PRS Guitars’ Comprehensive Amplifier Line Provides a Tool for Every Musician and Musical Avenue
Posted Jan 19, 2012
Officially launched in 2009, the PRS amplifier division has now matured into a comprehensive product line. From the core family of Maryland-made PRS amps to the exclusive Custom Amp Design (CAD) program to the SE amplifier line, PRS now has an option for every musician and musical avenue. Accordingly, PRS artists have signed on in support of all three tiers of PRS amplifier products and are flying the PRS amp flag with vigor.
PRS’s core amplifier line continues to earn a strong presence in the market. Like PRS guitars, they are becoming known for their unique and reliable tone as well as their craftsmanship. Several PRS artists are now playing PRS core amplifiers, including Tom Johnston and David Grissom. Tom Johnston is using the PRS 2 Channel “H” amp, commenting, “I’m impressed with its sustain, wicked bottom end, and brighter high end. It sets my sound on stage apart.” David Grissom prefers single channel amps and mainly plays a Super Dallas and a 25th Anniversary amp, both from our Core line. He also has a CAD “30” that Doug Sewell worked with him to custom-build. David has cherry-picked amps for years, but has found that the variety of tones he can get with PRS amps is so broad that they work for multiple guitar parts from rhythm to melody to high-gain leads.
The CAD program takes PRS Guitars’ core values to new heights with models like the HXDA, MDT, and Blistertone. PRS Amp Designer Doug Sewell and Paul Reed Smith have been working closely together since the program’s inception providing the most personalized and personally crafted PRS amplifiers available. The ultimate goal of this program is to build and provide magic pieces of gear. “One-off” pieces can also be ordered through this program, yielding amps like Jennifer Lopez guitarist Mario Sebastian’s 2 Channel “H” with white cosmetics.
The SE amplifier line expands PRS’s 2 channel offerings, providing affordable tube amps without sacrificing tone, usability, or quality. The SE 20, SE 30, and SE 50 are all available as 1 x 12 closed back combos or as heads. The Pixies’ Joey Santiago (already an endorser of PRS Mira and Starla guitars) is using the SE 50 on tour and plans to incorporate an SE 30 into his rig as well. “[The SE 50] has this great punky edge, but it’s also really warm. What really set it apart was its definition…It’s versatile. I love its clean sounds as well…It has a sparkly high end that I can’t get with a Marshall,” said Santiago.
The full line of PRS amplifiers will be on display at the winter NAMM show in Anaheim, California from January 19-22, 2012 at PRS Booth #5320.