I went to buy a PRS DGT SE...and this is what happened!
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- Опубліковано 6 лют 2025
- Definitely not what I was expecting when I left the house to go guitar shopping! I went to pick up a new PRS DGT SE, but that's not even close to what I left the store with...
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Bro you found your Number One. This is how it happens. Glad you went for it and won’t regret it!
@@idontgrillonwed Fingers crossed! I’ve tried to find my Number One many times over the years: Suhrs, Vigiers, Ibanez, and loads more. Maybe the key is not to force it.
Any instrument that inspires you to become a better player is worth every penny! Congrats on your custom 24. I also have a custom 24 in yellow tiger, and I love mine too!
I noticed the NF3 has virtually every hardware spec upgraded over the Silversky. The tuners are even the regular die cast prs import units. That are much better than those gaudy bright plastic vintage style they've been putting on most SE models. I got a package deal with one of the new cases, and I couldn't be happier. Its one of the only guitars I'm not upgrading major parts on. It's really great straight away. The action I've got so damn low its ridiculous. No buzzing or any bad frets. Plays like butter.
The silver sky se pickups are magic though
@@ScottDreyfus
Much better than the NF3 pickups.
Wise decision. 👍
Really enjoyed your video ! Thank you for sharing !
Wow what a score the real deal 🎉🎉🎉🎉🎉🎉🎉❤❤❤❤❤❤
Congrats on the purchase! I've got a couple of S2 McCarty guitars that I love, HAD (2) USA Silver Sky guitars, and HAD a $5.5K USA 10-Top McCarty. I just couldn't justify the 10-Top. It was beautiful, and it was so fragile...lived in a case. I already had an SE Silver Sky, and when I was thinning the herd one day, the USA Silver Sky just didn't make the cut. I've since picked up a Quilted SE Custom 24, an SE NF3, another SE Silver Sky, a Satin SE CE24, an SE Swamp Ash, and both SE DTG models. The SE lineup is just great. Since I don't have a history of buying USED, I'm going to find it hard to justify buying another USA PRS above S2, unless my financial profile climbs another couple of notches. Time to put more money away for retirement.
Truthfully, if the USA Custom 24 hadn’t been there to directly compare it with then I might well have bought the SE 24-08. It was a really great guitar, but having that instant comparison available just highlighted how excellent the core model really is.
@@DGSessions Maybe I'll rethink the pre-owned option on the right guitar one day too.
Great that you found a guitar that just speaks to you so much! What year is that PRS you bought??
Seems there is something special about earlier PRS's. I had a 1999 McCarty that was amazing.
@@onlyguitars it’s a 2008 CU24 👍🏻
I know exactly what you mean. A few months ago I wanted a SE DGT but theSE word most everywhere was backordered. I went shopping anyway. And yes, I bought a used Limited Quilt 10 CU24/08 etc... It was from the store owner's horde and I could not find a mark on it. I have a new working opinion of the word, sublime. I am very happy with it. And yes, a few months later, I got a new Goldtop SE DGT. They are both keepers.
While the SE line are great guitars and a good bang for the buck, the USA Custom line just look and feel better. Either line is a great choice.
Having played and owned SEs, an S2 a Core and 2 Bolt-On (CE) PRSs, the SEs feel superior to your typical import guitar, but you really can't compare the feel between the SEs and any of the USA made ones. How much the feel difference is worth to you? That is a question you have to ask yourself. Great and similar sounds can be achieved with any of them.
Thats how I "accidentally" bought a core santana. I went to buy an se silversky...
@@liamartinproductions Gald to hear I’m not the only one to fall into that “accident”! Haha!
@DGSessions I ended up buying the silversky as well and now I have to ear ramen for the rest of the month....
@@liamartinproductions I still haven’t tried the DGT yet, I could well end up with that too!
Man... I totally get it.. PRS core is like custom shop for everyone else. If you get past the stigma they are insanely good
I’ve got 4 SEs and 3 USA PRSes, and I freely admit there is a difference, I just don’t believe there is a 3k difference. The playability is better
@@mannymejia7972 I think I agree with you there. I couldn’t in good conscience recommend that everybody buy USA PRS instead of SEs (otherwise I would have in the video), for most players out there I believe that the SE is probably the correct choice.
But for me, the difference between the two guitars I played on that day was more than enough to convince me that the USA was worth the amount extra I paid. I still think it was one of my best ever guitar related purchases.
@@DGSessions I mean when you vibe with a specific guitar it can’t be helped. I’m sure that’s what happened with your purchase. I’ve vibed with $5k guitars and vibed with a used $50 squier.
There is a 3K difference. Just try to make the same guitar with a luthier and you will start to understand it. Now, does it sounds 3x better? No. Does it plays 3x better? No. But it costs that money to be made. Why? Mainly the time it takes to be made is superior (more complex contours and shapes, higher fine tuning of neck, more time consuming neck terminations, etc.), the woods are much superior and costly.
I’m a novice bass player and discovered the exact same thing. I now have a USA G&L L2000.
If the bass doesn’t sound good, I know it’s not the instrument.
Excellent choice on the G&L! They’re a hidden gem for guitarists but bassists seem to be even less aware of how amazing they are!
I also own a G&L L2000. Best bass ever! I also bought an SE Custom 24 that have literally swapped out EVERYTHING to core specs. Upgraded pickups to 85/15 TCIs, MannMade bridge and trem upgrade, nut, locking tuners and finally swapped and upgraded the wring harness to a 5-way blade (getting rid of the push/pulls) and finished with core style speed knobs. Sounds and plays every bit as good (to me anyway) as all the USA cores I played it head to head with after the upgrades and only spent half as much. Pleased with the results!
Some notes: the core you have there is from 2012 to 2015. They put 85/15 pickups on the core custom 24s around 2015 or 2016. The pickups you have are probably dragon pickups. Totally different sound. Plus the 85/15s interact with different amps in different ways.
It’s a 2008, so should be a HFS/Bass set rather than 85/15 or dragons
@@DGSessions Oh, right on. Were you able to a/b the 85/15s with the HFS pickups. I don't know why, but I'm not digging the tone on the 2 and 4 positions with the 85/15s.
@@inthewild5776 I’m not sure where the 85/15s have come from, in the store I was able to directly A/B an SE CU24-08 (which has TCI “s” pickups) with the Core Custom 24.
Neither of them have a position 2/4, they’re both 3 way toggles.
Did you try the 24 se to compare
Well, yes. That's what the video is about. I went to buy an SE DGT but they didn't have one so I ended up trying the SE 24-08 (an SE custom 24 with extra switching) and compared it to the Core 24.
@DGSessions what did you think of the se 24-08
@ It was good. Great guitars. Had there not been a core 24 to try as well then I might have bought one.
What pickups are in your new baby?
@@francoislouw181 I *think* it’s a HFS/Bass set
@@DGSessions awesome
@DGSessions and how do you find them? Been reading mixed reviews about them. Actually getting a set of those installed on my SE Custom 24 Floyd model this weekend.
@@francoislouw181 They suit me. I find a lot of pickups are voiced with a bit too much harshness and bite so that they don’t turn to mush when they’re run through mega gain. These are a bit warmer and work well with my usual mid-ish Marshall gain levels.
@DGSessions great. I'm a old school blues/rock and rock player. We cover a lot of ground from Bad Company to Pink Floyd to Gary Moore, the latter being my main influence too. I use a Bluguitar Amp1. So should work?
yeah bonding to a guitar is a very personal matter. but I think you should be able to tell us what aspects of the guitar you evaluate being so much better from the SE! you didn't tell... I can't believe it's a "I don't know why but I preferred this one" 🤔
@@PaoloC. It wasn’t that I didn’t know why I preferred it, it was better in pretty much every way.
There’s nothing wrong with an SE. It’s kind of like comparing a Toyota to a Lexus. Toyota is a great vehicle…fantastic in a lot of ways. But a high-end Lexus is a masterpiece. A core Custom 24 is a flagship PRS. If you are a musician and really enjoy playing guitar, and play often, and you can afford it, it makes more sense to buy a core model. They are a just a pleasure to play…great feel, great sound, easy to play, reliability and beautiful craftsmanship. It’s a great investment in your own craft and personal life-enrichment; plus if you buy a used one they hold their value. Yours is a beautiful color. Congratulations!
@@smflyboy Thank you! What really surprised me in this instance was just how much of a difference there was between the two.
Much more than I was expecting based on my experience of other brands.
You remind me of me. I have gone to music store with the aim of testing certain guitars and walked out considerable poorer having chosen a guitar I wasn't even thinking about. Just like anyone addicted to any substance. So, no, it's not about the quality, sound or "wood". It's about psychology. Of course it sounds and play better! it costs many times as much! Yeah. I know the feeling.
@@olestef Truthfully, I’m usually the other way around. I sold a very expensive Suhr T-style after I a/b tested it with my Shijie, and I still have my Martin Kidd designed Jet City Amelia but my Victory counterparts went ages ago.
Core PRS guitars are indeed better and have nicer woods than the SE's. And they should be 😊 How much better and if you want to pay the extra cash, depends individually... Used core PRS's though, from the early 2000 can be found at a good price. I bought a 2003 CE 22 core for a little bit more than the cost for an SE Custom and less than half the current US CE24 price. And it is a way nicer guitar with a US trem and a violin carved top, you find nowadays only on the Core Customs...
@@bobdelair02 I’ve owned 3x USA CE PRSes through the years (one early 22, one early 24, and a modern 24) and the early CE24 is a guitar I wish I never sold. The 22 was excellent too but the neck on the 24 suited me better.
I think the main point is that the SE range is so good that it’s very easy to forget that the USA range isn’t just more expensive…it’s supposed to be noticeably better.
@@DGSessions Personally I prefer the CE22 over the 24, because the warmer neck pu sound. Wide fat necks are fine with me, though I would have preferred a more rounded edge. May sand the neck a bit rounder some day... 🙃
SE s are phukking great
@@gulfmarine8857 Can’t argue with that! The whole idea behind the video was that I was so surprised that the core managed to be noticeably better, despite the SE being amazing to begin with!
@@DGSessions I got my mint condition Santana model along with an Ovation 12 string (also immaculate) for 300 bucks! Both with hard cases.
Package deal!! I didn't know exactly what I had 'till I got home! I can't say I never got a lucky break now.
I was about to buy and on the lookout for a SE DGT, same as you... - I got a chance to test one recently in a shop .. - and boy was I disappointed ...; the built quality was subpar to everything I know from PRS, neck and fret finish was really bad.. plus a really bad setup which made it overly hard to play. (and I have some - Core USA, 2 S2 and really good SE's to compare - which are from the Korea Built period) - of course in the shop I could not start doing adjustments to see how much can be fixed to make it more playable.. - my gut feeling is, all the YT reviewers that hype especially this model "DGT SE" receive and extra carefully checked one... - don't get me wrong, I have 2 Korean made SE's which are outstanding - but right now I am rethinking if I should go for the SE DGT....
@@mheyl180 That’s the first negative review I’ve seen on an SE DGT, and I’ll definitely bear it in mind.
I was considering ordering one online, but this experience has firmly encouraged me to try instruments in store before buying.
Sometime with guitars you need to check out several of the same model because to me every guitar is unique. I was looking for a Gibson SG 61 reissue years ago and tried maybe 10 before I picked the one I bought. They were all noticeably different to me which doesn't say alot for quality control but never judge a model on just one sample. The same happened to me with a Gretsch 5622.
@@DGSessions I can honestly say, that with the move to have SE's built in Indonesia, the prices have gone up - and the built quality has become "inconsistent" to phrase it politely - but in all fairness the pickups have improved...; I have a Zach Meyers SE which is really good; for Korean built - my SE Bernie Marsden is fabulous, the now old Korina SE a killer...; I still fancy the SE DGT Gold Top as even the used Core DGT's here in Germany are rarely to be seen below 3.5k €...
@@sgguitarzz Spot on and I agree... you can always and everywhere pick a lesser one..;
3500 Pounds for a new Custom 24? Around 2010, I bought a 1990 Custom 24 for $1800 CAD. That converts to about $1020 British Pounds. This was from PRS’s arguably even higher quality, early period, when they still had the “sweet switch” and the now illegal Brazilian rosewood board, and before they began implementing full CNC construction. I don’t know where used prices are at nowadays, but I’d argue that maybe instead of settling for an SE OR paying out the a** for a new US model, people should be directed to looking at used US examples. -EDIT: Yeah, never mind. I just looked at going prices for 1990 models. Utterly ridiculous. I should have kept that guitar for another 10 years before selling it. Apparently I could have at least quadrupled my money off of some sucker today.
Ultimately, used prices are what they are. With new CU24s at 3500, a reasonable used price is probably north of 2k. Of course, bargains will be around from time to time but it is what it is. Compare any the used market today of anything with what was around 15 years ago and you’ll likely find similar results
You would have 4x increased the price but that doesn't mean you would have 4x increase the value. You already noticed it, a Core Custom 24 is now 4x more expensive. So...not a win. Just maintain the value.
The Cores and CE are just another level, that I didn’t feel with the S2.
Thanks. S2 is a level about se imo, but ce is on my radar. I haven't played one yet.
Same happened to me, I already had a custom order made Suhr Modern and an USA Jackson SL2, however one day I’ve tried and bought a PRS P22 with a rosewood neck. At home I realized that I only started playing the PRS and I sold the Suhr and the Jackson and bougt two more core PRS’s. So I understand you :). SE’s are good guitars especially for the price but Core PRS’s are work of art. And it is not about the hardware difference, it is about the difference in amount of time spent on each instrument perfecting it.
@@crystaloffrost There’s magic mojo in there somewhere if you ask me!
You won't get a 4K guitar for 1K. That is a fake dream. Fender Player II is not even close to an Ultra II. PRS SE are not close to Core ones. Stop cheating yourselfs.
@@predigr I completely disagree. I much prefer my schecter NJ traditional to the Fender Ultra strat I had, and my Shijie TLV is definitely up there with the Suhr Classic T pro I owned before it.
The reason I made this video was because of just how surprised I was in this case. The Core in this instance was a particularly good one, highlighting why it’s important to get out to stores and try out instruments rather than just buying online.
If you always assume the more expensive instrument is better, I guarantee that you’ll be wasting money.
@DGSessions I agree with you that you can feel better with any guitar. You may completely dislike an expensive guitar and love a mid range one. What I say is more objective. A Core is more expensive because the woods are more expensive and the manufacturing is more expensive. So you get what you pay. There are no magic. You can make an SE guitar with a Luthier for similar price but you won't get a Core for that price. It is not possible.
@@predigr I understand you, and I still disagree. Some guitars are simply better for less money, the woods and manufacturing may be more expensive but that does not in any way guarantee a better guitar at the end of it. You're also incorrectly assuming that more expensive guitars use better woods. The wood used on the neck of my Harley Benton Fusion is a much nicer flamed, roasted maple than on Ibanez premium AZs costing 3x the price. This is before we even begin to consider the difference in labor cost between USA, Japan, and say Indonesia or China. Why would someone living in the USA automatically build a better guitar than someone living in Indonesia? They wouldn't. A great luthier is a great luthier wherever they live, but the cost will be very different.
@@DGSessions I agree with "some guitars are simply better for less money". There are some "new" brands like HB, JET and Sire that are doing really interesting guitars for the money. They introduced several points reserved for expensive guitars like roasted necks, flamed necks, roll edges, blocking tunners, better neck heels, stainless steel frets, etc. I agree they are really appealing for the money. Now, in my experience, if we are comparing two guitars of the same brand, that concept of having a better guitar for less money diludes. I have tested new Fender Player II, they are great guitars. I also have tested Ultras. I cannot say Player II are more costly than making an Ultra and still there are some features Fender wisely reserve for their more expensive guitars. Otherwise, there would be no reason to buy them. For instance, compare the neck of a Player II and the neck of an Ultra II. It is much better the one in the Ultra. Player II has roll edges but they are not as good terminated as the ones in the Ultra. Not even close. That single feature cost money. Somebody has to spend more time in doing the neck. Compound radius is also more expensive in the sense it is more complex to do it, so either you require to buy more expensive machines or some extra work somehow. Regarding the woods, they are more expensive too, since the cut (quarter sawn) is very specific in the Ultra. In adition, Player II come with rosewood but I can tell you the quality of those rosewoods is not as good as the pieces they provide in more expensive american made models. Sometimes they even seem to be somewhat tinted. I had one unit that came with some issues during the manufacturing (some "holes" in the rosewood that were covered with some kind of mass). These kind of torelances are accepted in a MEX model. I have had 2 Players and I think that way. Regarding the body, it is a more advanced body the one in the Ultras, so if you want that you have to pay for it. The nitrocellulose finish is another feature Fender reserves for more expensive guitars. That is just a convenient decision, it is not more expensive to do it, but if you want that you need to pay for it. Moving to PRS, happens the same. The shape of a Core is different from the shape of an SE (easier to make, because it is flatter). The piece of wood cannot be a veneer because that extra rounding of Cores requires a minimium width of wood. Finding a 4A or 5A wood with that width is more difficult and more expensive. Only a 4-5A top in a Core, just the wood, with no treatment nor anything, may cost 600$, roughtly the cost of a full SE guitar. Abalone inlays that you may find in some Cores are also much more expensive. For instance, you may find some dot abalone inlays for 30$, but making birds is much more expensive because you need bigger blocks of abalone and a more complex routing. Just the bigger blocks of abalone can 10x multiply the cost. Just the material, because they need to be bigger and widther. Just some examples. There is no difference in a guitar being made in Indonesia or in America. The difference is what the brand states how they have to make the models. They don't follow the same processes. Just take a look at a PRS video of the build process in America. I tell you, that fine tunning they provide is not going to happen in Indonesia made guitars. If we compare brands, yes, there are certain brands that provide more value for less money than the classic ones. But, I doubt HB can offer you a PRS Core for 400$. It is impossible as I told you. I have had a signature HB (Agufish) and I was really impressed with all it gives for the money. SS frets, ebony fretboard, roasted maple, nice satin finish of the neck, nice neck heel, locking tunners, light guitar (chambered), good looking guitar. Only pickups were pretty bad in my opinion (that should add +300$ to the price, but still a great guitar for 900$). There was a superb guitar for the money. Now, I would not say making that guitar is as expensive as making an Ultra and of course not even close to making a PRS Core. This is my experience. Finally, in the end...brand is brand an that also cost money. You want a fender with the same shape, you cannot buy a JET, they are not the same.
@Well of course, if you’re comparing two guitars from the same brand at different price points then that brand will endeavour to make sure the more expensive one seems better. That wasn’t your original point, you stated that a 1k guitar won’t ever be as good as a 4k guitar and THAT I strongly disagree with. The Ultra II range you specifically mention is actually one which I find very average in terms of quality to price ratio. Compared to something like a Shijie or, to counter your new argument, even an MiJ fender! it doesn’t even come close.
You should have just bought a dgt 🤦♂️
@@ScottDreyfus You’re right that I should possibly still buy a DGT, but buying the CU24 was definitely one of the best decisions I’ve made. I’ve had countless positive comments on my tone since I’ve started using it.
I am still not a fan of SEs. It’s the electronics that just don’t feel or sound like the Core models.
That really surprises me, the only time I’ve ever noticed a real difference between SE and Core models is when I’ve been directly A/B testing them like in this instance.
Other than that, the quality, sound, and playability have always been excellent. Considering the price difference is in the region of 2k, it’s amazing how well the SE range stands up.
@@DGSessions yup. Playability and feel are great. I just don’t like the feel of the knobs, the way they turn, and they don’t clean up nearly as good as the Core models. They play and sound exactly like sub $1000 guitars, as they should! Totally not knocking them at all, just some things that always push me to the Core models.
bla bla bla, why not play the guitars.
?
@@GuitarEd48 Because I didn’t buy the SE…there’ll be videos featuring the cu24 soon though
Waaaaaaaaaaay too much preamble babbling.
There’s a clue in the thumbnail if folks just want the answer….
@@MrBobby1159 Each to their own 👍🏻
@@MrBobby1159 I do, it’s ok. It really doesn’t bother me at all. Enjoy your weekend.