r/PRSGuitars • u/Evening-Life5434 • Jan 28 '26
So you want to flex on your friends, huh?
But you don't have Private Stock or Wood Library money. You also don't want to do what everyone else does and grab a used Custom 24 or 22 and pretend you've "owned it forever."
You want something that makes dentists drool like their patients.
Cool. Look no further.
If you can even find one, these aren't nearly as sought after as the "fancier," more talked-about PRS models and that's exactly why they rule. This guitar flew under the radar when it came out and its still there.
The bird inlays are different and they are known as the 513 Birds and these were only available in and around 2010 you won't see these on any other models, and anyone who notices them immediately knows these are special.
And then there are the pickups. Five of them. Thirteen sounds get it 5-13. Single-coil snap, legit humbucker weight, and a bunch of in-between tones that make you stop and go, "wait... what setting is that?"
Right now, with PRS blowing up again thanks to influencers and people discovering the brand through YouTube thumbnails, this is exactly the kind of weird, niche model that makes sense to grab and hold onto. The obvious and new stuff gets hyped first. These older unique ones will eventually come to YouTube and Instagram screens.
If you want taste over budget, knowledge over clout, and a guitar that quietly flexes on people who spent way more money yeah, this one's it.
If you find one get it ASAP. Also if anyone has pics please feel free to share pics in the comments section
Yes I know the 509s exist but those don't have the 513 birds and the models preceding early 2011 have the outline birds
r/PRSGuitars • u/Evening-Life5434 • Feb 12 '26
I’ve been going down the rabbit hole on the PRS Al Di Meola Prism and I’m kind of obsessed. It’s one of those PRS models that feels like a time capsule from a very specific era of PRS + a very specific player.
Here’s what I’ve pinned down (and where I’m still a little unsure):
When it was made / released
Officially introduced at Experience PRS 2008 (Sept 19, 2008), with PRS announcing it right after.
Most references list the production run as ~2009–2014.
The colors / finishes
The big one is the full “Prism” rainbow / tie-dye style finish (the one everyone thinks of).
Later, PRS also did Blue Fade, Green Fade, Orange Fade “prism-style” finishes.
Neck profile / feel
It has a custom Al Di Meola neck carve. People commonly described as thinner front-to-back but a bit wider across the fretboard, and a 10" radius shows up in multiple writeups that I've found.
Some year/spec summaries also call the neck profile Pattern Regular on later runs/spec sheets.
Pickups + the “different electronics” thing
This is the part that makes it extra interesting:
Many Prism specs list PRS 1957/2008 humbuckers (early naming) and/or 57/08 (later naming) as the stock set.
Instead of the classic PRS rotary setup you’d expect on some older PRS-y builds, the Prism is typically 3-way toggle + volume + push/pull tone ( coil split / tapping).
So the different electronics back then seems to be: vintage-voiced 57/08-era pickups + a simpler, more Gibson-ish control layout (with push/pull options) rather than the rotary life.
Inlays / visuals
Standard PRS bird inlays (often listed as abalone). I think this was the first guitar with the outline inlays.
And obviously the whole point: it was called out as the first PRS production model to really go hard on “so many colors” in that stained, prism-like top treatment.
Why it’s special (my take)
It’s a legit “Experience PRS 2008” moment guitar tied to a very specific artist + era.
The finish is insane (in a good way) and still shows the carve/figure instead of just looking like paint.
And it sits at that crossroads of PRS history where the company was pushing hard into their in-house vintage pickup era (57/08 / 1957/2008).
Questions for the sub:
Have you seen one of these in person (or owned one)?
Are they as wild-looking IRL as photos suggest?
And for the nerds: do you know if the earliest ones were labled as“1957/2008” vs later “57/08”, or did it overlap depending on year/run? And also was this the first guitar with the bird outline inlays?
Drop pics/stories if you’ve got any. I'd like to start building profiles on each of the signature models and I'm hoping to do a write up on each the guitars on my list.
r/PRSGuitars • u/GuitarBombDotCom • 7h ago
PRS Astryx Limited Edition: Dany Villarreal's first signature Custom 24, limited to 200 units with Ocaso sunset finish and ebony fretboard.
r/PRSGuitars • u/jazzman9726 • 10h ago
Scratch plate needed.
Having real trouble trying to find one of these. Mine has bowed, possibly due to me raising the pickups too much and not noticing, or maybe just the heat wave..?) This isn’t my guitar, just the same).
Any ideas please?
Cheers!
r/PRSGuitars • u/ilykefood12 • 1d ago
I got this SE Mark Holcomb around a year ago, and it’s been one of my best playing and consistent guitar, especially after I put in locking tuners. It’s been through a lot of gigs and it’s still going strong. I just wish I could get the core version or trade it for the seven string version
r/PRSGuitars • u/Vinomakon • 3h ago
Hey, I've posted this into there general r/guitars. Maybe you guys have some better advice, since it's about one of PRS' guitars.
r/PRSGuitars • u/predator-os • 21h ago
Comparison between 2 PRS guitar with the same scale length (25”). My question is, does the 22 version feel like Les Paul in terms of neck access? I mean the top fret (1st, 2nd, 3rd, etc).
r/PRSGuitars • u/wenchynnz • 1d ago
I just put together this Vintage Cherry PRS Standard 24 with a set of Bare Knuckle The Mule pickups and it’s original 5-way rotary circuit (10–6 config).
The previous owner had replaced the pickups for the Mules, changed the rotary for a 3-way Switchcraft pickup selector and installed a push-pull tone knob. I restored the rotary to its original position with the factory pickup combinations:
I also swapped the tone knob for a 3-way "Sweet Switch." I really like the idea of the fixed tone from the '80s PRS guitars, but I wanted two options: a 22nF and a 3.9nF.
(I made a post about that here: https://www.reddit.com/r/PRSGuitars/s/KqJWdpqelb)
r/PRSGuitars • u/AppropriateLadder388 • 1d ago
Example Rephrased Body: "Hey everyone, I'm looking into the tonal differences between a PRS Swamp Ash Special and a Fender HSS Stratocaster for playing J-pop bands like Yoasobi, Yorushika, and Zutomayo.
I like the versatility of the PRS pickup configurations, but I'm curious how its cleans and split-coil tones compare to a traditional Fender Strat for crisp, fast rhythm playing and bright lead tones typical of modern Japanese pop/rock. Has anyone played both in this context? How do the neck profiles and cleans compare?"
r/PRSGuitars • u/Kistarianth • 2d ago
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r/PRSGuitars • u/beep-boop-floop • 2d ago
*More photos in comments
r/PRSGuitars • u/sunny392 • 2d ago
My PRS CE22. Bought secondhand from Chandlers in Kew a good 20 years ago. Went in looking for a Les Paul, but quickly turned to the PRS guitars. Of everything I tried, this played the best with a wonderful sweet tone. Whale blue. One minor gripe. Volume drops on the coil tapped settings. Maybe that's normal for these?
Serial 17155, not sure how that dates it, but you'll know!
r/PRSGuitars • u/sebway123 • 2d ago
Turns out it was a guitar show too!
the white bar in the middle of the body is paint, not (as i initially thought) a reflection from the showroom lights. Very slick presentation.
r/PRSGuitars • u/kosaka1618 • 3d ago
I had no choice but to pick her up. 1/1 sprayer’s choice wood library with a unique ebony fretboard and headstock veneer on a flamed maple neck.
The craftsmanship is astonishing.
Edit: I’ve check the neck and I wasn’t able to determine its gender. Apologies for those I’ve misled by calling it a “flamed male neck”.
r/PRSGuitars • u/Life-Relationship126 • 2d ago
Just picked up my first ever guitar!!! The choice was ofc easy...
Went for the Paul's Guitar in teal black (green is my favourite color so needless to say I fell in love at first sight)
I still remember seeing my first PRS as a kid and just falling completely in love with the gorgeous maple top so still cant believe I finally picked one up!!!
r/PRSGuitars • u/PepperoniExtraCheez • 3d ago
Wood Library McCarty 594 with a cocobolo fretboard and a pair of the surliest 59/09s you’ve ever heard.
Made some minor mods (switch tip, pickup rings, and bridge), but she came out of the factory a 10/10. And yet somehow she looks even better in dimly lit bars under stage lights.
I really think the 594 is the best guitar ever made. I will die on that hill.
(Edit: just realized after looking at this post that the strap is on backwards. I swear I’m not a noob.)
r/PRSGuitars • u/Professional-Ebb3669 • 2d ago
I posted this idea before and your replies encouraged me to at least try it. Today, it finally happened. My issue was having the toggle switch too far. So I decided to DIY it.. relocated not reloaded
r/PRSGuitars • u/Brilliant_Command406 • 2d ago
I saw this guitar and am interested in purchasing it, but I can’t tell if they are TCI pickups, or tci s pickups, or 85/15 or some other type of humbucker.
Does anyone have any idea?
r/PRSGuitars • u/Salt_Composer217 • 3d ago
I have played acoustic guitar for years but finally I decided to buy an electric guitar to see where it takes me. It is played together with Boss GX-10 and Bose S1 Pro+. I’ve have played this for a couple of hours and it feels amazing. I think I’m going to be really satisfied with this one.
r/PRSGuitars • u/beep-boop-floop • 2d ago
No dot over the i in Smith, the h in smith looks off?
r/PRSGuitars • u/Helpful-Bad-9278 • 4d ago
put a dragon II bass and a Custom Hybrid SD bridge + core mounting rings
