The National Bureau of There Can Only Be One

[László]

Great write up! Any chance in getting you to do a comparison video on YouTube comparing the two? Come on I humiliated my self a couple weeks ago doing the Paul’s guitar comparison video I really think it would be cool

I can do a high quality audio recording comparing them, and post it on SoundCloud. As soon as I break free from some ad work I’ve got in process I’ll take a whack at it.

Video is way out of my wheelhouse, and anyway, I prefer high quality audio for comparisons like this. Can’t get that with an iPhone, at least with the equipment I have on hand.

 

[Andrew Paul]

I can do a high quality audio recording comparing them, and post it on SoundCloud. As soon as I break free from some ad work I’ve got in process I’ll take a whack at it.

Video is way out of my wheelhouse, and anyway, I prefer high quality audio for comparisons like this. Can’t get that with an iPhone, at least with the equipment I have on hand.

I know you can do high quality audio! Hope you find the time for the comparison and post it on SoundCloud, that would be great Les.

 

[László]

I know you can do high quality audio! Hope you find the time for the comparison and post it on SoundCloud, that would be great Les.

No problem - it’ll be fun to mess around with!

I did one comparing the 594 Soapbar with the 594, and there was a veru interesting difference there as well. I think I posted that last year at some point, or maybe the previous fall. Not sure.

The great thing about these comparisons is that they’re fun to do, no-pressure items. Most of my studio sessions are me freaking out thinking, “What if the client doesn’t like it!!”

 

[Andrew Paul]

Post the link when you have time, I’d like to listen to that one

 

[László]

Post the link when you have time, I’d like to listen to that one

It's called Messy because it's one of those "WTF was I thinking (?)" tracks. But it does show the two guitars:

https://soundcloud.com/lschefman/messy-20

 

[Black Plaid]

It's called Messy because it's one of those "WTF was I thinking (?)" tracks. But it does show the two guitars:

https://soundcloud.com/lschefman/messy-20

This was a great comparison. I liked all the notes!

 

[Andrew Paul]

It's called Messy because it's one of those "WTF was I thinking (?)" tracks. But it does show the two guitars:

https://soundcloud.com/lschefman/messy-20

Thanks, I’ll check it out!

 

[veinbuster]

It's called Messy because it's one of those "WTF was I thinking (?)" tracks. But it does show the two guitars:

https://soundcloud.com/lschefman/messy-20

Really nice.
It didn’t even matter that I didn’t know which guitar was when.

 

[Andrew Paul]

Thanks for for posting, it sounds great! I listed to some others again also.

 

[MA Pete]

Les, this is a great thread, thank you for posting it!

I agree that the Maple neck and the V12 finish versus Mahogany Neck the PS Nitro finish would influence the tone difference, perhaps as much as the SC to DC difference.

I can relate re "there can only be one" - I have the same situation with regards to the SC 594 Prototype. Since it has arrived and I have processed what it is (which took me some time), it is my "one", my Holy Grail. A destination of sorts on the tone journey. It was so disruptive that it caused a bit of a guitar midlife crisis that too my two-year hiatus to fully process and move beyond!

But now I see it clearly - I accept that I will never find another guitar that hits that "classic Singlecut tone" in my head than this one. And I will stop looking, I am okay with that now.

That said, I can still enjoy the different nuances of the 594 lineup and appreciate the differences. My new SC 594 SH, DC 594 HB II and DC 594 Soapbar guitars are all amazing in their own way, keeps it very fun and fresh! Yet still, there can only be one.

I have some thoughts on the Ted McCarty SC 245 PS model and its importance in the lineage to the 594 - I will circle back more on that later...

 

[sergiodeblanc]

Les, this is a great thread, thank you for posting it!

I agree that the Maple neck and the V12 finish versus Mahogany Neck the PS Nitro finish would influence the tone difference, perhaps as much as the SC to DC difference.

I can relate re "there can only be one" - I have the same situation with regards to the SC 594 Prototype. Since it has arrived and I have processed what it is (which took me some time), it is my "one", my Holy Grail. A destination of sorts on the tone journey. It was so disruptive that it caused a bit of a guitar midlife crisis that too my two-year hiatus to fully process and move beyond!

But now I see it clearly - I accept that I will never find another guitar that hits that "classic Singlecut tone" in my head than this one. And I will stop looking, I am okay with that now.

That said, I can still enjoy the different nuances of the 594 lineup and appreciate the differences. My new SC 594 SH, DC 594 HB II and DC 594 Soapbar guitars are all amazing in their own way, keeps it very fun and fresh! Yet still, there can only be one.

I have some thoughts on the Ted McCarty SC 245 PS model and its importance in the lineage to the 594 - I will circle back more on that later...

Oh, this guitar changed the way I looked at PRS Singlecuts. I’m glad you kept it.

 

[Tonart]

Since we’re on the topic, here’s one of my holy grails! The unicorn nose whisker factor here is its solid African Blackwood neck, which Paul shared in a Facebook “Vault/Tonewood” video to be the rarest material he’s ever encountered. He had seen a grand total of only two African Blackwood neck blanks in his career. Two, fancy that! Unbelievably poreless, shiny and smooth. Oh and the tone is very special!

 

[László]

Really nice.
It didn’t even matter that I didn’t know which guitar was when.

Doh! I should have pointed that out! The Soapbar was the first little solo, the humbucker was the second.

 

[László]

Les, this is a great thread, thank you for posting it!

I agree that the Maple neck and the V12 finish versus Mahogany Neck the PS Nitro finish would influence the tone difference, perhaps as much as the SC to DC difference.

I can relate re "there can only be one" - I have the same situation with regards to the SC 594 Prototype. Since it has arrived and I have processed what it is (which took me some time), it is my "one", my Holy Grail. A destination of sorts on the tone journey. It was so disruptive that it caused a bit of a guitar midlife crisis that too my two-year hiatus to fully process and move beyond!

But now I see it clearly - I accept that I will never find another guitar that hits that "classic Singlecut tone" in my head than this one. And I will stop looking, I am okay with that now.

That said, I can still enjoy the different nuances of the 594 lineup and appreciate the differences. My new SC 594 SH, DC 594 HB II and DC 594 Soapbar guitars are all amazing in their own way, keeps it very fun and fresh! Yet still, there can only be one.

I have some thoughts on the Ted McCarty SC 245 PS model and its importance in the lineage to the 594 - I will circle back more on that later...

That one's truly magnificent, but I don't have to tell you that. Looking forward to your discussion about these models!

 

[László]

Since we’re on the topic, here’s one of my holy grails! The unicorn nose whisker factor here is its solid African Blackwood neck, which Paul shared in a Facebook “Vault/Tonewood” video to be the rarest material he’s ever encountered. He had seen a grand total of only two African Blackwood neck blanks in his career. Two, fancy that! Unbelievably poreless, shiny and smooth. Oh and the tone is very special!

That deserves its own thread, plus a clip of how it sounds!

 

[vchizzle]

I agree 100% on body to neck construction on impacting tone -SC vs. DC construction. Can a DC get in the ballpark of an SC? Sure...in the ballpark. But, SC construction has always given that extra low mid thump in my experience. It’s physics. More body wood attached to the neck results in that tonal attribute. The same with an acoustic with a cutaway vs non cutaway. Different sound.

 

[veinbuster]

Doh! I should have pointed that out! The Soapbar was the first little solo, the humbucker was the second.

Listening again more closely, I might have been able to guess that. I liked both while listening.
If I had to choose a side, it would be the humbucker by a nose.

 

[László]

Listening again more closely, I might have been able to guess that. I liked both while listening.
If I had to choose a side, it would be the humbucker by a nose.

I gravitate more toward humbuckers in general, but there’s that horn-like quality of the soapbars through a pushed amp that’s awfully nice in various contexts. They also clean up well.

We’re lucky to have so many amazing choices!

 

[László]

I agree 100% on body to neck construction on impacting tone -SC vs. DC construction. Can a DC get in the ballpark of an SC? Sure...in the ballpark. But, SC construction has always given that extra low mid thump in my experience. It’s physics. More body wood attached to the neck results in that tonal attribute. The same with an acoustic with a cutaway vs non cutaway. Different sound.

This is 100% true. The same can be said of hollow bodies creating different sounding resonant peaks.

The folks who say that only the electronics matter have hearing issues, if you ask me. You can clearly hear the effect of the woods and body cavities.

 

[Tonart]

This is 100% true. The same can be said of hollow bodies creating different sounding resonant peaks.

The folks who say that only the electronics matter have hearing issues, if you ask me. You can clearly hear the effect of the woods and body cavities.

Yup so strange but wonderful ya. Amazing how it all works and comes together in an almost poetic way. It’s something not supposed to happen when taken at face value (given that it’s all supposed to function on ‘only electronics’, but nature has ruled otherwise!