Does a McCarty bring -more- to the table?

[RuralTom]

Greetings All-

Fairly recent member, first post with a little history and a question...

Dunno why I never dipped my toe in previously, I distinctly remember seeing ads and articles about PRS early on and really wanted a cherry red Standard. I suppose price and lack of first hand access had to do with it. Anyway...
After 35 years of playing, I picked up my first PRS this summer: an 05/20th anny McCarty P90 in violin amber. Stunningly great guitar from every standpoint. I fell in love. I have become lightly obsessed. The McSoapy was followed by an '01 Standard stop tail. Then I traded for an S2 Custom 22. First guitar of '24? An '09 Custom 22 stoptail. Happily selling off and trading for them.
I've been considering a 'regular' dual humbucking McCarty but wondering if it brings that much different to the table besides different pickups? Frankly, I've swapped out all but the S2 pickups so if that's basically it....

Thanks!

 

[dmatthews]

Greetings All-

Fairly recent member, first post with a little history and a question...

Dunno why I never dipped my toe in previously, I distinctly remember seeing ads and articles about PRS early on and really wanted a cherry red Standard. I suppose price and lack of first hand access had to do with it. Anyway...
After 35 years of playing, I picked up my first PRS this summer: an 05/20th anny McCarty P90 in violin amber. Stunningly great guitar from every standpoint. I fell in love. I have become lightly obsessed. The McSoapy was followed by an '01 Standard stop tail. Then I traded for an S2 Custom 22. First guitar of '24? An '09 Custom 22 stoptail. Happily selling off and trading for them.
I've been considering a 'regular' dual humbucking McCarty but wondering if it brings that much different to the table besides different pickups? Frankly, I've swapped out all but the S2 pickups so if that's basically it....

Thanks!

Have you considered a McCarty 594?
I'm kinda lovin' the format...

 

[RuralTom]

Have you considered a McCarty 594?
I'm kinda lovin' the format...

I've been looking at them, also have a possible trade working on a Stripped '58 that could prove interesting.

The toggle on the upper horn throws me off a little, literally the only thing I dislike about LPs.

 

[dmatthews]

I've been looking at them, also have a possible trade working on a Stripped '58 that could prove interesting.

The toggle on the upper horn throws me off a little, literally the only thing I dislike about LPs.

Yeah, at first I wasn't a fan of the toggle, but it's no worry anymore. YMMV
A stripper is a fab choice indeed.

 

[László]

I've been considering a 'regular' dual humbucking McCarty but wondering if it brings that much different to the table besides different pickups?

I wrote this short piece of music to demo the difference between the 594 Soapbar and the humbucker 594. The first melody is the Soapbar, and the humbucker version takes over halfway through. Same amp, a PRS DG30.

You'll hear the difference between the two types of pickups quite clearly. The 594 isn't worlds different from the McCarty, and the comparison between pickups on both models is pretty similar.

BTW, I once had a McCarty Soapbar with a rosewood neck in Violin Amber. Great guitar, I think mine might have been an '06. It was one of PRS' guitars shown at NAMM. I had a McCarty with humbuckers at the same time. I thought having both was useful.

https://soundcloud.com/lschefman%2Fmessy-22

 

[Greywolf]

I have two MC Soapys ( one with a IRW neck) and an 594 HBII , I find the standard McCarty's have a slightly richer tone . My P22 Triple Soapy isn't as warm sounding as the McCarty's with the same pickups.

 

[JasonE]

I've been looking at them, also have a possible trade working on a Stripped '58 that could prove interesting.

The toggle on the upper horn throws me off a little, literally the only thing I dislike about LPs.

Yeah, at first I wasn't a fan of the toggle, but it's no worry anymore. YMMV
A stripper is a fab choice indeed.

I hated the look of the toggle on the upper horn on the 594 when I first saw pictures of it. However, the more I thought about it functionally I started to warm up to it. I fine the switch position on a LP very useful, quickly. I found a 594 that I really liked and bought it. I have never looked back. I like the switch being where it is. Functionally for me, it just works well.

I have a 594, Ted McCarty and an SC-58. The McCarty is a great platform. My CU22 is actually almost a McCarty. It has the McCarty electronics from the factory and a stop tail. My 594 is my most played PRS and has been since I bought it, well after I changed the pickups to 57/08s. That made it my most played PRS. It has so many great tones in it.

 

[gush]

If you're considering anything with 5815 or 8515 pickups i would play one first.

While I feel the neck pickups of these sets are incredible I can't say the same for the bridge pickup.

Put a set of 8515 in an older McCarty and the relationship was instantaneous. Instantly LOVED neck pu instantly HATED bridge pu.

Eventually put a set of 5815LT in it.

Love neck pu but wasn't super happy with bridge pu. I left the bridge in there for quite a while, adjusting pu height and poles but it just didn't excite me as much as it should.

I did put a covered 5708 bridge in it. Haven't been a fan of the 5708 bridge but it seems better than LT bridge.

The odd thing is LT neck and 5708 bridge seems mismatched. Really can't explain it but it's almost like two different guitars. Weird.

I may track down a covered 5909 bridge and call it a day.

 

[Alnus Rubra]

Maybe a DGT, a versatile guitar.

 

[RuralTom]

If you're considering anything with 5815 or 8515 pickups i would play one first.

While I feel the neck pickups of these sets are incredible I can't say the same for the bridge pickup.

Put a set of 8515 in an older McCarty and the relationship was instantaneous. Instantly LOVED neck pu instantly HATED bridge pu.

Eventually put a set of 5815LT in it.

Love neck pu but wasn't super happy with bridge pu. I left the bridge in there for quite a while, adjusting pu height and poles but it just didn't excite me as much as it should.

I did put a covered 5708 bridge in it. Haven't been a fan of the 5708 bridge but it seems better than LT bridge.

The odd thing is LT neck and 5708 bridge seems mismatched. Really can't explain it but it's almost like two different guitars. Weird.

I may track down a covered 5909 bridge and call it a day.

Speaking of pickups, today is a massive soldering day for me...

As to all those varieties, the only thing I've actually heard as 85/15S....

-My most recent is the '09 Custom with stock HFS and Vintage Bass. Funny enough, my first 'good' guitar was a Warmoth build by my uncle who installed an HFS in bridge. Didn't like it then, don't like it now. In goes a Wolfetone Marshallhead-Dr Vintage set
-The McCarty is also getting Wolfetones Mean and Meaner. I tried to like the OGs but they just don't have it.
-the 01 Standard came with non-original pickups and I've been trying sets, so far they've either accentuated the natural mid richness way too much or were too dark. In goes a set of 58/15s
-I actually like the 85/15s in the S@ CU22, but I'm going to remove the resistors hoping to remove the icepick treble at the bridge
2 LP customs will also get new pickups, as will a Mascis Tele and the final soldering of a couple Strats

 

[Jimmy]

I wrote this short piece of music to demo the difference between the 594 Soapbar and the humbucker 594. The first melody is the Soapbar, and the humbucker version takes over halfway through. Same amp, a PRS DG30.

You'll hear the difference between the two types of pickups quite clearly. The 594 isn't worlds different from the McCarty, and the comparison between pickups on both models is pretty similar.

BTW, I once had a McCarty Soapbar with a rosewood neck in Violin Amber. Great guitar, I think mine might have been an '06. It was one of PRS' guitars shown at NAMM. I had a McCarty with humbuckers at the same time. I thought having both was useful.

https://soundcloud.com/lschefman%2Fmessy-22

That clip was excellent, and really useful for hearing the difference. Thank you for that!

 

[bodia]

Can't go wrong with an SC-58, or Stripper

 

[dmatthews]

I wrote this short piece of music to demo the difference between the 594 Soapbar and the humbucker 594. The first melody is the Soapbar, and the humbucker version takes over halfway through. Same amp, a PRS DG30.

You'll hear the difference between the two types of pickups quite clearly. The 594 isn't worlds different from the McCarty, and the comparison between pickups on both models is pretty similar.

BTW, I once had a McCarty Soapbar with a rosewood neck in Violin Amber. Great guitar, I think mine might have been an '06. It was one of PRS' guitars shown at NAMM. I had a McCarty with humbuckers at the same time. I thought having both was useful.

https://soundcloud.com/lschefman%2Fmessy-22

Were they both on the neck pup, or?

 

[László]

That clip was excellent, and really useful for hearing the difference. Thank you for that!

My pleasure! I find the difference between the P-90 and the humbucker models of the McCarty to be greater than the difference between the McCarty and the 594, CU22, DGT, etc.

The humbucker models are variations on very similar tones; the P-90 is its own thing. So whatever humbucker PRS you get, you'll find the difference will be pretty substantial, and it's just a matter of picking your poison, so to speak.

 

[László]

Were they both on the neck pup, or?

There are three guitar tracks - the two melodic tracks and a mostly clean rhythm guitar. The rhythm was the neck pickup of the Soapbar. I believe the melodic lines were the bridge pickups on both guitars, as that's my usual M.O., and they sound like I remember the bridge pickups sounding, but it's been a few years since I recorded the piece.

And of course, typical me, I don't have either guitar here any more to check!

I used the exact same settings on the DG30, same mic (a Sennheiser e945 hypercardioid dynamic mic).

On the melody line tracks II used an Xotic BB as a clean boost a la the way I would use a Klon (I,e, turned the gain WAY low and just hit the front of the amp with a smidge more push to get that 'edge of breakup' going at lower gain settings on the amp). I liked the tone I was getting and how it colored the sound while experimenting with the pedal, so I left it on. There's no boost on the rhythm track.

Both tracks were also recorded with a ducked delay through the H9.