There's no denying the impact PRS guitars have had on modern rock, yet the first PRS model, the Custom, was unveiled way back at NAMM 1985.
Unafraid of wearing its influences on its maple-topped sleeve, the Custom's double- cutaway body recalled the Les Paul Special, while adding the curves of a Stratocaster. The 635mm (25-inch) scale length was halfway between the Fender and Gibson standards, while a mix control produced beefy PAF-type tones and snappier single-coil sounds from a pair of humbuckers. There was even an updated take on Fender's classic vibrato unit, plus finishes echoing Les Paul 'Bursts of the late 50s.
To this day, PRS hasn't stopped tweaking its classic: in 2013, the wallet-friendly USA-made S2 series launched with its own Custom 24 (pictured), costing a releatively affordable £1,375. And largely thanks to the Custom's success, PRS is now the third biggest-selling guitar company in the US - just behind its two biggest inspirations.
PRS Custom timeline1982
Paul Reed Smith establishes PRS Guitars.
1993
The Custom 22 is put into production.
2003
The SE Custom appears in the Korean-made SE line.
2013
PRS reveals the more affordable US-made S2 Custom 24
“Once the custom shops came out, everyone was talking about them:” Jackson and Revocation’s David Davidson just dropped the hottest metal guitar of 2025 – the Warrior WR7
“The mini humbucker fits into the same sized pickup cavity as a P-90 and delivers low-noise humbucking pickup performance and a slightly brighter and more open tone”: Gibson remixes the Les Paul Special with mini humbuckers
