Paul Reed Smith (PRS)
PRS (aka Paul Reed Smith) Guitars is an American guitar manufacturer headquartered in Stevensville, Maryland. PRS Guitars was founded by guitarist and luthier Paul Reed Smith in 1985. Paul Reed Smith Guitars is a leading manufacturer of high-end electric guitars. PRS guitars, originally crafted for local guitar players, have become highly prized by musicians and collectors around the world.
The bodies of PRS guitars are crafted of mahogany, with a maple top on most models. They often feature highly figured tops, including flame maple, quilt maple, and figured maple creating the effect of tiger stripes. PRS necks are usually made from mahogany, although some models feature maple or Indian or Brazilian rosewood necks; fingerboards are made of rosewood. PRS's signature fret markers include the lower end moons, and the higher end birds. The moons appear similar to standard dot inlays, but have a crescent more prominent than the rest of the dot. The bird inlays feature nine or ten different birds inlayed at the appropriate frets. Just to note,since 1995, most of there guitars have been CNC made guitars, noting that the guitars should be less expensive. Inlay materials have included semiprecious stones; iridescent shells, including abalone and abalone laminates; gold; and even unearthed ivory from an (extinct) woolly mammoth.
Nuts are synthetic; tuners are of PRS's own design, although some models feature Korean-made Kluson-style tuners. PRS guitars feature three original bridge designs: a one-piece pre-intonated stoptail, an intonatable is unique to PRS and can be used because PRS manufacturing tolerances are so tight, guaranteeing that the distance between witness points will be within a few thousandths of an inch from guitar to guitar. This design does not however allow intonation to be adjusted to compensate for variations in string thickness or drop tuning. Two other designs are the PRS vibrato, which resembles a vintage Fender Stratocaster unit but with much better tonal stability due to less friction, and the more recent compensated wrapover tailpeice, which allows for height and intonation adjustment.
Pickups are designed and wound in-house; PRS is more secretive about magnet and wire type and construction than some aftermarket pickup manufacturers. PRS humbucking pickups have gone by many names, including HFS (Hot, Fat, and Screams); Vintage Bass; McCarty; Santana I, II, and III; Archtop; Dragon I and II; Artist I through IV; #6, #7, #8, #9, and #10, RP (after the initials of the designer, Ralph Perucci) and Soapbar. Further adding to the obscurity, many of the above pickup types are actually a pair of pickups wound in opposing directions, one intended for the neck and one for the bridge position.
Prominent PRS players include Ted Nugent, Carlos Santana, Al DiMeola, and Alex Lifeson of Rush.
Guitars10th Anniversary25th Anniversary Emma Acoustic 25th Anniversary Modern Eagle III 25th Anniversary Singlecut Hollowbody II 25th Anniversary Tonare Grand Acoustic 305 415 Rosewood 513 Swamp Ash Angelus Acoustic Artist/Artist I/Artist 24 Artist II/Artist 22 Artist III Artist IV Artist Limited CE 22 CE 22 Maple Top CE 24 CE 24 Maple Top Chris Henderson Model Corvette Custom (Custom 24/PRS Custom) Custom 22 Custom 22 Brazilian Custom 22 Soapbar Custom 22/12 Custom 24 Custom 24 Brazilian Custom 24 Ltd. 2010 Custom 24 Walnut Dave Navarro Signature DC3 DGT Savid Grisson Tremolo Dragon I Dragon II Dragon III Dragon 2000 Dragon 2002 Dragon Doubleneck EG II EG II Maple Top EG 3 EG 4 |
Golden Eagle Hollowbody Hollowbody 12 Hollowbody II JA-15 Johnny Hiland Limited Edition LTD (Limited) Experience McCarty Model McCarty 58 McCarty II McCarty Archtop McCarty Archtop Artist McCarty Archtop II McCarty Hollowbody McCarty Hollowbody II McCarty Hollowbody Spruce McCarty Model Brazilian McCarty Rosewood McCarty Soapbar McCarty Soapbar Standard McCarty Standard ME Quatro Metal Mira X Mira Modern Eagle NF3 Private Stock (customs) PRS Guitar Rosewood Limited Santana Santana II Santana III Santana Brazilian SC 245 SC 250 SC 58 SC-J Thinline SE Series Signature Singlecut Singlecut Standard Satin |
Smokeburst McCarty Special Standard Standard 22 Standard 24 Starla Starla Stoptail Starla X Studio Studio Maple Top Swamp Ash Special Tonare Grand Tremonti Signature West Street (1980 West Street Ltd.) Bass GuitarsBass-4Bass-5 CE Bass-4 CE Bass-5 Curly Bass-4 Curly Bass-5 Electric Bass Amplifiers4x12 Straight-Front CabinetHG-70 Amp Head HG-212 Amp |