Once again NAMM 2012 is the place for manufactures to unveil a new models or changes to existing product lines – So let me supply you with some details regarding various PRS models

First up is the new PRS Signature Artist Limited Edition model, which is based on the PRS Private Signature model that was released in 2011 – Remember only a 100 of the Signature models were made and even with a price tag in excess of £7500 they were all sold almost immediately – The new Limited Edition Artist features the Signature pick-ups and coil tap switching options, but now in a more affordable package - Only 400 to be made and around 15 for the UK - Available with trem or stop tail in a choice of 5 colours we have 3 on order - more details to follow - click here to view the PRS site regarding this model or click here to view the youtube video demo

Dave Navarro is only the third PRS artist to have both a Maryland-made and SE signature model (with Carlos Santana and Mark Tremonti coming before him). The Jane’s Addiction guitarist’s SE model will boast a beveled maple top, mahogany back, maple neck with rosewood fingerboard, and SE HFS and SE Vintage Bass pickups with a push-pull tone control and 3-way toggle. His SE model will also have his signature Jet White finish and gold hardware. Navarro’s Maryland-made signature model has been one of PRS’s most popular artist guitars. The addition of the SE Dave Navarro instrument will make this model accessible to more fans and musicians. “This is a way to make my guitar available to people who turn to music and art as a way of dealing with the world. It’s my act of gratitude to other musicians out there,” Navarro explains.

Also in the SE family, the SE Orianthi and SE Nick Catanese have new specs for 2012. The 2012 SE Orianthi will receive the new beveled SE carve and push/pull tone control with 3-way blade switch (previously a 3-way toggle with no coil tapping). The guitar goddess’s finish is also changing – from Red Sparkle to Scarlet Red. Additionally, Nick Catanese of Black Label Society has been working with PRS to renovate his signature SE as well. The 2012 model will have a straightforward, sleek look with a mahogany body with a flame maple veneer, ebony fingerboard with no inlays, and a Scarlet Red finish with black binding. The SE Nick

Chris Henderson of 3 Doors Down has also revamped his Maryland-made signature model, shedding the middle pickup for a classic electronics configuration. The 2012 Chris Henderson will feature a PRS 250 treble pickup and #7 bass pickup with a volume and tone control for each and 3-way toggle on the upper bout. Other features include a maple top, mahogany back, mahogany neck, rosewood fingerboard, and adjustable stoptail. This guitar is a must see for 3 Doors fans and anyone lamenting the discontinuation of the PRS SC 250 model.

The PRS Private Stock department is offering a Neal Schon Limited Edition guitar. This Private Stock guitar is a wonderfully designed medium-thin archtop with a Floyd Rose system, curly maple top, back, and sides, and many of Neal’s personal design requests, including knob placement and pickups. The design is virtually identical to the instrument Neal has been playing on the most recent Journey tour. These instruments will be available for order from January 19 – February 15, 2012, but will be limited to a maximum of 60 guitars

Introducing PRS Guitars First Piezo-Equipped Solidbody Instrument – The P22
December 23, 2011 (STEVENSVILLE, MD) – Paul Reed Smith Guitars is proud to add the P22, the company’s first piezo-equipped solidbody guitar, to its 2012 lineup. The P22 comes standard with a figured maple top, mahogany back, mahogany neck with a 22 fret rosewood fingerboard, and a redesigned PRS/LR Baggs piezo system. PRS and LR Baggs partnered more than a decade ago to design the piezo system found in PRS’s popular hollowbody models. This new system retains the same circuit design as the existing system, giving the P22 the same tonal authenticity and real world practicality as PRS hollowbody guitars. The redesign of the board itself yielded a version that is more than 60% smaller than the original PRS/LR Baggs system, allowing it to comfortably inhabit a solidbody guitar. Uncovered 53/10 pickups round out this guitar’s specifications and help define the P22’s voice.
"I have recorded and mixed hundreds and hundreds of acoustic guitars, including mixing both live and studio cuts, and I have never heard a more musical, more natural sound from an acoustic pickup system. If that had been the only thing special about the guitar I would have been excited, but then to hear the electric tones it creates - I was blown away," said Grammy Award-winning Producer and Engineer Don McCollister after a recording session with the P22.
Piezo systems have long allowed guitarists the versatility of wielding both acoustic and electric guitar tones in one instrument. The PRS Hollowbody II and Singlecut Hollowbody II both come standard with the original PRS/LR Baggs piezo and have achieved a great level of popularity in PRS Guitars’ product line. The addition of a solidbody model will give musicians a new and unique tool to add to their own lineup.
"The ability to blend in an acoustic sound along with whatever electric tone you are recording would be a game changer in certain situations. I noticed that it really helped the notes ring clearly through the haze, which is a tough thing to accomplish in a complex mix sometimes. I could see it becoming my go-to session guitar, and I'll be one of the first in line when it comes out!," continued McCollister.