Each guitar begins life as a block in the wood library, and musicians can select the materials for each part of their instrument. Though his first guitars were copies as he learned techniques, Paul Reed Smith( above) has since developed proprietary pick-up and bridge systems; acoustic, hollow body and solid body guitars; and custom amplifiers and cabinets featuring silky wood-front panels that can coordinate with a musician’ s guitar. class of’ 90, Rich may live in Annapolis but is a true Hagerstonian. His grandfather was a career HPD officer, and his dad, Richard( Rick) Marshall Hannon II was a well-respected musician who owned several recording studios in Hagerstown dating back to the early’ 80s. Rich’ s dad played a critical role in sparking his interest in music early on.“ My dad used to sit in a black patent leather chair and lean back with me and a guitar in his lap.”
Active in the local music scene since’ 93, Rich became interested in painting cars in high school, later learning the craft at Corderman’ s Auto Body in the West End. It was during that time he started playing music with his first band, In the Realm, as a singer and sometimes guitarist. He then recruited his friends to form a new rock band, Room 5, while still painting and and following in his dad’ s footsteps working at( the now closed) Machen Music managing guitar and amp sales.
Rich moved to Annapolis after joining PRS as a painter in 2003. He then formed Last of Three( named in honor of his Hannon namesake) with longtime Hagerstown friends Lenny Everett on bass and Sean Boyer on drums. Last of
40 May / June 2013 Hagerstown: The Best of Life in Washington County & Beyond