The nitro finish also has a natural feel, elevating the playing experience from the moment the guitar is picked up.
With thirteen model choices, the S2 Series features both variations on well-known PRS models (like the Custom 24 and McCarty 594) and also truly distinct model choices found only in S2 (like the S2 Vela, S2 Standard 22, and S2 McCarty 594 Thinline).
For more information, please visit prsguitars.com.
USA-Made Pickups Now in PRS Guitars S2 Vela & Custom 24-08 | First Look
Single-Cut Above
While the NF 53’s 25 1/2" scale and bolt-on maple neck are very much in the vintage Telecaster spirit, there are significant differences. The neck is built using 3-piece construction. A scarf joint adds strength in the nut-to-headstock transition area and re-enforces the slightly angled headstock. The truss rod is accessed from just behind the nut, and the fretboard is a separate piece of maple that’s glued to the neck after installation of the truss rod. The neck feels great, too, with a rounded-C carve that seems more akin to a ’59 Les Paul than an early ’50s Telecaster, as well as a 10" fretboard radius and a nut width of 1-41/64". Both dimensions mark a kind of compromise between classic Fender and Gibson standards. But moving across the NF 53’s fretboard feels effortless, and I suspect most guitarists will take to the model easily and breezily.
True to vintage T-style form, the NF 53’s solid body is made from swamp ash, a wood that, today, is much harder to find in consistently high-quality and lightweight supplies. PRS works around this challenge, to some degree, by gluing three pieces of ash together. Vintage- and boutique-guitar aficionados romanticize 1-piece bodies and sometimes sniff at anything more than 2-piece. But I’d rather have a relatively light 3-piece ash body than a boat-anchor 1- or 2-piece—and the NF 53’s very comfortable weight, around 7 pounds, is most certainly on the lighter side. (Anecdotally, I have a ’66 Telecaster with a 3-piece body, and it’s one of the best-sounding guitars I’ve ever owned). The size and depth of the body are very traditionally T-style too. But here again, there are differences. The NF 53 has a shorter horn that’s also contoured for improved upper-fret access. Forearm and rib contours enhance playing comfort, and the body’s waist is ever so slightly offset.
“I suspect most guitarists will take to the NF 53 easily and breezily.”
Obviously, a huge part of the classic T-style formula is the single-coil pickups. On this front, the NF 53 deviates from tradition more significantly by using PRS’ Narrowfield DD (“Deep Dish”) pickups, which are single-coil-sized humbuckers. They’re made with deep bobbins for loading on extra coil windings as well as a mix of magnet pole pieces with steel poles in between. They are wired via master volume and tone controls and a 3-way selector switch.
The NF 53’s bridge adds another twist. It employs a steel-base with string-anchor notches rather than through-body stringing, as well as two brass, 3-string saddles with two adjustment bolts each. The vintage-style tuners sport a Kluson-like appearance but with unique ivory-colored plastic buttons.
Twanger or Banger?
Even before you hook up the NF 53 to an amplifier, it rings like a bell, with the bright yet balanced response, piano-like low-string clarity, and the impressive sustain I’d expect from a really good Telecaster. Amplified, you hear all those same qualities as well as a lively edge that is something all its own. The narrow-format humbuckers love overdrive and amps at the brink of distortion—generating snarly, gutsy voices that still offer clear note definition and tight bass tones.
In clean environments, the Narrowfield DDs are punchier and grittier than traditional single-coil T-style pickups with guitar volume at maximum. And when you reduce guitar volume, they sound smoother and tamer than an old-school Telecaster might. That’s no bad thing, though. I prefer the NF 53’s neck pickup sounds to all but a few vintage Telecasters I’ve played (including a long-gone ’63 that still haunts me). It has a full, rich, throaty tone that’s lovely for jazz or ballads and delectably dynamic for blues soloing—especially with a little drive in the mix. In general, the NF 53 offers more bang than twang. But within its appealingly chameleon-like personality, there are still tasty T-style sounds to be found.
The Verdict
Thoughtfully designed and very well put together, the NF 53 is a nifty spin on the world’s first mass-produced solidbody electric guitar, but one that takes the format in new directions. The relative simplicity of the instrument is no impediment to versatility. But the real joy in the NF 53 is that it plays beautifully and offers a wide swath of dynamic, smooth, and often trenchant voices that are all its own.
PRS' T-Styles?! Myles Kennedy Signature & NF 53 Demos | First Look
“We have so much inspiration and energy behind product development for the SE Series because it is a range of instruments that we know is supporting everyone from beginning players to professional musicians. We draw from our Maryland innovations, our history, and our own curiosities as players and builders,” said Jack Higginbotham, PRS Guitars COO. “I think these new models will continue the SE Series promise to deliver quality tools for musicians.”
SE CE 24 & SE Swamp Ash Special
The PRS SE CE 24 brings the CE model to the SE Series for the first time. PRS fans will recognize this model, as it was first introduced back in 1988 – the company’s third year in business. The CE 24 pairs PRS’s traditional Custom 24 combination of a maple top, mahogany back, and rosewood fretboard with a 25” scale length bolt-on maple neck. Additional features include a pair of PRS 85/15 “S” humbuckers and the patented PRS tremolo bridge. For 2024, the PRS SE CE 24 comes in four colors: Black Cherry, Blood Orange, Turquoise, and Vintage Sunburst.
With a swamp ash body and 22-fret maple neck with maple fretboard, the PRS SE Swamp Ash Special is a fresh face and a versatile voice for the PRS SE Series. This guitar features neck and bridge 85/15 “S” humbuckers with a PRS-Designed AS-01 Single Coil “S” pickup in the middle position. The AS-01 single coil features both alnico and steel (hence the name), which add mass to the pickup helping to create a more powerful sound. Paired with a push/pull tone control and 3-way pickup switch, the configuration gives players an array of tones. The PRS SE Swamp Ash Special comes in Charcoal, Iri Blue, and Vintage Sunburst.
Both of these bolt-on guitars (the SE CE 24 and SE Swamp Ash Special) feature a new, ergonomic heel design, which is contoured for a comfortable playing experience higher up on the neck. “When we were designing these guitars, I took an early prototype home and carved the heel by hand. The Engineering team here made some improvements and programed that shape for our partners at PT Cort. We think players will appreciate the ease of access this design brings,” said Jack Higginbotham, COO.
SE Custom 24 Quilt
Also joining the SE Series is the elevated SE Custom 24 Quilt. Featuring a quilted maple veneer and matching stained quilted maple headstock veneer, the SE Custom 24 Quilt is an elegant version of PRS’s most popular model. This guitar also boasts an ebony fretboard with abalone bird inlays to complete the package. The color palette for the SE Custom 24 Quilt is: Black Gold Burst, Turquoise, and Violet.
New Colors
Finally, PRS is known for its striking color options, and the SE Series is no exception. For 2024, Turquoise is making its way through the SE Series and will now be available on the following models: PRS SE Custom 24, SE Custom 24-08, SE Custom 24 “Lefty,” SE McCarty 594, SE McCarty 594 Singlecut, and the SE Paul’s Guitar. The Custom 24-08 is also adding Blood Orange to its assortment. And, finally, Charcoal will be offered on the SE McCarty 594, SE McCarty 594 Singlecut, and SE Paul’s Guitar.
For more information, please visit prsguitars.com.
