PRS Guitars Presents the 2015 Collection Series IX by Private Stock
Posted Sep 10, 2015
PRS Guitars is proud to officially announce Collection Series IX by Private Stock. Introduced in the fall of 2011, the PRS Collection Series is made up of a very limited number of instruments each year that are made with the most prized components in the company’s possession, using PRS’s most exacting methods. Paul Reed Smith, along with the Private Stock team, designs and oversees all aspects of production, including the selection of all tonewoods and components. The new Collection Series IX is comprised of fifteen pairs of McCarty Trem models, with each pair consisting of one highly figured curly and one highly figured quilted maple top guitar. These instruments proudly incorporate a balance of PRS traditions and innovations. The McCarty model dates back to 1994 and celebrates Paul’s mentor, Ted McCarty, who served as the President of Gibson during their Golden Era. This model was proudly re-introduced for PRS Guitars’ 30th Anniversary (1985-2015).
Only thirty Collection Series IX McCarty Trem electric guitars will be made – each in an Aqua Violet Smoked Burst finish which further accentuates the highly figured grain of the Private Stock grade curly or quilted maple tops. Other specifications include African ribbon mahogany back, green select abalone side purfling along the body, maple backplates, 25” scale length, 22 fret curly maple ‘Pattern’ neck with green select abalone “30th Anniversary” inlay on the heel, African blackwood fingerboard with green select abalone, 14 karat gold and mother of pearl Hollow Celtic knots with green select abalone purfling, African blackwood headstock veneer with Paul Reed Smith hand written signature and mother of pearl “Collection” inlay with green select abalone purfling, African blackwood truss rod cover with green select abalone purfling, 58/15 treble and bass pickups, which Paul describes as, “the best of PAF’s,” with volume, push/pull tone, and 3-way toggle switch, Private Stock Gen III tremolo bridge with locking saddles, Phase III locking tuners with gold anodized buttons, hybrid hardware, high-gloss nitro finish.
“This new Collection Series takes the art of guitar building to a whole new level,” states Judy Schaefer, PRS Marketing Manager. “Impeccable craftsmanship, the best components, and the most sought after tonewoods make the Collection Series IX guitars a “must-have” for the most serious of guitar enthusiasts.”
Adding to the extreme exclusivity of the Collection Series, PRS will only ship these rare instruments to authorized PRS Collection dealers / distributors. A single pair, one curly and one quilted, will be sent to each of the fifteen PRS Collection dealers and distributors:
Acton Music, China
Brian’s Guitars, Hamden, CT, USA
Chuck Levins’ Washington Music Center, Wheaton, MD, USA
Guitar Resurrection, Austin, TX, USA
KID (Ikebe Music), Tokyo, Japan
KID (Miki Guitar Pro Shop), Umeda, Japan
Lark Guitars, San Antonio, TX, USA
Moore Music, Evansville, IN, USA
Music Force, Korea
PRS Europe, London UK
The Guitar Sanctuary
The Guitar Shop, Mississuga, Ontario, Canada
Tom Lee Music, Hong Kong
Wild West Guitars, Riverside, California, USA
Willcutt Guitars, Lexington, KT, USA