TheGreatGreen
Well-known member
Not the ones I’ve tried, no. I haven’t tried the DMO or the Metal pickups though.
If it were me, I’d throw a different set of pickups in whatever you get.
Not the ones I’ve tried, no. I haven’t tried the DMO or the Metal pickups though.
If it were me, I’d throw a different set of pickups in whatever you get.
ChurchHill
Well-known member
The McCarty is a great guitar. Stock pickups are OK, or at least some people like them. I don't, not for metal, not really even my taste for rock. I find them to be a little spikey in an unpleasant way. The guitar is fantastic, though, will handle everything I throw at it. My MC with humbuckers in it has BKP Crawlers, same as my CU24, and is the evil twin of the white one I posted earlier with P90s. As much as I love my CU24, I prefer the stop tail on the MC. It just feels more solid, especially for rhythm work.
Steinmetzify
Well-known member
Did for me. At the gain levels our amps have anymore almost anything will work. You could always boost it, they’ll be fine.
Music&Chaos
Well-known member
I believe the pickups vary every few years. Even the stock McCarty Bass/Treble seem to vary a bit. I have a set and am almost certain it uses A4 magnets - possibly A2. They sound great. I thought I was going to be replacing them when I bought it, but every time I slam it into some gain - I do not find a need to swap them out. Really fun for riffing and chording. I am not certain what kind of 'metal' you may be thinkng of, so they may or may not do it for you. I wouldnt base a guitar off of a set of changeable pickups though either way. If you don't like em - sell the set and get something else.
Vintage powered and styled but clear and articulate. Not crazy hot, super-juiced or compressed.
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Music&Chaos
Well-known member
Maybe that connotation will slightly ease now that you can get a PRS on the used market for around $1500.Paul Reed Smith needs to make a Kaizen shape with a ten top and bird inlays only then will it be worthy of the medical and legal professionals that make up the majority of this board.
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VonBonfire
Well-known member
Priced for nurse practitioners and para legals.
JTyson
Well-known member
Not exclusively a PRS guy, but I’ve been through ten or twelve to end up with these 3 that are def keepers. Had the McCarty and the first year Eagle for a long long time.
Did not like the McCarty pickups at all in the bridge but the neck works well. Really happy with the Tremonti pickups in the bridge position for both the Eagle and the McCarty.
The Eagle started out blue Jean blue but over a long span of years has morphed into this kinda bluish green tinged weird color that I absolutely love! It’s got a solid Brazilian neck on it that rings like a church bell.
The Grissom is one of the few guitars I’ve ever had that I did not change in any way at all. The McCarty is a mule, it’s been hammered for a lot of years and has never complained once. I much prefer the thicker bodies in the PRS camp, I’ve never kept one of the thinner ones for any length of time
Did not like the McCarty pickups at all in the bridge but the neck works well. Really happy with the Tremonti pickups in the bridge position for both the Eagle and the McCarty.
The Eagle started out blue Jean blue but over a long span of years has morphed into this kinda bluish green tinged weird color that I absolutely love! It’s got a solid Brazilian neck on it that rings like a church bell.
The Grissom is one of the few guitars I’ve ever had that I did not change in any way at all. The McCarty is a mule, it’s been hammered for a lot of years and has never complained once. I much prefer the thicker bodies in the PRS camp, I’ve never kept one of the thinner ones for any length of time
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VonBonfire
Well-known member
Wait, which models are the thicker models? I didn't realize this was a thing other than the 594 mccarty single cut appeared thicker.
JTyson
Well-known member
Well as far as I know, among core lines the customs are all thinner. The McCarty, Eagles, Tremonti, and 594 variations are thicker but not sure about all models, I’ve stuck with these because they always work, play fantastic, stay in tune for forever and sound killer once you find a pickup you gel with.
The 594’s would be one of the later models I’d be interested in. They are fantastic.
The Grissom’s have med jumbo frets that are great too
The 594’s would be one of the later models I’d be interested in. They are fantastic.
The Grissom’s have med jumbo frets that are great too
JTyson
Well-known member
I still have some other stuff, been through nearly everything Gibson ever made, Fenders, Charvels, Jacksons, musicmans and some other weird animals but those 3 PRS specimens are my go to things. Mostly because I’ve played them long enough for them to feel like home and they always work.
The consistency among the ones I kept is fantastic.
The consistency among the ones I kept is fantastic.
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VonBonfire
Well-known member
Those blue axes in your picture look amazing. I only like to gig my 335's but like smaller bodies for couch playing and jams. I got an Edwards LP but the limited upper fret access and slim taper style neck carve aren't really my preferred specs though the guitar sounds killer.
JTyson
Well-known member
Yeah those are great guitars. I’ve never actually owned one, but the 2 I’ve played sounded great!
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VonBonfire
Well-known member
They are excellent guitars for reasonable money though the prices are creeping into Gibson territory now so the value per dollar has decreased quite a bit. I have an Edwards E-SA too that aside from the Seth Lovers I replaced with 57 classics and is now great. I have some blues friends in San Antonio who own a ton of the Edwards LP's and seeing how much they enjoyed them I figured I couldn't go wrong. Still I think a PRS is my final non-ES335 guitar. A nice combo of rich LP tone, upper fret access, and compact size. Plus let's be real, they are beautiful.Yeah those are great guitars. I’ve never actually owned one, but the 2 I’ve played sounded great!
TX6Strings
Well-known member
Music&Chaos
Well-known member
You know what is strange? Have a buddy who bought several of the $900 Epis and did not bat an eyelash. I recommended he just save a few hundred more for a studio, and it was like pulling teeth. He did end up saving for a used studio, which I set up, that is absolutely badass for $1100 and he loves it.Priced for nurse practitioners and para legals.
I think once things hit 1k+, most people just can't do it mentally, even if it is chewper overall, it just takes longer to acquire.
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VonBonfire
Well-known member
Some of the epiphones are really nice guitar but IME most of the non IBG line still has shitty pots and switches which is the achilles heel if you plan on gigging them. Epiphone+CTS pots+quality switch+tech fee=lower end Gibson cost and you don't have to fool with the Gibson electronics. It makes sense for Epiphone though because the majority of hands they fall into aren't going to lose money when their switch fails or pots crap out during a couch picking session.
Having had numerous Epiphones including one which I gigged (and the switch failed, lol) to me the PRS SE line seems to be a better guitar out of the box vs the average 600-700 dollar Epi.
JTyson
Well-known member
I can appreciate the effort they put into them.
When I was seriously looking Gibsons QC had declined a lot and the ratings they use for a nice flame is ridiculous. I saw them rate flames AA that PRS would not even assign a number rating to. Paul was much more adapted to finding logs that had nice flame in them than whoever did it for Gibson. I like a nice flame, but I’m not under any delusion that they sound any better. I just like them because each one is unique. I don’t like quilted tops though for whatever reason..
Having said all of that, at this point I couldn’t care any less about how it looks as long as it’s not retarded looking, I’d buy based on QC, playability, wether or not it stays in tune and tone. I went to Sweetwater months ago and had cash to buy something cool, was in there all afternoon and played no less than 30 Les Pauls and LP Jrs and still left with my money. I think the QC is better than it was, but still not what it used to be in the 2-3k range. Played some killer R8’s and R9’s but didn’t have the cash for them.
I could have been happy with 4 that I played but I was hoping for more than just being happy if that makes any sense.
JTyson
Well-known member
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VonBonfire
Well-known member
I agree with all of this but having a beautiful wood top is just a bonus on a great playing/sounding guitar. I do have to say I love flame but I also enjoy some of the quilted tops when it's from the right piece of wood.
