New Low Price - now £2499 - was £2599

Chances are this is the last PRS Stripped 58 that we will see as the order date for this Limited Edition model has long since gone - Even so I hand picked this model in the Faded McCarty Sunburst finish on two accounts - One is I love the 'blistered' curly maple top as it has loads of character but is not over the top, so a strong vintage flavour to it - Secondly, I had just finished reading the latest copy of Guitarist Magazine with the feature on Bernie Marsden's '59 Beast' and this Stripped 58 reminded me of how the Beast would have looked 53 years ago

Initially released at the 2011 PRS Experience event and only available to order for about a 5 week period during Sept/Oct 2011 - As the name somewhat suggests, the 'Stripped 58' is the no nonsense, no frills, version of the SC-58 - It still delivers the renowned singlecut tone and of course the legendary PRS playability and build quality, but now at a far more affordable package

The shape and model is such an iconic design, that I'm not even sure we need to go into to much product detail, so let's just touch on the key ingredients
One piece mahogany body and a one piece mahogany neck
Flamed maple top
22 fret rosewood fingerboard
24.5" scale length
Bird inlays
Nickel hardware
PRS Phase 111 locking tuners
PRS 2 piece solid/milled aluminium and brass bridge/tailpiece
PRS 57/08 Humbuckers
Strung and set-up with 10's
Includes deluxe PRS case

As Paul (PRS, not Les Paul) has stated, this is the model he would have made in 1959, had he not still been a toddler - There is nothing wrong with the fundermental design of the classic guitar, but in true PRS fashion they have tweaked a few key areas to enrich tone, sustain and playability - To me, it is the playability that makes the big difference as this has a far more fluid playing action, throughout the length of the fingerboard, coupled with a neck shape that instantly feels comfortable and at home base - It still retains some girth, to enrich tone and sustain, but more importantly it instantly feels right and plays well, straight from the case

The new V12 finish is both ultra tough, yet ultra thin, so again it won't 'strangle' or 'dampen' the tone, allowing the guitar to resonate - It has taken 12 years to develope between one of the USA's leading paint manufactures and PRS, to combine the traditional advantages of cellulose and the advantages of a modern acrylic finish

The bridge and tailpiece both play a crucial role in the tone and transfer of energy from the string through to the body - Tone, sustain, harmonic content, resonance and string tension can all be influenced and enhanced by the combination of the bridge/tailpiece - As such the PRS bridge and tailpiece are milled out of brass and aluminium, so no monley metal here - Further more the anchor points are more substantial which again will add to the tone, sustain and harmonic content - The goal is to transfer as much of that string energy into the body as possible, to enhance the overall tone

Finally, the now acclaimed PRS 57/08 humbucking pick-ups sit on the flamed maple top to deliver that classic tone - The neck pick-up is silky smooth and puuuuurrrrrs - Full bodied, yet not muddy, clear and tight lows, soft smooth highs with a rounded musical top end, just waiting for you to caress each soulful note out of your playing - The bridge pick-up has that throaty bark and can snarl if required - Smooth top end yet with enough bite - Again tight clear lows and enough ooomph to cut into lead licks and riffs - There is no mistaking where the influence for the Stripped 58 has come from and with that in mind, it is nigh on impoosible to convert the die-hard Gibson brigade, yet at the same time you can't fault the playability, build quality and attention to detail that a PRS possesses - Gibson don't even come close in that regard - Yet tone is an area that can result in umpteen hours of discussion - Yet again this is an issue that has changed so many times over the years with Gibson, so on that basis there is no definitive LP tone when you get down to nailing the specific voicing - Granted there is an overall vibe which is unmistakeable, but definitive ? - No way - With that in mind the Stripped 58 can certainly hold its head up high, knowing that it delivers a superior tone to many poor Gibbo's

Is it as good as a genuine 59 LP ? - Maybe, maybe not, but on that basis, nearly every other LP fails to come up with the goods, so no one wins unless you spend £150,000-£250,000 - I'll leave you with this thought and in my opinion a fact - Gibson have made far more LP's that are not as good as the Stripped 58, than they have made LP's that can beat the Stripped 58 - And that holds for any LP made from the 50's all the way through until today - Bottom line, the Stripped 58 is a mighty fine instrument

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