The PRS A40E is an astonishing acoustic built on all of what PRS have learned since they started making acoustic guitars back in 2011. Using ovangkol back and sides with a solid Sitka spruce top this is great all rounder guitar that can cover a wide range of styles.

Tonewoods

The A40E uses a tonewood combination of a solid Sitka spruce with ovangkol back and sides. Ovangkol is a similar tonewood to rosewood but doesn’t come with the sustainability issues and CITES import restrictions. Like rosewood, Ovangkol has a broad dynamic range but with slightly more midrange emphasis. This is complemented by the the Sitka spruce top which has a very balanced and consistent tone. It’s this combination of tonewoods that makes the A40E such a versatile guitar.

To get the most out of these woods PRS have used their own X/Classical bracing pattern on the top. This tweak to the bracing pattern results in more flexibility for the top to resonate which at the end of the day means more volume and a more defined, full tone that gets the best out of the locked down ovangkol back and sides.

All PRS SE acoustics have mahogany necks with ebony fretboards for great stability and resonance.

Angelus Body

The Angelus is PRS’s take on a classic cutaway body shape. It’s a comfortable mid-sized body that isn’t so large that it’s unwieldy to play and not so small that you don’t get a full sound when you want to start strumming. You also get great upper fret access thanks to the cutaway for when you want to hit those high notes. Like the tonewoods, this body shape lends itself to a wide variety of playing styles and genres.

Fishman Pickup

Every guitar in the PRS SE Acoustic range comes fitted with a Fishman GT1 pickup. This sits under the saddle of the guitar and feeds off to controls that sit just under the soundhole for quick and seamless changes while playing.

Bone Nut and Saddle

If you follow Paul Reed Smith at all you know his philosophy for building acoustic guitars. That it is a ‘subtractive’ instrument meaning that everything on the guitar isn’t adding more tone, or sustain, it is just subtracting less.

Anything that touches the string has the ability to subtract more sustain or tone from your guitar so they have made sure that these guitars are fitted with bone saddles and nuts for the best possible sound. You won’t find this on many instruments at this kind of price.

PRS Acoustics

Since 2011 PRS have dedicated a large department to not only creating great acoustic guitars but also innovating what we thought possible with the acoustic guitar. By going back and looking at some of the oldest available acoustic guitars to what the best of the best are making today, they have created a few innovations that make an incredible guitar.

From Private Stock to SE every acoustic they make is made with a purpose, nothing is done just because that is what everyone else does. They have thought through every combination of woods, shape, bracing, electronics to come up with what they feel is the best acoustic they can make at a price a lot of people can afford.