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| The Gold Top PRS SE DGT |
Just over a week ago I had the opportunity to try out the Gold Top PRS SE DGT and it surprised me!
For those who read my articles, you would know that I have a weird relationship with PRS guitars. They make some of the most amazing sounding and beautiful looking guitars in the world but it appears that the ones that set my world on fire are their unusual ones!
My first EVER experience of playing a PRS was the PRS SE Starla which has literally changed my guitaring life. I have been playing for thirty plus years and the Starla has unlocked something in me that I didn't know that I had. Therefore the logic should dictate that I would become more and more in love with PRS guitars the more expensive the guitars are, right?
Well it would appear not. The most expensive I have tried was the CE24 and it was lovely, but I didn't feel it, I just didn't get excited. I have also tried lots of SE's such as the Custom 24-08, the Zach Myers, the 245. Nah! Didn't feel it. To be fair these were all tried out in a shop on an unfamiliar amp etc so not always the best environment. A guitar show shouldn't be either ...
The very first guitar I tried at the UK Guitar Show in Birmingham was the PRS SE DGT. Like almost every other fan of the brand, I have been waiting for this to come out but a part of me was thinking that the SE DGT would be more like some of the others that I had tried and that I wouldn't really feel excited about it. Equally, with the coil tap on my Starla, I don't think there is another PRS that gives such a range of sounds (apart from maybe the Modern Eagle) and I know that the DGT's coil tap was going to be more subtle so probably not appealing to me as I am coil tapping all the time when I am playing out.
The video below shows a snippet of how I play...
What are the specs of the SE DGT?
Before I tell you what I thought of the SE DGT, here are the specs taken from their website:
BODY
Body Construction Solidbody
Veneer Flame Maple
Top Wood Maple
Back Wood Mahogany
Top Carve Shallow Violin
NECK
Number of Frets 22
Scale Length 25"
Neck Wood Mahogany
Neck Construction One-Piece
Truss Rod PRS Double-Acting
Neck Shape DGT
Neck Depth At The Nut 27/32"
Width Of Fretboard At The Nut 1 21/32"
Width Of Fretboard At The Body 2 1/4"
Fretboard Wood Rosewood
Fretboard Radius 10"
Fretboard Inlay Moons or Birds (finish dependent)
Headstock Logo Signature "SE"
NECK/BODY ASSEMBLY
Neck/Body Assembly Type Set
HARDWARE
Bridge PRS Patented Tremolo, Molded
Tuners PRS Designed Tuners
Hardware Type Nickel
Nut PRS
Truss Rod Cover "DGT"
ELECTRONICS
Treble Pickup DGT "S"
Bass Pickup DGT "S"
Controls Two Volume Controls w/ Push/Pull Tone Control and 3-Way Toggle Pickup Switch
ADDITIONAL INFO
Strings PRS Classic 10-46
Tuning Standard (6 String): E, A, D, G, B, E
Case Gig Bag
My hands-on experience of playing the SE DGT?
For me, what I didn't know was what the DGT pick ups sounded like in my own hands. The neck carve is also different to most of the PRS guitars too so what would playability be like? This guitar was going to be a mystery until I got hold of it.
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| Blutone playing the PRS SE DGT gold top. |
I tried out the gold top with the 'Moons' inlays that were seriously cool and once I got playing I found that I really didn't want to stop!
The set up for me was perfect, the knob layout was very familiar ( I am originally a traditional tele player so two knobs are enough) and I was off. Yes I tried the coil tap, but I found that I loved the humbucker sound more anyway.
I don't play with a pick so I think that my style of playing obviously affects tone and attack and on some guitars this sounds flat. On this guitar, I felt the same feeling as I did with the SE Starla, excited and inspired. I really would have loved to have sat on the PRS stand all day strumming that guitar but I obviously couldn't although the guy on the stand very kindly let me take a long as I wanted.
So my first impressions are that this is a wonderful guitar and out of the two versions, I would love to spend some more time on the Gold Top. The McCarty Tobacco Sunburst looks great but I am obviously more of a solid colour kind of guy and if I had to choose it would be the gold top.
I really like the 25" scale on the guitar (common to the SE range) and it felt familiar even though it has a different carve to my Starla. The tone of the DGT pickups would complement my style and I wouldn't hesitate to gig with this guitar.
I really loved the build quality and the finish. If I was to change anything to personal taste it would be to have a stop tail bridge and a single cut version but then that would stop being a DGT then I guess!
Bravo PRS, lovely guitar, now I need to try out the Core version and see what that is like!
Please note that the links in this article are affiliate links that could pay me a small income that funds my content generation.
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