In his personal quest to build the world’s very best guitars, with the world’s most authentically vintage sounding pickups, Paul Reed Smith has created a succession of astonishingly impressive instruments. The trio of the 513, 509 and 408 guitars may be as close to his ultimate goal as he has come.
Ted McCarty
In naming one of the PRS line’s core models after him, Smith profoundly acknowledged the giant influence of Ted McCarty, the man at the helm of Gibson during that company’s golden years. The Les Paul, the ES-335, SG, Firebird, Flying V – all had McCarty’s name behind them, along with the tune-o-matic bridge, oh, and a little contraption known as the humbucking pickup. Taking Ted McCarty on board during PRS’s early growth years helped the company become the major player it is today. And everything that McCarty brought to PRS is deeply imbued in each successive model the company releases. Evolving from a pair of 2011 “Signature Limited” models, the 408 boasts a set of unbelievably articulate pickups, which come incredibly close to Ted McCarty’s classic late fifties Les Pauls, (along with selectable Strat- and Tele-like singlecoil tone), while retaining the PRS edge and subtlety.
No reduction in volume
Many player found the switching for the 513’s five pickups and thirteen sounds could be somewhat confusing – particularly on stage – however the 408 couldn’t be simpler: A standard 3-way gives you regular neck, middle and bridge positions, while two mini-toggles instantly snap you between single-coil and humbucker modes – WITH NO VOLUME DROP OFF! In singlecoil mode, the screw coil is disconnected and around 1500 wire windings are added in to the slug coil, resulting in virtually no reduction in volume. This is your available sound palette:-
Neck singlecoil
Neck humbucker
Bridge singlecoil
Bridge humbucker
Neck & bridge singlecoil
Neck & bridge humbucker
Neck singlecoil with bridge humbucker
Bridge singlecoil with neck humbucker
Here’s Paul Reed Smith himself, talking you through the different pickup sounds: LINK. And here's an independent review of the 408: LINK.
Clear winner
In comparing the 408, the 509 and the 513, many players believe the 509, with its stacked singlecoils, doesn’t have the punch of the 408, while the 408 delivers a fatter and slightly hotter humbucker sound than the 513. All round consensus is that the 408 is the clear winner – particular with its very clean and clear lows.
Custom color
Mahogany body; the stunning quilted Maple top, finished in custom color Makena Blue, (PRS’s semi-nitro V12); Mahogany neck, (pattern thin); 25” scale, 22-fret Rosewood board, with a 10” radius and jumbo frets; matching painted headstock, (matches the neck/rear body color); gold inlaid Paul Reed Smith signature; Phase III PRS tuners; nickel hardware. The pickups set is hand wound and factory balanced; the tremolo system is incredibly stable and reliable; the playability is off the chart!
Cut through the mix
In its original PRS hard shell case, and in overall Excellent+ condition, this magnificent instrument is 100% ready to plug in and go. If you play in a band, the 408 is going to cut through the mix, regardless of what the guy behind the desk is doing!
Free courier delivery
FREE COURIER DELIVERY is included to any address in Australia. ($100 airfreight to New Zealand, and $175 to the US, Canada, UK and mainstream European countries)
Weight: 8lb 1½ oz / 3.66kg
Just Guitars
