The heart of this guitar is the trio of PRS Narrowfield pickups. The Narrowfield DD (Deep Dish) “S” pickups are made with taller bobbins to fit more winds and extra metal pieces in between the magnets for a more focused, powerful tone.
The SE NF3 | Demo | PRS Guitars
“We started the development of the NF3 “S” pickup with the NF 53, so it has been an ongoing project for a while. What has amazed us all, is the way we are furthering the art of “reverse engineering” our own concepts and achieving success in tone inside of the SE Series,” said Jack Higginbotham, PRS Guitars COO. “Beyond the pickups, this guitar harkens back almost 35 years to our original EG, which I was deeply involved in. The neck and the neck body assembly were born of the SE Silver Sky originally and refined with the SE CE and Swamp Ash Special. So, in a way, it is a brand new guitar that is built on ideas spanning decades and reaching to the very cutting edge of our current engineering and design philosophies.”
Bev Fowler, PRS Guitars Director of Artist and Community Relations also commented, “We recently took the PRS SE NF3 down to our Nashville Artist Showroom with the PRS DGT 15 amplifier – what a pairing! Artists were raving about the NF3’s versatility, and we watched as they down-tuned, played slide, and got great clean blues tone all out of the same guitar. It was an inspiring day for everyone.”
The PRS SE NF3 also features a poplar body, 22-fret bolt-on maple neck, and the choice of either a rosewood or maple fretboard. Anchored with PRS’s patented tremolo, this guitar can bend and flutter with ease.
For more information, please visit prsguitars.com.
PRS SE NF 3 Electric Guitar - Metallic Orange with Rosewood Fingerboard
“We have so much inspiration and energy behind product development for the SE Series because it is a range of instruments that we know is supporting everyone from beginning players to professional musicians. We draw from our Maryland innovations, our history, and our own curiosities as players and builders,” said Jack Higginbotham, PRS Guitars COO. “I think these new models will continue the SE Series promise to deliver quality tools for musicians.”
SE CE 24 & SE Swamp Ash Special
The PRS SE CE 24 brings the CE model to the SE Series for the first time. PRS fans will recognize this model, as it was first introduced back in 1988 – the company’s third year in business. The CE 24 pairs PRS’s traditional Custom 24 combination of a maple top, mahogany back, and rosewood fretboard with a 25” scale length bolt-on maple neck. Additional features include a pair of PRS 85/15 “S” humbuckers and the patented PRS tremolo bridge. For 2024, the PRS SE CE 24 comes in four colors: Black Cherry, Blood Orange, Turquoise, and Vintage Sunburst.
With a swamp ash body and 22-fret maple neck with maple fretboard, the PRS SE Swamp Ash Special is a fresh face and a versatile voice for the PRS SE Series. This guitar features neck and bridge 85/15 “S” humbuckers with a PRS-Designed AS-01 Single Coil “S” pickup in the middle position. The AS-01 single coil features both alnico and steel (hence the name), which add mass to the pickup helping to create a more powerful sound. Paired with a push/pull tone control and 3-way pickup switch, the configuration gives players an array of tones. The PRS SE Swamp Ash Special comes in Charcoal, Iri Blue, and Vintage Sunburst.
Both of these bolt-on guitars (the SE CE 24 and SE Swamp Ash Special) feature a new, ergonomic heel design, which is contoured for a comfortable playing experience higher up on the neck. “When we were designing these guitars, I took an early prototype home and carved the heel by hand. The Engineering team here made some improvements and programed that shape for our partners at PT Cort. We think players will appreciate the ease of access this design brings,” said Jack Higginbotham, COO.
SE Custom 24 Quilt
Also joining the SE Series is the elevated SE Custom 24 Quilt. Featuring a quilted maple veneer and matching stained quilted maple headstock veneer, the SE Custom 24 Quilt is an elegant version of PRS’s most popular model. This guitar also boasts an ebony fretboard with abalone bird inlays to complete the package. The color palette for the SE Custom 24 Quilt is: Black Gold Burst, Turquoise, and Violet.
New Colors
Finally, PRS is known for its striking color options, and the SE Series is no exception. For 2024, Turquoise is making its way through the SE Series and will now be available on the following models: PRS SE Custom 24, SE Custom 24-08, SE Custom 24 “Lefty,” SE McCarty 594, SE McCarty 594 Singlecut, and the SE Paul’s Guitar. The Custom 24-08 is also adding Blood Orange to its assortment. And, finally, Charcoal will be offered on the SE McCarty 594, SE McCarty 594 Singlecut, and SE Paul’s Guitar.
For more information, please visit prsguitars.com.
The PRS Modern Eagle V Officially Joins the Core Lineup
The first Modern Eagle instrument was introduced in 2004 and represented the pinnacle of the Core manufacturing at that time. Previously only offered via limited runs, the PRS Modern Eagle V now continues that tradition in the core lineup with its innovative pickup and electronics system offering a vast array of highly usable, musical tones in one guitar. The Modern Eagle V utilizes a hum/single/hum (five-coil) pickup layout and features a 5-way blade switch that selects the pickups in intuitive groupings: treble, treble and middle, middle, middle and bass, and bass. There is a single volume and a push/pull tone control that activates both humbuckers when engaged, which allows players to access all three pickups simultaneously. Finally, the mini toggles allow players to individually separate the pickup coils, turning the humbuckers into true single coils. This electronics design provides a whole set of classic and new tones.
“Modern Eagle models have always been built to stand up to history while celebrating tonewoods and the discovery of new tones. The Modern Eagle V is a sophisticated instrument not only in its craftsmanship but in its electronic and mechanical design,” said Paul Reed Smith. “We’ve refined the pickup tones and are pleased to now add it to the Core lineup.”
The Modern Eagle V | Demo | PRS Guitars
Vintage-Inspired McCarty and DGT Models Come to the PRS SE Series
For 2023, PRS is introducing four new models in the SE Series: the PRS SE McCarty 594, SE McCarty 594 Singlecut, SE McCarty 594 Singlecut Standard, and the SE DGT (David Grissom Trem), and it’s no accident that these models are coming to the SE Series at the same time. The original McCarty design (released in 1994) was highly influenced by Grissom and was designed to infuse vintage specs in a reliable, modern guitar. In 2007, Grissom’s signature DGT model was released, which added a tremolo bridge, tweaked pickups, and a refined neck shape to the McCarty platform, creating a guitar that rivals Grissom’s personal vintage favorites. PRS recently released a three-part video series documenting the development of the SE DGT model, which can be seen on the PRS Guitars YouTube channel. These introductions continue the SE’s recent promise to bring more PRS DNA and value into the more affordable line.
“I didn’t just rubber stamp this. This guitar is something I have been very involved in and am really proud of. The SE Series is lightyears ahead of anything I could get my hands on when I started playing - it’s amazing how far the quality has come – and I am proud to be able to offer this guitar to more people.” - David Grissom
The SE McCarty 594 | Demo | PRS Guitars
Dustie Waring Limited Edition CE and Artist Model Updates
Dustie Waring’s signature PRS starts with the CE 24 platform and includes a satin-finished maple neck, maple fretboard, a slightly modified Pattern Thin neck carve, and (on this limited edition version) a hardtail bridge. The Between the Buried and Me guitarist finishes the model with his signature Mojotone Dustie Waring Gen 2 Tomahawk pickups that offer articulate, clear, high-output sounds.
“I tracked a whole record with this guitar. It performed amazingly and just had a different flavor from my Floyd model. There’s way more body – it definitely has a full sound. I’m able to use it for 99% of my session work in Nashville,” said Dustie Waring, Between the Buried and Me.
Periphery’s Mark Holcomb signature SE is also being updated with a new color – Holcomb Blue Burst – and all-new signature Seymour Duncan pickups. The new “Scarlet & Scourge” treble and bass pickups were designed to work with modeling amps in mind and bring full tone with slightly less drive, offering more articulation than ever. Zach Myers of Shinedown’s signature model is also getting a new spec, updating the scale length from 24.5” to PRS’s 24.594” scale length.
The DW CE 24 Hardtail Limited Edition | PRS Guitars
10th Anniversary of the S2 Series
The PRS S2 Series began in 2013 as a way to offer the fit, feel, and attention to detail of PRS craftsmanship in a fresh, straightforward design. Meaning “Stevensville 2,” the S2 Series was named for a second manufacturing line that was created inside the PRS Stevensville, Maryland shop that blended new manufacturing techniques with practiced quality control and workmanship to create instruments at a new price point for players. Over the last ten years, the S2 Series has grown from three to more than a dozen models and has become a powerful part of PRS Guitars. Today, the S2 Series is more integrated into a single production line with PRS Core and Bolt-On instruments.
To celebrate the 10th Anniversary of the S2 Series, PRS is offering two celebratory models: the 10th Anniversary PRS S2 Custom 24 and 10th Anniversary PRS S2 McCarty 594 Limited Edition guitars. These special models will retain the guitar’s standard specs and add a Cuban mahogany neck, mother of pearl bird inlays, and – most notably – USA-made PRS 85/15 and 58/15 LT pickups and electronics (respectively). PRS has been on an inspiring journey studying pickup tone and design for many years now. These pickups have been fine-tuned using their TCI process for rich, clear, and balanced tone. Only 2,000 total 10th Anniversary S2 Series instruments will be made.
The 10th Anniversary S2 Custom 24 | Demo | PRS Guitars
The PRS Sonzera Returns
Returning to the lineup after a brief reprieve, the PRS Sonzera is a moderately powered 20 watt 1x12 combo amplifier. The Sonzera offers mid-1960’s American-style tone with two independently controlled, footswitchable channels designed for maximum versatility. The Sonzera’s gain channel can be set as a boosted clean channel or with heavy distortion, and the spring reverb and built-in effects loop allow players to easily expand their tonal palette. This is a distinct amp in the PRS line up, which also boasts the Archon, HDRX, DG Custom, and MT-15 amplifiers.
“I am very happy to re-release the new Sonzera 20 combo with improved construction techniques, refined voicing, and fresh cosmetics. Their design inspiration draws from the purity and tonal beauty of vintage American reverb amps of the 60s. The two-channel design is currently unique to the PRS lineup in that the Gain channel is simply the Clean channel with additional gain stages and its own tone stack inserted for discreet lead voicing control,” said PRS Amp Designer, Doug Sewell. “The 12 to 35-watt classic American reverb amps were very inspirational to me as a beginning amp designer in Texas. I consider the Sonzera amps an homage to those early days, and it was especially satisfying and nostalgic to be a part of their development and production.”
The Sonzera 20 | PRS Guitars
For more information, please visit prsguitars.com.