About the PRS Top Grades
PRS and maple wood have had a long relationship, beginning in the late 1970’s when Paul selected unique and highly figured maple on his earliest instruments for artists like Carlos Santana, Al Di Meola, and Howard Lease.
Today, maple tops are given a grade upon arrival at the factory, helping to determine the model guitar it will become. Only a very small percentage of maple trees cut in North America are figured, with an even smaller percentage presenting the unique aspects worthy of 10-top, Artist-grade, or Private Stock-grade status.
| Top Grade Descriptions | |
|---|---|
| Non-10 | The maple tops found all throughout standard production. Though they are the standard designation, non-10 tops are still more than capable of offering striking and unique finishes. |
| 10-top |
The 10-top designation indicates that the guitar has a clearly defined figure with no visible knots or “dead spots” where the figure is less apparent. These guitars receive a “10” on the larger tip of the headstock. |
| Artist-grade | An Artist-grade top meets the criteria of the 10-top, while featuring more curl than a typical cut of figured maple. |
| Private Stock-grade |
A Private Stock-grade top exceeds all expectations. These cuts of wood meet all the above criteria and have uniquely vibrant figuring, the likes of which are extraordinarily rare. Woods receiving this grade are moved into Paul’s private stock, hence the name. |
While many of our designs and processes have been tweaked over the years, our love of maple has not wavered.
Check out the story below to see how our use of maple began, and how we grade our maple tops: The "10-Top" | PRS Guitars