These videos are bonus content related to the December 2013 issue of Guitar World. For the full range of interviews, features, tabs and more, pick up the new issue on newsstands now, or in our online store:
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I was particularly fortunate to grow up during a time when high-quality, American-made guitars were both plentiful and affordable in this country.
Back in 1974, when I was shopping for my first electric, I could choose from Strats, Teles, Les Paul Specials and Les Paul Juniors models from the Fifties, Jaguars, Jazzmasters and SGs from the early Sixties, or any number of great American guitars that I could afford with my life savings of $250 (about $1,200 in today's currency values). These guitars were used of course, but they still were within my means well before the vintage guitar market placed instruments like those out of the average working guitarist's reach.
With only a few rare exceptions, new high-quality, American-made guitars have always been priced notably higher than most imports. While the quality of import guitars has improved considerably since the days when I sought my first ax, most players still feel that guitars made in the U.S. remain the standard of excellence. With the introduction of the new S2 Series from PRS Guitars, I can safely say that the long-awaited day when a guitar maker creates an affordable American-made instrument that even a discriminating pro would be proud to own has finally arrived.
