The Official "McCarty 594" Love Thread!!

[CatStrangler]

I have no way to compare directly (my Artist 594 has the standard Gaboon ebony fretboard) with Rosewood, but my gut says ebony vs rosewood fretboard on a mahogany neck is indiscernible.

Ebony and rosewood fretboards are quite different on a mahogany neck IME. An experienced player could note the difference in their hands all else being fairly equal even if the audience could not.

 

[veinbuster]

My best comparison of ebony versus rosewood are a pair of hollow bodies that are otherwise made from the same woods. It is a bit hard to describe the different in words that will be meaningful to anyone else, but I'll give it a shot.

First feel, which is easy: the ebony is silky smooth.
Sound wise: I find the ebony has a bit more sparkle - the highs are a bit more dominant, most noticeably the three high strings, particularly about fifth fret and above. I find this very satisfying on the hollow body.
Articulation: this is the biggest difference to me. I find the ebony very responsive to differences in attack: pick stroke, where I pick, angle of pick, how hard I pick. I like feeling to come out of my right hand, and the ebony shows that best.

Ebony is my favourite fingerboard to play.

 

[László]

Ebony and rosewood fretboards are quite different on a mahogany neck IME. An experienced player could note the difference in their hands all else being fairly equal even if the audience could not.

Having had several of the same model with mahogany necks and both fingerboard materials, I agree.

 

[Guitarsan]

My best comparison of ebony versus rosewood are a pair of hollow bodies that are otherwise made from the same woods. It is a bit hard to describe the different in words that will be meaningful to anyone else, but I'll give it a shot.

First feel, which is easy: the ebony is silky smooth.
Sound wise: I find the ebony has a bit more sparkle - the highs are a bit more dominant, most noticeably the three high strings, particularly about fifth fret and above. I find this very satisfying on the hollow body.
Articulation: this is the biggest difference to me. I find the ebony very responsive to differences in attack: pick stroke, where I pick, angle of pick, how hard I pick. I like feeling to come out of my right hand, and the ebony shows that best.

Ebony is my favourite fingerboard to play.

So I have that going for me, which is nice!

 

[MA Pete]

Thanks guys, with regards to the comments on the Ebony boards. Come to think of it, I don't think I have ever owned two PRS guitars of the same model at the same time, and one with a Rosewood Board and one with an Ebony board.

Perhaps this is a good opportunity to experience that?

 

[MA Pete]

Great pedal, and no wonder you like its tones...after all, it's designed to sound like a vintage EL34 amp, i.e., the thing you most like!

Good point! Perhaps I wasn't being so adventurous after all.

But seriously the tones I was getting after I dialed in the La Grange were way more vintage tones than with the ATMA or Helios, it was a nice change, and I felt more so fit the tones from the 58/15 LT's...

 

[László]

Good point! Perhaps I wasn't being so adventurous after all.

But seriously the tones I was getting after I dialed in the La Grange were way more vintage tones than with the ATMA or Helios, it was a nice change, and I felt more so fit the tones from the 58/15 LT's...

A similar thing happened for me with the McCarty Singlecut's neck pickup, through an Xotic BB pedal, into the DG30. The BB is designed to sound like a Marshall Bluesbreaker, but it did something absolutely fantastic in combination with that pickup and the DG30 for that pickup, Ion that guitar.

It was simply one of those magical combinations where the frequency curves of the guitar, pickup, pedal and amp meshed perfectly.

We could probably have a really interesting discussion about pedals that just "work" with a given guitar/amp/pickup combination, even though in theory you have an amp that is already supposed to do a thing the pedal does!

Then again, I could probably have an interesting discussion with you about why I sold the pedal for no reason at all, and got a different one that didn't work as well for me...

But a man's gotta try stuff, am I right?

 

[yankeebulldog]

Thanks guys, with regards to the comments on the Ebony boards. Come to think of it, I don't think I have ever owned two PRS guitars of the same model at the same time, and one with a Rosewood Board and one with an Ebony board.

Perhaps this is a good opportunity to experience that?

We could do a shoot out like that with another brand if you buy a Lollar High Wind bridge PU.

 

[MA Pete]

A similar thing happened for me with the McCarty Singlecut's neck pickup, through an Xotic BB pedal, into the DG30. The BB is designed to sound like a Marshall Bluesbreaker, but it did something absolutely fantastic in combination with that pickup and the DG30 for that pickup, Ion that guitar.

It was simply one of those magical combinations where the frequency curves of the guitar, pickup, pedal and amp meshed perfectly.

We could probably have a really interesting discussion about pedals that just "work" with a given guitar/amp/pickup combination, even though in theory you have an amp that is already supposed to do a thing the pedal does!

Then again, I could probably have an interesting discussion with you about why I sold the pedal for no reason at all, and got a different one that didn't work as well for me...

But a man's gotta try stuff, am I right?

Thanks for sharing that story!

That reminds me of the fact that I owned a PRS Original Sewell head, declared it as my favorite amp ever, and although I kept it for a few years, I eventually sold it. I went a year or two without one, and eventually bought another one. Declared it to be my favorite amp ever, what was I thinking in ever selling the first one?!? Kept that second one for a couple of years, recently traded it in on a guitar. Now that I have the 594's and I am loving them, I wonder - "What would this sound like through a Sewell?" Sigh...

Thanks also for reminding me that I have an Xotic BB Plus sitting in a drawer collecting dust! I will break that out and check it out with the Sky King and the 594's...

 

[andy474x]

I'd really like to go ebony when I get a 594 (it will happen), on the condition that it doesn't change that sweet tone that these things make. There's something very special about the feel of an ebony board to my hand, that smooth glassy feeling is hard to match. I could easily survive the rosewood too, but ebony would make it my ultimate instrument.

I feel like this guitar was made just for me. If I were to spec a private stock before the 594 came out, this is what it would've been: double cutaway with thicker body, 24.5" scale, mahogany body and neck, maple top, ebony board, 2 piece or fully adjustable wrap bridge, DGT controls w/2 push-pulls, and some variety of lower output pickups. In fact, I said about as much in a thread or two where we discussed such things, not that I expect anyone to look back. Now, if this guitar doesn't come close to ticking all the boxes, I don't know what will. I was thinking a regular McCarty before they came out, but these are just too cool to pass on. My goal is to go to Experience 2017 (if there is one), have an awesome time, and get a 594, which would be my first new Core guitar. If there's one to be had with an ebony board in black gold, don't touch it, you could lose a hand if I'm nearby!

I informed my wife of my plan just earlier tonight, and I think she's cool with it... I just wonder what it's going to cost me...

 

[HANGAR18]

The fingerboards on my 2016 McCarty 594 and my 30th Anniversary CU24 are so dark that they lead me to wonder if they are stained to look like Ebony, or perhaps even wonder if they are in fact Ebony.

 

[László]

Now that I have the 594's and I am loving them, I wonder - "What would this sound like through a Sewell?" Sigh...

Sounds like the kind of thing I do.

We could probably do well sharing the same psychiatrist.

 

[László]

The fingerboards on my 2016 McCarty 594 and my 30th Anniversary CU24 are so dark that they lead me to wonder if they are stained to look like Ebony, or perhaps even wonder if they are in fact Ebony.

PRS definitely doesn't stain their fretboards.

 

[MA Pete]

594 upgrade today! New Ivoroid Tuner Knobs.

Looks great! Really helps to give it more of a Vintage look, especially in this finish. Really matches the binding color well.

In my opinion this model should ship with these to begin with...

Along with getting these put on, also got a setup done, the action is much lower now and it plays and sounds even better!

I will add these on the Burnt Orange Wood Library 594 as well...

P.S. These photos are hosted from PhotoBucket, NOT Google Photos, so hopefully everyone can see them now!

 

[garrett]

594 upgrade today! New Ivoroid Tuner Knobs.

Looks great! Really helps to give it more of a Vintage look, especially in this finish. Really matches the binding color well.

In my opinion this model should ship with these to begin with...

Along with getting these put on, also got a setup done, the action is much lower now and it plays and sounds even better!

I will add these on the Burnt Orange Wood Library 594 as well...

P.S. These photos are hosted from PhotoBucket, NOT Google Photos, so hopefully everyone can see them now!

Nice move! Totally agree.

 

[FJ4]

594 upgrade today! New Ivoroid Tuner Knobs.

Looks great! Really helps to give it more of a Vintage look, especially in this finish. Really matches the binding color well.

In my opinion this model should ship with these to begin with...

Along with getting these put on, also got a setup done, the action is much lower now and it plays and sounds even better!

I will add these on the Burnt Orange Wood Library 594 as well...

P.S. These photos are hosted from PhotoBucket, NOT Google Photos, so hopefully everyone can see them now!

There was another thread where someone had put ebony tuner buttons on the new "Tweaked Phase III Tuners" and he said that the buttons were fit to close to the headstock. Did you have any problem of that kind?

 

[RonnieD]

I'm scheduled to pick up a core 594 tomorrow!!! Just a question, is there anybody playing these with 11's? All my guitars (2 DGT's and a PS DC 245) have 11's, and not sure I want to go "back" to 10's, especially if the 594 is as deadly as everyone says....
RonnieDRonnieD

 

[Tosca]

There was another thread where someone had put ebony tuner buttons on the new "Tweaked Phase III Tuners" and he said that the buttons were fit to close to the headstock. Did you have any problem of that kind?

The original PS GOM version of the 594 came with Ebony buttons. I have a PS 594 built to the original GOM specs, and haven't had any issue with the Ebony button size. I agree that the ivoroid buttons on Pete's above look great too.

 

[MA Pete]

There was another thread where someone had put ebony tuner buttons on the new "Tweaked Phase III Tuners" and he said that the buttons were fit to close to the headstock. Did you have any problem of that kind?

No issues so far! They look 100% identical to the stock chrome/nickel ones, and seem to operate just fine...

 

[László]

The ivoroid buttons look absolutely great, Pete!