MOG #2 "Cersei"
2019 Paul Reed Smith Private Stock
McCarty 594 'Graveyard II' Limited
" A piece of art more than a guitar perhaps, capturing the spirit of 19th Century Gothic Horror (Dracula, Frankenstein, Edgar Allan Poe) with woods from the era "
Specs
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Estimated Value: US$ 14,000
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Colour: Raven's Heart (Body), Faded Grey (Fretboard), Faded Grey 'Casket Wood lookalike' (Back, Back Plates)
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Type: Solid Body
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Woods: Swamp Ash (body), 19th Century Flamed Maple (top), Private Stock Flamed Maple(Neck ), Private Stock Flamed Maple + Ebony (Fretboard, Headstock inlay)
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Electronics: 58/15 LT (Neck & Bridge Pickup), 3 way selector, Neck Volume, Bridge Volume, Neck Tone, Bridge Tone with coil tap push pull on both tone knobs
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Bridge: Smoked Black 2 piece Stoptail Bridge
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Tuners: Smoked Black PRS Phase 3 Modified Locking tuners with Ebony Buttons
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Scale Length: 24.594 inch
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Fretboard Radius: 10 inch
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Frets: PRS core (Medium frets)
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Neck profile: Pattern Vintage (Similar to '59 Les Paul but asymmetrical carve)
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Finish: High Gloss Nitro
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Private Stock Highlights 'Ravens in Flight' inlays with 2 wood (Ebony/Maple) fretboard and headstock veneer, Blackened Tuna case
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COLLECTOR'S NOTES:
" This is a guitar to be experienced in stages. The first step is to just look it to admire all the detail and craftsmanship. The Raven's Heart colour, reserved only for this model, is a very deep, vibrant red, with a saturation and brightness beyond any other guitar stain I have ever seen. When you look closely, you realize it is not just red but with shades of purple as it transitions to black. Something cameras struggle to capture. The 150 year graveyard sourced top wood does have an odd luminescence which helps the colour stand out even more.
The inlays deserve a chapter in themselves. PRS have pioneered the multi-wood inlay fretboard and the overall effect is of dark birds flying in the 19th century sky. You are almost transported to the Edgar Allan Poe poem, 'The Raven' which they are undoubtedly inspired from.
Finally this is a guitar which plays incredibly well and has very articulate sound. Vs. a typical Les Paul (R9) or a regular 594, which is designed to replicate the exact Burst sound, the combination of swamp ash and maple all around makes the Graveyard II sound brighter. If you love the Les Paul sound but wish it was just a touch more well defined, this may be the best sounding guitar for your ears"
The Story
It is rare for a manufacturer to make your dream guitar, not just exactly as you would imagine it but take it to heights you could not imagine. That is what happened with the Graveyard II.
An avid reader as a child, 19th century Victorian literature was a staple and the imagery of books like Dracula, Frankenstein and the works of Edgar Allan Poe stimulated my imagination to an extent that symphonic /gothic metal (bands such as Nightwish, Cradle of Filth) are firm favourites even today.
Parallely as I started playing the guitar in 2005, even though I wanted a Epiphone Firebird VII, an Epiphone Les Paul standard was all I could afford as an nineteen year old student. That Les Paul which I still have, was my only electric guitar for more than 10 years and as you can imagine made me a dyed in the wool Les Paul style guitar player.
Circa 2019, PRS's had started growing on me, no doubt thanks to the McCarty 594 model which served as a brilliant gateway drug, being a better Les Paul than any Gibson I had ever played, becoming my #1 gigging guitar. Nothing was missing from my life or so I thought till I saw the Graveyard II.
A ridiculous 60 pice limited run Private Stock, Les Paul like guitar, inspired by 19th century Gothic literature. Had PRS probed my mind, figured out exactly what I want and put it out there at a eye-watering price just to taunt me.
I looked at it longingly for months trying to figure out how I could justify buying such an expensive guitar, given I already had many guitars, including of course a 594. The math and logic did not compute even though the heart longed. It longed even harder when during a business trip to Japan, I encountered one in the flesh in Ochanomizu and it was everything I ever imagined and more.
Around late 2019, most of the Graveyard II's had sold out. One had popped up used asking for more than new. The dream was over. Or so I thought.
During another trip, this time to Korea, I found about an hour to drop by to Music Force, the local dealer, as my wife went for a hanbok photo shoot. I did not have any expectations but was pleasantly surprised that they had an incredible brand new Graveyard II in stock, way more beautiful (particularly the back) than the one I had encountered in Japan and for some reason, slightly cheaper. It was still a lot of money, some of which I didn't really have, but a call with my wife led to making this leap of faith.
Of course values have gone up since I got this guitar but the satisfaction of owning one's dream guitar is one that is difficult to put a price on