PRS GUITARS LIMITED
PRS GUITARS LIMITED PARTNERSHIP Continued from page 27 PRS includes softwoods in its product mix too. This is a Hollow-body II Private Stock guitar made with a figured western red cedar top. and processes. The rough cut is where we compile all of our materials. These materials form the foundation of the guitar. It creates the sound of the guitar from the woodworking point of view. Once we have the materials in house, it’s up to us to nurture them and to get everything we can out of the wood to make the best guitar we can. That starts with the drying process. You have to be very careful with the drying of Maple because Curly Maple is very sensitive and it actually can be easily damaged if you don’t dry the wood correctly. So, we start with an air-drying process where the wood is book matched. Book matching is the process where we take a block of wood and bandsaw it in half on our horizontal mill and it folds out just like the pages on a book. The wood is then put on a pallet and separated by stickers, just pieces of wood that separate them from each other so that air can go between them and slowly dry the moisture off the wood. Once we get that moisture content down to a reasonable level, we are then able to put the wood in our drying rooms where we have forced hot air that circulates in the room and slowly works the moisture out of the wood and gets it down to below what our humidity levels are in our factory.” He continued, “How well you dry that wood is directly correlated to how well that guitar is going to vibrate. It also has a direct correlation to how well it will stay in tune because if you get that moisture out, you lock it down and that guitar becomes very stable. You still have to make sure that you have a quality bridge, quality tuner, quality set up; and that the nut is cut correctly from the right materials. All these things can ruin a guitar easily, but you don’t stand a chance of having a guitar that stays in tune if you don’t have a stable platform. We divide our materials into two groups, we have our core materials and we have our S2 materials. Inside both groups we use a grading process. When you look through the factory and you see stacks of Curly Maple with different colors on the end of them, it’s that way so that we can quickly build a schedule, put our guitars together and make guitars each day based upon the demand of customers.” In a recent YouTube feature with creator and host of Acoustic Life, Tony Polecastro, Paul Reed Smith said his personal favorite wood for tonal preference in an acoustic guitar is between Ebony and Honduras Rosewood. “It depends on the guitar,” he explained. “History has shown that an Ebony bridge and an Ebony fretboard works. You can make it with an Ebony bridge and a Brazilian Rosewood fretboard or you can make it from Honduras Rosewood. But Ebony works for the guitar, just like a Maple bridge and an Ebony fretboard works for a violin.” Smith also said, “The guitar is the violin of our time. It’s basically a harpsichord where you can change the length of the strings with your hand and there’s this visceral feeling between you and the guitar. It’s the next most intimate instrument other than voice or saxophone.” He continued, “I’m always looking for an emotional re- sponse to the music. Either it makes me want to dance, or laugh or cry even. It gives you a feeling that stays with you. I can mention so many tunes. ‘The Wind Cries Mary’ will always be in my heart, it’s just beautiful. I can listen to it a thousand times.” Smith credits, at least in part the success of PRS Guitars to a combination of being both a skilled musician and luthier. “I tried to make guitars that were close to what my heroes played,” he said. “That’s the way it’s done. My experience is that you have to do it like a musician. You have to learn the language before you can learn to be a novelist. Somebody’s going to wake up tomorrow and their job in life is going to be to make guitars. I’m pretty good at letting people do what they’re good at. That’s why they’re experts.” Key personnel include Managing General Partner, Paul Reed Smith; Chief Operating Officer, Jack Higginbotham; President, Jamie Mann; Senior Wood Manager Michael Reid; and Wood Supply Manager, Paul Platts. PRS Guitars is a member of the International Wood Products Association, Indiana Hardwood Lumbermen’s Association and National Hardwood Lumber Association. n For more information visit PRSGuitars.com or check out their YouTube channel at youtube.com/prsguitars. PATENTED MAXIMUM AIR FLOW DESIGN Sure-grip, anti-slip corrugated surface Angled design clears moisture more efficiently vs. straight fluted sticks Removes moisture, decreases dry time and increases drying quality Trusted quality & service for 20+ years Discounts for program customers The Company that Defeated Sticker Stain LUMBER DRYING STICKS 519.842.6841 | info@breezedried.com “Often Imitated, Never Duplicated” Improved Yard Safety, Increased Drying Efficiency & Reduced Drying Costs 20 + MILLION SOLD •STICKS & CROSSERS •STANDARD & CUSTOM SIZES Dependable•Durable•Long Lasting We Also Buy Lumber ! breezedried.com New River Hardwoods, Inc. QUALITY from start to finish! ● Three Appalachian Hardwood Sawmills producing 35MMBF of lumber annually ● 400,000 board feet of kiln capacity drying 12MMBF of lumber annually ● Ripped and moulded products customized to meet each customer’s needs ● Straight line ripped and sanded products also available Species: Poplar, Red Oak, White Oak, Soft Maple, Hard Maple, Cherry, Basswood and Hickory Mark Pierce Sales and Purchasing Office: 336-889-0870 Cell: 336-858-2707 Email: mpierce@newriverhardwoods.com 4343 Highway 91 Mountain City, TN 37683 Phone: (423) 727-4019 Fax: (423) 727-4438 www.newriverhardwoods.com 42 SEPTEMBER 2022 n NATIONAL HARDWOOD MAGAZINE www.RealAmericanHardwood.org www.RealAmericanHardwood.org SEPTEMBER 2022 n NATIONAL HARDWOOD MAGAZINE 43
