McCarty differing neck sizes?

[douga]

I visited a local store yesterday that had a decent selection of PRS, and I asked to try some of their McCartys. The first one the guy handed me had a really thick neck. The second had a more modern neck. So...are there different types of McCartys where the neck size differs? All the specs I look at say they're a 10" radius.

Side note: coil split on the McCarty is amazing! I was only kind of thinking of getting one before, and now I definitely want one.

 

[dmatthews]

Hmmm... Well a core McCarty has a Pattern neck, and the 594 has Pattern Vintage.
Which model were you trying?

 

[Longneck Tenon]

I visited a local store yesterday that had a decent selection of PRS, and I asked to try some of their McCartys. The first one the guy handed me had a really thick neck. The second had a more modern neck. So...are there different types of McCartys where the neck size differs? All the specs I look at say they're a 10" radius.

Side note: coil split on the McCarty is amazing! I was only kind of thinking of getting one before, and now I definitely want one.

Do you know what models you tried?

 

[douga]

Hmmm... Well a core McCarty has a Pattern neck, and the 594 has Pattern Vintage.
Which model were you trying?

Do you know what models you tried?

I know they were both SEs, and that's about it.

EDIT:

But the neck on one of them felt like a vintage Telecaster, and I didn't think there were any PRS guitars with that particular neck shape -- kind of chunky U.

 

[dmatthews]

Maybe one was a thinline S2? It has a thin neck

 

[douga]

Maybe one was a thinline S2? It has a thin neck

Well...I did ask to see the SEs only, so I would hope not.

 

[ViperDoc]

The "10-inch radius" refers to the curvature across the fingerboard. The neck carve refers to the shape of the back of the neck shaft. Older 25-inch McCarty's had Wide Fat, then Pattern necks--which are touted to be the same, but are not. The 594 comes with an asymmetrical Pattern Vintage neck carve, which IMO is fantastic. It's large without feeling large. The SE McCarty 594 has the Pattern Vintage carve also.

 

[dmatthews]

Hmmm... all the SE McCartys are 594 Pattern Vintage, and there are no other McCarty SE models

 

[douga]

Hmmm... all the SE McCartys are 594 Pattern Vintage, and there are no other McCarty SE models

Perhaps one of them wasn't an SE. But...no one working in a music store would ever try to get me to spend more money. Would they?

 

[douga]

From the info given by @ViperDoc I might assume that they had an older McCarty. I'll be going back there in a few weeks and see if I can figure out exactly what it was.

 

[dmatthews]

From the info given by @ViperDoc I might assume that they had an older McCarty. I'll be going back there in a few weeks and see if I can figure out exactly what it was.

Yeah, older would likely not be SE. SE is the newest to the McCarty family, maybe 10 months or so?

 

[Longneck Tenon]

I know they were both SEs, and that's about it.

EDIT:

But the neck on one of them felt like a vintage Telecaster, and I didn't think there were any PRS guitars with that particular neck shape -- kind of chunky U.

My core SAS and McCarty both had wide/fat necks, but the SAS definitely felt chunkier with maple neck and fretboard than the McCarty, which had a mahogany neck with a rosewood fretboard.

 

[Mondoslug]

I visited a local store yesterday that had a decent selection of PRS, and I asked to try some of their McCartys. The first one the guy handed me had a really thick neck. The second had a more modern neck. So...are there different types of McCartys where the neck size differs? All the specs I look at say they're a 10" radius.

Side note: coil split on the McCarty is amazing! I was only kind of thinking of getting one before, and now I definitely want one.

What kind of bridges were on them?

 

[douga]

What kind of bridges were on them?

Boy, I truly don't remember. I'll pay more attention next time.

 

[ViperDoc]

What kind of bridges were on them?

An older McCarty would likely have the standard milled PRS stoptail bridge.

 

[Alnus Rubra]

The "10-inch radius" refers to the curvature across the fingerboard. The neck carve refers to the shape of the back of the neck shaft. Older 25-inch McCarty's had Wide Fat, then Pattern necks--which are touted to be the same, but are not. The 594 comes with an asymmetrical Pattern Vintage neck carve, which IMO is fantastic. It's large without feeling large. The SE McCarty 594 has the Pattern Vintage carve also.

I’m a fan of a fatter “rear radius”

 

[show_a_little_faith]

I’m a fan of a fatter “rear radius”

 

[JasonE]

I’m a fan of a fatter “rear radius”

Baby got back!