“We had a room full of Nashville session players, and they said, ‘Paul, if we don't use your guitars on the tracks, we get fired’”: Why Paul Reed Smith isn't interested in chasing Fender or Gibson – but is focused on cementing PRS in history

Paul Reed Smith speaks onstage at The 2020 NAMM Show Opening Day on January 16, 2020 in Anaheim, California.

Paul Reed Smith – the man behind PRS Guitars – is not only one of the greatest living guitar makers, but he has also etched his name into history with a boatload of electric guitar and acoustic guitar innovations.

It's safe to say that the brand's patented tremolo system (developed after Carlos Santana wanted a guitar with a vibrato that also stays in tune), the compensated nut (which Smith invented in 1981), the introduction of the first piezo-equipped guitar, and, of course, various inventions in the pickup space has changed the game for the guitar space as a whole.