“I never want to forget the feeling of excitement I had when I first got a PRS”: PRS honors hard rock Japanese guitar hero Kanami Tōno with her first-ever signature guitar
The Band-Maid guitarist pays tribute to the first PRS she ever owned, opting for a Smokeburst finish, Brush Stroke Bird inlays and nifty electronics
(Image credit: PRS)
PRS is continuing its hot streak of luxurious-looking electric guitars with the release of the PRS Kanami, which has been made for Japanese shred merchant, Kanami Tōno of hard rock outfit, Band-Maid.
The limited edition signature guitar is headlined by PRS 85/15 pickups, which offer “exceptional clarity and extended high and low end” and a pair of mini-toggle switches to turn its full-bodied humbuckers into crisp single-coils.
Its mahogany body is blanketed with a quilted maple top, while its one-piece mahogany neck is capped by a 24-fret ebony fretboard with Brush Stroke Bird inlays.
Smoked Black hardware includes a PRS Gen III fixed bridge with a whammy bar and PRS Phase III locking tuners to blend “modern locking technology with vintage elegance”.
Kanami says she spent a considerable amount of time deciding the guitar's color, ultimately opting for a rather unique Trampas Green Smokeburst finish.
It reflects the finish found on her very first PRS guitar, but with the addition of the Smokeburst to bring “a more subdued chic feel” to the instrument. The Band-Maid logo also adorns the cover for its double-acting truss rod.
“I never want to forget the feeling of excitement I had when I first got a PRS,” Kanami says. “It is a way of keeping that beginner's spirit alive, and also a declaration of my commitment to moving forward with this guitar by my side.”
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Kanami's hard rock group formed in 2013 to juxtapose the image of Japanese maid café workers with hard-punching music. Their videos frequently rack up well beyond 10 million views each, and their latest record, Epic Narratives,features guest spots from Incubus guitarist Mike Einziger and The Warning.
The Kanami Limited Edition | PRS Guitars - YouTube
“PRS has always been an essential part of Band-Maid’s sound ever since I started playing the Custom 24,” says Kanami. “When I decided to become a professional guitarist, one of my dreams to have a signature model has come true here. The thought that someone will be playing the Kanami signature model makes me so emotional. I might even cry!”
Speaking of emotions, in a 2020 chat with Guitar World, Kanami said of her approach to her red-hot leads: “A good guitar solo will trigger emotions. I always keep that in mind.”
The PRS Kanami Limited Edition ships in the newly devised PRS ATA multi-fit molded guitar case. It is limited to just 200 copies, each hand-signed by Kanami on the guitar’s backplate.
The PRS Kanami is available now. Head to PRS to learn more.
A freelance writer with a penchant for music that gets weird, Phil is a regular contributor to Prog, Guitar World, and Total Guitar magazines and is especially keen on shining a light on unknown artists. Outside of the journalism realm, you can find him writing angular riffs in progressive metal band, Prognosis, in which he slings an 8-string Strandberg Boden Original, churning that low string through a variety of tunings. He's also a published author and is currently penning his debut novel which chucks fantasy, mythology and humanity into a great big melting pot.
