1999 McCarty v. 1999 McCarty Hollowbody II pickups

[Paris Thalheimer]

I'm new to PRS guitars. I receintly purchased a '99 McCarty Hollowbody II. I've read online that the McCarty Arch top pickups have less output than the regular McCarty pickups, but what does that equate to tonally? What are people's experience?

Also which do you prefer? Or do you dislike them completely?

 

[rugerpc]

McCarty Archtop pickups are lower output.

The real question here is are they working for you in the HBII or is something missing?

 

[solacematt]

Prefer the archtop, but I think it really is a matter of the guitar as well. My old green McCarty Archtop that I traded for my current McCarty Archtop I feel was better. However the output thing, I'm sorry, you must have dog ears to seriously tell the difference. I've pitted the McCarty archtop to the CU24 (HFS/VB) and couldn't tell a difference, especially in the live setting.

 

[jeffgoobs]

Too mellow for my tastes. Swapped them out for 57/08s.

 

[Paris Thalheimer]

McCarty Archtop pickups are lower output.

The real question here is are they working for you in the HBII or is something missing?

The pickups work fine. To my ear, they seem to have more "clearity" (less mid-range) than most humbuckers.

On a completely different note, there does seem to be a problem with a spot or two on the neck. Some notes ring as clearly or as long as some. They sound a little "deaded" comapered to other notes. This on the bass side of the neck. Also, right around the 12th thru the 15th frets, fretted notes on the "D" sting have a "dissidence" (I may be using the wrong term). I ontice this most at high gain. Any ideas?

 

[garrett]

Prefer the archtop, but I think it really is a matter of the guitar as well. My old green McCarty Archtop that I traded for my current McCarty Archtop I feel was better. However the output thing, I'm sorry, you must have dog ears to seriously tell the difference. I've pitted the McCarty archtop to the CU24 (HFS/VB) and couldn't tell a difference, especially in the live setting.

Do you run a lot of effects? Back when I had the HBII and a CU24, the CU blew the roof off the place with all settings equal. I played a lot of clean stuff in a band at the time and I wouldn't even gig the CU because it pushed the amp too hard. I've noticed running through a processor or OD/distortion levels things out a lot.


As you lower the output of a pickup, the tone gets brighter and doesn't drive the amp to distortion as easily. This is either a good thing or a bad thing, depending on what you want to achieve.