The PRS Mcarty 594 SE Is Amazing But Confusing - Full Review
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- Опубликовано: 8 сен 2024
- The PRS McCarty 594 SE Is a great guitar that might confuse you
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Hi Dylan, First time here. My name is Gary, AKA BFG in the NE. I'm 71, played guitar for 55 years, and been a tech for 40 of those. I have small guitar collection, 50 or so, and a micro-shop in my home. (~350 f2). I can give you some of my opinions on the 594, maybe help?
First scale, the original LesPaul from 1954 to who knows exactly when, per McCarty, was 24.594 inches. That is where Paul got that number. The wood thing.. The further away from the equator a tree grows, the more 'twist' it will have in it. A tree seeks sunlight, and maximizes its exposure to it. To relieve twist, the smaller the "strip" cut parallel to the trunk the better. Core models get machined and "rested" many times over, to allow the wood to move(twist), then machine it out again. So the neck with 3 parallel "strips" will stay more stable w/o the resting process. The wings are just for size, even Gibson does that. The body may be done just to cut the best parts to use, for price consideration. Remember a "glue joint" can be stronger than the wood itself. Most all companies use 2 piece maple tops, a size vs price thing. The veneer top is just "lipstick" to make it look better, that's all. I think your right about the pup thing. About a 100:20 percent. I'm not a fan of splitting or tapping a pup. I think they are trying to take some wraps out of one side at 100:20, keeping some for volume, and hum-bucking, while reducing base side response. Just remember, this guitar cost about 20% of a full boat core 594!! I'm personally going to buy one myself. I have already bought a USA made 58/15 LT pup set. I will also add top 10% pots/switches and wire, and eliminate the tap feature. Even the S models (Stevensville USA) made 594's use "S" type (imported) pickups. That adds $500+ to my SE, but should result in a great guitar!!
Sorry I was so 'wordy' here, I haven't let loose anyplace else yet. LOLOL Please remember these are JMHO's. Thanks and Peace.. --gary
Gary this was really well worded and we could all learn something from you. Awesome.
So glad you mentioned, “That PRS sound”. So many reviewers always mention doesn’t get that Gibson Sound, or that Fender sound. Yeah, it’s not either of those, it’s a PRS sound on a PRS. Like saying a Dodge doesn’t drive like a Ford or Chevrolet, yeah, we know this.
I have one; it's a fantastic guitar. It's my first PRS. It's light weight, easy to play, looks awesome & the tone options are impressive.
This vid was Amazing yet Confusing.
👍🤙✌️🤣😂🤣
Hm, what do you mean? Amazing. Hm, or confusing?
Damn it 😂
Hey Dylan, love your approach to reviews. More logical and factual than emotional. I always learn something new. I’m a big fan of a big neck and a zero neck relief setup. If I can find this same spec on one of their new SE guitars that has a trem, that will be great for me. Hope you have a great 2023.
Dgt has a flat neck too according to Phil
Hi Andre 👋🏽 love your reviews as well. Both of you bring something different to the table and add value to the conversation
The Doctor is in the house
The last SE custom 24
👍👍
PRS is known for their 25" necks - but what makes this a top seller for PRS is that this is a 24.594" neck - hence the name 594 - which is a smaller length than Gibson necks at 24.75 inch. PRS McCarty 594 SEs are competing against Gibson's SGs and Les Paul's. This guitar is about a $1000 including tax. The neck thickness is also shaved down a little from a '59 Les Paul neck - which was considered chunky. If you are in the market for a '59 style Gibson Les Paul - this model of PRS is worth trying out. It is highly competitive in price, playability, and tone next to a Les Paul. And the coil split is an extra feature - giving even wider tonal variety than a Gibson. I even like the coil split better than a traditional Stratocaster pick-up by Fender. This is an all-purpose axe. The only thing missing is a whammy bar - but the extra stretchiness of the strings compensates well for the lack. I am not a PRS fanboy - but this guitar checks all the boxes for me. If I was in the market for another guitar - this one would be at the top of my list. One added note: the PRS website customizes the tuners - so for a small upcharge you can get locking tuners - if that is a must-have.
Thank you for the video synopsis
I am going to get one of these as soon as I can sell off some of my excess gear. I've wanted a McCarty for a long time and now that they are available in the SE series, I'm going for it. Thanks for the review.
The neck is asymmetrical in that the treble side is not as thick, my 2017 LP Standard HP has one and it's amazingly comfortable. Already pre-ordered the SE DGT but which should be here any day but have a couple of things up for sale to order one of these. Been wanting both a DGT and 594 but already have a Core C24 Piezo and Tremonti and just can't afford any more. Very excited to finally purchase these at a reasonable price. Your video on this is the most thorough yet, thank you Dylan!!!
I get what you're saying about the low output and the coil split, but I actually really liked the coil split tone you got. It's way different and much brighter to be sure, but I thought it sounded kinda fun. Thanks for a super thorough review, I dig it.
Great video! Don’t know if you heard PRS say this, but according to him, that scale length isn’t unique, it’s the Gibson scale length. Gibson says its 24.75 but he claims it’s 24.596. I measured my 2010 Les Paul’s scale length and it was 24.6. Maybe would be interesting if you did some digging into it in another video!
Very interesting! I have a PRS SE Standard 24, the most affordable PRS, and the coil splitting is great, as is the rest of the guitar.
It really doesn't matter what an electric guitar is made of! I still don't know why anyone is hung up on tonewood.
My Gibson SG has a flame maple top and I bought it because it looks nice.... why can't we just admit that certain pieces of wood are used because it looks nice and others used because grain works best for the guitars.
It's just that it does make a difference. If it didn't, why don't all Strats, Teles, Les Pauls, SGs, and PRSi sound the same when they're spec'd the same? My SG almost tickles when strummed because of its resonance. It's incredibly light, even for an SG, and it sounds very special.
I've got a ton of Strats, four of them have the same Fender Fat 50s pickups. I think you know where I'm going from here...
It absolutely makes a difference.
Dylan…you are the modern day myth buster…THANK YOU so much for being a voice of reason in an insane guitar world 👍
THAT’S it. I’ve been trying to figure the ‘feel’ of the channel. The balance between technical, simple, and experimental along with a personality that has true emotion.
PS. I don’t care that Adam and Jamie were never really ‘friends’ outside of work. They’re both strong personalities.
Yes, Dylan is an excellent reviewer with criteria that are easy to relate to. And spot on comment - the guitar world is totally insane, no other word for it.
This was a great review. I have a 594 PRS S2 single cut and this guitar sounds and sounds like it feels so similar. That scale length made it the Les Paul I’d searched for for decades. And you’re spot on about the coil split volume drop. I’ve got a couple prs’s with coil splits, and the volume drop is big on both. But like you say, everything else is so good, so thoroughly Well done, it doesn’t matter. Awesome review as always!
Interesting. I had a S2 Semi-Hollow, which I hear sounds lie the S2 Single Cut, and I think the neck pickup sounds a lot better on the S2. The neck pickup on the S2 sounds very clear, and more bell like than the 594. The neck pickup on the 594 does not sound that clear to me. I'm refering to the sound at around 6:15 of this video. To me, it sounds inferior to the S2, and even inferior to my se245.
I used to think that I hated humbuckers, forever to be a single coils guy. One thing my PRS and a few other guitars showed me, is that low output humbuckers still give me some of the clarity that I crave. High output humbuckers end up being too muddy for my style of playing.
Paul also makes some of his humbuckers to be voiced a lot more like single coils with a vocal mid hump and less lower end
How can anyone hate humbuckers when they are on so many legendary songs
Loved this, I just got a singlecut McCarty SE yesterday and I am loving it too. I agree with you on the pickups.
I cannot say enough good things about PRS. I own a S2 Custom 24 and it was great right out of the box. I have not had to adjust the truss rod at all in the time that I've had it, and I like doing the flat neck low action setup. It's just been a solid guitar in the 2 years so far that I've owned it. It's been on many gigs, and I also did a studio session with it. Just a great all around guitar. I'm amazed with the fit and finish on the SE series as well. PRS is putting so much time and effort into quality. They're well worth the money.
To me, if you have a guitar that makes you want to play every time you pick it up, it is an amazing guitar.
Yep agree on split. My mantra is if you buy humbucker guitar, just keep ‘’em that way.
Those pickups are el cheapos and they really aren't bad. However, I have an S2 that had the same pickups and swapped them out for Bare Knuckle Old Guards and the difference was noticable. More PAFish but articulate. The coil split is also very good. PRS imports just keep getting better and better. Also, this is not the traditional scale length for PRS. the traditional scale length is 25".
Yeah, S2s are great mod guitars. The bones of the instrument are made superbly, just add your own electronics to taste and you have a killer instrument.
It's nice to hear someone say that PRS has a voice of its own and it's voice is good.
Usually when I find a guitar that has a completely flat neck no relief but plays well without any buzz, the nut slots are a little high for my taste. I usually like about 20 thousandths at the first fret on the low E/A, 18 thousand D/G and about 16 thousandths on the B/E, paired with about .007 to .008 at the 8th fret neck relief measured depressing first and last fret. Action about 4/64th low E and 3.5/64th on the high E. That setup on PRS gives me plenty enough room to bend, nice slinky feel, but no buzz if the frets are level. That action is slightly below PRS setup specs and works really well for me. I can bend and move quickly, it's my happy medium. I find no relief just feels a bit stiff. I have set up a SE Custom 24 with these specs and it played fantastic, as well as my US PRS guitars. Now that the SE line has upgraded the pickups a bit, like the DGT and these new 58/15 LT S pickups, I'm excited to revisit them. Never was a fan of the 85/15 S pickups, always dumped them for something more PAF voiced. I've seen quite a few videos of this one, and I've got to say it looks like a winner all around especially for the price point. I'm a little bit of a snob and like my US models and love the feel of Nitro though.... I just need to try this and compare.
Interesting Review. Great Job! My opinion is that the wood does not matter... that much. It definitely does contribute to the overall guitar tone and I don't think that the choice of wood affecting tone can be denied. However, there are SO MANY other factors that what you really end up with is a different sound. This is very subjective but is also what I LOVE about guitars! I am not a tone snob but love the different tones that each guitar brings to the world! I think that PRS is continually working toward perfecting the electric guitar (as far as their view of it). And I would agree with you assessment of the scale length. I think it may be a great guitar for blues and funk. And I am also unsure as to why the thickness and profile of the neck seems more comfortable - there must be something to it. I will be watching you channel more and more. Keep it objective, interject your own preferences and tastes (love other peoples opinions). Keep up the great content!
“The wood does not matter” is not just your opinion, it’s a fact and you’re right.
I have been looking a many reviews on the 594 and yours is the best I’ve seen, great explanation of the pups and coil splitting
So, watching many guitar videos during the course of any given week, I have observed that most viewers that discuss guitar tones, likes and dislikes, voice most of their opinions based on “at home/bedroom” playing. Those of you who are blessed enough to perform live, on stage, especially with a band situation, recognize that all that matters, that being said, is that your guitar cuts through the mix, on stage, with the other instruments. The tone is subjective, individual preferences, but if you can’t hear yourself, the rest is moot! Most audience members, including other musicians, really can’t tell much difference.
I have one of these in Vintage Sunburst coming this week. Very excited to see how I like it.
Great review. I liked that you spent some time on the clean tones. I have the single cut version and it's a joy to play. I don't agree about the single coil sounds; I've found them quited useful, but yes they are quieter, however, like you suggest, you need to tweak the amp.
I picked up the exact same one used at GC for $600. Unbeatable, especially at that price. Great guitar!
Just purchased one today , my first PRS !
subbed , your video was a huge help:)
I thought hated 59 type necks, but my 59 Epiphone prove me wrong, I get less fatigue in my hands when I play for a long time, plus at least with mine, seems like there more room on the 1st and 6th strings and they don't just go right off the edge . Like my strat. I found I like bigger necks when I always used to like skinny shreddy type necks. Try new things is what I learned.
Dylan, you said two things regarding the pickups, but didn't seem to put them together. I would agree that the placement of the pickups against the "different" scale length could lead to tonal changes or even perceived weakness in the pickups. The coil splits may be suffering from that exact same thing, even at 60/40, that single coil not aligning with the scale could be what you heard, and I agree 100% with you, the coil split could be handy for certain situations, but not necessary for the most part.
What you want is a humbucker where the coil which is selected when split has a higher wind count than its neighbour and/or can be tapped as well as split from its neighour.
Ideally, the magnet on the baseplate should be a rubber magnet, with various externally switched magnets on a rotary/multiswitch offer different timbre when selected.
Ever picked up a string of paper clips?
If you want ultimate control, make attach a micro usb battery and circuit, and make the pickups bluetooth, able to connect with other bluetooth devices like the SD hyperswitch, or directly into an amplifier...
I hope you get a DGT before you (if/when) you move the McCarty on. I would love to see your reactions on a comparison between the McCarty and DGT.
Right on Dylan. I have this guitar as well as a few others including a Les Paul Studio and this guitar plays fantastic as sounds really great!
It was the only way PRS could offer this class guitar for under $1000 bucks, built outside the U.S.
I have 24.75 superstrat and it sound very different from the rest of my 25.5 superstrats. I've been swapping the pickups from one guitar to the other and record them and yes, it has different sound
FYI; Gibson's 24 3/4" scale is a rounded off number. It's really 24.562, almost identical, so I doubt that's where you're getting the weird tone. In fact Gibson's scale is one of the things that give it a bit fatter midrange than a Fender. Also don't forget the 24 frets move the neck pickup toward the bridge. Maybe it needs a Gibson 300K linear volume pot. A lot of people change pickups in the SE guitars, must be a reason. I'm going to give them a chance. Also all the videos I've seen the coil taps still have that plinky sound they always have.
Great Video. The 594's don't have the typical PRS 25" scale. They are 24.594"" which is about as close to Gibson as you can get. The other new PRS release, the SE DGT has the 25" scale.
These are a throw back to the early Gibson's which were 24.594 due to a miscalculation by Gibson. It was later corrected to 24 3/4. PRS created this model with McCarty an ex executive of Gibson.
@@axegrindin Interesting, I didn't know that is where they came up with the length.
@@axegrindin insert "Gibson quality control" joke here
@@axegrindin not corrected, it's the same now. Gibson still don't actually use 24¾" scale despite advertising it as such.
@@dubster82 not exactly. Although their base scale length is 24 3/4, Gibson's will vary due to the fret spacing formula they use, tooling etc, but it isn't exactly 24.594. I know what you mean though.
I’ve never been impressed by any coil split. But if you have a pedal that doesn’t like humbuckers but works well with single coil it’s useful that way. I have Gristle King pedal that is just epic with single coils and P90’s but will play nicely with a split coil.
PRS do make great sounding and playing guitars.
Right, I never use mine, an eq pedal works better and is easier to operate for amp sound, but to me nothing beats the single going through some effects, especially fuzz.
If you’re a Phish fan, Trey Anastasia’s split coil sound is pretty good and he uses it a lot
Ok, you're going to have to do a comparison between the S2 and SE 594. I was stoked when PRS released the SE version but when I visited my PRS dealer he convinced me to purchase a 2022 S2 singlecut. I immediately bonded with the S2 before plugging in. As he was low on inventory he gave me a deal on a trade and my out-of-pocket cost was less than $170. Realizing that I would have to wait for retailers to fill backorders and dish out $1000 I couldn't pass up the opportunity. I'm a firm believer of try before you buy so the SE purchase is on hold. So you're going to have to do a comparison video to see if I'm missing out.
Why buy an SE if you own an S2?
I have the SE Custom 24 and it's great. This was my first PRS. I can't believe I waited so long to get one. I also just ordered the 594 SE in a new color, so I have to wait until they come in.
I just bought one and it's perfect, perfect. Sounds gorgeous. The neck is a dream
First timer here, I saw the RUclips video from PRS guitars, with Paul & DTG he explains the design concepts of this whole guitar. Includes the blah nlah abt the pickups. YOUR review and the prs/dtg make this guitar a true beauty. I am a new fan of yours!!
Hope that you do the same type of review for SE DGT!
I wouldn't say the '59 LP necks are baseball bat size, I own Warmoth super strat with a baseball bat neck and it's considerably thicker than the '59 necks(and the PRS fat/vintage), even the early '50s to '58 necks aren't as thick as the baseball necks, close, but not quite as thick, I'd say the '59s are in between the '58s and earlier thicker necks and the '60s slim tapered LP necks. PRS has really stepped up their game with the current SE line, guitars a musician can gig and record with. P.S. Great video btw.
From Europe there is a guitar made by Music Store in germany called Fame Forum that looks amazing, the series is Fame Forum IV Classic. Its a style of prs and the specs are top level
594 amazing guitar. I had the Core version. But for me the shorter scale length vs a Gibson didn't prefer it, since felt too cramped for me as was moving to higher frets.
I think putting some thinner frets would have helped, but didnt want to do it without being sure.
This same guitar with 25 would be perfect to me. Thats why I went ahead and grabbed an SE Paul's Guitar. Later would like to try the SE DGT. If those I really feel like I bond with them, then would go ahead for a Core. But don't want to spend big bucks again n PRS if Im not sure.
About the neck, I love chunky necks, and the 594 neck fantastic. Maybe what you will is that the carve on the upper side of te neck is different as the lower side. Is aymetrical and the idea of that is that it fits more natural on the shape of the hand.
For me felt great just as my rounded C R8, so awesome neck profile!
DGT has the PAF type pickups and a trem as well ass all the usual LP trappings, but the neck feels a lot like a strat neck (I prefer) the nut width is the old school 42mm strat style
"594 shorter scale length vs a Gibson felt too cramped", That's weird, the 594 has the same scale length as a Gibson.
@@dubster82 the 594 has 24.594 vs gibson that has 24.75. plus the 594 came with very wide frets which made the distance between frets even smaller. I think with some nice thin tall frets would have felt fine.
I also am being picky as well and doing A/B comparison was something I noticed, and it was also more in the high frets only.
@@onlyguitars Nope, Gibsons aren't actually 24.75 despite being advertised as such.
@@dubster82 ok
I support the suggestion to try the wide fat neck of PRS guitars. Last year I tried a PRS SE Singelcut that had the wide fat neck profile. It was not what I was looking for, as I liked thin shred necks like of Jackson's and Ibanez' guitars. I have to say: I NEVER played a more comfortable neck. I bought that guitar instantly!
I'd prefer a laminated neck like this, over a one piece neck with a two piece neck heel. Hell, I'd rather have a scarf joint over a two piece heel.
I'm intrigued by these. I owned an ES345 years ago (after trading an original Klon Centaur for a pedal that you can find used now for $20 and an original Zendrive, selling the 345 was the biggest gear sell/trade mistake of my life), and originally I had no use for stereo output since I only used a single amp. Being high as a kite during an impromptu jam session, I had the inspiration to run the neck pickup through an Octave fuzz with the bridge running clean, I discovered a new world: running one through modulation, POG, and sometimes into a wah or volume pedal; I fell in love with it. I've been thinking of doing it for a solid body, but don't want to have to route out the jack plate in my expensive guitars, this sounds like a good candidate.
As for the coil splitting: I've been using resistors in place of the ground wire for splitting for years, but over the last several I've been doing it with trim pots instead of fixed resistor values, making essentially an internal coil blend control. I usually go for more of a "full/bright" thing, removing ⅓-¼ of a coil instead of a single coil sound, but I can change it whenever they mood strikes me.
Side note: I used to have trouble with chunky necks since I don't have long fingers. This was unfortunate because it seems like all the models of guitars I liked were always the ones with fatter neck profiles. When I look back, one of the few tips someone gave me that yielded the quickest benefit was a guy I did some modifications to his Eric Johnson Strats. I worked in a repair shop at the time and was telling him how they were my favorite production Strats they were making at the time, but the 57 profile was too big. He said he'd had the same issue, then someone told him "the trick when you start playing a guitar with a fatter neck that you're used to is to "play on top of the fretboard, not through it." I knew exactly what he was referring to, and I shit you not that when I grabbed a guitar and started playing thinking "on top, not through," the difficulty that I had for years was literally eradicated within a few minutes, never to return. From that point on not only got used to them, I prefer them all day long.
If anyone has this issue: give it a try, I promise it will help immediately.
Ordered mine last week, just waiting for it to be in stock. Hopefully they get in sooner than Sweetwater told me(mid to late March). Always wanted a McCarty because my favorite guitarist recorded/played with them a lot, but never wanted to pay for a Core or S2. I got the single cutaway version because I'm just a sucker for the LP look but don't want an LP because of Gibson's bad quality control. Regardless, this was a very good and honest review. I thought the single coil sounded decent enough. I play music that is mostly humbucker guitars so I think I'll live if it's not the best coil-split around. I'm just glad PRS keeps aiming to make high quality guitars for the lower budget audience. I've played a real McCarty at a store, and I've owned an SE 24 Standard. The quality similarities are insane. Obviously the McCarty was better in every way, but you can tell the quality consistency is there from their cheapest to their most expensive.
Well, hot dang I am psyched on this thing. Mine comes on Wednesday. Can't wait. I think this will finally be the PRS that is the one for me.
It's nice to say after all these years off liking everything about the PRS except it's sound that now I have found the exact sound I want I have nothing against the SE Just drop the logo from the headstock and off the bag add real bone nut and awesome locking tuners and I'd say you now have a great machine for many many styles and tones ohh one last thing buy them when their on good sales only
A clean overdrive pedal when you split the coils is a quick fix for the volume drop you see from all low output pickups
As far as pickup splitting goes I usually find more usable tones wiring the humbuckers in parallel instead. Of course this depends on the individual and pickup type, but I love how parallel gives me the clarity I need with no noise and the tone is distinctly different enough to make it viable.
My experience with the PRS coil split pickups PRS DGT SE, just use a boost pedal when you're in split coil mode and they sound great,that equals out the volume difference IMO.
the difference twixt this guitar made of "10" peices .....and the same guitar made of 2 or 3 pieces of wood is IRRELATIVE compared to the pickups (huge)
and the bridge (significant) and even changing which guitar pick you use will make MUCH more difference to the tone than a one-piece vs 3 piece body (in the same model
of guitar).......... on the other hand, a purely acoustic guitar is something entirely different and yes the woods make a noticeable difference.
I concur
I've yet to find coil-split pickups that sound good in single coil mode. I do, however, love all my PRS guitars.
I have an Ibanez RG with a Seymour Duncan 59 in the neck, with a coil split, sounds pretty good to me for clean stuff, gonna do the same with another RG and a SD Jazz pickup.
I had the custom 24 CE a few years back and the coil split on that was much better than on my old custom 24 SE. Kinda miss it now because it was very versatile.
loving my PRS Mcarty 594 SE.. for 3 weeks now. Been a strat guys for 21 years.. love the split coil.. and ill be honest.. im finding that "strat" tone single coil-ish sound.. well.. it's not.. hehehe! i'll leave it to strats and tele.. but overall.. this thing is magical! recently diving into PRS rabbit hole... very well built SE!
I'm not hearing a "problem" with the "coil split" on this demo. As you mentioned...you are starting with low output pickups.... splitting those will give a very low output "Single Coil " type of sound.... not like a "Texas Special" overwound single coil. I thought they sounded fine.
Agree about the coil-split. My PRS DGT SE is the same deal. I could be more excited about a new guitar. The coil split on my Yamaha Revstar II (Japanese) with P90s is excellent. While I realize the split won't change, I have a pair of 58/15 LTs I will be installing (these are Core pups).
PRS are great guitars, starting from SE series, and I agree it's insane to replace the pickups of a 1000$ guitar ...
good point. I was wondering if those pickups would be good enough.
PRS are great guitars mostly because of the craftsmanship. They have great pickups but that’s not what makes them unique. You can definitely change out their pickups. Especially the bridge pickups if you want a more aggressive attack or a milder attack. David Gilmour changed his bridge pickup for a thicker sound
I love the set man. Simple, not too bare and not too busy. Looks sharp but looks like somebody lives there. nicely done
Having gone through a few PRS SE guitars, I'm gun shy on the whole SE series. The flaws I dealt with in the three I had demonstrated to me there is no serious QA at PRS. Maybe my expectations are too high.
All were purchased through shops on Reverb because I live in the middle of nowhere and going to a music store is just not practical.
The first guitar, a Zach Myers model had a poorly cut nut.
The second guitar, SE 245 Standard had bridge posts that were leaning at least 5 degree's toward the neck. The shop exchanged the guitar.
The bridge posts on the replacement guitar were set correctly. However, I think the posts were not set in the correct location. In order to intonate, the bridge has to be moved backed substantially. The stock bridge has adjustment screws that allow you to move the bridge back off the posts, but the loses the contact with the posts when you start backing the bridge back. In other words, the contact area between the posts and the bridge is reduced to the set screw that backs the bridge back and the area of the posts that keep the bridge from twisting. The bridge essentially is floating on the posts. I also replaced the toggle switch as it started shorting out pretty quickly.
The nut was not cut very well. Notes fretted between the nut and fifth fret are sharp. The fret work and bindings look nice but fret leveling is a must if you want to set the action to PRS specifications.
I want to believe but my own experience informs me otherwise.
I had a Zach Meyers too. I could never get the low E string to intonate properly, leading me to believe the bridge may have been off.
I could set the intonation to where the low E was dead on, open and fretted at 12th fret. But then it would be horribly off compared to the A string, if you played the low E and A together.
It was just the low E, all the others worked well together.
I had to replace the nut on my SE Standard 24 was the stickiest nut I've ever seen on ~50 guitars. Chamfering and lubing didn't help much but the Tusq nut did the trick.
I have 2 S2 models and 2 SE models and no issues with any of them
Have to agree with the coil splits. I own an S2 MCCARTY 594. Still prefer the sound of my Gibson's , but I've bought 4 PRS instrument's because of all the perfection you mentioned. I will say...leave the coil splits out. Don't mess with a great thing
I got one exactly like yours and I love it and actually I like the coil split although I don't coil split a lot. the only issue I've had so far is there going to have to replace the tuning key on the low E it has slop in it I plan on eventually replacing all tuners with locking tuners. I run mine through a line 6 pod go and a 69 fender princeton amp lovin the tones I'm getting.
Well i'm not buying the "10 pieces guitar can only sound bad" and here's the proof ! It's a gourgeous guitar, well made with great hardware. I'm not a fan of the SE/S2 pickups, just that... great review, thanks.
Neck dimensions are the most important part of playability and if you can design it well you can make a great playing guitar.
I believe they started constructing the Neck that way on the 2021 Zach Meyers SE Its almost exactly the same minus the Scale length and the ZM sig being semi-hollow. It's called a composite neck in the way they did it, it has advantages and disadvantages mainly the strength of the neck itself is significantly stronger the problem is not all wood has the same density from the same species from piece to piece so it's more likely to have a twisting warp as the pieces of wood fight each other with age. As of now from what I have seen SE=5 piece, S2 3-piece, Core 1 piece
594 was the original Gibson Scale Length due to "Manufacturing Tolerance Issues" where they set it up for 24inch on the machinery, but it ended up being 24.594, so while Gibson would correct this later, PRS carried that over with the 594 series.
I like it
I just paid for a refret of my American strat.
Every guitar I buy in the future will have stainless frets. If Eart can do it economically, they all can.
I learned guitar work just to put stainless steel in all my guitars.....that elevates a cheap neck into an amazing one just by that alone(and a new nut of course)....now even my bullets and affinities have big jumbo jescar SS frets....no "real" strat can compete with this feeling anymore.
No, the 'hollow' you're hearing is possibly because DG designed it with a slightly 'scooped out' mid range in the pickups, if I'm understanding correctly one of his interviews about it.
The PRS has a different sound than a Les Paul most notably with the high end bite or growl you'd get from the bridge pickup on a LP. So some people say its not a fair comparison to a McCarty because the PRS is intended to be voiced different in the mids, but I only have the money for one guitar and I really want that classic Les Paul sound for my studio so I'm leaning towards the '59 Epi Les Paul but I like the look, feel, and playability of the PRS. I'm just curious if anyone has tried putting a Gibson Custombucker in the bridge position of a McCarty SE? Is the scale length and pickup placement so different that it wouldn't sound the same after the pickup swap? I want that classic recognizable Gibson LP sound for leads and solos but I also really like everything else about the PRS. I can't decide between the so I'm considering building a hybrid of the two. PRS with Gibson pickups. Any feedback would be appreciated. (I'm not familiar with the wiring but idc about coil split at all, I have that covered with another guitar. I just want the humbucker sounds)
You think the Cortek version is amazing, you’ll be stunned by the core version. Mine is the greatest guitar I’ve ever played or owned. I sold three guitars and a few pedals and still put some cash out. Worth every penny, I no longer even think about getting other guitars, except another Core PRS some day.
Typical PRS pickup tones whether 24.594 or 25. Build and playability wise PRS are awesome. I played only PRS EG and SE models for 20 years and while I enjoyed the HFS pups on the EG I never got used to SE pickups so just swapped them out. Back to Gibson and Fender now and prefer those tones but I admit I miss the 25" scale, it fit my hand well.
Always reasonable with a focus on what matters. I hate reviews that spend 10 mins blasting a guitar for an errant tool mark that is nearly hidden or can be sanded off in 2 mins.
Very nice review. I have a singlecut version. I don't agree about tge coil splits. Sure, there's a volume drop (less pronounced than on many other guitars). I think the tone on the bridge pickup is really usable.
The pattern vintage profile is a little asymmetric on the bottom half. It really reduces the sensation of bulk where your palm rests.
Paul has had the benefit of learning from the mistakes and successes of Fender and Gibson and boy did he apply what he learned.
I’ve seen PRS grow through the decades. I owned a very early PRS and then sold it not really connecting with it although it was the nicest guitar that I had owned
at that point.
I’ve since tried multiple times (Core, CE, and Artist Package 10 Top) to play and connect with PRS guitars and I still can’t.
I will say that I think Paul and PRS make some of the most consistent and beautiful looking and feeling guitars out there. Paul is a perfectionist and expects the best.
But I’m a Tele, LP, and SG guy
Me as well. PRS make some beautiful colored guitars.
Ironically, the SE lines are just demonstrating that body "tonewoods" have much less impact than you expect -- contrary to what Paul says. The Silver Sky SE body is poplar -- not Alder like the core line. And this McCarty SE is multiple pieces of mahogany -- no doubt not expensive Honduran mahogany -- and not a single piece, nor is the neck. And yet -- it can sound great. How is that possible? Because tonewoods do not dominate the sound -- the pickups and electronics do!
I got one. Pickups are a little hot and getting some string noise from the bridge or head stock. Changing strings and trying an 8 gauge for the first time. Those two things are my only concerns (strings definitely need changed gauge or not). Also might try a string dampener for the first time. Neck feels amazing, all the different tones sound great for coil splitting. Bends feel great. Might change to locking tuners.
I feel like every review I’ve seen on this guitar are a little different, what I’ve experienced is a little different. They are “inspected” by PRS but the consistency might be subtle and differences might be overlooked.
It's funny, a lot of companies have really sold that "one piece body and neck" thing. If laminations were so terrible, you wouldn't see so many high end instruments with 5 and 7 piece necks. Most experienced woodworkers will tell you a laminated piece is stronger and more stable if done correctly. People don't seem to have any problem with pancake body Les Pauls or any of the other multi-piece renditions that appeared over the years (other than the weight.) It just doesn't matter on a solid body instrument.
Agree about the neck, that was the only thing that I was not sure about. I went and checked one out in a store and it was actually comfortable, I mean yes, it is thick but somehow it feels good.
Great video. Solution for split coil volume dropoff --- Seymour Duncan Pickup Booster. Voila!
the highs are kinda sharp in the edge. That's the way it feels like to me. Thx for the video !
I'm guessing that most players aren't using one piece neck thru guitars. I bet most players are using bolt on necks or at least multiple pieces of wood guitars. It sounds so good that it doesn't matter what it's made of lol.
Didn't get to watch the entire post today. I'm checking in to see what I missed. Thanks again Dylan.
Hi Dylan. Thanks a lot for your videos. Thanks to you, I solved a static electricy humm issue on a T Style G&L Asat guitar 🙂. I would appreciate your answer to this question : what would you choose between a Prs SE 594 McCarthy and a PRS SE Paul's Guitar ?
Of course it’s good, PRS sent it to you to review. It’s likely they did go over it thoroughly. I had to sell my Paul’s guitar se because of quality control. That flat neck was a major problem. For two years I wrestled with different set ups. Had the best luthier in my town look at it, It would fret out all over the 13 and 14 fret. Had them filed and dressed again, still couldn’t get the action to sit at all where I wanted. On top of that the switches were wonky out of the box. Intermittent, and had to order new ones. The big neck and chimey pickups make you want to play classic styles, but the styling is screaming shredder. I rarely used it, traded up for sick Gibson V that plays flawless. 🤷🏻
people who buy epiphones are fools now a days with the quality of the SE range from PRS....absolutely blows them all out of the water. I play a full bore usa PRS SC58 and my gibson les paul just watches us sad and collecting dust
I came to same conclusion... was buying a, "back-up" and the PRS was just so much nicer in the hand... just feels/looks/sounds/plays better
Dylan you are right about the scale length, the shorter scale length makes the pickups further apart and more importantly further from the bridge, relative to the scale length. Which in turn creates a diferent sound, kinda mellows the bridge and sweetens the neck a bit.
I have mucked around with many guitars over the years and my most recent project was exactly this, I bought a cheap guitar and a good set of firebird pickups and then 3d printed custom mounting rings to move the bridge pickup forward and the neck pickup back, to mellow the trebles and the lows a bit until I hit the "sweet spot".
It's something I've been playing with for a while now, and I've found pickup placement according to scale length makes a big diference in tone.
Shorter scale length automatically does this for you.
The scale is shorter, the nut is closer to the bridge, and the pickups are correspondingly closer together. The adjustable pole pieces of the neck pickup are still where a 24th fret would be, and there is no effective difference in the bridge pu’s location, either.
@@MattWhatsGoinOn
Yeah 100%,
but what you have to consider is distance relative to length.
For example, if you have a 10 foot rope and mark it at 1ft and 3ft, then the marks are at 10% and 30% of the overall length.
But if that rope was 12ft long then the same marks would now be at 8.3% and 25% of the overall length.
So u can see the same positions on a shorter length are actually further from the end and also further from each other relative to the total length.
Does that make sense?
On a guitar it's not great big differences we are talking about, but I can tell you from experience that 5mm forward or back with the pickups can change the sound a lot.
You’re disregarding the key point that you mentioned - “relative to the total length.” Using your analogy, if the ropes were (albeit large) guitar strings, you have to maintain the 10% and 30% RATIOS (1.2 ft and 3.6 ft on the 12 ft rope) to locate the marks properly. That’s why the frets - and also the pickups - are closer together with a shorter scale, so that they are at the sonically correct locations of the string(s).
BTW, this IS something that would affect your sound: a PRS “24” has a longer fingerboard than a “22” - but only because it has two extra high frets. THE SCALE LENGTH IS THE SAME. Therefore the pu’s are closer together because the neck pu has to be further away from that “sweet spot.”
I'm with u dude,
but you're assuming they exactly scaled down everything perfectly, and forgetting that standard pickup widths now see more string length relative to scale length as well.
Trust me it works in real life.
All the talk you hear of resonant points etc, is great in a lab, but in reality most guitars don't adhere to that.
Hey for fun go and grab a few different guitars and measure them, you'll see what I mean.
I have 20 guitars myself and work on a few others a week, and I studied them.
They are all different, and positioning is driven by desired sound more than anything else.
Take care mate.
I've been setting up guitars with straight necks for years .. I found the "common wisdom" that you HAD to have some relief to be BS . you're definitely right that if the frets are properly leveled then a flat/straight neck is a dream to play .
Awesome demo and thanks for sharing your thoughts and experience.
What do you think of the fret size? Are the frets medium jumbo or feel taller than that?
I have a cheap prs se one. Les paul jr style. It’s fantastic and made of korina!!!! I thought 59 necks were medium profile, thinner than 58’s at least. Know 58’s are like baseball bats though
Gorgeous color on the PRS !! Thanks for sharing !!
Love PRS se guitars! But, I've never bonded with the se pickups. Ive always found them sterile and lifeless. Other folks love them and thats fine! If i got one of these i would throw in a DiMarzio AT in the bridge, and a 36 anniversary in the neck.
Nice one, thanks! 🤗❤😊 Your shared thoughts were enlightening!
I bet I would love this guitar. I also find it interesting how if pretty much any other manufacturer makes a guitar out of multiple pieces of wood they are ridiculed for making low budget junk no matter what the tone or playability is but PRS is celebrated for it. 🤷♂️
This is exactly why I brought it up
I pre-ordered one the other day! Can't wait!
Great review, thanks! I hope you can get ahold of a SE DGT.
I have an PRS S2 594 McCarty. It is amazing. I'm going to buy a PRS private stock McCarty 594 this year. It's $12,000 so I'm saving up.
That will be awesome
The 24.594” scale length puts it closer to the original 24 9/16” (24.5625”) scale length of the Bursts. Less than 1mm difference.