1999 PRS McCarty 'Employee' Guitar Specially Built For Christina Mielke - The Human Resources and Safety Manager of PRS.

1999 Paul Reed Smith McCarty Model 'Employee Guitar'

This 'Employee' PRS McCarty guitar weighs just 7.70 lbs., and has a one-piece, PRS-shape offset asymmetrical double-cutaway 13 inch wide, just under 2 inches deep, mahogany body with an amazing sculptured, two-piece book-matched highly-figured, quilted tiger eye maple top. There is a 3/16 inch 'band' of plain maple which starts at the tip of the treble-horn and goes all the way round to the neck on the bass side. One-piece East Indian Rosewood PRS-shape glued-in neck with a nut width of 1 11/16 inches, a medium-to-thin profile and a scale length of 25.00 inches. Single-action truss rod. Back angled three-on-a-side non-veneered headstock with "Paul Reed Smith" signature inlaid in Paua. Indian rosewood truss-rod cover, secured with one screw. Individual 'McCarty' [Kluson Deluxe] tuners with single-ring Keystone plastic buttons. On the back of the headstock is the serial number "9 37096" which is stamped in blind. Ten inch radiused Indian rosewood fretboard with and 22 jumbo frets and inlaid Paua 'bird' position markers. One PRS McCarty 'bass' humbucker in the neck position and one PRS McCarty 'treble' humbucker in the bridge position with outputs of 8.06k and 9.13k respectively. Cream plastic pickup surrounds. One volume control, one tone control with pull-push coil-tap operation and a three-way pickup selector switch. Gold plastic barrel-shape "Speed" control knobs. PRS 'brushed' wrap-over, pre-compensated stud bridge/tailpiece. Inside the bridge pickup cavity, written in black ink is  "37,096 / Tiger Eye / C. Mielke Emp. Gtr. / See Christy For Details / TM22 FQWFS H "10"" The cavity is also signed in pencil "AW". On the back of the guitar the triangular black plastic control cover is secured by three screws. All hardware gold-plated. On the back of the body, just below the heel, written in neat gold marker is "Employee Guitar / Custom Built For / Christina M. Mielke / Paul Reed Smith (signature)". This amazing guitar is in mint, unplayed (9.50) condition. Complete with the original 'Eagle' hang-tag with matching serial number, various PRS paperwork, truss-rod adjustment tool, allan key and two case keys. Housed in the original three-latch, rectangular black hardshell case with black leather ends and black plush lining (9.25).

"PRS staff have the opportunity after one or two years and then again after seven years with the company to request an employee guitar, specially made for them and supplied more or less at cost." (Dave Burrluck. The PRS Guitar Book, p. 84).

Christina Mielke Woodard is the human resources and safety manager for Paul Reed Smith Guitars.