A DESIGN FOR LIFE

When the first Paul Reed Smith guitar found its way into the Guitarist office many, many years ago we knew we were looking at something really special. Suddenly, there was a new kid on the block and, boy, could he make guitars… Coming back up to date and that passion for design and sonic excellence continues apace as the brand celebrates its 35th anniversary…

- Dave Burrluck

THE HIT MAKER

While 2020 marks 35 years of PRS Guitars, the Maryland guitar maker has experienced massive growth since its 30th anniversary in 2015. With the help of Paul Reed Smith and his team, we look back to celebrate these unprecedented past five years

Words Dave Burrluck

Guitar makers are little different from artists writing songs, making albums and touring the world. They have their successes and they have their failures; they fall out due to musical differences while their drummers spontaneously combust. Okay, so while that last bit might be a thing of fiction, for many the definition of a successful guitarist is simply one who sells records. It’s just as true of a guitar maker, large or small.

PRS Guitars has long since been considered the ‘third’ guitar brand after the icons that are Fender and Gibson. It’s not something that stacks up from production numbers, but there is plenty to support the perception. There’s the quality proposition for starters. From day one, PRS’s focus on quality signalled a call to arms and helped restore the craft of the luthier. There are few contemporary electric guitar makers who haven’t been influenced or inspired by PRS’s obsessive drive to produce the highest quality instruments with little or no compromise – something that’s easy to claim but not easy to do. Then there’s the fact that the man who has his name above the door is still the driving passion behind the brand 35 years on, considerably longer than Leo was at Fender or Ted McCarty at Gibson. Indeed, in guitar making terms, Paul Reed Smith is a virtual deity to his legion of dedicated followers.