It's an unlikely duet - a guitar company and a scale and balance manufacturer. But this song has a happy intro, a pleasing interlude and no end to the music being played.

Recently, PRS Guitars, headquartered in Stevensville, Md., selected Adam Equipment's Dune Compact Scales as its first choice to weigh the pigment that goes into the production of its highly prized, hand-made guitars. According to Marc Quigley, PRS spokesman, the balance was the right combination of value and quality for its needs.

PRS checked around and did its homework, finally arriving at the decision to use Adam Equipment's Dune scales, a decision Quigley says they haven't regretted.

"We were looking for a rugged, simple, and affordable device that can take some punishment in our production system," Quigley said. "The Dune seemed like the smart choice."

The versatile Dune offers features that many other scales don't have for a far lower price, said Tom Storey, Adam Equipment spokesman.

"Its lightweight design and portability were key factors in their choice," Storey said. The Dune can be either battery-powered or plugged into an outlet with its included AC adapter. This means it can go anywhere it's needed in the factory, which is what made the Dune attractive to PRS. Not only that, it's simple to operate and takes up very little space on the bench.

The Dune has a large, backlit display that's clear and very quick and easy to read, making it suitable for what PRS required.

"It's perfect for our needs, and our workers really like the simplicity and speed of operation," Quigley said. "The fact that it's easy to use is great. It makes our workers more productive, which means we can focus on the quality of the finish. That's something we're known for with our guitars."

PRS is in tune with quality and precision. The company, founded by Paul Reed Smith in September 1985, prides itself in producing guitars that are well-known in the industry, guitars that are not only musical instruments but also collectible works of art.

Some of the more notable artists who have played PRS guitars include Jimmy Buffett, Al DiMeola, Carlos Santana, Dweezil Zappa, John Fogerty, Axl Rose (Guns and Roses), Danny Lohner and Trent Reznor (Nine Inch Nails), Daryl Hall (Hall and Oates), Emily Saliers (Indigo Girls), Joe Walsh (The Eagles), Melissa Etheridge, Michael Bolton, Richie Sambora (Bon Jovi), Ricky Skaggs, Stephen Stills and Ted Nugent.

Back at PRS, a worker called a pastewood grain filler uses the Dune to measure the pigment used to tint the finishes for its guitars. The scale comes into play in the first stages of the finish process, where the finish adds color, beauty, and function to the guitars' open grain woods. After all the work is done in the woodshop, the pigment is applied to a neutral filler that is tinted to specifications and applied to each guitar by hand.

"We use the scale to accurately measure pigments for our grain filling process," Quigley said. "The accuracy of the Dune is what gives us consistency in our colors." Brown and black mixes are the most popular tints, Quigley added. They subtly enhance the natural grain and beauty of the wood.

The pigment needs to be very precisely measured to obtain just the right color. That's where the Dune shines. Its accuracy is unrivaled for its low cost and you just can't find a better balance for the price.

Ringing endorsements like those coming from PRS are familiar music to Adam's ears. Adam Equipment has been producing a variety of scales and balances since 1972, and this application is just one of many success stories bandied about through the years. The company has worked in tandem with other manufacturers and distributors to provide them with scales and balances to suit every possible need that arises.

Based in the United Kingdom, Adam Equipment has offices worldwide supporting laboratory, industrial, education, retail and medical professionals with quality scales and balances. For Adam's product information, go to www.adamequipment.com. For information on PRS guitars, go to www.prsguitars.com.

About Adam Equipment

Did you know that Adam Equipment has a design and full research and development teams in the United Kingdom office that work on all the creation and engineering of Adam scales.

We do this so you get the highest level of performance and a final product that looks and works how it should. We are constantly improving our range of scales and balances, so all our dealers can sell smart features that users want and need at a price that makes sense. We truly believe that Adam offers you the best value!