ONE of the world's leading guitar makers called in to East Lancashire's largest music superstore as part of a whirlwind trip around the UK.

Paul Reed Smith spent an hour at Reidy's Home of Music in Blackburn talking to customers and trying out a few of his guitars.

PRS Guitars are used by some of the biggest names in music including Carlos Santana, John Maher, Prince's guitarist Donna Grantis, Joe Walsh of The Eagles and Mike Oldfield

Dale Gardner, of Reidy's, said: "The visit went really well. A number of customers brought their PRS guitars for Paul to sign and he also signed a few of his guitars which we have on sale."

Reidy's boasts one of the largest 'guitar walls' in the UK including a number of Paul's instruments.

"He was very impressed with the store," said Dale, "and he took the opportunity to try out a few of his guitars playing them through some of the amps we have available. He actually remembered making some of the guitars which he signed for us.

"It was a bit of a flying visit as he isn't in the country for long before he goes back to the States and he wanted to get to as many stores which stock his guitars as he could."

The signed guitars are now available from the store starting at around £2,500 - custom made PRS guitars can cost many times more than that although the PRS range starts fro around £500.

"We aren't putting a premium on the signed guitars," said Dale. "We just want customers to feel as though they are getting something extra."

Paul Reed Smith began making guitars while he was at college in the Seventies and use to take his instruments backstage at concerts to try and persuade musicians to use them.

His career as a luthier (the term for guitar maker) really took off when Derek St Holmes of the Ted Nugent Band used one of the first guitars Paul made in concert.

Now PRS guitars are played on stages across the world by some of the top guitarists.