Paul Reed Smith Guitars is proud to add the P22,
the company’s first piezo-equipped solidbody guitar, to its 2012
lineup. The P22 comes standard with a figured maple top, mahogany back,
mahogany neck with a 22 fret rosewood fingerboard, and a redesigned
PRS/LR Baggs piezo system. PRS and LR Baggs partnered more than a decade
ago to design the piezo system found in PRS’s popular hollowbody
models. This new system retains the same circuit design as the original,
giving the P22 the same tonal authenticity and real world practicality
as PRS hollowbody guitars. The redesign of the board itself yielded a
version that is more than 60% smaller than the original PRS/LR Baggs
system, allowing it to comfortably inhabit a solidbody guitar. Uncovered
53/10 pickups round out this guitar’s specifications and help define
the P22’s voice.
“I have recorded and mixed hundreds and hundreds of acoustic guitars,
including mixing both live and studio cuts, and I have never heard a
more musical, more natural sound from an acoustic pickup system. If that
had been the only thing special about the guitar I would have been
excited, but then to hear the electric tones it creates - I was blown
away,” said Grammy Award-winning Producer and Engineer Don McCollister after a recording session with the P22.
Piezo systems have long allowed guitarists the versatility of
wielding both acoustic and electric guitar tones in one instrument. The
PRS Hollowbody II and Singlecut Hollowbody II
both come standard with a PRS/LR Baggs piezo and have achieved a great
level of popularity in PRS Guitars’ product line. The addition of a
solidbody model will give musicians a new and unique tool to add to
their own lineup.
“The ability to blend in an acoustic sound along with whatever
electric tone you are recording would be a game changer in certain
situations. I noticed that it really helped the notes ring clearly
through the haze, which is a tough thing to accomplish in a complex mix
sometimes. I could see it becoming my go-to session guitar, and I’ll be
one of the first in line when it comes out!,” continued McCollister.
After nearly a year of work from concept to completion, the P22 guitar will begin shipping in the first quarter of 2012.
©2009 - 2010 Fred Russell Publishing, All Rights Reserved. This article can not be used without permission from the Author. To Contact the Author email curt@RockHouseMethod.com
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