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PRS unveils spec’d out John McLaughlin Private Stock signature model – but you’ll need £15k to get your hands on it
Only 200 of the guitars will be made in 2023.
Image: PRS
PRS has teamed up with jazz fusion legend John McLaughlin on the Private Stock John McLaughlin, a limited edition signature guitar featuring some seriously impressive specs.
Spec’d by the man Paul Reed Smith himself, the Private Stock John McLaughlin features a maple top and mahogany back, along with a one-piece hormigo neck, a tone wood typically used for the sound-producing keys on a marimba. The guitar also sports a 22-fret, 25”, African blackwood fingerboard with abalone ‘Celtic’ knot inlays with holly spikes and ovals made from crushed opal. Talk about luxurious, huh.
To top it off, the instrument is sounded with a pair of TCI alnico pickups, which are controlled by volume and tone knobs, a 3-way toggle pickup switch and two mini-toggle EQ switches that act as tuned high-pass filters when engaged in the up position. Additional appointments include a bone nut, a PRS-patented Gen III tremolo and PRS Phase III tuners.
Aesthetics wise, the guitar is finished in Charcoal Phoenix with a Smoked Black Back, paired with an unfinished neck with clear grain filler for a smooth, natural playing feel.
“Being John’s guitar maker is an honour I fought decades for, and to now be able to give him a signature model is a special moment for me and hopefully the industry,” says 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.”
Paul Reed Smith and Paul Miles have signed each Private Stock John McLaughlin model on the back of the headstock. John McLaughlin has also autographed the back-plate of each instrument.
Only 200 PRS Private Stock John McLaughlin guitars will be made in 2023. And its spec sheet and rarity contributes to its price point, too; the guitar clocks in at a whopping £14,995/$14,950.
Check out a demo of the guitar below.
Learn more at PRS.