Robben Ford has taken to social media to show off his all-new custom-made PRS electric guitar, which in turn has given guitarists a glimpse at what could potentially be an upcoming signature guitar.
It would be the blues god’s first-ever PRS signature six-string, and, if the one-minute Instagram clip below is anything to go by, it will be a stunning entry into his catalog of guitars.
The tease was posted to Instagram, with Ford revealing that he had received in the post what he hoped would be “the completed version of the guitar that Paul Reed Smith has made for me”.
Undoubtedly, the most notable feature is the headstock. Unlike most PRS guitars, Ford’s model sports an unconventionally oversized design, which takes inspiration from the larger headstocks that appeared on CBS-era Fender Stratocasters during the late ‘60s and early ‘70s.
Elsewhere, there’s not a whole lot to go on, but a cursory glance reveals a number of eye-catching appointments. First up is the finish – a bound opaque black colorway, which is paired with two chrome humbuckers. As a neat decorative detail, each cover is emblazoned with Ford’s personal seal.
Other immediately noticeable details include a bound 22-fret fingerboard with bird inlays, as well as PRS SE Stoptail bridge, vintage-style tuning machines and a "Robben Ford" truss rod cover.
Upon closer inspection, two toggle switches appear. Alongside the usual three-way pickup selector is a slightly smaller switch, which functions as a pickup coil-splitter. Ford is, of course, known to switch things up between a variety of configurations, so this versatile appointment may be a way for him to access his favored tones from one single model.
Whether this is a one-off custom guitar or a signature model prototype remains to be seen, though if it ends up being the latter, there are going to be a fair few happy Ford fans in the upcoming months.
There has been no official word from PRS yet, so we’ll keep you updated as and when more details emerge.
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