John McLaughlin

4th Dimension/Mahavishnu Orchestra/Shakti

Paul and John have been talking about making a special guitar for 30 years. Finally, a Private Stock Violin guitar with a Roland synth pickup was built that John loves. "I am so pleased that I have a picture of John McLaughlin with his PRS guitar on my office door” says Paul Reed Smith. “As a guitar maker, to be able to build an instrument for such a remarkable musician and human being warms my heart. On top of that, the guitar goes with him everywhere!"

Covering a span of more than 50 Years, John McLaughlin’s career began in the sixties when he played with leading British blues musicians, such as Brian Auger and Georgie Fame. His debut solo album, ‘Extrapolation’ brought him to the attention of Miles Davis and led to his participation in the epochal Miles Davis albums, ‘In A Silent Way’ and ‘Bitches Brew’. Founded in the seventies, his Mahavishnu Orchestra and Shakti group were an expression of his orientation towards spirituality and Indian music, as were his albums with Carlos Santana.

In 1981, John McLaughlin joined forces with guitarists Paco de Lucía and Al Di Meola and recorded two albums – ‘Friday Night in San Francisco’ and ‘Passion, Grace & Fire’, both of which were highly successful commercially. John McLaughlin has published over 20 albums in the course of his career. With the Mahavishnu Orchestra and Shakti, he has influenced entire musical epochs and can be heard on numerous productions by other artists. Today, he tours regularly with his new group, ‘4th Dimension’. His guitar playing has influenced innumerable guitarists and his music has been a source of joy for countless people.