Mile Marker Zero released their debut album at the end of June and are planning a tour in support this fall.

"We can't wait to get out there and play for fans who haven't had a chance to see us in person yet," says John Tuohy, the band's guitarist. "Also, you can see us perform live on FOX's "Fearless Music" program sometime within the next couple of months. Just check out our website for more details!"

If you go to see Mile Marker Zero you are likely to see Tuohy playing his Paul Reed Smith Custom 22.

"First of all, I am enamored with this guitar. Not only is it versatile, but it sounds great, looks great, and plays ridiculously well! The neck is very easy to get around on, and feels great under my hands. I'm very impressed with the tremolo system on the guitar," says Tuohy. "For my style of playing, I'm not constantly yanking on the whammy bar, 80's style. I use it for subtle slight vibrato, and expressiveness when I'm holding notes. The fact that this tremolo can go down quite a ways, bend up 1/2 step, and you DO NOT have to deal with a locking nut is a godsend."

Tuohy's guitar is a double cutaway with a mahogany body, a maple top and a "Blue Matteo" finish.

"For me, this guitar is similar to a great Les Paul, except with more of a modern flair, and more practical innovations." he says.

Before this guitar he had not been a big PRS booster. He would play around with them but they never "floated his boat." Then he played this particular one and loved it.

"My Custom 22 has the Wide/Fat neck option, which for my big hands work really well. It was very easy for me to transition from my Gibson Les Paul Classic to this guitar, because of this neck. The 25" scale length, (which is unique to PRS) I thought was going to be difficult to get around at first, but it was actually very comfortable for someone who has played both Strat scale length guitars (25 1/2") and Les Paul scale length guitars (24 3/4")," he says. "I think anybody coming from either side will be surprised at how easily acquainted you can get with the neck. The guitar is light -- well, compared to a Les Paul -- and the back contours perfectly against your body. PRS really thought out every detail, and I really appreciate that in a manufacturer."

Tuohy says that when he solos he needs to be comfortable with everything that he is experiencing -- the action, the feel, the angle of the neck, the sound of the amp and the sound of the band.

The guitar features PRS Dragon II pickups.

"First off, the five way rotary pickup selector actually sounds good in every position! In most of the guitars that I have played in my life, you can use one or two pickup settings MAX, and every other one sounds like garbage. However, even the out of phase settings have such clarity and great harmonic overtones, that getting a good sound is really very simple," says Tuohy. "I'm really taken aback by how good the sustain is in these pickups. If I have my lead sound dialed in, I can hit a note and it will sustain forever, it seems. This is a very crucial element to me when I'm playing leads. I like that you can get this without having to use a bunch of sustain pedals or additional overdrive pedals. Just plug in, crank up the gain and wail."

Tuohy says the guitar has a voice all its own.

"It doesn't sound like a Strat, it doesn't sound like a Les Paul, it doesn't sound like an SG, it sounds like a PRS. The midrange is where the guitar really shines to me," he says. "For the first time, possibly ever, I can have on a Channel 3 thick distortion sound on my Mesa Boogie Dual Rectifier, and play open chords and THEY DON'T TURN TO MUD!!!! My tone is still defined and doesn't sound out of tune and sloppy."

Tuohy says that many players in many genres will find something to love in this guitar.

"For the custom 22 in particular, I would say anybody who plays Rock, Fusion, Metal or Prog would be advised to play a few of these guitars." he adds.

He has one little nit to pick, however.

"The only slight nitpick I have is that since I'm so tall and the guitar is pretty narrow, when I sit down to play, I have to hunch over to have the guitar on my lap," says Tuohy. " This is easily solved by putting my foot on a foot stool and raising the strap a little, but if they came out with a little bit wider model, I'd pick one of those up, purely for back purposes."

He also notes that it is a durable guitar that comes in a durable case.

"I have no worries about taking it on the road. The case is rock solid and is HEAVY as anything. These things were built well, with the road in mind. That being said, do not go near drunk people while holding this guitar!" he says. "I would hate to see them stumble and then knock your guitar into a post or their friend or their beer! (this has happened on occasion--thankfully not with THIS guitar). The cool thing about the guitar is that it doesn't take much tweaking to easily make the switch from playing shows to recording in the studio."