Bare Knuckle Pickups Forum
Forum Ringside => Guitars, Amps and Effects => Topic started by: Twinfan on October 09, 2008, 12:17:07 PM
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I've been using one of my PRS McCarty Korinas in my band for a little while now, and while it sounds superb it doesn't quite have enough 'cut' sometimes. It has a lovely thick sound that I really like though.
So I've been keeping an eye out for a maple top McCarty for a couple of months, thinking that the classic mahogany/maple combo will give my tone the extra kick that I need. They're a discontinued model, so I was looking at the odd new one but mainly used ones. Nothing really caught my eye, but while browsing my usual guitar sites yesterday I spotted the beauty below:
* 2001(!) New Old Stock PRS McCarty
* As new, except for a couple of tiny marks on the back
* Amber
* One piece(!) flamed maple top :o
* Very light weight
It arrives tomorrow morning :D It will be compared to my usual McCarty Korina on Tuesday night to see who stays and who goes. I've not got on that well with maple top guitars in the past, so this is my final attempt at trying one before giving up on them completely!
(http://www.doppelganger-rock.com/Twinfan/PRS%20McCarty.jpg)
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:lol:
That top has quite a vintage look, a bit over the top for full on vintage. would be nice with an off centre seam... mmmm
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That looks awesome and I dont even like flametops much :)
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Cheers guys! I don't like 'perfect' flames if that makes sense? Most PRS stuff looks like furniture. I thought this looked quite vintage-y, and with some wear would look pretty cool I think. No birds either, just nice simple moons which I seem to prefer on McCartys.
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Yeah when it gets some more chips and worn bits it'll look better, I hate the furniture looking prses. The moons are definitely better than birds as well :)
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That actually reminds me of that Feline Lion that got sold a bit back. I think someone here has it? Matt or Catalyst?
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I know I said no more, but...
:lol:
I like the little imperfections in the flame top, makes it look a little more olde worlde. Good price?
Presumably it's McKorina No.2 which will be on its way out if this one's up to par?
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Very nice can we have some audio with that and your new amp.
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Yep, it's McKorina #2 up against this one. This one's got some work to do though, as #2 is still a damn fine guitar!
Price was £1499 delivered next day with a few sets of strings bunged in. Not peanuts by any means, but a reasonable deal for a brand new McCarty (even though it has a couple of marks on the back). Used they're priced anywhere between £1000 and £1800 for this spec and similar colour. I think when they were a current model they were priced around the £2000 mark.
I don't mind paying a little bit over the odds for the right guitar, and this one 'spoke' to me. I think the unusual one-piece top has meant a slight premium to pay too. Like you Phil, I love the imperfection son the wood and the stain :)
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Very nice can we have some audio with that and your new amp.
I can try! To be really honest, the Deluxe suits single coils better than 'buckers.
If you want, you can bob round and try the Deluxe yourself?
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When i saw that, my mouth dropped open. It is rare to see a one piece flame top, even on a PRS. I wouldn't lay down that much cash for it though, i would rather save and go custom. You could ultimately get a better guitar that way that looks exactly the same or better.
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Amazing! A looker even with the small "imperfections"!
The headstock has a veneer or it's mahogany colored?
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One of the more desirable PRS with a sensible switching system and solid tail - very nice.
Would fit very nicely in my collection.
Martin
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The headstock is mahogany coloured, like the back and the neck :)
According to the guys on the PRS forum it's quite a rare thing. One piece tops are rare, and the finish is called Violin Amber which was discontinued in 2005. It also has no false 'binding' around the body like nearly every other PRS colour, so it's 'wrap' finish which is also rare.
I just want to know how it sounds and feels now!
( P.S. I know what you're saying about custom opprobrium_9, but I like off-the-shelf when it comes to guitars :) )
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I hadn't noticed the lack of fake binding, very unusual. Looking at it again armed with that knowledge, it reminds me a bit of my old Hamer Artist.
I think this could be a real winner! :)
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I'm hoping so Phil, I'm hoping so:
* One piece top
* Natural looking maple
* No fake binding
* Rare colour
* Light weight
Got to be a winner, surely? :)
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Sexiest PRS I've seen!
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:lol:
pic doesn't work...
i liked the mccarty i tried... very nice guitar. shame it was like £3k...
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Pic fixed!
I love my McCarty Korinas, it's just in a two guitar band I need a bit more cut.....
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I think that's about the first Maple-topped PRS I've seen that raised the "want" flag. That top is teh secks. To me, that's much, much prettier than the "flawless" tops some of 'em have.
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Not bad, not bad :D
I'm with several others posted already: does look very purdey - seems to have something about it that appeals to the non-PRS lovers here :lol:
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That'll be me then :lol:
I don't like PRS-looking PRSs either! I like the ones that look like Gibsons!
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I think that's about the first Maple-topped PRS I've seen that raised the "want" flag. That top is teh secks. To me, that's much, much prettier than the "flawless" tops some of 'em have.
Couldn't agree more!
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The odd knot and "misaligned" patch of grain adds so much. Uniform Tiger stripes are just a bit plasticky looking, or something. Might just be me (and you, apparently), though.
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Come on delivery guy, where are you???
The more I look at this top, the more I love it...
(http://www.doppelganger-rock.com/Twinfan/PRS%20McCarty.jpg)
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Looks pure awesome.
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Loving the 1 piece top, looks great!
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Well it's arrived! :D
There are three little 'nicks' on the top edge near the back, otherwise it's mint. Fresh set of nines on it, which need changing to 10s soon! I'll live with the nines for now as I'm too tight to bin new strings ;)
Tonally it's just what I was hoping for. It sits between the McKorina and the Mira in terms of thickness and top end bite. It should work great in the band mix on Tuesday night. Can't wait to try it cranked :)
The top looks amazing in the flesh, really alive, and it looks different from every angle. Very cool.
Looks like I need to decide what has to get sold to pay for it :(
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Is this your 4th PRS this year Dave?
If so... That's just awesome.
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Is this your 4th PRS this year Dave?
If so... That's just awesome.
this has just caused me to wonder how many Vs I got this year... think it was more last year. can't even remember how many i've got now
epiphone korina 58 <- 2002
spirit steinberger gp <- 2003
gordon smith <- 2003
epiphone gothic floyd <- 2006
gibson faded cherry <- 2006
hamer vector <- 2007
greco <- 2007
feline v-line <- 2007
gibson v90 <- 2008
just one then, though i got 3 last year... damn! can't compete with twinfan :)
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just one then, though i got 3 last year... damn! can't compete with twinfan :)
Come on gwEm, still over 2 months to go, time for a late surge! :wink:
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just one then, though i got 3 last year... damn! can't compete with twinfan :)
Come on gwEm, still over 2 months to go, time for a late surge! :wink:
:) well maybe... the thing is my GAS doesn't lie in V directions at the moment. I think it would be nicer to have a Explorer. Anyway, one never knows what cool guitars will come up - as Twinfan shows us here.
Edit:
Though having said that a Gibson 80s rear routed V, a V XPL, or a V2 would interest me... obviously i'd love a medallion, though its probably wayyy out of my price range, i'd settle for a 70s one with a dumpty headstock. i also saw a John Birch V on ebay a few years ago which I regret not buying after trying Phil's John Birch and the Wez Birch inspired SG. And if I saw an 81 58 reissue at the right price, I'd probably be keen. Theres also the ESP Edwards KK Hamer copy I saw in Japan. And a real MIA vector would be nice too.
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Though having said that a Gibson 80s rear routed V
Like "The V", with a brown sunburst maple top and binding? I used to admire one of those in a shop window in Bath when I was at university. I'm pretty sure the same place had a V2 as well.
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Is this your 4th PRS this year Dave?
If so... That's just awesome.
Err, yep it is my fourth PRS. Whoops :oops:
It's been an expensive year, although I've sold a hell of a lot of stuff to pay for these things! I've bought:
* Martamp 4x12
* Martamp M45/100
* Martamp Deluxe
* PRS Mira
* PRS McCarty Korina x 2
* PRS McCarty
* Kramer Baretta
* Custom Shop Telecaster
* Squier Classic Vibe Telecaster
* Ibanez AD9
* Exotic Effects BB Preamp
* Zinky Master Blaster booster
* MXR Stereo Chorus
* Various cables/straps/plectrums
Whoa! That's really scary when you write it all down :o
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Though having said that a Gibson 80s rear routed V
Like "The V", with a brown sunburst maple top and binding? I used to admire one of those in a shop window in Bath when I was at university. I'm pretty sure the same place had a V2 as well.
"The V" is rear routed:
(http://www.flying-v.ch/thev/f_81theVsunb.jpg)
but I don't like the way the stop bar is so far back. this is what i meant:
(http://www.flying-v.ch/f_83desi/f84nat1.jpg)
maybe with a kahler?
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Is this your 4th PRS this year Dave?
If so... That's just awesome.
Err, yep it is my fourth PRS. Whoops :oops:
* PRS Mira
* PRS McCarty Korina x 2
* PRS McCarty
and all those ibanezs too...
i think you are just an obsessive collector. i would never do anything like that!
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:lol:
I think I'll be lightening the Ibanez load shortly. They don't get played, so they need moving on...
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I think it would be nicer to have a Explorer...
i also saw a John Birch V on ebay a few years ago which I regret not buying after trying Phil's John Birch and the Wez Birch inspired SG.
maybe with a kahler?
Who is this Wez Birch? ;) ...
Gwem - How do white guitars sit with you?
(http://i36.photobucket.com/albums/e31/WezV/DSC01769.jpg)
(sorry for the cheeky plug 8) )
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"The V" is rear routed:
but I don't like the way the stop bar is so far back.
I hadn't noticed that before - I wonder why it's like that? I do remember it had the '70s style neck parallel to the body, so the end of the fingerboard is about 1/2 an inch high.
Nice looking guitar, but it probably doesn't play very well.
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ah, looks nice, thanks for the pic dave.
so, what you're saying is that you're too tight to bin new strings, but not too tight to buy all that gear? :lol:
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Exactly Dave, exactly! :lol:
Actually, keeping the 9s on means Martin can try it on Tuesday without moaning about how heavy 10s are!!!!! :lol:
(Sorry mate :oops:)
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I think it would be nicer to have a Explorer...
i also saw a John Birch V on ebay a few years ago which I regret not buying after trying Phil's John Birch and the Wez Birch inspired SG.
maybe with a kahler?
Who is this Wez Birch? ;) ...
Gwem - How do white guitars sit with you?
I suppose I should have inserted some sort of punctuation between the Wez and the Birch.
As for a white explorer, i'd love one. white guitars are my favourite. i've already considered it obviously, but the thing i'm not so keen on with yours is the 90% body size - i'm relatively tall and would prefer a full size i think. sorry :(
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Exactly Dave, exactly! :lol:
Actually, keeping the 9s on means Martin can try it on Tuesday without moaning about how heavy 10s are!!!!! :lol:
(Sorry mate :oops:)
that's what i do too :lol: buy all these guitars then moan about the cost of strings (actually, the bother of restringing is another cause for moaning... )!
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^ same here :lol:
I got a bunch of strings a while back, cheaper in bulk, reasoning that at approx £3 a set, I could now afford to have decent strings on almost all the time...
Have I used them yet? Nope... I'm still waiting for the existing strings to degenerate further... "there's a bit of life in them yet..."
And I hate the chore of restringing!!
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I usually do a string/setup day where I do 5 or 6 guitars at a time. I just did my acoustics and I have the new BC Rich and my Ric bass to do work on soon. I go though about 50 sets of strings a year on my guitars (which means that not all of them are being restrung!). I buy the 25 set D'Addario boxes for setups and also for guitars that are not my main ones (since SOB strings are really expensive!). The SOB's are on the BK equiped guitars and all my bases.
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I usually do a string/setup day where I do 5 or 6 guitars at a time. I just did my acoustics and I have the new BC Rich and my Ric bass to do work on soon. I go though about 50 sets of strings a year on my guitars (which means that not all of them are being restrung!). I buy the 25 set D'Addario boxes for setups and also for guitars that are not my main ones (since SOB strings are really expensive!). The SOB's are on the BK equiped guitars and all my bases.
Been putting it off for weeks, but finally got round to re-stringing/setting up/cleaning the LP today. Feels much better now,
but would still benefit from a fret dress.
Love that amber top by the way tf, thought I'd gone off PRS, kinda fancy one now!
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Love that amber top by the way tf, thought I'd gone off PRS, kinda fancy one now!
Cheers Mark!
For anyone who's interested, there's a very similar model to mine (but with a two piece top) up for sale at Guitars4You. Great shop, lovely looking guitar ;) It's also a 2001 in Violin Amber, and I'd been tempted to buy it myself recently but thought it was too dear at £1499. It's just been reduced to £1299. I've no affiliation with the shop, just passing on the info :)
http://www.guitars4you.co.uk/guitars/2050.htm
(http://www.guitars4you.co.uk/guitars/2050.jpg)
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Dave, do all the McCartys have the push/pull tone pot for coil-split?
& do you like the stock PRS pups or swap them out for BKPs? Either way wouldn't mind soundclips through your new
fendery amp, which I guess is similarly voiced to my Cornell.
I like the look of that guitars4you McCarty, not sure I can convince the wife that I need another guitar though!
I have a Taylor 814 that I never play that would fund it. Problem is, I keep telling myself it's got to go, then take it out,
play it for 5min, then remember how sweet it sounds & can't bring myself to part with it.
How much of a handful is the wide fat neck? My hands are not tiny but hardly huge either. Are the saddles adjustable
on the wraparound bridge/tailpiece, they look fixed to me, just concerned about intonation, but I guess PRS thought
of that so it must be ok?
Mark
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As for a white explorer, i'd love one. white guitars are my favourite. i've already considered it obviously, but the thing i'm not so keen on with yours is the 90% body size - i'm relatively tall and would prefer a full size i think. sorry :(
ah nevermind, I quite like compact bodies with long necks - especially when i can do that and still get the guitar to balance nicely. I might have to respray this one at some point as white does not seem popular
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Dave, do all the McCartys have the push/pull tone pot for coil-split?
All but the original models from 1994. In 1995 they added the coil split via a push/pull on the tone pot.
do you like the stock PRS pups or swap them out for BKPs? Either way wouldn't mind soundclips through your new fendery amp, which I guess is similarly voiced to my Cornell.
I like the McCarty pickups just fine. I think they're Alnico II but PRS don't publish the specs. If so, they're another PAF variant like a Stormy Monday, SD Alnico Pro II, DiMarzio PAF etc. Let me know what style you play and I'll see if I can rustle up some clips ;)
How much of a handful is the wide fat neck? My hands are not tiny but hardly huge either.
It's not that wide and not that fat! It's the widest and fattest neck that PRS make, but it's like a slightly chunkier Gibson 60s style neck. Very, very comfortable to play. I play with my thumb wrapped over the bass side and it's great, but I do have quite long fingers. I can't imagine may people would object to the way it feels.
Are the saddles adjustable on the wraparound bridge/tailpiece, they look fixed to me, just concerned about intonation, but I guess PRS thought of that so it must be ok?
It's a non-adjustable intontated bridge, but if you're using 9s or 10s with a plain 3rd string it intontates fine. If you drop tune, or use heavier gauges, then you may need an adjustable bridge. PRS do one (pricey) or TonePros (cheaper, but still around £100 I think!)
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How much of a handful is the wide fat neck? My hands are not tiny but hardly huge either.
It's not that wide and not that fat! It's the widest and fattest neck that PRS make, but it's like a slightly chunkier Gibson 60s style neck. Very, very comfortable to play. I play with my thumb wrapped over the bass side and it's great, but I do have quite long fingers. I can't imagine may people would object to the way it feels.
I've always preferred fat necks, although I don't have big hands (biggish for my size maybe, but I'm only 5'6"). The PRS wide-fat isn't that big at all, but it's different from a Gibson '50s neck - the Gibson is pretty shallow at the nut but gets a lot deeper, whereas the PRS is pretty much the same depth all along, with a hint of a V shape on the first few frets.
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Great description Phil - spot on.
You still liking the Korina?
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You still liking the Korina?
:D Oh yes! It's not my "first call" guitar, to be honest (my Epi Juniors tend to fill that role), but I'm always amazed just how nice it is when I pick it up. Still have a bit of a guilt complex spending that much on one guitar though.
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Try buying two :roll:
I'm pretty sure my #2 will have to be sold to pay for this new maple top. I wish it didn't have to go, but needs must :( Still keeping #1 though ;)
Two is just too much of a luxury...
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Two is just too much of a luxury...
Unless they're sub-£400 Epiphone Juniors! :wink:
But seriously, at least you're gigging, that kind-of justifies the cost of some serious guitars.
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Cheers Dave
I'm sure the neck will be fine for my average sized hands.
I use 10s with an unwound 3rd, almost always standard tuning, so I like the idea of the fixed bridge.
As for my style of play, from what I've seen of your posts, pretty similar to yours, DC, Lizzy, Zep kind of thing, with
some dirty blues thrown in, so any clips would be great.
Wife out of work at moment so not the best time to spend £1k plus on a guitar, but my need for a PRS has been
rekindled, pretty sure it's got to be an amber McCarty, will happen soon. Damn, this is an expensive hobby.
Thanks for that Dave!
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Sounds like the neck and bridge would be fine for you fella :)
Here's a few of my usual amateur-level clips. PRS McCarty straight into my Martamp Deluxe, recorded via A Palmer PDI-09 Junction speaker sim, my soundcard and Audacity. As raw as it comes!
I think I got all your requests in ;)
Bridge position (http://www.doppelganger-rock.com/Twinfan/McCarty%20bridge.wav)
Middle position (http://www.doppelganger-rock.com/Twinfan/McCarty%20middle.wav)
Neck position (http://www.doppelganger-rock.com/Twinfan/McCarty%20neck.wav)
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Thanks mate, sounds great. How you getting on with it?
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Very well, really liking it. Tonight is the tester - band rehearsal back-to-back with the McKorina. Can't wait :)
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I like that explorer
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hey, its still available... and with xmas approaching i may be willing to do a good deal on it:)
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Think will be out of my price range...what pickups did you put on that one etc
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its just the single holydiver, but wired to a series/parallel switch for a little extra versatiltiy. very cool. when i say good deal, i was originally asking £700. I was thinking of re-listing it for £550, even thats negotiable.
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Thats a great price Wez....and love the look but need to sell some guitars and stuff before I could buy.....