The Artist Series began in 1991. This series experimented with component and structural updates that enhanced the tone of the guitar and brought more decoration with it. The Artist V is the first example of this series in nearly 15 years. Continuing the tradition of harmonizing tone and beauty, the Artist V features new pickups spec’d by Paul Reed Smith, our 2011 redesigned 5-way blade switch (previously featured only on the 2011 Custom 24), beautiful inlays and purfling, and only the best woods. Gold hardware and a selective color list, including three new colors (Blue Crab Blue, Eriza Verde, and Purple Hazel), complete the Artist V’s special offerings.
Pickup Switching Positions:
Position One: Bridge humbucker
Position Two: Bridge humbucker with neck singlecoil, in parallel
Position Three: Bridge and neck humbuckers
Position Four: Neck singlecoil with bridge singlecoil, in parallel
Position Five: Neck humbucker
Finish should enhance the look, sound, and feel of a guitar by accentuating the wood’s inherent beauty and feel without hindering its natural resonance. And PRS Guitars’ new “V12” finish does just that. Introduced at Experience PRS 2010, “V12” is a very thin, hard, and clear finish that will not crack or react with thinners. After roughly 12 years in development, it is halfway between acrylic and nitro but with a classic feel all its own. “PRS models with this new finish feel like old instruments,” said Paul Reed Smith.
Neck shapes have always been a high priority for us and a hallmark of our quality. A guitar should feel comfortable, like “home,” as soon as you pick it up, and the neck is paramount to that connection. The new “Pattern Regular” neck shape is similar to the traditional PRS regular neck found on guitars made in the late 80’s at PRS’s former Virginia Avenue location.
This new neck shape reflects modern tooling and programming that allows us to even more precisely shape and consistently reproduce our necks.