Headlining the Thursday night concert was the Al Di Meola band. Al played his signature Prism PRS guitar and wowed the audience with his blazing technique. Watch our video of the performance at premierguitar.com/video.
Frederik ākesson of Opeth lets loose on his signature SE model during their set. 
"Miles Schon (Neal's son) performed on Friday night and impressed the audience with his cover of Hendrix's ""Fire."""
Experience PRS favorite Donna Grantis brought her brand of Canadian blues-rock to the stage on Friday night. 
The attendees were also allowed to try their hand at staining. Here are a few of the attempts drying before going home. 
This pickup is finished and ready to be installed. 
"Dave Weiner, who also does time in Steve Vai's band, reached for his DC3 for a cover of Hendrix's ""Wait Until Tomorrow."""
"The highlight of Saturday afternoon was David Grissom and Davy Knowles performance on the clinic stage. The set featured tunes from both artists and ended with Grissom's ""What Passes for Love."""
"Daath guitarist Emil Werstler showed off his PRS during his take on Billy Cobham's ""Stratus."""
Closing out the Saturday night show was Swedish prog-metal group Opeth. Frontman Mikael ākerfeldt made some heads turn with his signature SE model. 
The performances are always a highlight of Experience PRS events. Thursday night opened up with bluegrass picker Cody Kilby performing a set of duets with Ricky Skaggs. Watch our videos of the performance at premierguitar.com/video.
"The big news around Experience PRS 2011 was the new line of SE amps. They are available in 20-, 30-, and 50-watt versions and as either a head or combo. All of the amps feature two channels, an effects loop, and reverb. Each amp uses a different set of power tubes with the SE 20 using 6V6s, the SE 30 using 5881s, and the SE 50 sporting EL34s. Prices will range from $799 to $1049, depending on the model. Watch our demo of the amps at premierguitar.com/video."
Paul Reed Smith asks the guitarists from Opeth a question during their afternoon clinic.
Coleman happily accepts his gift.
Marcus Garner walks us through his process for sanding the body of the guitar.
"Based on the Studio model, the Swamp Ash Studio features PRS' 57/07 Narrowfield pickups in the middle and neck positions with a 57/08 in the bridge. The swamp ash body has a bolt-on figured maple neck with the PRS bird inlays. Orders will be accepted until October 14th. "
"British blues guitarist Davy Knowles talk about ""Ellie,"" his #1 guitar that previously was PaulŃs personal guitar. Davy told the crowd with a smile that he Ńnicked itŃ from Paul. Davy's Ellie was a prototype and the beginning of the Paul's 28 and Violin guitars."
"PRS also expanded its acoustic offerings with this SE Angelus model. The SE Angelus will be available in both Standard and Custom models. The Standard model will include mahogany back and sides, solid mahogany neck, and a rosewood fretboard and bridge. The Custom model features rosewood back and sides with an ebony fretboard and bridge. Both are pure acoustic instruments, but PRS plans to introduce models with electronics in early 2012. The MAP for the Standard is $650 and the Custom is $750. Watch our demo of the guitar at premierguitar.com/video."
"All the pickups that are made in the factory go through one of these two machines. The machine on the left is nicknamed ""Guido"" and the one on the right is ""Betsy."""
"Throughout the weekend, attendees wandered through every inch of the PRS factory and were able to see some products in various stages of completion. Here, you can see the final stages of wiring for a 2-channel ""H"" series amp. "
"Along with his signature 5-string PRS bass, Gary Grainger donned a purple felt hat during the Friday night performance."
"One of PRS' most recognizable endorsers, David Grissom, takes a solo during his afternoon set with Davy Knowles on his signature DGT guitar."
"One of the most touching moments of the weekend happened when Paul Reed Smith brought up Robert Lee Coleman, former guitarist for Percy Sledge and James Brown, to present him with a Hollowbody II. It was the first guitar that had ever been given to Coleman and he asked Paul to sign it for him. "
"During Experience '11, PRS also introduced a few limited edition electric models. This is the ""Stripped"" 58 in an Eriza Verde finish. It has a maple top with a mahogany back and neck, 57/08 pickups and PRS' newer 2-piece bridge and Phase III locking tuners. Orders will be accepted for this guitar until October 14th. "
A very young fan checks out Mikael's signature SE model.
"The PRS band featuring Davy Knowles blew the roof off the tent with a cover of ""Fiyo on the Bayou."" Watch our video of the performance at premierguitar.com/video."
PRS employees were on hand to demonstrate and walk through each step of the construction process. 
Rhett Schullās a busy guy. Between being one of the most prolific YouTubers in the guitar sphere, working as a trusted hired gun, and creating his own original music, including last yearās EP The Early Days, heās an avid cyclist. Just a week before we met up with Rhett at Eastside Bowl in Madison, Tennessee, for this Rig Rundown, he was slated to ride a 100-mile race in Stillwater, Oklahoma. Those plans were dashed when 70-mile-an-hour winds stoked a wildfire near town and burned just over 26,000 acres. But the show must go on: The next night, Schull played a gig in town, a special release for people reeling from a brutal natural disaster.
Schullās a certified gear aficionado and tone wizard, so PGās Chris Kies headed to Eastside Bowl to have him walk us through his current live rig. Check out the Rundown here, and stay tuned; Schullās got more music coming later this year.
Brought to you by DāAddario.
Special Serus
Schullās wife pointed out this Novo Serus J hanging on the wall of a guitar shop back in 2017, and it was love at first strum. Made from tempered pine and loaded with Amalfitano P-90 pickups, plus sporting an unmissable pink sparkle polyurethane finish, itās a real looker, and one of Schullās favorite guitars.
Third Man Thumper
After Schull did a video on the Fender Jack White Pano Verb amplifier, Fender sent him a Jack White Triplecaster Telecaster, part of his signature series of gear with Fender launched last year. Schull calls it one of the most versatile guitars he owns, with each of the three pickup options virtually splitting it into three separate guitars.
Firebird-Watching
This beauty from Gibsonās Custom Shop came to Schull following NAMM in 2020. On tour, he needs something with humbuckers and something with single-coils. Then, he thinks of whatās exciting him. These days, itās this Firebird V, which doesnāt have a typical Firebird tone, but cuts closer to something like a Telecaster at times.
Rockin' Two With a Two-Rock
Schull runs two amps onstage, but he doesnāt run them in stereo; he believes the stereo image doesnāt translate as well in a live situation where listeners are spread across the speaker systemās field. With this Two-Rock Classic Reverb Signature and an AC15-ish David Edwards Apollo, Schull gets a ābroadbandā sound set for big, fat clean tones, like one giant amp on the edge of breakup.
Fun fact: Edwards surprised Schull with the Apollo when Rhett went to Florida to work on some videos.
Rhett Schull's Pedalboard
Schullās 2024 EP is very effects-heavy, so he commissioned the pedalboard-whisperers at XAct Tone Solutions to build him this double-decker station based around an RJM Mastermind PBC/6X switcher. Some of the stomps, like the Chase Bliss Mood, are activated by MIDI, and all the different sounds from each songāfrom intro to chorus to bridge to finishāis set up in the RJM. If Rhett wants to go off script, he can hit the function button, which lets him engage pedals on a one-by-one basis. A Line 6 HX One is a āwildcardā pedal in this rig, filling in gaps as needed.
In addition to those machines, the rig includes a Chase Bliss Dark World, GFI System Synesthesia, Hologram Electronics Chroma Console, Boss Space Echo RE-202, GFI System Duophony (which mixes the Dark World and Synesthesia), Chase Bliss Automatone Preamp MkII (used for boost, EQ, fuzz, or overdrive depending on the song), Old Blood Noise Endeavors Beam Splitter, Source Audio ZIO, Memory Lane Electronics Tone Bender clone, and a Mythos Argonaut. A mysterious Japan-made Noel dirt pedal, finished in striking red and gifted to Shull by JHS Pedalsā Josh Scott, rounds out the collection. Utility boxes include a TC Electronic PolyTune3 Noir, Lehle Little Dual, a pair of Strymon Ojai power supplies, and a bigger Strymon Zuma supply.
