PRS NF 53 and Myles Kennedy Signature

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Introducing the PRS NF 53 and Myles Kennedy Signature

Introducing the PRS NF 53 and Myles Kennedy Signature

Classic tones with modern design.

Meet the PRS NF 53 and Myles Kennedy Signature, the two newest models in PRS’s bolt-on lineup.

THE PRS NF 53

Inspired by one of Paul Reed Smith’s vintage guitars from 1953, the PRS NF 53 combines a swamp ash body and 22-fret, 25.5” scale length bolt-on maple neck with maple fretboard with a special set of PRS Narrowfield pickups. The PRS Narrowfield DD (Deep Dish) pickups are made with taller bobbins to fit more winds and extra metal pieces in between the magnets for a more focused, powerful tone.

“I am so pleased with the feedback from the artists who have played this guitar – everyone is telling us that we have something special here,” said Paul Reed Smith. “If you are a fan of this style and tone, the NF 53 will take you where you want to go. To me to have this kind of beautiful high end without the hum is game changing.”

Paired with a volume and tone control and 3-way blade pickup switch, the NF 53 allows players to easily dial in their sound. The steel plate style bridge, PRS vintage style tuners, and nickel hardware all work together to provide precise and reliable tuning stability while promoting sustain and powerful tone.

The PRS NF 53 is available in four stunning finishes: White Doghair, Black Doghair, Blue Matteo, and McCarty Tobacco Sunburst. Whether you are a seasoned player or just starting out, the PRS NF 53 is an addictive guitar you won’t want to put down.

Learn more about the NF 53 Here.

THE PRS MYLES KENNEDY SIGNATURE MODEL

We’re excited to introduce Myles Kennedy’s first signature model. Known for his work in Alter Bridge, Slash and the Conspirators, and his own solo recordings, Kennedy is an accomplished guitarist who brings blues and jazz style to rock guitar playing. This new signature model mirrors Kennedy’s rock sensibilities with a nod to historic designs. While the aesthetic may have players hearing chicken pickin’ in their heads – and this guitar can certainly reach twang territory – it is made to play like a rock machine.

“This guitar captures the spirit of my favorite older instruments. With that said, since we developed this guitar, most of my vintage instruments rarely see the light of day.” – Myles Kennedy

The PRS Myles Kennedy signature guitar features a swamp ash body, a 22-fret, 25.5” scale length maple neck with maple fretboard, and two PRS Narrowfield MK pickups. The PRS Narrowfield MK pickups were carefully voiced to capture the courage of humbuckers and the spank of single coils. PRS Narrowfields provided the perfect starting point for this design, with their ability to deliver thick single-coil sounds without the hum. These pickups are paired with a 5-way blade switch and a push/pull tone control that acts as a preset tone roll-off, bringing down the higher frequencies on the treble pickup so you can dig in to the fullest.

“I watched Myles throughout his career alternate between humbucking and single coil sounds without giving anything up on either side. These pickups took us months to dial in, and I think they capture that balance that Myles mastered beautifully,” said Paul Reed Smith.

Other features include a PRS plate-style steel bridge, vintage-style locking tuners, bone nut, and Kennedy’s “Geometric Owl” logo from his Ides of March solo release, representing wisdom and adaptability.

“What I love about PRS guitars is the marriage of familiarity and revolutionary. And that’s something I really enjoy about this model: it’s not just a regurgitation it’s a marriage of vintage and modern. It makes me want to play. It can adapt to any situation.”– Myles Kennedy

Learn more about the Myles Kennedy Signature Here.

FEATURED ARTIST – PEREDUR AP GWYNEDD

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PEREDUR AP GWYNEDD (PENDULUM) Q&A

PRS: How did you initially discover PRS Guitars?

Perry: It was at one of the Guitar Shows in Olympia back in the 90s. I fell in love with the guitars immediately.

 

PRS: What are your current go-to PRS models for touring and recording?

Perry: I mainly use a Custom 24 Floyd, I also use the SE variant of the Floyd. We have a few songs in the set that feature an acoustic guitar, so I use a P24 for those.

PRS: What would you say has been the most memorable gig you’ve had to date?

Perry: Our last gig was amazing. We sold out Alexandra Palace in London, 11,000 people, our biggest London show since 2017.

PRS: Do you have any pre-performance rituals, or perhaps a certain piece of gear that must be present at every gig or recording session?

Perry: All I need for any gig or recording session, is my Custom 24 Floyd and a Line 6 Helix. And a capo. And maybe an Ebow. I love my Ebow, I use it WAY too much!

PRS: The Elemental EP was great, is the band currently working on anything new?

Perry: We’ve been working on some new material in our studio, there will be some new material out very soon.

PRS: Your obviously very busy with Pendulum, do you have any spare time for any other projects?

Perry: When I’m not Pendulum-ing, I’m usually producing other artists. The latest being an Australian singer/songwriter called Liz Van Gretsch. I also produce music for TV and Adverts. I recently did the music for a Dolce & Gabbana campaign.

PRS: What artists have you been listening to in your down time lately?

Perry: I’ve been listening to a lot of Sleep Token and The 1975. Two highly contrasting bands, and both quite fantastic.

 

PRS: What advice would you give to aspiring guitarists?

Perry: It’s a cliché, but practice as much as possible and never turn down any gigs. The busier you are, the more experience you’ll get, and the more musicians you’ll meet. This is the best way to get ahead in the music industry.

Photo Credit: acf.stop photography

Learn more about PRS Artist Peredur ap Gwynedd from Pendulum.

Watch Peredur ap Gwynedd play “Watercolour” by Pendulum on the DW CE 24 Hardtail Limited Edition and the DW CE 24 “Floyd”:

 

Artist Feature – Simon McBride

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SIMON MCBRIDE 

Congratulations to long standing PRS artist Simon McBride for joining Deep Purple on tour this year. We caught up with Simon ahead of the tour to chat about his new album, Deep Purple and all things PRS!PRS: So, why PRS Guitars?

SM: I’ve been with PRS for a very long time, about 27 years. I’m of the attitude “If it ain’t broke don’t fix it”. Nothing is ever a problem with them and it’s amazing to have that relationship with a company. With my PRS guitars, it feels like home, they’re great and everyone is so nice to work with. Everyone has their guitar sound inside them and PRS does it for me.

PRS: How many PRS’s do you have?

SM: About 8 or 9?! My Custom Singlecut Semi-Hollow, then I have another Custom 24 Mapletop, Double Cut, 245, Hollowbody, Silver Sky, and a SE Angelus Acoustic. I do also have a Private Stock that Paul Reed Smith kinda gave me … I was doing a show in Dallas and Paul said he had this great guitar that I would fall in love with. He handed me this guitar to play at the gig and I was like Paul what have you done! It’s amazing to play, it’s turquoise with a maple neck a prototype Paul’s guitar. I took it home with me and that was that, thanks Paul!

PRS: Tell us about your new album (out May 27th 2022) and the writing and recording process of making it?

SM: It’s called ‘The Fighter’ we started about 4 years ago now but because of covid etc it got held up a lot, so it’s finally coming out! We recorded at many different places. We recorded the drums at Dave Marks house. We did a lot of guitars and vocals at my studio at home in Ireland. Backing vocals and keyboards were done at different musicians’ houses. My main focus on this album was the song content instead of solely the guitar content, I wanted to focus on the songs before the guitar riffs. I can do riffs in my sleep, so I just wanted to make it more about the song first. I worked with a singer-songwriter called Nathan O’Regan from Ireland, and then I also wrote with Jo Webb and Dave Marks who are all great writers.

PRS: Which PRS Guitars did you play on the new album?

SM: I mostly used my 408. It’s my main PRS and it’s very versatile: it can do so many things, and though the pickups are hot you can still split them in different ways using the two mini-switches. From rock to blues, metal and beyond, it can do everything. I also used a Starla on some tracks. I find the Starla works well with my 408, it’s like a single-coil but not, its low output and not too bright, but it has that very transparent wide-open sound to it. Blending the two guitars brings a nice quality. I used my SE Angelus acoustic on some tracks as a background rhythm. I used a Silver Sky for some single-coil sound on tracks like ‘Trouble’. I’ve always played humbucker guitars but I do like single coils, and the Silver Sky is all about the single-coil sound, it’s a great guitar. In certain songs, I do this 80s clean sound where I layer up about 7 different guitar tracks all playing the same thing. I use the bridge pick up on one track, then the next pick up on the Silver Sky and just keep layering it up. It’s a very unique guitar and it’s got a lovely tone to it. I also used my PRS 245 on one track for more of a vintage feel.

PRS: Favourite guitar solo/riff on the album?

SM: ‘High Stakes’ and ‘It Just Takes Time’ are probably my favourite on the album. It’s funny when you play tracks live some tracks just don’t translate, but the hard rock ones work well live. The album is very me, all the 80s heavy guitar sounds and riffs, I’ve always been into hard rock and my heart just lies with the 80s music so this album is just me. You know bands like Yes, Motley Crue, Van Halen – all those influences you can hear in the album.

PRS: How was your tour this Spring?

SM: It’s still weird times but I was just dying to get out and play again, it felt normal again. It’s been fine being at home these last 2 years doing videos and stuff but it’s been great to get out gigging again.

PRS: Congratulations on joining Deep Purple! How does it feel to be going on tour with one of the most legendary bands of all time?

SM: They’ve invited me on tour and it’s an incredible thing. I’ve played with every member of Deep Purple before, not all at the same time and in the same band haha. They’re all great musicians. I’ve toured all over with Don Airey and he’s an amazing guy and musician, same with Ian Gillan. You know they’re icons of rock but they’re all amazing people, normal people. I’m very excited about it, running through all those classic iconic songs we all learnt when we were young. Now I get to play them as part of the band. Steve (Morse) is an amazing guitarist, so I know I’ve got big boots to fill.

PRS: How did the gig with Deep Purple come about?

SM: I got the call for the Deep Purple gig because of Steve having personal reasons for not being able to do the tour. Obviously, I didn’t need to think about it, it was a solid yes. It was an easy choice. That said it was a bittersweet emotion because it’s under sad circumstances. On the other hand I’m also going ‘Yes!’ because it’s a dream opportunity. It’s a little bizarre.

PRS: What PRS guitars will you be taking on the road with Deep Purple to re-create those iconic riffs?

SM: I’m bringing two guitars on the tour. My 408 and the Fiore. The Singlecut sound for Smoke On The Water and then the Fiore will be more subtle but still rock. They’re both great guitars so it’s gonna be cool. It’s all challenging, from timing to feel, there are all sorts of things coming together to make Deep Purple sound like Deep Purple. I have to try and get on board with that and bring the same sort of energy that Steve would.

 

 

Artist Feature – Laurence Jones

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LAURENCE JONES

Introducing new PRS Artist Laurence Jones. Laurence has developed a virtuoso pedigree as the UK’s hottest young blues guitar-slinger. With coruscating riffs, soloing and catchy songs, his cross-over sound has won him several major awards and accolades. He has supported the likes of Sir Van Morrison, Sir Ringo Star, Status Quo, Buddy Guy and Jeff Beck. We got Laurence and his band in the studio to film some live videos and chatted all things Silver Sky just after his tour with Status Quo…

PRS: What first drew you to PRS Guitars?

LJ: I liked how shiny and pristine they look, like a brand new car. Pick it up and it’ll play exactly how it looks – amazing! The one I’ve connected to the most is the Silver Sky. I’ve had my eye on it for a few years and watching what John was doing with it, so that was the guitar that really brought me to PRS.

PRS: We’re excited to have you on board as a PRS Artist. How are you finding the Silver Sky?

LJ: I love it, it keeps in tune so well on the road. I play quite energetic and dig into it a lot so I’m just loving playing it. It’s getting a lot of compliments from fans. I’m a traditional blues rock guitarist, so I wasn’t sure what people would say but actually people have been loving it – the modern yet vintage sound of it.

PRS: First impressions of the SE Silver Sky?

LJ: Love it, it would be hard to find a guitar on the market that beats it with that price. There are little things you notice that are different, like the neck. I like the feel of the SE neck probably more than the Silver Sky. It feels a bit more vintage – its cool. I love the way it feels, you can really get stuck into it in the neck, the radius is really nice. It’s really smooth and I’ve always loved jumbo frets, but it’s easy to get your hands around. In terms of playability it’s really smooth and slick.

PRS: How was the tour supporting Status Quo?

LJ: It was awesome! Playing to 20,000 people at 12 legendary venues across the UK is something I’m not gunna forget in a hurry. Francis Rossi even said “you’ve got the right colour guitar”. Big thanks to Status Quo band and crew for having us join them on the tour.

(Laurence pictured with Francis Rossi from Status Quo)

PRS: You have an exciting national tour coming up, any other exciting plans for the year?

LJ: Yeah I’ve got loads of exciting things happening. Signing a new record deal which I’ll be able to announce soon, and a new album coming back end of the year to follow that up.  Over the summer we do a lot in Europe, so lots of back and forth there. We’ve got such a busy year ahead which is just great you know after covid, can’t wait!

Check out Laurence’s music and tour dates: https://www.laurencejonesmusic.com

Artist Feature – ACE (Skunk Anansie)

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Celebrating 20 Years As A PRS Artist

Ace has been playing guitar for over 30 years, 20 of those years as a PRS artist, and has earned a reputation as being one of the top guitarists in the rock world. Skunk Anansie are one of Europe’s biggest rock bands.  Their music slips effortlessly between the confrontational and the tender, the politically charged and the nakedly emotional, the upfront and attention-grabbing and the quiet and restrained. Ace catches up with us before heading out on Skunk Anansie’s 25th Anniversary tour…

PRS: PRS Guitars are obviously the right guitar for you, which models are your favourite?

ACE: I’ve been very lucky to have 20 years on the road with them, so I’ve got a few! The Tremonti Signature is my main staple, I have a few modifications on it to suit my sound, and it’s probably my number 1 go to. I’ve got a Custom Shop Singlecut gold top which I’ve had customised with 57 08’s and 59 09 pick ups and coil taps and a special thin neck, which is my go to in the studio and I use it all the time. I really like the Mira, I use it for songwriting all the time. It’s singlecoil so great for a ballad to a rocky song, and it’s light and simple. I chuck it on my back on the tube and it gets used a lot on recordings, the p90’s sound so amazing. Across the board, I really like the Starla as well. It comes on tour with me as I love the trem arm on it. It has a vintage sound on it like The Who or something, and it gets used a lot on the road.

PRS: How many PRS’s do you have?

ACE: My first PRS was a Custom 24 and it started off as a beautiful studio guitar for me. I’ve got a Mira, a Starla, an SE 245 which I absolutely adore and comes on tour. I’ve got a few Ace Signatures which were modelled on my Tremonti, a Tremonti, a Gold Top, A 594 black gold wrap, a 7 string which is my latest one… I think that’s about it!

PRS: What first drew you to PRS Guitars?

ACE: The quality to be honest, they’re so stable. They stay in tune and tour really well, that was a big aspect for me because I tour all the time. Apart from that it’s the feel, the playability of them and the build quality. The finish and intonation is all good. For me it’s about the guitar first, then the look but luckily I’ve been able to marry the two together.

PRS: Great to see that Skunk Anansie are heading back out on tour this year, celebrating your 25th anniversary being a band! What is the band’s secret of keeping it together and creating great music all these years?

ACE: I think it’s a few things – our initial drive has never left us. We’ve kind of grown up, but we haven’t grown old. The chemistry is still there and the drive and feeling of wanting to carry on making music our way and enjoying it has always kept us going. Even though we might take a break every now and then, our friendship and musical bond never seems to disappear, we seem to retain that.

Photo credit: India Fleming    

PRS: You keep very busy when you’re not touring with the band. Tell us what you get up to.

ACE: I’m definitely a musical entrepreneur! As well as touring with the band I’ve been in musical education. I’ve done that for 25 years and it’s always been a passion of mine to teach and enable others to progress their music. I’ve also worked in record production for many years. I’ve recorded a lot of bands, about 40 records, and it was great to sit in the other seat. I’ve got a t-shirt company which is great fun! I started off as a kid being a graphic designer, that was my first job, and I never lost the love for drawing and design. I still do all the Skunk merch now, but to have my own thing on the side is really fun and embryonic. I’ve mastered bands as well…done sessions for other people and I guest on other artists records. I tend to always be busy but I try to make it passion led and all connected to music, everything comes together and stays creative and musical. I’ve been very lucky to be able to do that.

PRS: Any advice for aspiring guitarists?

ACE: First and foremost – it’s about the playing, its about the song. Put the time in, and get good at what you do. Be mindful about having a diverse career and create a portfolio career from the beginning. As these things grow, some may not make money and some do, but they’ll always support you as a musician and the most important thing is that you can carry on making music. If you want to be a successful guitarist, it doesn’t just mean the playing, its much more. Sustain that career and surround yourself with things that feed into it and keep it going.

Photo credit: Luca Pellizzaro

PRS: Tell us about the writing and recording process of the new Skunk Anansie music coming out this year?

ACE: Our writing sessions are very organic, we write about 2 songs a day just as the band, no one else. We tried it virtually in the lockdown period but it didn’t work for us, we went back to our old iPhone recordings from our sessions before the pandemic and overdubbed them and demoed them. We then sent them off to a producer we really like called Cam Blackwood who we’ve worked with before. He liked the stuff and we finally we’re able to cut the songs in the studio after the lockdown period, and then those songs became the new singles! We’ve found as a band, organically writing together in a room is the way forward, and how we want to go about writing our new album.

PRS: Which PRS Guitars do you play on the new singles?

ACE: Piggy, our new single, the most aggressive and crazy one was recorded on my 7-string. Its very rare that I write and record on this guitar, but on our last session of our “cottage sessions” when we wrote the songs, I tuned down and we loved the vibe. I picked up the 7 from PRS Europe and used it on Piggy with an amp cranked up. I also used the Gold Top on our new music because it’s got such a range of sounds, I coil tap it and it sounds so good and aggressive.

PRS: Favourite guitar solo/riff on the single?

ACE: On Piggy, the middle 8 riff is ridiculously dirty and heavy. I’ve always wanted to do something like that, its like the 14 year old in me escaping!

PRS: 20 years with PRS Guitars – any highlights?

ACE: There’s so many! The Tremonti has literally played every single show, it’s never not done a show. It’s got the history and when I play it, it’s just so easy for me to play it. We headlined the Polish Woodstock to 700,000 people before the pandemic hit and that really was a stand out show, we’d just gone gold on our record over there and it was the biggest show I’ve ever played, and it was Skin’s birthday, so the Tremonti saw me through a great show there.

Photo credit: India Fleming  

Head to the Skunk Anansie webpage to see their European and UK 2022 25th Anniversary tour dates!

Watch Ace play an exclusive live performance of their new single ‘Piggy’ on his customised PRS SE SVN: