The CME Collection | PRS GUITARS
Truck on into CME to Soar Off with this Ultra-Rare Bird
When it comes to the wall space CME devotes to the premium guitars we have in-store, perhaps no premium guitar brand has gained as much real estate as PRS since CME got into the business of buying, selling, and trading guitars collectible and player-grade instruments over 30 years ago.
While CME has come to devote an entire wall to standard PRS lines, like the Core, SE, and S2 series—as well as a wide array of exclusive offerings from Wood Library and Private Stock—there’s one model we’ve never been able to get our hands on and play: the PRS Super Eagle. But, now, with the arrival of The CME Collection, we have two!
A Rare Sight to See
Founded by luthier Paul Reed Smith in 1985, the Maryland-based gearhead got his start in the guitar-building by crafting first-class, handmade electric guitars known for their distinctive styling and high-performance features.
While PRS has made a number of signature models for artists over the years—from Santana, Mark Tremonti, to Mark Lettieri—the PRS Private Stock “Super Eagle” was borne out of a close collaboration with Grammy-winning musician John Mayer, with the goal of creating a highly sophisticated and unique instrument, paying homage to the history of guitar-making tone while pushing the boundaries of materials, design, and craftsmanship.
Among the distinctive features and personalized specs Mayer and Smith chose for both special runs of the Custom Shop “Super Eagle” models include specially-wound 58/15 JM treble and bass pickups with a specially-wound Narrowfield JM pickup in the middle position (with three individual coil-tap mini-switches), which delivered a bright, clear tone heard in venues across the US in Mayer’s performances with Dead & Company throughout the band’s early tours. Additionally, both models feature:
- A longer (for PRS) scale length of 25.375”
- A JCF Audio preamp with treble boost
- A hand-signed sticker in the f-hole of the guitar that was designed by Mayer’s friend David Smith
PRS Super Eagle I Tobacco Smoked Burst Limited (1 of 100)
Among the other extraordinary guitars we acquired with The CME Collection, PRS Super Eagle I Tobacco Smoked Burst Limited (1 of 100) became available for order in March 2016 and sold out immediately, well before John took the stage with Dead & Company for the band’s 2016 tour with his Super Eagle I in hand, with which Mayer seemed to effortlessly channel the sounds of the Grateful Dead’s late, beloved guitar player, Jerry Garcia.
During Dead & Company’s tour in the summer of 2016, PRS made Mayer another version of the guitar, which the guitarist received before the end of the tour and played on the very last show, then continued to play throughout the entire 2017 tour the following year.
The PRS Super Eagle II Hemp Green Limited (1 of 120) is among this later batch made available to fans and collectors, featuring many of the same specifications but with updated woods—including a one-piece Private Stock curly maple back, African blackwood fingerboard and headstock veneer—as well as aesthetic appointments like the paua birds, and a green ripple abalone 12th-fret violin bird and Private Stock eagle.
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