McCarty 594 vs 594 Semi-Hollow

[LedZeppelin]

Anybody play both? Is there much difference other than the weight (tonally, sustain)?

Any feedback appreciated. I’ve played the 594 and it was awesome. Interestingly, I think the pickups were the weak point at least through a cranked 18-watt Marshall when compared with a Les Paul with pickups that I wound myself.

 

[LedZeppelin]

Although it’s a very imperfect measure, I tested the resistance of the 58/15 LT pickups on a 594. 7.37k on the bridge (5.07k when split) and 7.86k on the neck (4.78k when split).

I compared this to my Les Paul with PAF style pickups that I wound (scatterwound mismatched coils, no potting, Alnico II, approximately 10.5k winds on the bridge and 10k winds on the neck): 8.5k on the bridge, 8.03k on the neck (they don’t split). Tonally, these pickups drive an 18-watt Marshall noticeably harder with more sparkle and midrange. They are also less muddy when the volume is rolled back (they are wired 50s style so that might be playing a role).