Please Help a Confused and Overwhelmed Newb

[Jetty]

I have played acoustic guitar, badly, for maybe 15 years, though I have no musical background beyond that. My love affair with The Dead/D&C, etc has led me to purchase an electric, and when I saw JM playing “Honey” in Boulder in June, I decided I had to own a PRS. So….I began researching and have reached a serious state of confusion and indecision, and I’m hoping y’all can help a brother out.

Budget: SE or, maybe, a used S2
Sound: I just don’t have the ear for it, or the vocabulary, to describe what I like. I know I love “Honey.”

Here are the options I’ve identified:

1) SE SS: seems like a versatile instrument for the kind of music I love. I wish it came in sunburst, though. (It shouldn’t matter, but it kind of does). I played one at a shop and it felt nice.

2) SE Cu22 SH: I mean, it kinda LOOKS like a SE, right? But, for real, does it have the sound I’ll want? (Nobody near me has one in stock)

3) s2 McCarty 594. Again, it LOOKS like a guitar I know I love, but i don’t know much about how it will sound stock. How much of “Honey’s” sound is due to the middle PU mod, etc? This is a much bigger $ investment, but I can handle it if I must.

4) almost forgot: Cu24, since it seems like it kind of does everything, and because I played one and kind of wanted to curl up in bed with it.

I need your help because I don’t have the ear or experience at this point to really understand how the rest of the differences in these models (and others in the PRS line) will affect my playing and listening experience.

If y’all could make this simpler for me so I can get some sleep, it’d be much appreciated. Thanks in advance!

 

[jxe]

is ‘honey’ a guitar?

 

[andy474x]

That's a tough one. John's 594 has a middle pickup, which can be a very defining part of the sound if he's using it a lot, and he typically does. I hear him use the neck/middle and bridge/middle combinations on his Silver Sky (and Strats previously) heavily. But that puts you in a tough spot, because the only guitar that you listed that has a middle pickup is the SE Silver Sky, and in all other ways it's about as far from the 594 as you can get.

If you really want to go after the vibe of that guitar and what JM does in Dead and Co., consider either getting a Core Special Semi Hollow, or getting an S2 594 and have a local luthier add a middle pickup to it. An S2 Standard would be another good platform for that mod. If you don't want to mod, the S2 594 might still be closest to the sound you want, but may not do it 100% justice.

 

[bodia]

I agree with Andy, the S2 594 is going to get you closest to ”that” sound from the guitars you list. Coil taps will add to the versatility.

 

[ViperDoc]

Welcome to the PRS addiction forum.

Rather than trying to replicate the sound of a $15-20K artist Private Stock, I would recommend a used core 594. The split pickup sound of the core 58/18LT pickups is divine, and will add single coil flavor when needed. I think the luthier-added middle pickup is a very cool idea, but that’s going to cost easily into core territory.

That said, in order to get into position 2 & 4 territory, a middle pickup is required, but my Special SH doesn’t do strat middle-mixed tones justice; it’s it’s own thing. The most Strat-like guitar in the PRS menu other than the Silver Sky is either the Fiore, the 509 or the Modern Eagle V.

Enjoy the hunt! You can’t lose.

 

[László]

Save your money, and keep practicing.

An SE or S2 isn't currently going to give you that tone. the guitars are fundamentally different.

Plus Mayer uses a zillion dollar Dumble amp most of the time (occasionally a PRS John Mayer model that isn't exactly inexpensive).

You can spend a fortune, but unless you have a similar touch, and similar guitar and amplification, it ain't happenin'.

Of course, this doesn't mean you shouldn't blow a ton of money on gear. You definitely should! It's good for the economy, and the best part is that you can join the club of frustrated guitar players who're trying to cop someone else's tone.

The fantasy that you can sound like [insert name of player] is what keeps the music industry in business!

"On the other hand, maybe he should try to sound like you, Les."

"Only if they're doing ad music tracks. Otherwise, avoid my tone (and my advice) like the plague! He'll be tainted forever!!"

"Your advice..."

"Yes, any advice I give should be completely ignored unless proven true at some later date."

"When will everyone know?"

"OK, start ignoring me...5-4-3-2-1 now!!!

 

[Jimi D]

"On the other hand, maybe he should try to sound like you, Les."

"Only if they're doing ad music tracks. Otherwise, avoid my tone (and my advice) like the plague! He'll be tainted forever!!"

"Your advice..."

"Yes, any advice I give should be completely ignored unless proven true at some later date."

"When will everyone know?"

"OK, start ignoring me...5-4-3-2-1 now!!!

You know, my Daddy always told me not to worry ’bout them voices in my head. Lessin’ they starts talkin’ behind my back least ways…

 

[László]

You know, my Daddy always told me not to worry ’bout them voices in my head. Lessin’ they starts talkin’ behind my back least ways…

"What do you think, Dr. Freud - am I crazy?"

"Well...my guess is you're merely playing out the dialog between your ego and superego in internet posts."

"That's a relief!"

"Don't get a swelled head...I didn't say you aren't out of your freaking mind."

"Speaking of crazy, would you say it's unusual that I'm getting psychiatric advice from someone who's been dead since 1939?"

"It's all about that ouija board, my friend. Who needs the internet when you have a fully functioning ouija board?"

"So true. Of course, I keep it cased when I'm not using it."

"That's very good advice. I suppose you keep it in its original cardboard box?"

"No, I opted for the Artist Package with the paisley hard case. I always use a humidipak. Hasn't needed an adjustment since I got it in 1973."

"Hmm. Not exactly reassuring when it comes to my evaluation of your sanity. When is the asylum planning to release you?"

"I'm not sure there's a plan."

"That's probably a good thing. By the way, how's your fantasy of being an orchestral composer going?"

"Well, you can listen to the stuff on my website."

"Been there. Listen, Stravinsky and Strauss were friends of mine."

"And?"

"Don't quit your day job."

"My day job is 'inmate'. But one day I'm going to run this asylum!"

 

[aphantomvaper]

Having had the SE SS and the S2 594 I'd say an SE SS in Stone Blue will give you a taste of what you want. Les makes an excellent point as two artists can use the same guitar and rig and still sound exactly like themselves. Much of tone is in the fingers the guitar is a transducer that converts this to sound. The SE SS is a heck of a transducer and will cost much less.

Then start saving some dollars, cos you're going to want a S2 594 DC next

 

[Jetty]

I agree with Andy, the S2 594 is going to get you closest to ”that” sound from the guitars you list. Coil taps will add to the versatility.

Thanks for the solid advice from all of you.

I’m not tied to any of the four options I listed—those were just the ones I could readily see. Would anyone recommend anything I haven’t listed?

 

[jxe]

is ‘honey’ a guitar?

sorry, thought it was maybe a jerry garcia tune.

 

[Jetty]

I’m delusional, but not quite so delusional that I think I’ll ever sound anything like JM or JG or (fill in the blank), at least not for more than about four seconds at a time, if I’m lucky, some day, maybe. Hopefully I sound good enough at some point to sound good enough to not be embarrassed in front of my wife or someone else who likes me. I’ll practice hard and do a lot of hoping.

So….I’ve got a little more than a grand to blow on my first guitar. Where would you point me?

 

[Jetty]

Having had the SE SS and the S2 594 I'd say an SE SS in Stone Blue will give you a taste of what you want. Les makes an excellent point as two artists can use the same guitar and rig and still sound exactly like themselves. Much of tone is in the fingers the guitar is a transducer that converts this to sound. The SE SS is a heck of a transducer and will cost much less.

Then start saving some dollars, cos you're going to want a S2 594 DC next

Does anybody know John well enough to change his mind about doing the SS in sunburst or something? Put in a word for me?

 

[Jetty]

Save your money, and keep practicing.

An SE or S2 isn't currently going to give you that tone. the guitars are fundamentally different.

Plus Mayer uses a zillion dollar Dumble amp most of the time (occasionally a PRS John Mayer model that isn't exactly inexpensive).

You can spend a fortune, but unless you have a similar touch, and similar guitar and amplification, it ain't happenin'.

Of course, this doesn't mean you shouldn't blow a ton of money on gear. You definitely should! It's good for the economy, and the best part is that you can join the club of frustrated guitar players who're trying to cop someone else's tone.

The fantasy that you can sound like [insert name of player] is what keeps the music industry in business!

"On the other hand, maybe he should try to sound like you, Les."

"Only if they're doing ad music tracks. Otherwise, avoid my tone (and my advice) like the plague! He'll be tainted forever!!"

"Your advice..."

"Yes, any advice I give should be completely ignored unless proven true at some later date."

"When will everyone know?"

"OK, start ignoring me...5-4-3-2-1 now!!!

Thanks for your thoughts on this. There are quite a few here that are suggesting the S2 594. Do I hear you right that you think the tone of the S2 version may be a bit of a letdown?

 

[Jetty]

Welcome to the PRS addiction forum.

Rather than trying to replicate the sound of a $15-20K artist Private Stock, I would recommend a used core 594. The split pickup sound of the core 58/18LT pickups is divine, and will add single coil flavor when needed. I think the luthier-added middle pickup is a very cool idea, but that’s going to cost easily into core territory.

That said, in order to get into position 2 & 4 territory, a middle pickup is required, but my Special SH doesn’t do strat middle-mixed tones justice; it’s it’s own thing. The most Strat-like guitar in the PRS menu other than the Silver Sky is either the Fiore, the 509 or the Modern Eagle V.

Enjoy the hunt!

Welcome to the PRS addiction forum.

Rather than trying to replicate the sound of a $15-20K artist Private Stock, I would recommend a used core 594. The split pickup sound of the core 58/18LT pickups is divine, and will add single coil flavor when needed. I think the luthier-added middle pickup is a very cool idea, but that’s going to cost easily into core territory.

That said, in order to get into position 2 & 4 territory, a middle pickup is required, but my Special SH doesn’t do strat middle-mixed tones justice; it’s it’s own thing. The most Strat-like guitar in the PRS menu other than the Silver Sky is either the Fiore, the 509 or the Modern Eagle V.

Enjoy the hunt! You can’t lose.

Are the S2 594 pickups pretty different than those on the core model? (I’m sure I could easily look that up, but we’re just talkin here)

 

[RC Mike]

Does anybody know John well enough to change his mind about doing the SS in sunburst or something? Put in a word for me?

JM’s comments on guitar colors have been pretty unambiguous. He wants “modern“ colors, such as things inspired by Tesla‘s paint colors. He’s specifically said he doesn’t want older style finishes, like sunbursts.

A question about your budget: Does it include an amp?

 

[aphantomvaper]

Does anybody know John well enough to change his mind about doing the SS in sunburst or something? Put in a word for me?

You can always get it refinished to whatever color you like.

 

[Jetty]

JM’s comments on guitar colors have been pretty unambiguous. He wants “modern“ colors, such as things inspired by Tesla‘s paint colors. He’s specifically said he doesn’t want older style finishes, like sunbursts.

A question about your budget: Does it include an amp?

No. I’ll figure out amp budget after I find a guitar.

 

[Jetty]

There is a clean SE 245 for sale near me. I’ve heard some comparison between the 594 and the 245 here, but it seems the SC body and the absence of coil-splitting would make it pretty different. Thoughts?

 

[matonanjin]

3) s2 McCarty 594. Again, it LOOKS like a guitar I know I love, but i don’t know much about how it will sound stock. How much of “Honey’s” sound is due to the middle PU mod, etc? This is a much bigger $ investment, but I can handle it if I must.

I can not make comparisons of the different guitars you have asked about. There are hundreds of members on here far more qualified to do that and some already have. But Guitarist magazine did a 50th anniversary of PRS cover article and discussed not onl the history of PRS but articles about many different PRS models. Of most interest to you is they awarded the S2 McCarty 594 Thinline a "10" and the S2 McCarty 594 a "9". I have never seen them, although they have to have done so, give a "10" to anything in their reviews.

Here is my post about that issue of Guitarist. I'm certain that issue is long out of print. But I'll see if I can dig it up in the shambles here of my music room and see what other articles in it may be of use to you.