Need help deciding!

[BlastTyrant]

Hi there. Apologies in advance for the book I'm about to write. First time posting here but have been lurking for bit here and there. I'm ready to pull the trigger on a core PRS and I'm having a real hard time deciding which is right for me. There aren't any dealers within 2-3 hours of me that have any kind of decent inventory and I'm probably looking used anyway, so I will likely be buying online. Basically, this is a "talk me out of a 594" thread, haha. Here's a little background and info on me:

I'm primarily a Les Paul/Gibson-style player. I play in bands and gig a decent bit, and I'm primarily a lead player. Basic rock stuff, classic rock, modern rock, I love metal but rarely ever play it. My tone is generally in the range of Angus Young, just classic Marshall-y crunch. I have all kinds of guitars, Strats, Teles, LPs, SGs, Vs, off brand stuff, and a few PRS SEs, which I absolutely love. I have an older Custom 22 Semi Hollow SE (with the flat top) and an SE One, and both are ridiculously good instruments for their price. They're the reason I'm ready to buy a real deal PRS. But if you made me pick one guitar to play for the rest of my life, it would be a Les Paul. That being said, I buy different guitars because they're different, not to try and emulate something that I already have. That's why I said this is a "talk me out of a 594" thread, because it seems like the 594s are all the rage right now because they're PRS's take on a really good vintage LP. I'm just not sure they're the right guitar for me.

First point, I love the PRS 25" scale. It's just the perfect amount of slinkiness with a set of 9s without being too loose and sloppy. So the scale of the 594 works against me there. It would probably be fine since it's basically Gibson scale, but I want to embrace the things that make a PRS a PRS.

Second point is the pickups. I hear everyone rave about the 58/15LT pickups and how they're a super low wind and have all kinds of clarity like a good vintage PAF. The trouble there is that's not normally what I look for in a pickup. Most of my gigging guitars have a Duncan JB in the bridge. According to reviews and specs, that's like a polar opposite to the 58/15LT. I just love the JB. It's got that midrange bite that cuts through the mix so well. I'm not really picky on neck pickups as long as they're not muddy. I have/had Duncan Jazz, 59, Whole Lotta Humbucker, among many others, and they all get the job done. Again, I tend to embrace the differences rather than try and make everything the same. I'm just afraid if I go too far in the opposite direction of what I'm used to that I'm gonna hate it.

So where does that leave me?

Well the number one rule is it has to be 22 frets, so Custom 24 is out. Trem I could go either way on, but probably lean more towards a hard tail. I used to think the DGT was going to be the perfect PRS for me but then I read more about it and realized it leaned more towards the Fender side, which is probably less ideal. Double cut is definitely preferred but a single cut is not entirely a deal breaker. And I prefer fat necks to thin necks.

It seems to me that I'm between a McCarty, Custom 22, or 594 (yes, it's still an option, hard for it not to be with how much praise it gets). I don't know much about the 408 or Paul's Guitar, so maybe they should be considered as well. Is there anything I need to know about differences between these models, or even any differences between different years of these models?

I really appreciate any insight you can give me. Thanks!

 

[Alnus Rubra]

Welcome BT, good luck on your guitar hunting journey.

 

[bodia]

Great first post, and welcome to the forum. Based on what you said above, and what you're criteria is, I'd say McCarty. Gives you what you're looking for and is different enough from the 594 to get you different flavors. Having owned several 594s, and a RI '58, I can say that the 594 gets very, very close to that territory, but plays a lot better. I, too, find the LT pickup a lit less than what I like. The 59/09 was great in one of the 594s I had.

As for the DGT, I'm not really sure that it leans Fender. I think they're awesome rock machines. Listen to Grissom tear it up. Of course, taller frets and a narrow nut width are to be taken into consideration.

I know you said no to 24 frets, but the correct answer is always..........SANTANA!

 

[garrett]

I'd steer you towards:

McCarty - It's a great bridge between modern and vintage. Tone is definitely in the realm of old "G" guitars but with an extra dose of snap and clarity your Gibbys won't give you.

McCarty 594, double cutaway - If you want those classic LP-ish tones and four knobs but in a more ergonomic, high performance package. The LT pickups hit at about 7.7k apiece which I'd call moderate for your typical neck PAF style and I'll admit they're a good bit lower wind than your typical bridge PAF. The bridge pickup may not do it for you if you like more heat.

Paul's Guitar - If you want to add a more modern sound to your collection. It will feel similar to the McCarty, but those narrow 408 pickups have their own thing going on. They have a great clarity under gain and a certain midrange that cuts through a mix, but they're never harsh.

 

[RickP]

Welcome to the forum. If you like Les Pauls, talking you out of a 594, especially a single cut version, would be a tall order. It's the Les Paul Gibson wishes they could make consistently, or currently, or both. I have a double and single cutaway 594 (and a Soapbar one, but we'll leave that out here), and surprisingly gravitate to the SC more. And while I am not knocking anyone, I have not found any difficulty getting raging rock tones from the LT pickups. You just have to not use the same sort of settings you use with other (ie: hotter) pickups. Still, I agree that if you want a more midrangy drive from the guitar itself, especially to match with other guitars at the same settings, there are better options. I actually bought the first 594 as a state partner to match with a early 1972 SG using T-Top pickups, which are also lower output, and it works like a charm. A 594 into a smoking Marshall type amp is pretty much an instant Angus recipe.

But, nothing is that simple.

As others have rightly noted, a McCarty is a great stop tail, if you're not wanting to get into trems. But this is as good a time as any to point out that the PRS trem is a great, solid, and musical unit. No need to steer away if you'd like the options.

The guitar I'd like to put on your radar, however, is my normal gigging PRS: the 513. No longer available, so it's good you are considering used. The current version is a 509, which is a great, but not as great as the original, guitar. When you look at it, it will appear as a sort of H-S-H setup, but it is actually 5 proprietary singles with switching options that allow 13 distinct sounds. It is a 25.25 scale, 22 frets. It would take paragraphs to explain what it can do, but it has become the "home base" of my collection, the place I always come back to. The range of sounds is something special, and I can say without reservation: If you don't have a 513, you don't have a guitar like it. It is it's own thing, and you can rest assured it will add something to whatever you have now. For a rock sort of thing, here's a Simon NcBride doing a demo:

and of course, Mr PRS himself can cover it:

 

[21Hemispheres12]

I have both a double cut 594 and reissue Les Paul and I think they are different enough to justify owning both. Keep an eye open for a used wood library run with a 59/09 in the bridge and you should be a happy camper.

 

[Glide-bpm]

408
509 (25.25 scale I think)
Paul's guitar

 

[Glide-bpm]

Heavy lean to the 408...

 

[dogrocketp]

594 is a great guitar, but the scale length is 24.594, hence the name. Consider an older single cut, they have the 25” scale if you really love it. It may need a pickup change, but I always thought of them as an LP on steroids. I’m addicted to the 25” scale now. Everything else just sounds wrong to my old pathetic ears!

 

[bluefade]

You know what I say"Buy one of each" problem solved...

 

[Warmart]

I think a 594 is different enough from a typical LP while being plenty capable of the style you play - so it would be my 1st choice. Followed up with a regular McCarty and a Paul's.

 

[BlastTyrant]

Thanks for the warm welcome and great input so far, everyone! Of course I have a few follow up comments/questions...

Probably my biggest question is, why no Custom 22 recommendations? Is it too far from a LP style?

The McCarty probably makes the most sense and I kinda knew that going in. I'm well versed in swapping pickups and electronics so it seems like a good platform to start with because then I can change out pickups to suit my needs. I guess that was my big concern with the 594, I'd hate to spend the extra money for one and then end up having to swap out pickups anyway because they're not hot enough. Though I guess I could always sell the 58/15 LT pickups if I'm not happy with them. They don't seem to be for sale very often and go for a pretty penny. And I've read some reviews saying the 59/09 or 57/08 would be good options to get me that little extra punch. So the 594 isn't entirely ruled out yet...

The 408 and 509/513 seem like very cool guitars but I think for my first core PRS I'm gonna avoid anything with funky pickup setups. I'd rather not paint myself into a corner if I don't 100% dig the sound. But I will definitely keep the 513 on my radar as a possible purchase down the road.

If I am zeroing in on a standard McCarty, are there any major changes along the years that I should look out for?

 

[Glide-bpm]

Thanks for the warm welcome and great input so far, everyone! Of course I have a few follow up comments/questions...

Probably my biggest question is, why no Custom 22 recommendations? Is it too far from a LP style?

The McCarty probably makes the most sense and I kinda knew that going in. I'm well versed in swapping pickups and electronics so it seems like a good platform to start with because then I can change out pickups to suit my needs. I guess that was my big concern with the 594, I'd hate to spend the extra money for one and then end up having to swap out pickups anyway because they're not hot enough. Though I guess I could always sell the 58/15 LT pickups if I'm not happy with them. They don't seem to be for sale very often and go for a pretty penny. And I've read some reviews saying the 59/09 or 57/08 would be good options to get me that little extra punch. So the 594 isn't entirely ruled out yet...

The 408 and 509/513 seem like very cool guitars but I think for my first core PRS I'm gonna avoid anything with funky pickup setups. I'd rather not paint myself into a corner if I don't 100% dig the sound. But I will definitely keep the 513 on my radar as a possible purchase down the road.

If I am zeroing in on a standard McCarty, are there any major changes along the years that I should look out for?

I can safely say that you won't paint yourself into a bad corner with any of these:

1. 408
2. 509
3. 513

If I could only have one guitar, it would have to be one of those three... Probably the 408 or 509.
I have both (sold my 513 to get my first 509).