Can't decide Les Paul R8 vs PRS DGT

PRS DGT or Gibson R8

  • PRS DGT

    Votes: 22 88.0%
  • Gibson R8

    Votes: 3 12.0%

  • Total voters
    25
  • Poll closed .

georgeprs

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May 20, 2021
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Done a little video for tone comparison (also in the mix). Main point for Gibson - it will definitely hold better its value. Plus that sound! Main point for PRS - a better playability, less prone for headstock brake (for a 5K guitar I think it's important) and the trem, although it's not that stable. Any thoughts or comments?
 
Trem not that stable? Both of my PRS trems are rock solid. My CU24 and CU24 piezo hold tuning better than my LP Standard even with its' upgraded locking tuners, and I'm not easy on my trems.
For playability and ergonomics, the DGT wins hands down.
Besides, do you really expect a Gibson to win a poll on a PRS forum?
 
If you know anything about the DGT, it has a push-pull on the tone knob to split both humbuckers.

You didn't showcase this in your video,and this option offers WAY more usable amazing tonal options than the Gibson.

If this video had been presented in a better manner, it would have shown that as a live and studio guitar, the DGT is superior to the Gibson in that video.
 
PRS trems are very stable, but no trem is as stable as a stop bar, so it’s hard to compare that aspect... also, stop bars are very hard to divebomb with.

As Steve noted, Gibson has improved in recent years. And even prior, it’s not like there weren’t good, or even great, Gibson guitars. It was the roll-of-the-dice nature of what you might get with their normal line instruments that frustrated players and pushed them to look elsewhere. Thus, it was that “always plays like you expect with a PRS” experience that took me from being a Gibson guy to being a PRS guy.

I know it matters to many folks, but resale value doesn’t matter to me. The “market” value has nothing to do with how an individual guitar feels or sounds. I just make sure I don’t overpay to start with, work on getting a good deal up front which provides value while you own the guitar and a better margin if you decide to sell. I’ve often bought pristine “used” instruments, gigged them for years while maintaining them well, and actually made a profit when I sold them. Made money with them, then made money selling them. That’s value! Pretty easy to do with PRS instruments, and they’re great the whole time you own them, so resale isn’t a constant thought. But I do understand the consideration. I’m just recommending you don’t let it play a major role. It’s like choosing a wife based on how she’d be in divorce court.

I wouldn’t hesitate to own a CS Gibson if I wanted a particular one. It’s just that once I came to PRS as my main instruments, they’ve given me no reason to look back. I’d recommend that experience to anyone.

DGT, or if you’re really looking for a 58/59 LP feel, a Single Cut 594.
 
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You sound noticeably more comfortable on the LP , very evident on the clean work IMHO.
I have a difficult time finding LPs I jive with , I do have one I love and have played some very nice R8s , I do love my DGT.
If I couldn't play them first I would pick the DGT.
 
Honestly feel the DGT sounds better, especially during the “funky” stuff (which is what I mostly play). I feel it’s clearer sounding overall.

But ya know... only a Les Paul looks like a Les Paul, so if cosplaying as classic rock dudes is someone’s thang...
 
Honestly feel the DGT sounds better, especially during the “funky” stuff (which is what I mostly play). I feel it’s clearer sounding overall.

But ya know... only a Les Paul looks like a Les Paul, so if cosplaying as classic rock dudes is someone’s thang...

I agree, I distinctly preferred the tone of the DGT.
 
In my experience, even the "regular" McCarty guitar (non-594 specs) just kills it for practically everything. In fact, my McCarty 58 (basically the current standard McCarty, with 57/08 pickups) is so killer that I think it might indeed be the best-sounding, best-playing, and most-versatile guitar I've ever played, let alone owned. The DGT is thiiis close to the McCarty--it's essentially a McCarty Trem with DGT pickups, no?

If you separate your mind from it having to sound exactly like a '58 Les Paul (in which case, the answer is obvious--buy the Gibson) and simply listen for the most widely-appealing, musical sounds, playability, comfort, etc., I think the DGT would be the right choice over the R8. But then again, there's players who feel that the original LP shape & feel are perfect; so again, there are no rules and the opinion that matters the most is your own.
 
I will always own a Les Paul. It's iconic. Arguably the guitar and the sound of the soundtrack of my life. Fortunately, for me at least, I can afford to own more than one guitar. So I also own a PRS. My PRS sounds just as good, and actually plays better (easier) than my Les Paul. It also stays in tune better... MUCH better.

But like I said, I will always own a Les Paul. Mine is an R8 by the way, and I LOVE it dearly.
 
I will always own a Les Paul. It's iconic. Arguably the guitar and the sound of the soundtrack of my life. Fortunately, for me at least, I can afford to own more than one guitar. So I also own a PRS. My PRS sounds just as good, and actually plays better (easier) than my Les Paul. It also stays in tune better... MUCH better.

But like I said, I will always own a Les Paul. Mine is an R8 by the way, and I LOVE it dearly.

Interesting that your R8 doesn’t stay in tune. I own a number of LP reissues, and I’ve never had a problem. USA core is a different story though.
 
Interesting that your R8 doesn’t stay in tune. I own a number of LP reissues, and I’ve never had a problem. USA core is a different story though.

Well I didn't say my R8 doesn't stay in tune. It stays in tune reasonably well. I can pick up the R8 after a couple of days and it sounds in tune. But if I turn on the Peterson Strobo Stomp, I see it's off a few cents. My PRS, on the other hand, is dead nuts on after the same amount of time. The strobe tuner doesn't lie, even if my hearing can't tell the difference.

So yeah, my PRS stays in tune much better than my Les Paul. And it makes perfect sense too, because the strings pass straight through the nut on the PRS with minimal friction. It's just a better design.

Having said that, I love my R8 and I'll always own a Les Paul. But I love my PRS too. Glad I don't have to choose one or the other! (smile)
 
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