Jeff Beck’s Hidden Obsession: The PRS Guitar He Loved — and Recorded With — in Secret

“He told me I’d never see him with it. But he used it to record.”
That single sentence has rewritten what we thought we knew about Jeff Beck.

When guitarists picture Jeff Beck, the image is almost always the same: Beck wielding a Gibson Les Paul, or shaping endless tonal colors from a Fender Stratocaster. Some might even recall his divisive Tele-Gib hybrid.
A PRS guitar, however, rarely enters the conversation.

That’s exactly why Paul Reed Smith’s recent revelation has sent shockwaves through the guitar world. According to Smith, during the final years of his life, Jeff Beck was deeply attached to one particular PRS electric guitar — so much so that he used it in the studio. Now, Smith is trying to locate that very instrument.

Beck’s long history with iconic guitars is well documented. During his time with the Yardbirds, he played a sunburst Les Paul that has since been loaned to players like Craig Ross and Marcus King. Later, his Blow by Blow era — marked by creative clashes with Beatles producer George Martin — was defined by the legendary Oxblood Les Paul.

At one point, Beck famously described the Gibson Les Paul as a guitar that “means business.” Eventually, though, he gravitated toward the “endless color” of the Fender Stratocaster, an instrument that became inseparable from his identity until his passing.

Which makes Paul Reed Smith’s claim all the more surprising.

“People don’t know this, but Jeff Beck had a PRS at home, and he loved it,” Smith revealed in a recent issue of Guitar World. “He told me I’d never see him with it, but he used it to record.”

Smith hasn’t disclosed which PRS model it was. Speculation ranges from an early John McLaughlin prototype to a Private Stock McCarty or even a semi-hollow design — but for now, those are educated guesses at best.

What truly matters to Paul Reed Smith is finding the guitar.

“We’ve been trying to get it back,” he explains. “It wasn’t part of the auction this year, but I know he loved that guitar.”

That same auction saw massive prices achieved: the Yardburst Les Paul sold for $496,484, while the Oxblood model became the most expensive Les Paul ever sold. The PRS, however, was nowhere to be seen.

Did Beck part with it before his death? Or is it still tucked away somewhere in the Beck family vault?

In March, Mick Rogers of Manfred Mann’s Earth Band claimed to own Jeff Beck’s final recording, though he doubts it will ever be released. Based on Smith’s comments, there’s a real possibility that Beck tracked that final piece using his PRS — though for now, it remains speculation.

Either way, it’s a captivating mystery that adds yet another layer to Jeff Beck’s extraordinary legacy. Let’s hope the truth eventually comes to light.

In related news, Buddy Guy has reflected on how Jeff Beck and the British blues guitarists of the 1960s reignited his career, while Ronnie Wood recently explained why he switched from rhythm guitar to bass during his time in the Jeff Beck Group.