PRS CU 22 v McCarty

Si_

I really know bugger all about PRS guitars, in real terms, what is the difference between the 2? What's the going rate for a MCCARTY CUSTOM 22

Adam_MD

The McCarty has a slightly thicker body and different tuners, kluson style I think? Different pickups and I think the wiring is slightly different. I haven't played a McCarty in a long time.

crunchman

There are a few variants of the Custom 22.  You can get them with a trem or hardtail.

Most Cu22s have the PRS 5 way switching - older ones with a rotary switch, but the new ones with a Strat style blade switch.  However, you will find some older ones with "McCarty wiring" - this is a 3 way switch with a push-pull coil tap.  You can modify a rotary switch model to McCarty wiring.

Cu22 can come with the Wide-Fat or Wide-Thin (or Pattern and Pattern-Thin to use the new names) neck profile but McCarty is only
Wide-Fat.

McCarty body is deeper so it will be a bit heavier and more LP like. There is also more mahogany compared to the maple top
which may make a difference to sound.

McCarty has McCarty pickups.  Cu22 has come with various pickups over the years.

Personally though, I would recommend the DGT if you want a PRS.  I've owned and sold a McCarty and a Cu22.  The DGT I have now (the one in my avatar) is better than them both.

It does depend what neck profile you want.  If you want Wide-Thin then you need the Cu22.  If you want Wide-Fat then
you have the choice of Cu22 or McCarty.  The DGT comes with a Regular neck profile which I prefer but it's got other improvements as well.  For me, it's the best PRS model there is.

Roland

Details are on the PRS web site.  Differences are largely as Adam says: the McCarty has a thicker body, wide fat neck, fixed bridge, lower output pickups, and a push-pull tone knob which taps both pickups.   I think McCarty 2 has different wiring too.

To my ears the McCarty sounds less aggressive than the Custom 22.

[Deleted User]

The McCarty was designed to be a more 'vintage-like' guitar than the Custom 22. Tops tend to be less figured, pick-ups were covered (unlike original and recent CU22s), stop tails were standard (though small numbers came with trems), headstocks are thinner with greater pitch and non-locking Kluson type machines. There have been several variations, such as the 'Soap Bar' (fitted with SD P90s), the MC58 (bound neck and 57/08 pick ups) and a short run a couple of years ago made for the UK distributor with later tweaks like unplated tuner posts, V12 finish and 'Pattern' neck profiles. All have have thicker bodies, as noted in previous posts.

McCartys tend to have move low end and less pronounced high-mids than CU22s. They are my favourite PRS, though the differences between the two are not vast.

Zodiac51

crunchman said:

Personally though, I would recommend the DGT if you want a PRS.. The DGT I have now (the one in my avatar) is better than them both.

...For me, it's the best PRS model there is.

^^^ This 

fretfinder

The point above about the thicker body of McCartys meaning they're heavier than Customs isn't necessarily true. My McCarty weighs 7lb 11oz which is light for a PRS and lighter than most of the other five PRSs I've owned over the years (3x Customs and 2x CEs). And personally I think lightweight is a good thing for tone as well as comfort, although not everyone agrees...see the guitar weight thread on here. Not everyone agrees about PRS pickups either but I was never happy with the plugged-in sound, and it was improved hugely by fitting Bare Knuckle Mules instead of the McCarty pickups, which always made the guitar sound rather middly and boxy to me. The BKPs are articulate, clear and have more character - wait a minute, that sounds like boll0cks! What I really mean is the guitar now sounds freakin A, whether clean or dirty! Regarding the going rate, well there's a minefield if ever there was one! The market for used PRSs is, like the rest of the market, shot, if not more so. Price should depend on age, condition, whether it's a ten top etc. I'd say anywhere from around a Grand upwards. If I was in the market for a used non-ten top Custom or McCarty and was patient and didn't want a minter, I'd hope to be able to find one for a tad under a Grand even. Happy hunting.

crunchman

The McCarty isn't a heavy guitar, and it doesn't have a trem block etc so thinking about it I was probably wrong to say they are heavier.  There is more wood though, and it is aimed more at a LP type of sound.

I'd agree on the McCarty pickups.  Mules would be a massive improvement.

Having said that I'm not a big fan of the pickups on the older Custom 22s either.  In fact most of the older PRS pickups have a reputation for being middly and lacking detail although they were very good for the Santana type lead sound which wants lots of mids.  They have introduced a lot of new pickups in the last few years that get a lot of praise from the corksniffers on TGP.  I know the new Cu22s have different pickups from the old ones. I think they actually come with options on the pickups now.

If you are going second hand then you are probably looking at the older ones though and they won't be great with stock pickups.  That's another reason I'd recommend the DGT.  The stock pickups in it are absolutely brilliant.  They sound great as humbuckers, but they also have the best coil tap sound I've heard.

[Deleted User]

crunchman said:

The McCarty isn't a heavy guitar, and it doesn't have a trem block etc so thinking about it I was probably wrong to say they are heavier.  There is more wood though, and it is aimed more at a LP type of sound.

I'd agree on the McCarty pickups.

I may be the only person you will ever hear say this but I really like McCarty pick-ups. The neck pup is pleasantly open, the bridge is slightly hotter and quite middly. When driven both sound fat and quite LP-like. I'm not a fan of bright-sounding HBs in solid guitars. I recognise this is a minority view but the OP might get on with stock McC pups. I certainly feel no need to change mine....

Si_

Might be doing a trade for one but can't work out now if it's a McCarty or a Custom 22, he describes it as a "McCarty Custom 22" and it seems to have the features of a CU22, locking tuners, open pickups etc.

[Deleted User]

Si_;16624" said:

Might be doing a trade for one but can't work out now if it's a McCarty or a Custom 22, he describes it as a "McCarty Custom 22" and it seems to have the features of a CU22, locking tuners, open pickups etc.

It may be a CU22 in 'MCCarty burst'. Though this finish was only originally used on McCartys (McCarties?) - its basically a very faded/honey sunburst - it's been offered on a wide variety of PRSs since.

Si_

Looks like deal is done for it, picking it up tonight. It's an older one, mid 90s I think he said, Anything I need to look out for on these? any opinions on them?

 

Roland

richardhomer said:

I may be the only person you will ever hear say this but I really like McCarty pick-ups. The neck pup is pleasantly open, the bridge is slightly hotter and quite middly. When driven both sound fat and quite LP-like. I'm not a fan of bright-sounding HBs in solid guitars. I recognise this is a minority view but the OP might get on with stock McC pups. I certainly feel no need to change mine....

You aren't the only one.  Mine came with an Alnico Pro/Pearly Gates combination.  After a week I changed back to the originals, which I much prefer.

musicegbdf

Think he means a cu22 with mcarty switching. This is the same as mine. I bought new like that as did not like the 5 way

Evilmags

CU22 would be my choice for gigging. Mcarthy for studio work. Both are lovely guitars.