PRS Acoustics: The Rosettes

While many people are familiar with PRS as an electric guitar manufacturer, few are aware of a small acoustic shop we’ve tucked above our main electric production floor. Nestled in this secluded area within our Maryland factory, 10 luthiers build boutique heirloom-quality acoustic guitars in small batch runs.

These trained craftsman spend between 70-100 hours of hand work on each guitar, striving for perfection across every component of the instrument. From the scalloped bracing to the dovetail neck joints to the individually planed tops, every detail is meticulously crafted so the musician will get the most out of each note when the instrument is in their hands.

This month, the team has been working on a run of unique acoustics called the “Rosettes.” Each guitar will feature a different selection of woods, but will share one of two uniquely shaped rosette patterns, the Offset or the The Three Circle. To tie the guitar together aesthetically, the rosette, the Eagle on the headstock, and the fretboard birds will share the same inlayed species of wood.

With these instruments, the PRS acoustic team aimed to build organic and natural sounding acoustics with artful interpretations of a rosette. We believe the team hit the mark with these wonderfully crafted instruments.

Each guitar built with these unique rosettes will be constructed with a different combination of woods. However, below are the specifications for the acoustics pictured above.

Offset
Private Stock #5530

Model: Angelus Cutaway
Neck wood: Peruvian mahogany
Fingerboard wood: Ebony
Top wood: Torrified Adirondack Spruce with curly maple binding and paua purfling
Back &side woods: Koa with curly maple binding and paua purfling
Headstock Veneer wood: Koa
Neck Carve: Wide
Side Dots: Mother of pearl
Color / Stain: Natural
Fingerboard inlays: Amboyna Burl birds with mother of pearl outlines and purfling
Headstock veneer: Amboyna Burl Private Stock eagle with mother of pearl outline and purfling
Rosette: Amboyna Burl “off-set” rosette
Finish type: High gloss nitro
Electronics- Fishman Matrix
Hardware: Ebony bridge and pins with mother of pearl dot inlays and gold Gotoh tuning pegs with ebony buttons
Case type: Ameritage Acoustic
Specials: Natural high gloss nitro finish, amboyna burl bird inlays with mother of pearl outlines, paua purfling along the top, back and sides, mother of pearl purfling along the fingerboard and headstock veneer, curly maple binding along the body as well as an adjustable truss rod.

Three Circle
Private Stock # 5534

Model: Angelus Cutaway
Neck wood: Peruvian mahogany
Fingerboard wood: Ebony
Top wood: European Spruce with koa binding and black/koa/black purfling
Back &side woods: Madagascar rosewood with koa binding and black, koa, black purfling
Headstock Veneer wood: Madagascar rosewood
Neck Carve: Wide
Side Dots: Mother of pearl
Color / Stain: Natural
Fingerboard inlays: Koa birds with mother of pearl outlines and purfling
Headstock veneer: Koa Private Stock eagle with mother of pearl outline and purfling
Rosette: Curly maple / koa “Three Circle”
Finish type: High gloss nitro
Electronics: Fishman Matrix
Hardware: Ebony bridge and pins with mother of pearl dot inlays and gold Gotoh tuning pegs with ebony buttons
Case type: Ameritage Acoustic
Specials: Natural high gloss nitro finish, koa bird inlays with mother of pearl outlines, mother of pearl purfling along the fingerboard and headstock veneer, black, koa, black purfling along the top, back and sides, koa binding along the body, mother of pearl side dots as well as an adjustable truss rod.

To see more PRS Acoustics, click here!