PRS Guitars and John Mayer Announce the J-MOD 100 Signature Amplifier
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PRS Media Contacts: Judy Schaefer, Director of Marketing | [email protected] | 410-64309970 x 6873 Jeanne Nooney, Public Relations & Events | [email protected] | 410-643-9970 x 6854 Visit our Media Room @ http://www.prsguitars.com/mediaroom/ Connect with PRS: www.prsguitars.com | prsguitars.com/forum | youtube.com/prsguitars facebook.com/prsguitars | twitter.com/prsguitars | instagram.com/prsguitars Notable Additions for the 2017 PRS Model Year: PRS Guitars and John Mayer Announce the J-MOD 100 Signature Amplifier (STEVENSVILLE, MD) January 17, 2017 – After more than a year of close collaboration, PRS Guitars and John Mayer are proud to announce the addition of the J-MOD 100 amplifier to PRS’s amplifier lineup. The J-MOD 100 amplifier was intimately designed by Paul Reed Smith, Doug Sewell, and John Mayer to not only handle Mayer’s live work with Dead & Company, but to also move seamlessly into recording and performing his solo material. With a thoughtful control platform, impeccable build, and high-quality components, the J-MOD 100 is a fully-realized, high-end piece of audio gear for players who want the purest and most expressive musical experience. “I think amplifiers are such interesting, complex animals. The J-MOD 100 is the result of a lot of searching...what is my sound? What are the elements of all these amps I own that should be chosen to go together in one amp and have this really distinct voice? What we ended up with is a really open and expressive amplifier that I feel is a real evolution and a step forward in guitar amps.” – John Mayer The J-MOD 100 (100 watt) amplifier is a single channel amp featuring a switchable gain stage and effects loop. The amp’s tone stack features a beautiful, spread out tone that is at once huge and clear. When the gain stage is kicked in, the amp gets rich in harmonics and delivers a bit more bite. The versatility provide by this setup allows the J-MOD 100 to deliver a huge variety of sounds whether using singlecoils or humbuckers. “Working with John Mayer has been a rewarding experience. His knowledge and no compromise attitude have led us to innovate and produce a beautiful sounding amp that delivers on versatility, construction, and professional tone” said Paul Reed Smith, of PRS Guitars. “It’s John’s and PRS’s goal that the products we collaborate on satisfy musicians who are looking for the best new gear from a sound, technical and aesthetic standpoint, whether their use is on stage, in the studio, practice room or in the comforts of their home.” Additional tone-sculpting features on the J-MOD 100 include volume, tone, treble, mid, bass, and a bright switch, which adds more high-end, and a presence control that boosts the high- end in the power amp section of the amplifier, providing a livelier, more complex tone. There is no reverb built into the J-MOD 100, but an effects loop was requested by Mayer for his reverb tanks. The amp’s effects loop (and gain boost) is controlled by the footswitch, so players can use any reverb or effects unit desired with this amp. Easy adjustment of Gain Stage Volume and Output, plus Presence and Master controls provide a pallet of endless versatility. The J-MOD 100 amp features four 6L6 power tubes and four 12AX7/ECC83S preamp tubes plus five separate boards, all with over-sized traces for tonal integrity. Each board is dedicated to a particular part of the circuit: preamp section, power section, front panel controls, bias jacks, and the effects loop. Not only is this an elegant way to build with fewer long wires extending across a larger board, it is also a more robust way to build as there is not a single, large board that needs to flex during transport. The amp is hand-wired at PRS in Maryland, USA with a truly artistic level of craftsmanship. The J-MOD 100 also features a “laydown-style” power transformer for build integrity. The J-MOD 100 is the second PRS/Mayer product collaboration, the first being the Limited Edition Private Stock Super Eagle electric guitar, which debuted in the spring of 2016 and embodies the PRS Private Stock culture of meticulous craftsmanship as well as Mayer’s keen eye for playability, tone and detail. The J-MOD amplifier is available through select PRS Dealers and Distributors and can been seen for the first time at the 2017 Winter NAMM show in Anaheim, California from January 19-22 at PRS Guitars, Room 210A. Images, video, and full specifications can be found at www.prsguitars.com. ### PRS Guitars Introduces New Sonzera Amplifier Line All Tube Tone with a Popular Price Tag (STEVENSVILLE, MD) January 12, 2017 – PRS Guitars, known for innovation and quality, is proud to announce the new Sonzera series of guitar amplifiers, which consists of the Sonzera 50 Watt Combo, Sonzera 50 Watt Head, and Sonzera 20 Watt Combo. Destined to be a go-to choice for pros and amateurs, each model features a clean and lead channel with independent controls for maximum versatility. Featuring a rugged-gauge steel chassis, custom transformers rigorously designed to PRS specifications, and road-ready construction, each Sonzera model is ready to deliver serious tone with maximum reliability. Their highly-versatile twin channel layout with independent controls delivers a wide variety of tones from clean to overdrive. A big, full, 3D clean channel combined with a rich 3-spring reverb produces an abundance of shimmering, ‘chimey’ tones, while the Sonzera’s lead channel carries a punch from edgy overdrive, to a stacked onslaught of full-on soaring lead tone. Both channels are maximized for note clarity and definition. The lead channel’s circuit design makes it easy to set up the lead channel to act like a boosted clean channel if so desired. Conversely, the tone controls can also be manipulated to make the channels sound like two completely different amplifiers. The bright switch feature helps deliver familiar high-end snap, while the presence control and independent EQ for each channel allows players to quickly dial in a classic bell-like chime or warmer, muscular tones at bedroom levels, on stage, or in the studio. “I ended up recording the entire new Kentucky album with the amp,” stated Chris Robertson of Blackstone Cherry. “It was my main amp for my rhythm sounds and my solos. It’s so simple. I just love it.” “The Sonzera combines surprising flexibility with simple design; and produces big, clear tone from a convenient grab n’ go platform,” Mark Lettieri, Snarky Puppy. Dave Knudson, Minus the Bear offered “In an amp, I’m normally looking for a really great clean tone especially when I’m running a lot of pedals. I really want a bright, clear, pristine tone that’s full bodied with enough bass to move the low-end and enough sparkle on top. The Sonzera’s been perfect.” The Sonzera sports one JJ ECC835 and three 12AX7 preamp tubes and two power tubes (6L6GC’s for the 20 Watt amp and EL34’s for the 50 Watt amp). The combo versions have 12” Celestion V-style speakers. The Sonzera 50 watt versions have independent reverb controls; 20 watt amp has a global reverb control. The reverb is designed to enhance notes without clouding them and can be turned on or off via the footswitch. The effects loop (great for adding in your time-based effects) was designed as an integral part of the circuit. “We designed this series with an enormous amount of tone, functionality, and serviceability,” stated Doug Sewell, PRS Amp Designer. “This labor of love has been meticulously tested at every step in product development to ensure that each Sonzera is gig-ready out-of-the-box.” The Sonzera amplifiers can been seen for the first time at the 2017 Winter NAMM show in Anaheim, California from January 19-22 at PRS Guitars room 210A. To see and hear the new Sonzera amplifiers, please visit: www.prsguitars.com/sonzera For more information and to find a dealer near you, go to www.prsguitars.com Images are available via the following link: http://www.prsguitars.com/media/sonzera ### PRS Guitars 2017 Maple Top SE Models to Receive Significant Updates New Pickups, New Branding, and an Artist Model Brought Closer to Home PRS Guitars introduced the SE Series in 2001 in an effort to bring high-quality, high-value guitars to the market. Popular with professional, casual, and beginning players alike, the SE Series has grown considerably since its introduction both in the style of models offered and in the detailed quality of the instruments. The evolution continues with all maple top models in the SE lineup getting a new look, sound, and feel for 2017. New Look The PRS SE headstock is getting a striking remake for 2017. The new design features Paul Reed Smith’s signature with the SE logo on the headstock, while model names are moving to the truss rod cover. This change is a bold endorsement of the series, directly reflecting the company’s sense of pride in the brand and the instruments. New Sound 2017 maple top PRS SE’s are also being updated with carefully-spec’d, new and redesigned pickups. New pickups include 85/15 “S,” 245 “S,” Tremonti “S,” and Santana “S” pickups. The new PRS 85/15”S” pickups are modeled after the 85/15 pickups Paul Smith designed for the company’s 30th Anniversary and offer remarkable clarity and extended high and low end.