Paul Reed Smith's first guitar was built as a challenge to his college music professor for some credits. He got an “A” and decided to pursue his dream of making guitars for a living. Each guitar he built was road tested at gigs by Paul himself, and over time he tweaked his design until he had what we all now know and love as the PRS design. Played by such legends as Carlos Santana and Al Di Meola, every PRS guitar is the product of decades of testing, rethinking, and reinventing. PRS quality is not confined to electric guitars. The SE Angelus A40E gives you PRS quality in an affordable acoustic-electric guitar that is built to be taken on stage. It is X-brace/classical hybrid bracing taken from PRS's the USA and Private Stock lines for optimum clarity and projection. The spruce top and ovangkol back and sides provide a classic warm and articulate sound. The large yet comfortable Angelus body style gives you excellent acoustic projection, and the Fishman GT1 under-saddle electronics mean the SE Angelus A40E is ready to go onstage right out of the case. With custom acoustic features without a custom acoustic price tag, the Angelus A40E strikes the perfect balance between modern eye-catching adornments and a traditional acoustic appearance.