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RARE PHOTOS: 6 | Vintage Vibes

“I took everything out of the freezer and sat the guitar in overnight”: When John Mayer was unhappy with his famed Black One Strat, he had a bizarre method for trying to fix it

Mayer worked closely with the Fender Custom Shop to design and build his “main guitar”, but it took a bit of tweaking before it reached its playing potential

Guitar World

“These things work for me and I am finding out a lot of other guitar players like ‘em too”: Paul Reed Smith loved his Charcoal Phoenix so much that PRS has released this rare bird in strictly limited numbers

This collectible stunner was inspired by the John McLaughlin Private Stock signature model and has been thoroughly road-tested by the PRS Guitars founder

MusicRadar

“I called Alice and said, ‘I'm in a lot of pain. I’m not too sure what's going on’”: Orianthi reveals her agony over the injury that forced her to pull out of her Alice Cooper tour return – and play Back in Black sitting down at PRS’ epic anniversary show

The guitarist recently revealed that she is dealing with a torn hamstring and hip injury which forced her to shift touring plans

Guitar World

From analysis to the latest developments in health,
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“Smith has road-tested this guitar, refining its design and tone”: The PRS Charcoal Phoenix is Paul Reed Smith’s personal guitar of choice – and it’s already starred onstage next to John Mayer

The new, limited-edition beauty sprung from Paul Reed Smith’s desire to create a stoptail-equipped variation of John McLaughlin's signature Private Stock PRS

Guitar World

“He told me it had a reverse headstock, but when we opened the case it turned out to be a left-handed King V”: A labor of love, Wes Borland's beloved custom Jackson King V began life as a factory floor reject

Rather than a top-of-the-line custom job involving the best of the company's best luthiers, Borland's favored King V was brought to his attention by Jackson because, not in spite of, the quirks that led to its initial rejection

Guitar World

“Paul Reed Smith and I grew up on the same street. He knew I was finishing guitars and one day asked for help. Eventually we needed somebody to head up the factory. He said, 'You’re it’”: How Joe Knaggs became one of America’s most respected guitar makers

Having cut his teeth working at the PRS factory, rising from finishing assistant to production manager and head of Private Stock, Knaggs built his brand from the ground up. Here’s his story…

Guitar World

“You talk about PRS and some say, ‘They’re too nice.’ What’s too nice? You want that special vibe that only tuning every song can give you? You want bad intonation?!” John Mayer pays tribute to Paul Reed Smith at PRS Guitars’ exclusive anniversary show

10 years since his first phone call to the firm, the guitar hero hailed the iconic guitar builder as “the hidden member of everyone’s band all the time”

Guitar World

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“When I was a teenager, I had a dream about a guitar with a dragon inlaid down the neck. That dream has since become an important part of our history”: How Paul Reed Smith created the ultimate Dragon for PRS Guitars’ 40th Anniversary

Debuting PRS’s “throaty” new McCarty III humbuckers, the Private Stock 40th Anniversary McCarty Dragon is a work of art and a triumph of engineering – and, says Smith, it’s built to play

Guitar World

“I have a fingerprint of the way I play – a mix of Carlos Santana, Stevie Ray Vaughan and Gary Moore – but I’m constantly evolving”: Orianthi on why she loves old gear – and recording her new Band of Gypsys-inspired supergroup with Jimi Hendrix’s producer

The former guitarist for Michael Jackson and returning Alice Cooper member has survived the trials and tribulations of the pop industry, emerging with a new energy and soundthat honors hertrue inspirationsand talents

Guitar World

NAMM 2025: “We do not want to spend our anniversary only looking back” – PRS unveils “roadworthy workhorse” Standard 24 Satin asSwamp Ash Specialmakes comeback, announces big updates to pickups, hardware and electronics

PRS makes an impressive start to its 40th anniversary year with two high-end electrics, hardware upgrades for S2 and select Bolt-on models– and what about those DMO humbuckers?

MusicRadar

“Someone once said to me, ‘Why do you make solo records?’ And it’s like, ‘So I can play solos!’” Myles Kennedy on the blues-rock hero who shaped the way he plays, why he’s an accidental frontman, and what the power of the riff made him do

We’ve been saying it for years, but the man best known for his soaring vocals with Slash and Alter Bridge also happens to be one hell of a guitar player. On his new album, he busts out his riffs, his roar and his signature PRS

Guitar World

“We do not want to spend our anniversary only looking back”: PRS looks to the future with new pickups, expanded Private Stock-grade specs – and two new Core models inspired by pre-factory builds

To celebrate its 40th anniversary, the Maryland brand has continued to push the boundaries of electric guitar refinement with a range of new developments and lineup refreshes

Guitar World

“Coming up with a solo is like searching for treasure”: Mark Tremonti reveals his favourite Alter Bridge and Creed songs - and discusses his heavy new album

Plus: his new gear and new tricks

MusicRadar

“Lefties, thank a rightie today”: John Mayer on why right-handed guitar players were responsible for the eventual creation of the left-handed SE Silver Sky

Mayer discusses the making of the left-handed version of his best-selling PRS signature guitar

Guitar World

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Guitar World

“The top-selling artist acoustics were Elvis Presley, Bob Dylan and my guitar, which is insane”: How Orianthi shook up the industry with her signature gear, what she learned from Santana and Joe Bonamassa, and why she’s returning to Alice Cooper’s band

With a completely new rig for the Alice Cooper tour, the Aussie virtuoso explains how her approach will differ from Nita Strauss, why she’s donating the PRS guitars she’s playing on the road – and what to expect from her forthcoming Epiphone signature model

Guitar World

“I plugged into my first Dumble at a PRS gig. I ran right for it. I beat Carlos Santana and David Grissom to it. I’m like, ‘Out of my way!’” Mark Tremonti on how Paul Reed Smith got him hooked on Dumbles

The Alter Bridge guitarist looks back on how he beat his PRS peers to play the amp of his dreams – and never looked back

Guitar World

“After leading our overall list for two years, it did not come in No. 1”: Reverb reveals its best-selling electric guitars of 2024 – and the previous top-seller has been toppled

The reigning champion of 2022 and 2023 has been ousted, and the best-selling new release of 2024 might surprise you

Guitar World

“His guitar work can be heard all over iconic tracks from their internationally acclaimed Mezzanine album”: Massive Attack guitarist Angelo Bruschini's guitars and gear are currently up for auction

The auction includes a 1968 Fender Telecaster Thinline, a 1996 PRS Custom 24, and a custom guitar made by famed British luthier Johnny Kinkade

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Guitar World

“I don’t like brand-new guitars. I’ll see a new guitar and I’m like, ‘That’s gonna look good after I drag it across the driveway’”: Alter Bridge’s Myles Kennedy spills his tone (and drop tuning) secrets

Whatever you do, don’t lend Kennedy your brand-new 10 Top PRS, but do check out his new solo album, The Art of Letting Go, which he promises us is a “a rock ’n’ roll record – a lot of loud guitars”

Guitar World

“This is really emotional and personal for us”: $18 million of fake Gibson guitars seized by US Border Protection officers in biggest counterfeit instrument bust on record

Over 3,000 counterfeit Gibsons – along with a handful of fake Fenders, Gretsch guitars, and PRS guitars – were seized after arriving in the US in ocean containers from Asia

Guitar World

"It’s not all about the name on the guitar, it’s how you gel with it." Why you don’t always need a big name brand on your headstock – and 6 guitars that deliver superb value for your money

With the increased availability of quality budget guitars, I look into brand loyalty and why your dream guitar isn’t always what you think it is

MusicRadar

“PRShas always been an essential part of BAND-MAID’s sound”: PRS breaks out the “Brushstroke Birds” inlays for Kanami Tono’s stunning quilt top Custom 24-08

Limited to 200 units, the BAND-MAID guitarist's new signature model arrives in Trampas Green Burst and each guitar is hand-signed by Kanami

Guitar World

“I never want to forget the feeling of excitement I had when I first got a PRS”: PRS honors hard rock Japanese guitar hero Kanami Tōno with her first-ever signature guitar

The Band-Maid guitarist pays tribute to the first PRS she ever owned, opting for a Smokeburst finish, Brush Stroke Bird inlays and nifty electronics

Guitar World

“I wouldn’t normally be caught dead with a Tele because I think they’re ugly, but that’s the only guitar I used”: Opeth’s Mikael Åkerfeldt and Fredrik Åkesson on their love of “stupid riffs,” and “recapturing that old death metal magic”

Opeth may have returned in a way to their sonic roots on their new album, The Last Will And Testament, but – with appearances from a Neal Schon signature model and a “not very metal” trick picked up from Eddie Van Halen – there are still plenty of quirks to…

Guitar World

“$499 is incredibly high value for a guitar you can go and buy, and go and gig it. And that’s what I want: it’s not a toy”: PRS’ Jack Higginbotham reflects on the history of the SE line

PRS might well be 40 years old in 2025, but the SE guitars seem to be catching up – with a 25th anniversary celebration planned for 2026. Where does the time go?

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