By: Rick Landers

The opening day of Experience PRS 2010 included a media session, where Paul Reed Smith made some gracious introductory remarks, followed up by Jack Higgenbotham, President, PRS Guitars and well-known author, Tom Wheeler, who also served as the master of ceremonies for the session. Tom introduced several artists who use Paul Reed Smith guitars, who talked about their impression of PRS guitars that included comments about both the electric models, along with the new acoustics and the recently issued PRS amplifiers. A small troop of the latest PRS guitar models stood at attention in front of the crowd, along with a host of the very cool looking new PRS amplifier line-up.

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Orianthi: “I’m holding up my model right here and it plays amazing. This one is actually based off my main guitar Pepper, which I use a lot. I used it on Idol and auditioning for Michael Jackson, which is about the perfect guitar for me. I’ve been playing it since I was eleven, I mean PRS guitars. I remember going to a Santana show with my dad, I was playing classical guitar at the time and the way that Carlos was playing was incredible, but his timing was just amazing.

So I turned to my dad and said “I want one of those guitars.” I begged him for one. So, I got a second hand PRS and wouldn’t put it down. I’d come home from school and just practiced five hours a day and it would get the tone that I’d want and it’s just perfect. Just feels great.”

See Below for a Full Photo Gallery of Orianthi from the Press Conference

Orianthi

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Bugs Henderson: “I know what sounds good and what feels good. And I’m overwhelmed by these amplifiers. People kepts sending me amps. Now I used an amplifier and I’m not going to say the name of it, but everybody knows what it is, for fifteen years. And they didn’t sound as good as what I had or they wouldn’t hold up on the road.

These things are monsters. This is the best amplifier and guitar made today. If you can’t get your sound or your tone out of this amplifier, then you need to go home and practice. These babies do it. I love mine, I play it every night. It’s the truth. These are the best amplifiers made today. Take one out and play it and you’ll flip over it, you will.”

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Colby Kilby: “About the acoustic guitars, I’ve been playing guitar for 19 years and I’ve always been a big fan of pre-war Martin guitars and old guitars and to me, what Paul is putting out is guitars that are 80 years old. The playability and sound right out of the case is of an 80 year old guitar to me.

Playing live with Ricky (Skaggs) and doing a lot of studio stuff in town, people always ask what guitar that was that you just played, and always it’s the PRS they ask about which is very cool and they keep getting better.”

Cody Kilby

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David Grissom: “It’s hard for me to fathom that I have been hanging around this place for 25 years. I bought my first PRS in 1985. When I moved to Austin, I hung out at a place called Antone’s a lot and after we’d hang out there every night there’d be a party go to, I was like, not only in a town where I could as loud as I wanted, but there was a party every night and after going out to see Otis Rush or Stevie Vaughan or whoever was hanging out that night, and somebody said to me, and I told them I just moved to town, “If you don’t play a Stratocaster, you ain’t shit.”

So, immediately, I decided “I need to go look for another guitar.” I just didn’t like being told like everybody else in town I had to play a Strat. So, I see this sea-foam green standard PRS in the magazine and I thought something going there, I need to try that out and I had just gotten a gig and it was like my Tele that was on steroids and I’ve been sticking around here ever since. And they’ve been gracious enough to allow me to have some input, sometimes a lot of input on the design of the guitars.

And I can honestly say of Paul, the relentless pursuit of tone is an understatement. And to this day, it never stops and he never stops growing, never stops looking for a next best thing. There’s no detail too small that he doesn’t throw himself into head over heels. And it’s just a wonderful family to be a part of.”

David Grissom

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Howard Leese: “Paul’s been making my instruments since 1979 and made me a guitar called a Golden Eagle that I still use. And I haven’t taken to stage in all these years without a PRS guitar. Last year, I was very honored we made 100 copies of the Golden Eagle, this is one of them, they’re all gone now, so I don’t think there are any more available.

Howard Leese

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Martin Simpson: “I’m a total Johnny Come Lately here. I got my first PRS acoustic guitar two years ago, with a note saying, “I want you to look at this and tell me what you think.” So, I looked at it and I played it. I thought it was great, but there were a number of things about it that I thought would be greater so I told Paul and he listened. And he sent me another different one which he had modified and it was better and it was great, but would you please do the following. So, he did the following because he listens and Steve Fisher listens.

They changed the guitar, they put a wide fingerboard on it; they used ebony for the fingerboard and the bridge and just did exactly what I’d asked. I commissioned my first individual luthier guitar 38 years ago when I was 19 years old. I’ve had access to absolutely the best guitars made by the most legendary individual builders on the planet and I’m not here because I’m getting paid.”

Martin Simpson

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Ricky Skaggs: I wholeheartedly agree, Paul is a great listener. I think to be a great inventor, and great creator you have to be a great listener. What I’ve always seen about Paul’s work, even with his electrics, especially his electrics, he would get those in the hands of great masters and then he would listen to what he needed to do to make them better and then take them to a whole other level. And he has, Paul doesn’t do anything half-heartedly.

He’s always wanted to do with the best that he can find, the best wood, the best strings, the best tuners, the best of everything. When I came on board when we first started talking about doing an acoustic line, I said “Paul, musicians wanna look good, they gotta play good and they gotta sound good. Nobody wants a guitar that sounds great and looks like a dog, if I’m gonna pay the kind of money that you’re gonna want to get.

So, you gotta make them look good, sound good and play good.” And I think, knocked it out of the park. And this new model that I’ve been playing, I really didn’t want to eat lunch, I wanted to keep playing. But, I’m telling you it’s an incredible guitar.”

Ricky Skaggs

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Orianthi Photo Gallery

Orianthi

Orianthi

Orianthi

Orianthi and PRS

Orianthi and PRS

Orianthi and PRS

Orianthi and Tom Wheeler

Orianthi and PRS