I had a 2015 maple neck McCarty Wood Library model with a BRW fretboard. It sounded great, seriously great actually, but like you, I prefer a thicker, darker tone. So I sold it, bought the mahogany neck version, and I'm happy as a clam.
The Official "McCarty 594" Love Thread!!
- Thread starter MA Pete
- Start date
I had a 2015 maple neck McCarty Wood Library model with a BRW fretboard. It sounded great, seriously great actually, but like you, I prefer a thicker, darker tone. So I sold it, bought the mahogany neck version, and I'm happy as a clam.
MA Pete
Pattern Thin Convert!
Exactly what Les said. They sound great, but if you prefer a thick, dark tone, go Mahogany. I really like the dark, warm tones, I go for that every time, guitars, pickups, amps, effects, amp and effect settings, so much so that it is comical.
I really should be more open to diversity in my collection and with different tones. I have thought about trying one of those for that reason.
I had a Strat style guitar in the collection, but between the scale length difference and the general foreign feel and tones, it was collecting dust on the wall, so I traded it towards one of the 594's. I have it on the list to get something for Fendery for a guitar, but it is down the list a bit.
garrett
...
Thanks, Pete. I think it's a particularly good one for this color. My favorite of the Violet 594s I've seen. Plus it's a comfortable 7 lbs 11 oz. Something I noticed this morning is how acoustically loud and resonant it is. I just strummed the open strings while it was sitting on the stand, and it holds its own quite well vs. my HBII.
First thing I played after a few chords was parts of "Steppin' Out" and "All Your Love".
I only get a few minutes of playing per day, so I think tonight might be "Little Girl" and "Double Crossing Time". Thank you all for the well wishes. I think I'll be able to ramp my playing back up in another month or so.
I think the 594 sounds plenty bright with a mahogany neck. The 58/15 LT pups surely contribute to that.
MA Pete
Pattern Thin Convert!
New 594 pickup day!!
Kinman Humless Humbucker-Shaped P-90's.
Holy cow, they SMOKE it this guitar, they sound great!! Looks cool too.
Makes me want to build a Private Stock 594 with the P-90 shaped version of this pickup in it!
Kinman Humless Humbucker-Shaped P-90's.
Holy cow, they SMOKE it this guitar, they sound great!! Looks cool too.
Makes me want to build a Private Stock 594 with the P-90 shaped version of this pickup in it!
Groberts
New Member
New 594 pickup day!!
Kinman Humless Humbucker-Shaped P-90's.
Holy cow, they SMOKE it this guitar, they sound great!! Looks cool too.
Makes me want to build a Private Stock 594 with the P-90 shaped version of this pickup in it!
WOW! That looks beyond amazing! is that a 10-top or considered a "figured top?" I love the shading and the gold knobs lool perfect. ...and the black PUs look cool too. How would you describe the tonal shift from the stock 58/15LT's?
Also, does this still have coil tapping? Or full range for each PU?
Groberts
New Member
Has anyone seen this before? What a cool shade on a gorgeous PRS 594!
http://www.sweetwater.com/store/detail/McCty59410CY
http://www.sweetwater.com/store/detail/McCty59410CY
MA Pete
Pattern Thin Convert!
Thanks for the kind words! Believe it or not, that is a "Non-10" Top. I dig it, gives it a real retro vibe.
They do not split.
Versus the stock pickup, I would describe the sound as still very thick and meaty, just a bit less thick, but more "clear". Sounds great for classic rock tones, riffs, leads, etc. Sounds great clean too, but they don't split, so I would give the stock setup the advantage there. But I have 6 of these, and hardly ever play clean, so not an issue for me.
I had these in an all-Mahogany b3 SL (also a Doublecut Les Paul style guitar), and they sounded great in that guitar too, so I was very eager to try these pickups in a 594. This particular 594 was a real tone monster to begin with, a good platform for these pickups, and to me sort of matches the more vintage vibe of a P-90 as well.
dougstrummer
New Member
Awesome, Pete....just gorgeous and a rocker!! I put Kinman's in a "FrankenStrat" I built about 5 years ago (Robert Cray body, CS neck, best-possible electronics and hardware) and that thing still kills it!! My bandmates comment on how hot and raw the pups are....have a BLAST with that Beast!
bodia
Authorities said.....best leave it.....unsolved
I dig it! I've got a WL Cu24 in Burnt Maple Leaf. It's similar, but has more orange than red.
bodia
Authorities said.....best leave it.....unsolved
New 594 pickup day!!
Kinman Humless Humbucker-Shaped P-90's.
Holy cow, they SMOKE it this guitar, they sound great!! Looks cool too.
Makes me want to build a Private Stock 594 with the P-90 shaped version of this pickup in it!
Dig it Pete. Makes me think about things too.....which could be dangerous!
kes7u
Wife's husband and Dog's dad
Mike Duncan
DGT Player
Okay, so now that Bodia and I have you guys all spun up on 594's with Modern finishes, let's bring things back to the Vintage side.
I am a sucker for Goldtops. My Metallic Green Opaque looks amazing, and that killer Goldtop Burst one I had for a bit also looked killer, so I knew a Goldtop 594 would look great. At least I was pretty sure!
Well, here is the first one I have seen:
Oh man, it looks so good it almost brings a tear to my eye! In my opinion that looks REALLY GOOD, a 594 in a Goldtop, wow. (Needs Ivoroid tuners, though!!)
This one is still available, I am not going after it, as I have other secret plans for my Goldtop...
This is what I'd buy....in a heartbeat!
garrett
...
@MA Pete - I dig the new pickups! I like how dynamic you're making your collection of 594s.
@Groberts - I love all the off-menu color options popping up. Sweetwater also has (had?) a Trampas Green smokeburst. There was a satin Charcoal Burst on Reverb. Looks like the paint shop has been having a bit of fun.
@Mike Duncan - The Goldtop is gone from the Wilcutt site, so someone finally grabbed it. It's such a good look on this model. I'm surprised that's the only one spotted in the wild so far.
Allow me to indulge myself with pics of mine one last time.
It looks a bit more purple in natural light. As usual, PRS has made a color that stays interesting and looks different in various situations.
Nice grain on the headstock veneer, and you can tell the board is quite dark.
Further reinforcement of the observation that these are getting very dark boards. There is only a hint of figure, but I'm fine with that. The guitar has enough bling as is, and the board makes a nice backdrop for the birdies. The color and grain are very similar to the board on my '02 HBII.
@Groberts - I love all the off-menu color options popping up. Sweetwater also has (had?) a Trampas Green smokeburst. There was a satin Charcoal Burst on Reverb. Looks like the paint shop has been having a bit of fun.
@Mike Duncan - The Goldtop is gone from the Wilcutt site, so someone finally grabbed it. It's such a good look on this model. I'm surprised that's the only one spotted in the wild so far.
Allow me to indulge myself with pics of mine one last time.
It looks a bit more purple in natural light. As usual, PRS has made a color that stays interesting and looks different in various situations.
Nice grain on the headstock veneer, and you can tell the board is quite dark.
Further reinforcement of the observation that these are getting very dark boards. There is only a hint of figure, but I'm fine with that. The guitar has enough bling as is, and the board makes a nice backdrop for the birdies. The color and grain are very similar to the board on my '02 HBII.
MA Pete
Pattern Thin Convert!
Awesome! Thanks for sharing that. I have wondered how these pickups are in a band mix, I hope to find out someday...
That would be a pretty sweet Goldtop collection!!
@MA Pete - I dig the new pickups! I like how dynamic you're making your collection of 594s.
@Groberts - I love all the off-menu color options popping up. Sweetwater also has (had?) a Trampas Green smokeburst. There was a satin Charcoal Burst on Reverb. Looks like the paint shop has been having a bit of fun.
@Mike Duncan - The Goldtop is gone from the Wilcutt site, so someone finally grabbed it. It's such a good look on this model. I'm surprised that's the only one spotted in the wild so far.
Allow me to indulge myself with pics of mine one last time.
It looks a bit more purple in natural light. As usual, PRS has made a color that stays interesting and looks different in various situations.
Nice grain on the headstock veneer, and you can tell the board is quite dark.
Further reinforcement of the observation that these are getting very dark boards. There is only a hint of figure, but I'm fine with that. The guitar has enough bling as is, and the board makes a nice backdrop for the birdies. The color and grain are very similar to the board on my '02 HBII.
Garret - very cool! I dig that finish, and that is one of the very best examples I have seen of that finish to-date.
I totally agree that the Core 594's are on average getting very dark boards. I am very pleased that is the case, I love dark boards and really dislike lighter boards. My 3 Core 594's (Green Metallic, Tobacco Burst, Honey) all have dark boards and I love that about them!! The Tobacco board is super dark, goes well with the Tobacco Burst finish. Cool that PRS is going to the extra mile to make these Core 594's great!
Of course on Wood Library 594's if we don't like the boards, we have to blame the dealers for their selections! So far I have gotten pretty nice ones there too, more so some nice Brazilian Boards with cool grain in them.
MA Pete
Pattern Thin Convert!
And oh BTW - INCOMING!!
An unplanned event, darn it, my will power is being tested every day! I may need to shut off my Internet services completely.
An unplanned event, darn it, my will power is being tested every day! I may need to shut off my Internet services completely.
bodia
Authorities said.....best leave it.....unsolved
And oh BTW - INCOMING!!
An unplanned event, darn it, my will power is being tested every day! I may need to shut off my Internet services completely.
I feel your pain............
@MA Pete - I dig the new pickups! I like how dynamic you're making your collection of 594s.
@Groberts - I love all the off-menu color options popping up. Sweetwater also has (had?) a Trampas Green smokeburst. There was a satin Charcoal Burst on Reverb. Looks like the paint shop has been having a bit of fun.
@Mike Duncan - The Goldtop is gone from the Wilcutt site, so someone finally grabbed it. It's such a good look on this model. I'm surprised that's the only one spotted in the wild so far.
Allow me to indulge myself with pics of mine one last time.
It looks a bit more purple in natural light. As usual, PRS has made a color that stays interesting and looks different in various situations.
Nice grain on the headstock veneer, and you can tell the board is quite dark.
Further reinforcement of the observation that these are getting very dark boards. There is only a hint of figure, but I'm fine with that. The guitar has enough bling as is, and the board makes a nice backdrop for the birdies. The color and grain are very similar to the board on my '02 HBII.
Beautiful!
markintime
Wood Grain Devotee
Yeah, like h3ll you will!And oh BTW - INCOMING!!
An unplanned event, darn it, my will power is being tested every day! I may need to shut off my Internet services completely.
MA Pete
Pattern Thin Convert!
Okay guys - so I have an N5D coming tomorrow. So before I get distracted with something new and shiny, I wanted to provide an update here on living with several 594's for a few months now, and having an opportunity to compare them, and having fun in swapping a decent amount of pickups through them as well.
Please note that I am not playing out right now, the last time I played with the bad I have been in since 2009 was April of 2015. It was a great 6 years together, but it has fizzled out since I changed companies. (Might do a reunion gig late this year.) So this context is just in a home playing environment. That said, I think I am more focused on playing what I want to, and exploring tones in gear, from guitars, pickups, amps and pedals right now, versus when I am active with the band. And I have been learning from that, becoming more comfortable and confident with what I like and where to explore next, more now than ever, I think.
As I have stated many times in the 48 pages here, the 594 has been a real mind blower for me, it took everything I loved about the DC and SC Ted's, and took it to a much higher level, removing any remaining shortcomings and making an instrument that is nearly perfect for my tastes. It has been great about the time since March in experiencing the GOM, and also 7 b3 SL's, 2 Les Paul's and several Knagg's to compare against the GOM (plus the 3 Private Stock DC and SC 245's), and keep me busy until the summer when the Core and WL 594's came out, and since then going through 9 more 594's. Wow, did I really do all that so far this year? I guess so!
What has been the most fun has been experiencing the 10 594's over the last several months, and keeping 6 of them so far, and changing pickups in many of them. The changing the pickups thing has been a real eye-opener for me, I haven't done much of that in the past (except upgrading most of my PRSi to covered 5909's over the years, LOL).
I think I have developed a bit of a knack for playing a guitar for a while with stock pickups in it and getting a feel for how it plays and sounds, and have that guide me as to what kind of pickups to put in the guitar. So far so good on the swaps. The High Wind Lollar Imperial's sound great in the Green Metallic, and fit the vibe of that guitar. The regular Lollar Imperials sounded great in the Livingston Lemonburst, but I sold that one, mostly because the fingerboard was too light for my tastes (I think this is the first time I am publicly admitting that, I am so vain!).
But the one that has blown me away as to how much it has transformed the guitar is the ThroBak Peter Green PG-102's in the Vintage Burst. Since I threw those in there, that instantly became my number 1, and it has remained that way ever since. (We'll see if it remains that way tomorrow!)
(Again, the stock pickups are AWESOME, and I will probably always have those in one or two of my 594's, but having different pickups in a few more gives me my own justification on owning several - so far that is working for me!)
The way this one plays and sounds now, I just don't want to put it down, and the others don't get as much play.
That is a very interesting thing about having 5 of the same model in the collection, seeing which ones you grab the most, and thinking about why (and why not). Not only do I connect the most with this one with regards to how it sounds and plays, when I look at it, it is every good DC 245 Ted I owned over the years, and every 59 Burst Les Paul my idols played, all wrapped up into one awesome guitar. It doesn't get any better than that!!
I probably play on average 3 of the 5 every day (mostly at night), but this one has risen to become my favorite. It wasn't at first, that took some time, and a killer set of pickups!
Stay tuned here tomorrow...
Please note that I am not playing out right now, the last time I played with the bad I have been in since 2009 was April of 2015. It was a great 6 years together, but it has fizzled out since I changed companies. (Might do a reunion gig late this year.) So this context is just in a home playing environment. That said, I think I am more focused on playing what I want to, and exploring tones in gear, from guitars, pickups, amps and pedals right now, versus when I am active with the band. And I have been learning from that, becoming more comfortable and confident with what I like and where to explore next, more now than ever, I think.
As I have stated many times in the 48 pages here, the 594 has been a real mind blower for me, it took everything I loved about the DC and SC Ted's, and took it to a much higher level, removing any remaining shortcomings and making an instrument that is nearly perfect for my tastes. It has been great about the time since March in experiencing the GOM, and also 7 b3 SL's, 2 Les Paul's and several Knagg's to compare against the GOM (plus the 3 Private Stock DC and SC 245's), and keep me busy until the summer when the Core and WL 594's came out, and since then going through 9 more 594's. Wow, did I really do all that so far this year? I guess so!
What has been the most fun has been experiencing the 10 594's over the last several months, and keeping 6 of them so far, and changing pickups in many of them. The changing the pickups thing has been a real eye-opener for me, I haven't done much of that in the past (except upgrading most of my PRSi to covered 5909's over the years, LOL).
I think I have developed a bit of a knack for playing a guitar for a while with stock pickups in it and getting a feel for how it plays and sounds, and have that guide me as to what kind of pickups to put in the guitar. So far so good on the swaps. The High Wind Lollar Imperial's sound great in the Green Metallic, and fit the vibe of that guitar. The regular Lollar Imperials sounded great in the Livingston Lemonburst, but I sold that one, mostly because the fingerboard was too light for my tastes (I think this is the first time I am publicly admitting that, I am so vain!).
But the one that has blown me away as to how much it has transformed the guitar is the ThroBak Peter Green PG-102's in the Vintage Burst. Since I threw those in there, that instantly became my number 1, and it has remained that way ever since. (We'll see if it remains that way tomorrow!)
(Again, the stock pickups are AWESOME, and I will probably always have those in one or two of my 594's, but having different pickups in a few more gives me my own justification on owning several - so far that is working for me!)
The way this one plays and sounds now, I just don't want to put it down, and the others don't get as much play.
That is a very interesting thing about having 5 of the same model in the collection, seeing which ones you grab the most, and thinking about why (and why not). Not only do I connect the most with this one with regards to how it sounds and plays, when I look at it, it is every good DC 245 Ted I owned over the years, and every 59 Burst Les Paul my idols played, all wrapped up into one awesome guitar. It doesn't get any better than that!!
I probably play on average 3 of the 5 every day (mostly at night), but this one has risen to become my favorite. It wasn't at first, that took some time, and a killer set of pickups!
Stay tuned here tomorrow...
