Paul Reed Smith

PRS Acoustic Guitars — Electric Guitar DNA, Acoustic Soul

Paul Reed Smith spent twenty-four years building some of the most celebrated electric guitars in the world before he would allow his name on an acoustic. That reluctance was not indifference. It was the same perfectionism that drives everything PRS does: if the company was going to build acoustic guitars, they had to be as good as the electrics, a very high bar indeed.

In 2009, inspired by a vintage Torres nylon-string acoustic, Paul developed a proprietary hybrid X/Classical bracing system unlike anything the steel-string acoustic world had seen before. Traditional X-bracing controls the top's lateral stiffness. Classical bracing encourages the top to vibrate as freely as possible across its full surface. The PRS hybrid combines both approaches in a single architecture that allows the top to resonate with maximum freedom while maintaining the structural integrity a steel-string demands. The back and sides are tuned to function like a speaker cabinet, locked down acoustically to maximize projection rather than absorbing energy. The result is an acoustic guitar with bold power, extraordinary clarity, and a dynamic range that surprises every player who picks one up for the first time.

Every PRS acoustic, from the most accessible SE to the rarest Private Stock, uses this same bracing system. The technology doesn't change with the price. Only the materials do.

SE Acoustic Series

The SE acoustic lineup brings PRS's hybrid bracing, ebony fretboards and bridges, bone nuts and saddles, PRS-voiced Fishman electronics, and the iconic bird fretboard inlays to players at an accessible price point. Three body styles cover the full range of acoustic playing styles.

SE Angelus (A20E) — The most popular body shape in the PRS acoustic lineup, a cutaway mid-sized instrument that delivers strong projection, comfortable playability, and full upper-fret access. Available in mahogany, maple, and ovangkol back and sides configurations, each with a solid top and the hybrid bracing system as standard. The mahogany version produces a warm, organic, focused voice. The maple and ovangkol variants add brightness and tonal complexity for players who want more sparkle and articulation.

SE Tonare Grand (T40E) — The full-body non-cutaway companion to the Angelus, delivering more acoustic volume and bass response in a traditional dreadnought-sized format. Available in the same tonewood configurations as the Angelus, and particularly well suited to strumming and flatpicking players who need maximum acoustic presence.

SE Tonare Parlor (P20E) — PRS's first parlor guitar, and one of the finest at any price point in this body size. All-mahogany construction produces a warm, punchy, focused voice with remarkable projection for its compact dimensions. The hybrid bracing allows even light-touch players to get full dynamic range from the instrument, and the Fishman electronics system plugs in with a natural, musical tone that reviewers have described as sounding like a mic'd guitar. A professional instrument that happens to be comfortable enough to play for hours and compact enough to take anywhere.

Private Stock Acoustics

For players who want everything PRS does at the absolute highest level, the Private Stock acoustic program produces a limited number of instruments each year from the company's Maryland workshop, with the same master-grade tonewoods, hand-selected figured tops, and meticulous finishing that define the Private Stock electric program. Each instrument is personally inspected by both Private Stock Director Paul Miles and Paul Reed Smith himself before it leaves the building. These are among the most carefully executed production acoustic guitars available at any price.

Browse our full selection of PRS acoustic guitars, and reach out if you'd like help choosing the right model or configuration for your playing style.