Recent

Paul Reed Smith and Governor Wes Moore: photo credit Stephanie Lemus/PRS Guitars

Paul Reed Smith Day Declared by Maryland Governor Wes Moore

August 22, 2025

Timeless Elegance Meets Modern Performance: Introducing The ADJ Vintage Bar

August 22, 2025

Slingerland Launches Radio King and Studio King Outfits, Plus Spare Parts

August 22, 2025

Seattle Cascades Now a Fully Powered KHS America Drum & Bugle Corps

August 22, 2025
Reid Peterson (Audio-Technica U.S. Executive Director of Sales, Professional Markets); Julie Van Berg (Mavric Incorporated sales associate); Kazuo Matsushita (Audio-Technica Corporation CEO/President); Pete Petty (Mavric Incorporated principal); Manabu Aoki (Audio-Technica U.S. CEO/President); Jeff Beck (Audio-Technica U.S. Regional Sales Manager, System Solutions); and David Barrett, Jerry Silhavy and John Herr (Mavric Incorporated sales associates). Photo credit: Corey Walthall, Clyne Media

Audio-Technica honors Mavric, Inc. with its President’s Award

August 22, 2025

Solid State Logic Appoints Mark Skipper to National Sales Manager, Eastern U.S., for Broadcast & Live Audio Production Systems

August 22, 2025

Boston Crusaders Win 1st-Ever DCI Gold Medal Playing Pearl/Adams

August 22, 2025

Rock & Roll Hall of Famer Chad Smith Launches Foundation to Champion Music Education, Access and Opportunity for Aspiring Artists

August 22, 2025
Friday, August 22, 2025
  • Contact
MMR Magazine
  • Subscribe Now!
    • Subscribe Now!
  • Advertise
  • Email Press Releases!
  • Current Issue
    • Past Issues
  • Newsroom
    • News
    • MMR Global
    • Supplier Scene
    • Upfront
    • People
  • Awards
    • Dealers’ Choice Awards Ballot 2024
    • Don Johnson Award Winners Archive
  • Directory
  • Get Support!
No Result
View All Result
  • Subscribe Now!
    • Subscribe Now!
  • Advertise
  • Email Press Releases!
  • Current Issue
    • Past Issues
  • Newsroom
    • News
    • MMR Global
    • Supplier Scene
    • Upfront
    • People
  • Awards
    • Dealers’ Choice Awards Ballot 2024
    • Don Johnson Award Winners Archive
  • Directory
  • Get Support!
No Result
View All Result
MMR Magazine
No Result
View All Result

PRS Guitars and Ted McCarty Family Drop ‘Theodore’ Trademark Dispute with Gibson Guitar Corp

Christian Wissmuller by Christian Wissmuller
July 16, 2024
in Upfront
0
Paul and Ted McCarty at PRS Guitars headquarters in Stevensville, Maryland. Circa 1997

Paul and Ted McCarty at PRS Guitars headquarters in Stevensville, Maryland. Circa 1997

938
SHARES
2.3k
VIEWS
Share on Facebook
ADVERTISEMENT

 

Paul and Ted McCarty at PRS Guitars headquarters in Stevensville, Maryland. Circa 1997

PRS Guitars has announced that it has withdrawn its objection to Gibson’s registration of the “Theodore” trademark. PRS continues to hold dear and protect its long-standing agreement with Ted McCarty and the McCarty family regarding the exclusive rights to the “McCarty” trademark and to McCarty’s name and persona, first developed directly with Ted himself more than twenty-five years ago. PRS concluded that in this instance its resources were better spent on crafting high quality musical instruments rather than fighting with Gibson at a regulatory agency. After a series of private negotiations, Gibson has also agreed to drop its opposition to PRS’s “594” and “Silver Sky Nebula” trademarks and trademark applications.

ADVERTISEMENT

“We believe the story of Ted and PRS is well understood in the guitar community. Ted personally chose to align with PRS and had a deep respect and appreciation for Paul and our mission to build quality guitars. We honor the man and the relationship we had with him and the relationship we have with his family to this day,” said Jack Higginbotham, PRS Guitars COO. “While this agreement may not preclude Gibson from releasing future products under the ‘Theodore’ trademark, PRS will focus on honoring Ted McCarty with innovations and instruments that reflect positively on his legacy.”

Sue Davis, the sole surviving child of Ted McCarty and family member responsible for the interests of the family on this matter, offers her view on Gibson’s adoption of the “Theodore” mark: “Our decision not to fight an expensive battle does not mean that the McCarty family appreciates Gibson’s conduct. No one from Gibson ever contacted me or any of my family to ask permission to use my father’s given name in promoting new Gibson products. Had Gibson sought our permission, we would have declined for several reasons. After the Theodore trademark was registered, the McCarty family joined PRS in seeking to cancel the trademark and asking Gibson to stop using the trademark ‘Theodore’ in association with my father. I would strongly prefer that Gibson respect the family’s wishes and stop using my father’s name as a trademark in promoting products — products that to my knowledge he never approved of for production. Meanwhile, we look forward to continuing the relationship with PRS and its well-regarded McCarty branded products.”

PRS has been working for some time now on a documentary video to commemorate the relationship it has enjoyed with Ted and his family and plans to release that video this fall as a “kick off” to PRS’s upcoming 40th Anniversary. Much like this blog post from 2023, the documentary video aims to celebrate one of the guitar industry’s great stories of mentorship by Ted McCarty and how Paul Reed Smith continues that tradition of teaching today at PRS Guitars.

Tags: GibsonPRS
Previous Post

Aguilar Amplification Unveils Limited Edition NYC Gold Skyline Tone Hammer Preamp

Next Post

Poppy Hanton Joins Celestion as Marketing Executive

Related Posts

MMR Global

2025 MMR Dealers’ Choice Awards Nominations – Ballot Closes 9/5!

August 20, 2025
MMR Global

Adam Hall Group Appoints Loud Technologies Asia as Exclusive LD Systems Distributor in Singapore

August 15, 2025
Upfront

Hal Leonard to Distribute Latin Percussion (LP) in the U.S.

August 8, 2025
C Cardenas (Music 4 Life), Kat Witten (Music 4 Life), Mark Maxwell (co-owner Maxwell's House of Music), Whitney McNicol (co-owner, Maxwell's House of Music)
Upfront

‘If You’re In A Band’ Series Sparks Partnership for Music Education Scholarship

August 8, 2025
Steven Greenall (CEO, Denis Wick Products) / Stephen Wick (Retiring Board Chair, Denis Wick Products) / Francesco Passera (CEO, Music Center SRL) / Matteo Valagussa (CFO, Music Center SRL) at Denis Wick Products factory in Poole, Dorset, UK (5th August 2025)
MMR Global

Music Center SRL Acquires Denis Wick Products

August 8, 2025
MMR Global

Get Ready to Rock The 2026 NAMM Show: NAMM Celebrates 125 Years with Five-Days of Music, Innovation and Industry Legacy

August 4, 2025
Next Post

Poppy Hanton Joins Celestion as Marketing Executive

  • Trending
  • Comments
  • Latest

Jessica Tropea Joins Neutrik Americas as Customer Solutions Engineer

August 15, 2025

NAMM’s Top 100 Dealer Awards Rebranded as The NAMM Retail Awards

July 21, 2025

Furch Guitars Introduces Pioneer Series: All-Solid-Wood, Travel-Friendly Short-Scale Guitars

July 21, 2025

Music Sales swoops for Carisch

April 8, 2015
Paul Reed Smith and Governor Wes Moore: photo credit Stephanie Lemus/PRS Guitars

Paul Reed Smith Day Declared by Maryland Governor Wes Moore

Timeless Elegance Meets Modern Performance: Introducing The ADJ Vintage Bar

Slingerland Launches Radio King and Studio King Outfits, Plus Spare Parts

Seattle Cascades Now a Fully Powered KHS America Drum & Bugle Corps

Paul Reed Smith and Governor Wes Moore: photo credit Stephanie Lemus/PRS Guitars

Paul Reed Smith Day Declared by Maryland Governor Wes Moore

August 22, 2025

Timeless Elegance Meets Modern Performance: Introducing The ADJ Vintage Bar

August 22, 2025

Slingerland Launches Radio King and Studio King Outfits, Plus Spare Parts

August 22, 2025

Seattle Cascades Now a Fully Powered KHS America Drum & Bugle Corps

August 22, 2025
ADVERTISEMENT
The Latest News and Gear in Your Inbox - Sign Up Today!
  • August 2025

    Articles | Digital Issue
  • July 2025

    Articles | Digital Issue
  • June 2025

    Articles | Digital Issue
  • May 2025

    Articles | Digital Issue
  • April 2025

    Articles | Digital Issue
© 2005 - 2025 artistpro, LLC
7012 City Center Way, Suite 207
Fairview, Tennessee 37062
(800) 682-8114

Welcome Back!

Login to your account below

Forgotten Password?

Retrieve your password

Please enter your username or email address to reset your password.

Log In
No Result
View All Result
  • Subscribe Now!
    • Subscribe Now!
  • Advertise
  • Email Press Releases!
  • Current Issue
    • Past Issues
  • Newsroom
    • News
    • MMR Global
    • Supplier Scene
    • Upfront
    • People
  • Awards
    • Dealers’ Choice Awards Ballot 2024
    • Don Johnson Award Winners Archive
  • Directory
  • Get Support!

© 2005 – 2024 artistpro, LLC 7012 City Center Way, Suite 207 Fairview, Tennessee 37062 (800) 682-8114

This is Modal Title

Click Me
Are you sure want to unlock this post?
Unlock left : 0
Are you sure want to cancel subscription?