Revelation
New Member
Here is my review of the PRS McCarty 594 guitar. I am someone who has played guitar for over 30 years and owns a couple of Gibson and Fender guitars. I’m a blues/rock guitar player who also plays a splash of Larry Carlton Lee Ritenour jazz style. I went with the double cut as I did not want another guitar with the same shape as my Les Paul. I also like the standard PRS body style.
- The weight and balance of the guitar is very comfortable.
- The neck seemed a little short compared to my Gibson guitar. However, after playing it for a while, I got used to it quickly and did not find any issues with playing rth or lead. Interesting observation was I found it hard not to smile while I was playing the guitar and hearing the tones it provides. It feels very solid but not too heavy. I like the extra thickness of the body compared to the PRS Custom 24. It is not too light and has some heft to it. However, it’s still lighter and not bottom heavy like my Les Paul. Within 2 days of playing the guitar, it already seemed like part of my body when I played it.
- The charcoal colored guitar looks amazing and the construction was flawless. There were no issues found on the binding, or anywhere on the guitar.
- It has access to the higher frets which is very nice. My Les Paul is comfortable to play up to the 17th fret while the McCarty 594 access goes all the way to the 22nd.
- The neck feels very solid and secure. Its not too large or too skinny…it just feels right.
- The turning knobs are cream as is the binding on the neck and the blocks around the pickups. This brings a uniform look to the guitar which is really nice. They also feel very soild and adjusting the pitch on a string is smooth.
- I spent some time A/B my 1989 Gibson Les Paul Custom (LP) and the McCarty 594. The LP has a thicker tone, and the top end sounds not as clear as the McCarty 594. The 594 has a nice sparkle. The articulation in the high notes is clearer and it cuts through better.
- PRS goal is to have the least subtractive output on their guitars. They studied which metals allowed the strings to vibrate longer and brass was one of the best options. So, they used brass when touching the strings on the tuners and bridge. To improve sustain they also used drier wood which would allow the wood to vibrate more freely. Many people feel older guitars have a better sound (especially acoustics) after they aged for many years due to the wood drying out.
- Paul had a great relationship with Ted McCarty who worked at Gibson in the early days. He mentored Paul on how they designed the Les Paul, what glues were used, how the frets and nut were installed, how the windings of the pickups were done, and how the body of the guitars made. With this insight, I believe PRS makes the best modern Les Paul type of guitar today. Just as the PRS Silver Sky is one of the best Strat type of guitars made in my opinion. My confidence in the 594 design with McCarty’s name on it is a testament to PRS’s desire to make the best guitars period. The company has not changed hands like Gibson and Fender has done several times over the years. So, the consistency and passion the company has today are from the same people that started the company. Many of their products are made in the USA and the company has provided many jobs in America.
- The pickups sound wonderful and I would be surprised if someone wanted to actually change them unless they needed a specific sound.
- PRS’s consistency between a guitar made on a Monday and a Friday is pretty close. Paul and his team focused on trying to get that window smaller so they could provide a product that no matter which one you try; it will be very similar. Many stores have limited quantities due to the effects still of the pandemic. Therefore, I was not able to go to a store, try out several PRS guitars and pick the one I wanted. Thankfully the one I got was just the way I wanted it to be. This consistency is not something that every company does well. I bought a semi hollow guitar that had binding issues and rough frets from a mail order. I returned it and Guitar Center provided another one that was much better. However, it did not resonate like the first one and did not have as much of that open sound as the first one. So even though the quality of the workmanship was much better on the 2nd one, its wood most likely had more moisture it in which have it a little more closed sound. Thankfully the guitar plays and looks great so, for now, I am keeping it
- When switching to single coil, it actually sounds very good compared to their competition.
- Colors: PRS provides the traditional colors of cherry/red, or yellow/brown as well as modern conservative and bold colors.
- The frets are smooth and polished nicely. No rough edges were found anywhere. This allows you to slide into notes with a secure feeling.
- The hard-shell case is also really nice and I like the tools they added inside to make neck and string height adjustments.
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