PRS DGT SE - Is this a PRO Guitar? My Verdict After Gigging It

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I got a chance to gig this one live last night, and wanted to share some thoughts after using it in the heat of battle.....
I'm using the preset 3580 Rhythm for the 80s clean, and Litigator Lead for the lead tone for Helix/HX stomp.
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/ johnnathancordy get my backing tracks here
www.buymeacoffee.com/johnnath... - if you like what I do and
only if you wanted, you could buy me a coffee!

[@jasongraham2311]

I have had it for a week of teaching and one gig so far...love it! I find keeping the pickup selector in the middle and using the two volume knobs to control which pickup i want to shine through to be the easiest way. Back off on the bridge a bit if I want a neck sound and vise versa if i want more bridge. It also kept the neck from being too dark.

[@therangersinger]

You are always best at conveying your honest thoughts on a product. Thank you for the great content day in and day out Sir. Always enjoy watching.

[@denniswilliams2385]

The clarity of the pickups on this guitar makes it the absolute perfect platform for pedals

[@cmonsterz]

Got mine this week and I am stunned at how good this is. I have other SE guitars, some S2 guitars and a couple of core guitars. This SE stands up to the other SE guitars and the S2 guitars extremely well and while it’s not on par with the cores, it’s close enough to completely impress!

[@kenphillips3282]

Yes!! I have the gold top DGT SE and absolutely love this guitar. It is now my main gigging guitar.

[@bleigh6562]

Thanks for a great way again to start a Sunday.😊

[@roknrole]

Hey man, I’ve been playing one of these and if you haven’t tried playing it with 11s yet, do it right away. I had the same exact feeling that you did when I was playing gigs like it was too easy. I put 11s on it, set up to match the gauge, and wow. Give it a shot if you haven’t already!

[@IvorThomas]

Agree, 11s feel great on the DGT

[@dadanardi5541]

standard tuning?

[@IvorThomas]

@@dadanardi5541 yup BTW I found that a set of 10.5 Ernie Ball half rounds is perfect string for my Mulecaster. Some axes just want certain strings I think.

[@foxyfoxtrot4233]

Indeed the DGT is designed around that 11 gauge.

[@peterjessop1878]

I gigged mine for first time yesterday too. As you say it’s an easy guitar to play so I’m thinking of increasing string size to maybe 10.5s. Tuning was also initially off, but once’s settled stayed ok even with whammy bar usage.As a Tele player I found the bridge pick up vol pot in the perfect position as I am use to using it a lot. I used the neck pick up volume more to add highs to the middle position. I think using a compressor for split coil songs is a great idea also the tuning tip for Floyd Rose I didn’t know either. Overall I think it’s a great gigging guitar if you play in a covers band.

[@tbluesboye]

Nice job John! Very informative. I just picked up a Tokai ES 335 style guitar after your video review. What a great guitar for the money! Easily a Custom Shop level instrument. Keep up the good work!

[@Jagermeistery]

Its a Les Paul and Strat Hybrid. Love mine very much. Also, the up tone knob for high tone. The bottom one for low tone. I keep it mind like that.

[@patchpittman4981]

John, You just convinced me to buy this guitar all the the crazy note choices and amazing tone I'am all in,anyway thanks for all the great videos and content!

[@timholtguitar6999]

Great axes. Your tone and playing are fantastic as always. The trem was the dealbreaker for me. Enjoy your guitar!

[@idontgrillonwed]

When I was playing in college, I frequently moved the selector switch on my PRS with one of the tone knobs. Just a matter of soldering a longer wire.

[@ClintCurtis]

Great playing! I’m a Helix user and a recent PRS user as well.

[@TjBruce817]

Nice playing, great review. I would have to move those controls around, maybe try to wire it different for a master volume and two tone pots and move the switch to a more usable position. Master volume on top switch in the lower pot below it and the two tones in the back two spots. I love the tone pallet and will have to get one in my hands.

[@mktwn9955]

aku selalu kagum dengan permainanmu dan pemilihan nada. aku juga belajar banyak tentang legato darimu . Terimakasih banyak. dan aku rasa PRS ini akan menjadi list target ku.. hahaha

[@hollywoodactress]

Swap the pickup selector location to below the bridge volume. Then change bridge volume to a master volume 😊 Then put in a master tone volume

[@DrProgNerd]

I ordered one last week - based largely off of your videos. It'll be here Wednesday. I ended up with the Goldtop. I love the tobacco burst, but I hate bookmatched tops. The seam running through the guitar is like nails-on-a-chalkboard to my eyes. Imagine Michelangelo's David - or DaVinci's Mona Lisa with a vertical line running through them. Given that it's an industry standard, I'm probably the only lunatic that's bothered by this. Lol. The more I hear you talk about this guitar, the more excited I am to get my hands on it. Excellent playing as always, sir.

[@john808welk]

I have fralin unbuckers in my prs semi se, lovely split tones without the drop in volume. Also a bit brighter in the neck.

[@brendanpmaclean]

I gigged mine last night. I have to say it’s is really, really good. We play a range of covers, funk, soul, reggae, classic rock and it held up brilliantly. You’re right, it is easy to play. I found myself smiling at some of the stuff I was coming up with last night. I felt confident enough to try new stuff (and trip over myself). I’d normally use my MM Luke 2 which is just peachy so now I have a real 1st world dilemma. Which guitar do I use?

[@bongo2565]

Hope you would post the backing track on the patron site. What a beautiful song and play to start Sunday morning ..!

[@rowbags3017]

I've had an SE DGT Gold Top for almost a week now and I'm hugely impressed by it. Even after all the positive reviews such as your own, it's still proved even better than I dared hope. The set-up was spot-on straight from the gig-bag, and the neck shape is perfect for me. I haven't gigged it yet, but I'm really enjoying the pickups and the trem is holding tune incredibly well. I know what you mean about the controls layout taking a bit of getting used to - but it's David Grissom's personal preference, so I was prepared for that. What is throwing me slightly is the slight angle of the pickup selector, but I haven't found its position a problem.

[@jasonhartelius]

Agree on the angle of the pickup selector. Little different than my hand wants it to be. I'll get used to it.

[@rowbags3017]

@@jasonhartelius Yes - I soon got used to it and I don't notice it anymore.

[@iamfatness]

As usual sounds great!

[@paytonsassaman]

Can confirm- totally a gigging guitar. I’ve gigged mine a handful of times and it’s solid. Covers a lot of territory.

[@davidsummerville351]

All the top reviewers are loving this guitar. Enough said!

[@stupidnumber23]

I was prepared for the control layout to throw me off but instead I started playing it like David does- pushing the amp, staying on the bridge position and making small adjustments on the fly. I’m surprised it’s so convenient to me😂

[@ksharpe10]

If they made one of these in the charcoal cherry burst, I woulda bought one already. It gets the Cordy seal of approval.

[@YouTubeHandlesAreMoronic]

I must admit, Charcoal Cherry Burst is my favorite PRS finish, and I would be sorely tempted to buy ANOTHER unnecessary instrument if they were to release that color on an SE...

[@marcus-pf7lp]

You should be composing your own music with those dreamy leads and playing Royal Albert Hall. My eyes are closed and I'm smiling. Thanks for that.

[@jakollee]

You’ve hit upon my main complaint about PRS guitars: the placement of the pickup selector switch! It’s not just that it’s in an unfamiliar location, it’s that they put it on the wrong side of the trem bar in its neutral position (I.e., hanging straight down)! I have a PRS swamp ash special with a 5-position blade type pickup selector in a similar location (a little further south), and even though I’ve been playing the guitar pretty steadily since 2007 so I’m used to the location of the pickup selector switch, I still find it a nuisance to have to hop over the trem bar to change pickups during a solo (or when starting/ending a solo). Jimmy Herring has a PRS custom shop guitar where he was able to get them to put the blade selector in the “Strat” position, but those custom PRSs cost many thousands of dollars!

[@donewithmodernlife]

I really want to put my hands on one of these. I have an S2 Custom 24 that’s great, one of my keepers, & I’ve always wanted a DGT but 3k is my limit when it comes to guitars. My experience with SE’s has been mixed. By all accounts the DGT SE’s seem to be universally loved though, so I’m hopeful. Just can’t find anyone locally that has one in stock.

[@andretoyo]

Grahan Coxon recently was showing he got one these n very happy with the sound.

[@picksalot1]

I don't like if the action is too low on my guitars, as a certain amount of string resistance is necessary to deliver a wide variety of tones. I've recently gone to a single bridge humbucker pickup configuration on my Strat, as I got tired of mousing around the controls instead of focusing on playing. So far, I'm finding it easier to just simply have my preferred sounds set up in my HX Stomp, and press one button to get them. Then I do small tweaks with the single volume and tone knobs.

[@kilofireb8584]

I couldn't decide whether to get this guitar or the se McCarty..so I picked one of the new color se silver sky's, lol. Funny how the mind works. I might come back to these but I was missing a strat style and find that I'm very happy with my choice!! The new maple board feels great in hand.

[@LLVG83]

That neck pickup has always been dark on the core model as well I think. Had a DGT Standard and now a maple capped version, rolling back volume helps, but I will probably put in something like Lollar Imperial Low Wind as I had on my Standard.

[@eduardochozas7411]

John, you love it so much that you still have the plastic on the pickups? 😂. As usual, love your videos. I’m waiting for my Goldtop SE DGT to be sent to me as Canadian shipments have been slow.

[@jakeisonhere]

I find the neck pickup feels like it gets a bit brighter with volume rolled back slightly thanks to to treble bleed.. might just be my ears though. I love mine!

[@pseudokat]

I would love to gig one and share my opinion of it, but i probably will never get my hands on one. I ordered one in January, it's still on backorder. Originally they indicated it would be here by June, now they're saying December.

[@mttmg]

The bridge volume control being first is strange for me too, I looked inside the control cavity, the leads are plenty long so it should be very easy to just swap the neck and bridge volume pots so that neck volume is first. I use a Line6 HXFX, when I do the split coil mode I just turn on a boost and it levels the volume out nicely, a compressor could work too. I like that the DGT SE feels different than a Strat or Tele, and you're right it's SO easy to play. But I like it, you could always go up in string gauge or adjust the action if you think it's too easy to play. I've gotten a lot of compliments on the tone with the DGT SE. I think it's a keeper. I intend to change the knobs and maybe add some locking tuners, and swap the volume pot positions, other than that I don't think it needs anything.

[@mttmg]

I was able to swap the bridge and neck volume controls, the leads are just long enough. That said, at some point I will be upgrading to some PRS or really good CTS pots.

[@sicochoco]

Dear John, love your playing and have been following and learning from your channel a LOT, I wonder if you know the band Tatran and his guitarist Tamuz Dekel, he uses the L6 Helix among other pedals in a VERY unique and creative way, he has a feature video in the Line6 Movies channel here in YT, I would love to know your opinion on his sound and style, and maybe even do some presets like those😅

[@yhzh2002]

I've had a PRS SE custom 24 (my first ever guitar) and a core custom 22 before, and I liked them, but not enough to keep them. They somehow still draw me in, but the next one would have to be a hard tail bridge. I wish the DGT had a hard tail, since I like its other spec choices. I prefer jumbo size frets, at least tall enough to not feel the fretboard on my fingertips.

[@jasonhartelius]

My Core model is also too easy to play compared to what I'm used to. Not a bad thing. I need to try 11s. I really love the layout of the knobs in theory but I'm definitely still getting use to it. When playing live I'll turn the bridge volume when I'm on the neck. I'll also adjust the second knob thinking it's the tone. Just need to build up that muscle memory. But my biggest issue... in a hot gig situation where my hands are sweaty... I can't get the third knob to pop up into split mode. This has happened milestone times. It just feels slippery. I need to put a plastic ring around it or something like that. Overall... I do love the guitar. Feels like I'm driving a race car for the first time and I'm still getting used to how fast it goes.

[@thomaspodmore7424]

I always tune my Floyd GDBAEE, I'll have to try it the other way see if it's better

[@giovannibonapace4250]

I put a deposit down for a dgt in B'ham ... i tested it and i got me 10% back ... now the pick ups are awesome and the gold finish was outstanding ... sadly the rosewood fretboard didn't agree with me ... I'm an ebony fretboard person or maple/ roasted ... the profile was cool ... i think for a grand i can see when corners had been cut ... That rosewood is porous and my fingers never glided well ... Prs are cheeky to expect a grand for it ... I'm sorry i was disappointed as i waited 5 months to try one ...Sire blow all these se's brutally pound for pound ... i got an s7 b stock from andertons for 370 pounds instead of 560 ish ... weell what can i say ... prs are clever ... maybe i tried a dodgy one but that rosewood was dry and i cannot justify the pricing point ... I'm glad some people get away fine with rosewood ...

[@Jbuginas]

I’m not a great guitarist, but I agree that this guitar seems very easy to play. While learning, it gets me interested in playing it.

[@Plextortion]

You can take the plastic off of the pickups now. It's like leaving the plastic wrap on a lamp shade.

[@Jbuginas]

I’m not happy with the volume controls not being properly relative to the pickups. I’ll swap them soon, as long as it looks like it can be done without soldering (and wreck the warranty.)

[@jasonrossi1958]

I have a core DGT. I had to swap the volumes. I couldn't get used to it. And it was causing problems on gigs.

[@nhlanhlajonathanmasuku3650]

I wanna learn to play like you…

[@acemodean]

So if a friend asked prs dgt se or yamaha revstar standard - which would you recommend?

[@aladolfsenjustanoldguy2045]

David Grissom tends to play on thr bridge, so he wanted the volume there for swells.

[@jedgener6592]

Been waiting for this Sir! Needed some of your inputs and experience on gigging with it live as compared to just home playing. I really appreciate it Sir. I currently have the SE 35th Anniv Cu24 with almost the same color. I am torn with whether to sell it and get one PRS DGT SE, or just buy one (but I hate owning too much gears) Also If buying a second hand DGT core would also be a good idea. 🤔

[@idontgrillonwed]

The difference between your current SE and this will be negligible! Seriously, don’t sell it for this. Only real difference will be. The frets, and that is easily remedied by a luthier for very little money. Save your money for lessons, pickups, pedals, etc.

[@jedgener6592]

@@idontgrillonwed thank you for this Sir. This will be a big help. I have not tried a DGT SE yet so I'm still not that decided. TCI pickups from the 35th SE are too ice picky and I was interested with DGT pickups. Will maybe try to adjust pickup heights first. Also very much curious on the feel and neck shape. Its very hard to test a DGT SE as most are still preorders. Thanks a lot Sir

[@slicksalmon6948]

David Grissom says he stays with the bridge pickup 95% of the time when playing live. I'm not surprised to hear that the neck pickup is a little muddy.

[@samseitz9937]

I’ve never played a PRS but the Pick-Up switch looks to be pretty inconvenient. Thoughts?

[@VeniceTheBand]

What distortion and amp are you playing through….so f’ing good. I’ve ordered this guitar and I’m awaiting its arrival.

[@phillipzabala3992]

Have you tried the PRS S2 McCarty Thin line? I would love to know your thoughts on that one!

[@jorgelanzas6159]

I feel this is a generalized SE problem. I feel the same with temp changes, most my guitars stay the same, the SE. falls out of whack a bit.

[@ac8704]

Are you considering rewiring the volume's so one volume controls both?

[@IvorThomas]

I bought my core DGT used, and the previous owner flipped the volume pots. However I really like the bridge PU and would prefer the stock setup. Can’t win, can ya?

[@ToneDeth.]

I'm a weirdo. That control layout would be my preference (apart from the fact I'd never own any guitar with disgusting bird inlays, hooray for one of the DGT SE's just having dots). Having the volume knob of bridge closer makes sense for volume swells. Some teles are modded to be set up like this so switch is at back, then tone, then volume closest to you. Switch placement is good but I reverse it on my DIY builds so that forward is bridge, neck is back.

[@aadityakiran_s]

It's easy to play only because of its tall frets and good setup right? How is that different from a good setup and tall frets on any other guitar?

[@josephleva4844]

Do you find that volume control swells are as easy as say with a strat?

[@GuitarJawn]

How well does the guitar sound when the humbuckers are split? Is there a large volume drop like on those guitars that split their pickups? The Core model when splitting the pickups sound so darn good and not really a volume drop.

[@dadanardi5541]

There is a volume drop down so you need to adjust your gain to compensate, but if you normalized the volume it sounds great, very usable.

[@dcamnc1]

I just wish they had made the neck a fraction wider, like their other models. I can't do smaller neck widths. Just imo.

[@t2dev]

Are you not using your Revstar any longer? How do the two compare? Which would you grab if you could use only one?

[@mikelemon1111]

I wonder too ! :)

[@Five-1]

Got the same question. Anyone owns or played both to give us a comparison? I sort of preferred the Yamaha Revstar standard with P90s. But an actual side by side comparison will be very helpful and interesting 🙂

[@emdblues]

I know they're different guitars, but could you compare the DGT SE with Silver Sky SE? The quality of the components, feel of the neck, pickups and overall quality of sound. Maybe even the weight :)

[@kellygreenii]

The Silver Sky SE feels like (to me) the perfectly modded production Strat. The tone is warmer that typical Strat, the neck is a more vintage type C-shape. The components and sound are equal to any of the production American strats. I picked one up to test the sound of a Helix LT…and I refused to leave the store without it. I bonded to it instantly. It was the sound of been trying to get from single coil guitars for years….

[@raymondbrucehansel3119]

Is there a TrueFire (or any other course) that can teach me how to play stylistically as you do in this video intro.

[@jibankrishnamuhuri8434]

This one vs Yamaha pacifica612??? Which one is better

[@TrickyGomez]

I have a 2011DGT bought new, and am intrigued by this new rendition. probably won't get one but seems like it's not for you because ergonomics? Good review though, sort of.....

[@nekkon1989]

Why this over the SE McCarty?

[@user-fr2gw3qu5r]

🦋

[@spaghettimeatballswow]

The controls are the same as the ESP Eclipse models

[@planetside11]

The split coil sound doesn't appear all that convincing. I heard a significant volume drop when you split/unsplit the coils. Can this guitar produce a good single coil tone?

[@Prajnana]

Curious, too. My SE Hollow 58/15s sound cleaner than the DGT split! Could have been the amp model...

[@Polarisfff]

Can not decide between gold mit moons or Tobacco with birds 🤔

[@skye7690]

+1 SE DGT

[@denniswilliams2385]

Have the frets dressed my brother

[@PerryCodes]

Not sure why... but I can't get your code to show me a $99 price. It takes 100 off of the full price of $250.

[@cameronlesley2428]

If you want to fight the guitar put some 11’s on it . That’s a Josh smith th8ng he chooses to do

[@winstonsmith8240]

"It's too easy to play." 😅 You'll learn young man, you'll learn.

[@nuendo2496]

Yeah… the PRS is the perfect guitar for gigging….if it’s trashed or stolen….no big loss….

[@mtguitar5150]

Its only a non-pro guitar to snobs with one thumb up their nose and the other one up somewhere else

[@2000SkyView]

If its too easy to play put heavier gauge strings on it. Its not the guitar its you.

[@HerrPapa]

If you refuse to take off the protection foil off the pickups (and your other stuff), I'm sorry but I have to unsubscribe from this channel! Dude! ... just kidding, but it triggers me every time :D