One guitar for everything? | PRS DGT or HSS STRAT for Tele, Les Paul, Strat, and Gretsch tones

If you need one guitar to cover everything for a gig, which guitar would you choose? Two popular choices for versatile guitars include the Paul Reed Smith DGT and an HSS Strat. In this video I compare both guitars to a Strat, Les Paul, Gretsch, and Tele in order to too see which guitar can approximate the tones of the others more closely. Which would you choose?
Let me know your observations and thoughts in the comments below as well as any questions!
Rock on!
-Johnny Z

[@galijanach]

The DGT is such a versatile guitar and your tone is to die for!

[@RatherBeRiffing]

Thank you, Gali! Indeed it’s quite versatile.

[@tomrunar1165]

A little tips is to back of the volume on the DGT (it becomes brighter both in split and full mode)

[@OldeDog_NewTricks]

Tone is so clean

[@mistermatsuda]

May I say that the presentation of videos are top notch as is your playing. Great quality all around with the lighting, sound and editing.

[@RatherBeRiffing]

Thanks for the kind words - much appreciated! It’s a labor of love!

[@warlockbob5518]

Though the DGT fell short to the Strat, for Strat tones, it has quite the impressive spectrum and sounds Amazing. By far, my favorite.

[@RatherBeRiffing]

Well said! I do find the spectrum of tones offered by the DGT to be immensely satisfying.

[@worldclassicguitarists]

The beauty of it is this is your opinion.

[@Dezenaamisnietbeschikbaar]

This video just perfectly shows why you MUST HAVE all the guitars. And what an awesome tone!

[@RatherBeRiffing]

Ha - agreed! Thank you!!

[@garyslash7552]

These are all great guitars in their own right. But what I like the best is your capability to make all of them sound wonderful.

[@RatherBeRiffing]

Thanks for the kind words, Gary! There is a virtuous cycle when playing great guitars that make you want to play more, get better, and in turn the guitars sound even better.

[@garyslash7552]

@@RatherBeRiffing I can tell you that you are pretty successful at this

[@gibsonbuxton8506]

One of the best tone comparison videos I’ve seen!

[@Stboser]

That Xotic performed way better than I thought it would’ve… awesome video! You should review the beer at the end too

[@RatherBeRiffing]

Thanks, Steve and great suggestion! I really like Xotic - they blend vintage tone with a slightly more modern playability and functionality.

[@claytonmurrayguitar]

Man I was at NAMM a few years ago and the Xotic guitars were my favorite from the whole show. They're amazing!

[@brandall101]

I went through a number of Strats, including CS/AV Fenders & Suhr, before landing on an Xotic - same model the one in this video except w/ minimal relicing and upgraded neck wood. The Xotic is a wildly good guitar, and unlike what we're hearing in the video, probably has a superior neck sound to any I've played and comes closest to a vintage Fender in the top 3 positions when played through my couple late 60s Fender amps. To be fair I also maybe got a particularly exceptional one as it's also easily the lightest S body style trim guitar at only 6.6lbs - unbelievably loud and resonant unplugged - with trem action so good I can dive-bomb it like crazy and it doesn't go out of tune at all.

[@10sassafras]

My favourite guitar is a Tele with Duncan humbucker neck and hot rails bridge PU. I used the pots, capacitor, split-coil resistors and treble bleed specs from the DGT. Killer all rounder.😊

[@RatherBeRiffing]

I bet that is killer, David - great idea!

[@the_third_sun]

Hello sir, i don't know how tough your schedule is, but please upload more, your playing is very inspiring!

[@RatherBeRiffing]

Thank you for the kind words and encouragement!

[@eugenestein278]

Thank you for such a great video. I lean the same way. I play in 2 bands. The Southern rock band I’m in is what I use my DGT in. The blues, Texas blues band I’m in I use a Suhr HSS with a coil split on the bridge humbucker. Hearing the Gretsch made me wish I had one of those.

[@RatherBeRiffing]

My pleasure, Eugene! That’s super cool and great approach! I love having the Gretsch in the line up for recording mainly.

[@pedalhead2641]

The tones you get are awesome and the cinematography is fantastic too. I lean more towards the DGT aesthetically and (in my case) would walk out the door to play that more. Sonically, they all sound great and are capable of making beautiful music if you are in the mood for any of their EQ bands. It would be interesting to also hear the DGT tone change with change in right hand position. I had an SE that changed from a jazz box when played nearly on the fretboard to a strident tele when struck near the bridge. Pickups and specs obviously matter but they are all parts of the stew.

[@RatherBeRiffing]

Thank you! Agree - so many tonal variations can be had with changes in playing technique alone!

[@TrevorrNourse]

Another beautiful and well thought out comparison. I truly love playing my DGT Gold Top, It covers so many styles. Xotic is another fine instrument.

[@RatherBeRiffing]

Thank you for the kind words, Trevorr! Keep enjoying that DGT!

[@LastTitan297]

Can’t stop listening to that Xotic lead tone - just glides over the track so smoothly. You’re killing it Johnny keep it up! Great to see the view count cranking up especially on the 594 vs Les Paul video. Hopefully see the subscriber numbers start jumping up soon too so we can have more of these videos to listen too 🤩

[@RatherBeRiffing]

Thank you - I appreciate the kind words and encouragement! Glad to know there is appetite for more!

[@jahkristjanfari]

Hey man, been really really enjoying your channel. Love your style of playing- very dynamic and cool. I am considering a Core model PRS, and I am divided between a DGT, a Paul's guitar, and a 24-08. The DGT and 594 sound absolutely beautiful in your hands, but I am wondering if you have any opinions on the Pauls and Custom 24-08?

[@RatherBeRiffing]

Thank you for the kind words! I don’t have any experience with Paul’s guitar but always wanted to try one. I never bonded with 24 fret guitars as I find them harder to play in the upper registers so that is something to consider.

[@jahkristjanfari]

@@RatherBeRiffing that’s fair! It’s so hard to choose between these amazing guitars. My main rides are an EJ Strat and a Silver Sky SE, so I do prefer 25” scale length, with a slightly fuller neck. Leaning towards the DGT a little, but I do prefer the sweetness of the 594 pickups🤷‍♂️

[@jakollee]

Great video! It’s funny, even when the HSS Strat couldn’t replicate the sound of a particular guitar, I nevertheless preferred its brighter, more articulate tone, with the possible exception of the intro piece comparison at the end where the meatiness of the DGT sounded a little nicer. But I’d be curious to see which guitar really cuts through better in a live band mix.

[@RatherBeRiffing]

Thank you! Well said and can relate to your observations. I tend to favor bright guitar for those reasons and one can always dial back the tone control on the HSS, which only affects the bridge (where it's needed most I find). Rock on!

[@dragan4658]

Who else hit the like button right at the start of the video coz you knew it would be good!

[@raido1573]

Hit and subscribed. Intros by a guitar channel have always been a deal maker or deal breaker. Plus love the mood lighting and the overall vibe.. My kinda room with a guitar. Top notch! 👍🏻

[@RatherBeRiffing]

Thanks for the super kind words - glad to know!

[@dragan4658]

@@RatherBeRiffing thank YOU!

[@dustingmyguitars]

That tele sounds pretty freaking incredible!

[@RatherBeRiffing]

Thanks! It’s a killer one for sure.

[@silvel2edge]

Have you tried a Custom 24 yet? I’d love to see you test that out and the versatility of it for various styles.

[@Cyndaquills]

From a consumer standpoint, I feel like it would be easier to start building a guitar arsenal around a DGT vs having all of those weapons then adding a DGT. If I had to start over, I would probably get DGT -> Tele -> SSS Strat -> Gretsch -> then either an LP or 335

[@RatherBeRiffing]

Thanks for the comment. That makes sense to me!

[@waynedoherty7758]

I have a PRs S2 Mira, and a Fender Mustang HS, and DGT + Tele would be my start over selection too!

[@Diax1324]

Suggestion; Do a series on your affordable gear and drink some cheap and common beers with them! The DGT seems like such an incredible and versatile guitar. The dream of a Les Paul with a whammy bar is always at the back of my mind, and this instrument seems to do that with a fair bit of its own flair as well.

[@RatherBeRiffing]

Thanks for the suggestion! Well said! The DGT seems to do that indeed and I always wanted to try a LP with a whammy.

[@robinmachanda986]

Excellent video and appreciate your hard work on these. Johnny side bar question; what’s your preferred string brand and gauge? Also, your latest choice of picks?

[@RatherBeRiffing]

Thank you, Robin! I appreciate your comments. I use Daddario 10s and Herco flex 75 picks in all of my videos.

[@markcarleton6647]

I really appreciate the videos you do! I like how you compare / contrast the sounds of one guitar with another. I try to listen with headphones or through a good pair of speakers. I have a request list for future videos! Compare: PRS Studio (Humbucker / Nearfield / Nearfield) with HSS Stratocaster style guitar Guitar with Fishman Fluence Classic Pickups with passive PAF style pickups

[@RatherBeRiffing]

Thanks for the kind words, Mark! I’ll add those suggestions to my list. I don’t have access to those at the moment, but will keep my eyes open.

[@GTV101]

Thanks for this video! that was fun and educational ;)

[@RatherBeRiffing]

My pleasure - glad you enjoyed!

[@Luke_Williamson]

Just stumbled onto your channel, glad I did, your playing is amazing

[@RatherBeRiffing]

Thank you for the kind words! Glad to know!

[@Squall6575]

Its so weird to me that in terms of most versatile guitar, I also go back and forth between an HSS s-style or a coil splitting humbucker type. For the past couple years, I have leaned towards the HSS, but now Im starting to prefer the warmth and sustain of a PRS/Gibson style guitar that a strat cant exactly replicate. However, like you said, theres a place for both and the better guitar is the one that suits the needs of your situation. Great vid!

[@RatherBeRiffing]

Thanks, Affan! Well said as usual and can totally relate.

[@Squall6575]

@@RatherBeRiffing while I have you here, I was wondering how the Xotic xsc2 compares to a custom shop strat? From many videos, it seems like Xotic (and perhaps LsL) is the closest boutique replica to really capture the Fender tone. I havent had a chance to play one however and wanted to know how it compares to your various Fenders

[@RatherBeRiffing]

@@Squall6575 I think Xotic is as good as Fender custom shop. The difference is more in the feel to me and that’s mostly due to neck specs. Xotic feels quite different than most custom shops due to the oiled neck, asymmetrical profile, flatter radius (12”), and wider nut (1 11/16).

[@tobytryon8212]

Super video. Very good comparison and completely fair analysis. Well done!

[@RatherBeRiffing]

Thank you!

[@Think_Up]

I could do without beer intros, but I really like this channel. Playing is always great and the guitars are amazing.

[@RatherBeRiffing]

Thank you for the kind words - much appreciated!

[@stevieraveon]

Thank you, the video is super helpful. Your lighting in the videos just make all the guitars look so sexy! Cheers.

[@RatherBeRiffing]

My pleasure! Got set the right mood... cheers!

[@fredsampson]

Great video! Could you please list your signal chain here? Thank you.

[@RatherBeRiffing]

Thank you, Fred! Main chain is a Two Rock Bloomfield drive and Blankenship Twinplex in stereo into tow Suhr reactive loads with Friedman 4x12 impulse responses. The low gain tones are from a Vemuram Jan Ray. Solo tone is a Vemuram TSV-808 stacked with Xotic Soul Driven.

[@arnolddealiii4259]

To my liking the HSS is my jam. However that DGT was beautiful and I’m sure it plays better than it looks!

[@RatherBeRiffing]

A great HSS just works!

[@jocro1029]

Really inspirational playing, an amalgamation of Neal Schon and David Gilmour comes to mind. Some of the most melodic playing I have heard and killer tone. Cheers!

[@RatherBeRiffing]

Thanks for the kind words - much appreciated! I’m glad to know my melodies and tone shine through. That’s my favorite playing style.

[@kylebaker8619]

What the dgt does best is the gibson humbucker sounds. It could easily replace that humbucker sound. For the fender style, I think its closest to a strat in split coils. I wouldn't use it to replace a tele but in a pinch, would replace a strat. Overall the dgt is definitely one of the most versatile sounding guitars out there and even can be its own unique sound.

[@idontgrillonwed]

This guitar collection is blowing my mind. And costs more than my entire rig (and daily driver vehicle).

[@markford4587]

Love these tone comparison videos. Between the excellent production, the great playing and the higher end gear, there’s really nothing else like it on the ‘Tube.

[@RatherBeRiffing]

Thank you, Mark!

[@markford4587]

@@RatherBeRiffing would love to see a comparison of some filtertron guitars!

[@rickshearer]

Excellent use of conciseness in your presentation!!

[@RatherBeRiffing]

Thank you!

[@KyleCastroTheDrummerBoy090613]

Fantastic performance and great sharing of this awesome reviews my dear friend!! Love and respect Kyle!! 😊🥁🇵🇭

[@RatherBeRiffing]

Thanks so much as always - much apprecated!

[@jospoortman9915]

awesome comparision man, really good work. I'm wondering, what would've happened if you would've picked either position 2 or 4 on the Xotic to mimic the Gretsch sound? You would've combined the middle strat pickup with either the neck single coil or the bridge humbucker, right? I reckon it's the interaction between 2 pickups being partly responsible for that gretsch tone (amongst a bunch of other factors obviously), which the strat can also do (with a different tone as a result I imagine, but still). Damn that DGT is a beautiful guitar

[@grantglover1799]

I think they both did a good job, but to my ears the DGT just edged out the HSS. The only real thing the DGT didn’t do as well was on the neck strat pup sound and even then it was close enough to pass if needed. All guitars sounded great as always and again nice playing. On the into riff the DGT sounds more breathy and sophisticated in the top end to me.

[@RatherBeRiffing]

Thank you for the kind words and for your observations! The DGT fell a little short on the neck but completely agree it’s good enough to pass if needed (and much closer to a Strat than say a Les Paul neck).

[@dirtboxsam5687]

Thanks for that comparison great playing and tones. 🎸

[@sangyechua6635]

Thank you for the wonderful comparison video. The playing and quality of the vid are superb. It's tough to replicate a true single coil sound. But I do think the DGT has come pretty close and sounded sweet. Having said that, I'm guessing if both guitars can cover wide range of tone, the tactile feel of the guitar such as weight, scale length, playability or sustain may be the considering factors. For eg, A lighter weight guitar will be easier if the gig is 3 hours long.. Great video btw, I've enjoyed it very much😊

[@oldgittarist]

Excellent video! The impression I got was that however close the DGT got to the sounds of the other guitars at the end of the day, nothing nails the sound of a Les Paul, Tele or Strat etc as the real guitars.

[@RatherBeRiffing]

Thanks, Mark! Agree

[@francesco0185]

I'm not a one guitar guy, so I apprecciated all the guitars you played in this video, cause each of them has its strong voice. About this video I have nothing more to say, I just took notes!

[@fredcarter7003]

You got talent, your videos are like no other, the sound is totally unbelievablie captivating and I want to learn more from you, waiting for more videos, By the way THANK YOU

[@RatherBeRiffing]

Wow - my pleasure and thank you, Fred! I’m so glad to receive comments like this and it motivates me to keep going!

[@spikeafrican8797]

The DGT is not my thing, but is an amazing instrument. The Strat is still mind blowingly fresh and powerful, 70 years later. Nice job.

[@RatherBeRiffing]

Thank you! Amazing how the archetype guitars have stood the test of time!

[@solonasdeimezis1004]

Let me start by saying that your tone is amazing. I would love to know what amp and drive pedal you are using. (...and i know that most comes from your hands) My "swish army knife" guitar is my Tom Anderson HSS classic strat. My favorite guitar is my DGT. Sometimes i feel it has more "mojo"..... I totally agree with you. It depends from the geek I'm playing. I take both of them with me and I'm fine.

[@RatherBeRiffing]

Thanks for the kind words! Anderson has been on my list… specifically, an icon classic HSS, but short scale. I’ll post some info about my gear below! Main chain is a Two Rock Bloomfield drive and Blankenship Twinplex in stereo into tow Suhr reactive loads with Friedman 4x12 impulse responses. The low gain tones are from a Vemuram Jan Ray. Solo tone is a Vemuram TSV-808 stacked with Xotic Soul Driven. I made a more detailed video on this here: kzbin.info/www/bejne/gHzdeqB-ab2sa80

[@solonasdeimezis1004]

@@RatherBeRiffing Thank you 😊....amazing tone

[@austinwilliams3418]

is the intro a particular song? Great video presentation btw!

[@MWTravesty]

I do home recording so I'm looking for something with a lot of versatility as far as range of tones it's capable of, and I think you just convinced me to find myself an HSS strat with a split coil humbucker in the bridge. I feel like that would probably have the most range.

[@RatherBeRiffing]

I think that will work well for your needs!

[@scottdematteo]

Thanks on the glass pour. I had mentioned it. I have a DGT core and an HSS strat. My preference would be the DGT but either situation will work. Nice playing and great content. If your up north enough in MA try some Soy Glass Brewery. Just as good if not better then tree house and less hype.

[@RatherBeRiffing]

My pleasure and thanks for the suggestion, Scott! There is something really satisfying to me about the particular range of tones of the DGT. I'll definitely have to try Soy Glass Brewery next time I'm up that way - thanks for the tip!

[@MrFuzzBen]

Do you know what the pot values are in the xotic? Always wanted to tuen my strat into a hss but cant commit to what pot values to put in, 500k for the hb or 240k for the single coils.

[@RatherBeRiffing]

I’m not sure but I can say that they really have it dialed in perfectly. I hope you find the info and let me know if so!

[@LA-zc9rg]

What finish / color is the DGT? Gorgeous.

[@RatherBeRiffing]

Livingston Lemon drop.

[@LA-zc9rg]

Wow thx, the burst looks so much darker in the vid. It threw me. Anyhow nice axe.

[@RatherBeRiffing]

@@LA-zc9rgThis one looks a little different to me than others I’ve seen in this finish + the lighting skews it a bit.

[@nekkon1989]

I'd take the Tele and the Gretsch any day. And I would be happy owning those two guitars and no others for the rest of my life

[@RatherBeRiffing]

I couldn't live without those tones in the arsenal myself! They always win out on rhythm tracking and sound phenomenal double tracked and opposite one another in the stereo field.

[@arnie2455]

Could you do a tele vs gretsch comparison? See which one twangs more.

[@RatherBeRiffing]

Thanks for the suggestion! That would be a cool video. I’ll add it to my list.

[@davidwright9550]

Don’t take this wrong but even your hair looks cool. Haha meant that as a compliment. Every part of what you do is pure professional. Thank you for sharing your gifts, knowledge, and ideas. Very much appreciated.

[@RatherBeRiffing]

Thank you, David - my pleasure!

[@oicsaywhat]

I actually like the HSS and Strat over everything personal, seem both guitars had the most versatility overall

[@RatherBeRiffing]

Thanks for the comment! The HSS was the only guitar I played 95% of the time 2020-2021 and I was perfectly happy with it 👍

[@bryantherocker]

Bro I modded my HSS Jackson style guitar with Neck and Bridge Combination option and a split humbucker option. The neck plus bridge option has a beautiful sound, almost acoustic like at lower volumes.

[@888jimm]

So being geeky .....:) I took my Clapton Strat gutted and put in a custom hand wound singles the bridge pickup has a base plate and a push pull so the neck can be on with the bridge and tone wired for the bridge. The Bridge is my favorite position now where i almost never used them before. With Bridge and Neck on.. not quite tele of course but in the neighborhood. All that said I reach for my Player Strat HSS more often and yes I am buying a DGT ASAP. :) Cheers All

[@RatherBeRiffing]

I love the mods you did to your Clapton Strat! I've always wanted to try a base plate in my SSS bridge.

[@888jimm]

@@RatherBeRiffing - Thanks tone Hatch pick-ups on reverb makes them I got the 2-5s with the base plate.... great prices hand wound...

[@RatherBeRiffing]

@@888jimm I will definitely check those out. Thanks for the suggestion!

[@nathansnelgrove]

I’ve watched every one of your DGT comparisons multiple times, and ended up checking out both the 594 and DGT recently because your tones were divine. I went home with a very special DGT - best guitar I’ve ever owned, if not played. Mine is a 2022 model with the TCI pickups, and what I find interesting is that mine has less muddy lows than yours (no offense). They almost sound like different guitars. Could also be our amps, IRs, etc. But my DGT is approaching Tele twang and the neck is much more like a Strat - it sounds to me like a really beefy Twisted Tele neck, actually. So I wonder how much the pickups have changed in the past 15 years. Clearly the TCI process is helping them get the exact sound they want! But I wonder if it goes deeper than that.

[@RatherBeRiffing]

That’s awesome - glad you found your guitar! My DGT is on the warm side with a slower attack especially on the low strings. It’s noticeable acoustically. I’ve played other DGT’s that don’t sound that way. Also, i like TCI pickups better because I think they are optimally voiced. I’d love to try a DGT example like yours!

[@nathansnelgrove]

@@RatherBeRiffing I have a Custom 24 that is much darker than the usual. PRS' guitars are very consistent from a build quality perspective, but wood is wood! It all varies.

[@macauley70]

great !! texas special neck is killer.. hands down the best single coil tone of all . i have and hss with two texas special and a seymour duncan pearly gates on bridge and is killer combination and very versatil

[@RatherBeRiffing]

Thanks! The Texas special neck tone is killer, right!? I set the height by ear and they are pretty low, which I think helped me get the most out them. I bet the Peary gates in the bridge is killer - is it a single coil sized HB or full size?

[@macauley70]

@@RatherBeRiffing yes.--i set up tx spec.. very low too, for me is the best tone, but in general in all vintage single coils .. my pearly gates i full size humbucker without split coil.. i don't like humbuckers split coil

[@trixlee5102]

What amp/effects were you running the guitars through? Nice tone!

[@ianchappell2907]

I agree with the summing up here, the DGT leans more to Gibson tones while the HSS does Fender better. My observations though are that the DGT pickups are pretty versatile, full humbucker is exactly that, split with volume wide open is more P90, but roll off to 7-8 and you are more into Fender type single coils...ish. The two things I miss using the DGT alone as a Swiss Army knife is positions 2 and 4 of a Strat, but that's just not possible. Mixing the 2 volume pots in the centre position with the split is interesting though!

[@shrithak.]

Hi I'm new to guitar, I was wondering what amp you use? I need something not too cheap, not too expensive, but works perfectly.

[@michaeljoyce3286]

Great video I would love to add a caveat to it have the DGTSE compared to the regular Dgt and the tones that you’re trying to get

[@RatherBeRiffing]

I'd love to compare to a DGT SE if I can get access to one.

[@Tiger1016.]

PRS Tremonti Baritone Hybrid with a pickup swap and standard tuning is an even better option than the DGT for a do everything guitar. 25.5" scale, maple neck, singlecut mahogany body gets the spank and snap of a Fender style while still having the weight and beef in the notes of a Les Paul style. I just rewired mine for Fishman Fluence Classics for even more versatility with the 3 voices, but the Bare Kunckle True Grits with a spin-a-split variable split/tap wiring that I had in previously was also amazing.

[@CBGypsy03]

May be biased , as I own an xotic as well, but damn it's killer! Do they have the RV60s or 50s? They all sound great regardless. 👍🏼

[@RatherBeRiffing]

Thanks! Mine has RV50’s. I put RV60’s in a partscaster once and they are killer too!

[@SYNTHIAN84]

Dude you’re tone is awesome! What does your rig look like?

[@RatherBeRiffing]

Thank you, Jonathan! Main chain is a Two Rock Bloomfield drive and Blankenship Twinplex in stereo into tow Suhr reactive loads with Friedman 4x12 impulse responses. The low gain tones are from a Vemuram Jan Ray. Solo tone is a Vemuram TSV-808 stacked with Xotic Soul Driven. I made a video with more detail here: kzbin.info/www/bejne/gHzdeqB-ab2sa80

[@MichaelNeumeyer-n6q]

I like the DGT because of its richer sound over the HSS strat. I have the classic Japan HSS with a 50’s neck but I do find it not as smooth sounding as the PRS guitars

[@RatherBeRiffing]

I hear that. The DGT is works real well for that kind of sound!

[@stephenfriedrich1140]

Awesome job comparing these guitars so clear and precise and fantastic playing but it's hard to beat that Les Paul but the PRS DGT did very well and there is quite a price difference.

[@RatherBeRiffing]

Thank you, Stephen! Well said and great point about the price difference.

[@GoofieNewfie]

But that's not a strat, or a tele. As an owner of all them, the DGT will get you most of the way there for a gigging musician to pull it off. But a real strat and a real tele are brighter with a sparkle that the dgt won't quite nail. Amps, modelers, whatever you are running will be a bigger factor and nobody in the audience is going to notice outside of guitar snobs. But man, your tone is WILD! regardless of guitar

[@RatherBeRiffing]

Agree - well said! I think gear is mostly about what inspires us as players. Thanks for the tone compliment!

[@rainshadowband3161]

Love my PRS, I use it for 80% of songs I play so I'm completely biased lol. However, the PRS couldn't quite reach the higher treble like the strat. PRS is a lot more versatile, but there are times when you prefer the higher piercing notes. For me, that would be about 20% of the time. For those, I just whip out my tele guitar and jam out. Got a little chuckle when, at the end, he said the Strat beat out the PRS when mimicking the Strat tone. Lol

[@deddiev1718]

The DGT is a warm guitar, but set up right can give you chime in the middle positions. Gold Top with moons. That’s the one

[@RatherBeRiffing]

Agreed! Gold with dots is classic!

[@aadityakiran_s]

You should get the Dynamix 9 wiring on your HSS strat. That would make it most versatile guitar I think.

[@RythmicIntentions]

I haven't found anything yet that recreates that Gretsch sound. Closest I have come is my Electra Phoenix HSH with 3x push pulls. Even that couldn't quite get it. The DGT is a nice guitar though.

[@RatherBeRiffing]

Same - it’s such a unique tone. An ES-335 + Boss GE-7 with the right EQ curve gets pretty close.

[@yonallb]

They all sound amazing. I think it is you man.

[@RatherBeRiffing]

Ha! Thank you!

[@Guitarwizza1]

I just want a IPA 🍺 right now 😊. I own a DGT and every PRS I’ve owned in the past from a SE,S2 to a core are GREAT guitars! My issues were finding one that I loved the tone. DGT is definitely my favorite of all the PRS’s I have. The S2 594 is a second. But I love my modded Fender Deluxe Telecaster.

[@mafw5572]

Hss with bridge split coil and neck-middle in series mod is just the most versatile guitar ever without loosing the single coil tone

[@denniswilliams2385]

I don’t know whether it’s necessary a good thing or a bad, however absolutely nothing sounds like a Gretsch

[@RatherBeRiffing]

Agree! Such a unique voice. While not a daily player for me, it’s invaluable in the studio when its vibe is called for!

[@maverick_trail]

As versatile as the DGT is, there is one iconic tone that it will never recreate - the neck+middle Strat tone. I believe the ultimate do-it-all guitar would be an HSH Strat or a Swamp Ash Special (which is also HSH) if PRS is your brand of choice. With some creative wiring you can get Les Paul, Strat, and Tele tones in one guitar... but let's face it, nothing sounds like a Gretsch hollow-body.

[@ryanvergara3603]

I love the backing track. Can you share it? :)

[@bluwng]

For the Gretsch comparison , on the Strat, you should have used an in between position choosing just the middle position doesn’t make sense. Essentially you are comparing 2 pickups in parallel to just one.

[@RatherBeRiffing]

Fair point and thanks for the suggestion. My thought was that the in-between positions on a Strat are an entirely different sound all together thus settled on comparing to middle pickup. The neck and bridge combo on a Strat would have been more apples-to-apples, and is a useful mod, but I didn’t have that option on my HSS.

[@norseman61]

I was really surprised at how the Strat hung in there with the various pieces, but the DGT definitely had the OVERALL advantage with the splittable humbuckers. But if you need Strat tones… well, you just can’t beat a Strat! Also, you can’t play pretend when it comes to a Tele… the king of all guitars.

[@RatherBeRiffing]

Well said - agreed!

[@30smsuperstrat]

This is a great comparison. This, to me, is where most HSS fall short compared to an HSH with splitting or as I prefer resistor on the grounded coil tapping. Add a blend pot and the in the middle thing is right there. The DGT is also using a resistor to gound out only part of the split coil. That's where I got the idea 😄. I also had a Tele Bridge pickup in a strat for a while, and that was a great setup. Unfortunately, like many tele bridge pickups, it went bad, had a couple of magnets go dead. Anyways, it's a great comparison.

[@RatherBeRiffing]

Thank you for the kind words and sharing your experience! Clever solution - love it! I put a push/pull on my partscaster that allows me to run the neck and bridge together - cool sound!

[@mafw5572]

True, sadly split neck on hsh is not even close to single coil sound, however still good, like humbucker on the neck, but single is for me, although i have dan Armstrong mod, so it is connected in series with the middle pickup, it sounds amazing, but not like a real humbucker tho, hss and hsh both good

[@30smsuperstrat]

@@mafw5572 tapping that neck instead of splitting is the way to go. Also using the slug coil with the pickup spun around also helps.

[@wabisabi7399]

Saw the beer - SUBSCRIBED. 🤘

[@RatherBeRiffing]

Thanks and cheers! 😁 🍻

[@stevendurantini7182]

Beautiful tones! The Tree House is awesome too! 🙂

[@RatherBeRiffing]

Thanks, Steven - cheers!

[@MRxr400]

to me, the pos 2 and 4 of a strat is unique to a strat. the strat had more cut, prs silky smooth tone. the only thing i'd suggest is for live use, the strat is the most versitile seeming to me, yet the controls are easier to bump and get messed up while playing more rock type styles. if you had a brighter amp, the prs may have more appeal as it could tame the top end.

[@RatherBeRiffing]

Great points! Agree about a strat live - both the pros and cons!

[@fandiwoworchannel7902]

that DGT, my dream guitar 😍

[@ningc7773]

I was very curious how that wind-like effect sound was made

[@JohnDoe-ko6ut]

Hello great video ! how it is possible to get that tone at 5.15" it's such a massive sound

[@RatherBeRiffing]

Thank you! I stacked a tube screamer with an Xotic sound driven (both set more as a boost than gain). Rock on!

[@JohnDoe-ko6ut]

@@RatherBeRiffing Thank you very much :)

[@jobdefteros]

Love both

[@RatherBeRiffing]

Same!

[@hermonoetim]

I preferred the hss on everything! That’s a sick guitar!

[@RatherBeRiffing]

Xotic makes an excellent HSS!

[@arkivuo5284]

Hmm now I want a strat with a tele bridge pickup 😅

[@RatherBeRiffing]

Me too now! 😁

[@Telewest792]

Tele all the way the most versatile guitar ever i have 2 strats 5 teles 2 prs 2 gibsons i play my teles the most great video

[@RatherBeRiffing]

Thank you!

[@Dreamdancer11]

A strat with quality noiseless set(kinmans) plus the second tone volume acting as a blender....

[@johndaugherty4127]

All the best picker's play Tele's.

[@Desperado665]

How about an hsh strat where the humbuckers can be coil split?

[@RatherBeRiffing]

That would be cool! I don’t have access to one at the moment , but you never know!

[@saleenX02]

DGT is thicker than the HSS Strat. I'm preferential to using a traditional setup Tele for a "one guitar for everything" setup. I'm not saying it's the best guitar, it just seems to be more versatile. That's an opinion though, and you know what people say about those.

[@RatherBeRiffing]

Thanks for the observations and thoughts, David! I totally get how a Tele could work as an "everything" guitar.

[@carsgunsandguitars]

I love the DGT but nothing is more versatile than an HSS Strat built the right way.

[@RatherBeRiffing]

I hear you. That’s why own the HSS (DGT is borrowed, but great too)

[@bbdeffect]

DGT is second fiddle in every comparison. Yes it’s versatile but also shouldn’t end up on any recording vs your other guitars for purely sonic reasons, but maybe for performance reasons. Too much attack and high mids shift vs les paul which sits in mix better with gain, not as dynamic as single coils, especially the tele just killed it. But also partscaster strat on neck like you said. Gretsch sounds great and best in part you selected. Still preferred strat to DGT there because more character. DGT is cool because of vibrato and playability but sonically doesn’t have much identity except to sound more articulate than a Les Paul but flatter than single coil guitar. Then again there are a lot of guitars like that these days, so maybe a shootout against them makes sense, and the DGT would sound less hot and more musical than competition. Also les paul neck can sound very muddy if pickup is set too high. Whereas I doubt DGT would have that problem.

[@RatherBeRiffing]

Thanks for the detailed observations and thoughts! For recording purposes it’s hard for me to imagine not using the archetype guitars over the DGT. The DGT would appeal to me more in a live setting if I wanted to keep things simple on a stage while covering more tones than say a typical humbucker equipped guitar.

[@bbdeffect]

Yes. I think you are absolutely right. Also they stay in tune!

[@Johnsalad]

Really like your channel :)

[@RatherBeRiffing]

Thank you - glad you enjoy!

[@cgull87]

Can someone tell me what song this is?

[@mikem4003]

As always PRS sounds great, but not better than a Strat or Les Paul.

[@RatherBeRiffing]

Agree. The PRS invariable gets compared to the Strat and LP, but I think it's earned it's own seat at the table without needing to sound "better".