A Lifetime Dedicated to Uncompromising Quality
Paul Reed Smith’s journey as a luthier began in his youth with countless hours spent developing skills in high school shop class and expanding his knowledge of stringed instruments. Accepting a challenge from his college music professor for extra credit, he built his first electric guitar, carved from a solid-core door. Smith’s post-college years were spent tirelessly perfecting his designs and tenaciously building his reputation, one instrument at a time. After getting his guitars into the hands of A-list players including Carlos Santana and Al Di Meola, plus securing some large orders from East Coast guitar shops, PRS Guitars was born in 1985. These days, PRS brings Paul's original vision of guitar building to every aspect of production, from precision CNC-cut woods to all-nitro finishes to proprietary pickup and hardware designs. The company takes particular pride in its colors, which beautifully complement the sound and feel of its guitars.
PRS Core Guitars
The vanguard of PRS guitars is the Core series, a continuation of the first guitars Paul Reed Smith made in the mid-1980s. He started with a philosophy of uncompromising craftsmanship, a philosophy the company upholds to the highest degree today. Everything from the comfortable contours and popular neck carves to the custom electronics and hardware delivers top-notch performance. What’s more, PRS is renowned for its breathtaking figured maple tops — including high-grade 10-Tops — and its trademark bird inlays that, with various other top-end appointments, set the standard for premium guitars.
PRS SE Series
To meet the increased demands of players of all calibers, PRS has gradually expanded its line with the SE series. While these instruments are very affordable, their construction, aesthetics, and performance make them exceptional choices not only for practice, learning, and rehearsal but also for professional-level recording and live performance. Many PRS Core guitar models are also offered in the SE series along with some unique acoustic, extended-range electric, and left-handed designs.
PRS S2 Series
Similar to the SE line, the S2 series fulfills PRS’s aim to exceed the needs of every type of guitarist. In this case, the made-in-Maryland S2 line balances economy designs and the stock benefits of the Core series, creating guitars with unique tones and looks. For example, the S2 Standard family offers all-mahogany construction — often featuring pickguard-mounted electronics — for players who want a workhorse instrument that is anything but stripped-down. Classic PRS designs are available, including a reimagined version of the Custom 24, McCarty 594, Studio, and Special Semi-Hollow models.
PRS Private Stock Guitars
Simply put, PRS Private Stock creations are for guitarists who want the very best instruments money can buy. These instruments begin in the PRS custom shop, where the company’s top luthiers build by hand unique, made-to-order, limited-edition instruments like no others on the market. Each instrument is based on a Core model and customized with select details, such as Private Stock–grade tops (a step above a 10-Top), unique wood species, nonstandard finishes, and more. They’re so distinct that PRS even numbers each Private Stock guitar to distinguish it from all others. If you dream of a semi-hollowbody, hybrid Doublecut model with a Wood Library–grade quilted maple top in a Northern Lights finish or imagine a Singlecut solidbody with a Honduran rosewood neck and an inlay of an eagle in flight across the top, then a PRS Private Stock is the way to go. On occasion, Sweetwater guitar experts travel to the PRS headquarters in Maryland. Working directly with Paul and his team of master luthiers, they hand select the most exquisitely figured tops, most resonant tonewoods, and most eye-catching finishes to create Private Stock models you can only find here.
PRS Acoustic Guitars
While PRS is best known for its electric guitars, over the past decade, it’s branched out into new and exciting directions, including acoustic instruments. PRS acoustics generally divide into the Angelus Cutaway and the no-cut Tonare Grand and Tonare Parlor body shapes. SE acoustic models feature Sitka spruce tops paired with various back-and-side wood options plus custom-voiced Fishman electronics. The Private Stock collection includes jaw-dropping creations featuring figured koa, Brazilian rosewood, and inlays that rival the finest acoustics ever made. With special hybrid X/Classical bracing, these acoustic-electric models offer a bold voice and the same performance demanding guitarists expect from PRS’s electric guitars.
PRS Amplifiers and Effects
One of the best ways to squeeze every ounce of tone out of your PRS guitar is to pair it with their boutique-grade guitar amplifiers and effect pedals. Equally amazing with your S- or LP-style guitars, PRS amplifiers range from vintage designs from the golden era of classic rock to high-gain amps ideal for modern rock. No matter which you choose, you’ll be treated to a highly versatile, responsive, and musical amp. Likewise, PRS effects pedals are designed in Maryland with high-quality features such as through-hole design and true bypass. In short, PRS pedals are high-end pieces of audio gear ready for the studio or the stage.
