(STEVENSVILLE, Md.) November 12, 2024 – PRS Guitars today announced the kickoff to the celebration of their 40th anniversary – which is officially in 2025 – with the announcement of two limited-edition models: PRS Private Stock 40th Anniversary McCarty Dragon and PRS 40th Anniversary Custom 24.
PRS Private Stock 40th Anniversary McCarty Dragon
The PRS Private Stock 40th Anniversary McCarty Dragon is the tenth Dragon since the first of its kind was introduced back in 1992. The Dragon art was drawn by Jeff Easley, a fantasy artist famous for many Dungeons & Dragons rulebook covers, and recreated as inlay by the team at Aulson Inlay. The Dragon comprises more than 200 pieces of inlay in an array of materials, including Blue Pacific Opal, Brown Scale Juma, and Gold, Black, White, and Brown Mother of Pearl. The inlay extends onto the truss rod cover and visually leaps off the pale moon ebony fretboard. The Private Stock Eagle inlaid on the headstock is made from Black with Gold Web and outlined in Gold Mother of Pearl. Only 165 Private Stock 40th Anniversary Dragon models will be made.
“When I was a teenager, I had a dream about a guitar with a dragon inlaid down the neck. That dream has since become an important part of our history. For our 40th anniversary, we have chosen a McCarty model as the foundation of the Dragon, which is only fitting considering the original 1992 Dragon was the beginning of what would became the McCarty model. I’m proud to bring these two, now-historic, PRS designs together,” said PRS Guitars Founder & Managing General Partner, Paul Reed Smith.
PRS 40th Anniversary Custom 24
Limited to 400 pieces worldwide, this special edition features both new appointments and traditional design features. Debuting on these guitars are the all-new PRS DMO (Dynamic, Musical, Open) Treble and Bass pickups. Paul Reed Smith and the PRS New Products Engineering Team spec’d these new pickups based on years of hands-on research into coveted vintage pickup models and advancements in signal analyzation and “tuning” technology. PRS DMO pickups have a “wide open” sound with vocal character, meaning they deliver clear, pleasant-sounding tones across a wide range of frequencies (bass to treble) in each pickup.
PRS 40th Anniversary Custom 24 design specifications include an artist grade maple top with a retro violin top carve, PRS “Old School” birds with outlines and PRS “Pre-Factory” headstock eagle, all of which pay homage to early PRS guitars. Other classic Custom 24 appointments include the PRS Gen III patented tremolo, PRS Phase III locking tuners with wing buttons, and PRS Signature 10-46 strings. This limited edition also features a ziricote fretboard and headstock veneer and comes with a hand-signed 40th Anniversary certificate.
Beyond these initial announcements, PRS Guitars is planning a year full of new product introductions starting in January. Stay tuned to see new gear and 40th Anniversary limited-edition guitars throughout the year. Stay in the loop at www.prsguitars.com/40 and by following @prsguitars on Instagram, Tik Tok, Facebook, X, and YouTube.
