Paul Reed Smith Guitars 20th Anniversary Singlecut

Mine is a beautiful Goldtop one with natural mahogany back. I purchased it brand new a month ago from a collector. It has two volume and two tone knobs and 2 No #7 humbuckers and a graphite nut. It has the PRS stoptail bridge and everything is very well placed and easily accessible. The tuners are like old Klusons which actually keep the intonation at very good levels since I bend strings a lot and the thing does not come out of tune. It has a mahogany neck with Brazilian rosewood fingerboard and a very nice mother of pearl "birds in flight" pattern. Everything is perfect as far as construction is concerned. The only thing that could be added is a coil tap. At this price level PRS could provide us with something "extra". Otherwise is a perfect guitar.

The sound is a dream come true... I have tried many humbucking guitars searching this mellow fat sustaining tone and I finally found it. Actually, I used to have a Gibson Les Paul Standard at home and there is simply no comparison. The tone of these pickups is extraordinary. Even at the neck pickup with the tone at 0 and my amp at high gain the notes are very distinguished. There is no messing between them...very refined pickups. I think the best humbuckers PRS ever produced. The body resonance is out of this world. Even when I strum a single note acoustically and place my palm on the back of the guitar, I can feel that the body resonates. The wood is alive...I have never ever felt a guitar body singing like this...well done PRS

The factory set-up was immaculate. The guitar does not need anything changed...Maybe the only mass production guitar company that takes so much care at setting up its instruments (at least at this category)The pickups are perfectly adjusted. I took this baby to my guitar tech for a control, and he returned it to me in 5 minutes saying that there was nothing to be adjusted.
The action is not the lowest one but it is sooo very easy to play. The wide fat neck (although intimidating for some) is very easy and friendly. Bends and Vibrato come out naturally with no effort, just fantastic!!! The perfect guitar for blues and vintage rock.
I would not trade it for the world!!!

The guitar has a solid-like-rock construction and I do not believe that anything will ever happen to it... These instruments are built to last. I would not hesitate to gig without backup. This monster can handle anything. I will pass the instrument to my children and my grandchildren...I am sure of it.

Never had to deal with them.

I have been playing for 18 years now and I have come across many instruments in my life since in my home everyone is playing the guitar... I have tried USA Strats a rare Ultra, Deluxes and Standards, USA Jacksons Custom Shop, Gibson Les Pauls and Doublecuts, Ibanez Satriani, etc... I cannot compare the feeling of this guitar with anything else. It is in a league of its own. I found a new inspiration with this instrument. It is just so amazing. Please do yourself a favour and try one (if you can find of course). In case the opportunity appears do not spend a moment.
If stolen, I would spend a fortune just to find an other one (and castrate the thief)

- Gold Top, 4 knob setup.. not the Mcarty setup.
- Thick Gloss finish.
- Crappy looking Kluson tuners that work quite well. I'm working the strings in but the tuners don't seem to budge. I'd have prefered PRS locking over the vintage look though.
- The finest looking Mahogany I've ever seen...
The knobs are set up differently than other dual-H guitars but they make sense. Both volumes are on the top, Neck in front of bridge. It'll take a bit to get used to.

Sorry, I can't give it a 10 for features because it's laid out pretty simply.. like a Les Paul. That doesn't dimish the quality a bit though.

The PRS 7 pickups have great tone. I couldn't be happier. I have no intention of messing with the electronics. The harmonics jump out at you, more so than any of my other guitars including the RS series Ibanez with the Infinity series pickups. The neck is very warm but it's easy to muddy up the tone, I keep the tone knob open with all my setups (fender, Kustom amps and digital emulators).
This guitar has sustain for days. It's really quite amazing. I feel like Nigel Tuffnel in Spinal Tap.. you can almost hold the guitar up without playing it and still hear the sustain. I can hit a note or strum a chord when I'm NOT amplified and it just rings and rings. I suspect the single piece back helps.
I went in looking for a Les Paul for that full beefy tone but I'm never happy with the heft or the balance not to mention the neck shape. The PRS has all the tone in a MUCH nicer setup for me.

I've always been torn about the Gold Top Les Pauls. They are classics but I'm a sucker for beautiful wood and Gold in general isn't my color. I'd have liked a flame top but the Gold Top was about $1000 USD cheaper and I really like it. When you've got it slung in a strap the guitar is beautiful but kind of subdued. It's not like you're wearing an neon sign.

Overall, finish stands out from a Gibson by a mile. I've always wanted a real Gibson Les Paul since I've been a kid but I've only played a couple that I've really liked and they were broken in and not for sale. I went really looking for a Les Paul (or something similar) and the PRS is pretty much exactly what I wanted though I had intended to spend less. Most of the new Gibsons I've played have some issue that I don't expect from an expensive American guitar. I liked one Les Paul the day I bought the PRS but the NitroCellulose laquer was all cracked away around the fret wire ends. What the Hell?
The finish on the PRS has some incredibly minor flaws where the gold finish ends in the lower horn. a little gold paint sipped under the tape. You don't see it unless you look for it, they are literally specks of paint but I've gone over every inch of the guitar.
Otherwise, the finish is absolutely gorgeous. I wonder why they don't offer the same guitar with no stain, the Maple seems to have nice grain from the side. I'm sure it's not book-matched AAA flame but I bet it's pretty.
The Mahogony is absolutely beautiful. The mahogany neck and body almost glow with a red warmth.
The heavy gloss is even and smooth. I was surprised it doesn't drag on your skin.. I typically like satin necks but this one is great.

I do have one gripe. I lowered the action a bit though not as much as I'd like and I get a little buzz on the lower frets of String 1. The nut may have been notched a bit low on the small E. Given the money I've dropped already I might as well bring it into a good luthier for a new bone/graphite nut or a fret polish.. depending on what the problem is. Otherwise the neck was fine from the factory.. straight with well filed edges and smooth crowns. It's actually perfectly playable now but it's not PERFECT. The current minor buzz is typically only noticable when playing a harmonic.

The Kluson tuners seem cheap but they are made well. They seem to hold up fine even though I like to bend strings a lot.
The guitar is otherwise built like a rock. It's more sturdy than any other guitar I've owned.
I've known people who have knocked their guitars off stands and had the neck shatter. I can't imagine this thing breaking if I dropped it from chest height.
The hardware is big and beefy... the wrap around tail must weigh a pound.

haven't tried.

I've been looking for a mahogany/maple Les Paul style guitar for a long time. I spent over 4 hours playing everything in Guitar Center the day I bought the PRS and nothing clicked until I tried this and a Used Peavey Signature (flame maple on Bass I believe). I'd have probably bought the Peavy for half the price (it still had the protective plastic sheet on it) except it had the worst fret job I've ever seen (edges worse than my $99 import Dean) and the Peavy didn't have the tone and sustain of a Les Paul or PRS even though it otherwise played beautifully.

The PRS is everything I've wanted. I've got the Les Paul single cut style I love but I don't have the things I hate about Gibson. The build quality is MUCH superior to something like a Studio or Standard though the price is a bit more. The GoldTop PRS is less than the higher end Gibsons though.
The Tone is all there with a neck that was much more comefortable for me to play. I just don't like baseball necks. The PRS is closer to a 60's Gibson, maybe thinner. I just like the PRS profile more. Did I mention the Tone?!? The PRS single cut really is a work of art.

Single cut 20th Anni. ONE PIECE flame top! Trans. Amber finish. PRS #7 pickups

I have only 2 beefs with this guitar 1) No coil tap- At this price it should not be a thing to have the McCarty push/pull to add to the versatility of tone. 2) I HATE Kluson style tuners. The guitar would be better served by the PRS locking tuners, in my opinion the best you can buy. The Klusons stay in tune well for klusons, but not like the locking tuners and the locking tuners make string changes much quicker.

At $1000 these issues would be no big thing, but at close to $3000.. well... -2 points

This is hands down the BEST sounding electric guitar I have ever played. The pickups are FAT and clear.. pure, pure tone that sounds amazing at any volume or gain level. Slightly less hot than a Dragon II, but sounds better. The natural over tones produced make up for a lack of gain and the guitar sounds bigger and heavier than my PRS C24s do.

I can't say enough positive about the sound of this guitar.. it is awe inspiring. I intend to get #7 pickups to put in my McCartys, they sound SO, SO good.

Factory set up was good, I lowered the action to an INSANE level and still no buzz... Wow.

BEAUTIFUL finish.. Trans amber over a ONE PIECE flame top.. the flame is very 'alive' and changes with the viewing angle.

Construction is amazing.. super solid even for a PRS, which are practicallu bullet proof to begin with.

I can't imagine anything short of a .357 magnum being able to cause real damage to this guitar. I have total faith in the components. A+.

If I could only take one guitar to a gig, this would be it.

I have dealt with PRS before and they have been prompt and helpful. No issues.

This may be the perfect guitar.

I have 10 PRS guitars (4 C24s, 3 C22s, 2 McCartys and this one), 3 Gretsch, a Les Paul, a Strat, couple Deans.. around 25 or 30 guitars all together. This puts them all to shame. As stated before my only beefs are the klusons and lack of coil tap, even so I wouldn't trade this guitar for the world.

20th ann singlecut w/ killer trans black quilt top. No. 7 p-ups

Very big and warm sounding but w/ a percussive quality to single notes not heard in most les pauls......and i've played MANY and still own 2 customs. My no.1 single cut! The p-ups on this are also some of the best i've heard and I won't be changing them anytime soon. For classic rock to metal this is a premier singlecut axe you should plug in before going to the les paul section.

As w/ any PRS guitar i've boughten it dropped my jaw right out of the box. THe quilt top is what you'd expect from an artist package.....very 3-D!

I definitely don't want to bang up this beauty....but it's built so well it can some abuse.

PRS returns my e-mails promptly; ussually w/ in 2 days. Very helpfull regarding any questions and concerns

Played through my VHT pittbull and mesa mk4 this guitar always puts a big smile on my face. Clear, warm, full and w/ harmonics galore, this bad boy has made the old L.P.'s collect dust

This is just a quick follow-up to my first post.
I find that the included tuning-pegs are solid and very stable, but the ugly, green plastic the knobs are made from looks uglier and uglier every time I look at them. This is really a poor decision on PRS's part. They also used a very unusual size so that it's almost impossible to replace these tuners.

I (and I'm sure others) would really like the same tuners to come in black (or even ebony - I mean, C'mon, it was a $3000 guitar!).

I felt this would be an important point to address; I've heard many others say the same thing.

The Singlecut is still my all-time favourite guitar. I'd still recommend it to anyone looking for a high-end, nearly flawless, lifetime-keeper guitar. Just look at those pegs first.

2006 PRS Singlecut 20th Anniversary Model in McCarty Sunburst. Beautifully Bookmatched Top. Solid Mahoghany Back & Solid Maple Top. 2 Volume, 2 Tone Setup & 3 way selector switch. Nickel hardware, #7 Humbuckers, Kluson style Tuners, PRS Stoptail/Bridge. 20th Anniversary abalone "Birds in Flight" inlay & a sturdy Black tolex case. Natural binding around guitar body. Everything on this guitar is top notch.

I play Hard Rock, Blues & Top 40 oldies. I love the sound of this guitar. Particularly the #7 pickups. You can go from a heavy Crunch to very solid midrange, and surprising cleans. These are nicely balanced pups. the sustain is really unbelievable. "Can you get a Les Paul sound out of that guitar?" Many people ask this about the new PRS Singlecut, and the answer is absolutely! Some people on HC will try to tell you differently, but when you look at thier gear lists: 2002 Les Paul Standard with Duncan JB's in the Bridge, Duncan 59's in the neck. So the "Mystique" of the Gibson Les Paul sound is replacement pickups from Seymour Duncan? Heh. But honestly, if you playing in a working band, pickup changes should not be that big a deal. The PRS #7's running through a Mesa will do almost any sound you want, and do it well.

The finish was flawless, frets were perfectly dressed. The action on any guitar is subjective, but worked nicely for my style when I received it. The intonation was perfect. The top is nice & flamey, and very evenly bookmatched, but not a marked 10 Top.

I gig with this guitar a lot, it is my #1 guitar. Also use it for writing & recording. Do I trust the Strap buttons? Outside of a set of Strap Locks, PRS makes the best Strap buttons in the business. Few would argue this point. I always bring a backup to a gig, because you never know what could happen. Not orried when playing, this PRS is definately dependable.

I've had excellent customer service from PRS. I placed a call last week, and I got a call back within 10 minutes. They have always been very helpful with everything I've asked about over the years. Jim Cullen is a great guy to talk to when you have questions. In contrast to Gibson - "Uhh..well..I don't know that, but I can check, can you call me back in a day or 2?"

I've been playing for 22 years. I currently play a PRS Singlecut 20th Anniverary & a Gibson '61 reissue. I am currently playing through a Mesa Rectifier Combo. I've owned numerous guitars Les Pauls, SGs, PRS, Heritage, etc. This PRS Singlecut is replacing a Les Paul Standard that didn't have the neck speed or feel of the PRS Singlecut, or the build quality. The PRS gives me the sound, tone & feel I want. If it were lost or stolen I would definately replace it with another Singlecut 20th Anniversary, no questions asked. If I coundn't find another 20th Anniversary, I'd get a regular Singlecut. Not going to deduct any points from this guitar, because I haven't found any faults, or things that could be improved. It's a great guitar.

Flamed maple top finished in gorgeous McCarty SB, single cutaway,
blade edge tremelo, locking Phase II tuners, Wide fat neck carve,
McCarty electronics package with pull/push coil tap on tone pot,
3 way toggle, PRS #6 bass & treble pickups.

I play rockabilly to heavy metal and everything in between. It would be unfair to say it sounds like a cross between a Gibson SG and a Les Paul,
it has it's own vibe, rich full singing distortion and crystalline cleans! I play through all tube amps, Fender Blues RI and a Mesa Boogie RoadKing with a 4X12 cab. In any configuration, this axe delivers! It's a nice compromize for anyone who loves the LP shape but hates the weight! With split coil tap, you can roll back the tone to get a jazzy, bluesy vibe.

The factory setup was as expected in an instrument of this class, except I prefer medium to low action so i'll have to make a minor tweak to get it just so. Otherwise, outstanding; the top although not labeled as a "10 top" looks just as good as my other 10s; Bookmatched perfectly! The pickups were adjusted perfectly, every component was absolutely flawless!

The PRS finish is not only beautiful but tough! Every detail on these guitars are made to last, even gigging them regularly as I do, with proper care should last a lifetime +! Rock solid reliability! I always bring a backup in case a string breaks, rarely need to switch though. At a recent outdoor gig, it sat in the sun for a while, stayed in tune perfectly all the way to the end!

Never had a reason to contact them.

I've been playing 30yrs, currently own Gibson LPs, Fender Strats, Parker Flys to name a few. Each has its own virtues and are within similar price range, however, PRS is the only guitar manufacturer that I feel completely comfortable purchasing without trying first! If lost, I'd replace it immediately! Quality through and through!

I bought this brand new from Willcutt Guitars in KY. I ordered over the phone. It is a 20th Ann. Whale Blue 10 top stop tail. The 10 top is one of the best that Willcutts had seen without having an Artist grade top. It is highly flamed. I have the stop tail, so the controls and knobs work like a Les Paul. The tone knobs really do change the sound of the guitar nicely. I get anywhere from smooth jazzy tones to bright rock and roll.

I play blues, jazz, and rock. I play through a Marshall Mode Four and a Fender TWIN amp. Tons of effects. I really do like the pickups in this guitar. I used to HATE the sound of a PRS guitar. I said they were too nasily sounding. However, they are very versatile. Beautifull clean tones and nasty power chords. The solos cut through better than any guitar I own.

This guitar was setup perfectly. If I could give this a mark of 20, I would. The action is perfect. It's my first stoptail, so I don't have any experience with these, although I have found nothing in the way it was adjusted to make to me change it. The top is the best thing about this guitar. When I saw it, I had to have it. It is truly a very nice piece of wood.

I have only had this guitar for 2 months now. I have played it, but very carefully. Durability is not an issue with me with a $2600 guitar. I baby this guitar. I used to think PRS was all hype. No way could a guitar be that good to warrant that price tag. I was wrong. PRS is leagues ahead of the competition. Everything is so nice, the sound, finish, flamed top, pickups, setup, etc. So nice, that I have another PRS on the way.

I have dealt with PRS. Not about this guitar though. I have contacted them many times about the order time on my guitar that I am waiting on. They always update me then or call me back when they get an answer. They are easy to get in touch with. I anticipate no problems in this area.

Of course a 10. This is hands down the best guitar I own or have played. Sorry Gibson, I was going to buy a Les Paul until I played one and then played a PRS. You are in a totally different ballpark.

2006 20th Anniversary Singlecut Trem .What sets this apart from a stock SCT is it has special 20th anniv birds and control knobs .Everything else is the same as a stock SCT .I ordered it in Dec 05 and it came June 06 .Mine is Black w/PRS #6 pickups ,push/pull coil tap,3 way toggle and prs tremolo .PRS offered 20th anniv cosmetics on a few of other models but only for guitars ordered in 05' .

I play classic rock ,top 40 ,and country .It's great for my needs .I own and have owned many different PRS guitars .In my opinion this is a very different animal in relation to the customs and the regular singlecut .Covers the whole spectrum of sounds ,big humbucker sounds,and single coil tele/strat sounds .The tone knob is very sensitive on this guitar.Initially I thought the pickups were too bright but once I dialed back some of the highs it sounded great .The highs are useful though for clean sounds .One of my favorite setting is with the coil tap up,toggle set to the neck p/u ,with tone control full on, with a dirty amp setting.You can get almost spot on Stevie ray fat strat tones .very cool ! Tone options in this guitar are endless ,you won't be dissapointed .

Guitar set up ,fit and finish were flawless.this is a PRS Trademark .

I've own many PRS guitars ,they're built to last a lifetime with proper care and maintenace .

Never needed major support with any of my PRS guitars .As with most companies they prefer you deal with your local dealer .Over the years I had one or two minor issues and my local dealer handled it .I recently emailed PRS and did get a timely response .

I've been playing for 25+ yrs and consider myself a part time pro .I still love my teles and strats but for my money PRS are the best guitars out there . I know they're not cheap but I think they make a superior product .

This is a review of the PRS 20th Anniversary Singlecut. Mine has the "Artists" Upgrade (better woods, nicer top, gold hardware.) It also comes with a "20th" inlaid truss-rod cover. The Singlecut has two PRS #7 humbucking pickups (clear, powerful transducers with a moderately vintage vibe). Each pickup has its own Volume and Tone controls. The bridge is the non-ajustable wrap-arpund type found on most of their guitars. 22 frets, carved flame-maple top, honduras mahogany body and neck, with a Brazzilian Rosewood fretboard. The frets are beautifully finished. My Singlecut came with a beautiful Violin/Tri-colour finish. The neck's wide and fat with a strong "C" shape. Non-locking tuners, 25" scale, and came with a nice case.

This is always a difficult category - it has all the features I want on a guitar, but there are other bells and whistles they could have added (although I'm glad they didn't) so I'm going to give this a 9.

Unbelievably beautiful tones! It chimes, rings and sings, but it can also growl, scream and cry! Everything I've played with this sounds glorious!

I mostly play Blues, Jazz and "Classic" Rock and I've never had a guitar that was so easy and inspiring. The sustain is beyond anything I've ever encountered - chords ring out forever, single notes soar, and with both the harmonics "evolve" as it rings out. I often just hit a chord to listen to it fade out. Sheer joy!

I'm playing it mostly through an Allen Accomplice (allenamps.com) and they're just great together. For heavy distortion I run it through a heavily modified Firefly (ax84.com) and the tones are a recording engineer's dream. Everything from warm-clean to "just breaking-up" growl to screaming harmonics and heavy, heavy chugging. I useually use the middle pickup setting (both Pickups) and vary the volumes and tones to my liking (I leave my amp with a higher gain setting and just use my guitar's controls for the rest) This is, by FAR, the best guitar for this sort of playing.

I puchased mine through Elderly's Music. When it arrived it was set up flawlessly. I tuned the strings once and haven't needed to re-tune since. I would really like to stress that this is the ONLY guitar I've ever owned that has perfect intonation all up and down the fretboard. I don't know how they managed that, but what a joy! The action is semi-low without bottoming out, the pickups sound so good that I know I won't be adjusting them any time soon. The wheight and distribution are perfect. The flames match up perfectly.

The finish of the guitar is absolutely top-notch. Not a single qualm with any of it - the natural binding is flawless and crisp with no bleeding or uneveness; the violin/tri-colour burst is also without flaw. The neck finish is thick, but not sticky and the birds inlaid in the fretboard are neat and clean and un-forced.

I've been wanting a PRS for 20 years ever since I heard an incident with Carlos Santana: He was flying by helicopter away from a gig somewhere when his new custom-ordered PRS (in its case) fell out of the helicopter and plummeted (he estimated) 50 feet. When they recovered the guitar they found that not only had it suvived the fall, but was still in tune! After that I wanted one.

This is the best put-together I've ever played. Like my friends' PRS's, I expect mine to last the rest of my life. The best guitar I've ever played. Period.

No idea.

I've been playing for 30 years, 22 of them professionally. I've had great (and not so great) guitars over the years from Fender, Gibson, Godin, Gretsch, Epiphone, Steinberger, and more. Now all I have is a nice Strat, a nice Tele and now a Faboo PRS! This guitar is miles above anything I've so far owned. I kick myself for not biting the bullet earlier and springing for a PRS - all the other guitars I've bought I was hoping to come close to this Singlecut, but all pales in comparison. I've purchased extra insurance so that if it ever gets stolen or damaged I can get another, but I sure hope that won't happen.

Honestly I can't think of a single negative about this guitar. Maybe the price, but you get what you pay for.