Experience PRS 2010: New Amps and Guitars Star at Open House

By: Staff

This morning, hundreds of Paul Reed Smith Guitars enthusiasts checked in to the Experience PRS 2010 trade show. Slowly lining up to grab a hot breakfast, some OJ and a cup of Joe, before finding seats in the Main Event tent housing the stage with it’s PRS backdrop, and listening in rapt attention to master of ceremonies Paul Reed Smith, who welcomed the PRS distributors, dealers, guitar enthusiasts and music media folks to the event.

One of the first items of the day was a PRS guitar giveaway. Paul told the audience that underneath one of the seats was a red dot and that whoever was sitting in that seat was the lucky winner. Immediately, scores of seats were upturned, but no one claimed the prize. Turns out the prize could be claimed if they had a PRS lanyard under their seat, and with that new information, Andy Baerg, out of St. Paul, Wisconsin, discovered that he’d won and stepped up to meet Paul and grab his new PRS axe.

Winner Andy Baerg with his new PRS

Smith mentioned some of the cool clinics, celebrity artists, new gear on display and the gig tonight where Ricky Skaggs, Cody Kilby, Martin Simpson, the PRS Band and Davy Knowles & Back Door Slam. The PRS band will be featuring PRS endorsee, Orianthi, to help liven up its set.

Friday’s schedule also included an acoustic demonstration with Simpson, Skaggs and Kilby; home recording demos with Michael Ault, Nick Moroch, Doug Sewell and Howard Leese. And at a Media Conference Paul and PRS President, Jack Higgenbotham thanked everyone for their support. A highlight of the session, was Paul introducing author Tom Wheeler, who then introduced a bevy of artists that have worked with PRS throughout the years including: David Grissom, Howard Leese and Ricky Skaggs, along with some more recent friends of PRS who were visiting, Orianthi, who was dressed in black and highlighted her PRS Signature Model called “Pepper” – she also has another PRS model named in her honor called “Manos” – Davy Knowles and 10-year old Tallan Noble Latz.

Walking around the PRS grounds, guests from around the world got a chance to tour the production facilities where the guitars are made, have a hand in a bit of wood staining, check out some interesting inlay work, and view some remarkable prototype guitar bodies and necks that highlighted different artistic designs that for one reason or another didn’t make the final cut to production.

But, our first big stop of the day was a small room where the latest PRS guitars and amps were set up and ready to play. We ran into J. Hayes, Product Manager, PRS Guitars, who gave us a run down on the new models.

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