Skip to main content
MusicRadar MusicRadar The No.1 website for musicians
Sign in
  • View Profile
  • Sign out
  • Artist news
  • Guitars
  • Guitar Pedals
  • Synths
  • Keyboards & Pianos
  • Controllers
  • Guitar Amps
  • Drums
  • Software & Apps
  • More
    • Recording
    • DJ Gear
    • Acoustic Guitars
    • Bass Guitars
    • Tech
    • Tutorials
    • Reviews
    • Buying Guides
    • About Us
More
  • Radiohead theory
  • Steely Dan's drum machine
  • Deep Purple in the dungeon
  • Prince's drummers
  • 95k+ free music samples
Don't miss these
PRS S2 Mira 594: lined up against a PRS head and cab, the relaunched and refreshed Mira 594 is presented in blue, Matcha Green, red and Antique White
Guitars “I don’t think it found its true voice until now”: Revived, refreshed, PRS adds the Mira 594 to the S2 range
PRS SE Semi-Hollow Special
Electric Guitars "A stellar build complements a gorgeous aesthetic, and thankfully, it has the tones and playability to back it up": PRS SE Special Semi-Hollow review
PRS CE 24 Special Limited Edition: this run of 1,500 gives the CE Bolt-on platform its first HSH pickup configuration, and is pictured here on the PRS shopfloor, in McCarty Burst and Black Amber respectively.
Guitars PRS promises spanky Strat-esque tones and a lot more from its limited run PRS CE 24 Special
PRS Mark Holcomb: previously only a limited edition run, the Periphery guitarist's Core Series signature model is now part of the PRS Guitars catalogue, as the Maryland high-end brand continues its 40th Anniversary celebrations by keeping the releases coming each month.
Artists Mark Holcomb’s limited run PRS is officially added to the Core series – and it ships in Drop C
PRS SE NF 53: the super-versatile bolt-on electric gets a long-awaited SE release, and here all three finish options – White Dog Hair, Black Dog Hair and Pearl White – are photographed in front of a pair of PRS half-stacks.
Guitars PRS remixes its NF 53 for the SE line – and it's a serious workhorse electric for under a grand
PRS SE Silver Sky 2025: refreshed for the brand's 40th anniversary, the SE Silver Sky John Mayer signature model is pictured in its new Laurel Green, Derby Red, Dandy Lion and Trad Blue finishes. A PRS tube amp and speaker cabinet is in the background.
Guitars John Mayer’s PRS SE Silver Sky Rosewood is refreshed with 4 fashion-inspired solid-colour finishes
Harley Benton ST-80FR
Guitars Harley Benton erupts with '80s shred fever as it launches the Floyd-equipped ST-80FR Series S-styles
Jackson Pro Origins 1985 San Dimas: these retro S-styles take the high-performance electric guitar brand back to the '80s, offering single and dual-humbucker platforms for shred with the choice of rosewood or maple fingerboards – and what about that "Two-Face" black-and-white finish?
Guitars “These guitars empower metal artists with the authentic, crushing tone that built Jackson’s legendary reputation”: Jackson takes us back to the heyday of shred with the Pro Origins 1985 San Dimas series – and what about that Two Face finish?
PRS Guitars' new limited edition Custom 24 Satin photographed at the brand's Maryland factory with wood blanks in the background.
Guitars PRS swaps maple for mango to give its “flagship” Custom 24 a 40th anniversary satin nitro makeover
Fender American Ultra Luxe 60s Stratocaster
Electric Guitars Fender Ultra Luxe Vintage '60s Stratocaster review
Gretsch Electromatic CVT: The bolt-on double-cut assumes a familiar form to the Jack Antonoff signature model, and features dual humbuckers, a wraparound tailpiece, and some neat vintage finishes.
Guitars Like the Jack Antonoff signature Gretsch? Then you are going to love the CVT Electromatic
The newly refreshed Classic Series from Squier reworks vintage Fender-inspired electric and bass guitars for beginners and budget-conscious players.
Guitars Squier channels the Fender archive for 10 stunning yet affordable news Classic Vibe models
Rick Graham is photographed in a dark setting with a warm stagelight in the background; he holds his new signature electric guitar, a shell-pink S-style with a reverse headstock
Artists Charvel and Rick Graham team up for Pro-Mod signature model with relic'd nitro cult colour finish
Strandberg Boden Standard NX 6 Plini Edition Mirage
Guitars Strandberg launches limited edition Plini Boden Standard with glow-in-the-dark Mirage graphic finish
Debbie Gough of Heriot demoes the new Jackson Pro Plus Metal Phase II Warrior on a darkened studio set.
Guitars Jackson adds Warrior, King V and Concert Bass to its limited edition Pro Plus Pure Metal range
  1. Guitars
  2. Electric Guitars

PRS S2 Series: first hands-on review of new-for-2013 solidbodies

News
By Guitarist ( Guitarist ) published 9 July 2013

Video, pics and spec for the affordable USA Mira, Starla and Custom

When you purchase through links on our site, we may earn an affiliate commission. Here’s how it works.

PRS S2 Series: exclusive first hands-on review of new-for-2013 solidbodies

PRS S2 Series: exclusive first hands-on review of new-for-2013 solidbodies

Once the preserve of guitarists with very deep pockets, American guitar maker PRS has launched three new S2 solidbody guitars that bring the price of admission for their US-built guitars down to around £1,000.

Built in the same factory as their core-line instruments, PRS claims these S2 models have been purpose-designed to be cheaper to manufacture without sacrificing tone or build quality. In an exclusive ‘first play’ test we get our hands on the new S2 Custom, Starla and Mira to report our first impressions. Look out for a full report in issue 371 of Guitarist, on sale 26 July.

In the following video, we join Whitesnake legend Bernie Marsden, Ace - guitarist with Skunk Anansie - and Jamiroquai's Rob Harris for a hands-on demonstration of all three models. Watch these top players put these attainably priced American-built guitars through their paces for the first time in this video, filmed by PRS at their British headquarters near Cambridge, then click onwards for mini-reviews and specifications for each instrument.

Guitarist on Apple Newsstand
Subscribe to Guitarist magazine
Guitarist on Facebook
Guitarist on Twitter

Page 1 of 4
Page 1 of 4
PRS Custom S2

PRS Custom S2

Specifications

TYPE: Double-cutaway, solidbody electric
BODY: One-piece mahogany with ‘asymmetric bevelled’ figured maple top
NECK: Mahogany, ‘pattern regular’ profile, glued-in
SCALE LENGTH: 635mm (25-inch)
FRETS: 24
HARDWARE: PRS S2 vibrato, S2 locking tuners (w/brass posts)
ELECTRICS: PRS Custom S2 Treble (bridge) and Bass (neck) humbuckers, 3-way lever pickup selector switch, master volume and master tone with pull/push coil-split

Features

The S2 Custom is an all-mahogany guitar with a figured maple top but that top is not carved with a violin-like contour, unlike core-line Custom models. Instead the top has an asymmetric bevelled edge: think SG as opposed to as Les Paul Standard. The all-gloss finish doesn’t have quite the crisp mirror-like reflection of the core line but it doesn’t let the side down. Its SE vibrato is a close cousin to the vibrato found on the core line guitars. The S2 Custom’s pickups are based on long-running PRS designs, the HFS and Vintage Bass.

Sounds

The S2 Custom’s ceramic-loaded bridge humbucker seems to centre on a rockier, classic metal tone. The slightly lower-output neck ‘bucker gets us into more classic rock/blues territory: adding gain drops us into that Gary Moore-like vocal voice with ease. Splitting the ‘buckers voices adds clarity, percussion and a volume drop that cleans up your amp tone nicely.

First impression

The most affordable USA Custom yet looks like a lot of guitar for the money. It might lack some bling but sounds and playability are great.

Page 2 of 4
Page 2 of 4
PRS Mira S2

PRS Mira S2

Specifications

TYPE: Double-cutaway, solidbody electric
BODY: Asymmetric bevelled thin mahogany
NECK: Mahogany, ‘pattern regular’ profile, glued-in
FRETS: 22, medium
HARDWARE: PRS S2 Stoptail, S2 locking tuners (w/brass posts)
ELECTRICS: PRS Mira S2 Treble (bridge) and Bass (neck) humbuckers, 3-way lever pickup selector switch, master volume and master tone with pull/push coil-split

Features

The S2 Mira has been redrawn, in terms of its outline shape bringing it a little more inline with the PRS Santana outline. It’s a full half-kilo lighter than either of the other S2’s on review it also has the thinnest body depth. The Mira’s pickups are modelled on the 245 buckers, PRS’s most PAF-alike offering before the 57/08 surfaced in 2008. The control layout here is identical to the Custom and Starla. It’s the only hard-tail guitar of our trio.

Sounds

The Mira’s generous acoustic resonance translates to a more garage-band vibe. There’s less width, it’s more midrange focussed but in a good way, there’s a lot more Les Paul Special/SG here.

First impression

A no-brainer rock ’n’ roll guitar. The Mira was always a fave; here it’s nearly half the price of the original. Very tempting.

In pictures: PRS Starla S2 unboxed

Page 3 of 4
Page 3 of 4
PRS Starla S2

PRS Starla S2

Specifications

TYPE: Single-cutaway, solidbody electric
BODY: Asymmetric bevelled thin mahogany
NECK: Mahogany, glued-in
FRETS: 22
HARDWARE: Tune-o-matic-style bridge, Bigsby B50 vibrato, S2 locking tuners (w/brass posts)
ELECTRICS: PRS Starla S2 Treble (bridge) and Bass (neck) humbuckers, 3-way lever pickup selector switch, master volume and tone with pull/push coil-split

Features

The Starla is the only single-cut in our trio – and the neck joins the body at the 16th fret. Of our trio it’s the most unaltered compared to the previous USA model. Its pickups are modelled on the USA Starla humbuckers - a completely different design for PRS, aiming at a more Gretsch/Rickenbacker-like tonality, a tune-o-matic bridge and licensed Bigsby vibrato. The S2 tuners are Koreran-made versions of the USA Phase II tuners.

Sounds

The Starla has a rounder-nosed Gretsch-y, Rickie-like voice: it begs for lashings of reverb and a dab of Brylcreem - and could bethe most un-PRS-sounding PRS we’ve ever played.

First impression

Few players won’t enjoy its evocative, classic voice – could this be the guitar to turn the vintage-obsessed doubters on to PRS?

Chris Robertson from Black Stone Cherry on the new S2 Starla

Page 4 of 4
Page 4 of 4
Guitarist
Guitarist
Social Links Navigation

Guitarist is the longest established UK guitar magazine, offering gear reviews, artist interviews, techniques lessons and loads more, in print, on tablet and on smartphones
Digital: http://bit.ly/GuitaristiOS
If you love guitars, you'll love Guitarist. Find us in print, on Newsstand for iPad, iPhone and other digital readers

The magazine for serious players image
The magazine for serious players
Subscribe and save today!
More Info
Read more
PRS S2 Mira 594: lined up against a PRS head and cab, the relaunched and refreshed Mira 594 is presented in blue, Matcha Green, red and Antique White
“I don’t think it found its true voice until now”: Revived, refreshed, PRS adds the Mira 594 to the S2 range
 
 
PRS SE Semi-Hollow Special
"A stellar build complements a gorgeous aesthetic, and thankfully, it has the tones and playability to back it up": PRS SE Special Semi-Hollow review
 
 
PRS CE 24 Special Limited Edition: this run of 1,500 gives the CE Bolt-on platform its first HSH pickup configuration, and is pictured here on the PRS shopfloor, in McCarty Burst and Black Amber respectively.
PRS promises spanky Strat-esque tones and a lot more from its limited run PRS CE 24 Special
 
 
PRS Mark Holcomb: previously only a limited edition run, the Periphery guitarist's Core Series signature model is now part of the PRS Guitars catalogue, as the Maryland high-end brand continues its 40th Anniversary celebrations by keeping the releases coming each month.
Mark Holcomb’s limited run PRS is officially added to the Core series – and it ships in Drop C
 
 
PRS SE NF 53: the super-versatile bolt-on electric gets a long-awaited SE release, and here all three finish options – White Dog Hair, Black Dog Hair and Pearl White – are photographed in front of a pair of PRS half-stacks.
PRS remixes its NF 53 for the SE line – and it's a serious workhorse electric for under a grand
 
 
PRS SE Silver Sky 2025: refreshed for the brand's 40th anniversary, the SE Silver Sky John Mayer signature model is pictured in its new Laurel Green, Derby Red, Dandy Lion and Trad Blue finishes. A PRS tube amp and speaker cabinet is in the background.
John Mayer’s PRS SE Silver Sky Rosewood is refreshed with 4 fashion-inspired solid-colour finishes
 
 
Latest in Electric Guitars
Jackson Pro Origins 1985 San Dimas: these retro S-styles take the high-performance electric guitar brand back to the '80s, offering single and dual-humbucker platforms for shred with the choice of rosewood or maple fingerboards – and what about that "Two-Face" black-and-white finish?
“These guitars empower metal artists with the authentic, crushing tone that built Jackson’s legendary reputation”: Jackson takes us back to the heyday of shred with the Pro Origins 1985 San Dimas series – and what about that Two Face finish?
 
 
PRS S2 Mira 594: lined up against a PRS head and cab, the relaunched and refreshed Mira 594 is presented in blue, Matcha Green, red and Antique White
“I don’t think it found its true voice until now”: Revived, refreshed, PRS adds the Mira 594 to the S2 range
 
 
Rick Graham is photographed in a dark setting with a warm stagelight in the background; he holds his new signature electric guitar, a shell-pink S-style with a reverse headstock
Charvel and Rick Graham team up for Pro-Mod signature model with relic'd nitro cult colour finish
 
 
Jackson Pro Series Limited Edition Phil Demmel KV King V: the V-style electric is finished in black-and-white polka dots, and looks good in all settings, against a white background or barroom scene alike.
Jackson and Phil Demmel salute Randy Rhoads with limited run Pro Series King V in polka dot finish
 
 
The Sterling By Music Man Kaizen is a more affordable version of the Animals As Leaders guitarist Tosin Abasi's signature model, and is offered here in Firemist Purple Satin and Stealth Black.
Sterling By Music Man unveils affordable version of Tosin Abasi’s futuristic Kaizen signature model
 
 
Brian Wampler playing his Telecaster
“It’s analogous to Napster”: Brian Wampler on threat of digital disruption to pedal and tube amp market
 
 
Latest in News
Flava D in the studio
Flava D on why drum & bass is the toughest genre to produce
 
 
SCM All Stars logo
“I’m so grateful that our music can be a vehicle for their spirits to fly”: Students at Flea’s music school pay tribute to Chili Peppers
 
 
Musician Dave Grohl, founding member of Nirvana and The Foo Fighters
“Ladies and gentlemen, will you please welcome Ilan Rubin”: Dave Grohl introduces new drummer at Foos secret gig
 
 
Brian May
“I missed a couple of things": Brian May critiques his Last Night of the Proms performance
 
 
Mk.pre
Audio Hertz's Mk.pre emulates the Tascam Portastudio preamp that colours Mk.gee's sought-after guitar tone
 
 
Ed Sheeran attends the European Premiere of F1 ® The Movie at Cineworld, Leicester Square on June 23, 2025
“It would be ‘Stop’ and then ‘Eject’”: Ed Sheeran reveals that plans for posthumous album are in his will
 
 

MusicRadar is part of Future plc, an international media group and leading digital publisher. Visit our corporate site.

  • About Us
  • Contact Future's experts
  • Terms and conditions
  • Privacy policy
  • Cookies policy
  • Advertise with us
  • Accessibility Statement
  • Careers

© Future Publishing Limited Quay House, The Ambury, Bath BA1 1UA. All rights reserved. England and Wales company registration number 2008885.

Please login or signup to comment

Please wait...