2-11-2025 4:48am

DAYTRIPS: PRS FACTORY

Jeff Barto Editor

2025 marks 40 years since Paul Reed Smith founded “PRS Guitars.” Now over 500 employees strong, PRS offers a wide range of products to players across the world.

Continually refining our craft since 1985.

“It’s amazing how quickly 40 years can pass when you’re doing something you love. I’m grateful for our employees, artists, dealers, customers, and guitar players around the world that have given us their support and permission. Our mission hasn’t changed since day one in my first garrett workshop - we want to build the best tools for musicians to do their jobs. This page serves as a time capsule of our history, but as the saying goes: ‘windshields are larger than rearview mirrors for a reason.’ What drives us most is what comes next as we continue the journey of refining our craft. Thank you for your support.”

- Paul Reed Smith

Limited Edition Models

40th Anniversary Custom 24 Limited Edition - 400 Pieces

Learn More

Private Stock 40th Anniversary McCarty Dragon - 165 Pieces

Learn More

Watch the 40th Anniversary Concert

The PRS Story

by Paul Reed Smith

The road from my workshop in a historic, haunted Annapolis garret to a state-of-the-art factory was a tough one. Fact is, I always loved working with my hands. Why else would a high school kid sign up for three or four shop classes at a time? My first guitar was built as a challenge to my college music professor for some credits. I got an “A” and decided to pursue my dream of making guitars for a living.

I remember hanging out at the local concert arenas for six or seven hours before a show to make friends with the roadies. With a backstage pass in hand, I’d peddle my guitars to the stars. One night in ten I’d make a sale. Carlos Santana, Al Di Meola, Howard Leese, and other well-known players agreed to check one out. I made deals. If someone gave me an order, made a deposit, and then didn’t love the finished guitar, I’d give them their deposit back even if I couldn’t make my rent the next day.

After getting a small following and orders for more than 50 guitars, we built two prototypes. I popped them in the back seat of my truck and called on guitar dealers up and down the East Coast. After many days and many miles, I came back with enough orders to start a company.We’ve come a long way, with steady growth in factory capacity, employees, distribution, and the number of prominent artists using our instruments.

We’re not stopping here. Every inch of your PRS guitar is based on decades of testing, rethinking, and reinventing. We continue to push the curve beyond what others would consider perfection. With experts to make sure the technology is unsurpassed, and dedicated craftspeople who guarantee a finished product you can’t put down. We make no compromises. That’s the story of the beginning of the journey. Not so short, but very sweet. The moral? Believe in your dreams.- Paul Reed Smith, 1992

Take a Factory Tour: What To Expect

When touring the PRS factory, you can expect to get a firsthand look at our processes, instruments, and amplifiers from raw wood or blank chassis form to finished guitar or amplifier. What we hope you leave with is a unique view into not just our work but the people building PRS. The craftspeople here are a unique bunch. We have a passion for building instruments and also for the music that these instruments help create. There is a special kind of pride and individual ownership surrounding our instruments. From our experience, there is no better way to see this unique aspect of PRS than to walk through the shop.

As our guest, you will see our guitar manufacturing line, our SE Series inspection team, and our amplifier department. While not physically demanding, the tour does include walking and climbing a flight of stairs (elevators are available for guests with special needs). The tour may not be suitable for children under 10 years old due to its length and technical nature.

West Street East Store

During your visit, be sure to explore our “West Street East” store and museum room where you will find PRS apparel, parts, and accessories. The store also features a selection of guitars from the PRS archives for you to enjoy and a broad line up of our current offerings that you can actually play!

The West Street East onsite accessory store is open Monday-Friday, 9am to 4pm. Holidays, weather events, and/or private events may affect these hours.

Shop West Street East

Schedule Your Tour

Tours are offered on Tuesdays and Thursdays at 10:00 and 1:00 and last approximately 90 minutes.
Tours are limited to groups of 6-8 people and are reserved on a first-come, first-serve basis.

Please no photo/video during your tour

closed-toed shoes are recommended

please arrive 10-15 min before your tour time

Tours are offered for $5 per person. All tour attendees will receive a gift at the conclusion of the tour as well as a 10% discount in the PRS West Street Store.

For group tour requests, please submit your request here. We will review all requests and respond accordingly.

Closures/Exceptions

There may be some exceptions to the general schedule laid out here. To ensure a tour is available on the day you wish to visit, please make a reservation via the "Book Now" button below.

Tour availability cannot be guaranteed without a reservation.

In the case of inclement weather, please call ahead to make sure the factory is open: 410-643-9970