Limited to Only Ten Pieces PRS Debuts the May Guitar of the Month

(PRESS RELEASE): In the spirit of Private Stock’s ever forward-thinking designs, PRS introduces the May 2016’s Guitar of the Month: the 509.

The 509 starts with a 5 single coil platform – with the outside two coils grouped as humbuckers. With its longer scale length (25.25”), middle single coil pickup, and two mini-toggle coil-tap switches, the 509 is perfect for single coil players who want the added tonal versatility of humbucking and humbucking and single coil sounds in one guitar.  Additional premium Private Stock specifications include a Private Stock grade curly maple top with African ribbon mahogany back, curly maple neck with kingwood fingerboard, headstock veneer, and truss rod cover, mother of pearl purfling, side dots, and inlays, and the Private Stock Gen III Tremolo. The May 509 models will be finished in Imperial Purple Smoked Burst. Only ten of these instruments will be made for May 2016, commemorating Private Stock’s 20th Anniversary.

“With this exclusive wood choice, hand-signed headstock, versatile pickup design, and select appointments, our Private Stock team has created a model that is both extremely playable and highly collectable,” stated PRS Director of Private Stock, Paul Miles.

The 509 boasts five single coil pickups – arranged in dual-coil humbucking pairs at neck and bridge with a lone single coil in the middle position – offering nine distinct tones via a five-way pickup selector switch a two mini-toggle coil-tap switches (akin to the company’s 408 switching configuration).

Five Pickups, Nine Sounds

5-Way Blade P1, Mini-Toggle Up: Treble Pickup Humbucking
5-Way Blade P1, Mini-Toggle Down: Treble Pickup Single Coil
5-Way Blade P2, Mini-Toggle Up: Treble Pickup Humbucking + Middle Pickup
5-Way Blade P2, Mini-Toggle Down: Treble Pickup Single Coil + Middle Pickup
5-Way Blade P3: Middle Pickup
5-Way Blade P4, Mini-Toggle Up: Middle Pickup + Bass Pickup Humbucking
5-Way Blade P4, Mini-Toggle Down: Middle Pickup + Bass Pickup Single Coil
5-Way Blade P5, Mini-Toggle Up: Bass Pickup Humbucking
5-Way Blade P5, Mini-Toggle Down: Bass Pickup Single Coil

The original Guitars of the Month were cased between December 1994 and March 1996. They provided the opportunity to experiment with new ideas and led directly to the creation of the Private Stock program, with the first “official” Private Stock instrument casing on April 19, 1996.

For more information on PRS: The 509.