| There are a few guitar companies that | | | | McCarty s favor. |
| are well known for their quality and | | | | PRS Guitars have a list of current stock |
| their list of celebrity players. PRS | | | | models and private stock guitars that |
| Guitars is one such company. Paul Reed | | | | are all listed on the website. There are |
| Smith, owner and creator of PRS Guitars, | | | | the Singlecut guitars that were |
| made his first guitar while he was a | | | | previously mentioned, the SE Series |
| student at St. Mary s College in | | | | which is a lower end model and slightly |
| Maryland. He continued to build guitars | | | | less expensive, the Santana SE, and the |
| after college and after he d complete | | | | 513 Rosewood Guitar. However, these are |
| one, he would bring it to concerts and | | | | just a few examples of the extensive |
| convince the musicians to try them out | | | | list provided on the site. |
| and give him feedback. | | | | There have been a lot of famous artists |
| Smith eventually encountered Carlos | | | | who have played Paul Reed Smith guitars. |
| Santana. The end result of this meeting | | | | These include Carlos Santana, Al |
| was that Santana ended up trying out his | | | | DiMeola, Peter Lindgren, Tim Mahoney, |
| guitars. (He tried three total.) Santana | | | | Dave Navarro, Mark Tremont, Larry Hanson |
| was impressed, and this ultimately | | | | of Alabama, Larry Lalonde of Primus, |
| changed the direction of Smith s life. | | | | Neal Schon of Journey, Rich Williams of |
| Santana put Smith in touch with a man | | | | Kansas, Steve Stevens with Billy Idol, |
| named Ted McCarty, who eventually became | | | | and Vince Neil of Motley Crue. For more |
| his mentor. | | | | information on the artists who play PRS |
| Ted McCarty is a veteran of the guitar | | | | Guitars, visit the website. |
| industry. He was the president of Gibson | | | | Here is what one person has to say about |
| for a number of years and he created the | | | | their PRS Guitar: |
| Gibson Explorer, the ES-335, and the | | | | About the PRS Custom 20th Anniversary I |
| Gibson Flying V. Like Santana, McCarty | | | | love the way this guitar looks. I had |
| also realized that Smith had talent and | | | | wanted a quilt finish, but the exact |
| took him under his wing. The two | | | | spec would have taken 3-4 months on a |
| collaborated and developed a series of | | | | special order and cost lots more, so I |
| guitars together. These guitars are now | | | | got this one, and haven t regretted it |
| included in the PRS Guitars line. | | | | for a second. Fabulous rich sounds |
| Perhaps it was due to McCarty s | | | | – as soon as I took it to the |
| collaboration with Smith that ultimately | | | | first rehearsal, everyone in the band |
| lead to the trouble. But, Gibson sued | | | | could tell the difference (had |
| PRS Guitars over their Singlecut | | | | previously been playing US Standard |
| guitars, which they claimed were | | | | Strat and Les Paul Studio). Lighter |
| remarkably similar to the Gibson Les | | | | sound than the Les Paul, but so |
| Paul style. Eventually Gibson lost the | | | | versatile. The tone control is useable |
| case, but PRS could not make the guitars | | | | and the choice between single/double |
| while the court case was going on. But | | | | wound pickups makes a real difference. |
| the case was resolved in Smith and | | | | Magical. |