Hello, PRS Forum Crew!
As you may have noticed, we added Factory Tours back to the website today. We have put a lot of work into setting up the new tour route and calibrating the staff, and we are super excited to welcome people back to the shop. We are announcing here first as a thank you, and so you can help test-drive the new booking system before we unleash the news to the masses tomorrow. Hope you're as excited as we are - even if you've been here before, the shop looks a lot different now! Here is the "official" message:
PRS Guitars Reopens Factory Tours in Stevensville, Maryland, USA
(STEVENSVILLE, MD) December 19, 2023 – PRS Guitars is reopening for factory tours in January 2024 for the first time since 2019. The PRS factory tour starts in Rough Cut with raw wood blanks and goes through every step of the electric guitar build process in Maryland. The tour also covers PRS SE Series inspection and the PRS amplifier department. There is a rotating cast of knowledgeable PRS employees hosting the tours, including our COO (hire date 1985), Art Director (hire date 1988), Director of New Products Engineering (hire date 1992), and many more. No matter who is guiding the tour, this is a truly unique experience.
“We are thrilled to invite people back into PRS Guitars to see what we do. People say it’s like going to Wonka’s candy factory,” said Paul Reed Smith. “I’m not sure about that, but there is nothing like talking to someone right after they’ve had a tour. You can see the lightbulb turn on while they are here – it really gives a full picture of all the care each employee here puts into their work.”
In addition to the tour, here some other not-to-miss moments while visitors are here:
- Free Gift: All tour participants will receive a small gift at the conclusion of the tour – a small but special piece of memorabilia to remember your trip
- West Street East Accessory Store (WSE): All visitors receive a 10% discount in our WSE accessory store, but it’s not just for shopping…
- PRS Archives: There is also a selection of PRS archives on display in WSE, including the Sorcerer’s Apprentice and first guitar Paul ever made
- Interactive Area: In the back of the store, there are several rotating guitars available to play, as well as a full set of PRS Pedals
- String Recycling: PRS Guitars is an official guitar string recycling center! Bring in your old strings, and we will recycle them with TerraCycle
To book your tour experience, please visit https://prsguitars.com/tours.
Tours are offered four times per week on Tuesdays and Thursdays and are limited to six people per tour. Each tour is approximately 90 minutes in duration and includes climbing a flight of stairs (elevators are available for guests with special needs). The tour may not be suitable for children under ten due to its length and technical nature. No photography or video will be permitted during the tour. Closed-toed shoes are recommended.
Please note, tours will require a $5 fee per person. Tour visitors will receive a small gift at the conclusion of the tour as well as 10% off all purchases in our West Street East accessories store.
As you may have noticed, we added Factory Tours back to the website today. We have put a lot of work into setting up the new tour route and calibrating the staff, and we are super excited to welcome people back to the shop. We are announcing here first as a thank you, and so you can help test-drive the new booking system before we unleash the news to the masses tomorrow. Hope you're as excited as we are - even if you've been here before, the shop looks a lot different now! Here is the "official" message:
PRS Guitars Reopens Factory Tours in Stevensville, Maryland, USA
(STEVENSVILLE, MD) December 19, 2023 – PRS Guitars is reopening for factory tours in January 2024 for the first time since 2019. The PRS factory tour starts in Rough Cut with raw wood blanks and goes through every step of the electric guitar build process in Maryland. The tour also covers PRS SE Series inspection and the PRS amplifier department. There is a rotating cast of knowledgeable PRS employees hosting the tours, including our COO (hire date 1985), Art Director (hire date 1988), Director of New Products Engineering (hire date 1992), and many more. No matter who is guiding the tour, this is a truly unique experience.
“We are thrilled to invite people back into PRS Guitars to see what we do. People say it’s like going to Wonka’s candy factory,” said Paul Reed Smith. “I’m not sure about that, but there is nothing like talking to someone right after they’ve had a tour. You can see the lightbulb turn on while they are here – it really gives a full picture of all the care each employee here puts into their work.”
In addition to the tour, here some other not-to-miss moments while visitors are here:
- Free Gift: All tour participants will receive a small gift at the conclusion of the tour – a small but special piece of memorabilia to remember your trip
- West Street East Accessory Store (WSE): All visitors receive a 10% discount in our WSE accessory store, but it’s not just for shopping…
- PRS Archives: There is also a selection of PRS archives on display in WSE, including the Sorcerer’s Apprentice and first guitar Paul ever made
- Interactive Area: In the back of the store, there are several rotating guitars available to play, as well as a full set of PRS Pedals
- String Recycling: PRS Guitars is an official guitar string recycling center! Bring in your old strings, and we will recycle them with TerraCycle
To book your tour experience, please visit https://prsguitars.com/tours.
Tours are offered four times per week on Tuesdays and Thursdays and are limited to six people per tour. Each tour is approximately 90 minutes in duration and includes climbing a flight of stairs (elevators are available for guests with special needs). The tour may not be suitable for children under ten due to its length and technical nature. No photography or video will be permitted during the tour. Closed-toed shoes are recommended.
Please note, tours will require a $5 fee per person. Tour visitors will receive a small gift at the conclusion of the tour as well as 10% off all purchases in our West Street East accessories store.
