There are all kinds of signature guitars out there in the world. There are those for metal players, indie players, funk, jazz, rock and blues. PRS Guitars’ latest is based on an artist who is wholly fictional, Lilisa Suzunomiya, aka Lily, the protagonist of the hit anime Rock is a Lady’s Modesty.
There is a lot of IP to navigate so, deep breath, the SE Rock Lady is a collab between PRS Guitars and AMC Global Media’s Sentai and HIDIVE. The guitar in question is a dead ringer for the guitar Lily plays onscreen – and in the manga from which it was adapted.
And fundamentally it is a hybrid of two signature designs from the PRS archive, Paul’s Guitar, the electric guitar spec’d up by the brand’s founder, Paul Reed Smith, and the KANAMI of BAND-MAID’s limited edition Custom 24-08, which debuted in 2024.
Having KANAMI involved brings us neatly back to the anime. BAND-MAID recorded the show’s theme song, Ready To Rock.
“When I wrote the opening theme Ready To Rock, I wanted it to feel like the moment you decide to step onto the stage and let everything out,” says KANAMI. “It’s exciting to see that energy carried into a real PRS guitar inspired by Lily’s instrument, and I hope players and fans can plug in, turn it up, and experience the world of Rock Is A Lady’s Modesty for themselves.”
PRS is only making 690 of these SE Rock Lady electrics. Each comes fitted with a pair of TCI “S” electric guitar pickups with custom purple bobbins.
Those familiar with the PRS lineup will tell you just how versatile the TCI pickup is, with tones covering full-fat rock humbucker and single-coil snap, courtesy of a pair of individual coil-taps and three-way pickup switching. Further tone shaping can be had via the instrument’s volume and tone pots.
As someone who has a weakness for pink guitars ever since Jeff Beck picked up a flamingo-coloured Jackson Soloist, the Rock Lady’s Pink Pearl finish (a solid colour top on a natural finish guitar) looks the bee’s knees.
Another additional signature aesthetic detail can be found on the truss rod cover, which is engraved with a Lily.
Ed Sheeran, Dave Grissom, KANAMI, John Mayer, Herman Li… The PRS Guitars artist roster has players of all stripes. But designing one for a fictional character was a change of pace.
“This project has been one of the most creative, out-of-the-box things we have done in a while,” says Jack Higginbotham, COO at PRS. “Developing a guitar with a fictional artist is not something we do every day. It has been a lot of fun, but this is far more than a commemorative display piece – it’s a true player’s guitar, designed for performance and durability. Ultimately, it’s a musical instrument that is made to be played.”
The SE Rock Lady Limited Edition is available now, priced £/$999. See PRS Guitars for more details.
