Guitar builder Paul Reed Smith founded his eponymous brand in 1985, selling hand-carved electric guitars. As CNC tools became readily available, Smith found a way to preserve the high level of finishing on his instruments while using the best aspects of machine carving. Now, the PRS guitars are played by the who’s who of the guitar world including guitarists as stylistically diverse as John Mayer, Carlos Santana, John McLaughlin and Dustie Waring. The brand produces its flagship line in Maryland and offers a much more affordable SE line for amateurs made overseas.
For guitarists who want something better than the SE models but don’t want to spend over $3,500 on flagship instruments, PRS offers the S2 line. These guitars are made in the same Maryland factory as higher-end PRS models — albeit on another manufacturing line — and cost less than $1,500. Materials like wood, pickups and hardware are more value-oriented, and the body bevel is more angular than top-tier models, but that is no surprise at the mid-tier price. There’s still an incredible amount of guitar for the price in S2 models — and currently, Guitar Center is showcasing the value.
Right now, you can save $300 on the PRS S2 Custom 24, bringing the price down to a very reasonable $1,200. The guitar features a Whale Blue maple top, mahogany back, 24-fret mahogany neck and rosewood fingerboard. It includes two 85/15 “S” pickups with a push/pull tone knob, a 3-way blade switch and a PRS tremolo bridge. So if you’ve been in the market for a PRS guitar and haven’t quite been able to secure the funds for a flagship model, this is a deal worth acting on.
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