594 Core Tuner Differences?

[sick pickle]

Hey Friends,

Looking for guidance on tuners on the McCarty 594s. I noticed two beautiful guitars on reverb. One is a 2022, the other is a 2016.

The 2016 has the newer Phase III tuners?

The 2022 has a different style:

I also notice that the 2016 is called a "SC594" and the 2022 is a "McCarty 594". Are these the same guitar model, or are they different?

 

[vhalen50]

i think like pre 2017 they were phase 3 tuners. then they went to closed back phase 3 with vintage buttons. Same tuner just with a cover.

 

[dmatthews]

i think like pre 2017 they were phase 3 tuners. then they went to closed back phase 3 with vintage buttons. Same tuner just with a cover.

My 2019 594 SC SH has phase III
My 2021 594 HB came with the Vintage tuners which I swapped out for lockers.

 

[RC Mike]

i think like pre 2017 they were phase 3 tuners. then they went to closed back phase 3 with vintage buttons. Same tuner just with a cover.

For the 2020 model year, PRS switched from Phase III (locking) to Vintage Style (non-locking) tuners. The Vintage aren’t related to the Phase III—they’re different designs.

Late 2019 was a mix of the two tuners, depending on what dealers had ordered. I’ve seen some more recent 594s that have the Phase IIIs again.

It was dumb, in my opinion, for PRS to move away from the locking tuners for their non-trem guitars. If they wanted the “vintage” look, PRS themselves sell Vintage Locking tuners.

 

[Maertl513]

@sick pickle,
The McCarty 594 is a double cut. The iconic PRS corpus got all Les Paul typical features: scale lengths, TOM, stoptail, toggle, potis.

The SC594 is even closer to the role model Les Paul, it has got the PRS single cut body.

 

[GADonis]

Regarding "SC594" versus "McCarty 594", the "SC" stands for Single Cut body shape (think Les Paul). The McCarty 594 is likely a double cut body shape. Would need to verify with pictures, it is also possible the person typing the description just forgot to add the "SC"?

 

[DISTORT6]

i think like pre 2017 they were phase 3 tuners. then they went to closed back phase 3 with vintage buttons. Same tuner just with a cover.

No.
Phase 3 are locking. The other stock vintage tuners are non-locking.
Completely different types of tuners.

 

[sick pickle]

Regarding "SC594" versus "McCarty 594", the "SC" stands for Single Cut body shape (think Les Paul). The McCarty 594 is likely a double cut body shape. Would need to verify with pictures, it is also possible the person typing the description just forgot to add the "SC"?

No - both of these are single cuts, which is why I am confused on the naming conventions!

The singlecut with the 'McCarty 594' truss rod cover

 

[Maertl513]

McCarty

USA/Maryland-based Manufacturer of Electric Guitars, Acoustic Guitars, Basses and Accessories.

eu.prsguitars.com

I learned today McCarty is not exclusively an attribute of PRS double cut models.

Coming back to the tuner topics:
First of all any change of the model specs is a suggestion of the respective product manager. The superior management decides.
Secondly sometimes mounted hardware depends on availability - especially in transition periods of model development.
An ordinary tuner could hold a string as tight as a locking tuner. The most advantages are the string locking could be executed within of a blink of an eye, and the string needs no turns around the axis.

@RC Mike mentioned it for 2019, I have an additional example:
In 2012 PRS introduced to a now discontinued model the Phase III tuners and the standard nut.
In 2011 you find examples with standard nut and Phase II tuners, compensated nut and Phase III, full 2012 specs and full 2011 specs. And it's difficult to name the actual time, when full 2012 specs were assembled.

 

[GADonis]

No - both of these are single cuts, which is why I am confused on the naming conventions!

The singlecut with the 'McCarty 594' truss rod cover

Looking at the product page for the single cut McCarty, the truss rod cover does not have "SC". I honestly don't know if that has always been the case, but seems likely it has. I don't own any single cuts. In the last couple of years I have been jonesin' for a McCarty single cut with P90s in a gold top. But unfortunately (fortunately for my wallet?) I haven't come across one. If they came out with an S2 or SE like that it would be very hard for me to pass up.