John McLaughlin’s irrepressible guitar playing has been a focal point of innovation since the 60s Whether in electric jazz with Tony Williams or Miles Davis, inventing fusion with the Mahavishnu Orchestra, improvising Indian music with Shakti, or shredding with Paco de Lucía and Al Di Meola, his playing is always fiery, inventive, and uncompromising.
His contribution to the world of guitar music has finally been honored with his own signature model.
The “Private Stock” instruments from American manufacturer Paul Reed Smith are among the most sought-after modern electric guitars around. Manufactured in Stevensville, Maryland USA, these electric guitars are made from the finest woods you could wish for. The John McLaughlin model exemplifies the quality of the Private Stock series.
The body is made of solid one-piece mahogany. The top, made of incredibe flamed maple, features PRS’s trademark carved arches that support the maple’s three-dimensional look.
For the neck PRS uses Hormigo wood. This is gaining popularity as a tonewood. The grain is reminiscent of rosewood, the coloring is lighter in contrast to rosewood. The pores of the unvarnished neck were sealed by hand using a special technique.
African Blackwood is used as the fingerboard. This rare wood impresses with a very dense surface and its deep black coloration. The wood also has an unparalleled resistance to wear and tear. Because of the distinct rarity, PRS uses this wood very rarely.
The sophisticated inlays on the fingerboard and headstock are made of abalone and “crushed opal”.
John McLaughlin decided to use two mini humbuckers, which were wound according to PRS’s “TCI” (Tuned Capacitance and Inductance) technique. This system allows fine tuning of the pickup to each individual guitar. This way you can be sure that the pickups transmit the resonance and liveliness of the instrument in the best possible way.
The two mini-switches function as high-pass filters per pickup. In the activated position, the sound is particularly bright and wiry. The sound is almost reminiscent of a single coil, but the noise-canceling function of the humbucker remains.
