A very belated NGD because this may have cured my GAS. McCarty 594 Singlecut Trem in Purple Glow

[Utkarsh]

So usually one to provide an onslaught of NGDs, something has changed in the last four months. For I have gone an incredible amount of time not only not buying or selling any guitars, but also not particularly lusting after anything.

Poets and philosophers have plenty to say about finding the one in a human story or a romantic context. Guitars are inanimate objects but Internet forums and Youtube comment sections have plenty to say about finding the one too.

Some say its impossible and we are relegated to an impossible chase of that next better guitar, aka the GAS syndrome. Others think it is all a farce and any guitar can be the one.

I have to say that I have fallen in both camps. For the first decade of my journey, it was the latter as I had no means. For the second, it was the former and I have cycled through more than a 150 guitars.

In January, through a series of events that I describe in the video, I bought a Private Stock McCarty 594 Trem, a special guitar my favourite Japanese dealer Ishibashi had PRS make for their 85th Anniversary. It's a nice guitar, not mindblowing different from the other Private Stocks that we see around these parts. But importantly, it has fit me like a hand to a glove. And when I examine the reasons why, it is rather obvious.


I normally do not wait the best part of a quarter to do a NGD, but this felt like a special one. So I wanted to give it some time to make sure that my feelings hadn't changed even after a few months. And they haven't.


For those of you who have some time , this is the video. I have incredible high res pictures taken by the dealer on my old Mac which I need to fish out, so that will be a follow up to this post.

 

[Gtrbldr]

Nice. And it is always the last guitar you buy. Until the next one.

 

[JasonE]

I am on a similar journey. I sent my first run at the specs for my very first private stock off to a dealer. My goal is to replace a few of my guitars with one that does the special things they do. I think I may have figured out the combination for me. I will know once I find out if they will do everything I am looking at. On paper it seems like it will easily do what I am after. I am staying a little tight lipped with the specs for now, until I find out what is approved and I nail the rest down. As a little bit of a leak, your guitar and the one I am looking to have built share some things.

 

[show_a_little_faith]

Congratulations, that's a beautiful 594! May we all find (or already have) something that satisfies so much

 

[bodia]

Outstanding!

 

[László]

I enjoyed this video, Utkarsh (actually I like all of your vids). The guitar looks killer and sounds great.

After many years and a lot of guitars, it seems to me that finding 'home' is about the intangibles. It's purely intuitive - the reason you love it can't be explained. It just fits.

And it isn't necessarily model or feature-dependent.

A given guitar can just feel and sound so good it can't be denied. For example, I have a 30th Anniversary PS CU24 that has a tone I can't get out of my head. I'm not usually a CU24 buyer. This one just kills, though. I had to have it, and I'll never sell it. I have other models that do that for me, too.

One thing I've come to believe is that the traditional wood combinations and build methods became traditional because they work really well, and in particular, give us tones that we associate with recordings we love. Those recordings are often how the 'tone in our heads' gets into our heads in the first place.

Despite trying a variety of wood and construction combinations, what works best for me in an electric guitar is the maple top, solid mahogany body/set 'hog neck, and rosewood fretboard. I can't get the tone in my head any other way.

I can have it in tremolo or stop tail (both two and one piece) versions and be perfectly happy.

As you say, I like what I like. Glad you found your home base, and of course it also won't be your last guitar, though with 100 guitars around I can't imagine what you'd need that you don't have. But 'next shiny object' being a thing, of course it won't be your last guitar.

 

[Prina]

So great to find perfection.

Totally understand the appeal of the LP style as all my PRSi are 24.5xx singlecuts. Gotta try a real trem sometime though.

Congrats, last guitar or not!

 

[gush]

I can relate.....kind of.

I have brass post locking klusons and wrap bridge with brass Inserts that I had intended to put on my McCarty.


However, with the LTs installed and running through HDRX20 I'm afraid to do anything more to it.

Finally got a setup that kills and now I'm afraid to go Backwards with any more mods.

 

[Bogner]

First Off...Great Video And A Very Beautiful Guitar! it Is Absolutely Beautiful Looking And Spec Wise, Etc. It Is Wonderful (IMO). I Have Been Chewing On Some Things Regarding My Collection Of Everything I Have. I Don't Get Rid Of Much And Everything I Buy Could Be A Lifetime Piece For Me. I Have Searched Hard For What I Have And I Enjoy All Of It. All That Being Said, There Are Only A Few Guitar's And Their Respective Wood Combinations That Always And Truly Bring Me Joy Every Time I Pick Them Up. Regarding Amps, I Love Them All Or I Wouldn't Have Bought Them...But I Only Have A Handful Of "Sounds" I Am After. Your Video Came At A Very Opportune Time For Me And It Hit Me Like A Ton Of Bricks In A Good Way. I Feel There Are No Coincidences In Life And A Few Little Lines You Said Really Hit Home With Me And Made What I Have Been Processing For Some Time A Foregone Conclusion And I Agree With Your Statements Quoted Below (For Me).

"I Have Had A Nice Long Run...The Journey Is Over...It's Done."

Very Powerful Statements To Me With Where I Am At Today. I Won't Highjack Your Wonderful Thread And Ramble On About My Thing But I Would Be Remiss If I Didn't Thank You For Sharing The Video And Making This Thread. Thank You @Utkarsh

"I Have Had A Nice Long Run...The Journey Is Over...It's Done."

 

[deepender]

So usually one to provide an onslaught of NGDs, something has changed in the last four months. For I have gone an incredible amount of time not only not buying or selling any guitars, but also not particularly lusting after anything.

Poets and philosophers have plenty to say about finding the one in a human story or a romantic context. Guitars are inanimate objects but Internet forums and Youtube comment sections have plenty to say about finding the one too.

Some say its impossible and we are relegated to an impossible chase of that next better guitar, aka the GAS syndrome. Others think it is all a farce and any guitar can be the one.

I have to say that I have fallen in both camps. For the first decade of my journey, it was the latter as I had no means. For the second, it was the former and I have cycled through more than a 150 guitars.

In January, through a series of events that I describe in the video, I bought a Private Stock McCarty 594 Trem, a special guitar my favourite Japanese dealer Ishibashi had PRS make for their 85th Anniversary. It's a nice guitar, not mindblowing different from the other Private Stocks that we see around these parts. But importantly, it has fit me like a hand to a glove. And when I examine the reasons why, it is rather obvious.


I normally do not wait the best part of a quarter to do a NGD, but this felt like a special one. So I wanted to give it some time to make sure that my feelings hadn't changed even after a few months. And they haven't.


For those of you who have some time , this is the video. I have incredible high res pictures taken by the dealer on my old Mac which I need to fish out, so that will be a follow up to this post.

Nice

 

[WA Paul]

You already know my perspective on this topic

 

[deathworlder]

I am on a similar journey. I sent my first run at the specs for my very first private stock off to a dealer. My goal is to replace a few of my guitars with one that does the special things they do. I think I may have figured out the combination for me. I will know once I find out if they will do everything I am looking at. On paper it seems like it will easily do what I am after. I am staying a little tight lipped with the specs for now, until I find out what is approved and I nail the rest down. As a little bit of a leak, your guitar and the one I am looking to have built share some things.

Tease...

 

[Utkarsh]

I am on a similar journey. I sent my first run at the specs for my very first private stock off to a dealer. My goal is to replace a few of my guitars with one that does the special things they do. I think I may have figured out the combination for me. I will know once I find out if they will do everything I am looking at. On paper it seems like it will easily do what I am after. I am staying a little tight lipped with the specs for now, until I find out what is approved and I nail the rest down. As a little bit of a leak, your guitar and the one I am looking to have built share some things.

I'm looking forward to seeing this when you are ready to share more

 

[Utkarsh]

Congratulations, that's a beautiful 594! May we all find (or already have) something that satisfies so much

Yes. It's been strange not to be perusing Reverb everyday as used to be my habit

 

[Utkarsh]

I enjoyed this video, Utkarsh (actually I like all of your vids). The guitar looks killer and sounds great.

After many years and a lot of guitars, it seems to me that finding 'home' is about the intangibles. It's purely intuitive - the reason you love it can't be explained. It just fits.

And it isn't necessarily model or feature-dependent.

A given guitar can just feel and sound so good it can't be denied. For example, I have a 30th Anniversary PS CU24 that has a tone I can't get out of my head. I'm not usually a CU24 buyer. This one just kills, though. I had to have it, and I'll never sell it. I have other models that do that for me, too.

One thing I've come to believe is that the traditional wood combinations and build methods became traditional because they work really well, and in particular, give us tones that we associate with recordings we love. Those recordings are often how the 'tone in our heads' gets into our heads in the first place.

Despite trying a variety of wood and construction combinations, what works best for me in an electric guitar is the maple top, solid mahogany body/set 'hog neck, and rosewood fretboard. I can't get the tone in my head any other way.

I can have it in tremolo or stop tail (both two and one piece) versions and be perfectly happy.

As you say, I like what I like. Glad you found your home base, and of course it also won't be your last guitar, though with 100 guitars around I can't imagine what you'd need that you don't have. But 'next shiny object' being a thing, of course it won't be your last guitar.

Thank you for watching. I appreciate it and it provides me the encouragement to continue making them.
I really agree with what you are saying about traditional tonewoods (It's not the first time you have said them on the forum). In fact when I got this guitar and it just felt so right , my mind immediately went to you what you have always been saying. We can play around with exotic wood combinations, especially in Private Stock and we do get some interesting results (My Buckeye burl, Kingwood neck 594 trem has a very snarly tone). But to get the classic sound requires classic choices and classic woods. Doesn't seem very complicated but we all like mucking about and trying different stuff

 

[Utkarsh]

You already know my perspective on this topic

err.... singlecut trems rule???

 

[Utkarsh]

I can relate.....kind of.

I have brass post locking klusons and wrap bridge with brass Inserts that I had intended to put on my McCarty.


However, with the LTs installed and running through HDRX20 I'm afraid to do anything more to it.
with it is a good notion

if it ain't broke, don't fix it, is a good notion

 

[Utkarsh]

First Off...Great Video And A Very Beautiful Guitar! it Is Absolutely Beautiful Looking And Spec Wise, Etc. It Is Wonderful (IMO). I Have Been Chewing On Some Things Regarding My Collection Of Everything I Have. I Don't Get Rid Of Much And Everything I Buy Could Be A Lifetime Piece For Me. I Have Searched Hard For What I Have And I Enjoy All Of It. All That Being Said, There Are Only A Few Guitar's And Their Respective Wood Combinations That Always And Truly Bring Me Joy Every Time I Pick Them Up. Regarding Amps, I Love Them All Or I Wouldn't Have Bought Them...But I Only Have A Handful Of "Sounds" I Am After. Your Video Came At A Very Opportune Time For Me And It Hit Me Like A Ton Of Bricks In A Good Way. I Feel There Are No Coincidences In Life And A Few Little Lines You Said Really Hit Home With Me And Made What I Have Been Processing For Some Time A Foregone Conclusion And I Agree With Your Statements Quoted Below (For Me).

"I Have Had A Nice Long Run...The Journey Is Over...It's Done."

Very Powerful Statements To Me With Where I Am At Today. I Won't Highjack Your Wonderful Thread And Ramble On About My Thing But I Would Be Remiss If I Didn't Thank You For Sharing The Video And Making This Thread. Thank You @Utkarsh

"I Have Had A Nice Long Run...The Journey Is Over...It's Done."

Thank you for your kind words. I think sometimes common wavelengths and ahas hit us at the same time. Good to know that it's not just me who feels a certain way

 

[Utkarsh]

So great to find perfection.

Totally understand the appeal of the LP style as all my PRSi are 24.5xx singlecuts. Gotta try a real trem sometime though.

Congrats, last guitar or not!

Yes a PRS trem is a gateway drug into the world of wankery, yet with no consequences. Those things stay in tune like a opera singer with perfect pitch

 

[dmatthews]

594 SC Semihollow Artist recent purchase here. Holy Carp! What a guitar!