Strandberg Boden Prog NX 6 Charcoal Black vs PRS S2 Custom 24-08
Reasons to Get
Strandberg Boden Prog NX 6 Charcoal Black over PRS S2 Custom 24-08
Reasons to Get
PRS S2 Custom 24-08 over Strandberg Boden Prog NX 6 Charcoal Black
Other Key Differences
Strandberg Boden Prog NX 6 Charcoal Black vs PRS S2 Custom 24-08
Shared Features
Strandberg Boden Prog NX 6 Charcoal Black vs PRS S2 Custom 24-08
Common Strengths
- High-Quality Nut
- Top Pickup Brand
- Expensive Wood
Common Weaknesses
- Stays in Tune (Evertune)
- Compound Radius Fretboard
- Strap Lock
- 21:1 Tuner Ratio
- Active/Passive Preamp
Table of Contents
Price History Comparison
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Which One is Better Overall?
After going through our comparison algorithm, the results show that the Strandberg Boden Prog NX 6 Charcoal Black is probably the better product overall with its final score of 77 compared to the PRS S2 Custom 24-08's 72 score, although not by a lot.
The Strandberg Boden Prog NX 6 Charcoal Black wins when it comes to sound, playability, build quality. On the other hand, the PRS S2 Custom 24-08 has the upper hand when it comes to.
If you got small hands, you'll probably feel more comfortable playing the Strandberg Boden Prog NX 6 Charcoal Black.
Which One is Better for Beginners?
Both meet 5 out of our 8 criteria items for beginner friendliness. This takes into account the type of frets, scale length, nut width, bridge type, fretboard radius, and neck profile to determine the easiest combination for new players. If you're looking for your first guitar to learn how to play, you can't go wrong with either of them.
New Player Friendliness
Strandberg Boden Prog NX 6 Charcoal Black- Comfortable shape
- Easy-to-use bridge
- Tall frets
- Narrow nut
- Comfortable neck
- Comfortable fretboard
- Short scale
- Locking tuners
New Player Friendliness
PRS S2 Custom 24-08- Comfortable shape
- Easy-to-use bridge
- Locking tuners
- Tall frets
- Comfortable neck
- Comfortable fretboard
- Narrow nut
- Short scale
Nevertheless, when it comes to choosing an instrument, you should pick the one more compatible with your personal style. Still, below we'll try you to give you our results as objectively as it's possible to help you decide.
Strandberg Boden Prog NX 6 Charcoal Black Overview
- From Strandberg's 2021 Boden Prog series
- Made in Indonesia
- 6 strings
- 25.5" to 25"'' scale
- 20" Fretboard Radius
- Flame Maple top
- Chambered Swamp Ash body
- Maple neck – Quartersawn, Carbon Fiber reinforced neck
- Richlite fretboard
- Bridge pickup: Suhr SSH+ Bridge (Humbucker/Passive)
- Neck pickup: Suhr SSV Neck (Humbucker/Passive)
- 1 volume and 1 tone Dome knobs
- 5-way Switch
- Strandberg EGS Pro Rev7 tremolo system & string locks bridge
- EndurNeck Bolt-On neck
- 24 Medium Jumbo Stainless Steel frets
- At bridge tuners
- Compare Specs >
PRS S2 Custom 24-08 Overview
- From PRS's 2022 S2 series
- Made in United States
- 6 strings
- 25"'' scale
- 10" Fretboard Radius
- Maple top
- Mahogany body
- Mahogany neck
- Rosewood fretboard
- Bridge pickup: PRS 85/15 S (Humbucker/Passive)
- Neck pickup: PRS 85/15 S (Humbucker/Passive)
- 1 volume and 1 tone Speed knobs
- 3-way Switch
- PRS Patented Tremolo, Molded bridge
- Pattern Thin Set neck
- 24 Medium Jumbo frets
- PRS Low Mass Locking tuners
- Compare Specs >
Sound Quality Comparison
The wood used in an electric guitar or bass is not as important to determine the final tone. However, some people prefer specific wood types, so we'll take a look at those first. Then, we'll take a look at the electronics to determine the versatility and sound quality of each instrument.
Woods Used in the Strandberg Boden Prog NX 6 Charcoal Black
Maple is one of the most popular necks for good reasons. It is a strong wood that is relatively cheap to make and looks beautiful. The highest quality maple is the hardest that comes from North America. Find out more about Maple.
It's very similar to Ebony, but it is much cheaper to make. The main reason is that it is made from resin-infused paper. It is very durable and soft, so it's often used for fretboards and tops.
Ash is a type of wood that Fender used almost exclusively in the 50s, and it's still used by many brands. It's a dense wood with a light color that works well for a transparent, natural finish because of its beautiful patterns. In terms of sound, it's known for emphasizing the mid and high frequencies, but with strong low end. Find out more about Ash.
Woods Used in the PRS S2 Custom 24-08
Mahogany is a fairly rare wood nowadays. It's used mostly for bodies due to its relatively lightweight. Gibson popularized it with their Les Paul guitars during their golden years, so this wood has a lot of good reputation behind it. The most expensive type comes from South America and it's still used by Gibson even today. Find out more about Mahogany.
Rosewood is an almost purple-looking wood that is used mainly for fretboards since it's heavy, rare, and expensive. It's sometimes used on acoustic guitar bodies to create stronger warm tones. Find out more about Rosewood.
Winner: PRS S2 Custom 24-08.
Pickup Configuration
Both pickup configurations are HH. Double Humbucker (HH) is the choice for people who want a fuller, more round sound with tons of mids and lows. Humbuckers also get rid of the hum noise that plague single-coil pickups. They can work out for almost any genre going from Djent to even Jazz.
Pickups Quality
Both come with very good pickups from at least one of the specialized brands in the market. With pickups like these, you probably won't need an upgrade anytime soon.
Both use Passive pickups. This is what's used for most music genres. They have a regular output and will serve you for both high-gain and clean tones. The alternative (Active pickups) offer a higher output that is mostly used for heavy music.
Winner: Tie.
Versatility Comparison
Some instruments offer you more ways to explore your creativity than others. Below you'll find how both compare when it comes to versatility.
Switch Options
The Strandberg Boden Prog NX 6 Charcoal Black gives you 5 switch options while the PRS S2 Custom 24-08 gives you 3. This means that the Strandberg Boden Prog NX 6 Charcoal Black gives you more options to find the right pickup combination for the type of sound you want to achieve
Only the PRS S2 Custom 24-08 comes with some kind of pickup modification: Coil Split.
Coil Split lets you disconnect one of the pickup coils. When used with humbuckers, it turns them into single-coil with lower output and cleaner tone.
When evaluating versatility, we also take into consideration bridge and neck joint type, number of frets, switch options, amount of pickups and more.
Winner: Strandberg Boden Prog NX 6 Charcoal Black.
Final Sound Quality Scores
Build Quality Comparison
When it comes to build quality, we like to take into account everything used to build the instrument. This includes materials, hardware and the quality control expected depending on the country where it was built. Let's see how the Strandberg Boden Prog NX 6 Charcoal Black compares to the PRS S2 Custom 24-08.
Country of Origin
The manufacturing country can tell a lot about the build quality of an instrument. The Strandberg Boden Prog NX 6 Charcoal Black is built in Indonesia while the PRS S2 Custom 24-08 is made in United States.
Indonesia is becoming the most popular country for guitar building because they can make good instruments for a low price. Some people think that they're 'the new China' when it comes to build quality. But the truth is that Indonesian guitars are more consistent, although Chinese quality has improved a lot in the last few years.
The United States is considered one of the best electric guitar manufacturers in the world. A guitar made in this country is supposed to have world-class quality control. Nowadays, guitars made in other countries can beat some of the ones made in the US, but most of the time, this country offers the best you can get. Of course, that comes at a price.
Winner: PRS S2 Custom 24-08
Nut Material
If you want your guitar to stay in tune and sound good, you need a well cut nut. Nut quality can be inconsistent even when comparing two copies of the same model. The best way to make sure you're nut will be well done is by getting a nut made by an expert company like TUSQ or Micarta.
The Strandberg Boden Prog NX 6 Charcoal Black has a Locking nut. Instead of a regular nut, this guitar has a locking system that will lock down the strings at the nut, preventing it from getting out of tune. It removes one of the disadvantages of tremolo bridges, tune stability.
On the other hand, the PRS S2 Custom 24-08 comes with a PRS Propietary nut. It's similar to TUSQ nuts, but they're not as hard, and the tone is not as bright. However, the material is self-lubricating, and it's usually well cut, so they have good tuning stability.
Winner: Tie.
Fret Material
Most fret wire is made of nickel silver. This material eventually wears down after a lot of use and most instruments end up needing a complete fret replacement. However, some expensive models come with stainless steel frets. This is what you should aim for if you can afford it.
In this comparison, the Strandberg Boden Prog NX 6 Charcoal Black is the only one that has stainless steel frets. These frets will basically last for the entire life of the guitar. They will never need polishing nor replacement. And not only that, but some people also notice that bending and vibratos are much easier to perform when they upgrade to stainless steel.
Winner: Strandberg Boden Prog NX 6 Charcoal Black.
Bridge
The perfect bridge for you will depend on your playstyle because they all have advantages and disadvantages. However, some bridges are more expensive—like Floyd Roses and Evertunes—and thus add more value to a guitar.
Both come with a similar bridge: Tremolo. Tremolo bridges give you more versatility than fixed bridges. They let you perform the intense vibrato effects that would be impossible with a fixed bridge. However, since the bridge floats and there's less contact with the body, the strings lose sustain slightly faster. They can also be a bit harder to restring and set up correctly than fixed bridges.
Since we need to be objective, the most expensive type of bridge will be the winner of this section. In the end, this doesn't matter if you're not going to use the bridge for its original purpose, so choose the bridge that fits your playing style better.
Winner: Tie.
Tuners
The PRS S2 Custom 24-08 has the best tuners of the two because they are locking tuners. They'll help to keep your guitar in tune because they allow you to tune it without wrapping the strings around the posts. This avoids variations in the tuning due to the strings changing position at the post after a bend. They come at the disadvantage of being slightly heavier than regular tuners. Also, it makes it a lot easier to restring.
Nevertheless, the Strandberg Boden Prog NX 6 Charcoal Black has a locking nut, so it should have even better tune stability and doesn't need locking tuners.
Winner: PRS S2 Custom 24-08.
Neck Joint
Contrary to popular belief, the difference in sustain and tone that some neck joints give to a guitar is simply unperceivable—if they're all well built. However, some of them do have advantages over the others.
The Strandberg Boden Prog NX 6 Charcoal Black has a Bolt-On neck joint. This neck is joined to the body by 4 bolts that you can simply unscrew. This allows you to replace the neck or take it off for travel. It's the most common and cheapest way to build a guitar.
On the other hand, the PRS S2 Custom 24-08 comes with Set neck joint. This neck is tightly glued to the body. They give you the least versatility because you can't swap them for a neck that fits your hand better if you want to, unlike bolt-on necks. Some people think this gives more resonance and sustain, but there's no real difference if the bolt-on joint is well built.
Winner: Strandberg Boden Prog NX 6 Charcoal Black.
Here is the list of features that were considered when choosing the winner in the Features subcategory:
Strandberg Boden Prog NX 6 Charcoal Black
- Stainless Steel Frets
- Expensive Wood
- Locking Nut
- Top Brand Pickups
- Weight Relief
- Luminescent Inlay
- Tremolo
- Made in Indonesia
- No Neck-Through Build
- No Push Knob or Extra Switch Option
- No Compound Radius Fretboard
- No 21:1 Tuner Ratio
- No Strap Lock
PRS S2 Custom 24-08
- Locking Tuners
- Made in United States
- Expensive Wood
- PRS Propietary Nut
- Top Brand Pickups
- Coil Split Pickups
- Tremolo
- Cheap Fret Wire (NS)
- No Neck-Through Build
- No Weight Relief
- No Luminescent Inlay
- No Compound Radius Fretboard
- No 21:1 Tuner Ratio
- No Strap Lock
Final Build Quality Scores
Playability Comparison
Let's now compare their playability. Bear in mind that the instrument will feel different depending on your hand size and play style. That's why you should always test before buying. But if you can't or want a second opinion on it, we can still take a look at each of the important measurements of the instrument for you. This way, we can predict how easy a guitar might be to play, or how different it will feel compared to the other.
Remember that, even though the difference might seem small, every inch counts when it comes to feeling of the instrument in your hands. Any variation can completely change how comfortable a guitar feels in your hands.
Nut Width
The nut width will affect the separation between strings at the nut. In this comparison, the PRS S2 Custom 24-08 has the wider nut with 42.9mm (1.688'') vs 36mm (1.417''). This is a 6.9mm (0.271'') difference
This means that it will be more difficult to do bar chords on the PRS S2 Custom 24-08, especially closer to the nut. However, it's also easier to play without muting strings accidently. This favors people with big hands.
Scale Length
The scale length is one of the things that influences playability the most. This is the distance between the nut and the bridge and will affect everything from low action allowance, difficulty to perform bends, fret separation, and even tone.
In this case, the Strandberg Boden Prog NX 6 Charcoal Black features a multi-scale of 25.5" to 25" while the PRS S2 Custom 24-08 has a regular scale of 25".
A multi-scale fingerboard incorporates two scale lengths at the same time. This is present in some instruments with long scale to give a different tension to the lower strings than the higher strings. The thickest strings need more tension to avoid fret buzz (especially when tuned low), so the scale is longer for these strings, while the thinnest strings will need less tension (because they have a lower gauge), so they have a shorter scale to reduce stiffness for bends.
It can feel awkward if you've never played a multi-scale because the frets will have more separation for the higher strings, but a lot of people love their versatility.
On the other hand, the PRS S2 Custom 24-08's 25" regular scale means it has a fixed scale for all the strings.This scale is close to a Les Paul (24.75''), but it's slightly longer for those who want more tension of the strings and a slightly brighter sound (but not as much as with a 25.5'' Stratocaster scale).
This longer scale will also mean the frets are slightly more separated, which can affect your speed when playing. However, since this increases the tension of the strings, it will also allow you to lower the action even further without getting fret buzz. It comes at the cost of making the strings feel stiffer, which makes bending more difficult, though.
However, remember that you can also change the tension of the strings by using different string gauges.
Lastly, remember that you can also affect the tension of the strings by changing your string gauge. You can use a thicker gauge for more tension and a lighter one for less tension.
Neck Profile
No single neck shape is better than others. However, most people tend to prefer a thinner necks because it doesn't get in their way when playing fast and most hand sizes can adapt to it pretty well. However, some people still prefer thicker necks for a better grip, especially if they have big hands.
Both the Strandberg Boden Prog NX 6 Charcoal Black and the PRS S2 Custom 24-08 have a C-shaped neck. This is what you'll find in most modern guitars. Most people feel like the thickness of a C neck is simply the less intrusive one for playing fast, while at the same time allowing you to grab the neck easily for resting if you want to.
Fretboard Radius
Most guitar fretboards are not flat; they usually have a curve or arc across their width. A curved fretboard will make it easier to perform chords without muting strings, while a flatter one will make it easier to play single notes, which is good for bending and soloing in general. The best fretboards have a compound radius that varies across the fingerboard, but they're not common since they take a lot more work to build.
In this case, the PRS S2 Custom 24-08's fingerboard radius is smaller, which means it's more curved than the Strandberg Boden Prog NX 6 Charcoal Black's. This extra arc will make playing chords easier in this model. You won't be as likely to mute the strings, especially if you have big hands. However, playing single notes and bending will be easier on the Strandberg Boden Prog NX 6 Charcoal Black.
Still, both are closer to a Stratocaster radius than a Les Paul, so both of them will favor chord playing rather than soloing.
Hand Size Comfortability
Everyone has a different hand size, and that's why it's recommended to try a guitar before buying, even if others tell you that it's comfortable to play. However, we can know whether a guitar favors small or large hands just by knowing its exact measurements.
And after taking into account the scale length, nut width, neck profile and fretboard radius, we can conclude that the PRS S2 Custom 24-08 favors large hands more than the Strandberg Boden Prog NX 6 Charcoal Black.
Strandberg Boden Prog NX 6 Charcoal Black:
PRS S2 Custom 24-08:
Fret Size
Both have a Medium Jumbo fret size. These are slightly shorter than full Jumbo frets, so you'll still feel the fretboard when pressing down the strings. However, they interfere less with your fretting hand than medium-size frets. This is a good size if you like easy-to-press frets, but would still like to feel a bit of the fretboard when playing.
