Peter Wolf Interview

by Rick Landers

Following his dream to make music a career, Peter Wolf, PRS Director of Sales and Marketing and its public relations guru is now living that dream far beyond any youthful vision.

Born in Germany, Wolf served as the President and co-founder of PRS Germany and is now a full-time resident at PRS Headquarters in Stevensville, Maryland. As one of PRS's corporate globetrotters, Peter's focus targets the company's reputation and expanding customer base around the world. Case in point - As this interview goes to press, he's on a plane to the Far East and since his arrival at PRS, the company has gained markets in 34 countries.

Wolf's also a guitarist, singer and songwriter. As Supernatural, he and his music partner, Thomas Kraemer, have punched out two albums, The Calling, and their recently released CD, Bad Day. Bad Day is grabbing air time in the U.S., Europe and Japan. And XM's R-A-D-A-R coverage featured "I Don't Wanna Know" as a song by a group to watch.

Modern Guitars hooked up with Peter at the PRS Guitars plant near the Chesapeake Bay in Maryland while the crew was going over construction plans that detail an expansion of PRS operations.

How long have you been around guitars?

Peter Wolf: Probably since I was 15 or 16-years-old. First as a humble player in kids' bands and later with friends and band members who were looking into starting a business. We're talking around 1974.

At the beginning we'd go to England and buy stuff you couldn't get in Germany, unless you paid outrageous prices. We'd hook up with dealers or manufacturers in the UK directly. Distributors in Germany were charging way too much for equipment back then. Then an interesting thing happened in Germany on September 1, 1974.

The law changed.

The government allowed retailers to sell below suggested retail prices. That's when we opened a retail store and founded Prosound Music Center. We'd offer crazy discounts on everything we could get our hands on. B 1976 or so, we were moving a high volume of gear. We were four kids doing 100,000 Deutschmarks in sales in four hours on a Saturday morning!

Customers would come to our store from all over Europe. We couldn't actually fit them all in the store at once -- it was too small -- we had to serve them in groups. Thirty would be in the store with thirty waiting outside. That's kind of how it started. We went on from there.

You and Paul go back to the mid-1980s.

PW: I finally met Paul at the Chicago Summer Trade Show, I think it was '86. At that time Prosound had a customer base of about 30,000 musicians from Germany and neighboring countries. Even some from Scandinavia. We were already doing direct mailings four times a year and had catalogs for every department of the shop. By then, we had a store with 10,000 square feet and a great reputation in the market place.

Okay, so I met Paul and told him who I was. I said I wanted to sell his stuff. He reached in his pocket and pulled out a bunch of business cards, looked at me and asked, "Why should I do business with you?"

I believe I said, "Because I think I'm the best and I've already told everyone that we'd be getting PRS."

I guess he must have been pretty impressed. But, still he also did his homework and asked a few people he trusted in the industry what they thought. The next day he told me that I would get PRS. He also opened two more stores, one in Hamburg (North) and one in Munich (South). We were in the middle - pretty smart.

Well, this arrangement lasted only about a year and since we did way more business than the other two stores together, we became the exclusive importer-distributor for Germany. Later on Switzerland, Luxemburg and Austria were given to us.

To be honest, I really didn't take Paul too seriously in the beginning. I was also marketing and selling Hamer guitars in Germany. They had their moment back then. I used them myself live and when recording, but I kind of felt in my gut that PRS was the coming brand.

Over time, Paul and I became much closer. Kind of like a business relationship that grew into a friendship, which I find healthier than the other way around. In 1990, I founded PRS Guitars Germany and fully concentrated on marketing and branding PRS.

When you started working with PRS in the mid-'80s, it was an unknown boutique guitar company. How did you become Europe's largest seller of the company's guitars?

PW: I was always interested in having something other stores didn't have and making it bigger. I guess I had a natural talent for branding long before it was called that. I was also working really hard! I also tried to be really honest with everyone I dealt with, which is sometimes hard to take for some people, or so I'm told.

It seems that some guitarists mark the time around 1994 or 1995 as a year of transition for PRS and prize the guitars made before that more highly.

PW: I think that's a wrong perception. I have unpacked, checked and played PRS guitars throughout the years -- all the years -- and I truly believe they have improved. A PRS from 1998 is generally a better guitar than a PRS from 1995. There may be exceptions, but I'm talking about the rule.

Who's now endorsing PRS guitars?

PW: Let me go back to the past. I remember in the early years we had the problem that a lot of players, a lot of artists, were very interested in the look and feel of the guitar, but didn't seem to like the sound too much.

In my opinion, we didn't really get them to sound right before '89 or '90.

Before, the guitars sounded too "fusion", too nasal for my taste. I guess a lot of artists back then had the same perception. It took a while to figure out that the acoustic capabilities of the instrument were greater than what it was producing amplified. Once we got the pickups to match the acoustic tone it went uphill and artists noticed.

In the last 5 to 6 years things have completely changed regarding relations to artists and who is using our guitars. We really try to listen to what is they want and we have enough interest and care to go all the way with them.

We are trying to build real personal relationships, but at the same time listen and learn. Most people we're working with have been with us for a long time.

Take Carlos Santana, for instance, or Dave Navarro or Alex Lifeson. And then there's a long list of bands that are fairly new to people who have lived as long as I have, who are using PRS. The list is growing daily.

The mass production by US builders has gone global since around 1982 when Fender Japan entered the market and now US brand guitars are rolling off lines in Mexico, Korea and China. Is this solely a matter of cheaper labor or are companies seeking a foothold in some new markets?

PW: Both, I guess. Initially, it certainly started with the prospect of cheaper labor. In 2005, it's still a factor but there is also a growing consumer market in Asia, which is adopting Rock 'n Roll history and is starting to get familiar with our culture and the music being produced on electric guitars.

China. That market now seems just over the horizon -- when do you expect it to explode onto the guitar scene?

PW: I think it's going to take another 5-10 years before China becomes a real market for us. As for our Korean SE line I think it's going to grow faster.

How complicated is it to navigate the different import-export laws while trying to meet the demands of a global market?

PW: Actually, not very complicated. Having been a retailer and distributor myself for years has certainly made it easier to deal with these issues. It's relatively easy if you know what you're doing. If you don't, you need to find somebody you can ask.

PRS Guitars have always been known for their beautiful guitar tops, like the 10 tops. What types of issues do you deal with as far as environmental guidelines or philosophies?

PW: You mean cutting forests down? We have somebody at PRS [Michael Reed] who is very familiar with pretty much all sources, anywhere in the world.

Michael is an expert and he has a set of rules that has grown over a long period of time. The rules are working as far as I'm concerned. We know the people we buy wood from. We know what they are doing and how they're doing it. Everyone can live and the environment can too. Most people overestimate what instrument manufacturing is doing to the forests. They should be more worried about the woods used for the furniture they have in their houses.

Tell us about coming to the U.S. to live and your experiences with living in a culture different from your own?

PW: Generally speaking, I think coming from Europe and Germany in particular has not been a big change. Most things are very similar and the cultural background is pretty much identical. I've been coming to the U.S. since 1978 and I've never found it strange or really different.

guess I never had a language problem either, which helps. Sure, I miss my family, my kids, my friends at times, I miss Europe, especially styles, fashion, the "scene," but then again, I can go to New York or Miami if I want to and my family and friends can visit.

I think people in the U.S. are very polite, friendly and helpful. It's something I have gotten used to and I notice the differences every time I go back to Europe.

Americans are more careful and cautious in expressing their feelings. There's a bit more "beating around the bush going on" than I'm used to from my old fatherland. Maybe it's just me and not European and American differences. I'm pretty blunt, people say. [Laughs]

Is the guitar business conducted differently than in Germany?

PW: Not really. Perhaps the dealers outside the US like to make a bit more money than their counterparts in the US. Prices are generally higher but that has a lot to do with customs and freight charges getting applied and sales taxes at 16-25% over there depending on the country. The retail margins in the U.S. are pretty bad. Sometimes I wonder how they can actually survive.

Tell us about your music, your rig, and your songwriting.

PW: I use pretty basic stuff. I'm not really a gear head anymore.

I've been using Mike Soldano's amps for over 15 years now and I think they're some of the best amps ever built. I like Mesa Boogie amps and amps from other makers. I own a couple of PRS guitars - surprise surprise - a few pedals and that's it. I haven't played live in a while and I'm starting to miss it.

My partner in crime Thomas Kraemer is living in Germany, so playing live is reduced to a few occasions a year for now. The new record, Bad Day, we released in May is doing pretty well considering that we haven't really marketed it. Perhaps a few opportunities are coming our way. We're getting airplay already on a few US stations and in Europe. Let's see what happens.

Like I said, Thomas and I have been working together for 15 years, on and off. We are a good team and we write, arrange and produce together. The process is difficult, but rather than letting the distance be a problem, we use modern technology to be together.

He's a great composer, engineer and producer, plays keys, bass and computers. I sometimes get complete playbacks, MP3s usually and then I write the lyrics and develop the vocal lines. Or I'll have an idea and send it to him and he works with it. I'm very happy how things are going right now.

So, you don't have a touring band?

PW: Our plan is to use musicians from any country, depending on where we are. If we're playing in Australia we'll be using Aussies, English guys in England, Italian players in Italy, German players in Germany. We have a pretty decent network of musicians, friends, production companies and support people pretty much everywhere. I figure it's a fun way of doing it as long as the two of us are together. I like the concept and it's a lot cheaper for record companies that way. [Laughs]

How's the new guitar market today -- growing or steady-state -- compared to the vintage guitar market?

PW: I think it's still a growing market although not everywhere at the same time or at the same speed. It's a question of definition, price points, quality levels and what people call vintage guitars.

What is PRS doing differently in order to market guitars to the latest generation?

PW: We're trying to make them better every day. It's painful and difficult, but it's worth it. For the kids that have been growing up playing and buying guitars, I suppose we've become a household name. We've only been around 20 years, but I believe that we can be proud of what we've accomplished.

What should guitarists experience when they buy a PRS guitar and first pull it out of its case?

PW: They should be blown away when they open the case. They should fall in love when they pick it up the first time. Within 30 seconds! They should feel like that every time they open their case!

How much of buying a guitar is based on the actual guitar compared to your ability to market and sell them?

PW: Marketing is a powerful tool. I love it, I truly do. I have done it on a daily basis in retail, distribution and now I'm doing it for a global brand name that is gaining momentum every day. I can't market garbage, though. That's not my kind of bag. I have to like it myself. That gets me thinking and going. I have a hard time telling people something I don't believe myself.

People are way too smart to buy a bad guitar just because the marketing is solid or the ads are appealing. You can certainly attract initial interest to anything if you're a good marketer. Like "eat shit -- a billion flies can't be wrong" but that only goes so far. If there's no real substance, no serious approach to take it as far as one can, it won't last.

If we blindfolded you and handed you ten different guitars, would you be able to pick out the PRS from the lot?

PW: You mean by the sound and not being able to touch the guitar? [Laughs] Without feeling the outline of the guitar [Laughs]? I did the test a few times back in my retail days. I was pretty good back then. I don't know. I guess I should try it again.

Is there really a big deal difference between bolt-on necks and glued on necks?

PW: I guess it depends who you ask. I suppose there is a perception amongst players and in the industry that bolt-on necks are cheaper, don't sound as good and are less valuable. I don't think that is true. Both designs have certain attributes that make them appealing to certain styles and, or players depending on what it is you're trying to accomplish. I don't think it's a question of better or worse.

Tell us about your latest CD.

PW: It's called Bad Day and is a return to song structures and commercial but hopefully appealing Pop and Rock tunes. The first album (The Calling -- 1998) was more of a project to create music to visuals.

We're back to writing songs and I love it. I wish I had more time to write, play and perform. At the same time I'm pretty happy that we were able to complete the album. It took three years due to our busy schedules.

I have really started to get into singing on this one. I've never really considered myself a vocalist, although I have sung in bands before. I always thought of myself as a guitar player. I mean I don't think I'm a very good guitar player. Jeff Beck is good guitar player! But I can play some mean power chords! I have a pretty okay timing and once in a while I can rip a solo that even other people like. But I'm not a "fast finger" as I like to call it. I'll try to make sure that you can hear every note, though, since I'm not playing many! [Laughs]

How did the PRS Dragons come along and how many Double Dragons has PRS made?

PW: I think it was Larry Urie's idea, our National Sales Manager.

The fact is that Paul has always had an affection for dragons. We've been doing several runs since 1993 and early on I remember seeing books at his house with all kinds of crazy dragon drawings and stories about them. For this 2005 run, we're making seventy total. Fifty are staying in the US and twenty go to export markets.

We met Johnny Hiland the last time we got together with the PRS team. Tell us about the soon to be released JH model and when will it be available.

PW: He's phenomenal and he's definitely a player that raises eyebrows no matter what he's playing and who he's playing for. That includes everybody out there!

Johnny's coming more from the "twang" spectrum as a player, so it's a real challenge for us to make him a guitar. I know he'll be pretty happy. That's all I can tell you right now.

What do you think you'll be doing 5-10 years from now?

PW: 5 -- 10 years form now? I don't really know to be honest with you. I hope I'm healthy, happy and still got some energy in me to learn and stay interested in everything that life is about. I look forward to seeing my son Damian grow up. He's 8 months old now and he's a joy to have!

I'd like to be able to travel and be all over the place. I'm a lucky guy. I work in an industry that I think is extraordinary. The musical instruments industry and the music industry together are having more impact on how people get along on this planet than all politicians together. And I like our company and our people.

I like it in the U.S., always have. It's a pretty powerful place. Perhaps too strong at times, but it's going to change over time. Nothing stays the same.

I've traveled around the world and back and all I've ever found is people who wanted to be happy and loved. Nationalities, passports, belief systems and all that stuff are concepts from the past. Who cares where you're from? I don't.

It's about what you do, not where you're from. Right now I'm in America. Right now, that's where I belong. Who knows what's going on in 5 or 10 years. I don't make plans that far out in my private life. If I'm here, I'm here. If not, I'll be somewhere else I guess.

Related sites
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Michael G. Stewart Photography