“The Rules of Tone is a document I wrote around 2006. It was meant to be a guide so that I/we always build the best instruments we can possibly make. There are twenty-one rules – each one the culmination of decades of experience in guitar-making, design, and repair work. While no set of rules can guarantee a perfect instrument, a guitar should improve with each instance of a rule followed – in the end becoming greater than the sum of its parts.
Since 2006, I have spent a lot of time teaching these guitar-making principles to the teams here. The teams have, in turn, become stewards of the rules to every person who makes guitars for PRS. Please enjoy these videos. It is my hope that they give you an idea of the amount of care and constant improvement we dedicate ourselves to, so that you receive our best.”
– Paul Reed Smith
Coming Soon
1. Rules of Tone: Woods
Join Paul Reed Smith and PRS Body Team Manager Max in a discussion around wood: the foundational material of every guitar we make.
2. Rules of Tone: Necks
“If you can make a neck, you are a guitar maker.” Paul Reed Smith and PRS Neck Team Manager Dan talk about the crucial role of the neck in guitar building.
3. Rules of Tone: Pickups
Paul Reed Smith and Product Manager Chuck discuss pickups and their role in voicing the guitar. Watch as they “scope” humbuckers and single coils live on screen.
4. Rules of Tone: Hardware
“Everything that touches the string is god.” Join Paul Reed Smith and Director of New Products Engineering Rob as they talk about bridges, tuners, and nuts.
5. Rules of Tone: Finish
Paul Reed Smith and Paul Miles, PRS Director of Manufacturing, talk Nitro and how finish plays a role in the looks, feel, and sound of the final instrument.
6. Rules of Tone: Setup
Join Paul Reed Smith and PTC Manager James (aka “Skitchy”) in a discussion of guitar setup and how critical this step is to making a guitar as playable, comfortable, and addictive as possible.