Gary’s Story
This is one of the most historically interesting PRS Private Stock guitars I’ve owned, and it has a very special connection to Joe Knaggs.
Private Stock #614 was Joe’s personal guitar, built in 2004 during his years at PRS. It was also created in recognition of Joe’s 20th anniversary as a PRS employee and was later presented to him by Paul Reed Smith at NAMM during the 10th anniversary of the Private Stock program, recognizing Joe’s contribution to its growth and success.
The guitar was also significant as the first PRS Singlecut Jumbo Archtop. Finished in Smoky Blonde, it features a Sitka spruce top, figured big-leaf maple back and sides, a curly rock maple neck, and ebony fingerboard and headstock veneer. The ebony finger rest and tailpiece are bound with highly figured curly maple.
One of the most fascinating parts of #614 is the origin of the Americana bird inlays. Joe’s concept was a Bald Eagle moving across the fingerboard in different positions of flight. Master bird carver Floyd Scholz drew the eagles; Joe broke the drawings into inlay pieces; Jeff Mosby inlaid them; and Kevin Enoch hand-engraved the eagles.
The headstock design was developed in CAD and executed with work by Pearlworks, Jeff Mosby and Kevin Enoch. Danny Dedo later translated the engraved bird concept into individual pieces that could be used as a production abalone inlay.
Joe also cut the sides from a solid block of maple rather than bending conventional sides, then joined the back to the center structure.
Having owned and played many of the finest archtop guitars from Gibson and master builders including Jim Triggs, Tom Ribbecke and Linda Manzer, I believe #614 deserves a vaulted position in this genre.
It combines history, craftsmanship and provenance with exceptional playability and a full, robust and precise voice.