PRS Paul Reed Smith McCarty 594 10-Top Guitar, Rosewood Fingerboard, McCarty Tobacco Sunburst

PLAYER'S PERSPECTIVE

We're proud to present this beautiful McCarty 594 10-Top from our friends over at Paul Reed Smith!

While it has never been particularly difficult for Paul Reed Smith to make lifelong converts out of guitar players, many fans of the iconic 24.75" singlecut-style guitar were left clamoring for something that has that PRS quality and tone but with the slinky feel they are used to out of their guitars with the shorter scale length.

Being the ever-ingenuitive designer that he is, Paul Reed Smith has hit the nail on the head with this one. The tone is very reminiscent of the older McCarty or Custom 22, but the scale length is 24.594" long and the strings sing out with sustain for days. The vintage-voiced 58/15LT pickups provide excellent warmth when playing clean and enough output and mid-range to keep your tone distinct and articulate when using distortion. The Pattern Vintage neck will feel very familiar and comfortable for anyone that has played one of the PRS Pattern necks. It's a Pattern shaped neck but is slightly thicker from front to back and has an asymmetrical carve that feels very ergonomic while providing massive tone and sustain.

Also new for 2024, the vintage-style tuners have been refreshed with newly-designed "Wing" buttons for nicer cohesion with the bird motif, as well as less weight on the headstock for increased sustain and resonance. We love the classy vibe they add!

Simply put, this is as good as it gets if you're a vintage guitar lover but want that extra refinement in quality and tone that PRS is known for. A pro-quality instrument through and through, the McCarty 594 has skyrocketed to being one of PRS's top-selling models behind their flagship Custom 24 models. If you want a do-it-all PRS with classic tone but with a slightly slinkier feel on the strings, this is it!

Details

The McCarty 594 is a versatile, vintage-inspired instrument that is effortlessly playable. Featuring a bound 22-fret Pattern Vintage neck and slightly thicker back for more enhanced tone and sustain, the McCarty 594 plays in tune, is intonated the entire length of the neck, and feels like a guitar you’ve been playing forever. Whether you are looking for rich, authentic humbucking tones or nuanced, sweet single-coil sounds, the McCarty 594 can seamlessly master both sonic territories thanks to its 58/15 LT pickups, which have now been through the TCI (tuned capacitance and inductance) process, and dual volume and push/pull tone controls. A zinc two-piece bridge and vintage-style tuners anchor this guitar and stay true to the promise of the McCarty family.

“One of my sayings is that everything that touches the string is God – well, that’s really the bridge, the nut, and the tuners. The updates to the McCarty family make a huge difference in their tone. The guitar sustains longer and the tone has more character,” said Paul Reed Smith.

In the late 1980’s, Paul Reed Smith called on Ted McCarty to consult with him on guitar design and production techniques. He not only served as a mentor but became a great friend of Paul and everyone he met at PRS. In 1994, PRS released the first McCarty, an instrument that incorporated the full spectrum of techniques and knowledge Paul had gained from Ted as well as his own experiences as a guitar builder.

For 2024, PRS Guitars is updating the tuning machines on many of our Core guitars. While, aesthetically, our new Wing buttons are designed to echo the 12th fret bird wingspan design, they were first and foremost designed for tonal reasons all the way back in 1982. Because these buttons are lighter weight than their metal predecessors, they are subtracting less energy from the vibrating strings, thus helping the guitar ring longer and at a more musical note. The removal of the tuner’s locking feature on non-tremolo-equipped guitars further decreases their weight.

PRS Two-Piece Bridge

Made of zinc and brass, this bridge has four contact points and added mass, enhancing the natural tone of the guitar and helping to create a more resonant instrument.

PRS Vintage-Style Non-Locking Tuners with Wing Buttons

Traditional closed-back tuners engineered to promote resonance.

PRS 58/15 LT Pickups

“Low turn” pickups with vintage warm, clear tone.