Hi guys & Girls, Long time lurker first time poster.
After getting through a really awfull year last year my wife decided to
treat me to a PRS Core model so I couldn't really say no could I? This
was my first PRS CORE guitar and I'm over the moon with it. It's a brand
new NOS 2015 McCarty model. It weighs just under 8 lbs. Wide fat neck
carve that's very nice but neither really wide or fat.
I know a lot of people out there rave over PRS's “10” Tops or Gibson's
super rich “Flame” tops but to me if a guitars top looks to perfect then
it can end up looking like a veneer or worse a photo flame decal. I
like my tops to have a bit of personality to them.
On the McCarty the Black Gold Burst finish reveals stunning golden
highlights in the figured maple top, while the ivoroid bound fretboard
wears nine “birds in flight” inlays of pearl and abalone. The rosewood
faced headstock sports “McCarty” on its trussrod cover and on the flip
side are a set nickel-plated Phase III locking tuners with exposed brass
gears and aluminium keys.
This machine is a real dream, she almost plays herself, the fit and
finish is way beyond anything the other 2 major firms put out. I
received it and have pretty much played it solid none stop for about 5
weeks - my fingers were actually bleeding cause of the lack of playing
previous to getting this beauty. Playability is out of this world, the
neck feels like it was shaped for my hand alone, and everything just
feels "right"
She is the most acoustically lively guitar I've had my mits on, vibrates
like crazy and has a very bright and airy tone, the 58/15's sound
amazing, sweet to spanky clean, mean to scream...handles gain like
nobody's business. and I really cannot find a fault with her. (her name
is maria after the most beautifull and caring woman I have ever known)
The McCarty sparked not so much GAS as a raging fire to obtain more Core
models. While I was visiting my tech he showed me his 2016 Core CE-24
Satin. while I sat there I realized that I had been strumming it for
about 1 hour without a break, it played so well. The only thing I wasn't
keen on was the satin finish.
So home I go - over the next few days I scearched the net for bargains (like we do
)
when I stumbled upon a 2006 CE-24 Mahogany in what looked like
virtually mint condition for £1000, well it took me all of about 10
seconds to make her mine (It's better to ask forgiveness than
permission). The next day she arrives and I'm sorry to say she wasn't
virtually mint - She was MINT, 11 years old and not a mark on her. It
weighs just under 9 lbs. Wide thin neck carve that again is a misnomer
as it's neither really wide or thin and feels like it was shaped for my
hand alone, everything just feels "right"
The CE-24 features a 1 piece mahogany body (are you paying attention
gibson?) the slight orange mahogany has a perfect finish. The Maple neck
is one piece with 2 wings making up the unpainted headstock, On the
flip side are a set nickel-plated Phase II locking tuners with exposed
brass gears. while the unbound rosewood fretboard wears eleven MOP dot
inlays.
Someone on another forum made a comment about the guitar being very
midrange focused, tonally. I have to agree with the caveat that using
the tone/volume controls and amp settings alleviates this. the HFS/VB
Combination sound amazing, sweet to spanky clean, mean to
scream...handles gain like nobody's business.. Twist up/down the
tone/volume pots and the guitar can go from lead screamer to powerful
rhythm in a second. I can get the guitar to go from dark and dirty to
bright, smooth and silky depending on what I do with the vol/tone pots.
The 5-way pickup selector gives some nice single-coil options, on top of
the those excellent HBs, Lots of natural sustain on this beauty, which
comes just as much from the quality of woods, design and finish, as from
those tasty pickups.
I'd never call the CE a poor-man's anything - it's an excellent guitar
in its own right, and for me, the CE is a steal of a guitar. It's been
called a sleeper, a bargain, more bang for the buck and I agree.
That brings me to my latest acquisition, a 2001 Standard in Translucent
Purple ( A huge shout out to
@Wolftone for posting & then selling this guitar & also to
@Anchorboy for selling this on). This beauty is virtually mint (1 pinhead sized chip on the
underside) and again weighs just under 8LBS. Wide fat neck carve that
again feels like it was shaped for my hand alone, everything just feels
"right"
The standard 22's 1 piece mahogany body is stained a extremely dark
purple thats almost black until the light hits it and has a perfect
finish. The Mahogany neck is fantastic to hold, On the flip side are a
set Phase I locking winged tuners, these look really weird
to me but once I tried a string swap it was amazing simple to get the
string up to pitch quickly while the unbound rosewood fretboard wears
eleven Abalone / MOP Moon inlays.
Some people don't like the dragon II pickups but I think they sound
amazing, sweet to spanky clean, mean to scream...handles gain like
nobody's business.. Twist up/down the tone/volume pots and the guitar
can go from lead screamer to powerful rhythm in a second. I can get the
guitar to go from dark and dirty to bright, smooth and silky depending
on what I do with the vol/tone pots. The 5-way pickup selector gives
some nice single-coil options, on top of the those excellent HBs, Lots
of natural sustain on this beauty, which comes just as much from the
quality of woods, design and finish, as from those tasty pickups.
As with the CE-24 I'd never call the Standard a poor-man's anything -
it's an excellent guitar in its own right, and for me, this a steal of a
guitar. It's been called a sleeper, a bargain, more bang for the buck
and I agree.
Do I prefer one over the others? From a sentimental point of the view the McCarty wins because of the connection to my wife
From a playing point of view? The two guitars are different and yet the same - with only the electrics marking them apart.
I compare them to my Gibson's.
The McCarty sounds very vintage with its 58/15's, very similar to my 2014 Gibson Les Paul Traditional with 59 tributes in it.
The CE-24 doesn't sound quite as vintage with the HFS/VB pickups but it
doesn't sound modern either, very similar to my 2012 Gibson Les Paul
Classic Custom with 57 classics in it.
The Standard 22 I feel sounds mid way between the other two, not as
vintage as the mcCarty, not as modern as the CE-24 I think it sound very
similar to a proper all mahogany Les Paul Custom
my three beauties relaxing
ANyone interested can check out my full collection (119 guitars) here
Comments
You live in a Tardis, right?
I thought I was bad....but then again if I had space I'd keep going (maybe when I own a larger place).
Lol, only kidding great collection there and nice to see the rooms and amps to go with them, enjoy mate.
The yard is nothing but a fence, the sun just hurts my eyes...
Enjoy!
And fab set of PRS'; i live the CE, a very classy looking instrument.
Does that put you in 2nd or 1st place for worst FB GAS?
How's your collection looking now @harryseven?
TBH i don't think i could cope with a collection that large it would take me an hour to decide which to play then switch again after 30 minutes :-)
Wow awarded.
HarrySeven - Intangible Asset Appraiser & Wrecker of Civilisation. Searching for weird guitars - so you don't have to.
Forum feedback thread. | G&B interview #1 & #2 | https://www.instagram.com/_harry_seven_/
My first thought. I wonder if they all get played!
My second - you must enjoy changing strings.
My third - do you call them all ‘she’ or just the special ones...
We’ve had some colourful conversations on here about the latter.
Welcome.
Just a heads up... there is a map showing your house... id get that removed a bit sharpish, your never know !