The DGT is the Perfect Guitar... for Me

Tramp

To and Fro, Mostly Fro
Joined
Oct 24, 2016
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94
I got into the PRS game late having owned guitars by many of today's best builders, including Gustavsson, Lentz, d'Pergo, Thorn, Brondel/Thornton, Myka, McIntruff, Collings, Grosh, Suhr and Anderson, not to mention the biggies. My first was a McCarty DC 594, followed by a Private Stock Santana, then a DGT. The 594 was a huge step up from most of the LP style guitars I'd played. I loved the versatility and became especially fond of the split bridge/hum neck position. The Santana was an amazing guitar but more suited to Carlos' style than mine (duh!).

I bought the DGT out of curiosity mainly, having heard such wonderful things over the years. I found a beautiful Artist model online with (to judge by the headstock inscription, not the seller's representation) a dark Brazilian board and some well-earned play wear. I liked it very much initially, but only fell for it when I discovered that, to get the best out of these guitars, you really need to avoid diming ANYTHING. On balance, I play much cleaner than David G and would never turn a tone pot down to zero, but the tones I can get with the tone knob in the 5-8 range and balancing neck and bridge in the middle position are to die for. And the bridge pickup has remarkable clarity for something so hot. I use it far more than any bridge before.

I’ve read that some dislike the largish frets, but the combination of these and what for me is a Goldilocks neck make the DGT supremely playable.

I've spent several years not knowing which of my 4 other electrics are #1. (They've all occupied that spot for months at a time.) The 594 and Santana are gone, though I do have a 53/10 Limited in the U.K. waiting for its CITES paperwork! In the meantime, the DGT is #1 and likely to stay there for a very long time. Truly the most tuneful, versatile guitar I've ever played!

Because this thread would be useless without pics:

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That's one beautiful guitar you've got there.

I joined the family about 5 yrs. ago when I picked up an '09 DGT Sunburst 10-Top.

I own about 38 electrics and the DGT is in the top 5 guitars in my collection, for playability, tone, and versatility.
 
That's one beautiful guitar you've got there.

I joined the family about 5 yrs. ago when I picked up an '09 DGT Sunburst 10-Top.

I own about 38 electrics and the DGT is in the top 5 guitars in my collection, for playability, tone, and versatility.

I need to try an 09 one of these days, to see what nitro adds to the equation!
 
Gorgeous guitar! They’re great players, they sound great, and by the way, that finish is superb.
 
Totally agree with the sentiments on the neck and pickups. They defy the general convention and are supremely flexible. Your comments about the bridge pickup are spot-on...so much power yet more controllable than nearly anything else on the market. Set your amp properly and you have exactly what DG plays on stage. Big strings, big frets, comfy neck. It doesn’t get any better!

And yours is gorgeous!
 
Do you guys all keep the 11 gauge strings it comes with?

Mine came with 10s, which is what I usually play. I find that 11s on any guitar tend to take away something on the top end that I very much like. I should throw a set on one of these days, though.
 
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Do you guys all keep the 11 gauge strings it comes with?
I changed the top 3 unwound strings to 10gauge I left the 11s on the big fat power chord side of the guitar. I had to adjust the tremolo claw screws a
very small amount ~ one turn to level the trem. It's super amazing I was small having difficulty bending the top 3 (3 fret bends were just not gettin there) now they feel like butter with tens. This totally allowed me to not touch the truss rod adjustment. Still perfectly set up. I think if you go to all tens you'll have to loosen the truss rod a little bit. And maybe remove one of the trem springs.

To the OP I feel like I wrote that every word resonates with my experience, the middle position is a joy of tonal complexity with those knobs.
The jumbo frets make all my Gilmore bends & playing a breeze. Congrats
 
To the OP I feel like I wrote that every word resonates with my experience, the middle position is a joy of tonal complexity with those knobs.
The jumbo frets make all my Gilmore bends & playing a breeze. Congrats

I tend to favor the middle position on almost any guitar, including Strats and Teles. What’s great about the DGT for me is the balance b/w pickups. Many complain that the DGT neck is dark and weak. Perhaps, but it pairs with the bridge in a magical way!
 
I’ve had mine about 6 weeks now, it’s a stunning guitar....awesome neck and the addition of the separate vol controls makes a huge difference in the mixed pup tones.

Took a week or so to get used to 11’s but the tone makes up for any struggles with the heavier strings.
I’ve not played my other guitars since the DGT arrived but I pulled out the Santana last night...I was flying on it! The practice for weeks with 11’s then back to 10’s made the 10’s feel like rubber bands ha ha.

Pic to show it’s no Hello Kitty :p
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