GUITAR OF THE MONTH: PRS WOOD LIBRARY MCCARTY SATIN
Between the PRS Private Stock and the USA Core models sits the Wood Library series – limited runs of Core models given a luxurious makeover with specially selected tonewoods and other upgraded appointments.
Our Guitar of the Month for April is a take on the popular McCarty model; a guitar that pays homage to Paul Reed Smith’s mentor and former Gibson president, Ted McCarty (1909-2001). Ted McCarty is a crucial figure in the history of the electric guitar overseeing the development of the Gibson Les Paul through the 1950’s into the early 60’s. He is also responsible for the Tune-o-matic bridge and humbucking pickups as well as Gibson’s SG, ES-335, Flying V, Modern, Firebird and Explorer models.
His involvement with PRS started in the early 1980’s when Paul Reed Smith noticed his name against many of the patents associated with guitar innovation. Paul approached Ted to ask him about his experiences and techniques and later hired him as a consultant for Paul’s fledgling guitar company. The PRS McCarty model was launched in 1994 incorporating features associated with Ted’s innovative guitars; a thick mahogany body, mahogany neck, flame maple top, 22 frets, stoptail bridge, two covered humbuckers, and a 3-way toggle switch.
Our PRS Wood Library McCarty Satin Burnt Maple Leaf differs from the core model in that it has a fantastically smooth satin finish rather than the usual gloss, a solid East Indian rosewood neck and fingerboard, an eye-popping “10 top” flame maple cap, and the hybrid brass and nickel hardware. Topping it off is the unusual Burnt Maple Leaf colouring which fades from charcoal grey in the centre to golden-brown edges. A tasteful package of pure class!
This is not just a guitar to hang on your wall and stare at for hours on end! It’s a silky smooth player with a fine balance of natural attack, warmth and sustain. The recently developed PRS 58/15humbuckers transmit all the nuances and detail to your favourite amp and will adapt to a huge range of playing styles. The push/pull tone pot splits the coils to give you an added dimension for sparkly cleans, cutting leads and much more.
Specifications
- Top: Flame Maple 10 Top
- Body: Mahogany
- Neck: Hand Selected East Indian Rosewood
- Neck Profile: Pattern
- Fingerboard: Hand Selected East Indian Rosewood with Binding
- Fingerboard Inlays: Birds
- Scale Length: 25″
- Frets: 22
- Tuners: PRS Phase III Locking Tuners
- Bridge: PRS Stoptail
- Hardware: Hybrid
- Pickups: PRS 58/15 Treble/Bass
- Controls: Volume and Push-Pull Tone Control with 3-Way Toggle Pickup Selector
- Case/Gigbag: Wood Library PRS Case