Paul Reed Smith: The Sounds & Players of the PRS Standard

PRS began as a one-man outfit when Paul Reed Smith took the alternative path of being a luthier instead of a traditional education pathway. He dropped out and founded a small guitar repair and luthier workshop with a select number of employees at just 19, gaining fame after building a custom guitar for Peter Frampton, quickly followed by the likes of Howard Leese and Carlos Santana.

While the output of the workshop was finite during the first decade, PRS grew into the brand we know today after opening a full production factory in Annapolis in 1985. Over 40 years of business, PRS has continued to innovate within the industry and crafts the vast majority of components and guitars in-house at its USA factories. A new line, dubbed the SE series, has recently been introduced as an affordable point of entry into the world of PRS.

What guitarists use PRS guitars?

PRS guitars have been employed by a huge range of contemporary players. From the origin story of Frampton and Santana picking up the very first guitars to wear the PRS name to modern day influencers like John Mayer, Myles Kennedy, and Mark Tremonti – each of whom has a signature series in collaboration with PRS.

What makes the PRS Standard special?

It seems like a misnomer, saying anything ‘standard’ is special. But with every PRS guitar, we have to say they undoubtedly are. Aside from the absolute top level of craftsmanship across the range, PRS has been steadfast in staying true to the original vision.

Every PRS pickup used is handwound at the factory in-house and uses the same wire from the original machine that made the first Fender and Gibson pickups in the 1950s. The iconic bird inlays are part of the PRS DNA, as is the unique hybrid design that blends Fender and Gibson sensibilities into one gorgeous package.

Every aspect of a PRS is subject to the highest critique, ensuring that every guitar that leaves the factory is a genuine article. Let’s dive into a few examples of PRS guitars in action.

Carlos Santana: Fleetwood Mac & Santana’s Black Magic Woman (1968/1970)

Another Fleetwood Mac classic featured on the blog, the legendary Black Magic Woman is arguably known better for Santana’s rendition than the original itself. First released in 1968 by Fleetwood Mac, it became a Santana staple just two years later in 1970. The song is set over the D minor scale and moves through three primary chords – Dm7, Am7, and Gm7. We have the iconic melody line tabbed out to play along with.

The eagle-eyed among you will note that it couldn’t have been played with a PRS on the original recording, and you’d be right to spot that. Still, Santana has been playing PRS guitars for decades at this stage, performing this song live using his signature model – we’ve included a video of a performance below.

How to get the Black Magic Woman tone

Pick up a PRS guitar and a Mesa Boogie amp. Those are your tools for this one. Carlos Santana is one of those phenomenal players who draws a huge amount of tone from his playing alone, eschewing heavy use of effects to achieve the desired effect. A bit of compression late in the signal chain and a soft overdrive should be all you need to get in the ballpark.

His tone is often well-rounded and warm, so choose your pickups accordingly. A blend of the neck and bridge pickup, depending on your model, will likely yield the best results.

Myles Kennedy & Mark Tremonti: Alter Bridge’s Blackbird (2007)

Alter Bridge is a powerhouse of soaring vocals and chugging riffs, all backed by progressive compositional approaches. They’ve become a true cult rock icon and have been at the forefront of the alternative rock scene for two decades at this stage. Blackbird is one of their most well-known releases from their second album of the same name and was, at the time, their longest released track.

We’ve taken the intro and verse rhythm line here, which admittedly sits in opposition to the heft of the rest of the song. Given that both Kennedy and Tremonti play PRS guitars – and have distinct signature models – Alter Bridge is an ideal candidate to showcase the PRS’s versatility.

The song is played in Eb standard, so drop-tune accordingly, and you’ll want to adjust your active effects as the song moves through each section. For this tabbed section, however, a simple, clean signal will do the job admirably.

How to get the Blackbird tone

Myles Kennedy incorporates a lot of modern innovation into his live rig. He is even using a Fender Tone Master Pro at present as part of his board! Given the modern sound of his drives and tone, it’s a pretty achievable sound to grasp. Heavy distortion and a healthy dose of compression should get you to where you need to be in the driven sections, and a simple clean amp with compression for softer sections.

We have found a brilliant breakdown of Myles Kennedy’s rig from the PMT YouTube channel – it’s well worth a watch. We’re incredibly sad to hear of the closure of the PMT brand and wish all those affected the best in this difficult time.

The Bottom Line

PRS has been at the forefront of high-quality instrument production for four decades, standing toe-to-toe with the likes of Music Man for their ability to craft flawless instruments with consistency. It’s little surprise that so many influential musicians have flocked to the brand over the years.

We have some incredible PRS guitars in stock at Guitar Guys, and more are coming in every day. If you see something that you like, get in touch and book an appointment today!