Gibson player looking at possibly getting a PRS sometime this year

[Stonelands]

Hi everyone,

I'm a guitarist living in New Zealand who predominantly plays Gibsons. I think I want my next guitar purchase to be something a little bit different though and I'm leaning towards PRS. I have had some trouble with not really liking many of the ones I've played but when I was in the U.S I tried out a DGT that I quite liked. One thing I like about PRSi is the close proximity of the volume knob to the strings, it would make volume swells really easy, kind of like on Strat (I find these frustrating to do on a Gibson).

The other thing is that I although I liked the DGT more than any of the Customs I've played, when I listen to the videos of the CU24 30th anniversary, I think it sounds possibly a little better than the online clips of the DGT (always hard to tell with videos being what they are). I'd say I'm leaning towards the 30th Anniversary in Antique White with Pattern Regular neck carve and I'd also prefer to buy new. This probably wouldn't be for a longtime as I've just finished at the job I was at and also have some other financial commitments I'll need to settle once I have a higher paying job.

If I bought a PRS I'd be using it alongside my Gibsons for ambient, experimental music, hopefully fairly intricate stuff. I know that these things are ultimately very subjective and different for every person but I'd still love to hear people's thoughts on the matter. Man, this is just another reason I wish I was back in the U.S again so I could do this the proper way and audition them both...

Thanks,
William.

 

[Pfloyd57]

William,

Welcome to the Forum. I played an E2 Explorer as my main guitar for a decade or more. Also have a couple of Lesters. I can't speak highly enough of my 3 PRSi's. The P24 Trem is my go to guitar. I highly recommend using an Ernie Ball Volume pedal for those swells and free up your hands to play. I do a lot of Steve Howe-type stuff as well as Eno and Fripp. Long echo's and an Ernie Ball Volume Pedal are magical. PRSi are NOT Gibsons. You won't get that baseball bat neck, nor the 10.5 pound weight. What you get is a very player-friendly package with unbelievable quality and attention to detail. Your hands will feel the difference. Tone is always subjective, you will need to fiddle with your regular rig settings. But that's half the fun!

Good luck - Happy hunting!

 

[shinksma]

I would take every online video's audio with a huge grain of salt. There are far too many things that can go wrong - amp, mic placement, recording level, etc.

What didn't you like about the other PRSi you had played previously, but that you liked on the DGT? Neck thickness/feel? Feel of the trem? Body thickness? Pickup sound? I know there are differences between a CU24 and a DGT, but with every PRSi that I have played, the only time I haven't liked it was when it was set-up poorly (or hadn't been re-set up after abuse/changes).

The CU24 is the classic PRS guitar. And the 30th Anniv have a little special sumpin' sumpin' to help celebrate the year. Are there no used PRSi at local shops to try, even just to compare neck/body/strings/whatever?

Hope that helps a bit. By the way, why the small font? It is tiny compared to what I usually see displayed here.

 

[Stonelands]

William,

Welcome to the Forum. I played an E2 Explorer as my main guitar for a decade or more. Also have a couple of Lesters. I can't speak highly enough of my 3 PRSi's. The P24 Trem is my go to guitar. I highly recommend using an Ernie Ball Volume pedal for those swells and free up your hands to play. I do a lot of Steve Howe-type stuff as well as Eno and Fripp. Long echo's and an Ernie Ball Volume Pedal are magical. PRSi are NOT Gibsons. You won't get that baseball bat neck, nor the 10.5 pound weight. What you get is a very player-friendly package with unbelievable quality and attention to detail. Your hands will feel the difference. Tone is always subjective, you will need to fiddle with your regular rig settings. But that's half the fun!

Good luck - Happy hunting!

Hi Pfloyd57,

I'd prefer not to add a volume pedal as I currently only have three pedals on my board and would love to keep it that way but I guess it's not something I'd rule out. I'm also into synthesizers/VSTS and have an electronic solo project so this will play a big role in the ambient sound of any band I'm in.

I would take every online video's audio with a huge grain of salt. There are far too many things that can go wrong - amp, mic placement, recording level, etc.

What didn't you like about the other PRSi you had played previously, but that you liked on the DGT? Neck thickness/feel? Feel of the trem? Body thickness? Pickup sound? I know there are differences between a CU24 and a DGT, but with every PRSi that I have played, the only time I haven't liked it was when it was set-up poorly (or hadn't been re-set up after abuse/changes).

The CU24 is the classic PRS guitar. And the 30th Anniv have a little special sumpin' sumpin' to help celebrate the year. Are there no used PRSi at local shops to try, even just to compare neck/body/strings/whatever?

Hope that helps a bit. By the way, why the small font? It is tiny compared to what I usually see displayed here.

Haha, oh dear, the reason for the small font in that post is that I'm using Chrome and for some reason it's making the font look massive and really bold, my bad I'll hope onto Firefox in a minute.

There were different things with different models that I didn't like. I just felt that the Cu22s and CU24s that I played (only played one of each to be fair) didn't sound very big and the clean tone didn't seem to have a whole amount of harmonic content. There was a Korina McCarty that I tried that I liked the play-ability of a lot but also didn't really gel with the sound. I think part of this might have been because the Marshall I was using with that guitar had a HORRIBLE od channel, really artificial sounding like a bad distortion pedal or something, I know this because that thing even made my 335 sound bad which I've almost never experienced before.

I also really disliked the Pattern Thin neck on the CU24 I played, I've read that the actual dimensions aren't that extremely different from other PRSi but it honestly reminded me of the days where I played Ibanez RGs and wondered why my hand constantly hurt. The DGT seemed to have a bit more going on with it in the cleans department whilst just being a different vibe to my Gibsons. I did see a member on here write that they liked the 30th anniversary when they've never liked the sound of CU24

My local Rockshop does have about three core PRS that I've tried but didn't dig as much as that DGT. Not sure if their current selection is the same but I've tried guitars there so many times without buying that I'd feel kind of bad doing it unless I actually had the money to buy. I highly doubt they'd have a 30th Anniversary there. Honestly visiting GC and Sam Ash in NYC and L.A was amazing compared to what we have here...

EDIT: I should add that I'm always willing to experiment with pickup changes if it would help but I'm just nervous about forking out a lot of money for something I would dislike (I don't like returning stuff either).

 

[swede71]

A DGT is perfect for a Gibson Player buying a PRS.The best PRS in my book.Great sounding instrument.Great humbuckers,good split sounds,two volume controls,a tremolo and a fat neck.

 

[shboom]

William
I too made the shift. In my case from Fender, to Gibson, to PRS. You definitely can't go wrong with the DGT. Sweet ride, great feel.
My move was to the Mira CE24, but a Reed is a Reed and it'll make you want to play more, improve your confidence level, and open you up to a wide tonal variety.
I still use my SGs for particular material, and even the Tele for Country work, but my Reed is now my go-to axe.

Good Luck with your decision and/or choice.

 

[CVS]

I am about to sell a 1980 Gibson LP in very good condition in order to buy "yet another" PRS. I can't speak to the DGT, but I feel the same way as others here. The quality, tone and playability of PRS guitars can't be beat.

 

[Stonelands]

For those of you that have already recommended or would recommend the DGT, would you recommend the Sig or the Standard? I'm leaning in favour of the standard right now.

 

[sleary]

I ditched my gibsons and got a DGT . Great guitars and sounds to me like that's where your heart is. Buy a DGT and play on !

 

[wardog]

as much as i love my cus 24, I would say look into a single cut prs. I love everything about mine's that a gibby lp does not do for ME. Less weight but still great sustain, the belly cut, cause yes I want to be comfortable. The neck feel is to kill for.... I have one with 59/09 and the neck pickup is a monster!!!. If you want more pickup options get a SC Hollowbody II ( piezo added in this version) or wait for the P245-- my next possible guitar!


Side Note: What would a single cut sound like with DGT pickups in it!!!:adore:

 

[shinksma]

For those of you that have already recommended or would recommend the DGT, would you recommend the Sig or the Standard? I'm leaning in favour of the standard right now.

Well, the regular Sig DGT is the current model - the Standard was a limited run back in 2012, AFAIK (did they release it again anytime after?). The Standard is all-mahogany body, and I think I would prefer the maple cap found on the "normal" DGT. Since you play Gibsons, you may have a preference for one or the other (LP with maple cap, SG without, etc).

I don't think you'll be unhappy with either choice.

btw, you mentioned you didn't like the thinner necks of the CU24/CU22 you played. Since the DGT has a special, thicker neck carve for that model, that is obviously a big factor for you. Sounds like a DGT is the way to go!

 

[Stonelands]

Well, the regular Sig DGT is the current model - the Standard was a limited run back in 2012, AFAIK (did they release it again anytime after?). The Standard is all-mahogany body, and I think I would prefer the maple cap found on the "normal" DGT. Since you play Gibsons, you may have a preference for one or the other (LP with maple cap, SG without, etc).

I don't think you'll be unhappy with either choice.

btw, you mentioned you didn't like the thinner necks of the CU24/CU22 you played. Since the DGT has a special, thicker neck carve for that model, that is obviously a big factor for you. Sounds like a DGT is the way to go!

Looks like Wildwood and a few others still have a few new DGT Standards for sale (though none in the colour scheme I'm after), wonder if I could use one of those companies that will receive goods that are only shipping within the U.S and then forward them to you. Other than that I have one or two contacts in the U.S that might be willing to help out. I may need to do this regardless since I'm really wanting to buy new although there is a used PRS DGT standard in Antique White but by the time I have the money (probably no time in the immediate future) it will probably be gone.

 

[sleary]

I have a set of DGT pickups for sale too lol

 

[Stonelands]

Another question: How would a DGT be compared with a P24 or a PRS Santana (not the SE version)? The piezo on the P24 is somewhat intriguing but not something I probably really need. The Santana is interesting from a design standpoint but I haven't read much in the way of what owners of the American version think about it. I'm still pretty certain it's the DGT I'm after but interested to hear responses.

EDIT: maybe it would help if I posted the video that made me interested in the 30 Anniversary CU24:

Sounds to me like there is something there that to my ears is missing on some PRSi clips online, can't describe what it is exactly. Can the DGT pull off these tones pretty well?

 

[Stonelands]

Thread bump, can anyone give me an idea of how a DGT compares with a USA Santana?

 

[Zack Matzanias]

My SC-58 is my main guitar. I have two custom shop letters that are great guitars but don't play as well.

 

[aristotle]

Regarding the 30th versus DGT, assuming that you're keeping your Gibson(s), I'd go 30th. I have both (and then some) and a gaggle of historic LPs as well. If you're looking to keep to the Gibson tone pallet, I'd have said DGT hands-down up until a few months ago. Oddly, the only two PRS that haven't done it for me in the past are the CU24 and the Santana. Something always seemed lacking. McCarty's (single and double cut) won me over immediately, Signature Limiteds, SC58s, DGTs for sure...all love at first play.

I don't know if it's the new 85/15 pickups, or some new wiring or component values in the circuit, but the 30th CU24seems different than the others, is fantastic, and gets 90 percent of my playing time now. Having said that, I'm sure that what I like about it might turn others off, and there is plenty of love for regular CU24s by lots of people....so it's a matter of taste of course. To me, it gets the best humbucker tone AND the best single coil tone of any guitar I have of any brand.

I'm guessing that there aren't a ton of opportunities to try these things out in New Zealand. The safe bet for you would be the DGT (and it's hard to imagine that you'd be disappointed with it) but I'm still saying CU24. Good luck, and let us know what you end up with...

 

[Stonelands]

Regarding the 30th versus DGT, assuming that you're keeping your Gibson(s), I'd go 30th. I have both (and then some) and a gaggle of historic LPs as well. If you're looking to keep to the Gibson tone pallet, I'd have said DGT hands-down up until a few months ago. Oddly, the only two PRS that haven't done it for me in the past are the CU24 and the Santana. Something always seemed lacking. McCarty's (single and double cut) won me over immediately, Signature Limiteds, SC58s, DGTs for sure...all love at first play.

I don't know if it's the new 85/15 pickups, or some new wiring or component values in the circuit, but the 30th CU24seems different than the others, is fantastic, and gets 90 percent of my playing time now. Having said that, I'm sure that what I like about it might turn others off, and there is plenty of love for regular CU24s by lots of people....so it's a matter of taste of course. To me, it gets the best humbucker tone AND the best single coil tone of any guitar I have of any brand.

I'm guessing that there aren't a ton of opportunities to try these things out in New Zealand. The safe bet for you would be the DGT (and it's hard to imagine that you'd be disappointed with it) but I'm still saying CU24. Good luck, and let us know what you end up with...

Do you find that the 30th Anniversary sounds warmer and perhaps a bit thicker than regular CU24s? This is what I'm hearing. It just seems to have more going on with it and connects with me better (all based on youtube of course...)

 

[Stonelands]

Watching this has given me a new possible theory as to why I disliked the clean tone of the CU24 and Cu22 models that I tried. Around 20:00 or so, the Captain gets a clean tone with the CU24 that sounds really nice to my ears (much nicer than what Chappers was getting with the CU22 right before that). He then mentions that the fact that he has the tone knob at 5 and that you can do this on these guitars without making it sound muffled. Probably because I'm traditionally a Gibson player but I usually have the tone knob at 10 since it sounds best for clean tones on those guitars to my ears and DOES tend to sound muffled when you role it down.

As a result when I've tried CU22s/24s I think I've always had the tone knob at 10 and I wonder if my experience with them would be different had tampered with the tone knob more.

 

[markintime]

Watching this has given me a new possible theory as to why I disliked the clean tone of the CU24 and Cu22 models that I tried. Around 20:00 or so, the Captain gets a clean tone with the CU24 that sounds really nice to my ears (much nicer than what Chappers was getting with the CU22 right before that). He then mentions that the fact that he has the tone knob at 5 and that you can do this on these guitars without making it sound muffled. Probably because I'm traditionally a Gibson player but I usually have the tone knob at 10 since it sounds best for clean tones on those guitars to my ears and DOES tend to sound muffled when you role it down.

As a result when I've tried CU22s/24s I think I've always had the tone knob at 10 and I wonder if my experience with them would be different had tampered with the tone knob more.

It absolutely would! That's something I have very recently picked up on and it is fascinating at the differing tones that come from manipulating not only the tone, but the volume knob in conjunction with the tone. Who'd a thunk it?