PRS Guitars/Paul Reed Smith

PRS Guitars/Paul Reed Smith

Paul Reed Smith: From attic room to world fame

Although PRS Guitars was not officially founded until 1985, Paul Reed Smith was already fully active as an ambitious guitar builder during his studies. From his attic room he worked day and night alone on what in his opinion should be the perfect electric guitar. After Smith discovered during his research in the early 1980s that many old Gibson patents bore the name of Ted McCarty, he decided to contact this master builder. Thus was born a collaboration that marked the beginning of Smith's stormy development, and started the growth of the huge brand that PRS is today.

Dijkmans Music with PRS

Dijkmans Breda and Paul Reed Smith have a warm relationship. Our own Jan-Willem is present every year at the PRS Experience event in England where he selects the most unique models and tops. We were even involved in the design process of the Silver Sky! This is a nice anecdote: Mister Smith himself was looking for old guitars as a reference for the design of this John Mayer signature guitar, and Jan-Willem told about the Jazzmaster neck from 1962 that he had laying around. Paul was immediately interested and the neck was therefore included in the process. We think this is super cool, given the impact the guitar has had. We also have the largest collection of PRS guitars - SE, Core and Private Stock - in the Benelux.

What makes a Paul Reed Smith guitar so special?

The brand has been distinguished for years by the unprecedented eye for detail with which the guitars are built. Smith is a true enthusiast and does not make any concessions. For example, the most beautiful types of wood are selected and all parts are extensively tested and matched to create the purest overall sound. His philosophy is therefore: what you put in the guitar should simply come out unchanged. The combination of traditional and modern elements makes a PRS guitar immediately feel like coming home, and each guitar has a comfortable playability. The guitars also stand out visually due to their shape, characteristic bird inlays and eye-catching finishes.

The models

Paul Reed Smith is a real geek, in the most positive sense of the word. He loves coding and clear names for the guitars he builds. It is therefore easy to gain insight into the different models. First of all, the brand uses 4 different series, namely the cheaper SE and S2 series, the Bolt-On series and the prestigious Core series. These in turn have their own models. Below is an overview:

SE Series

• SE Custom 22 : version with 22 frets
• SE Custom 24: version with 24 frets
• SE Standard: version with 24 frets
• SE Standard 245: shorter 24.5" scale - hence the 245 - and 22 frets
• SE Signature: Artist Signature Models

S2Series

• S2 Custom: 22 and 24 fret version
• S2 Standard: 22 and 24 fret version
• S2 Singlecut: singlecut with a wraparound bridge
• S2 Mira, Vela & Starla: with wraparound (Mira), plate-style (Vela) and bigsby bridge (Starla) respectively

Bolt on series

• CE 24: Traditional PRS mahogany body and maple top with Bolt-On neck for extra snappy sound
• Silver Sky: John Mayer signature model

core series

• Custom: The all-rounder from PRS, which has a huge range of sounds thanks to the Split Coil options. Available in both 22 and 24 fret versions.
• McCarty: The most famous PRS model. The McCarty is available in a number of versions, of which the 594 stands out the most. This is characterized by its 24,594" man-hour.
• Specialty: The more eccentric models from the PRS line. An amazing example is the 509, a guitar that is PRS through and through thanks to the 25" scale, but has no less than 9 sounds due to its 5 single coils with humbucking modes. Hence 509.
• Signature: Artist Signature Models such as the Santana, Mark Tremonti and DGT.
• Limited: Available in limited editions. Think of the Paul's Guitar and the McCarty 594 Semi Hollow.

In terms of coding, the models therefore tell a lot about their specifications. Quite logical actually, right? Finally, PRS also has the majestic Private Stock line. Here PRS makes the best they have to offer, and there is also the possibility to put together your dream guitar here. Nothing is to crazy! We regularly receive beautiful Private Stock copies, so come and take a look.

John Mayer's impact

PRS is constantly evolving as a brand and as a guitar builder, and recently the brand received an enormous popularity boost because John Mayer quite unexpectedly linked his name to the brand. The story goes that Mayer got his hands on a McCarty 594 and was sold almost immediately. We understand this very well! The collaboration that followed has so far produced two guitars and an amplifier, namely the Super Eagle, Silver Sky and the J-MOD amp. Especially the recently released Silver Sky guitar is winning a lot of hearts at the moment.

Artists playing PRS guitars

That PRS delivers quality is evident from the artists who play the guitars. In addition to John Mayer, Mark Tremonti, Bernie Marsden and David Grissom swear by Paul Reed Smith. In addition, Carlos Santana also deserves an honorable mention, because he was one of the first artists to use PRS guitars in the 1980s. He has had a considerable influence on the eventual success of this wonderful brand.

We at Dijkmans are happy to advise you in your choice, so come by quickly and try out a PRS guitar while enjoying a cup of coffee!