DGT au naturalle!
- Thread starter DougGuitar
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This is, of course, entirely subjective on my part, but I seem to have no trouble finding as many superb - looking maple tops as I might want every time I look, and for the most part I'm seeing similar on NGD posts from others. Here are my 3 most recent PRS buys, 2024, 2023, and 2022:More like this…
The tops have mostly been meh-tastic at best lately.
Meh-tastic? Beats me. You decide, dear readers:
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NJ Devil
Are they Wood Library guitars? They better be quality tops.This is, of course, entirely subjective on my part, but I seem to have no trouble finding as many superb - looking maple tops as I might want every time I look, and for the most part I'm seeing similar on NGD posts from others. Here are my 3 most recent PRS buys, 2024, 2023, and 2022:
Meh-tastic? Beats me. You decide, dear readers:
They’re certainly not just 10-tops.
Actually, the first one in Yellow Tiger is just a regular 10 top. It's not a Wood Library or any other special thing.
The second one is a Wood Library 10 top that I think is every bit as nice as my PS tops, maybe nicer.
The third one's an Artist that might not be as nice as the one with the regular 10 top, but it's still sweet.
Point is, it's not at all hard to find PRS' that, at least as far as I'm concerned, are beautiful. Seems like so many I see here and online are gorgeous, and the selection seems even nicer than years ago. If I bought only on looks, there were quite a few at Jack's shop that were the equal of what I've bought the last few years.
But as I said, beauty is in the eye of the beholder, it's subjective. One person's 'meh' might be another person's 'OMG'.
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Alnus Rubra
Loving nature’s wonders
Nice wood Les.
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NJ Devil
No, it’s not hard to find a good one. They are everywhere. What I’m talking about are the tops that would have been used for core CE’s or painted that are out there now rated as 10-tops. This has always happened. It use to be maybe, 1 out of 10 were like that. Now it seems that the ratio is closer to 3 out of 10.
The natural finish guitars have always had the nicest tops. They can’t hind any “imperfections” when they’re in the nude. There never was an over abundance of them made. Now, you almost never see them. Is it the lack of orders or the lack of that caliber of wood that thinned an already small supply?
Isn't that what matters? There are plenty of great choices. Anything else is so subjective it amounts to yelling at clouds.
I dunno. Been playing them since 1991, probably bought 35-40 over the years, and never found it to be that way. But...
I'm not an inveterate window shopper. I tend to look when I have the itch to buy and that's about it. So I'm perfectly willing to defer to someone else's eyeballing expertise.
My own feeling is the imprimatur of the '10 top' label isn't a command to "Buy This Guitar." They don't put a gun to anyone's head. There are plenty of nice ones, and everyone's taste is different, so how much does it matter what they label the guitar? Not much. Buy what you like, or take your wallet elsewhere, right?
There are people who buy based on feel and tone, and the top is a minor distraction. Sometimes I'm one of them. I've bought a number of plain Jane ones over the years whose tone and vibe called out to me.
At other times, I get suckered by a pretty guitar. If I'm lucky it sounds the way I like as well.
What's 'now'?
I remember this 10 Top critique being all over the original PRS forum in 1999, a quarter of a century ago. It's always "In the old days..." The dim and distant past seems to always be remembered more fondly by guitar players. But that's not how I recall it.
Not really. Some have been fantastic, yet many stained tops have been as nice or perhaps nicer (depending on one's taste).
My PS acoustic has a maple body and sides; I originally ordered it in natural, but the PS folks suggested a light stain. I went with it, and it looks great. Would it have looked better if it wasn't stained? Beats me. It's the same pieces of wood. They certainly didn't stain it because they were trying to hide anything, I saw the wood in its raw form.
I think you rarely see them because the stained ones sell better. They were once a finish dealers could order, and they didn't get many orders so they discontinued the finish, as they tend to do when something isn't a big seller.
Again, you may have an insight into why PRS does things the way they do that I don't have, and isn't speculation, and if so, I'll defer to you.
All I care about is what I can personally play, and if the ratio of good to not-as-good in Ten Top World drops, it certainly doesn't affect anyone's life as long as there are choices people want.
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Bowtiefanatc
Confirmed Bird Snob
I could get behind this “an-naturale” DGT
PRS DGT Electric Guitar | eBay
"DGT" was born from a collaboration spanning over 20 years between David Grissom and Paul Reed Smith, one of the studio and session guitarists who have been deeply involved with PRS from among the PRS endorsed artists.
www.ebay.com
show_a_little_faith
There's nothing like life
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Is it me, or does that look like a (non-PTC) refinish job?I could get behind this “an-naturale” DGT
PRS DGT Electric Guitar | eBay
"DGT" was born from a collaboration spanning over 20 years between David Grissom and Paul Reed Smith, one of the studio and session guitarists who have been deeply involved with PRS from among the PRS endorsed artists.www.ebay.com
Alnus Rubra
Loving nature’s wonders
I’d be inclined to agree there has been a refinish and the area around the serial number (back of headstock) looks scruffy.
show_a_little_faith
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Good catch. And it's written in black - was that common in 2012? I've only ever seen written in gold (or stamped into the Rosewoods)
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NJ Devil
It looks like a little bit of gold writing is peeking out from under the updated serial number.
Might be a reflection
Bowtiefanatc
Confirmed Bird Snob
Could be a refin, but I dig it!
show_a_little_faith
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And that's honestly what's most important for the potential buyer - if they like it.
But, as far as I could see, the listing doesn't mention it, which I think is BS when selling something at all, let alone for the price they're asking
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NJ Devil
Just simply calling them as I see them. Purely on the figuring.
Nothing to do with the tone, playability, vibe, whatever you’d like to describe it.
They have it no matter the appearance. We all agree on that.
My HB Spruce is Vintage Natural, btw. It’s also slightly tinted along the edges. All of it there to be seen.
My point is that manufacturers can use a darkburst finish over “imperfections” that you couldn’t use for a natural finished guitar. They require a uniform top.
From what I’ve read and seen from PRS, they grade the tops based on what’s on hand. Todays 10-top could be tomorrow’s Wood Library or go the other way.
show_a_little_faith
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Also, I just noticed at the bottom of the listing is Ebay's "You may also like", which has 5 different listings from different vendors, all using the same exact photos but with slightly different descriptions and price's ranging from $3,205.69 - $3,765.67.
Screams "STAY AWAY" to me...
Screams "STAY AWAY" to me...
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NJ Devil
I’ve found this after looking up “Japan Guitar Brokers”
It explains the multiple listings for the same guitar.
“Here's the thing. None of these guys have the guitar in their possession. What they're doing is scouring Japanese guitar stores, listing their guitars, and if you buy it, they'll buy it from the store and ship it to you and take the cut for their work. Essentially it's reselling.
Now, some stores don't ship out of Japan so they serve a purpose. Other times they're just clipping the ticket for $500 when you could go to the store direct.
If you can reverse image search the pics you might be able to find where it's actually being sold from and do a deal with the store direct.”
All true, and we completely agree.
Looks like a non-factory re-fin to me, too, simply judging from the way the surface looks.
Probably an interesting-sounding guitar, though.
