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• Review

Comparing this writer's well-gigged and bashed 2001 Singlecut with this new model, it's like we have two guitars from different companies. The original Singlecut is weightier and there's little doubt that the more subtle constructional changes have created a much more zingy and lively acoustic ring.

Perceived as a jack-of-all-trades the original Singlecut morphed into the more vintage-y SC 245 and the harder rocking SC 250. The 245 humbuckers certainly nailed a more 'PAF-like' tone – rounder nosed, very 'elastic' sounding, expressive and dynamic – but these 1957/2008s are something else again.

They sound lower in output (although the much used, though erroneous, DC resistance doesn't tell us much – we've tested 245 pickups that have had both lower and higher resistance readings) but these have a sweeter toned almost single-coil like clarity, a smooth uncluttered and less 'pushy' mid-range with balanced clean lows.

There are no coil splits on this model (although the pickups do have the usual white split wire if you fancy a little DIY) but by pulling down the volume controls – smooth tapered, as ever – you'd swear you were listening to a single-coil guitar, albeit smoother, wider and less cutting than a Stratocaster. Once again the magic of a modern PRS, from a playing view point, becomes very evident: there's huge versatility from the volume controls alone.

With rich sounding cleans and plenty of classic early-seventies-era rock power we edge up the gain and the guitar retains its even clarity and punch. That said, a hotter midrange is certainly going to be what many are used to, but kick that in from a stompbox and you begin to wonder if there's any single-cut tone you can't get here – Peter Green to classic Slash and more.

At higher volumes and gains we experienced some mild microphony and shrill feedback from the bridge pickup, but this is a very resonant guitar (and Smith tells us that these pickups, like the originals, aren't heavily potted). But we're left with an undeniable conclusion.

The 245 pickups are very, very good but these just sound clearer, cleaner, less cloudy and even more musical. The bummer is that you'll have to shell out for a far from cheap new guitar to be able to experience this sound.

Here's the rub. PRS's Singlecut was a very good guitar. Then PRS brought out the SC 245/ SC 250 with more specific vintage/modern tonality. Add in a slew of seemingly minor constructional changes that have been implemented over the past two years and this limited SC 245, if your tonal desire lies on the more classic, vintage-y side of the tracks, scotches the lot.

It may be a guitar aimed at collectors, but it's the sweetest sounding, most musical SC from PRS to date. Time to start saving…