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From the outset, the PRS Singlecut was a controversial guitar. Introduced in January 2000, it was the first PRS single-cutaway model, and it was clearly inspired by the Gibson Les Paul.

For the first time too, it used the two volume/two tone and three-way toggle pickup selector of the Les Paul – not the single volume/tone set-up of all previous PRSs.

Released in 2003, however, the Singlecut Trem was instantly a more PRS-like guitar. With a less bulky body thickness, vibrato and standard twin control set-up it made much more sense as a PRS guitar.

Indeed, had the Singlecut Trem been released before – or instead of – the Singlecut itself, PRS Guitars, as Paul Reed Smith himself admitted later, might not have had to spend valuable time and money in a lengthy court case with Gibson defending the original design and whether or not it infringed trademarks on the Les Paul.

Problems between the two companies started just after the Singlecut was launched. On 27 March 2000, Gibson sent a letter demanding that PRS cease and desist from producing and selling the Singlecut.

In November, Gibson sued PRS for, among other things, trademark infringement. PRS counterclaimed and the gloves were off. But it wasn't until January 2004 that it was ruled that the Singlecut had "imitated" the Les Paul and that the two parties had 90 days to sort out damages.

The future of the Singlecut looked bleak, and while the legal wrangling continued another court action was taken to prevent PRS, as of 2 July 2004, from "manufacturing, selling, or distributing… the PRS Singlecut."

Order books were closed. Any existing work-in-progress bodies and necks were stored. During this time, however, the PRS Singlecut had become quite a cause celebre. While it certainly isn't a carbon copy of the Les Paul, the Singlecut has clearly evolved from and was inspired by Gibson's design.

It's hardly unique in that regard. It was assumed that if Gibson succeeded in closing down the Singlecut, other companies would be under threat too. Anyone who made a single-cutaway guitar was concerned. PRS then launched an appeal that was argued on 10 December 2004.

It took nearly a year before a decision was forthcoming. On 12 September 2005, the US Court of Appeals revoked the earlier court decision and subsequent injunction and a collective sigh emanated from virtually every guitar-maker around the world.

Sense, it would seem, had prevailed. "I feel relieved," said Paul Reed Smith in December 2005. "I agree with the [appeal] court documents: there was so much wrong with this case we're not even gonna talk about most of it.