PRS unveils McCarty 594 electric, John Mayer dubs it "the best new guitar I've played in years"

PRS has announced the latest addition to its McCarty range, the 594, which promises to marry vintage tones and modern playability.

A pair of 58/15 LT pickups and push/pull coil-taps aim to deliver authentic vintage humbucker tones as well as sweet single-coil sounds, while a number of PRS tweaks offer spot-on intonation across the length of the neck and ensure the 594 "feels like a guitar that has already been played forever".

These spec tweaks include a surgically precise 24.594" scale length and a new Pattern Vintage neck carve, which is slightly thicker than PRS's Pattern neck but with an asymmetrical carve that offers extra thickness on the treble side and less on the bass.

Other player-orientated adjustments are tweaked Phase III tuners with an added set screw, as well as the ability to roll both volume knobs at the same time, thanks to cunning body positioning.

Elsewhere, the 594 packs a figured maple top on mahogany body, 22-fret mahogany neck with rosewood fingerboard and a two-piece stoptail bridge.

Guitar heartthrob John Mayer - who worked with PRS on the Private Stock Super Eagle - loves the new model so much, he had this to say: "The 594 is the best new guitar I've played in years. It has a vintage heart and soul but without the technical limitations that usually come along with an old instrument." Enthusiastic words indeed.

The PRS McCarty 594 is available now for £4,260/€6,659 in the following finishes: Blood Orange, Black Gold Burst, Charcoal Burst, Fire Red Burst, Faded Whale Blue, Gray Black, Honey, Jade, McCarty Sunburst.

For the uninitiated, the PRS McCarty is PRS's tribute to guitar pioneer Ted McCarty - catch up on the history of the model with our guide to the making of the PRS McCarty.