HBNGD: 2020 PRS 594 10-top

[War_in_D]

Happy Belated New Guitar Day!

I'd been holding off on posting this one, as I wasn't sure if I was going to keep it or not. I've got it listed locally, just to see if anyone local might want it more than I do but it's really growing on me. I'm going to have to replace the 58/15 pickups if I do keep it. I'm not a fan of those pickups at all and I've got a bridge/neck set of Tonenerd Whiskeys that will likely find their way into this guitar soon if it hangs around much longer. I've already bought a set of black PRS pickup rings, just in case but I didn't think about getting a black switch tip for it. Doh!!

I bought a 594 a few years back, but couldn't get along with the vintage pattern neck profile, and I hated the pickups (again 58/15's) so it went back to GC. I got this one offered on that trade for the Cornford, figuring it would be a heck of a lot easier to ship than a half stack if I decided to move it. The neck profile on this one isn't as baseball bat-ish is the first 594 I had, but the 58/15 pickups still aren't my cup of tea. I thought these might be better being the newer TCI "tuned" pickups, but nope... not feeling them.

Special ordered in "Obsidian" finish that looks kind of an polished olive drab/charcoal/black stain that almost reminds me of camo.. Crazy figured top on this one, really surprised this top wasn't save for an Artist or Wood Library guitar. It's super resonant and just sings unplugged.

 

[NeubyWanKaneuby]

That's awesome looking. If I had the funds, I'd take it off your hands.

 

[alund]

Killer

 

[VonBonfire]

Man you guys are killing me with the new PRS days....

Congrats War in D, it looks killer. What's the story on the TCI pickups? Too bright? I've only really tried the 85/15's and they were pretty sweet sounding. I like the switching location and configuration on the 24-08 more than Custom 24 but the 24-08 has the TCI's and the Custom 24 has the 85's

 

[War_in_D]

Man you guys are killing me with the new PRS days....

Congrats War in D, it looks killer. What's the story on the TCI pickups? Too bright? I've only really tried the 85/15's and they were pretty sweet sounding. I like the switching location and configuration on the 24-08 more than Custom 24 but the 24-08 has the TCI's and the Custom 24 has the 85's

The 58/15 is more vintage voiced, and I'm more of a higher output humbucker kind of guy. The TCI thing is probably just snake oil, something to do with "tuned capacitance" something or another.

The first set I had weren't the TCI pickups, just plain old 58/15's and they had some funky overtone thing going on, but not in a good way. Couple that with the chonk neck on it, and I couldn't see keeping it.

 

[VonBonfire]

The 58/15 is more vintage voiced, and I'm more of a higher output humbucker kind of guy. The TCI thing is probably just snake oil, something to do with "tuned capacitance" something or another.

The first set I had weren't the TCI pickups, just plain old 58/15's and they had some funky overtone thing going on, but not in a good way. Couple that with the chonk neck on it, and I couldn't see keeping it.

When you say "chonk" neck I'm guessing you mean wide-fat profile or something? I don't mind the latest Gibson C shape or a '59 carve, I just don't want a baseball bat or a 2x4. The wide-slim on the SE custom 24 was a great feeling neck also.

 

[War_in_D]

When you say "chonk" neck I'm guessing you mean wide-fat profile or something? I don't mind the latest Gibson C shape or a '59 carve, I just don't want a baseball bat or a 2x4. The wide-slim on the SE custom 24 was a great feeling neck also.

The 594 has the Pattern Vintage neck carve on it. Below from PRS:

• The Pattern Vintage neck has the same width measurements as PRS's Pattern neck but is slightly thicker front to back and features an asymmetrical carve with a little less meat on the bass side of the neck toward the nut end and a little less meat on the treble side of the neck from the twelfth fret to the heel.

To me, it feels kind of like a soft "V" at the nut and then the back flattens out more toward the heel end of the neck. The first 594 I had was really thick, this one doesn't feel like that. I don't know if something changed over the years, or maybe I did.. I get along with this neck a lot better than the first one I had.

 

[ChurchHill]

I've had good luck with BKP Crawlers in PRS. PRS HFS were good, too, but only had those in a CU24, replaced when they became microphonic.

 

[HowieJams]

Really nice PRS.
You won't have any problems moving that if you don't like it, but then again I have no idea what that is worth.

 

[napalmdeath]

Happy Belated New Guitar Day!

I'd been holding off on posting this one, as I wasn't sure if I was going to keep it or not. I've got it listed locally, just to see if anyone local might want it more than I do but it's really growing on me. I'm going to have to replace the 58/15 pickups if I do keep it. I'm not a fan of those pickups at all and I've got a bridge/neck set of Tonenerd Whiskeys that will likely find their way into this guitar soon if it hangs around much longer. I've already bought a set of black PRS pickup rings, just in case but I didn't think about getting a black switch tip for it. Doh!!

I bought a 594 a few years back, but couldn't get along with the vintage pattern neck profile, and I hated the pickups (again 58/15's) so it went back to GC. I got this one offered on that trade for the Cornford, figuring it would be a heck of a lot easier to ship than a half stack if I decided to move it. The neck profile on this one isn't as baseball bat-ish is the first 594 I had, but the 58/15 pickups still aren't my cup of tea. I thought these might be better being the newer TCI "tuned" pickups, but nope... not feeling them.

Special ordered in "Obsidian" finish that looks kind of an polished olive drab/charcoal/black stain that almost reminds me of camo.. Crazy figured top on this one, really surprised this top wasn't save for an Artist or Wood Library guitar. It's super resonant and just sings unplugged.

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I personally like their 57/08's. They're a vintage PAF slightly hotter than the 58/15's, but very well balanced. They handle high gain REALLY nice. They come in my favorite PRS, the Stripped '58.

The good thing about PRS pickups is if you don't like them, you can easily sell them, buy some Duncans, and have some cash left over.

 

[VonBonfire]

I personally like their 57/08's. They're a vintage PAF slightly hotter than the 58/15's, but very well balanced. They handle high gain REALLY nice. They come in my favorite PRS, the Stripped '58.

Is there a Gibson pickup they are comparable to?

 

[ChurchHill]

They're not too far off from the '57 Classic Plus. A2 magnets, just under 9k, potted I'm pretty sure, guessing 42AWG.

 

[VonBonfire]

They're not too far off from the '57 Classic Plus. A2 magnets, just under 9k, potted I'm pretty sure, guessing 42AWG.

Seems like it would be up my alley. Any other PRS pickups with a similarity to other Gibsons?

 

[TX6Strings]

As a fellow PRS lover…congrats! Looks amazing!

 

[ChurchHill]

Seems like it would be up my alley. Any other PRS pickups with a similarity to other Gibsons?

I might not be the best person to answer as I'm not really a fan of PRS pickups. They're not bad and many people like them, just not my personal preference. For vintage PAF-types, I prefer the character of unpotted pickups and to the best of my knowledge, PRS pots all their pickups. In any case, this is how I'd relate them to Gibsons.

58/15 - A2, 7.7k - Burstbucker 1 - A2, 7.8k, unpotted
59/09 - A2, 9.3k - Burstbucker 3 - A2, 8.7k unpotted or 490T - A2, 8.2k, potted
Dragon II - A4, 12k - 498T - A5, 14k, potted

Not sure of the specs of the McCarty pickups, but they're in the same camp as the above. If they still make them, they don't sell them individually.

As a very broad generalization, PRS pickups are brighter than Gibsons and a little thinner (not much). What I find to be piercing might be strident to someone else.