I am so glad I found this site. As I do more research here I'm beginning to realize most experienced players prefer the older McCarty's with rosewood necks like mine to the newer models.
Um, not really. I’ve been playing since 1967 and prefer the 594 by quite a bit.
BTW, I had a 2007 McCarty with a rosewood neck.
I play guitar as part of my paying gigs in the ad music world. That doesn’t make my opinion worth more, it’s just background.
The two guitars are simply different; one isn’t somehow ‘better’.
I like the two piece bridge on the 594 more. It results in a woodier tone. So what? That doesn’t necessarily apply to what you like.
I like the neck in the 594 more. Not only is the offset carve more comfortable (for me, YMMV), I like the shorter scale length that affects both feel and tone. Again, so what? How do you know you’d agree with me or anyone else?
Pickups, of course that’s a personal taste thing.
I like the older McCarty design a lot, too, so I’m not knocking the choice anyone else might make.
You’re hearing from people on the internet whose music, tastes, amps of choice, playing style, etc., are THEIRS, not YOURS.
I’d ignore anyone else’s opinion about a guitar other than my own.
Play the 594, then decide on what YOU like. The rest is just opinion. Everybody has an opinion. It may or may not have a thing to do with the opinion in your brain!
Be you. Think with your own unique intelligence and don’t rely on the opinions of people you know nothing about.