PAUL REED SMITH GUITARS (PRS) produced the Metal between 1985 and 1987. It was based on the PRS Standard/Custom model but with a custom striped hot-rod style finish and featured on the cover of the 1985 PRS catalog. The Metal was introduced during a period when graphic finishes were proving popular on heavy metal guitars like those produced by Jackson and ESP.

Finish options were white with blue stripes or black bodies with purple-orange stripes. The finishes were done by a custom auto painter Bud Davis. Although not commercially successful during the 1980s the PRS Metal has since become collectible due to its unusual graphic finish.