NGD: PRS S2 Vela Reclaimed Series

Funkfingers

Cracking guitar, Grommit.

https://i.imgur.com/hkYfZd8.jpg

Weighs even less than a Fender Brown's Canyon Old Growth Redwood Telecaster.
https://i.imgur.com/xZbsjhc.jpg

Some things about it are excellent. Some things are ever so slightly naff. (i.e. The S2 cost-cutting constructional details.) I can forgive these in a limited production model. I would not want to have paid this much money for the regular all-mahogany variant. 

mrkb

Me too! I went to collect in person to check the 100 year old wood was nicely aged/coloured. Worth the wait after 7 months!

Happy NGD!

https://i.imgur.com/RdmLQ0q.jpg

https://i.imgur.com/SIWmurp.jpg

WezV

I was looking at a reclaimed wood PRS in the local shop earlier in the week.  It was the most exciting PRS in the room, and there were a few 

RandallFlagg

These reclaimed wood Velas are lovely

blueskunk

Lovely guitar. Congrats. 

Id like one of the black satin Velas

mrkb

blueskunk said:

Lovely guitar. Congrats. 

Id like one of the black satin Velas

Peach are selling one for £852!

Epsilon

If anyone is aware of a shop stocking one of these could you please let me know? Been trying to find one for quite a while.

mrkb

They're not in stock anywhere - theres only 600 being made, and PRS have had issues getting fretboard wood, so most were pre-ordered and they are only coming through in small numbers at the moment. Andertons will have a few in stock at the end (Feb 18) and they put in the biggest order in the UK- you can put a refundable deposit down on one on their website.

WezV

Epsilon said:

If anyone is aware of a shop stocking one of these could you please let me know? Been trying to find one for quite a while.

I don’t think it was a vela, but if you are near Burton the guitar superstore had one on Monday 

mrkb

That’s probably the CE24 version, PRS seemed to ship those first.

WezV

Here it is

https://www.facebook.com/guitarsuperstore/photos/a.868857286462392.1073741828.221441351203992/1741867542494691/?type=3

WezV

It was the nicest guitar in the shop and looked less 2-tone in the flesh

mrkb

That CE24 has the issue I was worried about in that the wood looks like two mismatched planks. They seem to have done a much better job on the velas, and the velas scratchplate might help in that regard.

WezV

mrkb said:

That CE24 has the issue I was worried about in that the wood looks like two mismatched planks. They seem to have done a much better job on the velas, and the velas scratchplate might help in that regard.

My first thought seeing it in the flesh was that it wasn’t as mismatched as a lot of the others I had seen.  I imagine, like acoustic tops, it will depend on the viewing angle

honestly though, it was one of those guitars where looks are secondary.  It just felt and sounded right

Funkfingers

When the S2 Reclaimed series was originally announced, I quickly eliminated the CE24 from enquiries. I wanted a set neck, fixed bridge, fewer than twenty four frets and, most of all, to avoid the current PRS dual humbuckers wiring harness. The fact that the Vela was less expensive was a bonus.

As mentioned in my opening post, this guitar is extremely light and highly resonant. Both pickups handle high gain very well. I am yet to be convinced by the sounds of the coil split humbucker. 

I have not inspected under the pickguard yet but I suspect that the pots could be of lower quality than on so-called Core models. 

blueskunk said:

I'd like one of the black satin Velas

Good idea. The satin finish feels nice on the back of the neck. Opaque colours conceal the headstock scarf and neck heel joins.

StefB

mrkb said:

blueskunk said:

Lovely guitar. Congrats. 

Id like one of the black satin Velas

Peach are selling one for £852!

Coda have one for £799 and it is gorgeous - https://www.coda-music.com/black-friday/prs-s2-vela-satin-limited-charcoal.html

Funkfingers

mrkb said:

the CE24 version

WezV said:
it was one of those guitars where looks are secondary.  It just felt and sounded right

Reclaimed series CE24 owners are welcome to post in this Discussion. I can edit the title.

Funkfingers

The more time that I spend with this guitar, the more I like the Type-D (Dyna-Sonic style) pickup. I would like to see PRS make greater use of this pickup on future models. 

I am less taken with the Starla humbucker. It is fine through overdriven valve amplification. Its full output overpowers the Type-D. Coil split, it sounds plain nasty. 

grungebob

@Funkfingers  this is polar opposite to my findings. Have you tried playing with the pickup height? The type D is a lovely warm sounding singlecoil and the Starla bridge is a good low output growler split it in the middle switch position and it’s really nice and jangly. 

Funkfingers

grungebob said:

@Funkfingers  this is polar opposite to my findings. Have you tried playing with the pickup height? 

To be honest, I am still dicking about with the string action. The guitar arrived with it set unnecessarily high. I fancy a PRS to use for slide but not THIS ONE.