At a time when guitarists were complaining 'they don't make them like they used to,' custom guitar-maker Paul Reed Smith set out to do exactly that. The result was one of the most influential electric guitars of the 80s. At a time when other designers were concentrating on models ladened with add-ons, the PRS Custom exuded a traditional simplicity. 

In his attempts to combine the looks and sound of a vintage Gibson with the practicality of a modern design, Smith has probably gone further than any other maker, with every element - from the type of glues used, to the machine head design - finely considered. The result is possibly the most highly-regarded modern production electric, but one which also demonstrates, ironically, that there is no such thing as a perfect guitar.

By Melanie Bradley

PRS Guitars are guitars from Paul Reed Smith's company exclusively for electric guitars. The models of the company are famous and known for its distinctive shape and design. Official founding was 1985, in the years 1995 and 2005, the 10th and 20th Anniversary special editions came out that are now collector items, as they were only manufactured in those years.

Paul Reed Smith began to build guitars himself in 1975. It was originally conceived as a project in his music studies, however, he recognized a talent in itself and decided to continue this work. In order to make his models known, he sneaked to great artists behind the stage to present them with his guitar. So in his earliest years he met stars like Carlos Santana, Al Di Meola, Peter Frampton who after some meetings wanted oneof his specially-designed guitars.  His first guitar, however, was technically not due to his means.

Santana wanted to play his guitar after a first test immediately backstage at the concert, but the pick ups responded with loud pipes to the system of the guitarist. The first models had acquired no tone controls, which Smith later changed without agreement. Stories by Santana wanted to change his sound in the studio and asked his technician to turn up the treble, who replied: "Do it in your guitar" "My sound has no control - whoa, how long is that??"

Finally in 1985 the first (advanced) Custom 24 models were manufactured in series, which is considered a final establishment of the company.