Here at Vintage Vault we share the philosophy that considers “Vintage” the excellence, or the golden age of a particular manufacturer, in line with the oldest meaning of the term. In this regard, today we delve into the history of one of Paul Reed Smith’s most iconic models, the Dragon, with what can be considered “Vintage of tomorrow”.
It was 1972 when sixteen-year-old Paul Reed Smith first conceived the idea of owning a guitar with a dragon inlaid on the fretboard, but he had to wait twenty years to turn that dream into reality.In fact, by 1992 the “Paul Reed Smith” brand instrument factory was already a consolidated and appreciated reality on the market for the quality level of its products, and, thanks to the advent of laser technology, the “Dragon 1” project finally came to life .It’s a guitar with 22 frets and a figured maple top, whose fretboard bears the design of a dragon built with 201 precious mother-of-pearl inlays, laser-carved with surgical precision. Built in 50 units and sold at the time for 8,000 US dollars, it instantly became a collector’s item.
The uniqueness of this guitar, in addition to the magnificent design on the fretboard, also lies in the fact that for the first time the “stoptail” bridge and a 22-fret fretboard are used for a PRS, while the pickups are the new “Dragon”, specially designed for the occasion. The design of the dragon was conceived by Jude Van Dike and the development was commissioned to Pearl Works, a company specialized in this type of work.37 years have passed since the birth of PRS and in the meantime 9 different Dragon models have been produced, and today here at Vintage Vault we have the privilege of presenting you three specimens, which you can admire in the photo gallery below.