PRS Paul Reed Smith Myles Kennedy Guitar, Maple Fingerboard, Antique Natural

PLAYER'S PERSPECTIVE

We're excited to add these stellar new Myles Kennedy signature guitars to our PRS arsenal! Along with its release-day sibling, the NF 53, the Myles Kennedy is one of PRS' two interpretations of the vintage T-style guitar. After the release of the Silver Sky, their take on this classic design was long-awaited, and it's finally here!

It starts with the classic tonal combination of a swamp ash body and a maple neck and fretboard. Already, along with a 25.5" scale length and the brass saddle-equipped bridge, this guitar resonates with plenty of signature snap and clarity. But then, you get to the incredible-sounding Narrowfield MK pickups, which truly blew us away!

These pickups are similar in tonal signature to the standard Narrowfield pickups found on models like the Paul's Guitar, Studio, and Special Semi-Hollow - almost like a super fat single-coil, but without the hum. This special "MK" wind is a little different, though, with more of a punchy voicing reminiscent of the best of 1950s axes - almost a cross between T-style single-coils and a roaring P90 or PAF humbucker. They're absolutely immense and perfect for both vintage twang as well as Myles' harder-edged rock styles. That's not all, though - this one has a 5-way switch that allows splitting to the inner coils in position 2/4, as well as a tone roll-off on the push-pull that makes the bridge pickup sound darker and fatter. We theorize that, with Myles playing so many different PRS guitars over the years, he wanted to incorporate some of the functionality of axes like the Custom 22 and 24 into the electronics configuration. It seems like Myles really aimed to cover all the bases with this guitar, and he and PRS succeeded! 

Add awesome features like locking tuners, a lightning-fast satin-finished neck that has a good amount of vintage thickness and heft but remains smooth and silky like all PRS neck profiles do, and tasteful aesthetic appointments, this is a signature guitar that truly rocks and looks great doing it. It's the perfect working musicians' tool - so many sounds and tonal possibilities in one guitar, with a familiar vintage-style feel and look.

Details

Introducing Myles Kennedy’s first signature model. Known for his work in Alter Bridge, Slash and the Conspirators, and his own solo recordings, Kennedy is an accomplished guitarist who brings blues and jazz style to rock guitar playing. This new signature model mirrors Kennedy’s rock sensibilities with a nod to historic designs. While the aesthetic may have players hearing chicken pickin’ in their heads – and this guitar can certainly reach twang territory – it is made to play like a rock machine.

“This guitar captures the spirit of my favorite older instruments. With that said, since we developed this guitar, most of my vintage instruments rarely see the light of day,” said Kennedy.

The PRS Myles Kennedy signature guitar features a swamp ash body, a 22-fret, 25.5” scale length maple neck with maple fretboard, and two PRS Narrowfield MK pickups. The PRS Narrowfield MK pickups were carefully voiced to capture the courage of humbuckers and the spank of single coils. PRS Narrowfields provided the perfect starting point for this design, with their ability to deliver thick single-coil sounds without the hum. These pickups are paired with a 5-way blade switch and a push/pull tone control that acts as a preset tone roll- off, bringing down the higher frequencies on the treble pickup so you can dig in to the fullest.

“I watched Myles throughout his career alternate between humbucking and single coil sounds without giving anything up on either side. These pickups took us months to dial in, and I think they capture that balance that Myles mastered beautifully,” said Paul Reed Smith.

Other features include a PRS plate-style steel bridge, vintage-style locking tuners, bone nut, and Kennedy’s “Geometric Owl” logo from his “Ides of March” solo release, representing wisdom and adaptability.

“I feel like we managed to touch on the elusive quality that makes you want to play with this guitar. It beckons you to take it off the wall or out of the case and make music.” – Myles Kennedy