S2 McCarty 594 is an EXCELLENT Guitar

[Russ73]

I finally got a chance to play one today and it played and sounded fantastic, not sure what pups are in it but I played it next to a LP and it smoked it as far as tone and playability, its def on my watchlist now for a used one maybe a thinline down the road, was shocked how great it sounded....

 

[Bowtiefanatc]

Glad you enjoyed it! Pickups are 58/15s.

I definitely have a 594 Thinline on my short list!

 

[Broseph]

my fav non core PRS, although I don't love the pickups. But considering the price saved from the core line I upgraded them

 

[Drew]

The one S2 guitar I think they nailed. The electronics need a gut to get it on par with a LP standard but you can still do that and be into it for less than the standard.

 

[SinSir]

The one S2 guitar I think they nailed. The electronics need a gut to get it on par with a LP standard but you can still do that and be into it for less than the standard.

If that standard has the pcb board I'd rip it out too

 

[CrimesAgainstMusic]

I'm wondering if the 58/15S performs substantially different in the S2 594 Thinline, and in the SE Hollowbodies than they do in the S2 594 DC and SC . I bought a Thinline, and I absolutely love it . Not only do the pickups NOT scream out "replace me", the whole platform just feels right to me, with the 24.5" scale length, and most importantly, the "Pattern Thin" neck profile.

Now , the "Pattern Thin" I guess is relative to PRS land, as it subjectively feels more like Fenders "Deep C" profile , in depth and width. Its not as wide as the SE "Wide Thin", while feeling a bit chunkier depth wise . The not advertised but feels like it (again relative to the SE Wide Thin) rolled fret board edges and the very "petite" feel of the thinned body itself, just feels wonderful.

Now some undisputed "Guitar Myths" are that "More Wood Sounds Better" ,and the "Thicker the Better" as far as string gauge goes . My experience with the Thinline belies both myths, as it sounds as beefy as it wants to be, and I string mine with 8 Gauge Rev Willy Mexican Lottery ... (argue with Rick Beato if you want)

But back on point, the S2 McCarty 594 DC is what I wanted to buy initially, because it comes with a "Flamey/Stripey maple cap, and the absolutely killer Dark Cherry Sunburst finish.

But the "Pattern Vintage" neck carve was to be reckoned with. I had no idea what it was like (no PRS Pattern Vintage in my area were available to fondle) . So I passed and went Thinline. I don't regret it, As she is probably my most Fav...

Just recently I did get to fondle an S2 595 SC at the local GC. A beautiful Guitar. But So Massive compared to my Thinline sweetie . At first, I thought "Yeah, I can do this" But as I spent more time with it, I wondered why I would want to fight the big gurl so hard ? ... (even if she is hot !_)

Maybe a DC would be a little different, but the Pattern Vintage carve, at the Nut, is waay heavier that what I am used to. It even felt considerably heavier than the SE "Wide Fat" on the Hollowbody I was flirting with.

As for replacing the pickups, they just may respond differently to the mass of the SC/DC , and not as favorably as they seem to do in the less massive Thinline and Hollowbody ...

At its cost ... The Killer Move may be the 594 SC/DC ... with a set of your choice of killer boutique pickup (say $350 investment) now $2,200 in guitarflesh ...

And have it compared blind to a Core 594 at say $3900 to start ? .....

I'd love to have a Core 594, with all the cool violin carve, and Pornchik Hot 10 Top stripey/flamey ... (my Thinline sweetie is only gurl next door pretty)

But a such modified S2 594 SC/DC in a blind test , I'd bet , would hold its own to the Core with stock 58/15/LT's ... (What did Phil McKnight replace his with ? )

Just sayin... If I can grapple with the "Pattern Vintage" profile maybe I'll be able to say for sure ...
Otherwise I'm holdin' out for a Dealer Special Thinline , with a flamed maple veneer

 

[Drew]

If that standard has the pcb board I'd rip it out too

My 2020 standard is hand wired pots. However, there is nothing wrong with PCB. PCB is in a LOT of stuff these days. Mesa amps and Music Man guitars as a couple of examples.

 

[SinSir]

My 2020 standard is hand wired pots. However, there is nothing wrong with PCB. PCB is in a LOT of stuff these days. Mesa amps and Music Man guitars as a couple of examples.

There's plenty wrong with PCB inside my control cavity but there's also right with it for others. PCB is a hard pass for me. I tried it and no thanks.

 

[Broseph]

Having owned both…I prefer the single cut over the thinline. But that’s me. I’ll take a real maple cap any day. Seeing the real grain under the paint is a treat, highly flamed/quilted or not. But aside aesthetics I like the bigger guitar sound.

 

[Broseph]

What’s PCB wood?

 

[Black Plaid]

What’s PCB wood?

It's not a wood, they are talking about a Printed Circuit Board.

 

[SinSir]

What’s PCB wood?

Here you go.. everything is built into a circuit board with quick connects for pickups, switch, and jack.

 

[Broseph]

Oh. Lol. I that I understand. For a second I thought you guys were talking about some cheap wood

 

[CrimesAgainstMusic]

Having owned both…I prefer the single cut over the thinline. But that’s me. I’ll take a real maple cap any day. Seeing the real grain under the paint is a treat, highly flamed/quilted or not. But aside aesthetics I like the bigger guitar sound.

So , did you swap out the 58/15S in either guitar ?

 

[CrimesAgainstMusic]

The thing I like most about the S2 McCarty, is that it allows me to get into an American made PRS, at a reasonable cost. It has all the good characteristics of any good guitar, and with a "tweek" here or there, it can rival guitars costing way more.

It will never be a esthetically pleasing as a 10 Top Core, but its not supposed to be. However, as someone cited in a different thread, all the beautiful 10 Top/Quilts and what have you ... do not make the guitar sound (or play) any better. But that's not dissing the handwork and craftsmanship that goes into a core.

Most of the music we grew up with, and was created by our Guitar Heroes , was made on "worker-bee" guitars.

Heck, when I was checking our Dan Auerbach (one of my more recent Guitar Heroes ) he has plastic bodied Supro's and Harmony guitars (I think they made Sears's Guitars ? ) in his arsenal. With tools like these , he created some cool material. Tom Morello (another recently discovered hero) claims to be using a Mexican Made Fender Strat. Not even a Custom Shop !

My point being, even the cheapies can produce art. The S2 line is by no means "cheapie". The next Guitar Hero's will probably be using something far less than a Core or S2 for that matter, when they create the next killer riff.

Worker Bee guitars create "art". Core PRS's well kinda ARE Art ...

 

[shimmilou]

If that standard has the pcb board I'd rip it out too

What PCB? Not in my 594s

 

[SinSir]

What PCB? Not in my 594s

In a les paul not 594

 

[Drew]

Here you go.. everything is built into a circuit board with quick connects for pickups, switch, and jack.

Thats actually pretty awesome. It's not inferior. It's just regular pots and caps on a board. The great thing about that is the quick connects for the pickups. I'd totally be on board if all pickup makers could come up with some unified standard for that.

 

[SinSir]

Thats actually pretty awesome. It's not inferior. It's just regular pots and caps on a board. The great thing about that is the quick connects for the pickups. I'd totally be on board if all pickup makers could come up with some unified standard for that.

It might be awesome for the manufacturer but not so much otherwise. Granted the quick connects are neat, but I'll stick with the solder standard.

 

[aphantomvaper]

It took 6 months to grok my S2 594 DC, they are fantastic.

PCB makes the guts modular and much easier to mod or maintain...if done properly. A slab on PCB with everything on it is not exactly that unless the entire guts are being swapped.

$.02