How We Build a PRS Body | From The Factory Floor | PRS Guitars
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- Опубліковано 28 кві 2024
- 'From The Factory Floor’ takes you on a deep dive into select processes around the PRS factory. In this episode, we explore the PRS body build process, where our talented team turns raw wood into shaped PRS guitar bodies.
This process is narrated by Body Team Lead Bill Hawthorne. Enjoy a view “From the Factory Floor” as the body build team creates S2 and Core PRS instruments.
Curious about the music used in this video?
Music courtesy of 2021 PRS Pulse Artist Honey and Blue!
Song: "Picture Perfect (Live From The Pink Room)"
00:00 Intro
00:19 Wood Selection
01:02 Top Joining
02:01 Top Glue Up
03:34 Top/Back Matching
04:48 Top Drilling & Outlining
06:09 Top/Back Glue Up & Press
06:58 Perimeter Cut
07:15 Core CNC Carve
10:01 S2 CNC Carve
10:49 Closing Remarks
What sets PRS apart is their wood selection. Look how much longer Gibson has been in existence, yet PRS owns the suppliers with the best of the best wood selections. A basic flam maple top on a PRS is better than most supposed AAA flame tops on LP's.
Where as Fender plucks the leaves off, strips the bark and onto the cnc machine 🤣. For your 9 pound tele.
@@phishphan5732fender/gibson can't compete with PRS. Paul is still in control, who controls fender/gibson?👀
PRS is the mainstream Apple brand of the guitar world, the product is great, but there's much better out there if you look around. Small companies using timbers that would make the PRS woodlibrary sweat...
@@BBGuitars Who is better, enlighten us oh wise one
@@drsrsv8884 to be honest, it doesn't matter... because what makes PRS great, is that not only they have good wood, they have awesome quality control, they also have precision building, which mean you don't have to search for decades, and try hundred of guitars to find THE one that might be awesome. You can pick any PRS and it will be great because the production is super consistent. Pick any Silver Sky from any store, and you will get a guitar that is bang on replica of a Fender '63/64 Strat... No other builder can reach this level of quality and consistency. They might have rare gem out there, sure... but you will have to spend your lifetime to find them.... while I can even order my PRS Guitars out of the internet without trying it and I know it will be just as awesome as the one I tried from another store or from a friend.
PRS just does it right. My fourth PRS arrives this Friday. Thank you Paul et al.
You are correct, PRS does do it RIGHT, which isn't quite so enthralling if you happen to be left handed 🤨
I just bought the PRS SE custom 24-8 in verde green and absolutely blown away by the overall quality look and sound of the guitar. I already have the Silver Sky and just added this custom 24. Amazing craftsmanship and attention to detail.
@@davesmith3023 True but the process is pretty much the same.
A heart felt "thank you" to everyone, past & present, at PRS. You make the best guitars I have ever played. I own two 2021 Core McCarty 594s and a 2001 McCarty with P-90s. I couldn't be happier with them.
You are Welcome.
It's like Guitar ASMR :)
I love to see how my guitars are made, in great detail!
I can watch this whole days and nights.
Awesome how PRS keeps the process so consistent!!
this is my kind of BODY BUILDING!
Fascinating. I have seen every PRS plant video out there, but having such a detailed video of this particular stage in the process is so cool! I always learn something new from these.
Ditto
Billy, good to see you and the body build team again!
For those of you that may not know, Billy is also a fine guitarist.
Nice! Compliments on the voiceover too :)
Thanks for a great tour, Bill. I never get tired of watching these magnificent guitars come to life. I bought my first PRS guitar in 1990-a Cherry Sunburst 10 Top. It remains my Number 1 instrument after all these years. Like Lay’s potato chips, you can’t have just one! Over the years I’ve added more PRS guitars to my collection. There isn’t a more consistent guitar anywhere.
The only large guitar maker that consistently builds guitars that are as close to perfect as anything made of such an imperfect material as wood can possibly be. Wish I could afford one.
*bob taylor has entered the chat*
PRS has the best tops in the game, period.
Really nice commentary... calm, informative and simple. So cool and relaxing to watch and listen. Great work guys.
Impressive quality control. 👍 It must give you a great sense of satisfaction knowing that all the work and planning done by PRS goes into something that a person may very well spend more quality time with than any other person or object in their entire life.
A few years back PRS came to my local Guitar store and did a demonstration and talk. They talked about the history of the company and how they build guitars how they came up with paint names etc. really awesome to sit in and listen. I love my PRS guitars. When people think CNC they think all computer. There is a lot of handwork involved. I am a CNC Machinist but I have never cut wood. I would think wood is very abrasive on cutters compared to metals.
Damn that’s a cool post. Love seeing how my guitars are made!
I enjoyed watching this! I have Core and S2 models and they are great!
Man, that was absolutely fascinating. I've built a few guitars and that wood store had me drooling!
Just have to say thank you to the guys that do this day in and day out. I bought a core tremonti and it’s absolutely gorgeous. You guy’s rock!!
Microwave glue accelerator! That’s cool!
i will watch every one of these from the factory floor videos you guys make until i am dead
ty
I LOVE my CE24, I have it for about 2 years now, is a perfect guitar. Thanks for the care to make such amazing instruments!
It's great to see how these amazing guitars are built. I love my CE 24 Semi-Hollow and it would be great to see how one is made. The differences between the bolt on neck and the glued neck, plus how the CE semi-hollow body is carved etc. :)
Do all woodworkers sound this calm and soothing? I subscribe to Frank Howarth and he's got Bill's calming voice. This was so intriguing to watch because of that.
Pretty much everyone in production is like this. Everyone is pretty laid back--despite the attention to detail, laser focus on quality control and production deadlines. PRS is a good company to work for; Paul takes care of the crew.
Just bought my first PRS - an S2 McCarty 594 Thinline and that's all it took... I'm hooked.
Thanks for the love @PerryCodes enjoy the new guitar!
😎👍💓🇺🇸🎸 LONG LIVE PRS!!!
RELIC FREE SINCE 1985!
relics🤢
Thanks! This stuff is gold!
Amazing work guys!!!
RF glue up is an amazing discovery. Outstanding! Thanks Bill and team.
Thank you! Really enjoyed that!
Awesome stuff!
I love the attention to detail.
Fascinating !
Thanks for sharing all that !!
Nice job Bill!!
My 91 C24 is for life.
Never played a better guitar.
I always watch these guitar build videos by different manufacturers, and I find them very interesting. It's a very detailed and exact process. Very cool 😎
Very nice, Keep ‘em coming!!!
Great video. Thanks for sharing
The factory floor videos are by my favorite series
Excellent , I’m amazed how hands on it is..
... great vid and thank's for the tour ... :)
Thank you Bill!! Great job explaining how everything works. Appreciate your expertise, attention to detail and how you talked us through the process. Very informative!! 🙂
Love watching these get built. I'm told y'all make your own hardshell cases too-- that also would be a cool video ;)
PRS is amazing, you guys cut your own wood! And are privately owned, by the founder!👍
great vid !!
Very cool!
Great video! I own s2 Makarty 594 and the built quality is second to non, amazing job!
hell ya almost picked up a semi hallow s2 i like the crammed out pick up love love love the sunburst the tabacoo with the red is my jam
I have two s2, two bolt ons, two Cores and I love them all. Can't beat the stuff that comes out of PRS maryland.
Great vid. One day I'll have the spare cash for a PRS. Till then, I'll happily dream while I watch these great videos.
Impressive
Jesus! He is the lead of the body build team!
Cool!!!
Kanami Tono plays PRS and that makes me want to buy one.
About to pull the trigger on a $1749 guitar and I’m poor but hey , only live once and prs is my favorite !
Pull it !!!
I'm glad they showed this video because PRS won't open their factory for fans to visit. Even though it's a great marketing tool to encourage people to buy their guitars after they see all the quality that goes into making their guitars. By the way, Martin Guitars has tours open after Covid, and the Gibson Garage is Nashville is open too
As someone who is a guitar builder and has been working in the cabinet making and joinery field all my adult life, this is really interesting! I thought your tool-paths for the tops would go side-to side in about 3mm steps. Like the tool paths for cutting metal dies (moulds) often do. But your tool paths follow the profile of the guitar and go outside-in. Is that to minimise benching (sanding) to remove the tool-path serrations? Great shame we don't have forestry in our country (UK) like you do over there. All that curly maple, grown in your own country (unless it comes from Canada I suppose). Dead jealous! Beautiful guitars you make there.
Aaaah art!!!!
Proud to own PRS guitars.
I absolutely refuse to pay that much money for a guitar....but, there's absolutely NO doubt that when it comes to finishes, PRS are unmatchable wizards with an unlimited amount of creativity, and talent. The wife and I always devote a few minutes to gawking at a few if we ever visit a big-box store. Absolutely beautiful instruments.
@@carmineredd As great of an idea as that is, I'm not sure I'm seeing how it applies to my comment.
@@carmineredd Only on Monday's before noon, and only if you're wearing a contraceptive, and the donut is fresh. As long as those 7 pieces of criteria are met, then I doubt it, most absolutely.
this is really good . thank you . S2 level King Fisher Bass in the future ? Please . :-)
You can say he is a bodybuilder
Very nice job young man!! 8) --gary
Shows great construction! Gotta ask, where online can you find these tops for purchase?
They are not for sale as parts. Your best option is to buy from a parts vendor such as Stooge Mac, Luthier's Mercantile, etc.
I should have taken the job there when they offered it to me. Looks like a great place to work! The starting pay, though... I couldn't do it.
Absolutely love my custom 24-08 10 top in purple iris !! Shes the one 😂
I’d love a job at PRS when I get out of the military.
I would imagine that the process at the Cor-Tek facility is pretty much the same. I just picked up a McCarty 594 SE and I have no complaints.
So tell me why they make the PRS John Mayer Silver Sky with like 7 or 9 pieces of wood? All the pieces dry at different rates causing the paint to crack.
Not true. Silver sky's are three piece (or two piece) alder bodies.
They are usually three pieces; sometimes two. Look around on the Internet for pictures of cracked Mayer models.
For a while I wondered why the CE models did not have recessed back cover plates, but now I’m thinking is it to be close to the thickness of the neck socket screw plate so that the guitar sits more square on a bench surface?
No, the recessed plate is merely a production step associated with the Core line.
Hey! I know that guy! Bill!
when are they going to be re-open for factory tour?
Interesting, I've never seen that joining process before. Did I see that right that in joining there is no clamping pressure applied at all?
Also, usually in CNC machining for wood you have a hose taking away all the chips and dust. You also not seem to bother with that, is there a specific reason why you do that? Just curious to know.
@2:13 you can see the pneumatic rams on the assembly table that press the two halves together like clamps. That green trough is where the glue squeeze-out drops away from the glue seam; it's lined with green tape to make cleanup easy. Each CNC unit has a hopper in the bottom that collects all the chips and send them to dust collection. There's no need for a bristle shoe with a vacuum hose on the cutter head because it's a closed unit.
Really wish they would give the s2 the same carves as cores.
🤑
but then it will take more time, and then the S2 would cost as much as the core... The more time they spend on the guitar, the more expensive it gets.
@@Spidouz that’s understandable however it’s not like it’s done by hand. It’s done by cnc machinery. They should find a way to make the carve a little closer to the core. Hell I would say the se curve is closer. Just my opinion. I love my s2 but I also love my se’s and find them to be to close on quality at this point. If I would buy more guitars I wouldn’t even consider the s2. I would get another se and that speaks volumes for the se line!
I recently took the plunge and bought an S2 594. Everything about it was great straight away except for the body size. It feels too small to me. Are there any PRS guitars that have a wider, bigger body?
Is it the same process ad quality control in the overseas factories? What is the difference?
the joined tops arent clamped? huh
I went back and I looked at the video. The back of the board has some fingers that push it in and the front of the board has two triangles… They’re like bench dogs or something. So it does get “clamped in some sort of way. Or held together while they use that radio frequency curing device.
@@JohnnyArtPavlou ok yes they have a pneumatic clamp system. didnt see on first view
@@geezberry8889 Thanks, yes…pneumatic.
What is the difference between east coast wood vs west coast wood?
Where its sourced from! Wild how different two trees of the same species figuring can look based on where they're from.
I don’t understand how the glued up top and back are done so that the book match line on the top stays vertical.
When the clear template is lait atop the glue-up and the tech traces around it with a pencil, the template has a vertical line that runs down the center. The tech lines that up with the top's glue line before marking the wood.
Can people buy a PRS in ther factory directly without any middle dealer?
No, there are no sales direct from the factory because the factory maintains no stock. Everything is built to dealer order.
Why didn't you show a CE24 process too? Is it the same as a core? The top carve isn't quite as pronounced as a core. But not edgy like an S2. I'd like to see a bolt on behind the scenes for the CE24 and Silver Sky
Are you planning to equip your factory with solar panels soon? Google Maps pictures could be outdated but you don’t seem to have any at the moment, despite a large empty roof. Sustainability and transitioning the world to net-zero is essential and big brands should lead the way.
Hi PRS, PLEASE MAKE SE VELA :D :D :D
Ok now i want a Zelda guitar. 😂
How rare is it to have a one piece "10" top?
Not rare at all. Generally, one-piece tops are Private Stock items.
Interisting they dont clamp the center glue up
This is truly fascinating to watch. However, as a lefty it just proves to me that there isn’t any real excuse to not produce more left handed guitars - apart from Paul’s well documented disdain for lefties.
Don't feel sorry for yourself and accuse the company of ignoring you. Blame the dealers. The "well documented disdain" is an Internet myth. The honest truth is lefty guitars account for only 4% of the entire retail guitar market. It's just not cost effective for dealers to stock them. PRS builds guitars to dealer orders; if a dealer orders a run of lefties, PRS makes them. It's really that simple.
It must smell beautiful in there
One end smells like a wood shop, and the other end smells like a paint shop!
I have to wonder if Bill feels bad for his left handed friends
Can you send me one of these? I've never played a prs.
PRS know how to use the internet...They show us that they make a great product and strive to get even better year after year. That's why I have 5 PRS guitars and 1 Gibson. All the PRS's are flawless and my Gibson LP is full of flaws and cost twice as much! I only have the Gibson because it was one of my first guitars....Hey Gibson this is the part you should be writing down ! And if you need some help getting your quality up just give Paul a call ...He's a nice guy and I'm sure he would help.
My Les Paul also has flaws. Can’t stop playing it tho
I have never received a flawed Gibson but I have had 2 PRS's I the clear coat cracked and fell of the neck next to the frets the other one is fine except for the meh pick ups .
@@toddflowers8052se?
Exactly! I was in the market to buy a Les Paul, so I went to all stores around my location, and I tried maybe 20 or 25 Gibson in the $2k-3k price range. And I found none that were great, they were all flawed, issues, tuning problem, just not worth their price tag. Then I tried a PRS SE 245, and the first one I tried was just PERFECT. And it was like $750 if I recall correctly. It was easily ⅓ of the Gibson price and it was way better... I was a bit skeptical since it was my first SE and I always thought I needed a Core version. The SE was so great that I didn't even tried the Core versions, I bought it and I still have it to this day (like 15 years later).
@@drsrsv8884 The one I kept was an SE ..the defective one was a CE.
Like the use of the persons name.
2:20 “He’ll be sure to use glue on both sides of that wood”
Doesn’t use glue on the other piece
Did you see that little wiggle move when he put the two pieces of wood together? That's the move: it completely coats both pieces.
You actually get value for your money with a PRS guitar
10:24 so I was right about the S2 carve not being a cosmetic thing but a cheaper way to produce it. Is that the reason no asian factory ever made a real violin carve? World Music can't do it, neither does Cor-Tek.
That's the only reason why I prefer the full blown thing - that carve is what makes it unique to me.
I've got a conspiracy theory about these factory tour videos. Maybe it's because i've been watching for years, but they don't seem to change year over year. I'm starting to think what we are actually watching is is the companies internal QA. Each section is getting filmed and reviewed by management and the carrot of a "featured video" is offered to the perfect process.
LOL! No, this is what it's really like. Everyone here is really chill and the best in the world at what they do. But you're correct about QA: you're seeing it. Every employee is part of the QA chain.
love my prs guitars but i wouldn't last a week working there