PRS Guitars Introduces Three New SE Signature Models
(STEVENSVILLE, MD) January 15, 2019 – PRS Guitars is pleased to announce three new SE signature models in advance of the 2019 NAMM Winter Show: the SE Santana Singlecut Trem, SE Schizoid, and SE Paul’s Guitar.
SE Santana Singlecut Trem
The SE Santana Singlecut Trem pays tribute to Santana’s one-off gold leaf Private Stock PRS. Modelled after the workhorse gold leaf singlecut that Carlos plays on stage, the SE version of this special instrument began when Santana heard the 2018 Paul’s Guitar TCI pickups. Impressed with their tone, Santana requested a set of those pickups without the coil taps, and from there, TCI “S” pickups were born. Wanting to capture their full-range tone in a special model, Santana and Paul looked to Santana’s personal instruments and choose the gold leaf Singlecut.
Additional features include the classic Santana/PRS combination of a 24.5” scale length, 24 frets, and a tremolo bridge, the SE Santana Singlecut Trem, providing two full octaves with the comfort of a shorter- scale guitar.
"When I think of PRS I think of impeccable integrity! Right out of the case, the guitar looks and feels incredible, but for me it is about the sound, resonance, vibration that allows me to take flight with every note. The SE Santana Singlecut Trem has a range and universal tone that delivers with power and clarity, allowing you to find your own voice in your heart’s music. It is an honor to add this beautiful guitar to the PRS SE line that I helped start so many years ago. We invite you to spread your wings and find your voice with this beautiful instrument!," said Carlos Santana.
SE Schizoid (Jakko Jakszyk, King Crimson)
Jakko Jakszyk’s story reads like a tale of rock-and-roll dreams: “When I was 11 years old my neighbour played me a song called ‘21st Century Schizoid Man’ by King Crimson, and it blew my head off. Overnight they became my favourite band. I could never have imagined that I would actually find myself in that very band years later, singing and playing that very song.” The guitar Jakko plays with the legendary progressive rock outfit: a PRS Custom 24 Piezo adorned with the “Schizoid Man” artwork from The Court of the Crimson King album.
“When Robert Fripp asked me to join Crimson, I decided I needed a new guitar. Much as I loved and owned several vintage guitars, live I would always play something modern – more reliable. PRS is the best of both worlds. A modern instrument that feels and looks like a classic.”
As a limited edition for 2019 and in celebration of the 50th Anniversary of the legendary band King Crimson, PRS will be offering a maximum of 1,000 SE Schizoid guitars, based on the SE Standard 24 and adorned with the same classic artwork as Jakko’s personal guitar.
SE Paul’s Guitar
“The SE Paul’s Guitar is a great example of design, engineering, and teamwork. It’s as close to home as we could get inside of the SE Series, and I am very proud of it,” Paul Reed Smith.
The SE Paul’s Guitar delivers a lot of “PRS,” starting with tone and versatility. The TCI “S” treble and bass pickups deliver a very pure, vintage sound. The SE Paul’s Guitar also features two mini-toggle switches between the volume and tone knobs. This setup allows players to put either or both pickups in true single coil mode, which delivers the clarity and uniqueness of vintage single-coil tones in both single coil and humbucking positions. This is the first model to offer this style of electronics outside of the Private Stock and Core lines.
“The Paul’s Guitar, like the Modern Eagle before it, has always been about Paul’s latest discoveries in guitar making. To bring this guitar into the SE Series, we knew the tone, functionality, and playability had to be right and had to be consistent,” said Jack Higginbotham, COO, PRS Guitars. “We feel this guitar offers a lot of value to players.”
The SE Paul’s Guitar is available in three colors, reminiscent of PRS’s earliest guitar offerings: Amber, Aqua, and Fire Red.
The SE Paul’s Guitar will begin shipping in February, with the SE Schizoid shipping in March and the SE Santana Singlecut Trem following later this spring. Contact your Authorized PRS Dealer for availability.
SE Santana Singlecut Trem SE Schizoid | Video SE Paul’s Guitar | Video | Demo Video
PRS Guitars Announces the McCarty 594 Hollowbody II
(STEVENSVILLE, MD) January 8, 2019 – The McCarty 594 Hollowbody II joins two of PRS Guitars most beloved models. Starting with the Hollowbody II platform, this guitar features fully-hollow build construction, making it a resonant guitar with warm, woody tone. 58/15 LT (low turn) pickups add to the organic feel of the guitar while keeping the tone clear and musical. The single coil settings are especially transparent and paired with the hollow body construction, create an almost acoustic quality to the guitar.
The details taken from the McCarty 594 model impart old-school character to this already classic instrument. Those details include a 24.594” scale length, two-piece bridge, tweaked Phase III tuners, Pattern Vintage neck shape, and the control layout. With dual volume and push/pull tone controls, the tonal options are vast with both rich humbucking and sweet single-coil sounds available.
Additional specifications include a figure maple top and back with mahogany middle and a 22-fret mahogany neck with rosewood fretboard and “old school” bird inlays.
“The Hollowbody II is a cherished model that quickly becomes the favorite among its owners. Blending the McCarty 594’s qualities into that platform accentuates the Hollowbody’s organic, woody, warm, vintage character. The bridge, scale length, and control layout add to the experience, making it completely addictive to play” said Judy Schaefer, Director of Marketing.
The McCarty 594 Hollowbody II is a true showstopper with effortless playability, articulate vintage tone, and a jaw-dropping aesthetic.
McCarty 594 Hollowbody II | Video
PRS Guitars’ New 2019 Models
(STEVENSVILLE, MD) November 13, 2018 – PRS Guitars has announced its first round of new models and updates for 2019. New electric guitars from PRS include a revamped “Paul’s Guitar” (Paul Reed Smith’s signature model), the CE 24 Semi-Hollow, and a new SE Custom 24 that sports an attractive ziricote veneer, while new acoustic models expand on an already robust line up.
Paul’s Guitar – The Paul Reed Smith Signature Model
Historically, the Paul’s Guitar (like the Modern Eagle before it) has been a realization of Paul Reed Smith’s latest discoveries surrounding tone. This revamped model represents Paul’s vision not only as a guitar maker but as a guitar player who needs versatile stage- and studio-ready gear that can achieve all the right tones. As a man who has every option available to him, Paul’s personal design choices include mahogany bodies with maple tops, Honduran rosewood fretboards, Nitrocellulose finishes, “Brushstroke” bird inlays, and narrow pickup bobbins. The Paul’s Guitar model also includes PRS’s TCI (Tuned Capacitance and Inductance) treble and bass pickups with two mini-toggle switches that allow players to put either or both pickups in either humbucking or true single coil mode.
“I don’t just like the newest version of my guitar, I love it. With these new pickups, I can move from a strong bridge pickup to a very clear, “whoopy” neck pickup – you can hear every note – by just setting the mini-toggles and using the 3-way as normal. It’s a highly musical and very usable setup,” said Paul Reed Smith. “This guitar has clear, spanky single coils when you split the pickups but a very full soapbar quality when they are in humbucking mode. It’s just beautiful.”
Paul’s Guitar | Video | Demo Video
CE 24 Semi-Hollow
The original CE was introduced in 1988, offering players traditional PRS design and features with a bolt- on neck. A favorite throughout PRS history, the CE 24 was reintroduced in 2016 and is now expanding to include a semi-hollow model. “The CE 24 Semi-Hollow combines the snap and sustain of our maple neck bolt-on guitars but adds an airy resonance of a semi-hollow body creating a voice all its own. Every dealer who has come through the shop and checked out the prototypes has enjoyed the guitar. We think it is a fairly unique addition to our bolt-on lineup,” said Jim Cullen, PRS Director of Sales.
CE 24 Semi-Hollow | Video
SE Custom 24 Ziricote
Last year, PRS decked out its classic SE Custom 24 model with a selection of unique veneers. For 2019, PRS will be offering their most popular SE in both zebrawood and ziricote veneers for players who want a more exotic look for this classic model.
SE Custom 24 Ziricote PRS SE Acoustics
On the acoustic side, PRS Guitars has expanded its assortment of SE Angelus and Tonare Grand models with both new wood combinations and new colors. The SE A55E and T55E (pictured above) continue to bring PRS’s Private Stock aesthetic to the SE Series with quilted maple back and sides offered in two colors: classic Black Gold Burst or striking Abaco Green. The SE A60E and T60E (pictured below) also bring arresting aesthetics to the assortment, with ziricote back and sides, curly maple binding and heel cap, and abalone purfling and rosette details. Both the 55 and 60 series acoustics feature solid spruce tops PRS’s hybrid classical/X bracing, bone nuts and saddles, and the Fishman GT-1 pickup system. Rounding out the acoustic additions are burst options for the 40 and 50 series guitars.
“SE acoustics are born from our work inside the PRS Private Stock team making highly-individualized instruments. With years of intimate work experience to build on, we have applied our bracing pattern and other foundational design elements to the SE line, resulting in high-value instruments that we love,” said Jack Higginbotham, Chief Operating Officer, PRS Guitars. “We are proud of our manufacturing partners and humbled by the reviews and support from our dealers as we continue to grow this offering.”
SE A55E | Video SE T55E | Video SE A60E | Video SE T60E | Video
2019
“The instruments we have added for 2019 represent our culture of innovation and our desire to bring added value to musicians,” said Jamie Mann, President, PRS Guitars. “That said, we have left much our lineup untouched. The current demand from our customers is exceptionally high, showing us that the current stable is working. We are very proud of this moment.”
To see the complete line up, specs, and demo videos, visit www.prsguitars.com . And stay tuned – as NAMM approaches, there are likely to be a few more introductions.
Product Demos
PRS will be hosting product demonstrations in our booth on Thursday, Friday, and Saturday of the show at noon and 4:00 PM daily.
PRS Artist Performances
PRS has several artists already scheduled to play at the show, including our own Paul Reed Smith. The current schedule is as follows:
Magnolia Boulevard 10:00 PM, Wednesday, January 23 rd @ Hilton Lobby
Boscoe France 3:00 PM, Thursday, January 24 th @ Arena Plaza Stage
The Paul Reed Smith Band 9:00 PM, Thursday, January 24 th @ Hilton Lobby
Keys & Corridors 10:00 PM, Friday, January 25 th @ Hilton Lobby ###
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 design and build a wide variety of musical instruments and gear for worldwide distribution, including electric, acoustic, and bass guitars as well as boutique-style guitar amplifiers. The PRS SE line of products complements the Maryland-made PRS line by offering highly approachable and more affordable electric, acoustic, and bass guitars. Carlos Santana, John Mayer, Mark Tremonti, Mark Holcomb of Periphery, Zach Myers of Shinedown, Jimmy Herring, Orianthi, David Grissom, Blake Shelton, Martin Simpson, and Tony McManus are among the artists currently playing PRS instruments and/or amplifiers.
PRS Guitars Info: www.prsguitars.com Images of our current products can be found at https://www.dropbox.com/sh/bie8ldzwzunvgh2/AADHPhsp7lJMtBvkAJdrWh07a?dl=0
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Jeanne Nooney, PR & Events | [email protected] | 410-643-9970 x 6854
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