McCarty 594 HBII vs HBII

I

ironham

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Feb 18, 2021
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Hey y'all,

I'm eyeing a custom order (but not private stock). I know PRS is backed up in a big way.
These days, my shoulder can't take heavy guitars anymore. I can play my semi hollow 24 for a while before my shoulder starts bugging me, my 6lb Silver Sky and archtop for a while. I had to sell my Les Paul (too heavy), and have began playing my basses exclusively while seated.

I haven't played a 594, nor have I played an HBII. Is the difference between these models basically just the scale length and the piezo? I've heard the piezo on YouTube... but I don't think that's an accurate measure of how it sounds.

Given the state of the world, I don't know if I'll have a chance to play these models before buying one.

Can someone that's played both give me the skinny?
 
I haven’t played the 594 HB, but have had a hollow body for over 20 years. I think the piezo adds a lot to the range of the guitar. And, admittedly personal, I like the controls of the HB with piezo - simple controls in a compact space.

Either will come in lighter than your silver sky.
 
Love to hear it.

I wasn't sure how much the piezo really adds to the guitar, y'know? The last time I had a piezo was in the early 2000s on a cheap import and it was... pretty terrible.

I see that one just came in stock in faded whale blue on Sweetwater...
I ideally want a 10-top where all the wood shines through, that means I want to see the wood on the side of the guitar as well as on the front and back. Unfortunately, the faded whale blue paints black over the sides.

May just have to keep waiting for a Trampas green.
 
Shameless tease
CK_159BurlHollowbodyBodyAAA.JPG
 
It’s a gorgeous piece. Seeing guitars like that make me want to just spec out a private stock instead of taking a 10-top off the shelf.

@11top i never thought I’d like shorter scales. But moving from 25.5” to 25” and then to 24.84” has been nothing but a positive experience.
 
As someone with both a Hollowbody II with Piezo and a 594 Hollowbody II, unless you have a 'major' preference for the neck carve and/or scale length, then the choice really comes down to Coil Splits vs Piezo. Both have a very similar build otherwise and, if you are looking at the new(er) models, the same Pick-ups so the HB tones are very similar. That means you are really choosing whether you think the Piezo or the Coil splits are going to be of greater use. Of course you get the individual tone/volume controls with the 594 too which may be a factor.

The 594 is pretty much what you would expect. A single output with 8 possible pickup tone options - works like any other electric guitar.

The Hollowbody II though is a bit different in that you can blend the Piezo in and run it through a standard Electric guitar amp or split that off and run it to an Acoustic amp, PA etc for a more 'authentic' plugged in Acoustic sound. Splitting it off also means you can have some effects on one (or both) - some 'clean' Acoustic sounds over a more crunchy magnetics for example. The Piezo sounds really good and easily competes with high end Electro Acoustics - of course the Piezo is a different sound to a mic'd Acoustic.

If coil splitting is important, you can probably modify the Hollowbody ii to split the coils - you may miss out on the HS or SH middle choices, but that could at least give you the split coil sounds on the neck, bridge and both split together tones. Its a lot easier than trying to modify a 594HB with a Piezo.

Anyway, like I said, I think the decision really comes down to Piezo or Splits - unless you really have a strong preference for Neck carve and/or scale length
 
ironham said:
Hey y'all,

....
These days, my shoulder can't take heavy guitars anymore. I can play my semi hollow 24 for a while before my shoulder starts bugging me, my 6lb Silver Sky and archtop for a while. I had to sell my Les Paul (too heavy), and have began playing my basses exclusively while seated.

I haven't played a 594, nor have I played an HBII. Is the difference between these models basically just the scale length and the piezo?
Click to expand...
I can't thank you enough for starting this, what has turned out to be, very educational, helpful thread.

My issue is not shoulder, but spine. After three spinal fusion surgeries that provided no relief (I also sold my Les Paul for exactly the same reason). So I am in exactly the same situation. What is going to be the next NGD for me? I have largely decided on 594 HB II. But when I got my Paul's part of the reason I went with it was because it was so light. Do I need to go hollow body? Maybe a 594 is going to give me enough difference from my Paul's. But if I'm talking solid body then what about a DGT?

I don't care about piezo. I don't think I care about piezo.:confused: I've got an HB I, but a HB II is supposed to sound different. So should I think about it? I once again circle around to the 594 HB II.

I started out thanking you for the thread. Now I actually realize I'm even more confused:rolleyes::eek:;)
 
After having some fairly invasive left shoulder surgery in 2019, on the back side right where the strap normally crosses, I needed a way to be able to take the pressure off and still play while standing. I found Slinger Straps, and while they don’t look too rock and roll, they got me through several gigs during recovery. They have the two shoulder straps like the Dare strap, but also incorporate a waist strap that bears the back strap button load. Again, not a normal feeling setup, but takes a bunch of load off your shoulders and lower back. By the way, I found that wearing a black shirt camouflaged the strap and waist portion pretty well. They also have straps (more like belts) that don’t go over the shoulder at all, taking the shoulder/back out of the equation entirely... but I haven’t tried those.

https://slingerstraps.com/collections/ergonomic-guitar-straps

Either redistributing the weight or taking it off the back might help, whichever you choose.
 
Last edited:
@matonanjin I came into the thread a bit confused between the models. But seeing that the 2020 hollow bodies have a split coil (confirmed by watching Ish Guitars videos on YouTube; they’re in Syracuse not tooo far away from Brooklyn), I think this is now a no brainer.

The whale blue on sweetwater got away from me, but I called my rep at sweetwater and he’s gonna pull a green 10-top the moment it arrives.
 
ironham said:
@matonanjin I came into the thread a bit confused between the models. But seeing that the 2020 hollow bodies have a split coil (confirmed by watching Ish Guitars videos on YouTube; they’re in Syracuse not tooo far away from Brooklyn), I think this is now a no brainer.

The whale blue on sweetwater got away from me, but I called my rep at sweetwater and he’s gonna pull a green 10-top the moment it arrives.
Click to expand...

I would still double check because Ish may well of specced a run of HBii's with Coil Splitting but that doesn't mean EVERY Core Hollowbody ii (even every in 2020) has coil splitting functionality. I am sure that the 'standard' is the 3 way with a master tone/volume (no Push/pull).
 
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