What makes a PRS a "McCarty"?

[cwgatti]

I just bought a 594 singlecut "McCarty"
What makes a "McCarty" different from any other PRS?
Thanks,
cw

 

[shinksma]

This is the description of the original McCarty model from the PRS Support page:

McCARTY MODEL: 1994 - 2007. First 100 signed and numbered, wide-fat 22-fret neck only, East coast maple top, 1/8th of an inch thicker mahogany back, stop-tail, vintage-style tuners, covered Dragon Bass PRS humbuckers, changed to McCarty Pickups in ’95 and now includes a push/pull coil-tap on the tone control, 3-way toggle pickup selector, East Indian Rosewood Neck option added in 1998

Basically: it has a thicker body than the CU22/24. And it has a few features that make it resemble Ted McCarty's beloved Les Paul (vintage style tuners, the McCarty pickups which were one of the first real attempts by PRS at mimicking PAF pups, IIRC).

The 594 McCarty model you have is even closer to the original concept, having a LP-like control layout and 24.594" scale length. The SC is even closer to a LP than the double cut, for obvious reasons.

 

[Parralax view]

The only real pan I've ever heard, maybe here, maybe B&M's is the single control set. As a McCarty owner, I've never really had issue with it. I once attended a jam where a guy brought out a vintage LP and asked if any one wanted to play it. I jumped, It sounded great through my amp, but no greater than my Mac. I don't care for the newer Mac, not because of the added control set, but that three way position is so unPRS at least to me. It got in the way of the les paul, it will get in the way of those more accustomed to the original placement. But thats me, and me only. Others may rejoice in it's new position. That's guitars.

 

[garrett]

It is the moniker given to the vintage-themed models, in honor of Ted McCarty.

http://www.prsguitars.com/index.php..._the_story_of_paul_reed_smith_and_ted_mccarty

 

[elvis]

Mojo!!