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 their 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.