The PRS Origin Story, Recreated For Players
This PRS Private Stock First Birds in Mahogany Sunburst is not just another fancy single cut. It is a dead-accurate recreation of Paul Reed Smith’s first commissioned build for Peter Frampton, brought back as a Moore Guitars exclusive in a tiny run of six guitars that feel like a lost 70s classic but play with modern Private Stock refinement.
South American mahogany, Brazilian rosewood, original 1976 bird templates, vintage Leo Quan hardware and Custom LT humbuckers all come together in a guitar that delivers thick, vocal sustain with glassy top end. It is the PRS origin story you have read about, only this one is built to live on a strap instead of behind museum glass.
The Frampton Guitar Reimagined For Today
Back in 1976, Paul was chasing one thing: a guitar that could hang with, and beat, his benchmark 1953 Les Paul. The Frampton build was the one that finally did it, and it became the first PRS to ever wear bird inlays. Before it went to Frampton, Paul took it to a Return to Forever show, handed it to Al Di Meola, and Al ordered one on the spot. That tells you the level of tone and feel this design brings to the table.
This Private Stock First Birds nails those details right down to the wiring, carve and hardware choices. You are getting the same recipe that converted heavy hitters in the 70s, filtered through the ridiculous consistency and fit and finish of the modern PRS Private Stock shop.
All Mahogany Violin Carve With Singing Nitro
Both the body and neck are South American mahogany, so the entire guitar rings like one big piece of wood. The violin carved top, without the later lower cutaway bevel, keeps the elegant PRS lines but gives it a more old school, single cut attitude. It looks familiar if you love classic single cuts, yet it is unmistakably PRS.
The high gloss nitrocellulose Mahogany Sunburst finish is thin and musical, not a thick plastic shell. You feel the body resonate against your ribs, and chords bloom with that sweet, woody attack you expect from vintage mahogany. A small mahogany block dressed with mother of pearl purfling between the pickups hides the deep neck joint and adds a classy detail you notice every time you glance down.
Original Santana Neck And First Birds Details
The neck carve is the original Santana profile, taken from the historic Frampton guitar down to the thousandth. It fills your hand in a way that feels substantial and secure, yet the shoulders are rounded enough that long sets do not leave you wrestling the neck. The deep neck joint extends beyond the neck pickup and meets the body at the 23rd fret, so upper fret access feels effortless on all 24 frets.
A Brazilian rosewood fingerboard with matching rosewood binding feels smooth and glassy under your fingers. The mother of pearl bird inlays use the original 1976 templates, so a few shapes are slightly different from modern PRS birds in a very cool, nerdy way. Metal side dots pop on dark stages, and the two piece mother of pearl Private Stock eagle on the headstock recreates the oversized, hand drawn logo vibe of the original.
Custom LT Pickups And Vintage Correct Hardware
The Custom LT humbuckers were reverse engineered from Paul’s original hand wound set, so you get that thick, vocal midrange with a sweet, clear top end that never turns harsh. Think big 70s rock and fusion tones: Leslie West style roar, Frampton vocal leads, Hendrix on a Flying V, Zappa on an SG. Notes sustain for days, with harmonics that bloom instead of turning to mud.
The nickel 1976 Leo Quan Badass stoptail is the real vintage hardware, recessed into the top and converted to a string through body layout just like Paul’s original mod. Combined with the Schaller original tuning pegs and a bone nut, you get rock solid tuning stability and a slightly lower string plane that feels incredibly natural under your picking hand. Carved wood back plates and truss rod cover finish off the build with that Private Stock attention to detail.
Collector Grade, Built To Be Played
Private Stock is already PRS at its highest level. Layer on the historically accurate story, the fact that there are only six of these worldwide and that this run was built as a Moore Guitars exclusive for the USA market, and you are firmly in heirloom territory. Real talk: it could live in a glass case, but it deserves to live under stage lights and in serious studios.
At 8.0 lbs it hits that sweet spot where it feels solid but never punishing on a long gig. The guitar ships with a full Player-Perfect setup from our shop, so the moment you snap open the PRS Private Stock black leather case you are greeted by a guitar that feels like an old friend that just happens to look brand new.
Questions about this guitar or the rest of the First Birds run? Call (888) 794-8482 and talk to one of us about how it feels, sounds and compares to what you are currently playing.
