Stevensville, MD (April 11, 2011) – Paul Reed Smith Guitars is proud to welcome Fredrik Åkesson – guitarist and backing vocalist for the landmark prog metal band Opeth – to the PRS family of SE signature artists. His new signature model, the SE Fredrik Åkesson, was unveiled in Frankfurt, Germany during Musikmesse 2011. Model features include a single cutaway maple top with quilted maple veneer and thick mahogany back, a 24.5" scale length, 22-fret wide fat mahogany neck with ebony fretboard and PRS bird inlays, and a Tone Pros adjustable stoptail bridge. Fontida Brun, Swedish for “Ancient Brown,” is the exclusive finish option for Åkesson’s signature model electric guitar.

The SE Fredrik Åkesson also comes standard with a volume and tone control for each pickup and a 3-way toggle on the upper bout, but this traditional configuration is “inverted” with the treble controls in front of the bass controls to mirror Åkesson’s preferred setup, which allows easy access to the bridge pickup controls.

Veteran of the bands Talisman, Krux, and Arch Enemy, Åkesson has been described by Opeth’s frontman Mikael Åkerfeldt (also an SE signature artist) as “an old-school shredder.” This background along with Åkesson’s knowledge of theory and scales, has allowed him to reinforce Opeth’s trademark sound with fast riffs and virtuoso playing.

“I’ve always been impressed by PRS’s high quality and am used to the short scale length…so this is a perfect guitar for me,” said Fredrik Åkesson.

Specifications:
- Carved maple top with quilted maple veneer
- Thick mahogany back
- 22 frets
- 24.5" Scale
- Mahogany neck
- Ebony fretboard
- Wide-fat neck shape
- PRS bird inlays
- Tone Pros adjustable stoptail bridge
- PRS designed tuners
- Nickel hardware
- PRS designed SE 245 Treble Humbucker
- PRS designed SE 245 Bass Humbucker
- Volume and tone control for each pickup (“inverted” with treble controls in front of bass controls) with 3-way toggle on the upper bout

For more information:
PRS Guitars