PRS 40th Anniversary McCarty SC56: Limited Edition
New PRS 40th Anniversary McCarty SC56 announced
3,8 / 5,0 | 
The PRS 40th Anniversary McCarty SC56 is the latest release to celebrate the company’s anniversary. Paul Reed Smith’s take on the single-cutaway guitar design.
PRS 40th Anniversary McCarty SC56
PRS Guitars is marking its 40th anniversary in 2025 by releasing a new guitar every month. Kicking off the celebrations early, they’ve launched the 40th Anniversary McCarty SC56 Limited Edition.
The “SC” in its name refers to its single-cutaway body. This design pairs a slightly thicker mahogany back with a carved maple top. What’s new and improved is that, unlike older versions, this guitar is lighter thanks to special weight relief. This change addresses a common complaint from players about the heaviness of single-cutaway guitars.
To prevent the hollow sound sometimes associated with weight-relieved guitars, PRS has engineered the SC56 to have multiple contact points between the guitar’s top and back. This ensures a solid, rich tone.
The guitar also features a 24.594-inch scale length and a Pattern Vintage mahogany neck. It has a 22-fret rosewood fingerboard and comes equipped with a PRS two-piece bridge designed to enhance sustain. It also has a set of Phase III tuners with the Wing tuner buttons.
1956 Limited Edition
This limited edition guitar is named after the year Paul Reed Smith, the company’s founder, was born, and it is also the legendary PAF humbucker pickups were first created. Even though you couldn’t buy PAFs until 1957, Ted McCarty, who was the CEO of Gibson at the time (and later became a mentor to Paul Reed Smith), started making them in 1956.
This guitar comes with two PRS McCarty III pickups. These were chosen over the more modern Narrowfield pickups. The McCarty III pickups are designed to deliver a warm, woody sound with clear note separation and a vintage feel.
It has separate volume and tone knobs for each pickup, plus a three-way switch on the upper part of the guitar.
Nitro Finish
The guitar’s McCarty Burst nitrocellulose finish, with its vintage look, adds to its classic appeal. However, the signature PRS bird inlays on the fretboard are a clear nod to its Maryland roots.
If the McCarty Burst isn’t quite your style, you can also get this guitar in Faded Blue Jean or Translucent Black finishes.
Verdict
This is a great take on the PRS single-cut design, and if you like McCarty models, then this new lightweight, limited edition version should appeal.
MSRP – USD 4950
More Information
This might also interest you
