Paul Reed Smith

Paul Reed Smith is one of the world's premier luthiers and the founder and owner of PRS Guitars. His electric guitars are played by the likes of Carlos Santana, Al Di Meola, Dave Navarro, and Mark Tremonti.

Related Topics:
Luthiers - PRS Guitars - Electric guitar - Carlos Santana - Al Di Meola - Dave Navarro - Mark Tremonti

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Smith is originally from Bethesda, Maryland. He made his first guitar while in college, and continued to build guitars after he finished college, making them one at a time, one a month. He brought his instruments backstage at concerts, convincing musicians to try and critique his guitars. With this feedback he refined his guitar design.

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Smith got his big break when Carlos Santana agreed to try one of his guitars. The story goes that Carlos thought the first guitar played so well it must have been an "accident of God", so he ordered a second. That was an "accident of God" too, so he ordered a 3rd, a double neck. On the 3rd try, Carlos realized that Paul was for real.

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He then contacted Ted McCarty, former president of Gibson and creator of the Les Paul and Flying V guitars, and McCarty became his mentor and advisor. The result of their collaboration was the current line of PRS guitars, which include solid- and hollow-body guitars.

Related Topics:
Ted McCarty - Gibson - Les Paul - Flying V

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Gibson sued PRS over their Les Paul-esque singlecut line, and was able to keep PRS from producing the singlecuts for a while, but this ruling was later overturned on appeal and PRS has resumed production of the singlecuts.

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