pickup swap time - McCarty Semi

[wiredin]

I picked up an old stocker McCarty Semi Hollow coming on 2 years ago and it's been my primary guitar since I picked it up. I'm playing in a hard rock band, verging on metal. I do some shoegazing stuff in the band building on ambient sound scapes and layers. love my trem, reverb, and delay. That being said I'm switching between my Custom 24 and the McCarty a lot and even sometimes using one of my other guitars in the collection.

Man the McCarty is DARK sounding. It is something I've been fighting with for the whole time I've owned it. It plays amazing, even better than my Custom 24 or my old ES335 which feels like a worn in pair of jeans. This the best playing guitar I've ever owned... but the tone is just so dark. Switching between the McCarty and my ES335 for example is intense, the bridge pickup of the McCarty is darker than the neck pickup of the 335. The 335 bridge pickup is like a icepick in the forehead.

I've attempted to adjust pickup height and try and make the stock pickups work, because they really sound amazing when I have my rig EQ'd for the McCarty. But I need to be able to make the rig work for all my stuff not just one guitar.

I'm looking at swapping out pickups, since the band is on the harder end of things I'm looking at the newer, lower gain Mark Holcolmb pickup set as I love the clean tones I hear in demos, and the tightness. I have my 335 for more of that PAF sound. I'm also thinking Dimrazio Super D's. Something with a good midrange.

suggestions?

 

[dmatthews]

I picked up an old stocker McCarty Semi Hollow coming on 2 years ago and it's been my primary guitar since I picked it up. I'm playing in a hard rock band, verging on metal. I do some shoegazing stuff in the band building on ambient sound scapes and layers. love my trem, reverb, and delay. That being said I'm switching between my Custom 24 and the McCarty a lot and even sometimes using one of my other guitars in the collection.

Man the McCarty is DARK sounding. It is something I've been fighting with for the whole time I've owned it. It plays amazing, even better than my Custom 24 or my old ES335 which feels like a worn in pair of jeans. This the best playing guitar I've ever owned... but the tone is just so dark. Switching between the McCarty and my ES335 for example is intense, the bridge pickup of the McCarty is darker than the neck pickup of the 335. The 335 bridge pickup is like a icepick in the forehead.

I've attempted to adjust pickup height and try and make the stock pickups work, because they really sound amazing when I have my rig EQ'd for the McCarty. But I need to be able to make the rig work for all my stuff not just one guitar.

I'm looking at swapping out pickups, since the band is on the harder end of things I'm looking at the newer, lower gain Mark Holcolmb pickup set as I love the clean tones I hear in demos, and the tightness. I have my 335 for more of that PAF sound. I'm also thinking Dimrazio Super D's. Something with a good midrange.

suggestions?

What year is your McCarty?
I have a 2001 McRosie and I found the stock pups a bit dark (for me) as well.
I just put a pair of 58/15 LT pups in there and I'm tickled pink!
I'm a classic rock rhythm player, FYI.

A tale of two McCarty pup swaps...

Welp... After 6 months of thinkin' about it, I finally committed. At the time of purchasing my 2019 AP SC SH, I also bought some 58/15LT+ pickups. I just dropped two guitars and the pups off at my tech's place. So... These... Are going into this... And the pups that come out of the 594...

forums.prsguitars.com

 

[RedGuitars]

McSemi? Do tell. F hole, no? Never heard of a semi-hollow McCarty.

 

[Glide-bpm]

I picked up an old stocker McCarty Semi Hollow coming on 2 years ago and it's been my primary guitar since I picked it up. I'm playing in a hard rock band, verging on metal. I do some shoegazing stuff in the band building on ambient sound scapes and layers. love my trem, reverb, and delay. That being said I'm switching between my Custom 24 and the McCarty a lot and even sometimes using one of my other guitars in the collection.

Man the McCarty is DARK sounding. It is something I've been fighting with for the whole time I've owned it. It plays amazing, even better than my Custom 24 or my old ES335 which feels like a worn in pair of jeans. This the best playing guitar I've ever owned... but the tone is just so dark. Switching between the McCarty and my ES335 for example is intense, the bridge pickup of the McCarty is darker than the neck pickup of the 335. The 335 bridge pickup is like a icepick in the forehead.

I've attempted to adjust pickup height and try and make the stock pickups work, because they really sound amazing when I have my rig EQ'd for the McCarty. But I need to be able to make the rig work for all my stuff not just one guitar.

I'm looking at swapping out pickups, since the band is on the harder end of things I'm looking at the newer, lower gain Mark Holcolmb pickup set as I love the clean tones I hear in demos, and the tightness. I have my 335 for more of that PAF sound. I'm also thinking Dimrazio Super D's. Something with a good midrange.

suggestions?

Put some Mojotone Dusty Waring Tomahawk II pickups in it.
You'll be surprised at how good they sound and versatile they are!

 

[Bowtiefanatc]

Put some Mojotone Dusty Waring Tomahawk II pickups in it.
You'll be surprised at how good they sound and versatile they are!

Heard decent things about the pickups, won’t touch them because of the artist.

BKPs likely has some nice options as well since you don’t want PAF.

 

[Bowtiefanatc]

Let’s see photos of this McSemi. Never seen one, didn’t know they existed.

 

[Glide-bpm]

I love my CE24 DW Floyd. Don't care for the artist either for obvious reasons, but it wouldn't make me get rid of one of my favorite rock guitars!

 

[Rider1260]

A set of Mira ( core ) or 245 pickups will sound killer in a McCarty , brighter with more push

 

[wiredin]

It's a 2019 and is loaded with 58/15 pickups.

Honestly a stunner. I walked in for my 40th birthday to buy a new guitar as it's been a while I originally grabbed an SE Hollow body piezo but the neck was messed up.

 

[Bogner]

BKP Polymath

 

[Bowtiefanatc]

It's a 2019 and is loaded with 58/15 pickups.

Honestly a stunner. I walked in for my 40th birthday to buy a new guitar as it's been a while I originally grabbed an SE Hollow body piezo but the neck was messed up.

Ohhhhh ok a 594 SH. That makes much more sense.

 

[Bowtiefanatc]

BKP Polymath

Absolutely!

 

[Stephen J.]

Didn’t someone install 1 Meg volume pots to open up their dark pickups?

 

[dmatthews]

It's a 2019 and is loaded with 58/15 pickups.

Honestly a stunner. I walked in for my 40th birthday to buy a new guitar as it's been a while I originally grabbed an SE Hollow body piezo but the neck was messed up.

Aha!
Welp, you can ignore my post then
Surprised that you find the 58/15 LT "dark", but it's all subjective!
Enjoy the hunt!

 

[wiredin]

Aha!
Welp, you can ignore my post then
Surprised that you find the 58/15 LT "dark", but it's all subjective!
Enjoy the hunt!

yea they are very dark for me. it's like someone took the bass knob and turned it upto 11 and broke it off.

 

[wiredin]

Didn’t someone install 1 Meg volume pots to open up their dark pickups?

okay thats a good idea and something I'll check into before throwing new pickups into it

BKP Polymath

those are on my list for sure. but no local supplier and they are expensive from the places I did find them at.... like stupidly expensive.

 

[gush]

What year is your McCarty?
I have a 2001 McRosie and I found the stock pups a bit dark (for me) as well.
I just put a pair of 58/15 LT pups in there and I'm tickled pink!
I'm a classic rock rhythm player, FYI.

A tale of two McCarty pup swaps...

Welp... After 6 months of thinkin' about it, I finally committed. At the time of purchasing my 2019 AP SC SH, I also bought some 58/15LT+ pickups. I just dropped two guitars and the pups off at my tech's place. So... These... Are going into this... And the pups that come out of the 594...

forums.prsguitars.com

I put LTs in my 2000 McCarty and I'm very happy . Bridge pickup is an odd duck, I'm not 100% in love with tone but it just feels good under my fingers. Neck PU is absolutely incredible.

Not sure bridge pickup would be suitable for heavier stuff but I don't use dirt pedals so using one might make the difference.

I had 8515 set in it before the LTs and I was using more gain then. Hated that bridge pickup and it was the quickest PU removal ever!

 

[jak3af3r]

Let’s see photos of this McSemi. Never seen one, didn’t know they existed.

They're not common but do exist. This is a semi-hollow McCarty with no f-hole.

I thought this thread might be about one like mine because I could see where some might find these pickups dark.

https://imgur.com/n0KAcMn

 

[Bogner]

those are on my list for sure. but no local supplier and they are expensive from the places I did find them at.... like stupidly expensive.

The Internet Sells Them And It Goes All Over The World.

You Can Buy Direct As Well If You Can't Find Them On Reverb Or From A Shop So They Are Available. I Wish They Were Less Expensive But Being Unhappy With Your Tone Is Costly As Well.

All Kidding Aside, BKP Makes A Really Nice Pickup. In My Hollow And Semi Hollow Guitars I Have Also Had Success With These.
Suhr Thornbucker
Lollar Imperial
Haussell Vintage/Custom