Which of these three PRS guitars would you buy and why?

Cocorosa

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I have a PRS CE24 satin nitro in faded purple burst. It's my first PRS guitar and I love the way it feels and plays. I am saving up to find it's companion, something that tonally compliments it whilst giving a different sound and I am looking at the following three guitars. Which one would you choose and why?

PRS McCarty single cut 594 (purpleburst)

PRS DGT Dave Grissom Trem (black gold wrap)

PRS USA 509 (fire red burst)

All sound advice gratefully received :)
 
Both the DGT and the SC594 are going to be very different than the CE. Either one is going to be fantastic, so you can't make a mistake. If you've ever been jonesing for an SC, go for that.
 
I am going to suggest the DGT as the feel (with a string gauge change from 11's) will be similar with all the sonic goodness of mahogany and maple. I think it is a great compliment to your CE24.
 
509 vs the others - do you want a true single coil sound, or humbucker tones? If the latter, I would start with whether you want a trem. I would imagine the 594 to have the most sonically difference from your CE because fixed bridge guitars often have fatter, rounder bass, and more of it. But, disclaimer, that's just my general experience, and I've not owned the guitars in question.

Yet!!!
 
Simple process of elimination!

For starters, decide if you want a tremolo. If yes, eliminate 594. If no, buy 594.

If you want a trem, do you want vintage style 2 pickup humbucker tones that have coil splits, or 3 pickups that can split a little closer to single coils, with a somewhat more modern flavor? If vintage, eliminate 509. If 3 pickups, eliminate DGT.

Wild card: do you like a 25" PRS scale length or a 25.25" scale length a little closer to Strat?
 
Simple process of elimination!

For starters, decide if you want a tremolo. If yes, eliminate 594. If no, buy 594.

If you want a trem, do you want vintage style 2 pickup humbucker tones that have coil splits, or 3 pickups that can split a little closer to single coils, with a somewhat more modern flavor? If vintage, eliminate 509. If 3 pickups, eliminate DGT.

Wild card: do you like a 25" PRS scale length or a 25.25" scale length a little closer to Strat?

I liked your first reply better.
 
Simple process of elimination!

For starters, decide if you want a tremolo. If yes, eliminate 594. If no, buy 594.

If you want a trem, do you want vintage style 2 pickup humbucker tones that have coil splits, or 3 pickups that can split a little closer to single coils, with a somewhat more modern flavor? If vintage, eliminate 509. If 3 pickups, eliminate DGT.

Wild card: do you like a 25" PRS scale length or a 25.25" scale length a little closer to Strat?

Is there a lot of difference sound-wise between the DGT and the 594? I am comfortable with both fixed bridge and trems, probably wouldn't sway the decision. Neck and pickups make the difference for me
 
Colour is a whole other debate. I have seen all three and the colours alone demand I own all three as they look fab. However, back in the real world, my piggy bank says no to that idea
I disagree absolutely.
Color rules are simple : No blue, only purple, if its not purple there is a big chance that it wont look good. Some burst or natural finishes can look good too but they only are exceptions.
According to SDB rule : "Looking good is a prerequisite to good sounding", you need to think of the look first.
 
I disagree absolutely.
Color rules are simple : No blue, only purple, if its not purple there is a big chance that it wont look good. Some burst or natural finishes can look good too but they only are exceptions.
According to SDB rule : "Looking good is a prerequisite to good sounding", you need to think of the look first.

Black Gold Wrap gives purple a serious run for its money
 
Is there a lot of difference sound-wise between the DGT and the 594? I am comfortable with both fixed bridge and trems, probably wouldn't sway the decision. Neck and pickups make the difference for me

Yes, there's not only a pickup difference, the neck carves and scale lengths are different, so the feel is different. Even the frets are different.

If you listen to David Grissom's recordings and video demos, you'll get an idea of the tones he goes for, and how the DGT pickups sound. There are tons of 594 demos out there as well, if you want to know how those pickups sound.

Both are great, and they're quite different, which is a good thing, because you'll want both. ;)

Seriously, you should play both, even if it means a day trip. You can't determine feel by remote control on the internet. Looking at specs and getting opinions from people with different hands, ears and brains than yours is a waste of time.

When buying an instrument there's only one way to know what you want: play the darn thing. Ebay is littered with used guitars -- "I didn't bond with it" -- bought on the internet instead of in stores where they could be played.
 
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Is there a lot of difference sound-wise between the DGT and the 594? I am comfortable with both fixed bridge and trems, probably wouldn't sway the decision. Neck and pickups make the difference for me

Yes - much. I have a SC594 and a DGT (though I will say that my DGT has a maple board which is unusual) and they are very different. Hard to quantify these things in writing and as others have said, you have to play them to know for sure, but the 594 is very different from the DGT in terms of sound and feel. Necks are very different - thicker and rounder on the 594, a little thinner and more of a V-ish feel on the DGT. Scale length is different which also has an effect on sound. Pickups are different - 594 is warmer, rounder and thick; DGT is brighter, spikier, raspier.... Very different animals.
 
So heres my take

1) Don't worry to much you will over time end up with all of them and they are all great :)

509 - Longer scale ( 25 1/4 ) closer to "F" land but with a great Humbucker tone included and of course the PRS feel ( I have a 513 and love it )

DGT - Standard PRS 25" scale , the DTG neck carve is similar to the Pattern Reg but it has a great feel and the big frets make this guitar very interesting , when I played one a few weeks ago there was just something cool happening everything works together to be greater that just the spec sheet might say , I am trying to get a fellow forum brother to part with his BUT i don't think it will happen so I am on the lookout for a gold top with birds

594 - which one there are now 3 - DC -SC- SC P90 this is the hardest for me to recommend as I like the longer scales better but they are killer guitars the SC with the P-90s would be really cool
I will be holding out for a 594 Santana if that ever happens :)

Good hunting
 
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