NEW FOR 2023 – 10th Anniversary of the S2 Series

 

The PRS S2 Series began in 2013 as a way to offer the fit, feel, and attention to detail of PRS craftsmanship in a fresh, straightforward design. Meaning “Stevensville 2,” the S2 Series was named for a second manufacturing line that was created inside the PRS Stevensville, Maryland shop that blended new manufacturing techniques with practiced quality control and workmanship to create instruments at a new price point for players. Over the last ten years, the S2 Series has grown from three to more than a dozen models and has become a powerful part of PRS Guitars.

To celebrate the 10th Anniversary of the S2 Series, PRS is offering two celebratory models: the 10th Anniversary S2 Custom 24 and McCarty 594 Limited Edition guitars. These special models will retain the guitar’s standard specs and add a Cuban mahogany neck, mother of pearl bird inlays, and – most notably – USA-made PRS 85/15 and 58/15 LT pickups (respectively). PRS has been on an inspiring journey studying pickup tone and design for many years now. These pickups have been fine-tuned using the PRS TCI process for rich, clear, and balanced tone. Only 2,000 total 10th Anniversary instruments will be made — 1,000 of each model.

For more information and specs on the 10th Anniversary S2 Custom 24 click here.

For more information and specs on the 10th Anniversary S2 McCarty 594 click here.

ARTIST FEATURE – SOPHIE BURRELL

SOPHIE BURRELL Q&A

 

PRS: You’ve said that Mark Tremonti is one of the big things that introduced you to PRS Guitars. What about his style do you like? Any other early PRS memories that drew you in?

SB: It was Alter Bridge in general I would say. Tremonti’s style…I can’t place it directly, but I like how melodic Alter Bridge is, and it’s the same with Tremonti’s playing. They have been my favourite band since I was 11, and nothing has ever really made me feel the same way since. And it was the birds on the frets, I just thought they were the coolest inlays I’d ever seen in my life. None of the other brands ignited that sort of feeling inside of me like PRS did, so it was quite easy for me to decide and be like yeah that’s me!

 

PRS: Which is your go-to PRS lately – the Dragon Fruit PRS SE Silver Sky or your Custom 24? Why?

SB: It’s got to be my Custom 24. After getting the SE Silver Sky, I went through a phase of just playing that for a good while, but I think that was just because it was new. I get new guitars for my YouTube channel, and getting a new PRS is something I get very excited over, and I know that I’m actually going play them all the time. The Custom 24 to me is literally perfect, so if I was to ever have a signature model it would essentially be that but maybe a different colour, maybe with a signature 12 fret inlay. I love everything about it, how pretty it is, I just worship that guitar.

 

PRS: What has been the biggest “bucket list” moment of your career so far?

SB: Probably my PRS endorsement! And D’Addario endorsement because both are companies that I’ve liked and played since I was 11 years old, and I always wanted to work with you guys and be part of the family, so to speak. For those two things to actually materialise and happen has been amazing. When you’re younger, endorsements seem really untouchable and unreachable, so when it actually happened and I made the announcement, I cried, like ugly cried. To me it’s like a symbol of my hard work and my commitment to it over all these years. Just guitar in general and wanting this to be my career, it was a little nod to say “you’re going in the right direction.”

 

 

PRS: Any exciting new projects coming up?

SB: Yes! I have a very, very exciting project coming up. I will be launching my new band, and we’ll be releasing our first single hopefully in the new year, and we’ve got our first music video shoot coming up. It’s going to be interesting because I’m fronting it, and that’s not something I’ve done before. I’m a little scared, but I’m super excited. I just cannot wait to be in a band again and play live again because that’s really what I want to be doing…and ultimately why I’m doing this. I’m very grateful for the online stuff, and I love doing it too, but my soul comes alive when I’m on stage and with a family.

 

PRS: What artists have you been listening to recently?

SB: Love this question! Top of my playlist is Billie Eilish. Maybe people wouldn’t expect that, but it’s the songwriter side of me that really enjoys her music. The new Alter Bridge album has just come out, and I’m going to go and see them next month so that will be cool. The new Polyphia album as well –  very good stuff, absolutely blows my mind.

 

PRS: As a social media influencer, what have you found the most challenging?

SB: This question comes at an interesting time as it’s been a bit tricky recently. I have received a ridiculous amount of support for as long as I’ve been doing this, but, obviously as you grow your audience, you also face more criticism. I’m in a really weird place where I can still read a lot of my comments and DM’s. I can’t reply to them all, but I see a lot of both positive and negative messages. It puts you through quite the rollercoaster, and I would say two things. First, is dealing with burnout because you permanently have to be making content in order to stay relevant, which is actually insane. Second, is facing criticism and hateful comments from other people. I think they forget you’re an actual person. It can be quite hurtful. You have to grow really thick skin and not take things to heart. It’s never to do with the actual playing, it’s more about me as a person or what I’m wearing. It feels like a lot of pressure at times when people are constantly telling you what you should or shouldn’t do, so it puts you in a weird head space.

 

PRS: What advice would you give to aspiring guitarists?

SB: Give it enough time, be patient, work hard consistently, but most importantly enjoy it because that will be what creates a nice long happy career.

Learn more about PRS Artist Sophie Burrell – www.sophieburrell.com

Sophie’s first reaction to the PRS Pedals!

PICKUP POP-UP SHOP

Shop the Pickup Pop-Up Shop: 58/15 LT and 85/15 Available Now

For the first time ever, we’re offering our coveted 58/15 LT and 85/15 pickups for aftermarket sale. If you’ve ever desired to update the pickups of your favorite guitar with our exclusive USA-built pickups, now is your chance! Learn more about each of these time-tested and player-loved designs below.

58/15 LT

Our 58/15 LT (“low turn”) pickups are vintage-inspired pickups with exceptional clarity. Designed to capture the sweetness of vintage single coils and the warmth of late 1950’s humbuckers, these pickups are lively and open with focused midrange and balanced treble and bass.

85/15

Our 85/15 pickups bring vintage and modern pickup design together to deliver exceptional clarity and extended high and low end. With balanced full-spectrum clarity, PRS 85/15’s are perfect for modern players driving a pedalboard, and have enough character to deliver when plugging straight into an amp.

Act quickly, only 2,300 sets will be available worldwide – 300 sets through our online West Street East store, and the remaining 2,000 sets will be available through Authorized PRS Dealers around the world.

Shop UK: https://uk.prsaccessories.com/collections/2022-pick-up-pop-up-shop

Shop EU: https://eu.prsaccessories.com/collections/2022-pick-up-pop-up-shop

Below, watch Paul Reed Smith discuss our approach to pickup design and voicing – complete with playing samples of some of our most popular PRS pickup models:

BEHIND THE GEAR

SE A20E

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SE A20E

The PRS SE A20E brings all-mahogany construction to our best-selling body shape: the Angelus Cutaway. The Angelus Cutaway body shape delivers comfort and playability and is well-suited for picking and fingerstyle playing. The all-mahogany body gives the PRS SE A20E an organic, warm voice. When matched with PRS hybrid “X”/Classical bracing, which allows the top to freely vibrate and project, the SE A20E’s voice projects with breathtaking volume and delicate nuance.

Plugged in, the PRS-Voiced Fishman Sonitone Pickup delivers dynamic, organic tone that allows the natural sound of the instrument to come through. “The EQ in this pickup system sounds like you mic’d the guitar. It’s very musical,” said Paul Reed Smith. This electronics system features an undersaddle pickup and soundhole mounted preamp with easy-to-access volume and tone controls.

Additional high-quality features include a solid top, ebony fretboard and bridge, bone nut and saddle, as well as PRS trademark bird inlays and headstock design. Ships in a high-quality acoustic gig bag.

 

SE P50E

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SE P50E

The PRS SE P50E is a parlor-sized acoustic with a big voice. Featuring a solid spruce top and figured maple back and sides, the PRS SE P50E brings a sophisticated new aesthetic to the popular parlor platform. This body size offers bold projection with more focused tone, and the maple back and sides provide unexpected warmth and tonal transparency. When matched with PRS hybrid “X”/Classical bracing, which allows the top to freely vibrate and project, the SE P50E has an uncommon 3-dimensional character for a maple back and side guitar. The Tonare Parlor body shape and shorter (24.72”) scale length make this guitar comfortable to play for hours on end.

Plugged in, the PRS-Voiced Fishman Sonitone Pickup delivers dynamic, organic tone that allows the natural sound of the instrument to come through. “The EQ in this pickup system sounds like you mic’d the guitar. It’s very musical,” said Paul Reed Smith. This electronics system features an undersaddle pickup and soundhole mounted preamp with easy-to-access volume and tone controls.

Additional high-quality features include Abalone purfling and bird inlays, ebony fretboard and bridge, and bone nut and saddle. Ships in a high-quality acoustic gig bag.

ROBBEN FORD LIMITED EDITION MCCARTY

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“As a guitarist, everything is important. All the details have an impact. The willingness of Paul and everyone at PRS to dig deep and refine based on my feedback as an artist has been priceless.” – Robben Ford

The PRS Robben Ford Limited Edition McCarty has been meticulously spec’d to deliver the highest- level of playability and loud, clear, soulful tone. Featuring a bound, 22-fret, 25” scale length Pattern mahogany neck with African Blackwood fretboard, the PRS Robben Ford Limited Edition McCarty will feel right at home. The guitar is anchored by Vintage-Style tuners and a PRS Stoptail bridge with brass inserts, both of which add to the guitar’s liveliness and tone – as do its thin, hard nitro finish, bone nut, and thick mahogany back. As an added detail, Paul Reed Smith has hand-signed the front of each headstock and Robben Ford has autographed the backplate of each instrument.

Perhaps most noteworthy on this model are the Robben Ford signature pickups and the modified control layout. Meticulously dialed in by Ford and Smith throughout the R&D process, these pickups are tuned to deliver loud, clear, and full tone across the spectrum. Never too dark or overpowering, these pickups are paired with a single volume and tone control, 3-way toggle pickup selector, and a single mini-toggle switch that splits both pickups into single coils.

“Working on this guitar with Robben has been such an enjoyable experience. He pushed us hard to get every detail just right, and in the end, I think we have made an exceptional guitar that feels and sounds as good or better than many of the vintage instruments we hold as our teachers,” said Paul Reed Smith.

Only 200 Robben Ford Limited Edition instruments will be made in 2022.

HDRX 20 AMP

20 Watts | PRS “Hendrix” Circuit | 5881 Power Tubes

The PRS HDRX 20 captures the flexibility, power, and balance of late
60’s British-inspired tone in a lower wattage package. The PRS HDRX 20 features a newly-documented “Authentic Hendrix” Touring Circuit. This circuit is heavily inspired by one of Hendrix’s personal amps, purportedly used at Woodstock, which Paul Reed Smith and PRS Amp Designer Doug Sewell were able to study in 2018.

Designed to push the high-end so it is very clear, but not so much that it’s harsh, the PRS HDRX shines without glaring and allows for aggression that can be backed off for smooth, sweet tones. The PRS HDRX 20 is driven by two 5881 power tubes. Chosen for their lower power, smaller size, and organic voice, the 5881 tubes bring thick but articulate tone that drives well and breaks up beautifully in this lower-wattage amp.

The PRS HDRX 20 features a 3-band TMB tone stack, 2-way bright switch, high-mid gain switch, and presence controls. These features mirror the historic amp and give players flexibility and increased control of their tone. The PRS HDRX 20 is also designed with internally bridged channels with individual treble and bass volume controls. This eliminates the need for a jumper cable (historically used on the outside of the amp) and allows players to dial in their distortion level and tone more easily by blending the lead and bass channels’ individual volume controls, bringing more modern convenience to the amp. The addition of a Master Volume control on the HDRX 20, a new feature for HDRX amps, is another modern convenience. Players can use the Master Volume to control the power amp section of the HDRX, making it more user friendly for players who do not want to add a volume attenuator to their setup.

 

Introducing The New PRS Pedals!

Designed by PRS Guitars in Stevensville, Maryland and made in the USA, PRS pedals are quality pieces of gear ready for the studio and the stage. All PRS Pedals feature through-hole soldering, which allows for the best-sounding parts to be used. PRS pedals are also true bypass, so they are out of the signal chain when turned off, allowing players to have uncolored tone at the tip of their toes.

HORSEMEAT

TRANSPARENT OVERDRIVE
DRIVE YOUR TONE

The PRS Horsemeat transparent overdrive pedal is designed to enhance your sound without coloring your tone. Horsemeat adds harmonic midrange richness and overdrives without cutting out your high notes – all while giving you more available headroom. It features a robust EQ section so you can dial in your tone and has a wide range of gain on tap. Depending on the setting, Horsemeat can be used as a clean boost, straight overdrive, or even enhance your amplifier’s distortion by slightly pushing the front end of the amplifier’s preamp section.

PRS pedals were created to be high-end pieces of audio gear.

Designed by PRS Guitars in Stevensville, MD, USA. Made in the USA.

Horsemeat top

MARY CRIES

OPTICAL COMPRESSOR
CONTROL YOUR SIGNAL

The PRS Mary Cries optical compressor pedal is intuitive and sounds incredible. Based on the storied LA-2A, Mary Cries will thicken your tone, help control signal peaks, lengthen sustain, and push your tone without losing definition or clarity. Depending on your settings, it can be used as a boost as well as a straightforward compressor.

PRS pedals were created to be high-end pieces of audio gear.

Designed by PRS Guitars in Stevensville, MD, USA. Made in the USA.

Mary cries top

WIND THROUGH THE TREES

DUAL ANALOG FLANGER
DUELING FLANGERS

The PRS Wind Through the Trees dual analog flanger pedal is best described as two flangers fighting each other, resulting in a sound reminiscent of the wind whipping through the trees. With Manual, Depth, and Rate controls per flanger as well as global Regeneration and Added Highs, Wind Through the Trees offers nearly endless tonal possibilities. Bottom line, Wind Through the Trees offers hours of fun for any player.

PRS pedals were created to be high-end pieces of audio gear.

Designed by PRS Guitars in Stevensville, MD, USA. Made in the USA.

Wind through the trees top
Head over to our YouTube channel to hear the pedals in action!

PRS Europe Employee Spotlight – DETLEF BRAUNS // Market Manager Germany & Austria

 

 

What is your typical working day?

I rise at around 6am and check our inventory list if we have one! After that, I have a look at my dealer’s websites to see if they are currently out of stock of any PRS items, if I can help them replace missing stock then all good, PRS is in very high demand and we are always short of guitars so they will be very happy if we have anything to replace sold items.

I recently started traveling again after two years of lockdowns, it’s great to see customers and friends once more, my territory is Germany and Austria, it’s a big area to cover! In addition I organise workshops, clinics, music fairs, and other in-market promotions, so actually there isn’t really a “typical” day!

 

What made you want to work in the guitar industry?

I come from a family that has worked for decades in the music industry, so music was always very prominent in my life. It really was a “no-brainer” for me to also work in music. My brother and I built up quite a big music store based in Frankfurt, Germany, I was overseeing the guitar section among others. My passion has always been guitars and we were one of the first stores to feature PRS Guitars way back in 1985. We sold the store some years back and I was pretty bored, so when the opportunity opened up to actually work for PRS in 2013 I couldn’t believe my luck! This obsession for guitars, especially PRS, has stood the test of time – I love my job!

 

Do you play an instrument?

Yes! I play the guitar and the piano.

 

What’s your favourite PRS guitar and why?

That’s a tricky one! I can’t possibly just pick one so I would have to say that my favourite PRS guitars are the Custom 24 and the Silver Sky. The Custom 24 has a wide range of sounds for every genre possible and looks great in every colour imaginable. The Custom 24 stands for the history of PRS – everything started there! On the other hand, the Silver Sky is a fantastic single coil guitar, John Mayer and Paul Reed Smith’s collaboration was perfect, a masterpiece in my opinion, so that gets equal billing here!

 

What’s your favourite thing to do outside of work?

Outside of work I like to go to concerts, go hiking and if I can, watch my soccer team EF Frankfurt, I also like to golf occasionally.

 

Favourite gig you have ever played / been to?

Definitely the Eagles. I also used to play in an Allman Brothers Tribute band – I loved every gig we did – very cool and great fun!

 

Your nickname at the PRS Europe office is DC, how did this name come about?

I have to thank my boss, Gavin Mortimer, for this one. When I was in Stevensville for the first time and had to introduce myself, I told everybody that my friends and colleagues call me “Deddi”.  Gavin then said: “Alright, that’s cool. So we call you “Deddi Cool” – hence DC.

PRS Pulse Artists Applications Open For 2023

Pulse Artists

LAST CHANCE TO APPLY TO BE IN THE CLASS OF 2023! DEADLINE AUGUST 15TH

PRS Pulse Artist Program

PRS Guitars Pulse Artist program is designed to support PRS players around the world by turning the focus to PRS players who are making waves in their local music scene.

This unique program utilizes PRS’s extensive dealer network to provide local access to some of the benefits of an endorsement, while also serving as a potential “stepping stone” to becoming an Official PRS Artist. With the annual membership, Pulse Artists will be granted exclusive discounts on guitars, amps, and accessories through their local PRS dealer and will be showcased on a dedicated Pulse Artist roster on PRS Guitars website. PRS social platforms will be utilized as well as the creation of editorial content to amplify these Artists and share their music, news, and progress as they pursue their musical journey.

Guidelines for Applicants:

• Intermediate/advanced guitar skills
• Online presence with strong social media engagement
• PRS brand is preferred choice of instrument

How To Apply

Please visit your local authorized PRS dealer to inquire about applying for this program.

Applications deadline August 15, 2022.

Class of 2023 will be announced on September 15, 2022.