PRS SE Mark Holcomb
PRS SE MARK HOLCOMB £899
The newest member of Periphery’s prog-metal
guitar force gets an a ordable signature model
MARK
Holcomb is
one third of
Periphery’s guitar triumvirate and
a self-confessed PRS obsessive.
Mark fi rst began working with PRS
on his signature model a few years
ago and that limited-edition,
USA-made model attracted
enough attention to be rewarded
with its very own SE equivalent,
which bears a very similar spec to
his pricey American counterpart,
right down to Mark’s signature
Seymour Duncan pickups.
At its core, the Holcomb is
basically a SE Custom 24 model,
but with a number of signifi cant
differences: the mahogany neck
has been replaced with maple;
the scale length increased from
635mm (25 inches) to 648mm
(25.5 inches); and the ’board
radius has been fl attened from
254mm (10 inches) to an almost
fl at 500mm (20 inches).
The Holcomb Burst fi nish is
stunning: a patterned quilted top
wonderfully camoufl aged by a
smokey black burst varnish with
a tiny hint of purple, straddling the
perfect middle ground between
pretty boy and metal monster.
The overall build quality and
setup is superb, as we’ve come
to expect from the SE range.
Although shipped in Mark’s
preferred drop C tuning (drop D
down a tone, so low to high:
CGCFAD), no special design
considerations have been given to
this lower tuning aside from the
increased scale length, so it’s no
issue to choose standard tuning if
preferred. The popular Wide Thin
profi le is the chosen neck carve,
and it’s been topped off with some
chunky jumbo frets which, in
conjunction with that super-fl at
fretboard, enable a low action.
Those familiar with Periphery’s
brand of down-tuned prog-metal
will be expecting an onslaught of
high-gain attack when plugged in,
and this SE certainly doesn’t
disappoint. Plugged into a
Marshall JVM410, down-tuned
riffs positively fl y out of the
speakers with a wonderful depth
and resonance. Powerful as they
are, they don’t overwhelm the amp
but instead output a punchy clarity
that still offers articulation on even
the heaviest of settings – no doubt
the pickups are voiced to help
showcase the open expansive
chord work that Mark is known for.
The coil-splits are also a joy,
recalling the percussive distorted
funk tones of Nuno Bettencourt.
With most signature models, the
specs often refl ect the sometimes
idiosyncratic needs of their
inspirer, but this isn’t just a guitar
for fans of Mark. The spec on offer
here represents a high quality and,
dare we say it, ‘posh’ metal guitar
with a little bit extra under the
hood thanks to those versatile
split-coil tones. The pickups are the
star of the show and, if bought
separately, they’d cost a whopping
£300 alone! So, considering the
guitar’s price, their inclusion
makes this package excellent value
for money. If you’re a metal player
in the market for a SE Custom 24,
or indeed just something that’s not
too pointy, then this may well be
the right fi t for you.
Darran Charles
Down-tuned riffs positively
fly out of the speakers
FEATURES
SOUND QUALITY
VALUE FOR MONEY
BUILD QUALITY
PLAYABILITY
OVERALL RATING
SUMMARY
Photography: Joseph Branston
PRS SE MARK HOLCOMB GEAR
AUGUST 2016 87
BODY: Mahogany w/ quilted
maple top
NECK: Maple, 3-piece
SCALE: 648mm (25.5")
FINGERBOARD: Ebony, 500mm
(20”) radius
FRETS: 24
PICKUPS: Seymour Duncan MH
Omega (bridge), Seymour Duncan
MH Alpha (neck)
CONTROLS: 1x volume, 1x tone
(w/ push/pull coil-split),
3-way blade pickup selector
HARDWARE: Sung-Il BN-101
bridge, PRS tuners – black chrome
LEFT-HANDED: No
FINISH: Holcomb Burst (shown)
CONTACT: PRS Guitars Europe
01223 874301 www.prsguitars.com
AT A GLANCE
PICKUPS
MARK’S Seymour
Duncans are powerful yet
articulate, and great for
expansive chord work,
as well as high-octane
prog-metal riffi ng
FRETBOARD
HUGE frets and a fl at
radius – the usual
checklist for the
modern shredder – are
all present and correct
BODY
THE usual bevelled body
shape found on the SE
and S2 series features a
stunning Black Smoke burst
with just a hint of purple
TGR282.gear_prs.indd 87 15/06/2016 17:26