Late Adopter (a 594 Story)

[HANGAR18]

There are some guitars that get all my attention when they hit the streets. The SC-J Thinline, for example, was so intoxicating that I wanted to order two and then sell the one I liked less. There are other guitars, however, that I had to warm-up to. The Silver Sky, for example, required some soul-searching before I took the plunge. But there is one guitar I cannot bring myself to consider; the 594.

Seems like all I ever hear about is how good the 594 sounds or how ‘right’ it feels. I’m sure it does. But I just can’t bring myself to take it seriously.

I’ve always been the guy who says, if I want a Tele, I’ll buy a Tele. If I want a Strat, I’ll buy a Strat. Knock-off guitars never drew my attention. But the gravitational pull of my favorite player making a guitar (the Silver Sky) with my favorite builder won me over. And, while JM’s hand in bringing the 594 to market cannot be ignored, if I want a Les Paul, by god, I will buy a Les Paul. I already have a Les Paul. A nice one. Two, actually.

So here I sit, continuing to read such wonderful reviews of the 594, thinking this may be the one PRS that I will never own. I guess I won’t know where this one lands until I play one. I could just be a late adopter.

Well, I had a lot of Les Pauls.
Had.
I sold them all.
Now I have PRS 594's.

I'm just sayin'.

 

[21Hemispheres12]

I’ve have an awesome custom shop Gibson Les Paul I bought in 2014 that was my main guitar since the day I bought it. I bought a semi hollow 594 about a month ago and haven’t touched my Les Paul since. I even have to force myself to pick up my custom 24 for some play time, it’s just that good.

Tonight I told my wife I was going to go play guitar for a few minutes. Picked up the 594 and a few minutes turned into an hour before I knew it. It’s honestly the most addictive guitar I’ve ever played because it just feels and sounds like it’s on another level compared to everything else I’ve owned/played.

 

[veinbuster]

Dude, you owe it to yourself to play one. You just can't pass judgement blindly! It's far enough from an LP, farther than the JM is from a Strat, to be different. Yet, it's close enough to give you "that" vibe. Plus all the things that PRS brings to it, make it a clear winner. No matter what it is kin to.

Well, maybe not.
I’m sure they are nice, like all PRS are, but I have a full house and don’t need to look close enough to find something to lust after.
I’ve got a great Strat, a good Les Paul (and some excellent PRS SC that I play more) and a bloody fantastic tele. And really some excellent PRS.
It doesn’t mean I’m judging the 594 as unworthy. I’m just full - I really couldn’t eat another bite.

That said, I have thought about trying a beautiful one at a not quite local shop.

 

[veinbuster]

This. I think the 24.594” was the measurement on Paul’s 1959 LP. Not sure if he owns it or has access to it.

He owned it. Might still. It was up for sale some time ago.

 

[RevBillyG]

I’ve always been the guy who says, if I want a Tele, I’ll buy a Tele. If I want a Strat, I’ll buy a Strat. Knock-off guitars never drew my attention. But the gravitational pull of my favorite player making a guitar (the Silver Sky) with my favorite builder won me over. And, while JM’s hand in bringing the 594 to market cannot be ignored, if I want a Les Paul, by god, I will buy a Les Paul. I already have a Les Paul. A nice one. Two, actually.

So here I sit, continuing to read such wonderful reviews of the 594, thinking this may be the one PRS that I will never own. I guess I won’t know where this one lands until I play one. I could just be a late adopter.

I'm that guy. I have Teles, Strats, Mockingbirds, Flying Vs, Les Pauls, etc...

I also have a 594. Lovely guitar. But if I were to go look for another PRS today, it'd be a McCarty. I own one of them as well. It's mellower. Meatier. Deeper. But not as pretty. Doesn't have the tonal flexibility.

Forget JM, forget what "people" say. Go play some guitars & get the one that moves you that day.

 

[WA Paul]

I should mention the DC594 did come first before my PS build

One of my best single coil sounds especially in the neck, though I do prefer the 53/10s split by a hair since those are a touch warmer.

 

[ViperDoc]

I never cared for the 4-knob recipe until I took a chance on the 594 and now I have three of them. The knob placement on the pre-594 4-knob PRSi I'd played didn't make sense to me. The 594 layout, however, is divine. The 58/18LT pickups are INSANELY GOOD. They rock, they squawk, they purr, they clean up beautifully, they boost well, they are clear, very balanced, with no ice pick or flatness. They are very alive and dynamic. I also thought I wouldn't care for the upper horn 3-way switch, but it's perfect now. Being able to individually gain-control each pickup--and even split them--has opened up a whole new world of playing for me, it's really been fantastic. Hype is hype. Tone is tone. Consider yourself warned. The 594 recipe is literally the perfect guitar. Your call, but if you pick one up and play it, you'll buy one. Just sayin'.

 

[ViperDoc]

I should mention the DC594 did come first before my PS build

One of my best single coil sounds especially in the neck, though I do prefer the 53/10s split by a hair since those are a touch warmer.

What color is this? It's gorgeous.

 

[BrianC]

I had an SC 594 - the scale length was the bomb but due to other issues I sold it. Not a fixed bridge guy anymore mostly. Upper fret access is also a big thing for me. One too many volume knobs for me.

 

[11top]

Do they have nice tops?

 

[WA Paul]

What color is this? It's gorgeous.

I get that a lot on this one!

Laguna

Some glam shots from World Guitars