For your consideration is this stunning 2020 Paul Reed Smith (PRS) Paul's Guitar. This guitar comes from the collection of a local player and good friend who keeps his guitars in immaculate condition. This instrument is complete with all original case candy and paperwork. Looking beyond the immaculate workmanship, we are very taken with PRS "TCI" pickups and their ability to satisfy both power users and single coil aficionados.
This 2020 Paul's Guitar features:
Mahogany body with flame maple 10-top - 7.4 pounds
Mahogany neck with rosewood fretboard
Brushstroke Bird Inlays
Pattern neck profile
25" scale, 1-11/16 width at the nut
Compensated stoptail bridge
Paul Reed Smith TCI (tuned capacitance and inductance) pickups
Volume and tone controls with individual coil splits
Open Gear Phase III locking tuners
PRS hardshell case
All paperwork and manuals
PRS guitars have always set themselves apart from the crowd by combining impeccable workmanship, great ergonomics, and exceptional playing quality. This pristine 2020 Paul's Guitar is no exception: The relatively slim "pattern" neck profile is just the right size for anyone short of Iron Man, high fret access is unimpeded, and even un-plugged the guitar has a solid acoustic ring with great sustain. And at only seven pounds, it's easy on your back but balances nicely.
While PRS guitars gained quite a following with hard rockers and emo bands in the 90's and 2000's, the PRS Paul's Guitar is quite a departure from the days of dense crunch, Nickleback and Creed. The TCI pickups have a compact profile, much like a min-humbucker and Paul Reed Smith bills them as a Soapbar-like in humbucker mode, and a true single coil in split mode. Call them what you will; we call them pretty great. In humbucking mode they do have that chunky punch of a good P-90, but with a cleaner midrange and superb note definition. The clarity and punch is borderline Firebird pickup but a little more nuanced. And they really did their homework in single coil mode. Most coil splits are a poor imitation of a true single coil, often sounding metallic and one-dimensional. But the TCI split has nice top end sparkle with enough warmth and character to make them much more than some gimmick. And the ability to split the top and bottom individually opens up a range options for blending. When it comes to "innovation" lots of guitar builders drink their own Kool-Aid. But the TCI pickups hit us as real improvement, combining the power and gravitas of a humbucker when you need it, and the sensitivity and clarity of a single coil when you don't
From their entry into the guitar world in the mid-eighties, PRS has earned its place at the table as one of America's top guitar brands. Favored by performers, collectors and serious enthusiasts, the PRS Paul's Guitar earns our unsolicited endorsement as our favorite PRS.