PRS Guitars is celebrating its 25th anniversary as a manufacturer of guitars carved from imported and North American hardwoods and softwoods. Pictured is the company president (left) Jack Higginbotham and founder Paul Reed Smith.
PRS GUITARS Turns Wood Into Music
By Jimmy Hudson
Stevensville, Maryland— Headquartered here, Paul Reed Smith (PRS) Guitars is a leading manufacturer of high-end American solid, semi-hollow and hollow body electric guitars, pickups, acoustic guitars and amplifiers. Founded in 1985 by guitarist and luthier Paul Reed Smith, PRS guitars have become substantially valued and highly respected by musicians and collectors around the world.
Originally from Bowie, Maryland, Paul Reed Smith began what would later pave the road of his future by accepting a challenge to build a guitar from a college professor at St. Mary’s College of Maryland. After exceeding the challenge and earning extra credits, Smith continued to build guitars at the rate of one per month. Many long nights were spent designing, testing and re-designing as he created what would become the nucleus of Paul Reed Smith Guitars.
“Every design change taught me something new,” Smith says in his article, “The Journey Begins,” a history of PRS found on the company’s website, www.prsguitars.com. “Over ten years we went through several renditions of body shapes, many designs and experiments with woods and construction methods to get the right mix.”
Jamie Vann is vice president of operations/manufacturing for PRS.
Smith promoted his guitars to musicians such as Carlos Santana and Al Di Meola and soon received orders for more than 50 guitars. He built two prototypes and began marketing on the East Coast. “After many days and many miles I came back with enough orders to start a company,” Smith said. “With support of my wife, skilled assistants, engineers, lawyers, top salesmen, artists, machinists and friends, we developed a strong team.” Embarking on their 25th anniversary PRS currently manufactures over 60 guitars per day. “We recently expanded our warehouse, office and production facilities,” purchasing agent Hugh Reitz said. “We also recently added new lines of electric guitars as well as began entering the markets for high-end acoustic guitars and amplifiers.”
PRS purchases numerous domestic hardwoods and softwoods from the United States and imports many species from Ghana, India, Indonesia, Spain, Italy, Guatemala, Mexico and many other countries.
Some are crafted from Mahogany with a Maple top on the bodies of PRS guitars, and some guitars feature highly figured tops that include Flame Maple, Quilt Maple and Figured Maple, which creates an effect of tiger stripes. The necks are usually made from Mahogany, although some models feature Maple or Indian and Brazilian Rosewood necks; fingerboards are also made from Rosewood. “We use woods that enhance the sounds and beauty of our instruments,” Reitz said.
In an interview with Tom Wheeler, former editor-in-chief of Guitar Player Magazine, Paul Reed Smith explained how different woods affect the tones and overall sound of guitars. “Curly Maple’s a stress in the wood you see a lot in the stumps. Turns out, the way they think it grows is that when there’s a big canopy in the forest and there’s a little tree trying to grow, trying to grow, trying to grow and struggle, struggle, struggle and a big one falls over and there’s a huge opening with the light in the canopy and the little one starts growing and it goes Curly. And it’s not the seed because they’ve planted Curly Maple seeds and they don’t go Curly. So, we think it’s from stress.
Frank DeFina is vice president of operations/sales for PRS.
“I don’t hear a big change in the tone with Curly Maple. I do think that Quilted Maple sounds different than Curly. I can hear that. Curly, Quilted, Red Maple, Sugar Maple all sound different. By the way, German Curly Maple sounds really good! And German Spruce sounds good! But you don’t find many big trees in Germany,” Smith said.
When it comes to unusual requests, with a custom guitar manufacturer it goes without saying—they get them all the time. “We get unusual requests a lot. Especially in our Private Stock department where we make guitars to order,” Reitz explained. “We can spend days – even weeks – looking for that special neck or top or body wood the customer is after.”
Hugh Reitz credits the success of the company to its founder, Paul Reed Smith. “Paul worked very hard along with many others to get the company where it is today. Paul is the person behind the company. He drives for perfection, pushes new ideas and is tireless when he wants something done,” he said.
The staff of PRS Guitars is made up of many experienced craftsmen as well as seasoned musicians. “Our people have a great depth of experience, many have worked with us 10 or 20 years,” Reitz said. “Over 80 percent of our employees are also musicians. Every department is dedicated and loyal. Despite producing more than 60 guitars a day, in many ways the instruments are hand-made.”
Some guitar neck blanks are fashioned from Indian Rosewood at the firm’s facilities in Stevensville, Maryland.
Hugh Reitz is also the president of the company’s wholly-owned subsidiary in Wilmington, Delaware, Reitz Hardwoods LLC. Operating for approximately one year, Reitz Hardwoods handles imported specialty lumber, musical tone woods and acts as an imported wood broker/agent for imported lumber buyers in the United States and abroad.
Reitz Hardwoods offers assistance in direct sourcing of imported hardwood lumber and products by container/truckloads or by the pack. Species available include Mahogany, Spanish Cedar, African Mahogany, Sapele, Sipo/Utile, Peruvian Walnut, Santos Mahogany, Jatoba, Ipe, Cumaru, Wenge and many others.
The imported hardwoods available in stock range from specialty figured woods to lumber selected for special grain orientation and widths. Thicknesses offered range from 4/4 - 20/4. Several imported species in RWL lumber will be available soon.
With extensive experience in sourcing and selecting imported and domestic Hardwoods, the team at Reitz Hardwoods is able to serve the needs of the most selective of customers. Tonewoods offered from the people have a great depth of experience, many have worked with us 10 or 20 years,” Reitz said. “Over 80 percent of our employees are also musicians. Every department is dedicated and loyal. Despite producing more than 60 guitars a day, in many ways the instruments are hand-made.” Hugh Reitz is also the president of the company’s wholly-owned subsidiary in Wilmington, Delaware, Reitz Hardwoods LLC. Operating for approximately one year, Reitz Hardwoods handles imported specialty lumber, musical tone woods and acts as an imported wood broker/agent for imported lumber buyers in the United States and abroad.
Reitz Hardwoods offers assistance in direct sourcing of imported hardwood lumber and products by container/truckloads or by the pack. Species available include Mahogany, Spanish Cedar, African Mahogany, Sapele, Sipo/Utile, Peruvian Walnut, Santos Mahogany, Jatoba, Ipe, Cumaru, Wenge and many others.
Birds are carved into Rosewood on these guitar fingerboards. PRS makes 60 guitars per day, mostly handmade.
The imported hardwoods available in stock range from specialty figured woods to lumber selected for special grain orientation and widths. Thicknesses offered range from 4/4 - 20/4. Several imported species in RWL lumber will be available soon.
With extensive experience in sourcing and selecting imported and domestic Hardwoods, the team at Reitz Hardwoods is able to serve the needs of the most selective of customers. Tonewoods offered from the company stock include: African Mahogany electric guitar one-piece body blanks; Genuine Mahogany electric guitar one-piece body blanks; Genuine Mahogany neck blanks cutto- order; Genuine Mahogany acoustic sets quarter sawn; Figured Genuine Mahogany acoustic sets and head veneers flame/curly; Adirondack Red Spruce classical guitar and mandolin tops; Black Limba acoustic sets; Flame/Curly Maple Electric tops; Quilt Maple Electric tops; Hard Maple neck blanks; White Korina/Limba body and neck blanks; Highly Figured Sipo acoustic sets and head veneers; and East Indian Rosewood neck blanks. Many other specialty items are available upon request.
Reitz Hardwoods and PRS Guitars are committed to protecting the environment with sustainable practices. “We work hard to purchase wood and wood products from reputable and sustainable suppliers all over the world,” Reitz said. “We have increased our purchases of certified materials as available and appropriate and also are expanding our use of alternative species.”
PRS Guitars and Reitz Hardwoods are members of the International Wood Products Association (IWPA). For more information about PRS Guitars visit www.prsguitars.com. For more information about Reitz Hardwoods LLC, visit www.reitzhardwoods.com or contact direct at 443-248-0611.
Maple tops are stacked in the company’s hotroom waiting to be utilized.
