The Pinnacle of Craftsmanship: Your Guide to PRS Private Stock at Danville Music

In the world of high-end boutique guitars, there are premium instruments, and then there is PRS Private Stock. Representing the absolute pinnacle of Paul Reed Smith’s design, materials, and execution, the Private Stock program was born from a desire to recapture the magic of PRS’s original, small-team workshop. Today, it stands as the highest level of customization available from the legendary Maryland manufacturer. 

When you explore a PRS Private Stock instrument, you are looking at a one-of-a-kind work of art. These guitars are meticulously handcrafted by a small, elite team of master luthiers. They feature the most exclusive tonewoods, intricate custom inlays, and specialized electronics that you simply cannot find on standard production models. 
At Danville Music, we have a profound passion for these instruments. As a premier authorized dealer, we regularly travel to the PRS factory to hand-select woods and design exclusive, store-only Private Stock runs. Whether you are an avid collector, a touring professional, or a player looking for your ultimate dream guitar, the Private Stock experience is unmatched. 

Table of Contents 

• The Vault: Hand-Selected Premium Tonewoods
  •  The Tops
  •  The Necks and Fretboards 
• Breathtaking Finishes and Masterful Inlays
  • Custom Inlays: Beyond the Birds 
• Iconic Models Built to Perfection
  • Custom 24 
  • McCarty 594 (Solid and Semi-Hollow)
  • Special Semi-Hollow 
  • Modern Eagle V 
• Why Buy Your PRS Private Stock from Danville Music?
• Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ) 

The Vault: Hand-Selected Premium Tonewoods

The magic of a PRS Private Stock guitar begins in "The Vault." This legendary room at the PRS factory houses the most figured, resonant, and rare tonewoods on the planet. When crafting a Private Stock instrument, every single piece of wood is hand-selected for its specific weight, tap-tone, and visual perfection. 

The Tops

 PRS is famous for its carved maple tops, and Private Stock models take this to an entirely new level. You will find:

• Deep Quilted Maple: Featuring a dense, water-like three-dimensional ripple that moves as it catches the light.
• Curly and Flame Maple: Bold, striking tiger stripes that elevate the visual prestige of any finish. 
• Exotic Variations: Ranging from spalted maple and buckeye burl to stunning Macassar ebony and Hawaiian Koa. 

The Necks and Fretboards

While standard guitars use mahogany and standard rosewood, PRS Private Stock builds often utilize highly coveted, exotic materials. 

• Brazilian Rosewood: Revered as the holy grail of tonewoods, Brazilian rosewood offers unparalleled clarity, warmth, and a smooth, glass-like playing feel.
• Pale Moon Ebony and Ziricote: Offering striking visual contrasts and incredibly fast, articulate attack. 
• Hormigo and Black Limba: Unique woods that provide a stunning natural aesthetic while enhancing sustain and resonance. 

By hand-selecting these materials from the Vault, the PRS team ensures that every Private Stock instrument sounds just as breathtaking as it looks.

Breathtaking Finishes and Masterful Inlays

A PRS Private Stock guitar is immediately recognizable from across the room, thanks to the jaw-dropping finishes and meticulous inlay work that the program is famous for. 

The Art of the Finish

The Private Stock team utilizes a high-gloss nitrocellulose lacquer finish that takes weeks to apply and cure. This finish is exceptionally thin, allowing the wood to breathe and resonate freely, while providing a glass-like shine that enhances the depth of the figured tops. At Danville Music, we spec some of the most vibrant and unique finishes in the world, including: 

• Sub-Zero Dragon's Breath and Glow Finishes: Stunning gradients that fade from dark, rich edges into vibrant centers.
• Gold and Copper Leaf: Exclusive models where literal metallic leaf is applied to the top for a textured, museum-quality aesthetic. 
• Galaxy Fade and Replicant Purple: Outrageous, vivid colors that push the boundaries of traditional guitar finishing. 

Custom Inlays: Beyond the Birds

While the PRS bird inlays are iconic, the Private Stock team elevates inlay work to high art.

• The Private Stock Eagle: Adorning the headstock veneer, this majestic eagle is the hallmark of the Private Stock program, often crafted from premium materials like Abalone, Mother of Pearl, or even Gold.
• Exclusive Designs: At Danville Music, we often commission unique inlays for our store-exclusive runs. From our intricate "Gothic" tracery window designs featuring 3D ebony and stained curly maple, to the incredible "Koi" fish and "Birds of a Feather" designs, the fretboard becomes a literal canvas. 
• 
  

Iconic Models Built to Perfection

The Private Stock program can adapt almost any PRS body shape into a custom masterpiece. Here are a few of the most popular platforms you will find in our PRS Private Stock inventory: 

Custom 24 

The guitar that started it all. The Private Stock Custom 24 features a 25-inch scale length, a comfortable Pattern Thin or Pattern Regular neck, and the revolutionary PRS Gen III patented tremolo system. It is the ultimate modern workhorse, elevated with vault-grade woods and custom-wound TCI pickups. 

McCarty 594 (Solid and Semi-Hollow) 

Designed to capture the vintage soul of the golden era of guitar building, the McCarty 594 features a slightly shorter 24.594-inch scale length, a thicker body for massive sustain, and 58/15 LT (Low Turn) pickups that deliver sweet, blooming vintage tones. 

Special Semi-Hollow

A favorite among our staff and customers, the Special Semi-Hollow offers a deeply resonant, airy tone. Equipped with a unique Hum-Narrowfield-Hum pickup configuration and a 5-way blade switch, it provides an astonishing array of tones from fat, creamy humbucker leads to sparkling, single-coil-esque rhythm sounds. 

Modern Eagle V 

The pinnacle of tonal versatility. The Modern Eagle V features an innovative pickup layout and complex switching systems that allow players to access a massive library of highly musical, usable tones within a single instrument. 

Why Buy Your PRS Private Stock from Danville Music?

Purchasing a PRS Private Stock guitar is a significant investment, and it requires a dealer you can trust implicitly. Danville Music is not just another guitar store; we are one of the premier PRS dealers in the country. 

• Exclusive Dealer Runs: We work directly with Paul Miles and the Private Stock team to design Danville Music exclusive runs. Our "Gothic" series, featuring 3D cathedral window inlays, and our one-of-a-kind Gold/Copper leaf tops are highly sought after by collectors worldwide.
• The Best Selection in the Bay Area: We consistently stock a massive variety of Private Stock instruments, meaning you don't have to wait years for a custom build. You can browse our vault-ready selection and find your dream guitar today. 
• Expert Setups and Care: Every instrument that arrives at our shop is unboxed, acclimated, and meticulously inspected by our expert technicians. 
• 0% Financing Available: We offer flexible financing options to help you bring home the instrument of a lifetime. 

Whether you visit our beautiful showroom in Danville, California, or shop securely online, our passionate team is here to guide you through every step of the Private Stock experience. 

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ) 

How much does a PRS Private Stock guitar cost?  
Due to the bespoke nature of the materials and the incredible amount of hand-craftsmanship involved, PRS Private Stock guitars typically range from $11,000 to over $20,000, depending on the specific woods, inlays, and features. 

Can I custom order a PRS Private Stock through Danville Music?  
Yes! As an authorized dealer, we can guide you through the entire Private Stock ordering process. We can help you navigate the options, select your dream woods, and submit your exact specifications to the PRS factory. 

What makes Brazilian Rosewood so special on these guitars?  
Brazilian Rosewood is an extremely rare and heavily protected tonewood. It is prized for its gorgeous, swirling grain patterns and its incredibly clear, bell-like tone. Because of its scarcity, it is usually reserved exclusively for the Private Stock program. 

How long does a custom PRS Private Stock take to build?  
If you are ordering a fully custom build from scratch, wait times can vary significantly, often ranging from 12 to 18 months. However, Danville Music constantly has fresh Private Stock inventory arriving, allowing you to skip the wait. 

Are the pickups in a Private Stock different from standard PRS models?  
While they use similar foundational designs (like the 58/15 or 85/15), Private Stock pickups are often custom-wound to match the specific tonal characteristics of the woods used in that exact guitar, ensuring perfect sonic balance.