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Founded by Paul Reed Smith in 1985, PRS Guitars employs a team of dedicated luthiers in Stevensville, Maryland. PRS combines modern manufacturing with traditional craftsmanship to create guitars trusted by players for their reliability, performance, and tone.
A culture of quality and unbridled passion drives the company to continually refine the craft of instrument making through learning, testing, listening, and innovating. This dedication is reflected across the entire PRS lineup, including the world-renowned PRS SE Series. Today, PRS approaches guitars, amplifiers, and effects pedals with the same mission: build the best guitars and guitar-related gear possible while using the highest-quality materials to create instruments that stand the test of time.
Known for their incredible quality, amazing tone, and immaculate playability (not to mention drop-dead gorgeous looks), PRS Guitars have been a staple in the music scene since their inception in 1985. You can find PRS guitars in the hands of many famous musicians, including Carlos Santana, John Mayer, and Myles Kennedy. If you’re looking for the finest factory-built electric guitars anywhere, look no farther than a PRS.
At the heart of PRS’s guitar line is the Core Series of electric guitars. They’re called the Core Series because, well, they’ve been foundational to PRS since it began in 1985! Each Core Series guitar is built with PRS’s incredible attention to detail and reaches insanely high levels of quality.
Core Series electric guitars come in a wide variety of shapes and finishes. But no matter which model you choose, one thing is for certain: You’re going to get the absolute best the industry has to offer!
PRS Bolt-On guitars are home to a unique offering for PRS. Here you will find several classic designs that have been updated to capture the consistency and quality that can only come from modern manufacturing. Endorsed by artists like John Mayer, Myles Kennedy, and Mark Lerrieri, PRS Bolt-On instruments are professional tools for musicians to get the job done. Models like the PRS CE 24, PRS Silver Sky, and PRS NF 53 all offer unique tones for PRS, bolstered by their bolt-on construction. If you’re looking for modern takes on vintage classics, the PRS Bolt-On lineup is a great place to find your next guitar.
The PRS S2 Series of electric guitars are built with some new manufacturing processes but the same quality control measures as all PRS instruments. The result is the same quality guitar you’d expect from PRS but at a more affordable price point.
A great example of the S2 series in action is the S2 Standard Family. These all-mahogany guitars offer an understated look with rich, bold tones that are anything but stripped-down. If you’re looking for a roadworthy guitar that you rely on night after night, look no further than the PRS S2 Series.
The PRS SE series are the most affordable guitars from PRS. They’re manufactured in facilities outside of PRS’s main factories in Maryland, but they keep many of the quality features found in the higher-level guitars.
You can find many of the same models from the PRS Core, Bolt-On, and S2 Series available in the SE line, like the PRS SE John Mayer Silver Sky. Other popular SE series guitars include the PRS SE Custom 24, SE McCarty 594, and SE NF 53.
As part of the PRS SE Series, PRS also makes several quality acoustic-electric guitar models. PRS acoustics are all built with PRS’s hybrid X/Classical bracing that really allows the top to vibrate freely for exceptional tone and projection. There are several wood combinations and three body shapes to choose from: Angelus Cutaway, Tonare Grand, and Tonare Parlor.
And if you thought these guitars sounded good acoustic, plug them in and listen to the custom-voiced Fishman pickup system sing! Easy-to-access volume and tone controls help you dial in the perfect sound for any show.
When he was in school, Paul Reed Smith took as many shop classes as he could. He loved to work with his hands. As an extra-credit challenge from a college professor, Paul built his first guitar by hand and decided to take his passion for guitars and guitar building to the professional level.
The next several years were spent with Paul Smith building a guitar, playing a few gigs to field test it, then redesigning his models from the ground up to make them even better.
In 1985, Smith was finally ready to open a factory of his very own, and PRS was born! In the early years of PRS, Paul met up with another guitar-building legend, Ted McCarty (who was the former president of Gibson and the creator of the iconic ES-335, Explorer, and Flying V). Ted became his mentor and partner during PRS’s formative years.
What set PRS guitars apart was their dedication to quality. Initially, all PRS guitars were completely hand built with custom tuning pegs, a patented vibrato, and high-quality electronics — which included Paul Smith’s custom rotary pickup switch and incredible humbuckers.
To sell his creations, Paul Smith would go around to different venues and talk to artists, seeing if they’d want to buy his guitars. Through his dedication and tireless efforts, he managed to get in with several big-name players like Carlos Santana, Howard Leese, and Al Di Meola.
As PRS got bigger, Paul Smith expanded his small operation, which is now in a 120,000square-foot manufacturing facility on the Chesapeake Bay in his home state of Maryland. Despite their incredible growth, PRS Guitars remains dedicated to producing the best quality guitars possible, no exceptions.
Today, PRS builds perhaps the finest factory-built electric guitars anywhere, and they show no signs of slowing down. If you’re looking for the best of the best, there’s nothing like a PRS!
