Back to navigation


The Crossroads of Vintage Soul and Modern Playability





This article was


Written By





Our Product Research Team





Get to know them!





The Paul Reed Smith McCarty 594 solidbody electric guitar renews the McCarty line with refreshed tone options, manicured looks, and innovations that echo the tinkerer’s attitude that led to the McCarty’s creation in the first place! The McCarty 594 gracefully blends vintage specs and classic tonewoods with meticulous updates for a cumulative boost in overall performance. PRS paid extra attention to the neck, designing an asymmetrical Pattern Vintage neck carve that feels just right. Between an updated bridge and a 24.594-inch scale length, the strings’ natural sensitivity keeps bold flourishes and mundane fretting smooth and breezy. A stunning maple top complements the richness and power of a dual-cutaway mahogany body, while two onboard 58/15 LT pickups churn out premium humbucking and single-coil clarity. Moreover, these pickups are treated with PRS’s recent TCI tuning innovations for quality assurance. Fans of old-school classics and must-have innovations will find plenty to love about the PRS McCarty 594. Discover why with one of your own from Sweetwater!





Related Videos: McCarty 594 Electric Guitar - Faded Blue Jean





NOW PLAYING:


The McCarty 594 | Demo | PRS Guitars





Winter NAMM 2021: An Interview with Paul Reed Smith


A historic pedigree





Ted McCarty had his hand in some of the most legendary designs in electric guitar history, including the original humbucking pickup. McCarty began mentoring Paul Smith, and the original Paul Reed Smith McCarty model debuted in the 1990s. Since then, the acclaimed model has been rereleased with updated specs and continues to be a popular line for the company. This McCarty 594 represents the latest incarnation of that model, complete with updated pickups, a different neck feel, and an electronics arrangement similar to the vintage guitars McCarty helped pioneer.





Fine-tuned pickups for exceptional musicality and tone





When you plug in the PRS McCarty 594 solidbody electric guitar to your favorite amplifier, you will be enveloped in a rich and decidedly vintage tone. The sound is similar to the warm, clear tones that have propelled the original 58/15 pickups to the top of many of Sweetwater guitarists' favorite PAF-style pickup lists. But these pickups are treated to the company's TCI (Tuned Capacitance and Inductance) tuning, which means the team at PRS has used their years of know-how to sculpt the sound to be perfect to their ears. The end result is a very musical pickup that's true to its lineage, but updated for the modern player. Pulling up on the tone knobs attains true single-coil chime; you also have full, independent control of each pickup by way of the 4-knob control layout.





Updated dimensions for effortless playability





Some of the least visible but most powerful features of the PRS McCarty 594 include a neck feel that maximizes your performance and comfort with an asymmetrical Pattern Vintage profile. Though much like their Pattern profile, the Pattern Vintage carve is slightly thicker to fill your hand in just the right way. And the strings will always feel silky smooth when playing and bending due to the guitar's 24.594-inch scale length, which is also where this model of McCarty gets its name.





PRS McCarty 594 Solidbody Electric Guitar Features:


Tonal range, manicured looks, and energizing double cutaways provide unparalleled delight


Classic tonewood recipe with a beautiful maple top over a shapely mahogany body


Comfortable Pattern Vintage mahogany neck topped with rosewood


Longer 24.594-inch scale length enhances touch-sensitive strings


TCI-tuned 58/15 LT pickups deliver big, full humbucking or single-coil tones


4-knob layout allows individual control of each pickup's volume and tone


High-gloss nitro finish is thin, durable, and feels great


PRS vintage-style non-locking tuners