New PRS models receive new finish, pickups, bridge, tuners and neck shapes
(John Gorbe | Posted 2011-01-24)
Paul Reed Smith Guitars has always pushed their guitar manufacturing to new levels of refinement. After more than 25 years, PRS shows no signs of slowing down or sitting on their prestigious name. The new 2011 product line proves this with significant changes to their new instruments including the 53/10 pickups, 2-piece bridge, steel bridge components, new neck shapes, V12 finish and new PRS Phase III locking tuners.
The 53/10 pickup is part of a family that includes the PRS 57/08 and 59/09’s. The 53/10 is the warmest-sounding of the vintage family. The coil wire is made on the same machine that supplied guitar makers in the 1950’s! Wire specifications are slightly different than the other models and the wire is made using a special process reserved for a single-coil bridge pickup from 1953 however, the 53/10 is a humbucking pickup.
If you’re like me, you may like to upgrade your stock tuners for Schallers, Hipshot, or Sperzel locking models. If you purchase a new SC58, McCarty58, ME Quatro, or JA-15 model PRS you won’t have to. The newly designed Phase III tuners offer the player a very smooth, precision feel with pegs that feature an elegant design with larger buttons, an open back and closed housing.
The new PRS two-piece adjustable bridge used to be reserved for Private Stock guitars and now comes standard on 2 PRS models: the SC58 and the JA-15. The bridge has added weight and mass, which creates more contact with the body creating a more resonant instrument. The bridge is also “machined” rather than “casted”, giving a stronger sound.
PRS has designed a new neck shape dubbed the “Pattern Regular," which is based on the traditional PRS regular neck found on guitars in the late 80’s. The neck is an updated Wide-Fat PRS neck style based on Paul’s pre-factory design. These necks were found on guitars built for Carlos Santana, Peter Frampton and Howard Leese from the late 70’s to the mid 80’s. A variation called the “Pattern Thin” neck also joins the family and is an updated version of PRS’s Wide-Thin neck.
Finish is what first draws our eyes to a guitar, before we inspect the particulars that go into creating a finely crafted guitar. The V12 Finish not only enhances the look, sound, and feel of a PRS guitar – it does this without hindering its natural resonance. The V12 is a very thin, hard and clear finish that will not crack or react with thinners. According to Paul Reed Smith, PRS models with this new finish will feel and sound like old instruments.
From a press release. For video walkthroughs of these new features, visit: www.prsguitars.com.
