Maryland-based guitar manufacturer PRS has expanded its catalog with the introduction of the Tekton lineup, marking a major push into the heavy music and metal instrument market. Described by the company as a completely new family of guitars rather than a single model revision, the series is built from the ground up to cater specifically to technical modern players.
While PRS already features hard rock and metal signature artists on its roster—including Mark Tremonti, Mark Holcomb, and Herman Li—the brand has historically been associated with classic builds. Company Director of Sales Jim Cullen described the launch as planting a flag for a new product line shaped by years of player feedback calling for modern specifications.
The Tekton lineup debuts with four distinct configurations: the OG hardtail, the T two-point tremolo, the Floyd equipped with a Floyd Rose tremolo, and the SVN seven-string model. Prices are set at $2,899 for the Tekton and Tekton T variants, while the Floyd and SVN models list for $2,999.
Physically, the instruments introduce a new body silhouette positioned as a hybrid between the company’s Custom 24 and Vela designs. The shape is paired with extensive contouring, including a large belly carve and a heavily sculpted neck heel, resulting in the thinnest body design the manufacturer has ever produced.
The bolt-on maple necks represent the thinnest standard production profiles in company history. They carry a 16-inch radius ebony fingerboard fitted with stainless steel frets—marking the first time PRS has incorporated a 16-inch radius and stainless steel frets in its production line. The string spacing mirrors the configuration used on John Mayer’s Silver Sky and Mark Lettieri’s Fiore models, offering a slightly wider layout designed to assist with sweeps, arpeggios, and precise pick attack.
Traditional bird inlays have been replaced with offset dots and Luminlay side dots. For structural stability and resonance, the necks incorporate hormigo strength rods, taking design cues from the carbon fiber reinforcement found in Herman Li’s signature instruments. In terms of body woods, the Tekton Floyd variant utilizes an all-alder body, while the other models feature mahogany backs paired with highly flamed mango tops.
A central component of the Tekton design is the debut of proprietary Stylus humbuckers. Equipped with coil-splitting capabilities and alnico 5 magnets, the pickups are voiced for clarity, articulation, and character, aiming to deliver aggressive tones without sacrificing note definition.
The pickups feature a flatter output than traditional humbuckers, specifically engineered to interface with digital modelers and modern modeling rigs. According to company evaluations, the flatter output prevents clean signals from being overpowered while maintaining tight string separation and definition under higher gain settings.
Color finishes available across the series include Black Tourmaline for the standard Tekton, Imperial Topaz for the Tekton T, Bloodstone Red for the Tekton SVN, and Hot Pink for the Tekton Floyd model.
