Had a chance to put my 594s side by side with some top vintage guitars today!
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I already had a LP that sounds like an LP should when I got my 594. Never been a Fender fan, no hate I just always buy something else when the choice comes up. I think it's the cookie cutter thing, great for replacing parts but they don't really scream "fine instrument" according to my taste.
An LP Standard is a really sweet guitar, especially if you get a good one and I did. Any reasonable hobby guitar player would have happily stopped there but I got gas. At first I was considering another LP, maybe a historic or custom shop.
After looking at everything online I went to my guitar guy to check out a nice R9, a beautiful Tom Anderson drop top, and the 594 I ended up buying. It looked the best, played the best and grabbed me the most, the R9 and TA didn't stand a chance.
I'm not a fanboy of any brand, so I bought what I thought was the most guitar for my money. My financial bracket is closer to the people making these guitars than most of the people buying them, so that's important to me.
In my opinion the 594 gives me everything I was looking for to one up my LP in a complimentary way. I wouldn't trade my LP for it, but it IS the nicer guitar when it comes to attention to detail at every level. It also cost twice as much, so anything less would be unacceptable.
It's been good enough to kill any further gas attacks, I'm pretty happy with two electrics and couldn't be happier about the two I ended up with
It also helps a little that the top and color are drop dead gorgeous!!!
SWEET!!!
garrett
...
Somehow modern Gibsons fail to capture that vintage character. Many of my idols and favorite tones are with vintage LP's, but any modern LP I tried was anything from yuck to blah for me. A couple years ago I was lucky enough to wrap my hands around a famous '57 LP and I got it immediately. It was different and special.
Paul talked about that in clinics after the 594 came out. He mentioned how he used to refer to vintage guitars, but people gave him the feedback that they can't relate because they've never played one. So he created the 594 to capture that vintage vibe, but with the benefits of modern manufacturing.
Granted, I haven't played any of the high end Gibson reissue models, but I figure why bother when a 594 is a bargain in comparison...
Paul talked about that in clinics after the 594 came out. He mentioned how he used to refer to vintage guitars, but people gave him the feedback that they can't relate because they've never played one. So he created the 594 to capture that vintage vibe, but with the benefits of modern manufacturing.
Granted, I haven't played any of the high end Gibson reissue models, but I figure why bother when a 594 is a bargain in comparison...
jxe
babe en der wood
Guitpicky
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I have to say a lot of the Rs and Customs I encountered cost twice as much but didn't look, sound, or play any better than my 2016 Standard. My 594 looks better and plays like velvet butter, but the sound is its own and I'd be disappointed if it weren't. I have two guitars that are absolutely wonderful for the music I want to play. I could search for a more perfect guitar, but it would be like a dog chasing his own tail thinking he's actually going to catch it
Life: "Here's a guitar kid, see what you can do with it!"
Smart kid: "Thank you
"Stupid kid: "Can I have a better one?"
I have to say a lot of the Rs and Customs I encountered cost twice as much but didn't look, sound, or play any better than my 2016 Standard. My 594 looks better and plays like velvet butter, but the sound is its own and I'd be disappointed if it weren't. I have two guitars that are absolutely wonderful for the music I want to play. I could search for a more perfect guitar, but it would be like a dog chasing his own tail thinking he's actually going to catch it
Life: "Here's a guitar kid, see what you can do with it!"
Smart kid: "Thank you
Stupid kid: "Can I have a better one?"
Im the stupid kid.
gush
Where is that speedo pic
Mozzi
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I heard Paul say that too bout the 594 and have watched quite a few video's of a 594 compared to a LP. The audience, certainly the majority only know of the Gibson re-issues and not what a 'real' 58 Gibson Les Paul sounds and plays like. Also have no experience of trying to buy one, trying to find a 'good' one and certainly don't have the money to acquire one.
The 594 is more expensive than a new Gibson Les Paul Standard - that also comes with splits/taps as well as switches to switch between splits and taps (although really needs to be set up before playing) as well as out of phase options etc. The 594, certainly where I live, is priced more akin to the High Performance Gibson Les Pauls - maybe a bit more expensive and that's just the 'core' models without 10-tops. In my opinion though, the Maple tops are more detailed than Gibsons in general and you also have a lot more choice in colours.
I do think though that PRS are far more consistent and that there is much less of a difference between the worst 594 and best 594 to leave the factory than the worst and best Gibson. As such, I would be much more confident in buying a 594 online, without actually playing or inspecting the guitar, than I would a Gibson. I do think that PRS have far more stringent quality control and the fact that they probably make as many core guitars a month as Gibson churn out every week. I don't know whether Gibson are as particular over their wood, their curing process etc so I can't comment on that aspect but I wouldn't be surprised if the time from raw materials coming in to the factory and a guitar given its final check before distribution is a lot longer with PRS - not because PRS are slow, but because they are more discerning over ensuring the wood is properly cured and more time over fit and finish. We do know there are differences in materials - PRS has more brass which according to Paul is better to transfer the vibration into the body - Bells were made of brass...
There will always be people that will prefer Gibson for whatever reason - whether its based on actual experience of trying both or just simply because one has Gibson on the headstock and/or their idols played Gibson. Its like those that dislike a Silver Sky because it doesn't have 'Fender' on the headstock.
As for the cost of a PRS, whilst they are not 'custom' shop builds, they are not exactly being churned out in mass production factories. I do think these are built with the care and quality that you may expect from a custom shop build but made to set configuration rather than being built to order. No doubt Custom shop offers more unique options, the highest grade tops in terms of pattern as well as the option to use different woods. A core though is still a high end guitar that's not really mass produced and built with a lot of care and attention as well as numerous quality control steps throughout.
A good Gibson Les Paul is a fantastic guitar and could match up well with a 594 but you may have to hunt for a good LP where each 594 is fantastic. Birds may not be everyones preference or 'rock n roll' to some too but I do think they are better and more intricate than blocks. I do prefer the headstock too and the angle is better and less likely to break should you have an accident. Its more consistent and a dream to play - although some prefer to fight their guitar. The finish is a lot stronger too on a 594 so it won't wear as quickly - not always an issue for some.
The point of this is that you are buying a high quality 'vintage' Les Paul with PRS quality, attention to detail and consistency you expect from their instruments. Its 'expensive' but no more so than their other models. Its more expensive than Gibson standard Les Pauls but not as expensive as their custom shop guitars that are not better than a PRS - maybe comparable in some areas. The problem some have is that Gibson has the 'heritage' and their favourite artists played a Gibson Les Paul. Its always going to seem ridiculous to spend more on a 'copy' when you can buy the 'original' for less - even if the 'copy' is exceptionally built with years of experience, testing of materials etc that Paul has done to ensure the guitar performs at its best - rather than just doing things the same way because that's how they have always been done.
I have the Double Cut 594 because I wanted the traditional PRS shape. It does allow better access at the 'dusty' end - not that I play there but I like the fact that it looks more like a PRS and it also looks a lot like my 509 and Custom 24 - of course there is noticeable differences too but they all look like they are from the same 'family' - as the image below shows (L-R 2016 PRS 594, 2017 PRS 509, 2018 PRS Custom 24)
I heard Paul say that too bout the 594 and have watched quite a few video's of a 594 compared to a LP. The audience, certainly the majority only know of the Gibson re-issues and not what a 'real' 58 Gibson Les Paul sounds and plays like. Also have no experience of trying to buy one, trying to find a 'good' one and certainly don't have the money to acquire one.
The 594 is more expensive than a new Gibson Les Paul Standard - that also comes with splits/taps as well as switches to switch between splits and taps (although really needs to be set up before playing) as well as out of phase options etc. The 594, certainly where I live, is priced more akin to the High Performance Gibson Les Pauls - maybe a bit more expensive and that's just the 'core' models without 10-tops. In my opinion though, the Maple tops are more detailed than Gibsons in general and you also have a lot more choice in colours.
I do think though that PRS are far more consistent and that there is much less of a difference between the worst 594 and best 594 to leave the factory than the worst and best Gibson. As such, I would be much more confident in buying a 594 online, without actually playing or inspecting the guitar, than I would a Gibson. I do think that PRS have far more stringent quality control and the fact that they probably make as many core guitars a month as Gibson churn out every week. I don't know whether Gibson are as particular over their wood, their curing process etc so I can't comment on that aspect but I wouldn't be surprised if the time from raw materials coming in to the factory and a guitar given its final check before distribution is a lot longer with PRS - not because PRS are slow, but because they are more discerning over ensuring the wood is properly cured and more time over fit and finish. We do know there are differences in materials - PRS has more brass which according to Paul is better to transfer the vibration into the body - Bells were made of brass...
There will always be people that will prefer Gibson for whatever reason - whether its based on actual experience of trying both or just simply because one has Gibson on the headstock and/or their idols played Gibson. Its like those that dislike a Silver Sky because it doesn't have 'Fender' on the headstock.
As for the cost of a PRS, whilst they are not 'custom' shop builds, they are not exactly being churned out in mass production factories. I do think these are built with the care and quality that you may expect from a custom shop build but made to set configuration rather than being built to order. No doubt Custom shop offers more unique options, the highest grade tops in terms of pattern as well as the option to use different woods. A core though is still a high end guitar that's not really mass produced and built with a lot of care and attention as well as numerous quality control steps throughout.
A good Gibson Les Paul is a fantastic guitar and could match up well with a 594 but you may have to hunt for a good LP where each 594 is fantastic. Birds may not be everyones preference or 'rock n roll' to some too but I do think they are better and more intricate than blocks. I do prefer the headstock too and the angle is better and less likely to break should you have an accident. Its more consistent and a dream to play - although some prefer to fight their guitar. The finish is a lot stronger too on a 594 so it won't wear as quickly - not always an issue for some.
The point of this is that you are buying a high quality 'vintage' Les Paul with PRS quality, attention to detail and consistency you expect from their instruments. Its 'expensive' but no more so than their other models. Its more expensive than Gibson standard Les Pauls but not as expensive as their custom shop guitars that are not better than a PRS - maybe comparable in some areas. The problem some have is that Gibson has the 'heritage' and their favourite artists played a Gibson Les Paul. Its always going to seem ridiculous to spend more on a 'copy' when you can buy the 'original' for less - even if the 'copy' is exceptionally built with years of experience, testing of materials etc that Paul has done to ensure the guitar performs at its best - rather than just doing things the same way because that's how they have always been done.
I have the Double Cut 594 because I wanted the traditional PRS shape. It does allow better access at the 'dusty' end - not that I play there but I like the fact that it looks more like a PRS and it also looks a lot like my 509 and Custom 24 - of course there is noticeable differences too but they all look like they are from the same 'family' - as the image below shows (L-R 2016 PRS 594, 2017 PRS 509, 2018 PRS Custom 24)
I have owned more than my share of R9s over the years and I think the 2013 and up R9s are fantastic guitars. Really, really great. I have also been lucky enough to have played many of the most coveted vintage LPs, 335s and archtops ever made. Owned several. I do not find much, if any difference between a great vintage guitar and a good modern one. The best R9s, side by side with my core PRS cu22s, never mind 594s or PSs, have never stood up tonally over the long run. Thats just the way I hear it, and my preference. Acoustic archtops aside, I have never found anything better than PRS guitars.
Mozzi
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What I meant is that a good Gibson Les Paul (old or new) is a great guitar - but not all Gibson Les Pauls are created equal old or new - even in the same year or month of manufacture. As for tonal quality, I would not say one was better as that can be personal preference. I also think that if you set up the amp specific to each, you can get exceptionally close sounding tones from either. As for the day to day, living with either over a long period of time, years I would think a PRS is going to be much more consistent and less problematic requiring less work/attention to maintain it. I am sure Guitar tech's have more work to do with artists that play LP's over any that play 594's over a tour.
Its known that vintage guitars varied depending on the day or even time they were made. They didn't use machines for example to wind the pick-ups and so they were not consistent with the same number of winds etc. I have tried some Gibson Les Pauls - all from the same year (can't guarantee they were all from the same batch) and there can be quite a difference. One I tried sounded excellent but had some 'quality' issues (a gap between neck and body you could get a finger nail in, another had quite thick glue where it had squashed out and not been cleaned) around the neck joint and the one that I thought had no build issues sounded 'dull' by comparison. I can't see PRS guitars varying as much in either tone or build quality.
I do wonder though if a lot of the vintage guitars that were not 'great' have not survived - or been customised, modded, repaired etc so not original factory spec. The 'great' vintage guitars survived as they were the 'great' guitars.
We know that vintage PRS guitars, whilst not as old as other vintage guitars, can still look, play and sound like they had just come from the factory. Obviously they may not have some of the things that modern core guitars come with - like locking tuners - but they are still stable, consistent and quality instruments. I wouldn't be surprised if in 60yrs, a 2018 594 is still as 'good' as it is now.
Paul regards his instruments as heirlooms in that he expects them to last and be passed on from generation to generation and still be great instruments.Some may think that means as wall art, but he means as musical instruments - like violins were passed on to their children to play or would pass them on to their children to play. I can't say that Gibson are like that - not saying they don't build them to last but that they probably don't even consider that and maybe even expect the next gen to buy 'new'.
When I grew up, you tended to be in the Gibson or Fender camp and I was very much in the Gibson camp. Most of my heroes play Les Paul and my first guitar was a Les Paul (Epiphone Les Paul custom) because of this. My ultimate guitar was a Gibson Les Paul custom in Wine Red burst with Gold Hardware and I much preferred Single Cut guitars too aesthetically - so even Vai's Gem Universe which I liked because of Vai couldn't replace the Gibson as my 'ultimate' guitar. Even when I saw my first PRS and fell in love with the birds, a Gibson Les Paul was still my Ultimate guitar because of the music of my heroes. I loved the PRS Custom 24 when I first saw it and then the Dragon's came along and, being a 'dragon lover', these became my ultimate guitar but I knew I would never own one and certainly would be too worried to play it - these would be money no object ultimate guitar but for my 'main' guitar, it still had to be the Gibson with the Custom 24 coming in as number 2.
However as I got older - maybe wiser too, the build quality, the consistency and stability as well as their playability became more important than having a guitar my idols played. After my Kids left home and I finally had the money to buy a core PRS, therefore could have bought a Gibson Les Paul, I opted to buy a PRS 594. A decision I really don't regret. I happily bought online too to get the colour I wanted without inspecting the guitar, without trying it and its exactly as I expected it to be, the quality I expected, the tone I expected. I don't own a Gibson (I would but I don't 'need' one) because my 594 covers that (and more since it has has splits - I know new Gibson LP Standards offer that now too) but it gives me that 'vintage LP sound I grew up with and made me want to play guitar in the first place. Since then I have added the 509 (mostly because I don't like strats/tele's and this is 'my' compromise - I know its not either of these but I can use it to get reasonably close to the strat/tele tones if I want as well as having the longer scale length (not quite as long as a strat) and prefer the look, build quality and set neck too. I recently added the Custom 24 as well as that is the guitar that I first saw and the first guitar that really started me doubting whether the Gibson Les Paul should be my Ultimate Guitar.
Point of that story of my life was to show that I always wanted a Gibson Les Paul and would still buy one if I could justifiably spend money on another guitar without having to trade in - I am not a professional musician and only play for fun and relaxation. Being disabled, I can't get out to shops and try to hunt for that elusive Gibson that not only sounds great, but also has no issues and doesn't require a lot of maintenance or constant retuning. The fact that PRS guitars are so consistent also means that I can order online and not have the worry about whether the guitar lives up to my expectation before it arrives, the disappointment of finding issues or not being entirely happy with the sound or the stress of sending the guitar back. I can order the guitar I want in the colour I want and get an instrument I can't fault. Its testament to PRS and not meant to 'diss' Gibson. The fact that as a Gibson Les Paul fan, I bought a 594 over it and incredibly impressed is testament to PRS.
Nice post, and I agree with you pretty much to a point!
That SC looks amazing!!! Wow!!Well, this should be right on topic:
Mozzi
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Well, this should be right on topic:
Nice picture!!
I have never been a fan of Gold tops personally as I really like to see the wood and I don't like yellow either. Even still I think this picture looks great. Is that all brass on the PRS or just the way the colour looks? Mine is the mix of Brass and silver metal...
MrKite
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Thanks!
Regarding the 594 stoptail, the COA says “gold/nickel”. So it is no brass other then the studs and saddles... Despite of the fact that this guitar has the same specs like the GOTM 02/16 it is no aluminium bronze either.
I agree with everyone’s posts; it’s hard to be right or wrong when it comes to picking out personal instruments that express our tastes. Everyone’s right, unless they just don’t like what they get.
I got DC 594s because they’re a little bit lighter than SCs. I have a McCarty SC, too, so there’s that. It’s nice to have something a little different that’s a little bit easier on the shoulder. But I wouldn’t hesitate to get an SC594 Semi-hollow. That’s kind of a no-brainer, if you ask me.
I got DC 594s because they’re a little bit lighter than SCs. I have a McCarty SC, too, so there’s that. It’s nice to have something a little different that’s a little bit easier on the shoulder. But I wouldn’t hesitate to get an SC594 Semi-hollow. That’s kind of a no-brainer, if you ask me.
lareco12345
"plays like pups let loose on maple beach." GC
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Awesome PRS - great color
