--EMBARGOED FOR RELEASE UNTIL JANUARY 19, 2012--
New, Improved, and Limited Edition PRS Artist Model Guitars for 2012 Signature Artists Include Dave Navarro, Orianthi, Nick Catanese, Chris Henderson, Neal Schon, and Cody Kilby
December 23, 2011 (STEVENSVILLE, MD) – PRS Guitars’ family of signature artist guitars will see updates across the lines in 2012. The SE line will add an SE Dave Navarro signature guitar and significantly update the SE Orianthi and SE Nick Catanese models. PRS’s Maryland-made Chris Henderson artist model is getting a classic makeover. The PRS Private Stock department will offer a Neal Schon Limited Run of no more than 60 guitars (the model will be available for order from January 19 – February 15, 2012. And in the acoustic product family, a Private Stock Cody Kilby model will be added to the lineup.
Dave Navarro is only the third PRS artist to have both a Maryland-made and SE signature model (with Carlos Santana and Mark Tremonti coming before him). The Jane’s Addiction guitarist’s SE model will boast a beveled maple top, mahogany back, maple neck with rosewood fingerboard, and SE HFS and SE Vintage Bass pickups with a push-pull tone control and 3-way toggle. His SE model will also have his signature Jet White finish and gold hardware. Navarro’s Maryland-made signature model has been one of PRS’s most popular artist guitars. The addition of the SE Dave Navarro instrument will make this model accessible to more fans and musicians. “This is a way to make my guitar available to people who turn to music and art as a way of dealing with the world. It’s my act of gratitude to other musicians out there,” Navarro explains.
Also in the SE family, the SE Orianthi and SE Nick Catanese have new specs for 2012. The 2012 SE Orianthi will receive the new beveled SE carve and push/pull tone control with 3-way blade switch (previously a 3-way toggle with no coil tapping). The guitar goddess’s finish is also changing – from Red Sparkle to Scarlet Red. Additionally, Nick Catanese of Black Label Society has been working with PRS to renovate his signature SE as well. The 2012 model will have a straightforward, sleek look with a mahogany body with a flame maple veneer, ebony fingerboard with no inlays, and a Scarlet Red finish with black binding. The SE Nick Catanese will keep its distinguishing chrome EMG 81/85 pickups and Tone Pros adjustable stoptail.
Chris Henderson of 3 Doors Down has also revamped his Maryland-made signature model, shedding the middle pickup for a classic electronics configuration. The 2012 Chris Henderson will feature a PRS 250 treble pickup and #7 bass pickup with a volume and tone control for each and 3-way toggle on the upper bout. Other features include a maple top, mahogany back, mahogany neck, rosewood fingerboard, and adjustable stoptail. This guitar is a must see for 3 Doors fans and anyone lamenting the discontinuation of the PRS SC 250 model.
The PRS Private Stock department is offering a Neal Schon Limited Edition guitar. This Private Stock guitar is a wonderfully designed medium-thin archtop with a Floyd Rose system, curly maple top, back, and sides, and many of Neal’s personal design requests, including knob placement and pickups. The design is virtually identical to the instrument Neal has been playing on the most recent Journey tour. These instruments will be available for order from January 19 – February 15, 2012, but will be limited to a maximum of 60 guitars. Bluegrass virtuoso Cody Kilby is joining Tony McManus and Martin Simpson as a PRS Private Stock signature acoustic artist. Kilby is best known for his work with Ricky Skaggs and Kentucky Thunder. His Private Stock signature model will feature a PRS Tonare Grand body perimeter with a shallower PRS Angelus depth and a “Traditional” inlay pattern (only available on the Cody Kilby model). Private Stock options available to customers include top, back and side, neck, and fingerboard wood from the famed Private Stock Vault.
PRS Guitars considers its signature artists an essential part of the close-knit PRS family and is proud to continue to add new members to the fold and to continually refresh the offering of signature products.
These new, improved, and limited edition artist models will be on display at the winter NAMM show in Anaheim, California from January 19-22, 2012 at PRS Booth #5320.
About PRS Guitars: Paul Reed Smith Guitars is a leading manufacturer of high quality instruments in Stevensville, Maryland and has provided some of the world’s most renowned musicians with instruments since 1985. The PRS team of highly skilled craftspeople produces over 1,000 electric guitars each month, as well as acoustic guitars and amplifiers, for worldwide distribution. In the fall of 2011 PRS introduced import acoustic and amplifier lines to complement their import SE line of electric guitars. Carlos Santana, Linkin Park, Orianthi, Opeth, Tim Mahoney of 311, Mark Tremonti of Creed and Alter Bridge, Ricky Skaggs, Cody Kilby, Martin Simpson, Tony McManus, and Warren Haynes are among the artists currently playing PRS instruments.
PRS Guitars Info: www.prsguitars.com
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PRS Contact: Jack Higginbotham | 410-643-9970 x6855 | [email protected]
Hi-res images of these models are available via the following link: http://www.prsguitars.com/media/namm
--Embargoed for Release until January 19, 2012—
2012 PRS Custom 24 Refined with Addition of New, Contoured Pickup Bobbins PRS Guitars’ Flagship Model Gets a Subtle New Look and an Enhanced Tonal Spectrum
(STEVENSVILLE, MD) December 23, 2011 – Paul Reed Smith Guitars’ Custom 24 model was updated in 2011 with new pickups and a redesigned 5-way blade switch, giving the flagship model a new voice and even more versatility. For 2012, its revered uncovered 59/09 pickups are being updated with new, contoured bobbins that arc with the strings for a more spread out, open tone. First seen on PRS Collection instruments, these bobbins are a continuation of Paul Reed Smith’s quest to continually tweak and refine the company’s instruments in subtle ways with the goal of culminating in a more musical instrument always in mind.
“Originally, humbucking pickups were covered to combat electrostatic and electromagnetic hum. As the years passed and the covers came off, there was a gap between the pickup and the pickup ring. These new bobbins not only provide extended low and high end, they look like they were meant to be uncovered and in a ring,” said Paul Reed Smith.
These new bobbins can be seen for the first time on PRS Custom 24 guitars at the winter NAMM show in Anaheim, California from January 19-22, 2012 at PRS Booth #5320.
A hi-res image of the Custom 24 with contoured bobbins is available via the following link: http://www.prsguitars.com/media/namm
About PRS Guitars: Paul Reed Smith Guitars is a leading manufacturer of high quality instruments in Stevensville, Maryland and has provided some of the world’s most renowned musicians with instruments since 1985. The PRS team of highly skilled craftspeople produces over 1,000 electric guitars each month, as well as acoustic guitars and amplifiers, for worldwide distribution. In the fall of 2011 PRS introduced import acoustic and amplifier lines to complement their import SE line of electric guitars. Carlos Santana, Linkin Park, Orianthi, Opeth, Tim Mahoney of 311, Mark Tremonti of Creed and Alter Bridge, Ricky Skaggs, Cody Kilby, Martin Simpson, Tony McManus, and Warren Haynes are among the artists currently playing PRS instruments.
PRS Guitars Info: www.prsguitars.com Contact: Jack Higginbotham | P: 410-643-9970 x6855, C: 410-490-2696 | [email protected]
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--EMBARGOED FOR RELEASE UNTIL DECEMBER 24, 2011--
Introducing PRS Guitars First Piezo-Equipped Solidbody Instrument – The P22
December 23, 2011 (STEVENSVILLE, MD) – Paul Reed Smith Guitars is proud to add the P22, the company’s first piezo-equipped solidbody guitar, to its 2012 lineup. The P22 comes standard with a figured maple top, mahogany back, mahogany neck with a 22 fret rosewood fingerboard, and a redesigned PRS/LR Baggs piezo system. PRS and LR Baggs partnered more than a decade ago to design the piezo system found in PRS’s popular hollowbody models. This new system retains the same circuit design as the existing system, giving the P22 the same tonal authenticity and real world practicality as PRS hollowbody guitars. The redesign of the board itself yielded a version that is more than 60% smaller than the original PRS/LR Baggs system, allowing it to comfortably inhabit a solidbody guitar. Uncovered 53/10 pickups round out this guitar’s specifications and help define the P22’s voice.
"I have recorded and mixed hundreds and hundreds of acoustic guitars, including mixing both live and studio cuts, and I have never heard a more musical, more natural sound from an acoustic pickup system. If that had been the only thing special about the guitar I would have been excited, but then to hear the electric tones it creates - I was blown away," said Grammy Award-winning Producer and Engineer Don McCollister after a recording session with the P22.
Piezo systems have long allowed guitarists the versatility of wielding both acoustic and electric guitar tones in one instrument. The PRS Hollowbody II and Singlecut Hollowbody II both come standard with the original PRS/LR Baggs piezo and have achieved a great level of popularity in PRS Guitars’ product line. The addition of a solidbody model will give musicians a new and unique tool to add to their own lineup.
"The ability to blend in an acoustic sound along with whatever electric tone you are recording would be a game changer in certain situations. I noticed that it really helped the notes ring clearly through the haze, which is a tough thing to accomplish in a complex mix sometimes. I could see it becoming my go-to session guitar, and I'll be one of the first in line when it comes out!," continued McCollister.
After nearly a year of work from concept to completion, the P22 guitar will begin shipping in the first quarter of 2012. The P22 will be on display for the first time at the winter NAMM show in Anaheim, California from January 19-22 at PRS Booth #5320.
About PRS Guitars: Paul Reed Smith Guitars is a leading manufacturer of high quality instruments in Stevensville, Maryland and has provided some of the world’s most renowned musicians with instruments since 1985. The PRS team of highly skilled craftspeople produces over 1,000 electric guitars each month, as well as acoustic guitars and amplifiers, for worldwide distribution. In the fall of 2011 PRS introduced import acoustic and amplifier lines to complement their import SE line of electric guitars. Carlos Santana, Linkin Park, Orianthi, Opeth, Tim Mahoney of 311, Mark Tremonti of Creed and Alter Bridge, Ricky Skaggs, Cody Kilby, Martin Simpson, Tony McManus, and Warren Haynes are among the artists currently playing PRS instruments.
PRS Guitars Info: www.prsguitars.com
### PRS Contact: Jack Higginbotham | 410-643-9970 x6855 | [email protected]
A hi-res image of the P22 is available via the following link: http://www.prsguitars.com/media/namm
--Embargoed for Release until January 19, 2012--
PRS Adds Pickup Option to SE Angelus Acoustic Models
(STEVENSVILLE, MD) December 23, 2011 – Announced in September 2011, the PRS SE Angelus Standard and Custom models are made with high-quality components, including a solid back and solid spruce top, a bone nut and saddle, and PRS SE designed tuners. A PRS pickup system will be an added option on the SE Angelus models in 2012, highlighting the instruments’ rich, resonant, and responsive tone. The PRS pickup system is an under-saddle design with three bands of EQ and an anti-feedback loop. The pickup uses one 9-volt battery for power.
The SE Angelus shares the same proprietary bracing pattern and several distinct construction features as PRS’s acclaimed Maryland-made acoustic line, as well as the company’s trademark bird inlays and headstock design. The PRS SE Angelus is offered in both a “Standard” and “Custom” package. The Angelus Standard includes mahogany sides, a solid mahogany back and a rosewood fretboard and bridge, while the Angelus Custom includes rosewood sides, a solid rosewood back, and an ebony fretboard bridge.
“The SE Angelus models are the newest additions to the SE product family, which has matured into a comprehensive line of electric and acoustic guitars as well as amplifiers. The addition of an optional pickup system on the SE acoustics makes the line even more complete. My hope is that all of our SE products become tools for making music and sources of joy,” said Paul Reed Smith.
The fully acoustic version of these highly-anticipated instruments will begin hitting stores in early 2012. Instruments with the optional pickup system are available for order beginning on January 19, 2012 and will begin shipping in the spring of that year. Both configurations will be shown at the winter NAMM show in Anaheim, California from January 19-22, 2012 in PRS Booth #5320.
A hi-res image of the SE Angelus Custom/Standard is available via the following link: http://www.prsguitars.com/media/namm
About PRS Guitars: Paul Reed Smith Guitars is a leading manufacturer of high quality instruments in Stevensville, Maryland and has provided some of the world’s most renowned musicians with instruments since 1985. The PRS team of highly skilled craftspeople produces over 1,000 electric guitars each month, as well as acoustic guitars and amplifiers, for worldwide distribution. In the fall of 2011 PRS introduced import acoustic and amplifier lines to complement their import SE line of electric guitars. Carlos Santana, Linkin Park, Orianthi, Opeth, Tim Mahoney of 311, Mark Tremonti of Creed and Alter Bridge, Ricky Skaggs, Cody Kilby, Martin Simpson, Tony McManus, and Warren Haynes are among the artists currently playing PRS instruments.
PRS Guitars Info: www.prsguitars.com Contact: Jack Higginbotham | P: 410-643-9970 x6855, C: 410-490-2696 | [email protected]
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--EMBARGOED FOR RELEASE UNTIL JANUARY 19, 2012--
PRS SE Custom Gets a New Look and Enhanced Switching for 2012
December 23, 2011 (STEVENSVILLE, MD) – The PRS SE Custom will be updated for 2012 with a new body carve and pickup control configuration. Previously the SE Custom had a flat style body, but for 2012, the popular SE model will receive a beveled top carve, more reminiscent of PRS Guitars’ original Custom 24 model. The SE’s pickup control layout for 2012 will be one volume and one push/pull tone control paired with a 3-way blade switch. The addition of a coil tap on the tone control will give increased versatility, allowing guitarists to split the SE HFS and SE Vintage Bass pickups into singlecoils for the first time. The move from 3-way toggle to blade switch will provide more control and consistency with PRS’s Maryland made line.
“Our SE Custom is following the updates to our Maryland built Custom on an aggressive timeline. These updates provide an excellent instrument at an excellent price,” said Paul Reed Smith.
The updated SE body shape will also come standard on 2012 SE Paul Allender, SE Nick Catanese, and SE Orianthi models, with the SE Orianthi making the added change from a 3-way toggle to a 3-way blade switch. New for 2012, the SE Dave Navarro will receive the updated beveled top as well.
These new features can be seen for the first time at the winter NAMM show in Anaheim, California from January 19-22 at PRS Booth #5320.
About PRS Guitars: Paul Reed Smith Guitars is a leading manufacturer of high quality instruments in Stevensville, Maryland and has provided some of the world’s most renowned musicians with instruments since 1985. The PRS team of highly skilled craftspeople produces over 1,000 electric guitars each month, as well as acoustic guitars and amplifiers, for worldwide distribution. In the fall of 2011 PRS introduced import acoustic and amplifier lines to complement their import SE line of electric guitars. Carlos Santana, Linkin Park, Orianthi, Opeth, Tim Mahoney of 311, Mark Tremonti of Creed and Alter Bridge, Ricky Skaggs, Cody Kilby, Martin Simpson, Tony McManus, and Warren Haynes are among the artists currently playing PRS instruments.
PRS Guitars Info: www.prsguitars.com
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PRS Contact: Jack Higginbotham | 410-643-9970 x6855 | [email protected]
A hi-res image of the 2012 Custom 24 is available via the following link: http://www.prsguitars.com/media/namm