Coil Split: SE Paul’s Guitar vs S2 McCarty 594

[Goodsal]

I’ve had an SE Paul’s Guitar for about a year. It’s fantastic and the coil splits are the best I’ve ever heard. I absolutely love the neck single coil tone. So I decided to add an S2 McCarty 594 to my collection. I love the fit and finish on this guitar, but am disappointed in the coil splits. When split the pickups sound dull and lifeless, and nothing like the coil splits on the Paul’s Guitar. Is it using a different technology and is there a way to improve it and make it sound more like what I hear with the Paul’s Guitar?

 

[Alessandro]

I think the 594 scale length means the split sounds are not very great. I think 25" or 25.5" 22 fret models from prs get you the best split sounds out there. I still think it's not to have that option on every guitar because that thinness will go away if you up the gain some and it's definitely another sound. Try splitting both in the middle position and roll back volume for either position to get a more fuller split sound from bridge or neck at full with the other rolled back.

 

[bodia]

It’s the pickups. The pickups in the Paul’s are the best in the lineup as far as convincing single coils sounds. It’s not fair to compare them.

 

[Draconomics]

Agreed on the pups. I'm really impressed by the TCI(s) ones on the SE; the single coil sounds are brilliant. In the demos Ive seen of the S2 McCarty, the single coil splits seems a bit less clear to my ears.

 

[Malloc]

They’re different technology. The 594 shunts one coil through a resistor to keep a little bit of the signal while the PG adds in more winds to the non shunted coil to make up for the shunted one. As a result, the 594 style splitting is still seeing a wider field versus a true single coil.

 

[Draconomics]

Totally forgot that. The McCarty coil tap is not the same as the coil isolation circuit on the Paul's Guitar.

 

[Malloc]

Just to be pedantic the McCarty is a split not a tap

And to make matters more confusing the PG style wiring is basically a reverse coil tap

 

[Draconomics]

Just to be pedantic the McCarty is a split not a tap

And to make matters more confusing the PG style wiring is basically a reverse coil tap

Doh! I meant split, not tap. Sometimes I tend to lob coil splits and tap in together, especially after one too many vodka gimlets...

Never thought of the PG circuit in that way. Fascinating.

 

[tyfu20]

I’ve had an SE Paul’s Guitar for about a year. It’s fantastic and the coil splits are the best I’ve ever heard. I absolutely love the neck single coil tone. So I decided to add an S2 McCarty 594 to my collection. I love the fit and finish on this guitar, but am disappointed in the coil splits. When split the pickups sound dull and lifeless, and nothing like the coil splits on the Paul’s Guitar. Is it using a different technology and is there a way to improve it and make it sound more like what I hear with the Paul’s Guitar?

I have both as well Goodsal, and you are correct that the SE Paul's single coil sound bests the S2 594's, but the 594 does have usable single coil tones. I've used it live and it still can give you the distinction of tone from humbucker mode, but the Paul's is legit.

 

[Goodsal]

I can’t wrap my brain around the fact that my $999 SE sounds better than my $1,699 S2. Are there any mods to the wiring of the S2 that would get me closer to the Paul’s Guitar?

 

[John Beef]

I can’t wrap my brain around the fact that my $999 SE sounds better than my $1,699 S2.

You're paying USA workers to make your S2, and much cheaper Indonesian workers to build your SE.

 

[Malloc]

I can’t wrap my brain around the fact that my $999 SE sounds better than my $1,699 S2. Are there any mods to the wiring of the S2 that would get me closer to the Paul’s Guitar?

You'd have to find a used set of MT pickups. Core are straight up unobtanium, but I've seen some used import ones around the usual auction sites.

It wouldn't be too difficult to wire up with the 594 style push pulls.

 

[Mark 10top]

I split my coils with putting a cap in. I tried the resistor method and didn't like it. For the neck I run the between coils connector wires thru a .01 mfd (don't want too much bass) and the same for the bridge except I use a .02 mfd. Have changed all my guitars to independent coil splits, except my McCarty 10. Haven't done the McCarty yet cause I am trying out some push/push pots on my semi hollow SE I just bought.

 

[Draconomics]

You'd have to find a used set of MT pickups. Core are straight up unobtanium, but I've seen some used import ones around the usual auction sites.

It wouldn't be too difficult to wire up with the 594 style push pulls.

I've kinda wondered if core TCI pickups could ever be obtained. Its totally unrealistic, but I've wondered. I had my eye on switching out the TCI(s) pickups in my SE PG for some EJ Dimarzio pickups; from what I gather theyre supposed to be more in the neighborhood of a filtertron or mini humbucker tone, and perhaps sorta close to the Core TCI's, or as close as one can hope to come.

 

[Malloc]

Depends. I’ve seen some core TCI trickling out to the used market now that the 2020 guitars all have them (even snagged some 58/15LT TCI myself). However the true core multi tap pickups I’ve only seen maybe two in two years of watching since they’re usually only on specialty guitars.