The DGT Is Truly The Perfect Guitar - For Me.

[László]

I won't say I came around to this decision quickly. I've been playing PRS since 1991 and have owned a great many of their models over the years. Early last fall I bought my first (and so far only) DGT. It has one Wood Library bell/whistle that initially attracted my attention - it has a Brazilian rosewood fretboard, and I very much like the little bit of extra snap it provides at the onset of the note transient.

Here's a disclaimer I want to be very clear about:

*****​

While I've decided the DGT's the right guitar for me and all of my idiosyncrasies, it may not be for you and your own preferences. This isn't a prescription for anyone else. I'm NOT suggesting that anyone else go run out and buy one. Only talking about myself here!

*****​

I've been playing my DGT in regular rotation with my PS models (McCarty Singlecut, 30th Anniversary PS Ltd., 20th Anniversary of Private Stock Ltd) for 6 months. I've become comfortable enough about what I can do with it to be able to discuss what I love about it without saying, "Gee, this is a wonderful honeymoon."

Disclaimer No. Two: I don't play metal. I know nothing about how this guitar works with metal, and don't much care. I don't see why it wouldn't, but you might not want to read on if that's what you're into.

SFX: [9/10 of the board runs for the exits.]

A little background: I'm an Americana, Brit Pop/Rock, and Bluesy player. I hire people to do the other styles when a project comes along requiring things I don't do. I'm a tube amp player, and one of my amps is a PRS DG30, a great match for this guitar, though my other 3 amps sound great with it, too.

I rarely use dirt pedals, and mostly only use delay as an effect, though I've now tried this guitar with lots of different effects.

The guitar is set up with the stock PRS 11 ga. strings. I'll get to why in my next post, since my wife is demanding I take a break and get some exercise immediately!

 

[bodia]

Cheers to the almighty DGT!

 

[Moondog Wily]

I won't say I came around to this decision quickly. I've been playing PRS since 1991 and have owned a great many of their models over the years. Early last fall I bought my first (and so far only) DGT. It has one Wood Library bell/whistle that initially attracted my attention - it has a Brazilian rosewood fretboard, and I very much like the little bit of extra snap it provides at the onset of the note transient.

Here's a disclaimer I want to be very clear about:

*****​

While I've decided the DGT's the right guitar for me and all of my idiosyncrasies, it may not be for you and your own preferences. This isn't a prescription for anyone else. I'm NOT suggesting that anyone else go run out and buy one. Only talking about myself here!

*****​

I've been playing my DGT in regular rotation with my PS models (McCarty Singlecut, 30th Anniversary PS Ltd., 20th Anniversary of Private Stock Ltd) for 6 months. I've become comfortable enough about what I can do with it to be able to discuss what I love about it without saying, "Gee, this is a wonderful honeymoon."

Disclaimer No. Two: I don't play metal. I know nothing about how this guitar works with metal, and don't much care. I don't see why it wouldn't, but you might not want to read on if that's what you're into.

SFX: [9/10 of the board runs for the exits.]

A little background: I'm an Americana, Brit Pop/Rock, and Bluesy player. I hire people to do the other styles when a project comes along requiring things I don't do. I'm a tube amp player, and one of my amps is a PRS DG30, a great match for this guitar, though my other 3 amps sound great with it, too.

I rarely use dirt pedals, and mostly only use delay as an effect, though I've now tried this guitar with lots of different effects.

The guitar is set up with the stock PRS 11 ga. strings. I'll get to why in my next post, since my wife is demanding I take a break and get some exercise immediately!

Good that you wife is on you! Looking forward to trying a DGT someday!! I am glad you have found your magic wand after all these years!!!

 

[dmatthews]

Dayum
Good
Tone...

 

[JasonE]

You don't have to worry about being responsible for me running out and buying a DGT. I have had mine since early 2012.

 

[SteveGlitch]

This makes me want the DGT SE even more. Still haven't unboxed my Silver SE but in a way, kinda wish I had gotten a DGT SE instead

 

[Bogner]

Good that you wife is on you! I am glad you have found your magic wand after all these years!!

Oh The Jokes I Could Make...

 

[Bogner]

You Do Have A Very Special DGT Les. It Is A Great Guitar Indeed!

 

[Black Dog]

I got a DGT SE a couple of weeks ago. It's a great playing and sounding guitar. I'm very pleased with my purchase.

 

[Prs Mods too]

Oh yeah!

DGT is on my list.

 

[Greywolf]

it's the missing model in my collection , still waiting .. got a good offer on this one from the seller ... very tempting .. Korina body / Brz board .. WL . My triple Soapy has the DGT carve and I love it. After watching that latest vid , it's easy to see why he prefers the narrower neck .. he does the thumb fretting wrap grip

 

[László]

To pick up where I left off before I was interrupted by She Who Forces Me To Get Off My Butt And Exercise...

Here's why the DGT works for me:

1. Form factor.

The DGT is based on the McCarty platform, with two volume knobs, one tone knob, and a toggle switch. There's a pull up on the tone knob to split the coils. It's a comfortable platform for me, with enough flexibility to handle whatever I throw at it.

2. The neck.

I've played mostly Wide/Fat, 594 and Pattern necks for many years, though I currently have a Pattern Regular on the CU24 PS. I can go with all of these carves. Wide/Thin or Pattern/Thin aren't my thing. Not enough meat on the bone.

[I know, TWSS. ]

Scale lengths of 24.594", 25", and 24.5" all work fine for me.

Anyway, the DGT neck is similar to the Pattern Regular. Turns out, it fits my hand perfectly. The string spacing works extremely well with my playing style; I can move quickly without searching for the right note - it's right there, where I need it to be. The strings are close enough together that my pick seems to fall in the right place every time.

The slightly taller frets took me about a minute to get used to, and the .011s work really, really well with the guitar.

The great thing is that they're very solid-feeling strings, work great for rhythms and arpeggios without bending out of tune, and add to the power and clarity of the guitar. It's LOUD, even played acoustically. I usually play .010s, but these are no more difficult to play than .010s, and I think the neck and frets help.

This one has the Braz fretboard, which for me is a big plus. I mentioned before that it's got a fast response to the pick attack, but what I didn't mention is that it also has typical rosewood decay, sustain and release. So it's both articulate, and somewhat forgiving, if that makes sense.

3. The pickups.

I originally looked at a Strat or Tele style guitar because I really wanted to get a bit more lower midrange edge and clarity. But I just couldn't pull the trigger; I'm not a Strat or Tele guy. I like the PRS bridge, pickups and ergonomics, etc. So I decided to try a DGT thinking I'd use it occasionally, the way I'd use a Strat or Tele; i.e., a 'sometimes' thing.

Turns out, this guitar has tremendous clarity without giving up the traditional humbucker/PAF 'thing'. It'll twang with the best of 'em, at least as much as I need to twang. But it will also do what a McCarty pretty much does; in other words, just about anything I need to do. As far as I'm concerned, these are THE perfect pickups for this guitar. They also split well.

4. The versatility and overall tone.

The guitar does every style of music I play with aplomb. It's very, very clear-sounding, rings like a bell, is easy to play, has great pickups and excellent ergonomics and feel. In short, it's as close to a perfect guitar for me as I've ever owned.

I still love my other PRS', but I bought this one to be a part-time role player, and it turns out, the other guitars might turn into the part-time role players. Six months in, I realized this one is the one I grab first to do a track.

Considering the others are PS models and previously the finest guitars for my purposes I've ever owned, that's kind of mind-blowing.

Bottom Line:

My PS models do different things than the DGT. They're worth every cent I put into them. But I could live with the DGT alone, by itself, and never utter a word of complaint.

You Do Have A Very Special DGT Les. It Is A Great Guitar Indeed!

Thanks! Yes, it's a really nice one.

You don't have to worry about being responsible for me running out and buying a DGT. I have had mine since early 2012.

If I bought one in 2012 I might have become a one-guitar player.

Oh yeah!

DGT is on my list.

Whether they will float everyone's boat I can't predict, but it's certainly worth checking one out.

This makes me want the DGT SE even more. Still haven't unboxed my Silver SE but in a way, kinda wish I had gotten a DGT SE instead

Lots of players are saying the DGT SE is an incredible guitar, and one of the best values on the market. I haven't played one yet, but the demos sound very, very good.

 

[Tucson Thump]

Les, do your DGT tremolo springs vibrate? I had to stick plastic tubing inside of mine, otherwise I had "bonus" sounds kind of like when using a Gretsch with a Bigsby.

 

[László]

it's the missing model in my collection , still waiting .. got a good offer on this one from the seller ... very tempting .. Korina body / Brz board .. WL . My triple Soapy has the DGT carve and I love it. After watching that latest vid , it's easy to see why he prefers the narrower neck .. he does the thumb fretting wrap grip

I bought the Grissom lessons package (from Open Road?) a few years back, and he talks about the thumb wrap. It works for me with the CU24 Pattern Regular, and the DGT necks, though I don't do it very often.

My triple Soapy was a Pattern Regular, they didn't make the DGT in 1998 when I got it. However, the two necks are pretty close.

 

[Black Plaid]

Great, now I have to consider a DGT for the collection. I just wish they made more non-trem versions of it.

 

[László]

Les, do your DGT tremolo springs vibrate? I had to stick plastic tubing inside of mine, otherwise I had "bonus" sounds kind of like when using a Gretsch with a Bigsby.

I've had no problems with spring vibration.

I had Jack Gretz set the guitar up for the kind of action and neck relief I prefer before I received the guitar. But I have no idea whether he addressed or adjusted the springs. Maybe he did some kind of voodoo Gretz magic on it?

I also run the stock .011 strings. I don't have a clue whether that matters, either.

 

[László]

Great, now I have to consider a DGT for the collection. I just wish they made more non-trem versions of it.

You have some superb guitars!

It might be worth checking one out, if only to see if it floats your boat, but if you don't love a trem, seems like a DGT would be quite the compromise.

 

[Jason Penn]

I feel as if we've had this discussion before, and I commented I thought a pair of DGT's could pretty much cover anyone for a road gig. I still stand behind that statement.

I just got another DGT about a month or so ago, and am trying to get it dialed in. Blasphemy perhaps, but the pickups haven't worked for me in the past 3 or 4 DGT's I've had, and this one is no different.

 

[Texsunburst59]

I 100% totally agree with you Laszlo about the DGT.

For most of my gigging life, I played SSS or HSS Strats.

I picked up my DGT used back in 2015.

Since then I’ve gone for the DGT as the guitar I play in my home studio.

These days I play my DGT and my LP’s way more than my Strats.

I’ve been seeking out warm thicker tones lately, and the DGT and the LP’s fit the bill.

 

[László]

Blasphemy perhaps, but the pickups haven't worked for me in the past 3 or 4 DGT's I've had, and this one is no different.

It's certainly not blasphemy! The guitar is a great platform in and of itself. I like the pickups a lot, but we've all got different preferences, and that's a GOOD thing. Customized tones that work for a given player are wonderful things.