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Frequently Asked Questions1. Is it possible to order a "one-off" instrument directly from PRS?If you are interested in having a guitar custom built, we have a specialized division of PRS Guitars referred to as the “Private Stock Department”. Please visit your local authorized PRS dealer for options and pricing information. Please refer to the following information on how to place your order: First, contact your local Authorized PRS dealer, by referring to the Dealer Search on our website. The Dealer you contact should be able to assist you with information on options for necks, woods, colors, hardware, finish materials, etc. A helpful tip may be to print out the option sheet for the particular model that interests you (all of the available production options are listed) and use this as a guide to reflect changes you would like to make to any existing production model. Once you have completed the paperwork details of the instrument you wish to have built, submit it to your Authorized PRS dealer. Upon receiving the information, your Dealer will contact our Private Stock department for a quote of the instrument you wish to have built. Your Dealer will then be able to supply you with a price quote for the instrument, be sure to review the details of the quote prior to placing an order. If all of the details are correct you are now able to place the order with the dealer. 2. What kind of finish does PRS use?We finish our instruments with a polyester basecoat and acrylic urethane topcoat. We feel acrylic urethane looks and feels the closest to the old nitro-cellulose finishes but without the finish checking. 3. What are the differences among your current pickups?
HFS: Stock on Custom 24s, CE 24s and Standard 24s. Originally meaning Hot, Fat and Screams, the HFS features a powerful ceramic magnet and hot coils for an aggressive tone when cranked, clear highs, searing midrange and thumping bass. *This pickup is compatible with our 5 position rotary pickup selector. Dragon II Treble: Stock on Custom 22s, CE 22s and Standard 22s. The nickel silver cover and months of tweaking have resulted in an alnico pickup with McCarty like tones and a little more output. *This pickup is compatible with our 5 position rotary pickup selector. McCarty Treble: Stock on the McCarty Model and McCarty Standard. Using a unique manufacturing process inspired by Ted McCarty, combined with a vintage alnico magnet and special nickel silver cover, give the McCarty its silvery vintage tone. This pickup contains a few more turns on the coils to balance it with the bass position pickup. Archtop Treble: Stock on the Archtop and Hollowbodies. This is a clearer, less powerful version of our McCarty treble pickup. This pickup was specifically designed to match well with the PRS Piezo system and is good for many styles of music. PRS #6 Treble: This is similar in sound to our PRS #7 but without the cover and is again a result of our tweaking. Clear and well balanced across the entire tonal spectrum, this pickup is very alive and sounds excellent distorted. PRS #7 Treble: This may be one of the best treble pickups we make. It’s powerful and clear with vintage alive characteristics. It is also used on stage by many touring bands. PRS #8 Treble: Stock on guitars Paul Reed Smith has made for himself or his friends. Paul prefers this pickup for its singing, vintage and light midrange qualities. PRS #9 Treble: Not currently stock on any model, this is the most vintage sounding treble pickup PRS makes. PRS #10 Treble: Not currently stock on any model, a smooth and musical sounding treble pickup that can sound aggressive yet stays creamy in the high end. RP Treble: They're the best version of the pickups Paul has in his main guitars. They're very close to our McCarty pickups, but the treble pickup has a bit more midrange and high-midrange. Dragon Treble: Not currently stock on any model. This pickup is fat with lots of clarity and sounds great clean or at high gain. A powerful ceramic magnet combined with a high number of turns produces a huge sound; good for driving high gain type amps. *This pickup is compatible with our 5 position rotary pickup selector. Santana Treble: Stock on the Santana II. On many occasions, Carlos Santana has taken guitars out of our shipping room and used them in concert that evening. This is the pickup he originally came to rely upon. Santana III Treble: Stock on the Santana III. This is the pickup Carlos is currently using - Similar to Dragon II’s but tweaked for Carlos. This pickup will give you smooth tones for all styles of music. Tremonti Treble: The Tremonti Treble pickup is specifically wound to Mark's specifications with powerful custom magnets. This is the hottest, most aggressive pickup we currently offer. Johnny Hiland Treble: This pickup was designed with Johnny in mind. It is a cross between a clear McCarty treble pickup and an over-wound "Country Style" single coil. Johnny is able to get an enormous amount of versatility with this pickup which allows him to play almost any style of music.
Vintage Bass: Stock on Custom 24s, CE 24s and Standard 24s. This alnico pickup provides a round, clear tone to complement the HFS and also works well when coil tapped. *This pickup is compatible with our 5 position rotary pickup selector. Dragon II Bass: Stock on Custom 22s, CE 22s and Standard 22s. The nickel silver cover and our tweaking have resulted in a rich bass position humbucker with enough output and clarity for any style of playing. *This pickup is compatible with our 5 position rotary pickup selector. McCarty Bass: Stock on the McCarty Model and McCarty Standard. Using a unique manufacturing process inspired by Ted McCarty, combined with a vintage alnico magnet and special nickel silver cover, give this McCarty pickup a nice vintage tone. Archtop Bass: Stock on the Archtop and Hollowbodies. This is also a clearer, less powerful version of our McCarty bass pickup. The pickup was specifically designed to match well with the PRS Piezo system and is good for many styles of music including jazz and rhythm guitar. PRS #6 Bass: Clear, warm and extremely well balanced across the entire tonal spectrum. PRS #7 Bass: It is a full range pickup with vintage alive characteristics. It is also highly recommended and used on stage by many touring bands. PRS #8 Bass: Again these are stock on guitars Paul Reed Smith has made for himself or his friends. It is a full range pickup with warm yet clear characteristics. PRS #9 Bass: Not currently stock on any model, this is the most vintage sounding bass pickup PRS makes. PRS #10 Bass: Not currently stock on any model, this is a warm and buttery sounding pickup that compliments many musical styles. RP Bass: They're the best and closest sounding version of the pickups Paul has in his main guitars. They're very close to our McCarty pickups, but the RP bass pickup is a bit clearer. Dragon Bass: Not currently stock on any model. This pickup has a great combination of rich, warm bass with sweet "angelic" high end. The vintage alnico magnet and winding process result in a pickup that is beautiful for solos and rhythm. *This pickup is compatible with our 5 position rotary pickup selector. Santana Bass: Stock on the Santana II. On many occasions, Carlos Santana has taken guitars out of our shipping room and used them in concert that evening. This is the pickup he originally came to rely upon and continues to be one of his favorite bass pickups. Santana III Bass: Stock on the Santana III. Again Carlos’ pickup of choice - this pickup is essentially a Santana bass pickup with a cover. It has less output than the Santana III treble pickup resulting in the perfect combination. Tremonti Bass: The Tremonti Bass pickup features an alnico magnet and is the perfect compliment to the Tremonti Treble pickup. This is the same pickup Mark uses in concert and in the studio for is rhythm sounds. Johnny Hiland Bass:This is a powerful and clear pickup with lively vintage characteristics. It compliments the JH Treble pickup perfectly.
Electric Bass Pickups: We took a modern/vintage route with our Electric Bass pickups. The tone is fat and clear, and because of the wide "blade" design, string balance is even. The blade and the bobbin follow the radius of the fingerboard and there is also a comfortable thumb rest built into the rounded ends of the bobbin. 4. What is a 10 top?A very small percent of the maple trees cut in North America are actually figured. To make "10-Top" status, a PRS top must have clearly defined figure across its entire top with no "dead" spots. A guitar designated as a 10-Top will have a small "10" written on the back of the headstock in the upper right corner. Some of our earlier guitars have the "10" stamped into the finish in the same position. In some cases, the top may be remarkable through about 90% of it and a little dead through about 10% of it. 5. What does the optional Artist Package consist of?The Artist package includes: Paua bird inlays, an unfinished rosewood headstock overlay with inlayed Paua Signature, Artist grade top (our highest grade wood offered on our production model guitars), gold hardware, and a leather hard-shell case. 6. How much do your guitars cost?Our company policy does not allow our retail prices to be given electronically, please contact your local authorized PRS dealer or International Distributor for current pricing information.. 7. I ordered a guitar from my local authorized PRS dealer, when can I expect delivery?Any details pertaining to a guitar on order should be directed towards your authorized PRS dealer, including delivery date and option changes. 8. What are the differences between necks you offer?We make guitars with both glued-in (not neck through) and bolt-on necks. The models with glued-in necks include the Customs, Standards, Santana II , all McCarty models including the Hollowbodies and all Dragons and Private Stock models. Bolt-on models include CE Mahogany, CE 22 and CE 24 and the Swamp Ash Special. It is important to know that there is no difference in the amount of sustain from either design, as the neck joint is exactly the same, but each has its own characteristic tone and feel. Our glued-in necks are typically mahogany glued to a mahogany body or mahogany glued to a maple top/mahogany back body. Our bolt-on necks are made from rock maple with a rosewood or maple fretboard. The dense and more rigid maple neck gives the guitar more of a "live" sound accentuating the highs and midrange alike. Please keep in mind that all PRS Guitars are the exact same build quality and our bolt-on neck guitars are no exception. They are designed to give a very specific tone. Unlike most bolt-on neck guitars, a PRS gives access to all frets without an intrusive heel joint. We also make a number of instruments with solid East Indian Rosewood necks or Brazilian Rosewood necks. Guitars fitted with these necks tend to have a loud piano-like tone with rich even harmonics over the entire range. Current Neck Profiles The Regular neck is a comfortable neck that is 1/32 narrower and not quite as thick front to back as our Wide Fat neck. It is currently only available on the Custom and Standard 24. The Wide Thin neck has a thinner profile front to back than the Wide Fat. This neck is available on many of our 22 and 24 fret models. The Wide Fat neck only available on 22 fret models, has the same nut width as the Wide Thin neck but has a big comfortable profile, similar to our Regular neck. Because of its strength and longer “heel”, the Wide Fat neck produces warm tones with lots of sustain. The 513 neck carve is very close to that of the wide fat profile, but the nut width is in between our wide fat and regular at about 1 43/64". A very comfortable neck carve and only available on our 513 models. The Johnny Hiland neck carve is a variation of a PRS Wide Thin neck, incorporating aspects of a “C” style neck from the 1st fret to the 12th fret”. PRS Guitars Neck Dimensions Width of the fingerboard at the nut:
Width at the body:
Depth of neck at the nut:
Fingerboard radius: 10” on all guitars and basses except 11 1/2” on the Santana II and Custom 22/12 Scale length:
9. What design parameters help PRS Guitars stay in tune?The PRS nut material, headstock angle, machine head alignment and locking tuners are all designed to minimize string friction and aid tuning accuracy. The PRS nut is made of a low friction, self-lubricating material that is more durable than bone. The machine heads are aligned on the headstock so that each string passes straight through the nut without binding to one side and causing friction. In addition, the headstock angle is sharp enough to allow good transfer of vibration into the neck but shallow enough to avoid further string binding. 10. What are the names of the birds inlayed on the fretboard?Starting from the nut the birds are:
11. What is the scale length and fretboard radius of my guitar?PRS Scale Length Almost all PRS instruments have a 25" scale length. The Santana, Santana II and Santana III models have a 24 1/2" scale length. The 25" scale allows ease of string bending as with a 24 5/8" scale but with the added harmonic range of the 25 1/2" scale. PRS Fretboard Radius The fretboard radius is 10" on all models except for the Santana and Santana II models, which feature an 11 1/2” radius. 12. What are the differences between the PRS (non-adjustable) Stoptail and Adjustable Stoptail?Bridges - PRS Stoptail Designed to take full advantage of the resonant properties of our guitars, the PRS Stoptail Bridge provides direct transmission of string vibration to the guitar body and makes set-up a breeze. First used in 1991 on the PRS Dragon I guitar, it now appears on almost half of all PRS guitars sold. This bridge features slots that recess the strings comfortably as they pass over the top, in a gentle curve. Although it is pre-compensated for modern string gauges, fine-tuning is possible by adjusting the set screws at each end of the bridge. Tuning and Set-up Hints for PRS Stoptail Action height is adjustable by raising or lowering the studs the bridge sits on. To adjust the mounting bolts, first detune the instrument to relieve the tension on the bridge. Then using a Quarter, make the necessary adjustments and retune. Intonation can be adjusted using the two allen set screws facing the tail end of the guitar. A strobe tuner or other electronic tuning device should be used. Match the octave (fretted) note of the first and sixth strings with their corresponding 12th fret open harmonics by shortening or lengthening the strings with the adjusting screws using the allen wrench provided. Start with the treble side and then go to the bass side, return to the treble side for one last check. The other four strings are present and will intonate correctly provided a conventionally gauged string set with a plain third (G) string is used. Use of a wound third string is not recommended with this bridge. Remember to tune and retune until the process is complete. If you are unfamiliar with making these adjustments, we recommend that the guitar be taken to a qualified repair center. Bridges - PRS Adjustable Stoptail For ease of intonation of non-standard or extra heavy string gauges (.011 gauge or higher), a special order version of the PRS Stoptail with individually adjustable saddles is available. The adjustable PRS Stoptail is available in nickel or gold plate. All PRS parts and accessories are available for special order; please contact you local authorized PRS dealer or International Distributor. The Hollowbody and Archtop with the piezo option feature a special version of the adjustable PRS Stoptail fitted with piezo inserts. This bridge can be adjusted in the same fashion as our adjustable Stoptail. Tuning and Set-up Hints for PRS Adjustable Stoptail Action height is adjustable by raising or lowering the studs the bridge sits on. To adjust the mounting bolts, first detune the instrument to relieve the tension on the bridge. Then using a Quarter, make the necessary adjustments and retune. The intonation may be adjusted by moving the phillips head screws on the inside edge of the bridge (facing the treble pickup) in and out with a phillips head screwdriver. Match the octave (fretted) note of all six strings with their corresponding 12th fret open harmonics by shortening or lengthening the strings with the adjusting screws. Additional minor adjustments to the intonation may also be made by moving the set screws facing the tail end of the guitar in and out with the allen wrench provided. Remember to tune and retune until the process is complete. If you are unfamiliar with making these adjustments, we recommend that the guitar be taken to a qualified repair center. 13. What are the differences in sound between the 5-way rotary and 3-way toggle with push/pull tone control?The 5 Position Rotary pickup Selector: This PRS feature allows great tonal versatility using two PRS humbucking pickups. The switch combines the coils of each pickup to produce all of the "PRS tones". Rotary Positions
Optional 3-Way Toggle, Master Volume and Push-Pull Tone Control - Available on Customs, Standards and CE’s and is the standard wiring on the McCarty and McCarty Standard. Push/Pull Down Positions
Push/Pull Up Positions
14. What color will the back of my maple top guitar be?Use the Back Color Chart to determine what color the back of your maple top guitar will be. 15. Does PRS sell replacement necks and bodies?PRS does not sell replacement necks or bodies under any circumstance. 16. Does PRS offer factory tours?We currently offer tours Monday through Wednesday at 4:00 pm, by appointment only. Tours are limited to groups of four people or less, no children under twelve years of age, and no open-toed shoes, sandals, etc. All tours must be scheduled 3 to 4 weeks in advance. Please feel free to give us a call to schedule an appointment at (410) 643-9970. 17. Can bird inlays be added to a fretboard that currently has moons or dots?The bird inlays are a registered trademark of PRS Guitars and cannot be added to an existing fretboard by PRS or any other repair shop. The birds are smaller than the dots in places and it looks poor. 18. Can the PRS/LR Baggs Piezo system be added to my guitar?We're sorry, but we do not offer this service for several reasons. If your guitar is a Hollowbody or Archtop model that is not currently outfitted with the piezo system, the inside carves of the piezo equipped Hollowbody and Archtop models are slightly different to accommodate the elaborate electronics involved with the piezo system. This system will not retrofit into our solid body models due to the limited space inside the electronics cavity required to accommodate the system. We do not offer the PRS/LR Baggs Piezo system for sale separately. PRS/LR Baggs Piezo Pickup System: The result of a partnership with L.R.Baggs, one of the leading experts in piezo transducer technology, and an option on our McCarty Hollowbody. Our unique patented circuitry balances and equalizes each string separately to replicate the sound of a great flat-top acoustic. Dual output jacks offer a mix of both pickups or separate outputs for the magnetic and piezo pickups. *Please note that this system is not available as an after-market accessory. 19. How do I adjust the pickup height on my PRS Guitars?The pickups on your new instrument are fully adjustable by turning the height adjustment screws at each end of the pickup. With the high and low E strings (E and G strings for the Electric Bass) depressed at the last fret the measurement should about 2 1/2/32 on the treble side and about 3/32 on the bass side of both pickups. You may season to taste if you wish. 20. What year was my guitar made?First, try out Year Identification page to determine the year in which your guitar was made. The year of manufacture of any PRS Guitar can be determined by the serial number located on the back of the headstock for set-in neck models. The first number is the last number of the production year followed by the sequential number of guitars produced to that date. (ex. 6 2557 is a 1986 model and was the 2,557th set in neck guitar made while 6 29584 is a 1996 model and was the 29,584th set-in neck guitar made.) The year of manufacture is determined the same way for bolt-on neck models where the serial number is located on the neck plate on the back of the guitar. The following number determines the model: 5 or EG for the EG models (discontinued in 1995), 7 or CE for the Classic Electric models, and 8 or SA for the Swamp Ash Special. *The first 200 Swamp Ash Specials were given a CE serial number. The next number will again be the sequential number for that particular model. The PRS Bass models produced between 1986 and 1991 and discontinued in 1991 will also be numbered with the year as the first number, followed by a 9 for set-in neck models or 4 for bolt-on neck models, then the sequential number. 21. Can I send my guitar to the factory for repair/restoration?PRS Guitars currently performs warranty related repairs for authorized PRS dealers. If you are experiencing problems with your PRS Guitar that are warranty related you should contact your local authorized PRS dealer immediately. Other repairs that address wear and tear or routine maintenance should be referred to a qualified local guitar repair facility. 22. How do I obtain warranty service for my instrument?The guitar is warranted through the authorized PRS dealer it was purchased through. If you are the original owner of the guitar and you are experiencing problems that you feel are warranty related, please contact your authorized PRS dealer immediately for warranty parts and/or services. 23. Will the locking PRS tuners retrofit my McCarty model with the "vintage" style tuners?We're sorry, due to the thinner headstock thickness of the McCarty models the PRS locking tuners will not retrofit due to the changing angle of the strings over the nut. In addition, the mounting hardware and size of the hole through the headstock are different and will not accommodate the locking PRS tuners. 24. Where can I buy parts?All PRS parts and accessories are currently available through your local authorized PRS Dealer or International Distributor. 25. How does the PRS Tremolo work?Back in 1984, Paul Reed Smith was granted a patent on his tremolo system. The design elements are simple and resemble the traditional fulcrum tremolo but with some important differences. 1. In the front of a PRS bridge, the six leading edge screw holes are counter-sunk from underneath, providing six brass knife-edge fulcrums. These rest against the six notched brass body mounting screws. This knife-edge set-up ensures that the bridge will return to pitch after use. 2. The pocket in the tremolo bridge keeps the six individually adjustable saddles from moving sideways, thereby eliminating another traditional cause of tuning instability. 3. The tremolo block is drilled out so the ball ends rest right up under the bridge base plate. This leaves less string behind the bridge saddle so there is less chance of detuning, via proper string stretching. 4. There are no rough edges. 5. All adjustment screws are inset and made of brass. 6. The unthreaded tremolo arm fits into a hard plastic sleeve staying where you put it, via a small set screw on the side of the bridge that faces the tail end of the guitar (where the intonation adjustment screws are located) therefore it will not wobble or break off in the block. Tuning/Set-up Hints for the PRS Tremolo System If the guitar is returning sharp after using the tremolo arm, put a little lightweight machine oil under the head of each screw (do not loosen the screws). This will effectively oil the knife-edge of the tremolo. The correct adjustment of the six brass screws, which act as a pivot and anchor the tremolo system, is level with each other so the bridge floats 1/16” off the body. These 6 screws are factory adjusted and you really should not have to adjust them at all. If it becomes necessary to adjust the 6 notched screws, make sure the guitar is detuned or Fretboard Conditioner you will ruin the knife-edge. Adjust the screws incrementally so the notches under the screw heads are fitted with the corresponding hole in the bridge. These holes serve as the knife-edge on which the tremolo unit rocks. Again, this is a very tricky adjustment and could ruin the knife-edge if done improperly. The Bridge saddles should be low in the range of adjustment to keep the action low and leverage of the bridge in good working order. They should be adjusted so that the height of the string at the top of the 12th fret to the bottom of the string is 2/32”. If the tremolo bridge is not floating 1/16” off the body, remove the tremolo back plate. Adjust the claw screws about 1/4 turn at a time until the bridge floats perpendicular to and about 1/16th off the body. Tune to pitch and check, re-adjust until the bridge sits properly. When the tremolo is adjusted properly and the guitar is in tune, the tremolo arm will raise the low E string pitch to F#: no more, no less. The intonation may be adjusted by moving the 6 phillips head screws facing the tail end of the guitar in and out with a phillips head screwdriver. Match the octave (fretted) note of all six strings with their corresponding 12th fret open harmonics by shortening or lengthening the strings with the adjusting screws. Remember to tune and retune until the process is complete. If you are unfamiliar with making these adjustments, we recommend that the guitar be taken to a qualified repair center. 26. I own a PRS, how much is it worth?Determining the value of a used guitar is dependent on many factors such as condition of the instrument, demand, and rarity. As a manufacturer, PRS Guitars does not set recommended values for used instruments. Information on the collectability and/or value of used instruments can be obtained from such sources as The Orion Blue Book, The Blue Book of Electric Guitars, or Vintage Guitar Magazine. 27. What steps should I take to maintain my PRS instrument?We recommend after each time you play your PRS instrument, the entire guitar including the strings is wiped thoroughly with a clean soft dry cloth. If you would like to clean and/or polish you PRS instrument, we recommend PRS cleaner and/or polish. All PRS parts and accessories are available through your local authorized PRS dealer or International Distributor. It is important to remember that dirty, corroded or worn strings will cause loss of sustain and treble frequencies and may result in faulty intonation. Fresh strings will not only improve the overall tone of the instrument, but it will also make the instrument more enjoyable to play. Change your strings often using PRS brand strings. For care and cleaning of a rosewood fretboard or rosewood neck optioned McCarty solidbody guitar we recommend the use of lemon oil. This will also clean tarnishing from the frets as well as dirt built up on your fretboard. The natural oils in your hands will seal up and treat the rosewood as well. Please note, if your guitar is a CE model or a Swamp Ash Special do not hang or set the guitar in a guitar stand with surgical rubber, as it may have a chemical reaction with the nitro-cellulose sprayed on the neck, eating through the finish of the neck. This will not be covered under PRS’ limited lifetime warranty. In some instances nickel hardware will tarnish. We have found that in addition to wiping your guitar down thoroughly after each use, a liquid metal polish works well to clean up tarnished hardware. Please be sure to remember that your PRS instrument is temperature and humidity sensitive. Do not expose your new PRS to extreme levels of heat or cold, as well as overly dry or damp situations as it could be damaging to the instrument. Please note if the guitar is overexposed to sunlight the stain color may fade. 27. Can I purchase a guitar factory direct?PRS Guitars is a guitar manufacturer that distributes guitars through a dealer/distributor network and does not sell direct to the retail market. Any information regarding current pricing and availability of our instruments, including custom-built Private Stock instruments can be obtained from your local authorized PRS dealer or International Distributor. |
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