PRS DW CE 24 Floyd vs McCarty
Reasons to Get
PRS DW CE 24 Floyd over McCarty
Reasons to Get
PRS McCarty over DW CE 24 Floyd
Other Key Differences
PRS DW CE 24 Floyd vs McCarty
Shared Features
PRS DW CE 24 Floyd vs McCarty
Common Strengths
- High-Quality Nut
- From a High-Quality-Standards Country
- Top Pickup Brand
- Expensive Wood
Common Weaknesses
- Weight Relief
- Stays in Tune (Evertune)
- High-Quality Frets
- Compound Radius Fretboard
- Luminescent Sidedots
- Strap Lock
- 21:1 Tuner Ratio
- Active/Passive Preamp
Table of Contents
Price History Comparison
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Which One is Better Overall?
After going through our comparison algorithm, the results show that the PRS DW CE 24 Floyd is probably the better product overall with its final score of 75 compared to the PRS McCarty's 72 score, although not by a lot.
The PRS DW CE 24 Floyd wins when it comes to sound, playability, value for the money. On the other hand, the PRS McCarty has the upper hand when it comes to.
If you got small hands, you'll probably feel more comfortable playing the PRS DW CE 24 Floyd.
Which One is Better for Beginners?
Both meet 5 out of our 8 criteria items for beginner friendliness. This takes into account the type of frets, scale length, nut width, bridge type, fretboard radius, and neck profile to determine the easiest combination for new players. If you're looking for your first guitar to learn how to play, you can't go wrong with either of them.
New Player Friendliness
PRS DW CE 24 Floyd- Comfortable shape
- Locking tuners
- Tall frets
- Narrow nut
- Comfortable neck
- Comfortable fretboard
- Short scale
- Easy-to-use bridge
New Player Friendliness
PRS McCarty- Comfortable shape
- Easy-to-use bridge
- Tall frets
- Narrow nut
- Comfortable neck
- Comfortable fretboard
- Short scale
- Locking tuners
Nevertheless, when it comes to choosing an instrument, you should pick the one more compatible with your personal style. Still, below we'll try you to give you our results as objectively as it's possible to help you decide.
PRS DW CE 24 Floyd Overview
- From PRS's 2020 Bolt-On series
- Dustie Waring Signature
- Made in United States
- 6 strings
- 25"'' scale
- 10" Fretboard Radius
- Maple top
- Mahogany body
- Maple neck
- Maple fretboard
- Bridge pickup: PRS Mojotone Tomahawk Gen 2 (Humbucker/Passive)
- Neck pickup: PRS Mojotone Tomahawk Gen 2 (Humbucker/Passive)
- 1 volume and 1 tone Dome knobs
- 5-way Switch
- Floyd Rose 1000 Tremolo w/ Locking Nut bridge
- Dustie Waring Bolt-On neck
- 24 Medium Jumbo frets
- PRS Low Mass Locking tuners
- Compare Specs >
PRS McCarty Overview
- From PRS's 2020 Core series
- Made in United States
- 6 strings
- 25"'' scale
- 10" Fretboard Radius
- Carved Figured Maple top
- Mahogany body
- Mahogany neck
- Rosewood w/ Faux Bone Binding fretboard
- Bridge pickup: PRS 58/15 LT (Humbucker/Passive)
- Neck pickup: PRS 58/15 LT (Humbucker/Passive)
- 1 volume and 1 tone Speed knobs
- 3-way Switch
- PRS Stoptail w/ Brass Inserts (Optional:PRS Adjustable Stoptail) bridge
- Pattern Set neck
- 22 Medium Jumbo frets
- Vintage-Style tuners
- Weight between 6.95lbs (3.2kgs) and 7.3lbs (3.3kgs)
- Compare Specs >
Sound Quality Comparison
The wood used in an electric guitar or bass is not as important to determine the final tone. However, some people prefer specific wood types, so we'll take a look at those first. Then, we'll take a look at the electronics to determine the versatility and sound quality of each instrument.
Woods Used in Both
Mahogany is a fairly rare wood nowadays. It's used mostly for bodies due to its relatively lightweight. Gibson popularized it with their Les Paul guitars during their golden years, so this wood has a lot of good reputation behind it. The most expensive type comes from South America and it's still used by Gibson even today. Find out more about Mahogany.
Woods Used in the PRS DW CE 24 Floyd
Maple is one of the most popular necks for good reasons. It is a strong wood that is relatively cheap to make and looks beautiful. The highest quality maple is the hardest that comes from North America. Find out more about Maple.
Woods Used in the PRS McCarty
Rosewood is an almost purple-looking wood that is used mainly for fretboards since it's heavy, rare, and expensive. It's sometimes used on acoustic guitar bodies to create stronger warm tones. Find out more about Rosewood.
Winner: PRS McCarty.
Pickup Configuration
Both pickup configurations are HH. Double Humbucker (HH) is the choice for people who want a fuller, more round sound with tons of mids and lows. Humbuckers also get rid of the hum noise that plague single-coil pickups. They can work out for almost any genre going from Djent to even Jazz.
Pickups Quality
Both come with very good pickups from at least one of the specialized brands in the market. With pickups like these, you probably won't need an upgrade anytime soon.
However, the PRS McCarty has a slight sound quality advantage when taking into account other factors like the type of pickups, magnet, position, etc.
Both use Passive pickups. This is what's used for most music genres. They have a regular output and will serve you for both high-gain and clean tones. The alternative (Active pickups) offer a higher output that is mostly used for heavy music.
Winner: PRS McCarty.
Versatility Comparison
Some instruments offer you more ways to explore your creativity than others. Below you'll find how both compare when it comes to versatility.
Switch Options
The PRS DW CE 24 Floyd gives you 5 switch options while the PRS McCarty gives you 3. This means that the PRS DW CE 24 Floyd gives you more options to find the right pickup combination for the type of sound you want to achieve
Only the PRS McCarty comes with some kind of pickup modification: Coil Split.
Coil Split lets you disconnect one of the pickup coils. When used with humbuckers, it turns them into single-coil with lower output and cleaner tone.
When evaluating versatility, we also take into consideration bridge and neck joint type, number of frets, switch options, amount of pickups and more.
Winner: PRS DW CE 24 Floyd.
Final Sound Quality Scores
Build Quality Comparison
When it comes to build quality, we like to take into account everything used to build the instrument. This includes materials, hardware and the quality control expected depending on the country where it was built. Let's see how the PRS DW CE 24 Floyd compares to the PRS McCarty.
Country of Origin
The manufacturing country can tell a lot about the build quality of an instrument. Both in this comparison where made in United States.
The United States is considered one of the best electric guitar manufacturers in the world. A guitar made in this country is supposed to have world-class quality control. Nowadays, guitars made in other countries can beat some of the ones made in the US, but most of the time, this country offers the best you can get. Of course, that comes at a price.
Winner: Tie
Nut Material
If you want your guitar to stay in tune and sound good, you need a well cut nut. Nut quality can be inconsistent even when comparing two copies of the same model. The best way to make sure you're nut will be well done is by getting a nut made by an expert company like TUSQ or Micarta.
The PRS DW CE 24 Floyd has a Locking nut. Instead of a regular nut, this guitar has a locking system that will lock down the strings at the nut, preventing it from getting out of tune. It removes one of the disadvantages of tremolo bridges, tune stability.
On the other hand, the PRS McCarty comes with a Bone nut. It's a type of nut found in high-quality instruments. They sound similar to Ivory since they give a lot of sustain and a bright sound (at least when striking open strings). The only problem they can run into is that you may get a bone piece that simply doesn't sound as well as others because that's just how natural materials are.
Winner: Tie.
Fret Material
Most fret wire is made of nickel silver. This material eventually wears down after a lot of use and most instruments end up needing a complete fret replacement. However, some expensive models come with stainless steel frets. This is what you should aim for if you can afford it.
Unfortunately, none of them come with stainless steel frets.
Winner: Tie.
Bridge
The perfect bridge for you will depend on your playstyle because they all have advantages and disadvantages. However, some bridges are more expensive—like Floyd Roses and Evertunes—and thus add more value to a guitar.
The PRS DW CE 24 Floyd's brige is a Floyd Rose. This is a double-locking bridge system that allows you to perform techniques like dive bombs and pinch harmonics. The locking nut allows your guitar to stay in tune even after the most intense tremolo usage. The disadvantage is that it takes more work to change the strings and set up everything correctly.
On the other hand, the PRS McCarty's is a Fixed. It's a simple bridge that is very beginner-friendly since it doesn't require any set-up. You can swap strings easily. It might also give more sustain since it doesn't have complex moving parts that make the strings lose vibration. However, it doesn't have the same versatility as a tremolo bridge.
Since we need to be objective, the most expensive type of bridge will be the winner of this section. In the end, this doesn't matter if you're not going to use the bridge for its original purpose, so choose the bridge that fits your playing style better.
Winner: PRS DW CE 24 Floyd.
Tuners
The PRS DW CE 24 Floyd has the best tuners of the two because they are locking tuners. They'll help to keep your guitar in tune because they allow you to tune it without wrapping the strings around the posts. This avoids variations in the tuning due to the strings changing position at the post after a bend. They come at the disadvantage of being slightly heavier than regular tuners. Also, it makes it a lot easier to restring.
Nevertheless, the PRS DW CE 24 Floyd has a locking nut, so it should have even better tune stability and doesn't need locking tuners.
Winner: PRS DW CE 24 Floyd.
Neck Joint
Contrary to popular belief, the difference in sustain and tone that some neck joints give to a guitar is simply unperceivable—if they're all well built. However, some of them do have advantages over the others.
The PRS DW CE 24 Floyd has a Bolt-On neck joint. This neck is joined to the body by 4 bolts that you can simply unscrew. This allows you to replace the neck or take it off for travel. It's the most common and cheapest way to build a guitar.
On the other hand, the PRS McCarty comes with Set neck joint. This neck is tightly glued to the body. They give you the least versatility because you can't swap them for a neck that fits your hand better if you want to, unlike bolt-on necks. Some people think this gives more resonance and sustain, but there's no real difference if the bolt-on joint is well built.
Winner: PRS DW CE 24 Floyd.
Here is the list of features that were considered when choosing the winner in the Features subcategory:
PRS DW CE 24 Floyd
- Locking Tuners
- Made in United States
- Expensive Wood
- Locking Nut
- Top Brand Pickups
- Tremolo
- Cheap Fret Wire (NS)
- No Neck-Through Build
- No Push Knob or Extra Switch Option
- No Weight Relief
- No Luminescent Inlay
- No Compound Radius Fretboard
- No 21:1 Tuner Ratio
- No Retainer Bar
- No Strap Lock
PRS McCarty
- Made in United States
- Expensive Wood
- Bone Nut
- Top Brand Pickups
- Coil Split Pickups
- Cheap Fret Wire (NS)
- No Locking Tuners
- No Neck-Through Build
- No Weight Relief
- No Luminescent Inlay
- No Tremolo
- No Compound Radius Fretboard
- No 21:1 Tuner Ratio
- No Strap Lock
Final Build Quality Scores
Playability Comparison
Let's now compare their playability. Bear in mind that the instrument will feel different depending on your hand size and play style. That's why you should always test before buying. But if you can't or want a second opinion on it, we can still take a look at each of the important measurements of the instrument for you. This way, we can predict how easy a guitar might be to play, or how different it will feel compared to the other.
Remember that, even though the difference might seem small, every inch counts when it comes to feeling of the instrument in your hands. Any variation can completely change how comfortable a guitar feels in your hands.
Nut Width
The nut width will affect the separation between strings at the nut. In this comparison, both have a nut width of 42.1mm (1.656'').
This is considered a narrow width for a 6-string guitar. This means that this guitar will have a narrower string separation at the nut, which will affect your fretting hand.
If you are a player with big hands, you might find it difficult to play chords without muting strings. However, this is good for players who have smaller hands, as it will allow them to reach each string more easily at the nut.
Scale Length
The scale length is one of the things that influences playability the most. This is the distance between the nut and the bridge and will affect everything from low action allowance, difficulty to perform bends, fret separation, and even tone.
In this case, both have a scale length of 25".
This scale is close to a Les Paul (24.75''), but it's slightly longer for those who want more tension of the strings and a slightly brighter sound (but not as much as with a 25.5'' Stratocaster scale).
This longer scale will also mean the frets are slightly more separated, which can affect your speed when playing. However, since this increases the tension of the strings, it will also allow you to lower the action even further without getting fret buzz. It comes at the cost of making the strings feel stiffer, which makes bending more difficult, though.
However, remember that you can also change the tension of the strings by using different string gauges.
Lastly, remember that you can also affect the tension of the strings by changing your string gauge. You can use a thicker gauge for more tension and a lighter one for less tension.
Neck Profile
No single neck shape is better than others. However, most people tend to prefer a thinner necks because it doesn't get in their way when playing fast and most hand sizes can adapt to it pretty well. However, some people still prefer thicker necks for a better grip, especially if they have big hands.
Both the PRS DW CE 24 Floyd and the PRS McCarty have a C-shaped neck. This is what you'll find in most modern guitars. Most people feel like the thickness of a C neck is simply the less intrusive one for playing fast, while at the same time allowing you to grab the neck easily for resting if you want to.
Fretboard Radius
Most guitar fretboards are not flat; they usually have a curve or arc across their width. A curved fretboard will make it easier to perform chords without muting strings, while a flatter one will make it easier to play single notes, which is good for bending and soloing in general. The best fretboards have a compound radius that varies across the fingerboard, but they're not common since they take a lot more work to build.
Both the PRS DW CE 24 Floyd and the PRS McCarty have the same fretboard radius of 10". This is slightly flatter than the typical modern Stratocaster, but not by a lot. This radius will make it comfortable to play chords without muting strings accidentally. However, when compared to Strats, the extra .5 inches radius will make it slightly more comfortable to play solos without sacrificing too much chord playability.
Hand Size Comfortability
Everyone has a different hand size, and that's why it's recommended to try a guitar before buying, even if others tell you that it's comfortable to play. However, we can know whether a guitar favors small or large hands just by knowing its exact measurements.
And after taking into account the scale length, nut width, neck profile and fretboard radius, we can conclude that the PRS McCarty favors large hands more than the PRS DW CE 24 Floyd. But it's still more comfortable for people with small hands, as you can see in the score meter below.
PRS DW CE 24 Floyd:
PRS McCarty:
Fret Size
Both have a Medium Jumbo fret size. These are slightly shorter than full Jumbo frets, so you'll still feel the fretboard when pressing down the strings. However, they interfere less with your fretting hand than medium-size frets. This is a good size if you like easy-to-press frets, but would still like to feel a bit of the fretboard when playing.
