The genesis of the original PRS McCarty Model was a combination of input and acquired experience. We investigate…

The original McCarty Model’s advance product information document, dated 21 January 1994, paid tribute to Theodore ‘Ted’ McCarty and his landmark contributions to designs - such as Gibson’s Les Paul, the Jr, the Special, the ES-335, the SG, the Flying V, Explorer, the Firebird, the stopbar and tune-o-matic tailpiece and the humbucking PAF.

The McCarty is literally the guitar I special ordered when I was working with John Mellencamp - David Grissom

The document stated that one aim of the new guitar was “to pay tribute to

Ted McCarty with a guitar bearing his name” and how its different specification to, for example, the 24-fret Custom gave “the McCarty Model the sound and feel that exemplifies the magic conjured during his [Ted’s] tenure at Gibson”, from 1948 to 1966. Yet the release made no mention of guitarist David Grissom.

“The McCarty is literally the guitar I special ordered when I was working with John Mellencamp,” says David.

“I wanted more bottom end; I wanted more PAF tone. Really, I was going for Duane Allman’s sound on Live At The Fillmore, so I asked them to add an 1/8th of an inch more mahogany on the back of the body, to change the ratio of mahogany to maple, and to work on some different pickups and put covers on them and put Kluson-style tuners on. Beyond that, there wasn’t a whole lot that changed.