Description
Expected Delivery June/July 2016
This guitar has been RUMORED for over a YEAR!
Finally announced the John Mayer Private Stock SUPER EAGLE!
The Private Stock “Super Eagle” is the result of a very close collaboration between Paul Reed Smith and Grammy-winning musician John Mayer. The goal of the partnership was to create a highly-sophisticated and unique instrument that at once reveres the history of guitar-making and guitar tone but pushes the boundaries of materials, design, and craftsmanship. The result is a truly new PRS instrument that embodies the PRS Private Stock culture of meticulous workmanship as well as Mayer’s keen eye for playability, tone, and detail.
Some of the more distinctive and personalized specifications Mayer and Smith decided on for this special run of instruments include a longer (for PRS) scale length of 25.375”, specially-wound 58/15 JM treble and bass pickups with a specially-wound Narrowfield JM pickup in the middle position (with three individual coil-tap mini-switches), a JCF Audio preamp with treble boost, as well as a hand-signed sticker in the f-hole of the guitar that was designed by Mayer’s friend David Smith (who also designed the cover art for Mayer’s 2012 Born and Raised album). The pickups deliver a bright, clear tone that has been heard in venues across the USA in Mayer’s recent performances with Dead & Company.
But according to Mayer, this guitar won’t stop with Dead & Company. “Paul and I worked very closely to create this guitar, and the result is an incredibly refined and elegant instrument. It has a completely new sound and spirit. It's been a joy to play and I'm excited to share that experience with other guitar players” - John Mayer.
The Private Stock Super Eagle is available for order from March 11, 2016 – April 1, 2016 only. PRS will also be capping production at 100 instruments.
Specifications
Top Wood | Curly Maple Top |
Back Wood | Private Stock Curly Maple |
Side Wood | Mahogany |
Number of Frets | 24 |
Scale Length | 25.375" |
Neck Wood | Private Stock Curly Maple |
Fretboard Wood | Brazilian Rosewood with Curly Binding |
Neck Shape | Pattern |
Inlays | Green Ripple Abalone “Old School” Birds and 12th Fret Violin Bird |
Headstock | Brazilian Rosewood Headstock Veneer with Etched Mother of Pearl “Old School” Private Stock Eagle |
Bridge | Private Stock Gen III Tremolo |
Tuners | Tweaked Phase III Locking Tuners with Ebony Buttons |
Hardware Type | Nickel |
Treble Pickup | 58/15 JM Treble |
Middle Pickup | Narrowfield JM |
Bass Pickup | 58/15 JM Bass |
Controls | Volume & Tone w/ 5-Way Blade Switch; 3 Mini Switches For Individual Coil Taps; 2 Mini Switches (On/Off and Treble Boost) for JFC Pre-amp |
Finish | High-Gloss Nitro JM McCarty Tobacco (Lightly Bursted) Top and Neck with JM McCarty Tobacco Back |
Extras | F-Hole Sticker Hand-Signed by John Mayer |
Case | Hardshell Paisley Case |
Gen III Tremolo
Rest assured, the Gen III trem functions in all the same ways as the PRS patented tremolo system always has. As always, the bridge is machined brass, a metal that rings beautifully. The block, intonation screws, height-adjustment screws, and the string slots on the saddles are all left un-plated for increased sustain and fidelity of tone.
- A. The mounting screw holes are countersunk from under- neath, creating a knife-edge set-up that ensures the bridge will return to pitch after use.
- B. The bridge’s sidewalls create a pocket that keeps the six individually adjustable saddles from moving sideways, thereby eliminating another traditional cause of tuning instability.
- C. The saddles feature a compound radius so that the string breaks across the saddle at the optimum angle for contact and vibration transfer through the bridge. The Private Stock Gen III Trem also features locking saddles. These saddles hold the ball ends in place preventing any movement in the block and further ensuring the guitar returns to pitch after use.
- D. The tremolo arm is unthreaded and features a small set screw that allows the player to customize the feel of the arm and find a comfortable playing position.
- The Gen III trem also has a few notable updates that further support the fidelity of the guitar’s tone and maximize sustain:
- E. The mounting screws have been redesigned with larger thread and a larger custom head. This added mass creates more contact from the screw to the bridge and the guitar’s body, resulting in greater sustain.
- F. Grooves have been added to the bridge plate. The grooves are radiused to match the radius of the height adjustment screws, again so there is more contact and a better fit.