SE McCarty 594 questions

[Kiper]

These seem like basic questions but I haven't really found many answers in my search so here I am.

I just got my second PRS, an SE McCarty 594 and I love it. I'm still getting used to the pickups, adjusting the height now and then to find a sweet spot. I'm kinda curious, do people typically swap the pickups in these? Are the stock pickups considered good by most owners?

I'm still on the fence, they seem pretty ok so far, but I'm not 100% sold on them. I would prefer not to change them but would if I felt that I'm leaving a lot on the table.

Secondly, I noticed that the string tension feels higher than the 2 Gibson LPs I've had in the past. Anyone else experience this? Will adjusting the stop tail fix this? or maybe it's the factory strings? I typically use D'Addario strings, which I read is what the PRS strings are rebranded from.

 

[Kiper]

Here's a picture. I replaced the knobs right away with the lampshade ones and have vintage locking tuners coming at some point.

 

[Bogner]

It Really Comes Down To Personal Preference. If You Truly Need More From Your Pickups, Then You Need More From Your Pickups Regardless Of What Anybody Else May Think.

My Advice Is Spend Some Time With Your Nice New Guitar And Get To Know It A Bit More. Get It Set Up The Way You Like And See How You Feel About It At That Point. Depending On Your Guitars Natural Attributes And What You Want And Need (And Feel It Is Lacking) Then You Can Look Into Pickup Options.

Congrats On Your New Guitar...It Looks Wonderful.

 

[Matte82]

FWIW I have 594's. A wood library double cut, an artist package single cut, an artist package singlecut soapbar, and an SE Singlecut. I'm kind of a fan. And IMO the SE pickups are super close to the core pickups. And before PRS sold the 58/15LT's on their own, they were fetching some pretty high prices IMO. I think $500-600 was the going price for a pair. And that doesn't necessarily mean they're worth that price. But it means people weren't just swapping them out and creating a surplus of them on the used market. So they are a popular pickup. That also doesn't mean it will be the best pickup for you. But imo they are great pickups and it's worth giving them a chance before just swapping them.

And as to how they compare to the core pickups. The SE are a little more compressed and agressive. So they rock out a little easier. And someone once described the usa version as "polite" and that's a nice way to put it. They don't have that edge unless you dig in, and then that edge is def there, but if you play more conservatively, you get cleaner clearer sound. Where the SE is just kind of in rock mode all the time. But it's not a major difference. I could probably record both guitars back to back and you couldn't hear the difference. It's more in how they feel.

Anyway just my .02.

 

[jak3af3r]

I've had mine for almost a year now and haven't felt an overwhelming need to change the pickups. All I've done was ditch the terrible orange speed knobs and install bourns low friction pots so it feels more similar to my older PRS.

Here's a recording of that setup from one of my regular gigs. I'm playing the high harmony, most of the rhythm, and the second solo.

New video by Jake Turner

photos.app.goo.gl

 

[Kiper]

FWIW I have 594's. A wood library double cut, an artist package single cut, an artist package singlecut soapbar, and an SE Singlecut. I'm kind of a fan. And IMO the SE pickups are super close to the core pickups. And before PRS sold the 58/15LT's on their own, they were fetching some pretty high prices IMO. I think $500-600 was the going price for a pair. And that doesn't necessarily mean they're worth that price. But it means people weren't just swapping them out and creating a surplus of them on the used market. So they are a popular pickup. That also doesn't mean it will be the best pickup for you. But imo they are great pickups and it's worth giving them a chance before just swapping them.

And as to how they compare to the core pickups. The SE are a little more compressed and agressive. So they rock out a little easier. And someone once described the usa version as "polite" and that's a nice way to put it. They don't have that edge unless you dig in, and then that edge is def there, but if you play more conservatively, you get cleaner clearer sound. Where the SE is just kind of in rock mode all the time. But it's not a major difference. I could probably record both guitars back to back and you couldn't hear the difference. It's more in how they feel.

Anyway just my .02.

This is excellent context. This is what I was hoping to get for an answer. Thank you!

They seem decent, just not sure if it's my style. I've gone back and forth with another guitar that has my favourite pickups - SD Hyperion. Those pickups are medium output and have a good edge to them. These 58/15 LT S pickups seem to lack that edge unless I'm really digging in as you said.

Any insight on the string tension question?

 

[Kiper]

Nice playing @jak3af3r !

 

[Kiper]

One thing I'm noticing playing around this morning is just how sensitive these pickups are the the height. It actually helped to compare them to my Hyperions because I adjusted the height of the 58/15LTs until the character was similar and now I'm liking them a lot more.

 

[dirtbiker427]

Experiment with your amp settings too. Try some really "out there" changes until you zero in on what sounds good to you. I know it can be a pain, especially if you only have 1 setup. If you invest in a good modeling amp or software program it is easy to have a different setting for each guitar you own.

 

[Kiper]

Experiment with your amp settings too. Try some really "out there" changes until you zero in on what sounds good to you. I know it can be a pain, especially if you only have 1 setup. If you invest in a good modeling amp or software program it is easy to have a different setting for each guitar you own.

Yeah, I do use Helix mostly. Different settings for different guitars is something I try to avoid. But it seems like I am getting close already with these by changing the pickup height. For recording though, I will for sure change the settings to get the most of each guitar.

 

[rcsrich]

This is excellent context. This is what I was hoping to get for an answer. Thank you!

They seem decent, just not sure if it's my style. I've gone back and forth with another guitar that has my favourite pickups - SD Hyperion. Those pickups are medium output and have a good edge to them. These 58/15 LT S pickups seem to lack that edge unless I'm really digging in as you said.

Any insight on the string tension question?

If string tension seems to be an issue with the same gauge strings that are on your other guitars, then neck might need a truss rod tweak in addition to potentially lowering the bridge/saddle height ( tho you may not need to do the latter once you do the former.)

 

[Kiper]

String action is 1.5/1.25 mm (bass/treble side) and the neck is almost dead flat.

But yeah, the string tension is significantly higher than my previous Gibson LPs, all with 10-46 strings. That's why I'm thinking it might be the brand of strings because different brands do have different feel.

I guess I'll just have to wait and see once I change the strings from the factory strings.

 

[show_a_little_faith]

String action is 1.5/1.25 mm (bass/treble side) and the neck is almost dead flat.

But yeah, the string tension is significantly higher than my previous Gibson LPs, all with 10-46 strings. That's why I'm thinking it might be the brand of strings because different brands do have different feel.

I guess I'll just have to wait and see once I change the strings from the factory strings.

You can also raise the stopbar to decrease the angle that the strings cross the bridge at. It's similar to Top Wrapping on a Gibson stopbar (which you obviously can't do on a PRS style one).

I used to believe the bar needed to be all the way down to the body, to increase sustain. I was wrong! @László suggested raising it, made a big difference

 

[Matte82]

One thing I'm noticing playing around this morning is just how sensitive these pickups are the the height. It actually helped to compare them to my Hyperions because I adjusted the height of the 58/15LTs until the character was similar and now I'm liking them a lot more.

Sorry I didn’t reply sooner. I think adjusting the stop bar may help. But I also think the PRS studs aren’t really designed to not be all the way down. Seems they don’t have a “base” below the bar to hold it up. At least from my recollection.

Faber makes a stopbar that uses washers below it. So that the bar is still “tight” even if it’s raised up. So that might be an idea.

And yes pickup height can make a huge difference. When I got my wood library 594 with a swamp ash body, rosewood neck and Brazilian rosewood board, it did indeed sound different than my other 594’s. But I always do my own setups. And after setting it up and adjusting the pickup heights to be the same as my others. They again sound “nearly” identical. I won’t say they sound identical. But they are super close to my ears.