Paul Reed Smith

Paul Reed Smith ( born February 18, 1956 in Bowie, Maryland) is an American guitar makers and entrepreneurs. He is the founder and owner of PRS Guitars.

Smith constructed his first guitar during his time at St. Mary's College of Maryland. After completion of the college, he built an instrument per month. Together with John " Orkie " Ingram, he created the basis for what the musical-instrument company PRS Guitars should be later.

Smith brought his guitar in concerts in the area behind the stage ( Backstage ) and persuaded musician to test his guitars and judge. On this basis, he refined the design of his instruments. The breakthrough was achieved by Paul Reed Smith in 1976, as the guitarist Carlos Santana tried one of Smith's guitars. Supposedly called Santana the guitar as an "accident of God", because she looked so good and was playing well. He then ordered two more instruments.

Smith got in touch with Ted McCarty, who was president of Gibson Guitar Corporation at that time and the end of the 1950s had developed the electric guitar models Flying V, Explorer, ES -335. McCarty was Smith's mentor.

PRS Guitars

The result of the collaboration with Smith McCarty is the assortment of PRS Guitars, with the partially hollow body includes both instruments with solid body ( Solid Body ) as well as those ( semi -solid ). The design of the guitar is characterized by the use of exotic materials such as various stones, wood and shells as a deposit. For the body, for example, South American mahogany is used. On certain models, a maple top is (german maple top ), which is called depending on the quality of the grain as a " 10 -Top", and which causes a significant additional cost. The name was derived from the 10 - Top Ten Movie - The dream woman with Bo Derek in Derek schönstmögliche the woman, so a 10 is.

Another special feature is in some guitars, the cast from one piece metal bar ( One-piece stoptail ), which should be 100 % oktavrein - at least as long as one does not use very much different string gauges. By using this Stoptails it is possible that much more sustain ( sound length) can be produced than with a vibrato system.

Guitars by PRS Guitars are played by many famous guitar players, including Carlos Santana, Al Di Meola, Dave Navarro, Brad Delson, Lüpüs Thünder, Wes Borland, Mark Tremonti, Chad Kroeger, Mikael Åkerfeldt, Orianthi, Chris Henderson ( 3 Doors Down ) and Fredrik Åkesson.