“The lesser amount that the guitar shuts the string down the better the guitar is”: Paul Reed Smith explains what makes a good guitar – does yours pass his test?

Paul Reed Smith holds up a PRS Dragon at NAMM 2020.

Choosing a new electric guitar can be one of the most difficult decisions a player will make. There are so many options. But Paul Reed Smith, founder and president of PRS Guitars, has some advice that might help inform your decision. In fact, better than that, he’s got a test. 

Speaking at a 2023 clinic hosted by Cosmo Music, a CosmoFEST session only recently posted to the Canadian gear retailer’s YouTube channel, Smith says that there is a very simple test that will determine whether a guitar is any good or not. Simply play an open chord – or just the open strings, Smith doesn’t specify – and put it against the clock. The sustain will tell you everything you need to know.