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”:

 

NEW FOR 2023 – SE McCarty

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SE McCarty 594

Vintage Inspired Versatility

The SE McCarty 594 is a versatile, vintage-inspired instrument that delivers both humbucking and single-coil tones in a reliable, roadworthy guitar. Thanks to its dual volume and push/pull tone controls, the SE McCarty 594 can seamlessly master humbucking and single coil sonic territories, so players can find all the tones they are looking for.

Its 58/15 LT “S” pickups were carefully designed to deliver warm, vintage-inspired tone with sweetness and clarity. The zinc two-piece bridge and vintage-style tuners anchor the SE McCarty 594 and stay true to its vintage promise, while the classic PRS body shape and bird inlays add a hint of modern style to this classic feature set. Other features include a bound 22-fret Pattern Vintage neck and slightly thicker back for sustain.

Designed to capture the heart of the McCarty family of instruments, the SE McCarty 594 is high-quality workhorse instrument.

 

SE McCarty 594 Singlecut

Classic Features, Modern Playability

With dual volume and push/pull tone controls, 3-way pickup selector on the upper bout, two-piece bridge, and vintage-style tuners, the SE McCarty 594 Singlecut is built with a classic feature set that will make players feel right at home. Its 58/15 LT “S” pickups were carefully designed to deliver warm, vintage-inspired tone with sweetness and clarity. Whether you are looking for rich, authentic humbucking tones or nuanced, sweet single coils, the SE McCarty 594 Singlecut can master both sonic territories with ease.

Other specifications include a bound 22-fret, 24.594” scale length Pattern Vintage neck and slightly thicker back for sustain.

Designed to capture the heart of the McCarty family of instruments, the SE McCarty 594 Singlecut is a high-quality workhorse instrument.

SE McCarty 594 Singlecut Standard

All-Mahogany Vintage Workhorse

The SE McCarty 594 Singlecut Standard brings an all-mahogany option to this versatile, vintage-inspired platform. Whether you are looking for rich, authentic humbucking tones or nuanced, sweet single coils, the SE McCarty 594 Singlecut Standard effortlessly masters both sonic territories thanks to its dual volume and push/pull tone controls. 58/15 LT “S” pickups were carefully designed to deliver warm, vintage-inspired tone with sweetness and clarity, and the all-mahogany body brings beautiful midrange and a subtle aesthetic.

The SE McCarty 594 Singlecut Standard is anchored by the zinc PRS two-piece bridge and vintage-style tuners. Other specifications include a bound 22-fret, 24.594” scale length Pattern Vintage neck and slightly thicker back for sustain.

Designed to capture the heart of the McCarty family of instruments, the SE McCarty 594 Singlecut Standard is a high-quality workhorse instrument you can play at home, in the studio, and on the stage.

For more information and specs click here.

 

ARTIST FEATURE – SOPHIE BURRELL

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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!

Introducing The New PRS Pedals!

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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 Pulse Artists Applications Open For 2023

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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.

 

Don Broco Score First No.1 Album With ‘Amazing Things’

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Don Broco featuring PRS Artist Simon Delaney have scored their first UK Number One album with new LP ‘Amazing Things’.

“Wow, our first ever Official Charts UK Number One album!” Don Broco said upon receiving news of his achievement. “Thank you so much to our fans for supporting us”. Simon Delaney comments – “For an alternative band like us to score a number one album really is a dream come true. We feel so lucky and humble to have such amazing and passionate fans who have got us to this point!”

We got Simon in to PRS Guitars Europe to film a special #myPRS Stories on his 1997 Custom 22. A firm favourite guitar for Simon to play live and in the studio, “It’s my baby…it’s been on everything we’ve ever recorded…every song on the new album”. Watch the episode below:

Artist Feature – Frank Pané

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Frank Pané – Sainted Sinners, Bonfire, Dark Blue Inc.

BIO

Meet Frank Pané, a PRS Artist from Germany, a lover of Classic Rock and guitarist in the legendary German rock band Bonfire. As well as many solo projects, Frank founded the classic rock influenced band Sainted Sinners and also the progressive rock orientated band called Dark Blue Inc. We caught up with Frank to chat all things music and PRS!

PRS: What first drew you to PRS Guitars?

FP: I remember seeing ads in guitar magazines like Guitar World in the early 90s featuring some of my favourite guitarists like Alex Lifeson, Carlos Santana and many others with PRS guitars. Also, I saw Jim Matheos of Fates Warning live a few times, which has always been one of my favourite bands and he used PRS Custom 24s. That’s what got me really attracted to PRS guitars, and it was around that time when I decided I wanted to take playing guitar more seriously and become a pro musician. A few years later when the Dave Navarro model came out, I really wanted one so bad, but it took many more years and building my experience up until I got my first PRS and proudly became a PRS artist!

PRS: How many PRS guitars do you currently own, and which ones see the most action on stage and in the studio?

FP: I’m fortunate to now have 6 PRS guitars in my arsenal, of which the antique white core PRS Custom 24 ( my first PRS ) is definitely my main one. I have used it on a couple of records and nearly every live show since I got it, it’s my go-to guitar. Also coming back to the Navarro model, I love the look of white guitars and especially the PRS Custom 24 looks awesome on stage in white. I have a goldtop Custom 24, which works as my backup and for dropped D-tunings. A very good friend kindly loaned me his PRS McCarty Single-cut for an unlimited time, which became another favourite guitar of mine. It’s a stunning guitar and the best single-cut style guitar I have ever played.

PRS: As you are in three different bands; Bonfire, Sainted Sinners & Dark Blue Inc, all the while doing your own solo projects. Do you use the same PRS for all these projects?

FP: For Sainted Sinners and all session work I do, which requires standard tuning, I use my white Custom 24 and the McCarty Single-cut. For Bonfire, which tunes down to Eb, I have a beautiful PRS Custom 24 Floyd in Charcoal Burst (awesome colour) and this will hopefully see more action in 2022, when Bonfire returns to the stage and the studio again. For the melodic Metal style of Bonfire you gotta have a Floyd. Even though the non-locking PRS Gen trem works super nice, when if comes to extreme heavy dive-bombs and squeals, a Floyd is the best choice. Also, the Metal pickups featured in the Custom 24 Floyd work perfectly for the Bonfire sound, even if my general taste leans towards more low output pickups like the 85/15, which became one of my fave pickups ever. Dark Blue Inc is a more progressive band and we use a variety of tuning, so this is where my SE Holcomb 7-string gets used for a more modern and proggy approach.

PRS: When it comes to your live rig, are you a “keep it simple” player, or are you in the “more the merrier” camp?

FP: I guess you could call my approach super simple. I’m sort of very old school when it comes to the ingredients for my sound. A good tube amp, a good versatile guitar and a handful of stomp boxes ( Delay, Phaser, Octaver, Treble Booster & a WahWah ), all connected with good cables is all I need. Don’t get me wrong there is nothing wrong with a more complex setup, but for me a simple setup always works best and gets me the results I‘m looking for. The best thing with a PRS is, no matter what style or situation, I can purely concentrate on my playing, as I know they will stay in tune and deliver the sound I’m looking for.

PRS: What is the current touring situation in Germany? Any tours coming up in Europe & the UK?

FP: Well, just when Sainted Sinners began to tour again November this year to promote our latest album ‘Taste it‘, things started to fall apart again and unfortunately while being on tour, clubs had to cancel the shows with very short notice as new restrictions came up. This was very unpleasant, but i guess we’ve all learned to live with it by now, that you basically can’t plan anything. These cancelled shows have now been rescheduled for April & September 2022, and we hope that next year things will look better. As for now our schedule includes shows in Germany, Austria, Switzerland, Belgium and the Netherlands. Also as mentioned previously, Bonfire should finally tour again including shows in the UK. The new Bonfire tour plan will be released within the next few weeks.

PRS: Any exciting projects coming up?

FP: Yes, 2022 seems to be very busy! With Bonfire we just started to record for not 1 or 2, but 3 albums, which are all to be released next year. These are not studio albums with new material, but something very interesting for the fans. A studio album with new Bonfire material is scheduled for 2023. Besides that, material for the 2nd Dark Blue inc. album is in the works and also the writing sessions with Sainted Sinners continue with a follow up to “Taste it“ already in mind. Last but not least, I also plan to release some new instrumental stuff in 2022. Whether it will be in form of an album or just digital singles, I haven’t decided yet, but there will definitely be some new stuff in 2022 in one form or the other!

See Tour dates and more on Frank’s website – https://www.frankpane.com/tourdates

PRS Europe Employee Spotlight – NICK FRASER // Technical Manager

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MEET NICK

“I had an interest in guitars since I got my first aged 11, and soon began taking them apart, modifying them, and putting them back together. After a brief attempt at making it big in a band, I started work in the guitar industry in 1987, cutting my teeth teching on Ibanez and Westone guitars. Few years later, I moved job and worked on Washburn, Taylor, and Blade guitars. Around 1993, the company started working with PRS Guitars, and I’ve been working with PRS ever since. I have gained an extensive knowledge and experience of the models produced over the last 30 years, which comes in handy when dealing with enquiries about some of our older instruments. 

My role within PRS has morphed over the years, and I now oversee our team of five techs who set up every PRS SE imported into Europe. I provide advice and training to them and am responsible for overall quality control. I spend some time liaising with the factories too. I supply technical advice to our customers, dealers, and independent repairers on our guitars and amplifiers and work closely with Chris in the Europe PTC, discussing repair options with customers. I still find time to do a few customer repairs and artist set ups, and, occasionally, workshops at the ACM in Guildford and London and ICMP London.”  

1)What’s your typical day working in the Techroom?

Typically it starts with e-mails from PRS HQ in the US, our service centre in Germany, and of course customers and dealers. Over the course of the day, I will be advising and overseeing our techs and answering various technical questions from customers and our dealers. If I have any guitars on the bench, I will generally leave them till later in the day when most people have gone home, and I can concentrate, free from interruption.

2)What is the most important tool for your line of work?

They’re all equally important! However, a set of good quality nut files is essential.

3)You work on a lot of artist guitars, is there one that has been particularly memorable?

The most memorable Artist’s guitar that I have worked on belonged to Dan Weller from Sikth. It was a USA Standard, maybe 15 years ago, and it was covered in blood – he said it was his blood, and he just got a bit carried away at a gig; anyway, I just cleaned it up, set it up and didn’t ask any questions…

I don’t tend to get star struck, but it was a bit of a moment when I got to set up a guitar for John McLaughlin.

4)What’s been the most challenging guitar you’ve ever worked on?

Probably the biggest challenge to date has been fitting a Core Piezo system into an SE Custom for Jakko from King Crimson – that was a bit of a squeeze!

5)What made you want to go into guitar maintenance and repair?

I have always enjoyed taking guitars apart and modding them. In the absence of any sensible career paths ahead, it made perfect sense to follow my dream instead.

6) What’s your favourite PRS guitar and why?

My favourite PRS guitar is the S2 Mira Semi Hollow – it just works for me. The simplicity, the comfortable forearm contour, some extra warmth and fatness from the Semi Hollow body, and that solid workhorse feel that you get from an S2. If I had to choose a Core guitar it would be the Paul’s Guitar for simplicity, feel, and tone.

7) What’s your top tips for setting up a PRS guitar?

My top tip for setting up a PRS guitar is to get familiar with the truss rod. The amount of neck relief can change with the seasons and a small fluctuation can throw the set up and feel out a tad. The factory spec relief at the 8th fret is 0.010” so it’s good to keep it around there. The truss rod is your friend, don’t be afraid of it! Set up details on the main website.

8)What do you love most about working in the guitar world?

Pretty much everyone you come across is a creative type to some degree. Having that common thread helps with communication and understanding – there is a kind of family feel at PRS. We all love guitars in general and of course PRS’s! What better place to work?

MARK TREMONTI x JOE FENTON LIMITED EDITION

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A Guitar of Earthly Delights

“Making these twenty guitars together is really special,” said Mark Tremonti. “Joe’s artistry is remarkable. I love the guitar he painted for me – I play it all the time. Making a version of that – a guitar that is not only is it a work of art but that plays and sounds amazing – I couldn’t think of a better way to celebrate my twentieth anniversary working with PRS.” – Mark Tremonti

The Mark Tremonti/Joe Fenton Limited Edition celebrates the 20th anniversary of Mark Tremonti’s first signature guitar with PRS. These twenty guitars were each custom-painted by English artist Joe Fenton. Inspired by surrealist art, Fenton’s designs are monochromatic, gothic depictions that brilliantly blend fantasy and nightmare with logical precision.

“Creating a design for a guitar is really enjoyable. PRS guitars are a work of art in themselves. I approached designing each guitar as if I was embellishing a jewel with the shape of the guitar informing the final design.” – Joe Fenton

Under the artwork, Mark Tremonti’s core specifications are all here, including a 22-fret, 25” scale length, Pattern Thin neck and adjustable stoptail bridge. Tremonti treble and bass pickups with individual volume and tone controls mean these guitars will sound as killer as they look.

Twenty hand-painted Mark Tremonti/Joe Fenton guitars were made. Each guitar is numbered as 1/20. Discover more behind these guitars on our blog.

 

This extremely limited run will be available exclusively at the following EU dealers:

SE P20E LOTUS PINK

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Small Body, Big Voice

This limited edition PRS SE parlor acoustic adds a fresh look to the popular Parlor acoustic model with a Lotus Pink solid-mahogany top.

The PRS SE P20E is a parlor-sized acoustic with a big voice. The PRS P20E features all-mahogany construction, and has an organic, warm voice. Featuring PRS hybrid “X”/ Classical bracing, which allows the top to freely vibrate, the SE P20E projects with even, bold tone. Its smaller size makes playing for hours fun and comfortable and allows for more convenient transport.

Parlor-sized acoustics can be miscategorized because of their size but make no mistake this is a professional-grade instrument. Plug in, and the Fishman GT1 pickup system delivers dynamic, organic tone, so whether writing, recording, or performing the P20E is sure to impress. This electronics system features an undersaddle pickup and soundhole mounted preamp with easy-to-access volume and tone controls, which essentially transforms what some may consider a “couch guitar” into a workhorse stage instrument.

Other high-quality features include a solid mahogany top, ebony fretboard and bridge, bone nut and saddle, as well as PRS trademark bird inlays and headstock design. PRS SE Parlor acoustics come with a gig bag and are strung with 12-53 strings.