New PRS Core and Bolt on Models for 2025

[Frodebro]

With the way you crater them Mids on a Mark no wonder you say you "REALLY like bright guitars."

 

[hemmelight]

I really loved the regular McCarty when I played one years ago in a shop and I much preferred it to the McCarty 594 that I played the same day.
Wish PRS would stop ignoring its existence. There's like 5 versions of the 594 across the whole range, but only the core version of the standard McCarty (that I see they've removed from the line-up this year.)

 

[JasonE]

I really loved the regular McCarty when I played one years ago in a shop and I much preferred it to the McCarty 594 that I played the same day.
Wish PRS would stop ignoring its existence. There's like 5 versions of the 594 across the whole range, but only the core version of the standard McCarty (that I see they've removed from the line-up this year.)

The regular McCarty is still in the line up. You can see it HERE. What do you mean by ignoring it's existence? What do you want them to do with it. It is a model that they have run for many years and it is still close to what it always has been. It gets the new McCarty III pickups this year.

 

[spawnofthesith]

I see pretty dang good used deals on the classic McCartys from the early 2000s fairly often, could probably snag an actual core for like $1k less than what a new S2 version would cost if they decided to make one


What I personally REALLY want to see is an S2 Hollowbody or hollowbody II… but I’ll keep dreaming

 

[Eagle]

Let’s have the proper bridge on these, the one on the CE is not great. In fact the last few CEs I have had in needed fretwork and a start again setup.

 

[spawnofthesith]

Let’s have the proper bridge on these, the one on the CE is not great. In fact the last few CEs I have had in needed fretwork and a start again setup.

I think the new standard should have a USA bridge for sure… not sure about the new SAS or not since it’s in the “bolt on” line


I don’t really have any complaints about the bridge on my ‘18 CE24, but it’s decked and I never use it. I’ve considered getting a Mann bridge to replace it, but I’ve heard more than once account of the tone changing after replacement, which concerns me because everything about the guitar is pretty much perfect to me lol

 

[metropolis_4]

They are gorgeous but Swamp Ass with a Maple board feels like I'd be rolling that Tone
knob way back.

I have a Swamp Ass LP and that sucker shoots out laser-focused Death Rays---and wears like
a piece of Amish log furniture.

I don’t know if that combo is that bad, I’ve had swamp ash Tele’s with maple necks and it worked fine. Definitely on the bright end of the spectrum, but not problematically bright

 

[Jarick]

The USA 85/15s seem pretty bright to me, I think my semihollow CE24 is easily my brightest sounding guitar. I do feel like the SE versions of the pickups tend to be a little darker than the USA counterparts, so maybe that balances it out a little bit

I also REALLY like bright guitars myself lol, used to have an avri thinskin tele, swamp ash and maple board. I had my issues with that guitar but I loved that full bore tone

The bridge is a hair bright but not too bad. The neck can be a bit fat but I think with all humbuckers. I think it's mostly the guitar with the maple neck.

I flip back and forth between 85/15 and Thornbuckers in my CE-24. It's almost time for me to swap the Thorns back in.

 

[paisleywookiee]

The SAS in Vintage Natural w/RW board, and the metallic candy apple red Standard 24 are gonna be mine, I swear. Such cool releases. I love PRS, but I like the plainer shit.

 

[spawnofthesith]

The bridge is a hair bright but not too bad. The neck can be a bit fat but I think with all humbuckers. I think it's mostly the guitar with the maple neck.

I flip back and forth between 85/15 and Thornbuckers in my CE-24. It's almost time for me to swap the Thorns back in.

Oh yeah definitely didn’t mean it in a bad way!! They’re some of my favorite pickups lol

 

[JerEvil]

That Standard 24 Satin in red is fuggin’ hawt!

 

[hemmelight]

The regular McCarty is still in the line up. You can see it HERE. What do you mean by ignoring it's existence? What do you want them to do with it. It is a model that they have run for many years and it is still close to what it always has been. It gets the new McCarty III pickups this year.

Ok, that's weird. I can't see your link properly because their site automatically redirects me to the UK page, and it's not listed there at all.
The only two models shown in the Core line are the McCarty 594 and the Hollowbody II versions.

Anyway, I mean that I'd like to see an S2 or SE version of the normal-ass McCarty instead of the 594. The closest thing is the SE Paul's Guitar, I guess?

 

[Jarick]

Oh yeah definitely didn’t mean it in a bad way!! They’re some of my favorite pickups lol

Yeah for me I like with the 85/15 the push in the bridge and that lifted presence like you mention. But I find the neck pickup to be too hot and sometimes the bridge can be a bit lean. The Thornbuckers are more balanced but as they are lower output, sometimes you can't get as mean and aggressive with them.

For me I'd love to have a 58/15 LT neck and a slightly overwound 58/15 bridge. Would be interesting to see what these new pickups measure as.

 

[JasonE]

Yeah for me I like with the 85/15 the push in the bridge and that lifted presence like you mention. But I find the neck pickup to be too hot and sometimes the bridge can be a bit lean. The Thornbuckers are more balanced but as they are lower output, sometimes you can't get as mean and aggressive with them.

For me I'd love to have a 58/15 LT neck and a slightly overwound 58/15 bridge. Would be interesting to see what these new pickups measure as.

I put a Thornbucker 2 in the bridge of my custom Suhr Standard. I really like that pickup in this guitar. I had it built with an SSV+ in it, which didn't sound bad. I like little bit less output of the TB2 and it is warmer, which I really like. The guitar is an HSS. The TB2 splits very well and sounds much better when combined with the middle single coil. It now has a very good strat quack in that position. It was just okay before. I think I read somewhere that the TB2 is wound uneven. That would be why it sounds better when combined with the single coil. I went down the road of the Fralin Unbucker in another guitar to achieve this.

 

[Jarick]

I put a Thornbucker 2 in the bridge of my custom Suhr Standard. I really like that pickup in this guitar. I had it built with an SSV+ in it, which didn't sound bad. I like little bit less output of the TB2 and it is warmer, which I really like. The guitar is an HSS. The TB2 splits very well and sounds much better when combined with the middle single coil. It now has a very good strat quack in that position. It was just okay before. I think I read somewhere that the TB2 is wound uneven. That would be why it sounds better when combined with the single coil. I went down the road of the Fralin Unbucker in another guitar to achieve this.

I've been tempted with the TB2 for sure. I have fallen in love with alnico 2 pickups over the last year...I have Burstbuckers in my 335, Wolfetone PAF's in my McCarty, an Andy Wood bridge pickup in my Kramer, and 85/15's in my CE-24. Only my S2 Standard which has SSV's has alnico 5. Maybe I'll order a couple pairs of A2 magnets and swap them in the Thornbucker set which has plus bridge, along with the SSV's. Could be interesting.

I think all TB pickups have slightly uneven coils like some PAF's did. The regular bridge was about 8.5k, plus about 8.8k, and the TB2 about 9.1k. So they keep winding them hotter. The TB2 looks really similar to the Duncan 78 which is a 9k alnico 2 overwound PAF. Makes sense as that was reportedly EVH's pickup spec that Duncan rewound, and Pete was messing around with all those EVH pickups when he had the prototype.

 

[JasonE]

I've been tempted with the TB2 for sure. I have fallen in love with alnico 2 pickups over the last year...I have Burstbuckers in my 335, Wolfetone PAF's in my McCarty, an Andy Wood bridge pickup in my Kramer, and 85/15's in my CE-24. Only my S2 Standard which has SSV's has alnico 5. Maybe I'll order a couple pairs of A2 magnets and swap them in the Thornbucker set which has plus bridge, along with the SSV's. Could be interesting.

I think all TB pickups have slightly uneven coils like some PAF's did. The regular bridge was about 8.5k, plus about 8.8k, and the TB2 about 9.1k. So they keep winding them hotter. The TB2 looks really similar to the Duncan 78 which is a 9k alnico 2 overwound PAF. Makes sense as that was reportedly EVH's pickup spec that Duncan rewound, and Pete was messing around with all those EVH pickups when he had the prototype.

I am definitely a fan of an A2 magnet in a pickup and seem to like them wound around that 9K mark. I am a big fan of the PRS 57/08 pickups. I have a couple of sets that are wound hotter. They were winding them hotter for two or three years back in 2015 to 2017 from the sets I have. The bridge pickups in the two sets I have that are hotter are right around 9.2k. They have just a little more push. The TB2 is in that same range. I really like the TB2 in my Standard. It was a good swap. I can't see me ever swapping it back.

 

[la szum]

I don’t know if that combo is that bad, I’ve had swamp ash Tele’s with maple necks and it worked fine. Definitely on the bright end of the spectrum, but not problematically bright

Probably comes down to what you are playing. Context always matters. Also,
the entire chain.

Not that I am dying to hear you on an Ash Tele with a Maple board into a Vox.