“You talk about PRS and some say, ‘They’re too nice.’ What’s too nice? You want that special vibe that only tuning every song can give you? You want bad intonation?!” John Mayer pays tribute to Paul Reed Smith at PRS Guitars’ exclusive anniversary show

John Mayer speak to Paul Reed Smith at the 2019 NAMM Show at the Anaheim Convention Center on January 25, 2019 in Anaheim, California.

On Friday January 24, PRS Guitars celebrated its 40th anniversary in style with a who’s who of the brand’s loyal artists coming out in force to pay homage to the firm’s founder and all-round guitar genius, Paul Reed Smith.

David Grissom, Orianthi, Herman Li and Mark Lettieri were among the stars performing at Anaheim’s House of Blues, but it was John Mayer who brought the house down – and afterwards, the company’s highest-profile endorsee paid homage to Smith, beginning with a few choice words for anyone who paradoxically criticizes his guitars for being “too nice”.