Which Pickups Are Installed In Paul Reed Smith S2 Mira Guitars?

Short and casual take: most PRS S2 Mira guitars ship with PRS’s own S2 humbucking pickups — basically a house-designed humbucker voiced for that S2 line. They’re tuned to be fairly balanced and musical, not overly hot, so you get clarity with a warm midrange and good note definition.

If you’re checking a specific Mira (especially a used one), expect some variation across years and limited runs — covers, open coils, or slightly different windings can pop up. The safest way to confirm is to look for PRS markings on the pickup baseplate, check the original spec sheet for the production year, or ask the seller for pictures/serial confirmation. For tone tweaks, players often leave them stock for that classic PRS sheen, or swap to something like an 85/15 if they want a thicker, more vintage output. Personally, I usually plug in and play for a few songs first — a surprising number of these guitars sound great right out of the box.

Okay, let me nerd out for a bit here — the quick core fact is that S2 Mira guitars come with PRS-designed S2 pickups, which are PRS’s own humbucking designs made specifically for the S2 line. Those pickups have a balanced, slightly vintage-leaning voicing compared to some of the modern-hot PRS pickups; they aim to sit nicely between clarity and warmth, so the Mira retains that glassy PRS top-end but with enough midrange to cut through a mix.

That said, there’s a catch I’ve learned from digging through forums and staring at guitar photos late into the night: PRS has tweaked the pickup spec across different runs and finishes. Some early S2 Mirаs shipped with covered S2 humbuckers, while other runs used the open-coil versions. There are also limited or special-run variations where PRS swapped in slightly different S2-voiced sets. So if you’re eyeballing a used Mira or trying to ID one, don’t be shocked if the pickup covers, pole-piece style, or even the winding labels look different from one example to another.

If you want to be sure about the exact model in a particular Mira, the most reliable routes are: check the PRS product spec page or archived spec sheets for the model year, ask the seller/dealer for photos of the pickup underside or any factory paperwork, or contact PRS with the guitar’s serial number. Physically, you can also remove the pickup ring and look for maker stamps or stickers on the pickup baseplate — PRS usually marks their S2 pickups, but some covering styles hide those marks. For players who care about tone, the S2 set is a great starting point; if you want something brighter or beefier, swapping to an 85/15 or a 57/08-style set is a common, tone-first upgrade. Personally, I love the way the S2 humbuckers respond with light touch and dynamic playing — they’re not screamingly hot, but they polish chords beautifully and sing when you push them.

If you’re buying, a quick photo of the pickups and the seller’s confirmation can save a lot of guesswork, and if you already own one, try out a few amp settings before reaching for the soldering iron — sometimes the stock S2s surprise you in the best way.