If you’re looking for a PRS that steps a little outside the usual PRS formula, this Wood Library S2 Vela in Black Limba is a pretty compelling place to start. Better known as Korina to vintage guitar fans, Black Limba is prized for its lightweight feel, rich resonance, and complex tonal character. And this isn’t just any piece of Black Limba — the body comes from PRS’s exclusive Wood Library, with striking grain lines and a naturally varied, multicolored appearance that gives this Vela a personality all its own.
The Vela has always been one of the more unconventional designs in the PRS lineup, blending familiar PRS quality and playability with a distinctly vintage-inspired attitude. The Pattern Regular neck carve feels immediately comfortable, while the 22-fret, 10" radius rosewood fingerboard gives you plenty of room for everything from comfortable rhythm work to serious fingerboard gymnastics. It's an extremely approachable guitar, but it certainly doesn't look or sound like everything else hanging on the wall.
And then there are the pickups.
The bridge position features a PRS DS-01 humbucker, delivering a bright, punchy voice with a distinctive bell-like quality. It has plenty of attitude when you push it into overdrive, but it can also deliver remarkably clear, crystalline cleans. At the neck, PRS pairs it with one of their Narrowfield humbuckers, and this is where the Vela gets really interesting. The Narrowfield manages to pull characteristics from a traditional humbucker, P-90, single-coil, and mini humbucker into one compact package. It's a versatile sound that gives the Vela considerably more range than its somewhat unconventional appearance might suggest.
The push-pull Tone control adds even more flexibility by coil-tapping the bridge humbucker, opening up another set of single-coil-flavored tones.
Hardware is another area where the Vela really shines. The PRS plate-style bridge is inspired by some of Paul Reed Smith's early designs and uses an aluminum plate with two compensated brass saddles for accurate intonation and excellent sustain. It's also a top-loading design, making string changes particularly quick and painless. Up top, PRS Phase III non-locking tuners provide solid tuning stability while keeping restringing simple.
The result is a PRS with a distinctly different personality. The Black Limba Wood Library body, unusual Vela design, versatile pickup combination, and excellent PRS playability make this a guitar for someone who wants something beyond the expected — whether you're already a devoted PRS player looking for a new flavor or simply want a seriously well-built instrument that takes a different road.
