The Unofficial 2020 McCarty 594 Love Thread!!

[MA Pete]

Okay, so back in 2016 I started the Unofficial McCarty 594 and Singlecut 594 threads, and they did great over time. It was a great place for all things 594 as things progressed an many folks out there acquired their own, after the Feb 2016 GOM Private Stock run of 26 DC 594s, and later the Oct 2016 arrival of my SC 594 Prototype, the November launch of the SC 594, and the SCs starting to show up in dealers in early 2017. That's where it all started, what an adventure that his been! Look at it now, the 594 has been one of PRS's most successful models EVER, and 2020 is taking that to a new level with a cool S2 lineup, and significant changes/improvements to the Core 594s! So I thought it would be great to start a thread here to capture the story of the 2020 594 adventures with everyone.

I will start!

Earlier this month, I got a call from CME saying that this 2020 Prototype SC 594 was off the charts awesome. I drove down *THAT DAY*, played it, and was blown away - bought it on the spot.

It is the very best playing and sounding non-Private Stock PRS I have played or owned. It is pretty close to being as good as my Holy Grail guitar, the 2016 Private Stock SC 594 Prototype. How could this be?

A reminder on changes for the 2020s:

• Nitro Finish
• New Vintage Tuners
• New TCI'ed Pickups (and a new Spec for the SCs - 5815 LT+'s - a hair brighter and a bit more output, optimized for the SCs)
• Some tweaks to the bridge (per the Howard Leese/Tim Pierce Video)

So then I scooped up another one, I had to know if other ones out there were as consistently good.

To my surprise, this one was just about as great!! PRS is really onto something with these improvements to the 2020 McCarty 594s. (By the way, the 2020 "regular" 25" scale McCarty sounded just as amazing as the 594s in the Howard Leese / Tim Pierce video. I bet those are just as consistently good. The 594 scale and 2 Vol 2 Tone setup is just more my thing.)

So the next thing I really need to know is - are the 2020 DC 594s just as amazing as the SC 594s??

As you guys out there get your own 2020 594s, please post about them here! (After the obligatory NGD thread, of course!) Also for those considering one, let's discuss and share thoughts here...

 

[bodia]

There's one on Reverb now that has that classic vintage look. I kinda dig it, but I've sworn off singlecuts.

 

[RickP]

They are both beautiful, but that bursted one has some serious mojo. Perfect top.

Update: The burst @bodia posted also takes me back to some good Kalamazoo memories.

 

[MA Pete]

There's one on Reverb now that has that classic vintage look. I kinda dig it, but I've sworn off singlecuts.

Yes, that one is on my Reverb "Watch" list!

I love Dark Cherry Sunburst, particularly on a Singlecut. Cool vintage top, too! The only reason I didn't snag it is that I am focused on a Doublecut right now for my next acquisition. (The only DC 594s I have right now are a Soapbar and a Hollowbody. Both are amazing, but I don't have one in a traditional configuration of a DC 594 Solidbody with Humbuckers, to compare to the SCs.)

The 2020's are definitely starting to show up at dealers now. When I found the Charcoal SC above a few weeks ago, it was the only full 2020 spec one I could find, beyond the couple of prototypes out there. Now there are several SCs and DCs.

The Charcoal one had a build date of Dec 23, 2019, BTW.

 

[El Fenix]

My next purchase will likely be a 594. Currently loving my DGT goldtop.

 

[Tonart]

Glad to report I’ve one incoming! Just not sure when....

 

[WA Paul]

Oh no, not another MA Pete Unofficial McCarty 594 Love Thread!!!

My wallet can’t afford the GAS attack this time around!

 

[Tonart]

Oh no, not another MA Pete Unofficial McCarty 594 Love Thread!!!

My wallet can’t afford the GAS attack this time around!

I shall be watching this thread with gritted teeth! Gngngngngngg...

 

[ScottR]

Okay, so back in 2016 I started the Unofficial McCarty 594 and Singlecut 594 threads, and they did great over time. It was a great place for all things 594 as things progressed an many folks out there acquired their own, after the Feb 2016 GOM Private Stock run of 26 DC 594s, and later the Oct 2016 arrival of my SC 594 Prototype, the November launch of the SC 594, and the SCs starting to show up in dealers in early 2017. That's where it all started, what an adventure that his been! Look at it now, the 594 has been one of PRS's most successful models EVER, and 2020 is taking that to a new level with a cool S2 lineup, and significant changes/improvements to the Core 594s! So I thought it would be great to start a thread here to capture the story of the 2020 594 adventures with everyone.

I will start!

Earlier this month, I got a call from CME saying that this 2020 Prototype SC 594 was off the charts awesome. I drove down *THAT DAY*, played it, and was blown away - bought it on the spot.

It is the very best playing and sounding non-Private Stock PRS I have played or owned. It is pretty close to being as good as my Holy Grail guitar, the 2016 Private Stock SC 594 Prototype. How could this be?

A reminder on changes for the 2020s:

• Nitro Finish
• New Vintage Tuners
• New TCI'ed Pickups (and a new Spec for the SCs - 5815 LT+'s - a hair brighter and a bit more output, optimized for the SCs)
• Some tweaks to the bridge (per the Howard Leese/Tim Pierce Video)

So then I scooped up another one, I had to know if other ones out there were as consistently good.

To my surprise, this one was just about as great!! PRS is really onto something with these improvements to the 2020 McCarty 594s. (By the way, the 2020 "regular" 25" scale McCarty sounded just as amazing as the 594s in the Howard Leese / Tim Pierce video. I bet those are just as consistently good. The 594 scale and 2 Vol 2 Tone setup is just more my thing.)

So the next thing I really need to know is - are the 2020 DC 594s just as amazing as the SC 594s??

As you guys out there get your own 2020 594s, please post about them here! (After the obligatory NGD thread, of course!) Also for those considering one, let's discuss and share thoughts here...

Yup...those two are haunting my dreams! Lusting for one of the 2020s so hard right now!!!

 

[dmatthews]

No way I'm gonna post in this thread which will be a reminder of these new guitars on a daily basis!




































DOH!

 

[MA Pete]

Ha! Sorry to be the "Harbinger of GAS"!

My next purchase will likely be a 594. Currently loving my DGT goldtop.

DGTs are great, too! My third favorite PRS model, behind the SC 594 and DC 594. Love the Goldtops too - in fact, my first gig with a band was with a DGT Goldtop in 2009, so I have a special place in my heart for that one!

(I am actually contemplating getting another DGT this year, to complement the 594s...)

Glad to report I’ve one incoming! Just not sure when....

Cool - congrats!

 

[WA Paul]

No way I'm gonna post in this thread which will be a reminder of these new guitars on a daily basis!




































DOH!

Weird, I can’t see the pictures (on my iPad)

 

[dmatthews]

Weird, I can’t see the pictures (on my iPad)

They're purposely invisible!

 

[WA Paul]

They're purposely invisible!

Doh!

Time for more coffee!

 

[11top]

Does 2018 count?

 

[shinksma]

Does 2018 count?

Oh man, don't post pics of that! Make me want to try to buy it from you! I'm trying to hold out for a 2020, with all the magic mojo that @MA Pete (and PRSh) keeps rattling on about!

 

[MA Pete]

Oh no...

It turns out that the 2020 Doublecut 594s are just as awesome as the Singlecuts! (Well, at least the first one I have tried is.)

That means trouble for a lot of our wallets!

 

[MA Pete]

Oh no...

It turns out that the 2020 Doublecut 594s are just as awesome as the Singlecuts! (Well, at least the first one I have tried is.)

That means trouble for a lot of our wallets!

Yup, the 2020 DC's are great too, if this one is a good representation of them!

 

[Bob Hundemer]

Hey Pete, are these actual 2020 models with the nitro finish at al?

 

[MA Pete]

Hey Pete, are these actual 2020 models with the nitro finish at al?

Yes, all three of my 2020s have the full set of 2020 changes.

From above, changes for the 2020s:

• Nitro Finish
• New Vintage Tuners
• New TCI'ed Pickups (and a new Spec for the SCs - 5815 LT+'s - a hair brighter and a bit more output, optimized for the SCs)
• Some tweaks to the bridge (per the Howard Leese/Tim Pierce Video)

From Shawn Nuthall in late October 2019, just after the Tim Pierce / Howard Leese video was posted:

The changes mentioned in the Tim/Howard video are all "flying changes". The finish on all Core models is now the new nitro finish. All core pickups will be TCI by November 1st and the new 594 tuners will be 100% implemented by January 1st.

So the Nitro has been there on production guitars since before late October, and the TCI pickups by Nov 1. Many guitars out there built in November and December will have those changes and still have the Phase III tuners. My Charcoal SC is the first full 2020 spec one I have seen with the new tuners, and it was born on Dec 23, 2019 (besides the 2020 Prototype). For reference - the SC's serial number is 19 0291700. The new DC is 20 0290889. I would assume that Serial Numbers are not exactly but roughly linear by build date - but the fact that the DC is a 2020 and the SC is a 2019, but the DC has a lower serial number proves there is not an exact correlation of serial number and build date.

Now anything showing up in dealers should have the full 2020 spec including the tuners. When I bought the SC a few weeks ago, that was the only one I saw out there. Now, there are a LOT of them out there, with more showing up every day.

(Bob, I see you posted on that thread back in October, so you have likely seen that already, sharing for everyone else here for clarity.)

With regards to the tuners, here is what Shawn says:

The new tuners weigh less than the Phase III tuners. Changing the weight of the tuners changed the way the guitar sounds.

As I have said, I dislike string changes with non-locking / vintage tuners. However, these guitars sound so darn good, I am sold on the change. If I were to spec a Private Stock right now, I would spec them with these tuners to optimize for great tone.

Hope that helps!