PRS McCarty Soapbar Electric Guitar 1999, Rosewood Fingerboard, Forest Green
1999 PRS McCarty Soapbar, Rosewood Fingerboard, Forest Green
The 1999 PRS McCarty Soapbar is a distinguished "Core" model from Paul Reed Smith, representing the company's take on a vintage-style electric guitar with modern craftsmanship. Designed in collaboration with Ted McCarty, the legendary former president of Gibson, this model embodies a perfect blend of classic aesthetics and PRS's renowned build quality and playability.
Key Features and Specifications
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Body: The body is a classic PRS design, featuring a double-cutaway shape with a solid mahogany back and a carved, figured maple top. This combination of tonewoods is a nod to vintage American electric guitars and is known for producing a rich, resonant tone with excellent sustain. The "violin carve" on the top is a signature PRS feature, showcasing the artistry of their luthiers.
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Neck: The neck is typically a one-piece mahogany with a "Wide-Fat" profile, which is a comfortable, chunky shape similar to a modest '50s-era Les Paul neck. It has a 22-fret rosewood fretboard (Indian or Brazilian depending on the specific model, with a rare Brazilian Rosewood McCarty being a limited run in 1999).
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Scale Length: It features a 25-inch scale length, a hallmark of PRS guitars that provides a unique balance between the shorter scale of a Gibson and the longer scale of a Fender, offering a comfortable feel for string bending while maintaining clarity and note definition.
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Electronics: The control layout is straightforward and effective, consisting of a 3-way toggle switch for pickup selection, a master volume control, and a master tone control.
The defining feature of the "Soapbar" model is its pickups. Unlike the standard McCarty's humbuckers, this guitar is equipped with two "soapbar" style humbucking pickups, upgraded from the original single coils.
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Hardware: The guitar features a PRS stoptail bridge, which is a solid, one-piece design that maximizes string-to-body contact for enhanced sustain and intonation. The tuners are typically vintage-style, non-locking tuners, another detail that contributes to the guitar's vintage-inspired character.
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Finish: The finish on a 1999 McCarty is a durable blend of a polyester basecoat and an acrylic urethane topcoat, providing a glossy, protective surface that holds up well over time while retaining the look and feel of a classic lacquer finish.