A Guitar Worth Handing Down for Generations to Come
When it comes to heirloom-worthy instrumental perfection, PRS’s Private Stock models stand unsurpassed. Instruments such as this Private Stock #12163 McCarty SC56 are built by PRS’s master luthiers with the most luxurious tonewoods available anywhere — and every spec is hand-selected by Sweetwater. For this instrument, our guitar experts selected a treasure-grade curly maple top and a handsome African mahogany body, offering superb sustain and a commanding stage presence. A matching curly maple neck is shaped in PRS’s old-school Pattern Vintage profile, while the exotic purpleheart fingerboard wears original birds inlays with shimmering mother-of-pearl outlines. A set of PRS McCarty III pickups makes the most of these world-class tonewoods by merging all the warmth of a vintage humbucker with the crisp clarity demanded by modern guitarists. Elegant Private Stock appointments complete this Private Stock’s majestic aesthetic, including a gold 2-piece PRS bridge, gold Phase III tuners with faux bone buttons, maple binding, and curly maple control plates. Crown your collection with the Private Stock #12163 McCarty SC56 and experience the very finest craftsmanship, tone, and performance that the 6-string world has to offer.
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Crafted from the highest-grade tonewoods in the world
Tucked away in an unassuming corner of Stevensville, Maryland, lies one of the world’s most exceptional tonewood collections: “The Vault,” located just outside Paul Reed Smith’s office at PRS headquarters. From time-tested 6-string standbys like maple and mahogany to ultra-rare and exotic woods, this treasure trove of timbers stands almost unequaled. To put it plainly, when you purchase a PRS Private Stock guitar, you can rest assured that your guitar’s tonewoods are the best available on the planet.
The #12163 McCarty SC56 continues the Private Stock program’s reputation for top-class tonewoods, as a single glance at the curly maple top well proves. This timber’s gorgeous grain beams with dense patterns, further set off by a lively African mahogany body. On the opposite end, you get a curly maple neck carved into a full-bodied Pattern Vintage profile. It’s all finished off with an exotic purpleheart fingerboard laden with original birds inlays and white mother-of-pearl outlines.
Ear-grabbing McCarty III pickups
This #12163 McCarty SC56 is equipped with a pair of amazing McCarty III pickups. The third iteration of the pickups Paul Reed Smith first introduced in the 1990s, these Alnico II–loaded humbuckers leverage decades of hands-on research and advancements in signal analysis and tuning technology. The result is a vintage-flavored sound with lots of warmth, harmonic complexity, and enough vocal-like clarity to keep you at the front of a busy mix. You also get a 3-way toggle pickup switch, two Volume knobs, and two push-pull Tone knobs, giving you access to a suite of humbucker and single-coil textures.
Chunky Pattern Vintage neck profile
This guitar’s Pattern Vintage profile clocks in on the chunkier side of the spectrum, featuring a distinct asymmetrical profile that conforms to your grip, from the base all the way to the neck joint. While it’s a thicker shape, it’s by no means clunky — Sweetwater guitarists across all styles have come to favor the Pattern Vintage profile for its comfortably full feel. Combined with the #12163 McCarty SC56’s slightly shorter 24.594-inch scale length, this guitar brandishes a decidedly old-school flavor that’s all but guaranteed to resonate with vintage 6-string enthusiasts.
PRS Private Stock #12163 McCarty SC56 Features:
- A masterwork instrument built by PRS’s most experienced luthiers with the finest tonewoods found on the planet
- Spec’d from top to bottom by Sweetwater’s guitar experts
- Highly figured curly maple cap set atop a resonance-rich African mahogany body
- Curly maple neck shaped into a full-bodied Pattern Vintage profile
- Exotic purpleheart fingerboard with eye-catching original birds inlays and white MOP outlines
- McCarty III humbucking pickups deliver an exquisite tone that's equal parts vocal-like clarity and vintage-flavored warmth
- Push-pull Tone knobs give rise to ear-grabbing single-coil textures
- PRS 2-piece bridge and Phase III tuners with faux bone buttons facilitate top-shelf stability
- Additional high-end appointments include gold hardware, curly maple binding and control plates, and PRS’s iconic Private Stock eagle headstock inlay
- Beaming high-gloss nitro lacquer finish
