Design & Build Philosophies

PRS Core instruments are the heart of PRS. Since 1985, we have been driven by quality, innovation, and the industry’s rich heritage to deliver products with uncompromised tone, playability, and beauty. Every piece and every process is important to the finished instrument, so we take great care every step of the way to ensure you are getting our best.

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  Wood is the foundation of every PRS instrument, so great care is taken in sourcing, cutting, drying, and grading each species of timber used.

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  Neck shapes are paramount to the connection a player feels the moment he or she picks up a guitar. PRS neck shapes are designed for comfort, playability, and stability, so that feeling lasts a lifetime.

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  Stain and finish should do more than help a guitar look good; they should feel good and maximize tone as well. So while PRS is synonymous with beautiful, richly detailed stains, paints, and finishes, the goal is always to use a thin, clear, and hard finish that is durable and does not deaden the instrument’s natural tone and resonance.

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  The bridge is the anchor of the guitar. All PRS bridges are designed to maximize the transfer of the strings’ vibration into the guitar body while providing excellent intonation and functionality.

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  PRS Phase III tuners are designed to maximize the transfer of the strings’ vibration into the guitar while providing excellent tuning precision and stability via the easy to use locking system.

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  As one of the three main contact points of the strings, the nut is essential to the guitar’s tone. PRS uses a proprietary nut material, designed to maximize the guitar’s tonal resonance. PRS nut placement is compensated to provide accurate intonation across the fretboard. All PRS nuts are hand-filed for precise fit and superior playability.

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  A pickup is a transducer that captures the mechanical vibration of a string and converts it into an electrical current. Every component (wire, magnet, bobbin, slugs, etc) affects the sound and interacts differently with instruments and amps, which is why we design and build many distinct pickup models. Nearly all Private Stock and Core pickups are designed and built in our Stevensville, Maryland factory.

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  PRS uses nickel silver fret material for durability and tone. In general, PRS fret wire height has been specified to provide a good platform for both chord/rhythm playing and string bends/lead techniques. PRS fret wire width and hardness is specified to minimize wear, maximize fret life, and support the tone of the instrument. All PRS frets are glued in place to avoid raised or popped frets and are leveled, radiused, and crowned giving the guitar amazing comfort and playability.

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  The final instrument reflects all of the thought, work, and passion that are put into every step of the building process. If all the details are cared for, a guitar can be much more than the sum of its parts.