Paul Reed Smith Guitars
Artists from Mark Tremonti to Carlos Santana have all preferred Paul Reed Smith guitars due to their prestige and high quality. Made from the finest woods available, Paul Reed Smith guitars also feature the latest in guitar technology in addition to the traditional construction they are built with, assuring a player is given the highest end guitar available on the market. As a player oriented company, there are also many varieties of guitars to choose from.
Even people on a budget can now afford Paul Reed Smith guitars with their SE, or Student Edition line. Manufactured in Korea, the high quality of their American made guitars can now be had at lower prices for hobbyists and professional players alike, and come in attractive finishes as they do with great electronics and tone. Whether you are a weekend player or a professional musician, Paul Reed Smith guitars have something for everybody.
A Short History of Paul Reed Smith Guitars
As a large multinational company today, Paul Reed Smith guitars had its start with the man himself, Paul Reed Smith, and his love for guitars. Paul made his first guitar from scratch while he was studying at college in Maryland, and continued to build guitars after he graduated, building one almost per month. He had assistance from a friend named John Ingram, and created what was to be the blueprint of Paul Reed Smith Guitars.
Ted McCarty, the former president of Gibson Guitars, was soon contacted by Smith in search of the improvement of his craft. As the man who designed staples of the Gibson guitar line, namely the Explorer, Flying V, and ES-335 guitars, McCarty's guidance throughout the building of Paul Reed Smith's guitar lineup proved instrumental in improving both the build quality and sound of Smith's guitars, exploring exotic materials such as tone woods, intricate inlay designs on the fretboard as well as other embellishments that would further set PRS guitars apart from other guitar companies.
The Paul Reed Smith Guitar Lineup
There are so many fine guitars included in the lineup of Paul Reed Smith products that it can often be hard to choose a select few to be on the list. However, many of them share the staple double cutaway design that PRS guitars are known for. These signature designs are typically crafted from a single block of mahogany with select maple tops which can be plain or figured in design.
As Smith had advice from the former president of Gibson Guitars, the double humbucker pickup design combined with the mahogany guitar construction became one of the standards the company would keep to this day. The McCarty signature guitar is one of these models, and features the latest in guitar embellishment and playing technology such as the PRS patented V12 finish, a wide and fat pattern neck shape, and Phase III locking tuners for the ultimate in tuning stability.
Carlos Santana has been a long supporter of Paul Reed Smith guitars, and has his own signature guitar as part of the lineup. The Santana signature guitar also features the pattern neck shape and V12 finish common with all the latest guitars in the PRS guitar lineup, but features Santana signature pickups and a special symbol on the headstock and truss rod cover so that it is instantly recognized in any gig you may play, whether at a large festival or dark bar stage.
The Custom 24 is another staple of Paul Reed Smith guitars; it was the guitar he took to his first trade show in 1985. This model has become the defacto standard of the Paul Reed Smith guitar line, and its luxury features have made it a favorite with players and hobbyists with cash to spend worldwide.
The PRS Student Edition Line
The luxury features which Paul Reed Smith guitars are known for are now available at a more forgiving price point with PRS Student Edition guitars. Many of these guitars share the same quality and playability as their U.S. Made counterparts while still retaining good sound and build quality. A full range of Paul Reed Smith guitars are also available in this more affordable line, ranging from the double humbucker staple design to single coil guitars to semi-hollow body designs.
One of these guitars is the PRS Soapbar, a solid body guitar offering the same double cutaway form factor as their staple designs while offering the bass laden crunch of P-90 soapbar pickups. This budget model also features a figured maple veneer top prominent on more expensive guitars, making it a handsome guitar to take to any gig.
Famous guitarists who use Paul Reed Smith guitars have also seen the potential in the budget Student Edition line of guitars, so there are now many signature guitars available at Student Edition price points. The Santana model is also offered as a Student Edition guitar, offering player oriented features approved by Carlos Santana himself to an otherwise perfectly playable guitar.
Mark Tremonti is also another signature artist to have his guitar offered in the SE line of Paul Reed Smith Guitars. His signature model features two high output humbuckers to help players achieve the sounds found in his works with Alter Bridge and Creed, with a sleek black finish coated over the solid mahogany construction.
Whether you are a beginning player or a professional musician, Paul Reed Smith guitars also offers more models in their Student Edition line to cater to any kind of music you can manage playing.