Now Available at Northeast Music Center!

PRS SE Swamp Ash Special – Iri Blue (S/N: 8469)

Includes PRS Padded Gig Bag

The PRS SE Swamp Ash Special brings a distinctly different voice to the SE lineup. Its swamp ash body, bolt-on maple neck, maple fretboard and H/S/H pickup configuration give this guitar a lively, articulate personality with plenty of snap, clarity and definition.

Finished in striking Iri Blue, this particular guitar also features the original 3-way toggle/push-pull switching configuration, giving players six useful pickup combinations from a deceptively simple control layout.

At Northeast Music Center, we especially like the Swamp Ash Special for the guitarist who wants PRS playability but doesn't want to be locked into the sound of a conventional two-humbucker instrument.

Highlights

• Iri Blue Finish
• Swamp Ash Solidbody
• Bolt-On Maple Neck
• Wide Thin Neck Profile
• Maple Fretboard
• PRS Bird Inlays
• 22 Frets
• 25" Scale Length
• 10" Fretboard Radius
• PRS 85/15 “S” Treble & Bass Humbuckers
• PRS-Designed AS-01 Single-Coil Middle Pickup
• Original 3-Way Toggle Switching
• Push/Pull Tone Control
• Six Pickup Combinations
• PRS Patented Tremolo
• PRS-Designed Tuners
• Nickel Hardware
• PRS Padded Gig Bag Included
• Serial Number: CTIH088469

Swamp Ash + Maple = A Different Side of PRS

The wood combination is a big part of what gives the Swamp Ash Special its identity.

The swamp ash body provides a clear, responsive foundation with tight lows, articulate attack and a lively top end. Pair that with a bolt-on maple neck and maple fretboard and the guitar responds immediately to the player's touch.

There's plenty of snap and definition here, but it still feels unmistakably like a PRS.

The 25" scale length maintains that familiar PRS balance between comfortable string tension and note clarity, while the Wide Thin neck profile gives the guitar a fast, comfortable feel that works equally well for rhythm playing, bends, lead work and more technical styles.

85/15 “S” Humbuckers + AS-01 Single Coil

This is where the Swamp Ash Special becomes particularly interesting.

PRS places its 85/15 “S” Treble and Bass humbuckers in the bridge and neck positions, with the PRS-Designed AS-01 Single Coil sitting between them.

The AS-01 uses both alnico and steel components—the source of the “AS” name—to help create a strong middle-pickup voice that works naturally alongside the two humbuckers.

The result is a pickup configuration capable of delivering full humbucker authority, brighter single-coil character and some extremely useful blended sounds.

Six Pickup Combinations

This particular Swamp Ash Special uses PRS's original 3-way toggle and push/pull tone switching system.

With the tone control pushed down:

Position 1: Bridge 85/15 “S” Humbucker
Position 2: Bridge + Neck 85/15 “S” Humbuckers
Position 3: Neck 85/15 “S” Humbucker

Pull the tone control and another set of combinations becomes available:

Position 1: Bridge Humbucker + AS-01 Middle Single Coil
Position 2: Bridge Humbucker + AS-01 Middle Single Coil + Neck Single Coil
Position 3: Neck Single Coil + AS-01 Middle Single Coil

That gives you six distinct pickup combinations without covering the guitar in additional switches.

You can move from strong bridge humbucker sounds to the familiar dual-humbucker middle position, warm neck tones, brighter blended textures and single-coil-flavored combinations.

For rock, blues, country, funk, pop, clean rhythm work and plenty more, there's an impressive amount of territory available.

Original 3-Way Version

There's also something worth knowing about this particular guitar.

PRS originally introduced this generation of the SE Swamp Ash Special with the 3-way toggle/push-pull switching system found on serial number CTIH088469.

PRS later revised the model to use a 5-way blade switch.

That makes this guitar a great choice for the player who prefers the simplicity and feel of a traditional PRS-style 3-way toggle while still having access to the additional sounds provided by the AS-01 middle pickup.

PRS Patented Tremolo

The PRS Patented Tremolo adds another layer of expression to an already versatile guitar.

From subtle movement on chords to expressive vibrato and more pronounced pitch effects, the tremolo feels smooth and natural while complementing the responsive character of the swamp ash body and bolt-on maple neck.

Specifications

Body

• Construction: Solidbody
• Body Wood: Swamp Ash
• Top Carve: Shallow Violin
• Finish: Iri Blue

Neck

• Neck/Body Assembly: Bolt-On
• Neck Wood: Maple
• Neck Construction: Scarfed
• Neck Profile: Wide Thin
• Fretboard Wood: Maple
• Fretboard Radius: 10"
• Scale Length: 25"
• Number of Frets: 22
• Neck Width at Nut: 1 11/16"
• Neck Width at Body: 2 1/4"
• Neck Depth at 1/2 Fret: 13/16"
• Neck Depth at 12 1/2 Fret: 57/64"
• Fretboard Inlays: PRS Birds
• Truss Rod: PRS Double-Acting

Hardware

• Bridge: PRS Patented Tremolo
• Tuners: PRS-Designed Tuners
• Hardware Type: Nickel
• Nut: PRS
• Truss Rod Cover: “Special”

Electronics

• Bridge Pickup: PRS 85/15 “S” Treble
• Middle Pickup: PRS-Designed AS-01 Single Coil
• Neck Pickup: PRS 85/15 “S” Bass
• Controls: Master Volume & Push/Pull Tone
• Pickup Selector: 3-Way Toggle
• Available Pickup Combinations: Six

Additional

• Strings: PRS Classic 9–42
• PRS Padded Gig Bag Included
• Serial Number: CTIH088469

One Guitar with a Lot of Personality

The SE Swamp Ash Special isn't simply another H/S/H guitar.

The combination of swamp ash, bolt-on maple construction, 85/15 “S” humbuckers, AS-01 middle pickup and six-way switching capability gives it a personality that's noticeably different from many other guitars in the PRS SE lineup.

It can be powerful when you want humbuckers.

Bright and articulate when you want more single-coil character.

Or somewhere in between when the song calls for something different.

Add the PRS tremolo, Wide Thin neck and striking Iri Blue finish, and you have an instrument that's equally comfortable handling rock, blues, country, funk, pop, clean rhythm work and much more.

As a longtime PRS dealer, Northeast Music Center knows these instruments and the differences between their various generations. If you have questions about this guitar, its original switching system, or how it compares with the newer 5-way Swamp Ash Special, we're happy to help.

This individual PRS SE Swamp Ash Special in Iri Blue, serial number CTIH088469, is available now from Northeast Music Center and includes its PRS padded gig bag.