Paul Reed Smith Guitars Limited Edition

1990 or so. Made in USA. Flame cedar top. 5 way selector w/ tone and vol pots. H/H. Locking tuners. Wide Fat Neck. Superb fit and finish.

I've been in a Fender tweed and blackface mode for the last couple of years and can't seem to escape. Most of the time I'm playing through a Fender stand alone reverb unit into a Narrow Panel Champ or a Blackface Vibro Champ. Not much to complain about here. I've got eighteen other guitars and this is my favorite. Been a Strataholic for decades but there's something about these humbuckers I really like. It's heaven through my V-front Super.

I bought this used and there were a couple of minor nicks in the finish. The guitar has been set up perfectly and unlike my Les Paul chords like a dream.

It's probably bullet proof by I use this as a studio guitar only.

PRS support is excellent. I dropped them a line about a McCarty soapbar and they were on it in under 24 hours.

My hunch is that this and other PRS guitars will eventually demand the kind of money you see in pre-CBS Fenders. As much as I like my Strats and Teles, I think I like PRS guitars better. I plan on collecting other PRS guitars in the future. They play remarkably well. For the life of me I can't warm up to Les Pauls when you can get a PRS for peanuts, by comparison.

Numbered in the mid 200's. Exquisite. Chevron redwood pattern on top. Sounds like a guitar made in heaven. Perfect. Probably the fifth owner. Bought from my friend (who bought it on e-bay), who also makes guitars (made me two). He had to sell it, needed cash. I traded four guitars for this one. (He visits though to play-of course, he's a friend).
The gold work is a bit worn from age (I wanted to replace it, but he talked me out of it).
Also, a range on the fretboard is darkened from use. History, I guess. Anyway. This guitar might get buried with me when I go. It is celestial. Great for recording. Unique precious tones. Nice to see Paul's penwork on the head. (My sixth PRS).

Have yet to hear anything finer.

superb!

I baby it and only use it for recording.

If you can find one of these three hundred get one and cherish it. It also has a great story.
Seems a giant redwood was floating in the Pacific Ocean along the Western U.S. Coastline.
PRS got the salt out. Resin filled the tops and Voila! Sounds from the Gods!

1990 PRS LE Gold hardware, Redwood top, semi hollow Mahogany bottom (no f-holes) and neck, Brazilian Rosewood fingerboard. 1 volume, 1 pickup selector, 1 sweet switch. Locking tuners, tune-o matic bridge with stop tailpiece.

I typically play rock type stuff but get real trippy and mellow at times. I use all digital amplification (J-Station and Guitarport) hooked up to a PA. It took me a while to get used to the sound of this guitar. I was using a Strat and a Tele so when I got this guitar my ears needed to get used to humbuckers. I have grown to love this guitar. It totally blows away all the Les Pauls I've had. The tone is very balanced. It doesn't go nuts at any frequency and sustain and volume are consistent on any note.

I got it used.

The guitar is very well made. I wouldm't gig anywhere without a backup and I think it's a stupid question. Strings break.

used

I ve been playing 11 years. I've owned a PRS CE22 and it sucked so bad I did'nt keep for even a month. This one is much, much better. My biggest complaint about the guitar is that it is extremely neck heavy. That's probably due to the hollowed out body but when your standing the strap slides and the guitar tilts downward. It's a big pain in the ass. The other thing I don't like is the color but who really cares about that.

This one was built in 1990 (number in the mid-100s of 300) and features a Cedar top as opposed to a Redwood or Maple top like some of the others. Other features as you'd expect from the Signature Limited Edition. Gold hardware, locking tuners, the usual pickups with gold pole-pieces, tune-o-matic bridge and tone chambers. Mahogany body and neck, Brazilian Rosewood fretboard and of course, the Cedar top. 5-way rotary switch, tone and volume knobs. Interestingly, the rotary switch seems to be wired differently from my '86 Standard - there's no out-of-phase position - though the wiring may have been changed so not sure.

This guitar is fantastic for rock / blues type sounds and is very fat sounding on all the settnigs. You can really dial in that Santana tone if you want. Creamy mellow tones is the way I would describe the sound in a nutshell. Roll off the volume and it gets bright. Sustain is not incredible (may be due to the tone chambers?), but it plays like a dream. I play it mostly through a Vox and Mesa/Boogie Rocket - sounds great in both though I mostly put it through distortion as I think this is what it's best at. I give it an 8 because I feel it could sound better clean. Don't get me wrong, still fantastic clean.

Everything on this guitar is absolutely perfect. The finish is superb, the gold hardware over a transluscent teal black body is incredible. Under the light, you can see ripples of wavy chocalaty Cedar. It's not an in-your-face figured finish PRS is famous for. It's much more subtle. As the light changes, you see different tints come through. The edge faux-binding is also darker because Cedar is a much darker wood than Maple. Tune-o-matic bridge makes intonation perfect and I personally really like the fixed bridge (these were the first PRSs to feature a fixed bridge).

Can't really comment. It has a few dings here and there as it was gigged by the guy who had it before me, but they haven't gone through the finish and it hasn't flaked so I expect it to last forever.

Never contacted them.

This guitar is a real beauty and a pleasure to play. The signature series were the top of the crop in the early days, and it really shows - I wouldn't hesitate to get another signature if I found one. 9 overall but 10 through a driven Boogie!

Limited Edition Redwood model just as described by the other reviewer. one of 300 made back in 1990, hand signed by PRS himself. Redwood top, mahogany back and sides. Brazilian rosewood neck. Materials could not be much finer. This thing is magnificent. Put together beautifully. Prefer the tunomatic bridge and stop tail that is a unique feature to find on a PRS model. Tone and feel are better than any other ax I have ever played, and I have a great condition all original 1964 strat, and 1967 ES 335 and a few other nice ones to compare it to. I love those babies as well but if I could only keep one it would be the PRS because it plays and sounds so much smoother than any factory made guitar old or new.

Guitar has tonal superiority but does not have tons of tonal variety. Note modest differences from the five pick up settings. The only tone that you can't really get is that Fender twang which is a hallmark of country and rockabilly. No problem for me since I don't play much of that stuff and if I do, I'll use a strat anyway.

Tone is number one priority for me in a guitar and when I played this one at a used guitar shop, I was taken aback. Second time I played it I bought it. Looks and feel match the amazing sound that this generates. I feel lucky to own this.

This guitar is chambered so the sustain is not as piercing as a standard PRS custom. It is a fair amount lighter weight.

Condition of this one is near perfect. I actually prefer the more subtle translucent and almost irredescent grain and hues of the redwood that spent 100 years under water in a logging river out west to the standard PRS flame maple top that you see on most models. It was another feature that made this stand out as a special instrument.

WIth care this guitar should last a lifetime.

Haven't dealt with them yet

When I look through the PRS's at the store and in catalogs, I can't think of one that I would rather own for looks, feel and playability. I dont think I would only trade it for another limited edition model or dragon unles except to make money.

1991 PRS Limited Edition, hand signed and numbered. This is from the original run of 300 LE's, hand made in the pre-factory days. Featuring a mahogany body and neck, with spectacular 24 fret quartersawn Brazilian rosewood neck with real abalone birds. The top of this guitar is curly redwood, and is described in the PRS book. The body is semi-hollow, with tone chambers, PRS vintage treble and vintage bass pickups, 5-way rotary switch, and tune-o-matic bridge and stop tailpiece.

The neck and body of this guitar are something to behold. The grain of the rosewood runs deep and long, from top to bottom. The neck is nice and thin, and really fast and smooth. The curls in the dark cherry redwood top are thick, dark, and subtle. Sometimes you can barely see them, other times they're one color, other times another color, depending on the light. Because of this, it's difficult to photograph, but in person, it's spectacular.

Accented with gold hardware, gold hand written signature on headstock.

This guitar can handle just about anything. The combination of signature grade woods and semi hollow body give this guitar a really deep beautiful sound. I run this through a mesa boogie MKII, and it's just a joy to hear. On the clean channel, with some boost, it just sings. Has it's own unique tone. I was considering a 1989 custom 24, but this guitar is miles ahead of it in terms of sound.

Add drive, and this thing just cruises. Really cool sounds. Clean and dark, never muddy, even with the dirtiest drive. At any time, it seems every subtlety is audible. You can get a good combination of sounds using the 5-way switch, again much better than those of the custom 24.

Notes in any color, just seem to hang and glide. SPECTACULAR for jazz or blues. Would have loved to hear J. J. Cale with his subtle, understated style on this thing. That would have been magic!

Bought this guitar used, in very lightly played condition. I intend to keep it that way, pristine and cared for like a fine wine. This thing is a real work of art. Being such a rare collector, I keep it in a display case, and not in my regular line-up of players guitars. but on rare occasions, I will get it out.

The first day I had it, I couldn't put it down. Had to practically pry it from my own fingers at 4am to go to bed! The action on this neck is incredible. Much better IMHO than the wide-fat necks. Still not a fan of the 5-way knob, but as often as I play this one, I can live with it. That long neck is so sweet. Just start playing it and your constantly amazed at both the feel and the sound.

This being a carefully hand crafted top of the top of the line piece, extreme attention was given to every detail in building it, and it really shows.

I wouldn't dream of putting alot of miles on this thing, so testing it's durability is out of the question. There's no doubt about the quality, or that it can last, but every scratch or ding would be a heartbreak.

No support required. They took care of the customers at the shop when the built this.

Overall this guitar is sweeeeeeeet!!! Looks and plays like a dream. Shows the kind of man Paul is, and the frame of mind he has when he gets an idea. These Limited Editions are really rare, and probably the least known model. I don't care, I have mine, and I know exactly what it is, and I love it! I'd gladly show it to you; don't even ask to play it!