30 years ago this month, Guitar Player toured the PRS factory

[Eichaan]

I saw this when working on my blog post and thought I'd show the forum here. I know many of you have been to the factory over the years--do you recognize any of the workers pictured? Does it seem similar to the factory today?

http://www.ethanlewis.org/icarus/20...-thirty-years-ago-in-guitar-player-july-1989/

The rest of the blog post is about the cover interview with Jennifer Batten I hope you check it out!

 

[Eddie kim]

Wow. How times changed

 

[Eichaan]

How so, Eddie?

 

[walrus]

Cool post!

 

[Huggy Love]

That looks like Pre-CNC PRS-land, very caveman......... .......... ME LIKES!!!

 

[belensky]

great article, I wish they had a video as well

 

[Eddie kim]

How so, Eddie?

Look how young those guys looked.

 

[Bill SAS 513]

Yeah...I love that stuff...I still have a few boxes of old Guitar Player magazines, and leaf through them when I'm in my "library'!!!

 

[Alnus Rubra]

great article, I wish they had a video as well

I’m pretty sure there is a factory tour video from that era on YT

 

[JustRob]

great article, I wish they had a video as well

 

[Collywobbles]

Very few images of the old factory out there so nice to see these and the names and faces of the people who made the early guitars. The article on Jennifer Batten was interesting too!

 

[Eichaan]

Thanks everyone--I'm glad you liked it.

 

[Mozzi]

This video shows the 'old' method of using machinery to make the body carve and still using 'powered tools' to make guitars. A CNC machine is still just a powered tool that follows a pattern - much like the guy using a 'jig' to guide the power tool by following the contours of a top and using that as a 'pattern'. I still find it odd that people think CNC is a 'bad' or negative thing in guitar building. Using the 'jig' and templates to use a power tool router is no different to having a machine do that to save time and improve consistency/accuracy. In both cases, the body has to be sanded to remove all the tooling marks and the process of building a guitar from that point onwards is all done by 'hand' - ok some sanding is done with power tools.

Whether you use a jig and templates with power routers or get a CNC to do that process, neither really requires an experienced Luthier - just someone who can operate the tools. Both can require a person to have 'carved' a body by hand - whether that body goes into a jig or is scanned in for the CNC machine to follow, the principal is the same.

I keep hearing that 'CNC' is somehow 'bad', as if its taking away from the 'craft' of building a guitar when its only role is to 'rough shape' a body and route out the cavities that any body with a jig and template could do. It still requires a skilled person to sand the body perfectly, fit the neck into the pocket, radius the neck, fit, dress and level the frets, all the finish work from the stain to the spray to the sanding and eventual buffing, still requires a person to fit all the electronics, tuners and cut the nut, a skilled person to set up the guitar and ensure its 'perfect' etc all by hand. A CNC essentially replaces a relatively low skilled part of the guitar building process. It doesn't take much to move a jig over a body to carve another, doesn't take much skill to route out the cavities with a template...

 

[PPEG4]

Thread resurrection but I thought worthy..

Looking for a 'do it all' guitar thirty four years ago I remember watching a music video of the very talented 'Beverley Craven' playing live and was drawn to the guitarists choice of guitar....not only did this thing sound fantastic( a real distinctive tone) but looked quirky and cool. After looking into it and after a little research I tracked one down, and never having bought a brand new guitar before, the £600 price tag NEARLY made me think twice
It was the same colour and after driving across the country and seeing and playing it... it was mine. A PRS EG4.

Anyway, I was going through my old laptop pictures and up crops a photo of my EG4 when I was cleaning the pots or something and underneath the scratch plate it was signed... I'll have a look see if I can find anything on the chap... as you do.

The reason for this post is i find this article and low and behold the said Gentleman is in one of the Photos... Thank you PRS and a Mr Kevin Dugger for building my fantastic EG4 which I still have, and although having been gigged many times, is still in A1 condition.

Where did those thirty four years go.....

 

[Alnus Rubra]

Nice share @PPEG4 and welcome.

 

[Revelation]

Thanks for putting this old post up front. Now if we can just convince PRS to open their doors to tours again....I guarantee their sales would increase if they did this.

 

[Mike Duncan]

I keep forgetting how life was in black and white back then...

 

[PPEG4]

After all these years and only just found out a bit more about PRS,this forum and my guitar I am wondering why I never did it years ago!
Anyway I thought I would have a look for the video that was the inspiration for my purchase... good news its now on YTube but with it came a bit of sad news that the Guitarist passed away only three months ago... The talented Ian Bairnson.
Forgive the thread detour for a moment as someone posted a small video with Ian playing on that tour that not only shows the reason why I bought my EG4 but also what a great musician he was... Thanks Ian. you join the many great guitarists that have inspired.