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The Al Di Meola PRS Guitar
Who Is PRS Guitars
Image courtesy of wikimedia.org
PRS Guitars is an American manufacturer of instruments ranging from…
- Electric, Acoustic, Bass Guitars &
- Amplifies (starting in 2009)
Paul Reed Smith founded this Instrument factory in Annapolis, Maryland, and first debuted the PRS Custom at the 1985 NAMM Show.
This Prototype included…
- Mahogany neck and body w/maple cap
- Patented vibrato w/3 original bridge designs
- Custom tuning pegs and rotary pickup switching and
- High-quality electronics w/pickup that are wound inhouse
With a strong desire to create quality guitars in a marketplace dominated by Fender and Gibson, Paul’s courage and work spoke volumes.
After only 3 years, the company grew to 45 employees and started producing 15 guitars daily.
The PRS Electric Guitar Book: A Complete History of Paul Reed Smith Electrics Tap Image To See More
These guitars have firmly situated themselves in the marketplace and will continue to thrive based on the quality and philosophy of the man who started them.
With Artists like…
- Carlos Santana
- Alex Lifeson
- Orianthi &
- Al Di Meola
Al is not new to this company; he was one of the first iconic guitarists to publicly play and feature a PRS guitar in a publication. The iconic guitarist commissioned a 12-string electric with a built-in phaser for his second solo album, Elegant Gypsy, in 1977.
Along with supporting the company for over 3 decades, Al helped lay the foundation for PRS guitars, a company that would eventually position itself as a significant force in the guitar world.
Al Di Meola
Al Di Meola and his Signature Paul Reed Smith Prism-Image Courtesy of mesaboogie.com
Al Di Meola is an American guitarist best known for his jazz fusion genre work.
Beginning his career for Chick Corea’s band- Return to Forever, one of the first jazz-rock fusion movement groups of the 70s, at the young age of 19, while still studying at the famed Berkley College of Music, he managed to release 3 albums.
These 3 releases made the top 40 on the U.S.Billboard pop albums chart earning the band its greatest commercial success.
After the group disbanded in 1976, Al released his first solo album, Land of the Midnight Sun, in the same year and Elegant Gypsy (1977), which received gold certification in 1980.
Al Distinctive Jazz fusion, Flamenco and Mediterranean style of music were well received by guitarists worldwide.
Al’s technical mastery and high-speed complex guitar solos and compositions were becoming his trademark, and he would go on to establish a long and respected career.
Friday Night in San Francisco would become the most popular live acoustic guitar album selling more than 2 million copies worldwide.
In 2018, Di Meola was awarded an honorary doctorate of music from his Alma Mater and the Berklee College of Music.
Guitar Connoisseur Features Interviews With Al Di Meola. & More Click On The Image To Get A Copy.
In the 1990s, AL spent almost 2 decades working with acoustic guitar music, but in 2006 he rediscovered his love of the electric guitar. On September 23, 2008, Paul Reed Smith Guitars released the signature model, the Al Di Meola Prism.
Al revealed the Prototype on tour with Return to Forever Reunion in the summer of the same year.
The PRS Al Di Meola Signature Prism Guitar
The PRS Al Di Meola Prism – Stained Prism Finish Signature Guitar -Image courtesy of guitarinternational.com
This Signature Guitar features a Curly Maple Custom “10” top with a Mahogany back, Cocobolo /Mexican Rosewood Fingerboard, and 2 redesigned Abalone PRS bird inlays, with a custom neck, carve with an Al-based inspiration “Tie-dye” finish, giving it his unique look, creating a true one-of-a-kind PRS Guitar.
The Al Di Prism guitar design was formulated from the features of a modern eagle guitar, one of the guitars that Paul borrowed to the artist Di Meola when he first played at Experience PRS 2007 and continued to use during rehearsals for the Return to Forever reunion tour.
“Tie-Dye” Inspiration
The inspiration for the body’s look came from Al, something he had envisioned in his mind a few years previous, and when the PRS Team was introduced to the vision, Paul was excited, but the team was overwhelmed by how it would be done.
But after this staining technique was accomplished for this guitar, PRS created a new path of staining that enabled the company to take its work to another level.
When Di Meola saw a picture of the guitar and finished, his praise was high…
“I was completely blown away; it came out exactly as I envisioned it.”
Al Di Meola
The PRISM Was Born
Both were in agreeance that not only did it need to look like Al’s vision with a full spectrum of colours but also ensure the highest standards in quality and tone along with combining the artist’s favourite guitar appointments.
Specs
Body
The 25″ scale guitar is notable because it is the first PRS guitar to sport so many colours.
Its stained curly maple “10 top” features a bold, prism-like display of colours.
- Top Wood – Carved Figured Curly Maple w/”10″ top
- Back Wood – Mahogany
- Style – Double Cutaway
- Finish – V12 Gloss w/”Tye-dye” colours -still allows the beauty of the wood to stand out
Neck
- Scale Length- 25″
- Neck Shape – Custom Pattern Regular Al Di Meola Neck Carve is on the thinner side front-to-back but wide across the fretboard, like an acoustic neck.
- Neck Wood- Peruvian Mahogany
- Nut Width- 1-11/16″
- Neck Radius –10″
- 1st Fret- 0.86″
- 12th Fret – 0.96″
- Frets- 22
- Inlays- Redesigned PRS Birds
These Inlays come in two variations, one seen above-Green abalone outlines the other standard abalone PRS bird inlays w/ paua heart centers- Image courtesy of sweetwater.com.
- Fretboard Wood- Mexican Cocobolo Rosewood
Cocobolo (Genus Dalbergia) is a tropical hardwood coming from Mexico’s pacific coast down through Central America, usually orange or reddish-brown, similar to the Brazilian Rosewood.
Because of its denser and oilier, it has excellent working properties on fretboards, turning to a natural glass-like finish, and is used as a substitute for Rosewood.
Cocobolo gives you a brighter, more articulate or treble tonewood for fretboards similar to Koa by has a deeper low end, also used on the backs and sides of guitars but not on solid bodies, necks or acoustic tops.
Hardware
- Bridge– PRS Tremolo
- Tuners- PRS 14:1 Phase II low mass locking tuners -helping the guitar stay perfectly tuned
- Hardware Type/Color – Nickel
Hardware, Electronics & Controls-Image courtesy of guitarcenter.com
Electronics
- Treble Pickup – 1957/2008 or 57/08 treble w/brushed cover
- Bass Pickup – 1957/2008 or 57/08 bass w/brushed cover
The pickups are made with wire produced by the same machine that made wire for the much sought-after PAF pickups.
Controls
- Pickup Switching- 3-way toggle pickup blade selector
- 1 Volume Knob & 1 Push/Pull Tone Control Knob (indented)- easy to grab onto if you need to make a quick volume swell or tone change on the spot.
Special Features
On the truss rod cover, Paul has placed the motivation for this signature instrument, “Al -D,” followed by his signature to reflect the collaborative effort between the guitarist and the luthier (See image.)
- Truss Rod Cover – “AL-D”
PRS has labelled this Signature with Al Di Meola’s “Al D” on the truss rod cover w/PRS 14:1 Phase II low mass locking tuners-Image courtesy of reverb.com
The instrument’s quality build and overall playability shine through from this partnership.
Video
Final Thoughts
Being a fan of this manufacturer and his overall guitar-making approach, it’s not a stretch that this instrument is well-built and fine-sounding.
The 8lb 8oz weight of this solid body is also not an issue, for it’s more like a Stratocaster as opposed to a Les Paul, and evenly balanced, easily be able to use this instrument sitting or standing.
Should You Add This Guitar To Your Collection?
Like most signature guitars, not everyone will be attracted to such a distinctive finished guitar unless they are a collector.
But despite the cosmetics, the finishing of this guitar is top-rate, and this instrument has been built for players; the craftsmanship is outstanding and approved by DiMeola.
Want More Al Di Meola Click Here
Did you like This Article?
Check out my review of the Orianthi Signature Guitar
Also…
Leave me your comments in the section below, and if you would like me to review a favourite guitar.
As always, stay the course and keep playing.
Blog Banner Featured image of PRS Al Di Meola Signature Prism Guitar courtesy of guitarinternational.com.
Image of The PRS Electric Guitar Book: A Complete History of Paul Reed Smith Electrics courtesy of Amazon
Image of Guitar Connoisseur courtesy of Amazon
Al Di Meola CTA Image Courtesy of Amazon
Image of Al Di Meola with PRS Signature Prism Guitar courtesy of PRS Guitars
The PRS Al Di Meola Signature "Prism" Guitar
$3644.00
Pros
- Curly Maple Custom "10" Top
- Cocobolo /Mexican Rosewood Fingerboard
- Custom Al Di Meola Neck Carve
- 1 Volume & Push/Pull Tone Control Knob
- "AL-D"-Truss Rod Cover
Cons
- Very Distinctive Signature Guitar
- Expensive
- Hard To Find
Starting A Journey At 7 Years Of Age, The Love For The Guitar Only Became Stronger Going Into My Teens. This Leading To An Exciting Time Of Teaching, Performing, And Recording. Join Me Now As We Can Bring The Love Of This Instrument To Other Musicians Globally.
