I purchased a PRS SE DGT Gold Top a few months ago, and although I consider myself a Strat player, I feel that this one is quickly becoming my no. 1 guitar. As an instrument is a cleverly made one, standing somewhere between the worlds of the big F and the big G (the scale length, the combination of the set/neck construction with a vibrato system, the easy upper fret access, the particular woods selected and the light overall weight are the proof for that), but at the same time the attention to detail - probably because of the particular ears of a true tone connoisseur like David Grissom - makes it a guitar that has enough mojo to be compared to the legendary designs of the past.. and that's mostly due to the great sounding pickups and its comfortable and irresistible to play neck. Regarding my personal experience, after owning 17 electric guitars in my life so far and playing a lot more, I feel like only three of them were close to perfection in every aspect (10/10 in terms of sounds, playability, features and looks)... a Shergold Provocateur SP01, an FGN Iliad Ash, and my newly purchased SE DGT, which is actually closer to what I look for in a guitar in general, and that's why it gets the more playing time out of those, along with my Strat. P.S.: All these three guitars mentioned above are amazing instruments of the same price range btw, so, since that you have already made videos about FGN guitars, it would be lovely if you could also find a way to try a Provocateur and review that for your channel, too. In any case, musically speaking I'm a big fan of your improvising, and as a tone junkie, hearing your honest opinions every now and then is quite refreshing I must say.. so thank you for that.
I love mine! I got the gold top version with moon inlays. It’s an astoundingly great guitar, regardless of where it was made. A PRS guitar at this price point and quality is a steal (in my humble opinion).
John, we all know that you are a great lead player but what also impresses me is your chord playing. Could you at some point talk us through your approach to playing around with chords. I especially like what you did when you started to demonstrate the coil tap. Ive always wished I could play like that when in a guitar shop trying out a new guitar instead od mindlessly playing up and down scales
I bought my DGT in 2009 and it is my main guitar when i need to be versatile with both humbucker and single coil sounds. It has become my #1 electric although I have really nice custom shop strats and teles. I love it!!
Good video John. I have a Core DGT and I recently bought the SE DGT. The Core is absolutely a more refined instrument and it feels more finely crafted - no question. For me though, that last 5-10% of refinement isn't worth thousands of dollars and in some ways I think the pickups on the SE model are a little less congested and more open sounding, which I prefer. I view guitars as tools and not objects to own and admire (and boost the ego). If it excels at accomplishing what you need it to do, then it's good. Interestingly I'm also a K-Line fan and I own a Truxton. It seems that we have similar tastes and view guitars in much the same way. Great channel - good luck with it!
Fantastic demo! I bought my DGT in 2009 and had a chance to meet David at the PRS Experience and he was the most gracious person and a complete tone geek ! The DGT design is THE best they have and I can’t wait to try the SE DGT. Well done:(
Finally! You have come to your senses! Playability is key. I have 5 core and 1 SE and they all play very well and make me a better player. I can afford anything I want and choose PRS. I have had numerous other brands in the past.
It plays like cutting warm butter with a table knife. Just extremely easy to play. Never feel like I’m fighting it. Very smooth. Buttery. I’m 68 years old with arthritic fingers, so extremely easy playability is a major thing. I had been playing mostly slide to accommodate the arthritis, but with the PRS DGT SE, I can play with my fingers on my left hand with no pain. I do use 9’s, which helps, and I’ve been able to use 9’s with my slide too. I got mine for $20,000 Mexican pesos, which is comparable to your price point in British pounds.
Similar to your comment about Peach Guitars, Rainbow Guitars here in Arizona also sets up all the guitars they sell and whoever is doing those setups does an amazing job. I got the SE 594 from them recently and it's beautifully setup.
Hi John - new -ish to your content, and really admire your work. Your perspectives and takes on various gear and playing are original and honest, and I greatly appreciate what you're doing. Question for you re: your intro playing - are these original backing tracks you write at various points, then play over for your video intros? They are an amazing example of your playing style, which is refreshingly original, well-rounded, ego-free, and wonderfully melodic. As a follow-up, are these solo intros improvised? They feel so, very much a one-take sort of exploration over the track, and such a great way to start your videos. Thanks again!
Love your videos. I have to assume you will be doing your own video on the Boss ME-90 at some point and I look forward to it. Everyone else is doing those videos, but I'm most interested in your take.
Stopped the video and had to breath for a moment at "I've had an old DGT Wood Library and I prefer this to that...". That really caught my attention, going to have to watch for one of these in my area so I can go try it out.
I bought one of these a little over a month ago. I wanted the goldtop, but could only find the sunburst in stock anywhere, and the wait time for a goldy was 9 months! They are both sold out just about everyplace. The SB runs $899 in the states, and I got one discounted to $815 from ZZounds. I am mostly a Gibson guy, but I am really enjoying the DGT SE. For the most part, the fret ends were smooth, but I did just a little bit of work on the fret ends of the highest frets next to the body (very minor, and I hardly play up there anyway). Plays really well, and the pickups sound great. Like you, I like the coil split as well (never liked it on other guitars). Hope this isn't just a honeymoon period.
I wasn't going to get one of these but I was at Sweetwater and trying out some other PRS guitars and thought, why not? I compared it to the other PRS both Se and core guitars and ended up buying one in the gold finish. I gigged with it last night and was very pleased with it overall. I am having a time getting used to the volume control locations not being conventional but I'm sure I will become used to them. I can only say that the sound of this guitar on the bridge pickup is what I have been looking for over the past couple of years! I loved it and several others in the crowd made positive comments about the sound. I'm normally playing a Strat so this is a huge change but I was so impressed last night I believe I will continue gigging with it and see how it goes. Thanks for your reviews and information about them. I trust your opinions and your most recent thoughts on the guitar.
The one issue I would point out is that you should loosen the strings and clean the nut slots. Mine had some very minor action and tuning stability issues out of the box that were corrected when I replaced the strings. I had two original strings that were hung in the nut and two more that were a bit grungy when I pulled them. Just minor crud built up that was all fixed with a simple string change. I also recommend popping the extra $100 for the SE locking tuners if you are lazy about restringing like me
I really admire David Grissom's playing and I ordered the SE Gold Top the moment I saw him vouch for it. It's proved to be everything I hoped for and more - and six months later it's become my "number one" as the guitar that I reach for in most instances. I've got more expensive guitars that I also love, and others that I value for their unique tone and character, but if I had to pick just one to cover everything I'm likely to need - it would be the SE DGT.
Got mine 10.19.23. Was playing a squire bullet strat that I refretted after shredding the originals off. Was comfortable doing liquid shredding on the strat in rock, jazz, flamenco... And then the DGT arrived and as I was speeding along I noticed action issues and a high fret, which I dispatched only to find it hard to play! Was thinking about dressing the frets as I marveled at the incredible action I'd achieved on the squire! Left, came back on the DGT with backing tracks, only to fluid shred. Does PRS stand for psychological recombination system? I'm afraid to go back to the squire as I'll lose the spell of the DGT, which if I think about, is hard to play, but when I just do my stuff, it just happens! Happier not being in control, leave my hands there playing, go make sandwhich, sit back and watch... Its a great guitar, its magic!
I've had my gold top on order since January 14th (3 days after announcing) and it is supposed to finally be shipping out the end of this month. Really looking forward to getting my hands on it, and reviews like this just make me that much more excited about it.
Just got mine. Tremendous instrument. I do recommend popping the extra $100 for the SE locking tuners if you are lazy at changing strings like me…seriously, the locking tuners do fix some minor tuning stability issues. Prepare to fall in love…
@@jerryhorton5708 Yeah I would like to do locking on all my guitars, but I have not gone through and purchased them for all 14 of my current collection. 5 of mine have locking currently and it's WAY nicer. I need to buy like 4 sets of SE locking for my other SE models, silver sky, mark holcomb, and zach meyer.
@@newkoba9479 Nice! The Zach Meyer is an incredible instrument. I have the Core Silver Sky - best S-style I've ever owned. The SE locking tuners are not as expensive as you would think (about $85/set or so), but yeah, 14 sets might be hard to explain to the significant other... I absolutely love my DGT. I've been wanting one for years, but just couldn't justify the cost of the Core model, even used (they keep their value, believe me). The SE is a perfect working instrument.
After 2 days I loved my DGT SE. It’s an amazing guitar. I find myself using the pickups split most of the time as I am usually a strat guy, preferring single coils. Only QC issue I have is the nut was cut too short in length. It doesn’t span the entire fretboard. It doesn’t affect playability but it always reminds me this isn’t an expensive guitar.
My nut has the same issue. Out by just a fraction, so you can feel the sharp edge. Also needed an initial setup due to some fret buzz on the lowest strings. Otherwise beautiful.
I initially loved the DGT SE for all the reasons you noted. The coil split is one of the best I've used. I ended up returning mine because of the limited upper-fret access. It feels very cramped 17-22.The contour on the lower horn - while aesthetically beautiful - felt ergonomically backwards to me. My guitars that are the most comfortable in the upper range are contoured on the back side of the lower horn. I thought I'd just get used to it - but it was a conspicuous hurdle that I kept running into. If not for this, it would have been a keeper for me. Very well made guitar.
I own a Goldtop Core DGT w/bird inlays and various other SE's and Core models. I bought an SE DGT in Tobacco burst last Monday to compare with the Core model. Both guitars sound amazing, and the SE gives the Core a run for its money. However, it's the only PRS I've ever purchased that I am completely disappointed with, and here is why. I noticed that when I got the SE, the neck pickup is tilted forward and would not straighten out when I adjusted the pickup screws. I took the pickup & pickup ring off to inspect the cavity, and noticed that the neck pickup route is to narrow for a pickup with a cover and the cover is catching on the heel of the neck and causing it to tilt back. I also noticed that the factory had already attempted to correct the problem, and they were not successful. The only way I can correct this problem is to route out/dremel some more of the heel joint right up at the end of the fingerboard and possibly some of the heel underneath the fingerboard...smh
Amen, I think it’s great to have a great player and a cool guy say that he was off on that point initially. I received this guitar very early after release in the same finish. It was set up perfectly and had no actual issues, and I put the SE locking tuners just because I like the look of them. So it cost a thousand dollars. Within a week, I was essentially done playing my other electric guitars like the American pro strat and Oswald strat, and I sold the core PRS custom 24 immediately. I like the neck on this better than the one on the core DGT I used to own, and I have put more hours and come up with tones and music on it by a huge margin over the other instruments I have had. Having this and the Oswald strat is like having having my dream duo and I just can’t think of any other thousand guitar dollars I have spent that were even close to this value. And it’s so cool to watch you play it John and get inspired by your playing, it’s really beautiful thanks very much.
The Oswald's are awesome, I have another on order, they are to die for, they will be your number 1 when you get it, as you can feel the quality and love that built them.
Absolutely agree with you John. I sent back my very expensive core DGT because the neck was too chunky and I could not bond with it. I bought the DGT SE Gold Top and just love it. The neck is slightly less chunky which is ok for me who normally prefers thinner necks. The pick ups and trem are great I just need to get used to the backwards wiring and will probably swap it back because I don't use it the way Dave Grissom does. It is beautifully made and sounds awesome.
Wouldn’t be the only brand guilty of that but, as long as you feel you got what you paid for then all the rest is just details imo. I have worked on guitars so long I have a hard time not seeing what something could be 😂 so some uneven frets to me just seems like fun work to get my guitar playing perfect.
@@JosePineda-jn8jkI think frets should be perfect😢its not cheap guitar.I bought ibanez s 540 from 1994 and frets are perfect .and cost me 400 pounds second hand.This days they cant make good guitar😢
Agree. This is what I found on three models - variation of tone and dead spots. Not due to set up or fret problems - just dead spots which I could not live with.
@@przemyslaw1235 I feel like there are two camps, some people feel like now is an amazing time for cheaper guitars (anything under $500 really). I myself recently got a squier contemporary strat for around $350 on a sale and that guitar has perfectly level frets and really low action. But I do agree if I am paying above $400 I think level frets is a fair expectation.
You mighy be my favorite guitarist man hinestly you just have such a smooth and goog sound i hope i can play like this on day man! Im getting there slowly
Haven't played the DGT, but I love my se custom 24 and my PRS customized CE 24-08. My go to guitars. I have other nice guitars, but they are the two I constantly go back to. My CE 24-08 had a finish issue when new, but PRS fixed it under warranty. Took a bit due to covid stupidity but it was worth the wait!
Back in late 2016 PRS released the Chris Robertson SE signature model at £899. The first run of 100 guitars were the first SE models to be released with USA pick ups (58/15) and US parts (adjustable bridge).
that chris roberts is SO hard to come by now days, people just dont sell them, they are fantastic guitars. i was a little sad when chris went to chapman and released a sig that it didnt have a p90 in the neck
@@KenithCopeland I had one of them. Chris actually played mine for 4 songs when BSC played Glasgow in November 2016. It was a great guitar and had an absolutely stunning top on it (I’m sure the tops for the run of the first 100 guitars were hand picked) but the neck didn’t suit me (I’m so used to the pattern think neck on the CE24). I ended up selling it in late 2019.
I own a custom build Core DGT that Mr. Grissom played himself at a local music store event. Their first order of DGT SEs arrived the same day and while I definitely prefer the Core because of its playability for me, the DGT SE was the first SE that I felt was really close to the Core models
I finally got one! Really great on many levels. did you find that you really had to adjust your more 'strat-based' helix presets a lot to work with this guitar? It's been so long since I've used a 'les-paul-ish' guitar. Had it on gig last night and got some awesome tones... was a solid showing for first time out, but has a learning curve to get used to it. When you set up a preset that you might use with different guitars, do you just adjust the 'amp' settings as you go, or do you use any kind of eq to adjust for each guitar? Or do you do different presets for different guitars?
I've compared htis one with a SE CE custom 24 and although I really liked the satin finish neck of the CE, these pickups sounded better to my ears. Would you say the neck pickup in single coil mode gets pretty close to a strat sound? I'd say so.
I got the new Mark Holcomb sig recently for £1050 - it's an amazing guitar, but was let down by a couple of issues. A plastic nut (swapped out for a tusq XL), non-locking tuners (swapped these out for some Gotohs), and multiple unlevel frets (was buzzing like crazy). Had to take it to a luthier for a fret level - thankfully the store covered the cost of this, so in the end I'm happy with the purchase, but was a bit of messing around.
I briefly owned a PRS SE 24. It was a solid guitar, but I just didn't vibe with the neck. Then I bought a 10 Top DGT before they released the SE version. Still love my Core Series DGT, but feel like I spent $2k too much for what I need. I likely would have been perfectly happy with the SE.
I paid 10% deposit n moved one gold dgt to guitar guitar in b'ham to try . Now the finish and the pick ups were awesome ... the neck profile was nice too... I got my deposit back though as i believe the super dry fretboard really didn't " speak " to me... i think i'm not a rosewood person ... i mean i never tried a higher grade core or above wood library rosewood boards ... i'm an ebony person or maple person... i sort of hoped this would have worked for me ahah... I own an se floyd with ebony board and a ce24 again with ebony ... Now it's all personal ... It seems to me Prs saved money there... i know u can condition the wood but ultimately my fingers are a lot happy with ebony ... it makes me play better and feel more comfortable ... PRS seem to use rosewood a lot ... rarely maple n ebony ... i suppose it 's their policy ... i wish i could play with anything ... there is only so much conditioning you can do on a wood that doesn't talk to you.
I’ve had a tobacco burst Hollowbody II Piezo for a couple of years and love it. I did put different pickups in it (Lambertone Cremas). In retrospect, I could have made the stock pickups work better by rolling off some volume. I especially liked the middle position but felt like the Rhythm pickup was too warm and the bridge was a bit harsh. Probably just user error on my part. For reference I’ve got multiple SE guitars(Zach Myers, McCarty, and waiting on the DGT goldtop to arrive) and like all of them. All high quality builds that can be altered with pickups or tuners if needed.
Finished watching. Dammit John! There was already a wait to purchase this guitar... any more testimonials like this and it will be downright impossible to find one! ;)
Have you seen the schecter mv-6, contemporary strat with different triple single coil wiring set up? It has 24 fret wenge neck, almost exactly what I'm currently looking for, would like to see your thoughts on it
I've wanted one of these since the first time I saw the into videos. But, I'd like to put my hand on it and give it a try. May be another year or so before they are common enough that I can find one in a shop and try it out. It's a 2 hour drive to get to a decent size guitar store for me. I'd also like to see both versions side by side to pick the one for me.
Jon, lad, it isn’t just your DGT that is a gem. Mine is also a wonderful instrument (even ignoring the price). By the way, you should maybe remove the protective film from the pickup covers!
Ha, thanks for that. Me, a guitar newbie, was wondering about it. Is it critical, or just a protective wrap. I couldn't see anything that mentioned it.
I bought a 594 after watching ur video...thanks thanks thanks...wow... It plays as well or better than my American instruments. Now I gotta have a DGT- my wife isnt happy with you..But...loves the new baby girl...right on mate...
I just got my dgt/se today. I honestly can't believe how good it is. If this guitar costed 5000 dollars more, I would still be happy. I have about 30 guitars, many of which cost multiples of the dgt.
I've been loving your videos recently. I was waiting for you to tell me how your opinion was changed and in what way specifically, but you didn't really make that clear I dont think. I found that a little confusing. At the end you mentioned that the only other brand you can think of offering the same quality at this cost was FGN maybe, but at the beginning you mentioned Tokai for being very high quality, and they seem almost exactly the same price. Where do you see Tokai in relation to FGN and the SE DGT?
Beautiful guitar but for some reason it doesn't resonate with me it sounds very tinny and thin compared to some of your other guitars. Off topic I was wondering do you still own your custom California Tweed Mesa? I was thinking about picking a California Tweed up. Didn't know if your custom had any differences when it came to the speaker compared to an off-the-shelf version
Do you still have your SE 594? I don’t think I heard you mention it In this clip. I prefer it to the DGT purely because of the trem and short scale length.
Head stock is not in congruence with the body, it would much be suited with a battle axe for heavy metal, it wants to be strat and a LP at the same time...great for a first guitar if you do not know where to get yet...
The top of the headstock was designed to match the arc in the original moon inlays, like the ones found in the gold top DGT SE. This fact has been lost over time because while Birds used to be a chargeable option, they are now standard on nearly everything.
I respect this instrument, and the work put into it. After owning all the levels of the PRS ecosystem (flat top SE to Artist) I just must have xenophobia or something- most of the S2 line, American made, can be had used for less than the DGT SE. Part of me prefers to buy a used lightweight S2 and get stainless jumbos installed and a PLEK after wearing the stock frets down a bit. Although a lot of the S2s are more “SG” type guitars than the full almost-Core experience this has.
Not to hate on this channel at all or youtube gear channels in general, but I feel that people tend to find the gear they like and stick with it. New stuff may excite but it's rare people stick with it. Nowadays it feels the inevitable conclusion of every new: plugin, modeller or guitar is that they're the "new biggest winner" and will destroy everyone else for 2 months and then everyone points out flaws that have always been there. I totally get it and I'm glad these videos are made but it seems to be a common recurring theme especially right now.
I got a DGT SE after seeing videos about the setup out of the box. Compared to the similar priced guitars I have, it was set up very well, frets perfect, nut was cut great, only one string was out of intonation. It sounds very classic, probably the best bridge pickup I have. My only issue is a me thing, i wish the trem bar had more play, but it does stay in tune. It may be the best combo of the features of a strat and a les paul.
Great playing as always through all of your videos that I have watched. Not being critical, but the tendency to always be playing through different presets and electronically generated sounds makes it hard for me to really get a read on the different tones of any of the guitars, your sound is always very saturated and compressed with lots of effects and the strat & 335s, and even the DGT (although better with the coil split) sound remarkably the same. Thanks though, really enjoy your playing !
This video now makes me think that i paid 1k for prs 2408 35th anniversary limited edition and right after they came with 2408 SE and they are 840 USD. So in hindsight there was nothing limited about it unless limited means that you get to pay premium for limited time hahahhaa.
I purchased a PRS SE DGT Gold Top a few months ago, and although I consider myself a Strat player, I feel that this one is quickly becoming my no. 1 guitar. As an instrument is a cleverly made one, standing somewhere between the worlds of the big F and the big G (the scale length, the combination of the set/neck construction with a vibrato system, the easy upper fret access, the particular woods selected and the light overall weight are the proof for that), but at the same time the attention to detail - probably because of the particular ears of a true tone connoisseur like David Grissom - makes it a guitar that has enough mojo to be compared to the legendary designs of the past.. and that's mostly due to the great sounding pickups and its comfortable and irresistible to play neck.
Regarding my personal experience, after owning 17 electric guitars in my life so far and playing a lot more, I feel like only three of them were close to perfection in every aspect (10/10 in terms of sounds, playability, features and looks)... a Shergold Provocateur SP01, an FGN Iliad Ash, and my newly purchased SE DGT, which is actually closer to what I look for in a guitar in general, and that's why it gets the more playing time out of those, along with my Strat.
P.S.: All these three guitars mentioned above are amazing instruments of the same price range btw, so, since that you have already made videos about FGN guitars, it would be lovely if you could also find a way to try a Provocateur and review that for your channel, too. In any case, musically speaking I'm a big fan of your improvising, and as a tone junkie, hearing your honest opinions every now and then is quite refreshing I must say.. so thank you for that.
I love mine! I got the gold top version with moon inlays. It’s an astoundingly great guitar, regardless of where it was made. A PRS guitar at this price point and quality is a steal (in my humble opinion).
John, we all know that you are a great lead player but what also impresses me is your chord playing. Could you at some point talk us through your approach to playing around with chords. I especially like what you did when you started to demonstrate the coil tap. Ive always wished I could play like that when in a guitar shop trying out a new guitar instead od mindlessly playing up and down scales
I bought my DGT in 2009 and it is my main guitar when i need to be versatile with both humbucker and single coil sounds. It has become my #1 electric although I have really nice custom shop strats and teles. I love it!!
Awesome follow up John, thank you. It's getting hard to resist the DGT SE
JNC, thank you, I love the approach to this channel. I think many of us are interested in guitars that punch above their weight class.
100% agree about Peach - they’re my local store and my Schecters were perfect out of the box.
Good video John. I have a Core DGT and I recently bought the SE DGT. The Core is absolutely a more refined instrument and it feels more finely crafted - no question. For me though, that last 5-10% of refinement isn't worth thousands of dollars and in some ways I think the pickups on the SE model are a little less congested and more open sounding, which I prefer. I view guitars as tools and not objects to own and admire (and boost the ego). If it excels at accomplishing what you need it to do, then it's good. Interestingly I'm also a K-Line fan and I own a Truxton. It seems that we have similar tastes and view guitars in much the same way. Great channel - good luck with it!
Fantastic demo! I bought my DGT in 2009 and had a chance to meet David at the PRS Experience and he was the most gracious person and a complete tone geek ! The DGT design is THE best they have and I can’t wait to try the SE DGT. Well done:(
Finally! You have come to your senses! Playability is key. I have 5 core and 1 SE and they all play very well and make me a better player. I can afford anything I want and choose PRS. I have had numerous other brands in the past.
Nice flex lolz
It's great that you like PRS but "come to your senses" is a bit much bro. Come on.
It plays like cutting warm butter with a table knife. Just extremely easy to play. Never feel like I’m fighting it. Very smooth. Buttery.
I’m 68 years old with arthritic fingers, so extremely easy playability is a major thing.
I had been playing mostly slide to accommodate the arthritis, but with the PRS DGT SE, I can play with my fingers on my left hand with no pain. I do use 9’s, which helps, and I’ve been able to use 9’s with my slide too.
I got mine for $20,000 Mexican pesos, which is comparable to your price point in British pounds.
Gibson sg and Les Paul’s play well as well.
@@aliengrey6052Depends.....
Similar to your comment about Peach Guitars, Rainbow Guitars here in Arizona also sets up all the guitars they sell and whoever is doing those setups does an amazing job. I got the SE 594 from them recently and it's beautifully setup.
2nd this, Harvey’s crew there at rainbow is exceptional. I’ve been buying from him since 2001!
beautiful playing!
Hi John - new -ish to your content, and really admire your work. Your perspectives and takes on various gear and playing are original and honest, and I greatly appreciate what you're doing.
Question for you re: your intro playing - are these original backing tracks you write at various points, then play over for your video intros? They are an amazing example of your playing style, which is refreshingly original, well-rounded, ego-free, and wonderfully melodic. As a follow-up, are these solo intros improvised? They feel so, very much a one-take sort of exploration over the track, and such a great way to start your videos.
Thanks again!
11:40 - had to restart and check I hadn’t missed this being Cody Fry Want You Back right from the off. Beautiful playing as ever, Sir! 👏🏻
Love your videos. I have to assume you will be doing your own video on the Boss ME-90 at some point and I look forward to it. Everyone else is doing those videos, but I'm most interested in your take.
Stopped the video and had to breath for a moment at "I've had an old DGT Wood Library and I prefer this to that...". That really caught my attention, going to have to watch for one of these in my area so I can go try it out.
I bought one of these a little over a month ago. I wanted the goldtop, but could only find the sunburst in stock anywhere, and the wait time for a goldy was 9 months! They are both sold out just about everyplace. The SB runs $899 in the states, and I got one discounted to $815 from ZZounds. I am mostly a Gibson guy, but I am really enjoying the DGT SE. For the most part, the fret ends were smooth, but I did just a little bit of work on the fret ends of the highest frets next to the body (very minor, and I hardly play up there anyway). Plays really well, and the pickups sound great. Like you, I like the coil split as well (never liked it on other guitars). Hope this isn't just a honeymoon period.
I wasn't going to get one of these but I was at Sweetwater and trying out some other PRS guitars and thought, why not? I compared it to the other PRS both Se and core guitars and ended up buying one in the gold finish. I gigged with it last night and was very pleased with it overall. I am having a time getting used to the volume control locations not being conventional but I'm sure I will become used to them. I can only say that the sound of this guitar on the bridge pickup is what I have been looking for over the past couple of years! I loved it and several others in the crowd made positive comments about the sound. I'm normally playing a Strat so this is a huge change but I was so impressed last night I believe I will continue gigging with it and see how it goes. Thanks for your reviews and information about them. I trust your opinions and your most recent thoughts on the guitar.
I have the DGT sig..2012 and I changed the 2nd vol. to a tone for the bridge
Really want one now ❤. Great playing as always
Mine shows up today. Can’t wait to try it for myself and see if the hype is real!
The one issue I would point out is that you should loosen the strings and clean the nut slots. Mine had some very minor action and tuning stability issues out of the box that were corrected when I replaced the strings. I had two original strings that were hung in the nut and two more that were a bit grungy when I pulled them. Just minor crud built up that was all fixed with a simple string change.
I also recommend popping the extra $100 for the SE locking tuners if you are lazy about restringing like me
I have a 2011 DGT. I so want to play one of these...
I have an S2 McCarty 594 and feel the same way about it. Fantastic guitar
I really admire David Grissom's playing and I ordered the SE Gold Top the moment I saw him vouch for it. It's proved to be everything I hoped for and more - and six months later it's become my "number one" as the guitar that I reach for in most instances. I've got more expensive guitars that I also love, and others that I value for their unique tone and character, but if I had to pick just one to cover everything I'm likely to need - it would be the SE DGT.
Love mine! took a minute to get used to but it is just sweet.
I ordered one, hope to get it in August. Can't wait! Love the BT John. Great smooth playing as well bro.
Got mine 10.19.23. Was playing a squire bullet strat that I refretted after shredding the originals off. Was comfortable doing liquid shredding on the strat in rock, jazz, flamenco... And then the DGT arrived and as I was speeding along I noticed action issues and a high fret, which I dispatched only to find it hard to play! Was thinking about dressing the frets as I marveled at the incredible action I'd achieved on the squire! Left, came back on the DGT with backing tracks, only to fluid shred. Does PRS stand for psychological recombination system? I'm afraid to go back to the squire as I'll lose the spell of the DGT, which if I think about, is hard to play, but when I just do my stuff, it just happens! Happier not being in control, leave my hands there playing, go make sandwhich, sit back and watch... Its a great guitar, its magic!
Had a Schecter nick Johnston HSS import for a bit that felt really nice and decent sound to it. Got a b stock for ~$650.
I have the NJ PT model. It’s a great axe! Very well-made and easy to play!
The opening of the intro jam sounded like a sound-track from a San Francisco cop movie, probably a night scene, cruising the streets
Totally.
Just wanted to say I grabbed your helix preset pack and its been amazing going through it!!
Well worth it 😊
I've had my gold top on order since January 14th (3 days after announcing) and it is supposed to finally be shipping out the end of this month. Really looking forward to getting my hands on it, and reviews like this just make me that much more excited about it.
Just got mine. Tremendous instrument. I do recommend popping the extra $100 for the SE locking tuners if you are lazy at changing strings like me…seriously, the locking tuners do fix some minor tuning stability issues.
Prepare to fall in love…
@@jerryhorton5708 Yeah I would like to do locking on all my guitars, but I have not gone through and purchased them for all 14 of my current collection. 5 of mine have locking currently and it's WAY nicer. I need to buy like 4 sets of SE locking for my other SE models, silver sky, mark holcomb, and zach meyer.
Same boat
@@newkoba9479 Nice! The Zach Meyer is an incredible instrument. I have the Core Silver Sky - best S-style I've ever owned.
The SE locking tuners are not as expensive as you would think (about $85/set or so), but yeah, 14 sets might be hard to explain to the significant other...
I absolutely love my DGT. I've been wanting one for years, but just couldn't justify the cost of the Core model, even used (they keep their value, believe me). The SE is a perfect working instrument.
After 2 days I loved my DGT SE. It’s an amazing guitar. I find myself using the pickups split most of the time as I am usually a strat guy, preferring single coils. Only QC issue I have is the nut was cut too short in length. It doesn’t span the entire fretboard. It doesn’t affect playability but it always reminds me this isn’t an expensive guitar.
My nut has the same issue. Out by just a fraction, so you can feel the sharp edge. Also needed an initial setup due to some fret buzz on the lowest strings. Otherwise beautiful.
I initially loved the DGT SE for all the reasons you noted. The coil split is one of the best I've used. I ended up returning mine because of the limited upper-fret access. It feels very cramped 17-22.The contour on the lower horn - while aesthetically beautiful - felt ergonomically backwards to me. My guitars that are the most comfortable in the upper range are contoured on the back side of the lower horn. I thought I'd just get used to it - but it was a conspicuous hurdle that I kept running into. If not for this, it would have been a keeper for me. Very well made guitar.
Just cut it man. If it don't give you access, cut it.
@@adhaskym.a9536 Admit it, you're the inventor of the Steinberger guitar aren't you?
The frets are on the front of the guitar, sooo....
Easy to resist getting the DGT, as now the backorder time just went up another 6 months :)
I own a Goldtop Core DGT w/bird inlays and various other SE's and Core models. I bought an SE DGT in Tobacco burst last Monday to compare with the Core model. Both guitars sound amazing, and the SE gives the Core a run for its money. However, it's the only PRS I've ever purchased that I am completely disappointed with, and here is why. I noticed that when I got the SE, the neck pickup is tilted forward and would not straighten out when I adjusted the pickup screws. I took the pickup & pickup ring off to inspect the cavity, and noticed that the neck pickup route is to narrow for a pickup with a cover and the cover is catching on the heel of the neck and causing it to tilt back. I also noticed that the factory had already attempted to correct the problem, and they were not successful. The only way I can correct this problem is to route out/dremel some more of the heel joint right up at the end of the fingerboard and possibly some of the heel underneath the fingerboard...smh
Amen, I think it’s great to have a great player and a cool guy say that he was off on that point initially. I received this guitar very early after release in the same finish. It was set up perfectly and had no actual issues, and I put the SE locking tuners just because I like the look of them. So it cost a thousand dollars. Within a week, I was essentially done playing my other electric guitars like the American pro strat and Oswald strat, and I sold the core PRS custom 24 immediately. I like the neck on this better than the one on the core DGT I used to own, and I have put more hours and come up with tones and music on it by a huge margin over the other instruments I have had. Having this and the Oswald strat is like having having my dream duo and I just can’t think of any other thousand guitar dollars I have spent that were even close to this value. And it’s so cool to watch you play it John and get inspired by your playing, it’s really beautiful thanks very much.
Ive been wanting to get an Oswald for some time, cool to randomly read someone else has one
The Oswald's are awesome, I have another on order, they are to die for, they will be your number 1 when you get it, as you can feel the quality and love that built them.
Absolutely agree with you John. I sent back my very expensive core DGT because the neck was too chunky and I could not bond with it. I bought the DGT SE Gold Top and just love it. The neck is slightly less chunky which is ok for me who normally prefers thinner necks. The pick ups and trem are great I just need to get used to the backwards wiring and will probably swap it back because I don't use it the way Dave Grissom does. It is beautifully made and sounds awesome.
Bought one about a week ago and love it. Biggest QC issue are uneven frets on mine which has some notes across the fretboard die off very fast
Wouldn’t be the only brand guilty of that but, as long as you feel you got what you paid for then all the rest is just details imo. I have worked on guitars so long I have a hard time not seeing what something could be 😂 so some uneven frets to me just seems like fun work to get my guitar playing perfect.
@@JosePineda-jn8jkI think frets should be perfect😢its not cheap guitar.I bought ibanez s 540 from 1994 and frets are perfect .and cost me 400 pounds second hand.This days they cant make good guitar😢
Agree. This is what I found on three models - variation of tone and dead spots. Not due to set up or fret problems - just dead spots which I could not live with.
@@przemyslaw1235 I feel like there are two camps, some people feel like now is an amazing time for cheaper guitars (anything under $500 really). I myself recently got a squier contemporary strat for around $350 on a sale and that guitar has perfectly level frets and really low action. But I do agree if I am paying above $400 I think level frets is a fair expectation.
Where are the Gibson hating prs fanboys now? ha @@przemyslaw1235
You mighy be my favorite guitarist man hinestly you just have such a smooth and goog sound i hope i can play like this on day man! Im getting there slowly
Haven't played the DGT, but I love my se custom 24 and my PRS customized CE 24-08. My go to guitars. I have other nice guitars, but they are the two I constantly go back to. My CE 24-08 had a finish issue when new, but PRS fixed it under warranty. Took a bit due to covid stupidity but it was worth the wait!
Hi John. Thoughts on Reverend guitars ?
Back in late 2016 PRS released the Chris Robertson SE signature model at £899. The first run of 100 guitars were the first SE models to be released with USA pick ups (58/15) and US parts (adjustable bridge).
that chris roberts is SO hard to come by now days, people just dont sell them, they are fantastic guitars. i was a little sad when chris went to chapman and released a sig that it didnt have a p90 in the neck
@@KenithCopeland I had one of them. Chris actually played mine for 4 songs when BSC played Glasgow in November 2016. It was a great guitar and had an absolutely stunning top on it (I’m sure the tops for the run of the first 100 guitars were hand picked) but the neck didn’t suit me (I’m so used to the pattern think neck on the CE24). I ended up selling it in late 2019.
Interesting, and useful (I'm teetering on the edge of buying the goldtop), thanks!
It would be good to see your honest review of a G&L, EART and Fret King guitar John.
I own a custom build Core DGT that Mr. Grissom played himself at a local music store event. Their first order of DGT SEs arrived the same day and while I definitely prefer the Core because of its playability for me, the DGT SE was the first SE that I felt was really close to the Core models
I picked up the SE594, love it to death❤
I finally got one! Really great on many levels. did you find that you really had to adjust your more 'strat-based' helix presets a lot to work with this guitar? It's been so long since I've used a 'les-paul-ish' guitar. Had it on gig last night and got some awesome tones... was a solid showing for first time out, but has a learning curve to get used to it. When you set up a preset that you might use with different guitars, do you just adjust the 'amp' settings as you go, or do you use any kind of eq to adjust for each guitar? Or do you do different presets for different guitars?
Can only concur, was surprised myself
Great playing fella🙂
I've compared htis one with a SE CE custom 24 and although I really liked the satin finish neck of the CE, these pickups sounded better to my ears. Would you say the neck pickup in single coil mode gets pretty close to a strat sound? I'd say so.
Got mine both colors, each one at 8mil IDR (about 400£) in Indonesia. Very cheap yet very nice.
Where did you buy it. I'm also in indonesia
Hi end guitar. Dont know why my post keep deleted.
Sounding great...curious...how many springs and what gauge strings? Thanks for putting up with the geek questions!
I got the new Mark Holcomb sig recently for £1050 - it's an amazing guitar, but was let down by a couple of issues. A plastic nut (swapped out for a tusq XL), non-locking tuners (swapped these out for some Gotohs), and multiple unlevel frets (was buzzing like crazy). Had to take it to a luthier for a fret level - thankfully the store covered the cost of this, so in the end I'm happy with the purchase, but was a bit of messing around.
I briefly owned a PRS SE 24. It was a solid guitar, but I just didn't vibe with the neck. Then I bought a 10 Top DGT before they released the SE version. Still love my Core Series DGT, but feel like I spent $2k too much for what I need. I likely would have been perfectly happy with the SE.
Hope the price takes a dip like the Silver Sky SE did but I’m sure the Silver Sky outsells the DGT by 10 -1 at least
I paid 10% deposit n moved one gold dgt to guitar guitar in b'ham to try .
Now the finish and the pick ups were awesome ... the neck profile was nice too...
I got my deposit back though as i believe the super dry fretboard really didn't " speak " to me... i think i'm not a rosewood person ... i mean i never tried a higher grade core or above wood library rosewood boards ... i'm an ebony person or maple person... i sort of hoped this would have worked for me ahah...
I own an se floyd with ebony board and a ce24 again with ebony ...
Now it's all personal ...
It seems to me Prs saved money there... i know u can condition the wood but ultimately my fingers are a lot happy with ebony ... it makes me play better and feel more comfortable ... PRS seem to use rosewood a lot ... rarely maple n ebony ... i suppose it 's their policy ... i wish i could play with anything ...
there is only so much conditioning you can do on a wood that doesn't talk to you.
How does the DGT DE compares with the PRS SE McCarty 594 in your opinion? Thanks!
John what gauge strings do you use on your SE DGT?
Is the bridge pickup a medium output! Awesome playing btw 👍🔥👊
Have you tried the PRS Hollowbody II Piezo SE? I’m curious what you think of this one.
I’ve had a tobacco burst Hollowbody II Piezo for a couple of years and love it. I did put different pickups in it (Lambertone Cremas). In retrospect, I could have made the stock pickups work better by rolling off some volume. I especially liked the middle position but felt like the Rhythm pickup was too warm and the bridge was a bit harsh. Probably just user error on my part. For reference I’ve got multiple SE guitars(Zach Myers, McCarty, and waiting on the DGT goldtop to arrive) and like all of them. All high quality builds that can be altered with pickups or tuners if needed.
Finished watching. Dammit John! There was already a wait to purchase this guitar... any more testimonials like this and it will be downright impossible to find one! ;)
Have you seen the schecter mv-6, contemporary strat with different triple single coil wiring set up? It has 24 fret wenge neck, almost exactly what I'm currently looking for, would like to see your thoughts on it
I've wanted one of these since the first time I saw the into videos. But, I'd like to put my hand on it and give it a try. May be another year or so before they are common enough that I can find one in a shop and try it out. It's a 2 hour drive to get to a decent size guitar store for me. I'd also like to see both versions side by side to pick the one for me.
Order one from Sweetwater, try it for 30 days in your HOME rather than a music store, send it back if you don't like it. C'mon Man!!!
Jon, lad, it isn’t just your DGT that is a gem. Mine is also a wonderful instrument (even ignoring the price). By the way, you should maybe remove the protective film from the pickup covers!
Ha, thanks for that. Me, a guitar newbie, was wondering about it. Is it critical, or just a protective wrap. I couldn't see anything that mentioned it.
1:20-1:32 heavenly
love my goldtop dgt se!
Does the significant neck heel bother you when you're playing high up on the neck?
Always class.
Awesome content sir!
When older folks say, "Electric guitar playing can't possibly be beautiful", I send them John Nathan Cordy's playing.
Why would older folks say that?
Anyone know what effects he uses to get that wonderful tone?
If you had to pick between this guitar and the Sire L7 which would you keep/ buy? Cheers.
SHOOTOUT!!! DGT/594....Thank you Sir..
What do you think about the Cort g300 pro or raw? Have you tried them out? Heard they great bang for buck.
I bought a 594 after watching ur video...thanks thanks thanks...wow... It plays as well or better than my American instruments. Now I gotta have a DGT- my wife isnt happy with you..But...loves the new baby girl...right on mate...
I just got my dgt/se today. I honestly can't believe how good it is. If this guitar costed 5000 dollars more, I would still be happy. I have about 30 guitars, many of which cost multiples of the dgt.
I've been loving your videos recently.
I was waiting for you to tell me how your opinion was changed and in what way specifically, but you didn't really make that clear I dont think. I found that a little confusing.
At the end you mentioned that the only other brand you can think of offering the same quality at this cost was FGN maybe, but at the beginning you mentioned Tokai for being very high quality, and they seem almost exactly the same price. Where do you see Tokai in relation to FGN and the SE DGT?
Beautiful guitar but for some reason it doesn't resonate with me it sounds very tinny and thin compared to some of your other guitars. Off topic I was wondering do you still own your custom California Tweed Mesa? I was thinking about picking a California Tweed up. Didn't know if your custom had any differences when it came to the speaker compared to an off-the-shelf version
Do you still have your SE 594? I don’t think I heard you mention it In this clip.
I prefer it to the DGT purely because of the trem and short scale length.
Is this one better than the mcarty singlecut, or is it the same quality?
Checking my package tracking every 30mins waiting for my gold top to arrive after waiting 9 months
Don't know whether it's the playing or the sound (on the edge of feedback) that reminds me, in parts, of the late, great Alan Murphy
Head stock is not in congruence with the body, it would much be suited with a battle axe for heavy metal, it wants to be strat and a LP at the same time...great for a first guitar if you do not know where to get yet...
The top of the headstock was designed to match the arc in the original moon inlays, like the ones found in the gold top DGT SE. This fact has been lost over time because while Birds used to be a chargeable option, they are now standard on nearly everything.
It starts a 4:30
Have you still got the plastic covers on the pickups? Does my head in when people leave that stuff on 😂
Man I want to buy this! 😆🎸🎶🔥
Good for jazz?
would like to try one, i have a Charvel Pro Mod DK24 HH 2PT that was £800 - feel like they are good quality for the price range. Have you played one?
I respect this instrument, and the work put into it. After owning all the levels of the PRS ecosystem (flat top SE to Artist) I just must have xenophobia or something- most of the S2 line, American made, can be had used for less than the DGT SE. Part of me prefers to buy a used lightweight S2 and get stainless jumbos installed and a PLEK after wearing the stock frets down a bit.
Although a lot of the S2s are more “SG” type guitars than the full almost-Core experience this has.
Thanks
That’s a beautiful guitar!
Just got a DGT SE, what's the name of this preset? 😆
When will we see a music man or sterling on the channel?
Not to hate on this channel at all or youtube gear channels in general, but I feel that people tend to find the gear they like and stick with it. New stuff may excite but it's rare people stick with it. Nowadays it feels the inevitable conclusion of every new: plugin, modeller or guitar is that they're the "new biggest winner" and will destroy everyone else for 2 months and then everyone points out flaws that have always been there. I totally get it and I'm glad these videos are made but it seems to be a common recurring theme especially right now.
I got a DGT SE after seeing videos about the setup out of the box. Compared to the similar priced guitars I have, it was set up very well, frets perfect, nut was cut great, only one string was out of intonation. It sounds very classic, probably the best bridge pickup I have. My only issue is a me thing, i wish the trem bar had more play, but it does stay in tune. It may be the best combo of the features of a strat and a les paul.
Paid £950 for my SE Mark Holcomb long before the Silver Sky came out. Worth every penny.
I've seen them recently (November) £799 new
That first solo sounds very like Jack Gardiner Style
Great playing as always through all of your videos that I have watched. Not being critical, but the tendency to always be playing through different presets and electronically generated sounds makes it hard for me to really get a read on the different tones of any of the guitars, your sound is always very saturated and compressed with lots of effects and the strat & 335s, and even the DGT (although better with the coil split) sound remarkably the same. Thanks though, really enjoy your playing !
I would rather buy MIJ guitars like FGN, Edwards, Vola. The Yamaha revstar standard is also better guitar than any PRS SE and S2
This video now makes me think that i paid 1k for prs 2408 35th anniversary limited edition and right after they came with 2408 SE and they are 840 USD. So in hindsight there was nothing limited about it unless limited means that you get to pay premium for limited time hahahhaa.