That thing is gorgeous. I might have to stay on the lookout for one.
Thanks Jason, you and others have been so helpful. It is "funny" how many different opinions there are on the PRS SE 594, and how many great suggestions there are on other LP type guitars. I appreciate your help, and everyone else's. Unfortunately several of the guitars that look like great options are well above my budget. For me it comes down to parsing through the different opinions expressed here to decide between an Indonesian SE or the S2 series. The Core models are just well above my budget.
They should do it fine so long as you have the right signal chain. I’ll find my comparison clips today.
Thanks for the information, really great stuff. It helps to know your opinion on SE vs. S2 vs. Core. And your info on the finishes is very interesting. I just wish I hadn't been so young and foolish and still had my old Goldtop LP. But that ship sailed long ago. The follies of youth!
I am starting to lean towards two guitars: one PRS, probably the SE DGT or S2 594, and a Gibson LP Standard. Just not sure which to get first, and which to get after a bit of a break to restock the budget.
Thanks Greg! Makes sense on the SC vs. doublecut. For me the SC is only the look, not sound. So probably it shouldn't be a deciding factor in my purchase.The reason the majority of PRS bodies are double cutaways is ergonomics. They balance really well, they reduce the weight a little and the access to the upper neck is easier.
The overall sound is similar to a Les Paul if the pickups are based on humbuckers and the body is a mahogany with maple cap and the neck scale is 24.245. Over the years Gibson wandered through variations of the pickups and construction so there’s no one definitive “Les Paul” sound anymore, and as a result the various PRS fall into the same ballpark as long as the neck and pickups and construction are similar.
The DGT sounds an awful lot like a late 50s Les Paul because of the pickups and body wood, but with a bit more upper end clarity. Grissom and PRS talk about how they spent years fine tuning the sound adjusting the pickups but I think the final sound is still tied to the body and neck also. Those particular pickups are only available on that model; it’s a special combination that works really well. Grissom was very influenced by Duane Allman, and this guitar really comes close to that sound.
The SC245 is much closer to the typical Les Paul design and sound. I bought mine because I wanted a “Les Paul” with the PRS balance and neck profile, I wanted a good PAF sound, and I’m a sucker for bound necks.It has the 58/15 TM pickups which do a good job, good enough that I’m not inclined to replace them. The guitar has a bright sustained sound when unplugged, probably because it’s a stop tailpiece. The bridge pickup tends to feedback which I suspect is due to the springs so I’m going to switch to surgical tubing during the next string change.
All that is to say that PRS has a bunch of different guitar models that fit in the Gibson/Les Paul sound and they can all work depending on your concept of how a Les Paul sounds. I love the feel and consistency and quality of their work, the sound is easily as good as any of the Gibsons I used to have, and I am entertained by the quality of the wood they use for even the “average” core guitars.
Years ago I had several ES guitars, including an early 345 with PAFs, and wanted to find something with that softer sound, and got a good deal on a used PRS Special 22 Semi-hollow. It has the 58/15 MT pickups and is right up there with the DGT as a favorite. It’s much lighter but still gets the 335 sound, almost a Les Paul sound, but sounds very much like a Strat when I split the pickups.
I have two other PRS, a Studio with the two Narrowfield pickups and a Humbucker, and a 509. They’re more Strat-like, but again, they’re really a pleasure to play.
I haven’t had an urge to buy any more PRS. I’m actually thinning my herd, slowly, and will be selling my Fender Strat and a Strat-alike I built, both being replaced by the Xotic I mentioned elsewhere and the last three PRS I mentioned above.
Thanks, yes, I was mainly looking at SC for the look but Greg described well above why DC might be a better option.
That is a beauty. My last guitar was a Warmoth build "Tele" with a Fralin P92 Neck pickup and a Fralin Tele bridge pickup. I like the P90 a lot.
My only issue with the Eastman is for $2.2K it shouldn't be a China made guitar, looks really nice though.
Yup. Right to left, in order of acquisition:Be careful. They're insidious and will grow on you if you give them a chance.
I’ll have to check but I thiiink on the LP one clip 2 is the 96 standard with 498/490.
I haven't played the SE hollow body, but the reviews have been very positive, even saying it's pretty resistant to feedback. They've done different semi-hollow body guitars over the years, and, at least with the Special 22 semi-hollow, they seem to know how to do it well.