Last week, PRS Guitars dropped a deep, 73-minute documentary celebrating one of the giants—Theodore “Ted” McCarty—and the profound influence he had on Paul Reed Smith and the modern guitar landscape.
Titled The Legacy of Ted McCarty: Vintage Guitar Icon, the film stitches together archival footage with fresh interviews featuring Paul Reed Smith, McCarty’s daughter Sue Davis, PRS Signature Artist David Grissom, and a host of PRS builders and team members. It’s available now in full on the official PRS Guitars YouTube channel.
McCarty’s résumé reads like the “greatest hits” of electric guitar history. Long before his name adorned PRS’s beloved lineup of McCarty instruments, he was vice president and then president of the Gibson Guitar Corporation from 1949 to 1966—a stretch that saw him at the helm of some of the most iconic innovations in guitar design. Among his credits are collaborations on the humbucking pickup with engineer Seth Lover and involvement in shaping instruments like the Explorer, Flying V, SG, ES-335, and Firebird.
What makes the documentary more than just gear porn isn’t just the who’s who of guitar lore; it’s how it frames McCarty as a mentor and touchstone. Paul Reed Smith—whose Maryland-based company has grown into one of the world’s most respected guitar makers—didn’t meet McCarty until the early 1980s, when a chance encounter with his name in the U.S. Patent Office led to a long-standing friendship and professional rapport. The two went on to work closely, with McCarty advising Smith on manufacturing and business as PRS found its footing.
“Ted is a part of our foundation. He’s central to who we are. As we continue to grow the company and evolve and create new instruments, he’s fundamental in our thought processes of building great instruments. Ted will always be a part of the story of PRS Guitars as it goes forward,” said PRS Guitars COO Jack Higginbotham.
For long-time PRS fans, the McCarty name carries additional weight thanks to the guitar models that bear it—first introduced in 1994 and since expanded across the brand’s lineup. Those instruments, designed with vintage-inspired appointments and modern sensibilities, are a living tribute to McCarty’s ethos of craftsmanship and evolution.
Whether you’re a luthier-obsessed tone chaser or just a curious fan of guitar history, this film isn’t just worth a watch, it’s a reminder that the stories behind the wood and wire are what make guitars more than gear.
