“It’s a revolution”: John McLaughlin hints at a secret PRS prototype he calls the mysterious Yellow Guitar

“I was just talking to Paul Reed Smith — and I don’t know if I should be saying this — but he’s made a new guitar that’s a revolution.”

Jazz fusion icon John McLaughlin, who built his legendary career playing Gibson guitars and the occasional Stratocaster, has increasingly gravitated toward PRS instruments in recent years. Now, he has casually revealed the existence of a groundbreaking prototype.

The guitarist officially joined the PRS roster of signature guitar artists around 2017. Since then, a series of collaborative instruments has followed, including a striking Private Stock model released in 2023 — a guitar that later inspired Paul Reed Smith’s Charcoal Phoenix.

However, the luthier’s latest creation — details of which John McLaughlin may or may not have been authorized to share — is said to be something truly special. He is one of only two renowned guitarists entrusted with testing the prototypes.

“I was just talking to Paul Reed Smith — and I don’t know if I should be telling you this — but he’s made a new guitar that I call the Yellow Guitar,” John McLaughlin tells Guitarist.
“It’s like a revolution. I can’t say much more about it, but he was also on the phone with Eric Johnson, one of my favorite guitar players, and he has one too,” he continues. “We were both completely blown away.”

After revealing as much, John McLaughlin chose to say no more, leaving fans to speculate about what PRS may unveil next.

Speaking to Ultimate Guitar around the release of one of his two new live albums, Live at Montreux Jazz Festival 2022, the 83-year-old guitarist spoke glowingly about his Private Stock PRS.

“It’s the best guitar I’ve ever played,” he says.
“And I’ve played a lot of guitars. It’s an outstanding instrument.”

PRS is currently enjoying one of its most innovative creative periods, having completely reworked its design philosophy for Herman Li’s long-awaited signature guitar, which has since expanded into the SE lineup. Meanwhile, one of the brand’s newest high-profile collaborators, Keith Urban, is also developing a bold, convention-defying PRS model.