How do I get to PRS in about 3 years?

[PRSpoggers]

In 3 years, I am eligible to be of the minimum working age for working at PRS guitars in Stevensville Maryland, which is 18 years old, with a high school degree and a year of wood working experience. I am 15 years old and I am a sophomore in high school. I live 45 minutes away, Annapolis side of the bridge. I have a HUGE passion for PRS and guitar building in general. Heck, right now I am working on THREE projects! I am building a kit, refinishing/re radiusing/upgrading my first guitar (squire strat) and my BIG project is building an actual guitar neck! I have gotten to meet Paul himself before and he said he saw a bright future ahead of me. I think spending time in my little workshop in my basement gives me a sense of pride, knowing that when I'm sanding bevels or tracing lines or soldering or cutting or sanding in general makes me proud of my work. I got to visit PRS last year in August and since then the kool aid from PRS has been flowing through me! I have such a passion to build an instrument. I am sometimes spending time in school working out diagrams or lists of processes, whether that be drying of the wood, F hole designs, angles, how a truss rod works, how vibrations work and how something like cutting, gluing, carving and more will affect how to instrument resonates and vibrates. You can see that I know a lot about these things. I look up to Paul as a mentor to me, because I love his philosophy on guitar building. I love the quote he made "Everything that touches the string is God" and that makes me think honestly. But how do I get to there and build for them?

[Bizman62]

A friend managed to get into a luthiery school here in Finland at his second attempt. Before that he had been joining guitar building courses at the community colleges of two different towns under the tuition of luthiers with several decades of experience. Practical training was required towards the end of his studies and he managed to get an internship at a foreign mid sized guitar factory. He did the job well enough to be offered a one year contract there.

Something similar might work with you as well. Eagerness is good but you'll need some basic skills and knowledge as well. A lot can be learned through videos and forums but you really can't learn how to use big power tools and such without appropriate briefing. Learning the materials is also easier if there's a public storage where you can see different woods in various stages of drying.

[MiKro]

Have you considered the idea of approaching PRS with your desire? Maybe they have or could start a high school type of mentoring program? Maybe with the right attitude, you may find that you could offer your willingness to learn in exchange for some remedial work from you?

To open locked doors, you must first knock on them. This way you may find the key.

Good luck,

MK