Used Paul Reed Smith 40th Anniversary McCarty Dragon Burnt Chestnut

Used Paul Reed Smith 40th Anniversary McCarty Dragon Burnt Chestnut
Serial Number: #000147
Weight: 7.8 lbs.
Condition: Mint condition, 2025 model. Collector-owned, guitar shows no wear. Comes with original hardshell case, candy candy.

This PRS Private Stock 40th Anniversary McCarty Dragon is one of only 165 built, and it belongs to the single most storied line in the company's history — the Dragon guitars Paul Reed Smith first realized in 1992, each one a showcase for inlay work no other builder attempts. For the 40th anniversary, PRS chose the McCarty as the platform, a fitting choice given that the original 1992 Dragon was the instrument that led directly to the McCarty model's development in 1994. A Private Stock figured maple top sits over a mahogany body in a Burnt Chestnut high-gloss nitro finish, with the slightly thicker mahogany back that gives the McCarty its warmth and weight behind the note. At 7.8 lbs., it's a substantial but comfortable instrument. This one is mint and collector-owned, showing no wear.

The centerpiece is the dragon inlay running down the fretboard, drawn by fantasy artist Jeff Easley — known widely for his Dungeons & Dragons rulebook cover work — and translated into inlay by the team at Aulson Inlay, who have executed every PRS Dragon since 2002. The figure is assembled from more than 200 individual pieces in Blue Pacific Opal, Brown Scale Juma, and gold, black, white, and brown mother of pearl, set into a pale moon ebony insert in the Gaboon ebony fretboard so the artwork seems to lift off the wood. It continues onto the truss rod cover, and the headstock carries a Private Stock Eagle in black with gold web, outlined in gold mother of pearl, against a ziricote face.

The ziricote neck is carved to PRS's Pattern profile (7/8" at the 1st fret, 61/64" at the 12th fret), a full, rounded shape with a satin finish that stays fast under the hand, joined with set-neck construction for the sustain and seamless upper-fret access PRS built its reputation on. The fretboard runs a 10" radius over 22 frets to a 1 11/16" bone nut, with a 25" scale length — the PRS split between Gibson warmth and Fender clarity. Anchoring the strings is the PRS stoptail with brass inserts and steel studs, a design built to move as much string vibration into the body as possible, paired with PRS Phase III non-locking tuners with wing buttons and nickel hardware.

For all the visual ambition, this is a working instrument, and the electronics are where that shows. A pair of McCarty III humbuckers runs through a single volume, single tone, and 3-way toggle — a deliberately simple layout that puts the pickups front and center, delivering a lush, vocal voice that stays warm and open without losing clarity, cleaning up beautifully off the volume knob and thickening under gain. Whether you're a collector chasing one of the most significant PRS releases of the last decade, an investor or a player who wants an instrument of this caliber actually in your hands, this is a rare opportunity — Dragons do not come up often. This PRS Private Stock 40th Anniversary McCarty Dragon (Serial #000147, 1 of only 165 made) includes its original PRS case and case candy. Order today from Brian's Guitars, your authorized PRS dealer — when these 165 are gone, they're gone.

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Body
Type: Solidbody
Shape: McCarty
Top Material: Private Stock Figured Maple
Body Material: Mahogany
Finish: High-Gloss Nitro
Color: Burnt Chestnut

Neck
Material: Ziricote
Shape: Pattern
Dimensions: 7/8" at the 1st fret, 61/64" at the 12th fret
Joint: Set-Neck
Fretboard Material: Gaboon Ebony with Pale Moon Ebony Insert
Neck Finish: Satin
Headstock: Ziricote, Private Stock Eagle
Inlay: 40th Anniversary Dragon Design
Radius: 10"
Frets: 22
Scale Length: 25"
Nut Width: 1 11/16"
Nut Material: Bone

Hardware
Bridge/Tailpiece: PRS Stoptail w/ Brass Inserts and Steel Studs
Tuners: PRS Phase III Non-Locking Tuners with Wing Buttons
Hardware Finish: Nickel

Electronics
Neck Pickup: McCarty III
Bridge Pickup: McCarty III
Controls: 1 x Volume, 1 x Tone, 3-way Toggle Pickup Selector Switch

Other: Case Candy
Case/Gigbag: PRS ATA Multi-Fit Molded Case, D1