The Guitar Player's Resource
Brian's Guitars could have celebrated their 15th anniversary with standard commemorative marketing - maybe some discounts, perhaps a social media campaign, definitely a cake in the break room. Instead, they called Paul Reed Smith directly and proposed something genuinely ambitious: a Wood Library run limited to just 20 Modern Eagle V guitars built with Private Stock-level appointments that would make most custom orders look conservative by comparison.
The Modern Eagle V represents PRS's most sophisticated design philosophy - not their flashiest model or most expensive, but arguably their most refined. Those TCI humbuckers paired with the NS-01 single-coil middle pickup deliver tonal versatility that covers everything from warm jazz sophistication to aggressive rock bite, while the push/pull tone controls and dual mini-toggle EQ switches open sonic possibilities conventional wiring keeps locked away.
That Private Stock Zombie Fade finish over Artist Package flame maple top creates visual drama that shifts between supernatural greens and ominous purples depending on stage lighting. The high-gloss nitrocellulose finish lets that spectacular grain structure breathe while providing depth that polyurethane simply cannot match. Mahogany body construction provides warmth that balances the maple top's natural brightness.
The zircote fretboard represents serious luxury - this exotic Central American hardwood costs exponentially more than rosewood yet provides playing surfaces smoother than silk with harmonic complexity standard materials cannot replicate. Those sparkle mother-of-pearl bird inlays with paua outlines catch light in ways photographs struggle to capture, while the matching zircote headstock veneer with custom Nightfall truss rod cover completes the visual statement.
The smoked black hardware against Zombie Fade finish creates sophisticated contrast, while those Phase III locking tuners with wing buttons maintain stability through aggressive tremolo work. That 25-inch scale length splits the difference between Gibson and Fender traditions, creating string tension perfect for both rhythm work and expressive bending.
Body
Type: Solidbody
Shape: Modern Eagle V
Top Material: Artist Grade Flame Maple
Body Material: Mahogany
Finish: High Gloss Nitro
Color: Private Stock Zombie Fade
Body Binding: Scraped
Neck
Material: Flame Maple
Shape: Pattern
Dimensions: 7/8" at the 1/2 fret, 61/64" at the 12 1/2 fret
Joint: Set-Neck
Fretboard Material: Zircote
Neck Finish: Satin Nitro
Headstock: Zircote Veneer, Nightfall Truss Rod Cover
Inlay: Sparkle Mother-Of-Pearl w/ Paua Outline Birds
Radius: 10"
Frets: 22
Scale Length: 25"
Nut Width: 1 11/16"
Nut Material: PRS
Hardware
Bridge/Tailpiece: PRS Patented Tremolo, Gen III
Tuners: PRS Phase III Locking Tuners with Wing Buttons
Hardware Finish: Smoked Black
Electronics
Neck Pickup: TCI
Middle Pickup: NS-01
Bridge Pickup: TCI
Controls: Volume and Push/Pull Tone Controls with 5-Way Blade Pickup Switch and Two Mini-Toggle EQ Switches
Other
Case: PRS Paisley Hardshell
