PRS has joined forces with electric guitar great John McLaughlin to create a new signature Private Stock model.
Even within the luxurious ranks of Private Stock guitars, the McLaughlin signature – of which only 200 examples will be built in 2023 – is truly something else, with a raft of eyebrow-raising appointments, not the least of which is the guitar legend's autograph on the backplate.
You can hear the guitar in action below.
The PS McLaughlin guitar features a maple top, mahogany back, and a unique neck made from hormigo, a tonewood most often associated with marimbas. Its 25” African blackwood fretboard features 22 frets, with striking abalone “Celtic“ knot inlays featuring holly spikes and ovals made of crushed opal.
Sonically, the model boasts two TCI pickups, tweakable by volume and tone knobs, a three-way pickup switch, and a pair of mini-toggle EQ switches that – when activated – give players a cleaner, more defined high-end. Hardware, meanwhile, comes in the form of PRS Phase III locking tuners and the company's Gen III tremolo.
Aside from McLaughlin's signature on the backplate, the Private Stock model also features the signatures of PRS head honcho Paul Reed Smith and the company's Private Stock Director, Paul Miles, on the back of the headstock, plus a Private Stock Eagle headstock inlay, and a McLaughlin-labeled truss rod cover.
“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,“ McLaughlin said in a press release.
“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.“
The exact price point for the PRS Private Stock John McLaughlin model – which is is finished in Charcoal Phoenix with a Smoked Black back – has yet to be revealed as of press time, but, given its limited numbers and top-tier features, it probably won't come cheap.
For more info on the model, visit prsguitars.com.
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