594 Soapbar MODCAT

RickP

Established 1960, Still Not Dead
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Dec 10, 2019
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Gulf Coast of Texas
I have a new (to me) guitar inbound and most of the MODCAT info checks out but I haven't found a decoder that recognizes the first two characters "5S" for the model. Can someone point me to the most updated decoder?

I checked the ones in the forum thread on MODCATs but it didn't find it.
 
Update: I've been reading on MODCAT omissions, and it appears I'm not the only one who couldn't get a 594 Soapbar MODCAT to show the model. Everything else comes out fine. Issue solved... sorta. The ones I have seen that decode correctly start with 5M, unlike mine which starts 5S.

Pretty sure the MODCAT is like the Pirate Code. Guidelines...

Hope the guitar will arrive tomorrow, NGD post to follow.
 
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Update: I've been reading on MODCAT omissions, and it appears I'm not the only one who couldn't get a 594 Soapbar MODCAT to show the model. Everything else comes out fine. Issue solved... sorta. The ones I have seen that decode correctly start with 5M, unlike mine which starts 5S.

Pretty sure the MODCAT is like the Pirate Code. Guidelines...

Hope the guitar will arrive tomorrow, NGD post to follow.
Congrats, can't wait to see it!
BTW, mine starts with a 5M and doesn't seem to work in the decoder I tried.
 
Congrats, can't wait to see it!
BTW, mine starts with a 5M and doesn't seem to work in the decoder I tried.
I think this one will pick yours up. Not sure why mine has an odd character:
https://dchandlerp.github.io/ModCatDecoder/

7Gpsvgv.jpg

Enter MODCAT: 5SM2F-HVIB2_CC_NS-SK
Model: Could not find Model '5S'
Top Wood: Maple
Frets: 22
Top Spec: Figured
Top Grade: Non-Ten Top
Neck Wood: Mahogany
Neck Carve: Pattern Vintage
Fingerboard Wood: East Indian Rosewood
Inlay: Original Solid Birds (pre-2008)
Bridge: 2-Piece Bridge
Color: Custom Color
Hardware: Nickel
Treble Pickup: Soapbar
Middle Pickup: none
Bass Pickup: Soapbar
Electronics: McCarty 594
 
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I think this one will pick yours up. Not sure why mine has an odd character:
https://dchandlerp.github.io/ModCatDecoder/

7Gpsvgv.jpg

Enter MODCAT: 5SM2F-HVIB2_CC_NS-SK
Model: Could not find Model '5S'
Top Wood: Maple
Frets: 22
Top Spec: Figured
Top Grade: Non-Ten Top
Neck Wood: Mahogany
Neck Carve: Pattern Vintage
Fingerboard Wood: East Indian Rosewood
Inlay: Original Solid Birds (pre-2008)
Bridge: 2-Piece Bridge
Color: Custom Color
Hardware: Nickel
Treble Pickup: Soapbar
Middle Pickup: none
Bass Pickup: Soapbar
Electronics: McCarty 594
Indeed it did! Thanks Rick!

Model: McCarty 594 Soapbar Limited
Top Wood: Maple
Frets: 22
Top Spec: Figured
Top Grade: Ten Top
Neck Wood: Mahogany
Neck Carve: Pattern Vintage
Fingerboard Wood: East Indian Rosewood
Inlay: Original Solid Birds (pre-2008)
Bridge: 2-Piece Bridge
Color: Tampas Green or Translucent Emerald Green
Hardware: Nickel
Treble Pickup: Soapbar
Middle Pickup: none
Bass Pickup: Soapbar
Electronics: McCarty 594
 
I emailed with Matt at PRS, and he confirmed the 5S is a McCarty 594 Soapbar. Just another example of the MODCAT being a production, record keeping tool for PRS, and not really a definitive public access reference. Handy, but not meant to be gospel.
 
I emailed with Matt at PRS, and he confirmed the 5S is a McCarty 594 Soapbar. Just another example of the MODCAT being a production, record keeping tool for PRS, and not really a definitive public access reference. Handy, but not meant to be gospel.
Well, keep in mind the MODCAT decoders out there are not provided by PRS, just PRS fans using the best info available. By their very nature, they will always play catch-up with whatever PRS encoding structure they choose to use.
 
Well, keep in mind the MODCAT decoders out there are not provided by PRS, just PRS fans using the best info available. By their very nature, they will always play catch-up with whatever PRS encoding structure they choose to use.
I agree, and with all the possible variations available, they’ll never have everything in them. My guitar was made years ago, and data from later incarnations of the same models have been accounted for, yet here’s another twist. In the wild, it’ll always be hit and miss! I appreciate the work of people trying to sort the mystery for us, though! I’m passing this info on to them.

Matt filled in the last blanks in the puzzle.

Enter MODCAT: 5SM2F-HVIB2_CC_NS-SK
Model: Could not find Model '5S' Matt K.: McCarty 594 Soapbar Limited
Top Wood: Maple
Frets: 22
Top Spec: Figured
Top Grade: Non-Ten Top
Neck Wood: Mahogany
Neck Carve: Pattern Vintage
Fingerboard Wood: East Indian Rosewood
Inlay: Original Solid Birds (pre-2008)
Bridge: 2-Piece Bridge
Color: Custom Color Matt K: Black was a custom order color at this point.
Hardware: Nickel
Treble Pickup: Soapbar
Middle Pickup: none
Bass Pickup: Soapbar
Electronics: McCarty 594
 
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