Why Did Gibson Sue PRS Over the Singlecut? The Lawsuit, the Ban, and What It Means for Used Buyers

Short version: in 2000 PRS released its first single-cutaway guitar, Gibson said it copied the Les Paul's trademarked body shape, and a federal judge agreed. PRS had to stop building Singlecuts in July 2004. Then in September 2005 an appeals court threw the whole ruling out, and PRS was free to build them again. Today "Singlecut" covers a whole family of PRS guitars, and some of them feel nothing like each other.

If you're shopping for a used one, the lawsuit is more than trivia. It explains why the model names changed, why there's a hole in the production years, and why you shouldn't pay extra for a "pre-lawsuit" sticker without looking at the guitar itself.

A 2020 PRS S2 McCarty 594 Singlecut in Scarlet Red from our past inventory. This is the shape Gibson took PRS to court over.

What Gibson claimed

Gibson applied to register the Les Paul body outline as a trademark in 1987, and the registration issued in 1993. PRS showed the Singlecut at NAMM in January 2000. Gibson sent a cease-and-desist letter that March and filed suit in November 2000.

Gibson's case wasn't that buyers would walk into a store and pay for a PRS thinking it was a Gibson. Gibson actually conceded that nobody was confused at the point of sale: the PRS headstock, bird inlays and logo make that pretty hard. Its argument rested on two other theories:

• Initial-interest confusion: someone glances at a Singlecut from across a room, thinks "Les Paul," and gets drawn in.
• Post-sale confusion: people seeing the guitar on stage take it for a Gibson.

It didn't help PRS that 1999 internal meeting notes surfaced in the case. One line quoted in coverage of the trial reads, "Almost everything on the guitar is a Les Paul." Whatever you think of the legal theory, PRS was never pretending the Singlecut was an original shape.

The ban, and then the reversal

Diagram: the key dates in Gibson Guitar Corp. v. Paul Reed Smith Guitars, taken from the Sixth Circuit opinion and contemporary coverage.

In January 2004 the federal district court in Tennessee ruled for Gibson. A permanent injunction followed on July 2, 2004, and PRS stopped building and selling the Singlecut.

On September 12, 2005, the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Sixth Circuit reversed the ruling. The court said that since Gibson admitted there was no confusion at the point of sale, it had no infringement case. It also refused to apply initial-interest confusion to product shapes that broadly, because that would stop competitors from making guitars that are clearly different once you look closely. And on post-sale confusion, it noted that Gibson itself admitted PRS guitars were not inferior. If someone mistakes a well-made PRS for a Gibson from a distance, the court reasoned, that doesn't damage Gibson's reputation. Gibson tried to take it to the Supreme Court, which declined to hear the case in 2006.

My take: I think the court got it right. Nobody who picks up a Singlecut thinks it's a Les Paul. The neck carve, the 25-inch scale on the originals, the four-knob layout and the headstock all make that obvious within ten seconds. Gibson has plenty of real Les Paul design that's worth protecting, but a single cutaway on a carved-top mahogany body is the basic outline of a whole category of guitar.

Which "Singlecut" are you looking at?

This is where the history starts to matter to your wallet. The name has been used on a lot of different guitars since 2000:

• Original core Singlecut (2000 to mid-2004, then again after the appeal): carved figured-maple top, mahogany back, 25-inch scale, a thick "Wide Fat" neck, two humbuckers and four knobs. A Singlecut Trem arrived in 2003, while the lawsuit was still going, and a cheaper Satin version followed in 2006.
• SC 245 and SC 250 (from 2007): after the January 2007 NAMM show PRS retired the plain "Singlecut" name in favor of these two. The number is the scale length: 24.5 inches on the 245, which is a big part of why it feels closer to a Gibson.
• S2 Singlecut models: built in PRS's Maryland factory at a lower price point. Some have carved tops. The Standard versions are flat slabs with a pickguard.
• McCarty 594 Singlecut: made in both Core and S2 versions, with a 24.594-inch scale and a vintage-leaning feel.
• SE Singlecuts: the imported models, including artist versions.

A PRS S2 Singlecut Standard Satin in McCarty Tobacco Sunburst from our past inventory. It's the same basic outline with a flat top, a pickguard and a much more stripped-down build.

From the bench, the scale length is what separates these guitars. A 25-inch original feels a bit tighter and snappier under the fingers than a 24.594-inch 594 Singlecut. When we had a 2020 S2 594 Singlecut in Scarlet Red, it was the shorter scale I noticed first: bends felt slinkier than on a standard 25-inch PRS. That's the real reason to know which model you're holding, and it matters more than whether it came before or after the lawsuit.

What to check on a used Singlecut

1. Confirm the model and year

Don't trust the listing title. Measure the scale (nut to 12th fret, doubled), check the headstock and truss rod cover for Core, S2 or SE markings, and date the serial number. We have a full walkthrough of how to date a used PRS by serial number. A core Singlecut that dates into the injunction period deserves a closer look at the paperwork.

2. Weigh it

Early Singlecuts tend to run heavier than later ones. When MusicRadar reviewed the 2006 reissue, PRS said it was using lighter mahogany for the backs, and the Satin model came in just under 8 lbs. The S2 594 Singlecut we had weighed 7.72 lbs on our scale, which is comfortable for a singlecut. If weight matters to you, get a number before you buy.

3. Look at the satin finishes honestly

Satin finishes pick up marks and polish to a shine where your arm rests. An S2 Singlecut Standard Satin in Charcoal that came through here had scratches and general signs of use that are normal for that finish. The wear doesn't hurt anything, but price the guitar with it in mind.

4. Check frets, nut and electronics

These are players' guitars, and a lot of them have been played hard. One 594 Singlecut came to us with light buckle rash on the back but had just had a fresh fret level and a new Tusq nut, which made it play very smoothly. On models with push/pull coil splits, test every position.

A PRS S2 McCarty 594 Singlecut in McCarty Sunburst from our past inventory. It came to us with a fresh fret level and Tusq nut, and it had light buckle rash on the back.

Is a "pre-lawsuit" Singlecut worth more?

You'll see sellers put "pre-lawsuit" in the title as a selling point. I understand why. It's a good story, and those 2000–2004 guitars came from a short window before the ban. But I haven't seen reliable sales data showing a consistent premium for that label on its own, and I wouldn't pay much extra for it. Top figure, weight, neck feel and condition matter a lot more. A great 2006 Singlecut beats a tired 2002 every time.

If you're torn between a Singlecut and the real thing, it's worth playing both. We often have Gibsons and older PRS guitars from that era in stock, such as this 2003 PRS Custom 22 Stoptail 10-Top, built while the lawsuit was still in court. Or browse everything currently in stock. If you have a Singlecut you're ready to move on from, our Cash Offer page is the quickest way to get a number.

FAQ

Did Gibson win the lawsuit against PRS?

At first, yes. The district court ruled for Gibson in 2004 and ordered PRS to stop making the Singlecut. But the Sixth Circuit reversed that ruling in September 2005, and the Supreme Court declined to hear Gibson's appeal in 2006, so in the end PRS won.

When did PRS stop making the Singlecut?

The injunction took effect July 2, 2004. Production resumed after the 2005 appeals decision. In 2007 PRS replaced the original Singlecut name with the SC 245 and SC 250, and the Singlecut name later came back on S2, McCarty 594 and SE models.

Is a PRS Singlecut just a Les Paul copy?

The outline and the basic recipe are Les Paul-inspired, and PRS's own internal notes said as much. But the neck carve, scale length, electronics and hardware make it play and sound like a PRS. Most players can tell the difference right away.

Which used Singlecut should I buy?

Choose by scale length and neck first. If you want something closer to a Gibson feel, look at a 24.5-inch SC 245 or a 594 Singlecut. If you want PRS's tighter feel, look at an original 25-inch Singlecut. Then choose on condition and weight rather than on the year's backstory.