The “Dead Spec” Silver Sky

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Introducing the “Dead Spec” Silver Sky

A twist on a well loved model, we are thrilled to introduce the PRS “Dead Spec” Silver Sky. Paul Reed Smith and the PRS team designed this guitar for John Mayer during his time with Dead & Company on their last tour. It pays homage to Jerry Garcia’s iconic “Alligator” guitar, both in its tone and with the addition of unique features. Below, get a closer look at the “Dead Specs” and see what John himself had to say about the development of the guitar, and how he knew it was something special.

“After playing the Silver Sky designed for the 2023 Dead & Company summer tour, I realized the guitar was special. It quickly became apparent this wasn’t just a tool for one particular job but could be extremely versatile in other players’ hands. I’m excited to hear the music that’s made on these guitars.” – John Mayer

Below, Paul Reed Smith shares his take on this unique new model:

 

Featuring a Swamp Ash body in favor of the traditional Alder to keep it lightweight, the “Dead Spec” Silver Sky is finished in Moc Sand Satin nitro which sinks into the ash to give the model its characteristic revealed grain. Another significant deviation from the original Silver Sky is the bridge, a modified PRS patented Gen III Tremolo screwed into the body, effectively rendering it a string-through hardtail bridge. Keeping the tremolo’s brass block in the equation adds a musical warmth to the guitar. At the other end of the strings are a brass nut and string retainer bar, which also contribute to the guitar’s resonance and tone.

Perhaps most notably, the Dead Spec Silver Sky’s jack plate has been swapped out for a brass-plate Alembic Blaster preamp. This preamp can be used as a straight boost but has an internal pot that allows players to add between 3 – 14 dB of gain to the guitar when turned on. This not only gives the Dead Spec Silver Sky added punch while maintaining crisp note separation, but it compensates for the capacitance that comes with long stage cables as well. The circuit is bypassed when in the off position.

Have a listen below where PRS Product Specialist Bryan Ewald demos the guitar:

The PRS “Dead Spec” Silver Sky will be made in a limited quantity of 1000 pieces, with just 225 pieces available in Europe and the UK. Shipping November 2023 – March 2024. 

Learn more about the PRS “Dead Spec” Silver Sky here!

MT 100

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MT 100

Three Channel Command

The result of many years of R&D and road-testing, the MT 100 is a professional amp for serious musicians. Built on a robust chassis, the MT 100 features custom transformers and three independent channels with identical controls but truly unique voices.

Mt 100 gallery 3 2023Each of the MT 100’s three channels is built from its own unique circuit with dedicated preamp tubes to ensure the voicing of each channel is exactly as intended. The Clean channel (like the MT 15) stays pristine and chimey – try it with split or single coils to hear it sing. The Gain channel (also like the MT 15) gets lush heavy tones with massive bass response that is never muddy. And, the added Overdrive channel (modeled after one of Tremonti’s favorite personal amps) brings an incredibly flexible gain structure and musical midrange response to this already versatile amp platform. Select your channel on the amp face or via the included footswitch – both feature matching channel lights so you’ll never lose your place. All three channels share the same preamp tube type (12AX7’s) for ease of servicing.

At a powerful 100 watts, the value of the MT 100 well exceeds its price tag. It is a straightforward, powerful amp full of aggression and articulation, and the onboard effects loop means your pedals are welcome to join the party.

Please note: Mind your master…volume that is. On the Overdrive and especially on the Lead channel, keep the Master down to start. On the Lead Channel, keep the Master below 10 o’clock to avoid dangerous volumes!

CLICK HERE FOR SPECS

PRIVATE STOCK JOHN MCLAUGHLIN LIMITED EDITION

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John mclaughlin limited 2023 gallery 2

“Playing music is a way of being. Playing an instrument requires you to move out of the normal level of consciousness. If you’re thinking, you’re not playing. If you’re playing, you’re not thinking. If you have problems with your instrument, you’re not going to move out of the thinking zone and into your own world. This is why I love my guitar. For me, it’s perfect.” – John McLaughlin

The PRS Private Stock John McLaughlin is a classic instrument that has been meticulously spec’d by Paul Reed Smith to honor John McLaughlin. All of the woods were specially chosen by Smith for their tone, figure, and weight. The specs are fairly straightforward: maple top, mahogany back, hormigo neck (a tone wood used on marimbas for sound-producing tines) with an African blackwood fretboard, 22 frets, 25” scale length, Pattern neck, PRS’s patented Gen III tremolo, and PRS Phase III tuners.

John mclaughlin limited 2023 gallery 8

Some of the more particular details on this model are in the finish, pickups, and electronics. The guitar is finished in high-gloss nitro with an unfinished neck with clear grain filler for a smooth, natural playing feel. The TCI pickups feature American Alnico and are paired with volume and tone controls with a 3-way toggle pickup switch and two mini-toggle EQ switches. The mini-toggles act as tuned high-pass filters when engaged (in the up position), removing shelved low-end and allowing the high frequencies through for more clarity and musical highs.

“Being John’s guitar maker is an honorI fought decades for, and to now be able to give him a signature model is a special moment for me and hopefully the industry,” said Paul Reed Smith. “These guitars were designed to both feel like magic when you pick them up but also disappear in your hands so you can just focus on playing. John is capable of playing at extraordinary speed and with this instrument, you hear every note. Finding that balance as a guitar maker and coaxing every bit of sound out of the guitar was the key.”

John mclaughlin limited 2023 gallery 7

Paul Reed Smith and Paul Miles have signed each Private Stock John McLaughlin model on the back of the headstock. As an added detail, John McLaughlin has autographed the back- plate of each instrument. Only 200 PRS Private Stock John McLaughlin guitars will be made in 2023.

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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.

2023 SE Silver Sky Updates – New Model & Colours!

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2023 SE Silver Sky Updates - New Model & Colors!

We have some exciting updates for the SE Silver Sky in 2023! From a new maple fretboard option to the addition of new colors, we summarize it all for you below, take a look.

SE Silver Sky Maple - Nylon Blue

SE SILVER SKY MAPLE

The SE Silver Sky Maple is a familiar iteration of the original Silver Sky model that was first introduced with John Mayer in 2018. This workhorse guitar provides ample tone and playability, delivering looks, feel, and sound.

At launch, the SE Silver Sky Maple will be releasing in three colors: Overland Gray, Summit Purple, and Nylon Blue.

Explore the SE Silver Sky Maple

SE SILVER SKY ROSEWOOD

Our SE Silver Sky Rosewood will have a few color updates this year as well — Piano Black and Storm Gray (pictured above) will join the existing color lineup, while the Dragon Fruit and Ever Green colors will be discontinued at the end of 2023.

Explore the SE Silver Sky Rosewood

The CE24 Satin Nitro Ltd

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The new CE24 Satin Nitro Ltd continues to build on that bolt-on platform with a thin satin finish to enhance the vintage vibe while delivering a natural, smooth-playing feel.

The CE24 Satin combines a mahogany body and Maple top with a bolt-on maple neck – all finished with a thin layer of satin nitro. The mahogany body lends warmth to the snap and response that comes from bolt-on construction and the satin nitro finish provides an addictively playable neck and stunning resonance and clarity.

To further maximize the guitar’s inherent tone, the CE24 Satin features PRS 57/08 pickups, which Paul designed to have remarkable clarity as well as extended high and low end. The electronics consist of a volume and push/pull tone control with 3-way toggle switch for a total of six classic sounds.

Additional specifications include: 25” Scale, Pattern Thin maple neck with Ebony fingerboard and PRS bird inlays, natural back, PRE-designed locking tuners, and PRS-designed tremolo.

Finishes available: Powder Blue, Seafoam Green, Gold Top, Black, and Antique White.

Powder Blue

Powder Blue

Seafoam Green

Gold Top

Black

Antique White

Designed with the gigging musician in mind, the CE24 Standard Satin provides sonic versatility, enviable style, and effortlessness playability. A Limited edition run for Europe & the UK with just 60 of each colour available in 2023. Check in with your local PRS dealer!

 

 

NEW FOR 2023 – SE Hollowbody Standard Piezo

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SE Hollowbody Standard Piezo

SE HOLLOWBODY STANDARD PIEZO

Warmth and Resonance

The SE Hollowbody Standard Piezo features an all-mahogany body with hollow con- struction for a warm, resonant tone. Boasting 58/15 LT “S” pickups and an LR Baggs/PRS Piezo system, the SE Hollowbody Standard Piezo provides musicians with the versatility of wielding both acoustic and electric tones in one instrument. Additional appointments include a 22-fret wide fat neck, bone nut, and PRS adjustable Piezo stoptail bridge.

The instrument is designed with two discrete volume controls (magnetics and piezo) and output jacks (magnetics and mix/piezo). Players can plug into the “Mix/Piezo” jack and use the individual volume controls to blend the 58/15 “S” pickups with the piezo’s acoustic tones. Alternatively, players can plug into the jacks separately, so the guitar can run magnetic pickups into an amp and run the piezo through an acoustic amp or DI into the soundboard. When using the magnetic output jack in isolation, the piezo battery is bypassed completely, acting as a failsafe (in this scenario, the magnetic pickups still work even if the piezo battery has run out of juice).

The SE Hollowbody Standard Piezo is one guitar that can cover any gig in style.

For more information and specs click here.

NEW FOR 2023 – Sonzera 20

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SONZERA 20 COMBO

Clarity & Definition in a Low-Wattage Combo

Sonzera [Portuguese]: from som (sound), meaning a cool and/or stunning sound (in the sense of music) – a kind of slang.

The Sonzera 20 is a moderately powered 20-watt combo amplifier with two independently controlled, footswitchable channels designed for maximum versatility. The clean channel delivers full, 3D tones reminiscent of American mid-1960’s amplifiers. The gain channel is related to the clean channel circuit-wise, so that it can be set up to act as a boosted clean channel or manipulated to make the channels sound like two completely different amps (the gain channel can be set from slight to very heavy distortion by simply using the drive and level controls). The bright switch on the gain channel has been carefully tailored to deliver familiar high-end snap and is particularly effective on the low strings, neck pickup settings, and with singlecoils, while the low-end response of the gain channel is full, tight, and clear.

Both channels on the Sonzera are designed to maximize note clarity and definition. The global presence control and the tone stacks allow players to dial in a variety of tones from bell-like chime to warmer, thicker tones. The Sonzera 20 Combo also features global spring reverb control that is designed to enhance notes without clouding them. The reverb can be turned on and off via the footswitch. The addition of a built-in effects loop allows players to use all their time-based effects with ease without negatively impacting the overall tone of the amp.

With robust construction, a wide range of tones, and steadfast controllability, the Sonzera 20 Combo is a solid gig- and studio- worthy amplifier.

For more information and specs click here.

NEW FOR 2023 – SE DGT

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SE DGT

Meticulously Vintage

“I didn’t just rubber stamp this. This guitar is something I have been very involved in and am really proud of. The SE Series is lightyears ahead of anything I could get my hands on when I started playing – it’s amazing how far the quality has come – and I am proud to be able to offer this guitar to more people.” – David Grissom

The PRS SE DGT (David Grissom Trem) brings David Grissom’s signature model to the SE Series for the first time. Based on the McCarty platform, the DGT model has been a constant favorite since its introduction in 2007, thanks to Grissom’s deep knowledge of vintage guitars and his painstaking attention to detail. Every feature on the SE DGT has been considered from the neck shape to the fret choice and dressing, from the colours to the pickups and electronics layout.

The SE DGT features vintage-voiced humbuckers paired with individual volume controls for each pickup and a push/pull master tone control that taps the humbuckers for sweet, single-coil inspired sounds. This layout puts a lot of control and versatility on tap so you can focus on playing and not the guitar. Additional appointments include a maple top, mahogany back, 22-fret, 25” scale length mahogany neck with rosewood fretboard, and bird or moon inlays (inlays are colour dependent).

For more information and specs click here.

NEW FOR 2023 – SE Mark Holcomb

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SE MARK HOLCOMB

The SE Mark Holcomb model stands on its own in the PRS lineup and delivers addictive playability thanks to some unique specifications, including a 24-fret, 25.5” scale length wide thin satin maple neck with 20” radius ebony fretboard. Designed to work with modeling amps in mind, Holcomb’s Scarlet & Scourge pickups bring full tone with slightly less drive, offering more articulation than ever. Whether playing sophisticated chords or melodic leads, in a band or solo, you’ll hear every note. Other specifications include a quilted maple veneer, black chrome hardware, and a 3-way blade pickup switch with push/pull tone knob for coil splitting.

“My SE signature model is an incredibly special instrument, and one that has been the mainstay of my rig in the studio and onstage for the better part of a decade. Now outfitted with my brand new Seymour Duncan signature pickups, it sounds better than ever.” – Mark Holcomb, Periphery

The band Periphery has become a force to be reckoned with in the progressive metal scene thanks to their complex rhythms and soaring melodies. Guitarist Mark Holcomb helps achieve this full, lethal sound with his PRS guitars and signature Seymour Duncan “Scarlet & Scourge” pickups.

For more information and specs click here.