Thoughts on PRS SC 245 and 594

Jonathanthomas83

I know I like the double cut 594, but have never played a singlecut. But am mainly interested in thoughts about the SC 254 and the 58/15 pickups. Again I've only tried the LT (Low Turn) version.

Big fan of the 594 and the LT pickups but wonder whether the 245 will be a bit hotter and more modern, which is what I'm after.

Also wondering about Les Paul comparisons and how close you think it gets?

Many thanks

Whitecat

Depends which SC245 you mean - that model name has been used on two distinctly different guitars. The original had 245 pickups and a one-piece bridge, the later version the 2-piece and 57/08s or 58/15s at the very end of its life before the 594SC superseded it. 

The orginal one does sound more modern but I feel that’s more about the bridge than anything - it’s less midrangey. 245s are just ok at best. A step in the right direction for PRS from what came before them but not even close to their or anyone’s best. 

Jonathanthomas83

@Whitecat thanks, what do you think of the 594, my better? WhatsWyour preference for a Les Paul alternative then?

markj

I’ve got a PRS stripped 58. It’s a superb guitar, it has 57/08 pickups in it. It might be worth looking out for one of these second hand.

SimonC

I thought the SC250 was aimed at a more modern, hotter sound?

Jonathanthomas83

I dont think the new 2 piece bridge is, I think it's meant to be more vintage. Can someone clarify?

Whitecat

The SC250 is yet another model entirely. Not the same as the SC245 - different pickups and scale length being the main details, plus of course different bridge to the more current short-scales. Indeed meant to sound more “modern.”

The 2 piece tuneomatic style bridge/tailpiece eats a lot of harmonics/high end so definitely sounds more vintage. 

The 594 is definitely the closest to the LP tone but the old SC58/Stripped 58s and newer SC245s are at least in the postcode. Possibly worth trying out if you can...

That all said, nothing sounds like a Les Paul and a well-made, well setup example is still a thing of excellence. The trick being finding one.

markj

Here is my Stripped 58. This flattens my Les paul Traditional easily for tone.

Jonathanthomas83

I wish PRS would buy Gibson already and start making good Gibsons again!

Thanks @Whitecat , very helpful indeed

Jonathanthomas83

markj said:

Here is my Stripped 58. This flattens my Les paul Traditional easily for tone.

That's stunning. How would you describe the differences between that and your Les Paul, tonally?

markj

Thicker, fatter fantastic pickups. My les paul has had some high end pickups fitted to it in the past, OX4's and now oilcity masterwound Paf's and its had all the wiring, pots and caps upgraded. Yeah it sounds good, but the 58 has that extra 10-20% in tone.

Collings

I've got a double cut 594 and have also owned the SC version and much preferred the double cut and both obviously have the LT 58/15s which do a good job of getting you in the vintage Gibson camp.

I've also got a McCarty with 58/15s (not LT) and they sound very much like the LT version but maybe have a little more mids and are very bright/clear and I would say are more modern sounding but they are great pickups that are still very much PAF like. They are not massively higher in output compared to the LT version. .

I do also have a private stock McCarty SiC which is in effect a 245 but it has 57/08s and I would say the 58/15 are far brighter than the 57/08s. I think I prefer the 85/15 compared to the 57/08

Jonathanthomas83

@Collings thank you, that's great

CarpeDiem

There are some comparison videos on YouTube that may be worth checking out.

gordiji

markj said:

I’ve got a PRS stripped 58. It’s a superb guitar, it has 57/08 pickups in it. It might be worth looking out for one of these second hand.

Me too. Vintage sounding, very versatile & beautifully made. IMO seconhand they're a steal.

guitarfishbay

What's your specific goal here?  Is it to get a PRS that sounds like a modern/aggressive Les Paul?  Or do you want a modern sounding Les Paul with some tweaks to it?

Bucket

I've played a 245 goldtop and it was one of the PRSi I've disliked least.

Jonathanthomas83

guitarfishbay said:

What's your specific goal here?  Is it to get a PRS that sounds like a modern/aggressive Les Paul?  Or do you want a modern sounding Les Paul with some tweaks to it?

Ah mate, where do I start?

Right now, I have a Suhr Strat, MiJ FenderTele and the Kiesel and I'm really happy with those 3, they never give me a moments trouble and I love them to death right across the board, from neck pickup to bridge and the hardware, finish, everything is great on all three.

Next there's the Custom 24, this one winds me up...it's my favourite of all my guitars to play because it's like butter in my hands, but it just doesn't sound the way I want it to - and that's not the guitar's fault it's mine. I bought it mistakenly thinking that it would be a modern Les Paul in terms of appointments and its sound, it's not.

Then there's the dream guitar, my Les Paul, I love the sound, but being too fussy, I can't deal with the quirks. Tuning instability mainly. Much like the Suhr Strat, I want something that takes all those quirks and redefines things with a modern take - I love that guitar. Suhr's offering is way too expensive for me and not a production model yet, it may be worth me holding off for one of those though.

I watch a lot of Leon Todd's videos and his SC245 sounds huge, but that's the old model and they're hard to come by, so I wondered how the newer, more readily available models compare. I also like the modern finishes, hardware and headstock (very picky, I know).

So taking the PRS playability and what I like about the Les Paul, I wanted to get something that would tick both boxes so I wouldn't lose out on selling both the PRS and the Gibson.

guitarfishbay

Yeah Leon Todd gets some great sounds. He’s a good player.

Do you use a trem at all?  IIRC your CU24 has the trem. The Tremonti is a seriously good rock guitar, might be worth considering if you're wanting a bit of PRS and a bit of Gibson.  

markj

I love my stripped 58 but the best I ever had was a PRS DGT. Wow what a guitar.

Jonathanthomas83

guitarfishbay said:

Yeah Leon Todd gets some great sounds. He’s a good player.

Do you use a trem at all?  IIRC your CU24 has the trem. The Tremonti is a seriously good rock guitar, might be worth considering if you're wanting a bit of PRS and a bit of Gibson.  

I think you just nailed it! Looking at the specs all afternoon and it seems perfect. In terms of modern, hot pickups and knob/switch positioning, scale length. It really looks the best of both worlds, taking into consideration what I love about both guitars. Importantly has 22 frets which is good for that neck humbucker position. Looks great.

I think the reason I've overlooked them until now is because of the signature, but I'll change the truss rod cover. Although I love the term on my Custom 24, I'll go for a stoptail, I think.

Thanks mate, glad you put it back on my radar!