Meet The Three New 2019 SE Signature Guitars

Posted Jan 15, 2019

Behind The Gear

We love the fresh feeling of a new year. It's a chance to offer new things, refresh the past, and keep pushing the ball forward. With that in mind, here are three new SE signature guitars that we're really excited for.

SE SCHIZOID PRODUCT PAGE

This year, the legendary English progressive rock band King Crimson celebrates their 50th Anniversary. To celebrate we've created a signature guitar for Crimson's lead singer and guitarist, Jakko Jakszyk. We're offering a maximum of 1,000 SE Schizoid guitars, adorned with the classic artwork from Crimson’s In the Court of the Crimson King album.

Jakko Jakszyk’s story reads like a tale of rock-and-roll dreams:

"When I was 11 years old my neighbour played me a song called ‘21st Century Schizoid Man’ by King Crimson, and it blew my head off. Overnight they became my favourite band. I went to see them live a year later and my senses were equally destroyed, and I vowed that night that music would be my life. I could never have imagined that I would actually find myself in that very band years later, singing and playing that very song."
- Jakko Jakszyk // King Crimson

When Robert Fripp invited Jakko to join Crimson a few years ago, Jakko knew he needed a new guitar. He choose a PRS Custom 24 Piezo covered with the “Schizoid Man” artwork.

Jakko mentioned, "Much as I loved and owned a number of vintage guitars, live I would always play something modern – more reliable. PRS is the best of both worlds. A modern instrument that feels and looks like a classic. So when PRS asked if they could make me something special it had to be a guitar with that iconic artwork. The ‘Schizoid Man’ face that started this whole journey off. Full circle as it were."

Check out the demo below:

SE PAUL'S GUITAR PRODUCT PAGE

The SE Paul’s Guitar delivers a lot of “PRS,” starting with tone and versatility. The TCI “S” treble and bass pickups deliver a pure, vintage sound and with two-mini toggle switches, you have easy access to true single coil mode in both pickups. This is the first model to offer this style of electronics outside of the Private Stock and Core lines.

"The SE Paul’s Guitar is a great example of design, engineering, and teamwork. It’s as close to home as we could get inside of the SE Series, and I am very proud of it."
- Paul Reed Smith

“The Paul’s Guitar, like the Modern Eagle before it, has always been about Paul’s latest discoveries in guitar making. To bring this guitar into the SE Series, we knew the tone, functionality, and playability had to be right and had to be consistent,” said Jack Higginbotham, our Chief Operating Officer.

In order to hear the full story of the SE Paul's guitar, we filmed a video with Paul and Jack, check it out here.

The SE Paul's guitar is available in three cool colors, reminiscent of our earliest finish offerings, Amber, Aqua, and Fire Red.

Check out the demo below:

SE SANTANA SINGLECUT TREM PRODUCT PAGE

The SE Santana Singlecut Trem pays tribute to Santana’s one-off gold leaf Private Stock PRS. Modelled afer the workhorse gold leaf guitar that Carlos plays on stage, the SE version of this special instrument began when Santana heard the 2018 Paul’s Guitar TCI pickups. Impressed with their tone, Santana requested a set of those pickups without the coil taps, and from there, TCI “S” pickups were born. Wanting to capture their full-range tone in a special model, Santana and Paul looked to Santana’s personal instruments and choose the gold leaf Singlecut.

Additional features include the classic Santana/PRS combination of a 24.5” scale length, 24 frets, and a tremolo bridge, the SE Santana Singlecut Trem, providing two full octaves with the comfort of a shorter-scale guitar.

When I think of PRS I think of impeccable integrity! Right out of the case, the guitar looks and feels incredible, but for me it is about the sound, resonance, vibration that allows me to take flight with every note. The SE Santana Singlecut Trem has a range and universal tone that delivers with power and clarity, allowing you to find your own voice in your heart’s music. It is an honor to add this beautiful guitar to the PRS SE line that I helped start so many years ago. We invite you to spread your wings and find your voice with this beautiful instrument!" - Carlos Santana

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Check out the full lineup of SE products here.

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