Mccarty Setup

[Mixstar]

Now that's what I'm talking about!!

 

[Dusty Chalk]

These are nice archtops, but you can`t get a Freddie Green, Bucky Pizzarelli type sound on them.Think Epiphone Emperor, pre war L-5, Genuine D`Angelico, Old Gretch Synchromatic, Stromberg archtop. In other words, old Jazz box. They all have what we call "bark"when you pound on them, and they`re really only good at that one sound. PRSi are much more versatile, but don`t do the straight four thing to my liking. it`s about the top vibrating. Two pickups changes the vibrations a lot. Even cutting a hole for one pickup changes the sound a lot. It`s about outmoded design, not price. Remember, only a banjo sounds like a banjo.

Wait, 3" thick? The L-5 ain't no 3" thick, is it? And would a 3" thick top really vibrate all that much? I wonder what the specs are on the JA-15 -- that's probably the most jazz-boxy guit that I know of (though haven't played one yet).

 

[bluefade]

I've been playing 10's forever. I recently bought a 30th anniversary McCARTY .I had the action lowered a little and 9's strung up. Now I know why guys like SANTANA, ZZ TOP, etc; use lite gauge strings ! BIG sounds, BIG bends ...COMFORTABLE PINKY'S ...

 

[dogrocketp]

Wait, 3" thick? The L-5 ain't no 3" thick, is it? And would a 3" thick top really vibrate all that much? I wonder what the specs are on the JA-15 -- that's probably the most jazz-boxy guit that I know of (though haven't played one yet). The L5 is actually 3 & 3/8 inches thick, and 17" across the lower bout. I just checked my Dearmond X135. It`s 3&3/8 as well. My Loar L550 is 3 &5/8, and is a copy of the first Lloyd Loar L5. That`s how thick the body is, not the top. We`re talking body thickness.

It`s like a thin flattop compared to a dreadnought.

 

[DaveNJ]

Peter, can you provide some detail on the current action? What's the relief and action at the 12th fret?

Dave

Hi all,

I believe this is my first thread. I purchased a Mccarty recently and I am having a lot of trouble figuring out the right set up for me. I had it shipped from the factory with 11s as opposed to 10s and I have not been able to get used to it with 11s or 10s for that matter. My main guitar has been a HB2 so I figured that 11s would be a perfect fit for my newest addition

I am assuming this is a matter of setup because everything else on the guitar is 100%

My normal experience with PRSi is that they feel very lush and buttery to the touch and are very easy for finger vibrato. With mine, it feels very stiff and bending strings is very difficult. I am also having a hard time being able to grip the strings in general. Now, I have tried to adjust the truss-rod and bridge height to the best of my abilities but I haven't been able to reach that sweet spot yet.

My hope here is that someone might have some pointers to ease my mind before I take it in to my local shop for a setup. Is it the nut angle, bridge height, fret height??

Just FYI, the specs on this guitar are: Mccarty, 25" scale, hard-tail wraparound bridge, pattern neck, 11 gauge strings with a plain G. I am willing to switch to 10s if they feel right. I just don't understand why this guitar feels so off. My other guitar is a Hollowbody 2 with almost the exact same specs, only difference being the body, and it feels perfectly fine. Any help is appreciated!!

This is in no way meant to put down the good people on final assembly at PRS. Someone else could pick up my guitar and think the setup is absolutely perfect for them but I am trying to adjust this thing to my preferences and my hands.

 

[PeterK]

Update!!

Hi Everyone, thank you all so much for your advice. I decided to try putting 9s on my Mccarty and it plays like a dream. It's everything I was expecting. So easy to bend but so much tone. Thank you all so much for your advice!!!

 

[CantankerousCarl]

Glad it worked out for you Peter! A McCarty is a terrible thing to waste

 

[vox801]

Cool! I agree, a McCarty is a terrible thing to waste.

 

[clasbtenn]

Hi all,

I believe this is my first thread. I purchased a Mccarty recently and I am having a lot of trouble figuring out the right set up for me. I had it shipped from the factory with 11s as opposed to 10s and I have not been able to get used to it with 11s or 10s for that matter. My main guitar has been a HB2 so I figured that 11s would be a perfect fit for my newest addition

I am assuming this is a matter of setup because everything else on the guitar is 100%

My normal experience with PRSi is that they feel very lush and buttery to the touch and are very easy for finger vibrato. With mine, it feels very stiff and bending strings is very difficult. I am also having a hard time being able to grip the strings in general. Now, I have tried to adjust the truss-rod and bridge height to the best of my abilities but I haven't been able to reach that sweet spot yet.

My hope here is that someone might have some pointers to ease my mind before I take it in to my local shop for a setup. Is it the nut angle, bridge height, fret height??

Just FYI, the specs on this guitar are: Mccarty, 25" scale, hard-tail wraparound bridge, pattern neck, 11 gauge strings with a plain G. I am willing to switch to 10s if they feel right. I just don't understand why this guitar feels so off. My other guitar is a Hollowbody 2 with almost the exact same specs, only difference being the body, and it feels perfectly fine. Any help is appreciated!!

This is in no way meant to put down the good people on final assembly at PRS. Someone else could pick up my guitar and think the setup is absolutely perfect for them but I am trying to adjust this thing to my preferences and my hands.

This happens on every guitar by any company. For some reason, certain guitars do play easier then others, such as 2 identical Strats, or LP's, etc. It cannot be helped.

I encounter this happening with every guitar. They all play their own way, and you either like it or not. What I do is forget about a specific gauge of string, and start experimenting with different gauges, and string material until I get the guitar to play and feel as I desire.

You may have to go lighter in gauge, and/or, if for example, you use nickel wrap strings, try another material such as stainless steel, or whatever else is offered. Also, you may wish to try a different string company, as each company has strings that respond slightly differently in feel from one company to the next.

Once you find the strings that make the guitar feel as you like, fine tune your adjustments on the guitar and live with it for a bit. After that, you may then try a different gauge, or material based on your requirements.

If your guitar has a stop tail, raising it a bit may lighten the feel somewhat. Conversely, lowering it will stiffen the feel. You can fine tune a set of strings this way to feel as you prefer.

 

[clasbtenn]

These are nice archtops, but you can`t get a Freddie Green, Bucky Pizzarelli type sound on them.Think Epiphone Emperor, pre war L-5, Genuine D`Angelico, Old Gretch Synchromatic, Stromberg archtop. In other words, old Jazz box. They all have what we call "bark"when you pound on them, and they`re really only good at that one sound. PRSi are much more versatile, but don`t do the straight four thing to my liking. it`s about the top vibrating. Two pickups changes the vibrations a lot. Even cutting a hole for one pickup changes the sound a lot. It`s about outmoded design, not price. Remember, only a banjo sounds like a banjo.

I started out playing jazz and used a Super 400 using 14-69 gauged strings with high action. What I have learned and confirmed more recently by comparing a 356 Gibson, which has solid woods, to a 339 which is laminated, is that some of the old arch tops will sound different depending on whether they are lammed tops or solid wood tops. I hear a difference. Some players of jazz preferred the lammed tops as they did not tend to feed back as fast as solid wood tops. I have had this problem playing both the 356 and the 339 at higher levels and noticed how touchy the solid wood 356 got earlier when I raised the volume. ymmv

 

[guitarman001]

Errrrrr, lighter strings are easier to play but have less "tone"...

 

[bodia]

Errrrrr, lighter strings are easier to play but have less "tone"...

Respectfully disagree. Billy Gibbons does pretty well with 7s! But I know where you're coming from.

 

[dogrocketp]

I think the lighter strings thing is true on a big box archtop, but not on a solid body or semi hollow. THe idea behind a jazz box is to move air by pounding the strings.

 

[rugerpc]

The technique for archtop is very different. Basically, you learn how to beat the crap out of the hollow body strings. We`re talking big band or 20`s jazz, so unfortunately Paul doesn`t have that yet. It means an archtop at least 3 inches thick, one pickup and usually no cutaway.

I think the lighter strings thing is true on a big box archtop, but not on a solid body or semi hollow. THe idea behind a jazz box is to move air by pounding the strings.

Then why constrain the movement of the top (decreasing the movement) by having any pickup?? If the object is to move sir, go acoustic and mic it with a good mic.

 

[dogrocketp]

Actually, ruger, My #1 has a floating pickup. The non-cutaway top also has not been cut for a pickup.They`ve been doing that for years. You mount the pickup to a neck bracket, or to the pick guard. Volume is on the pick guard. Very frequently the out put jack is as well.

 

[rugerpc]

Actually, ruger, My #1 has a floating pickup. The non-cutaway top also has not been cut for a pickup.They`ve been doing that for years. You mount the pickup to a neck bracket, or to the pick guard. Volume is on the pick guard. Very frequently the out put jack is as well.

...ummmmm

Pretty much my point.

 

[HANGAR18]

Update!!

Hi Everyone, thank you all so much for your advice. I decided to try putting 9s on my Mccarty and it plays like a dream. It's everything I was expecting. So easy to bend but so much tone. Thank you all so much for your advice!!!

I'm sold on 9's too.