DGT vs Les Paul R8

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I have a PRS DGT which I think is great, but as a conventional type of chap (have 2 strats, 330, tele) I am increasingly drawn to an r8, mainly because there's a lot about, look great and they aren't completely crazy price-wise. However, this irrational desire isn't based on any experience of an R8. In fact, I borrowed my brother's early 70's les paul for a year and never used it. Plus, according to the blurb, Doug Grissom and PRS himself spent years putting together the DGT pickups to match DG's vintage 335, and they know more than me. And, theDGT is beautifully built and the same construction as an R8. So, am I wasting my time even thinking about it? 
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  • fftcfftc Frets: 559
    Bearing in mind opinions are like arseholes, yes!
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  • I had a DGT earlier this year and bought a R8 in the recent Peach feeding frenzy.
    I sold the DGT, it was a lovely guitar, versatile, should have been a keeper, but like you i'm drawn to the old look.
    I have had at least 10 LP's from CS to Studio but TBH none are a patch on this 2017 R8.
    Sometimes ya gotta scratch that itch
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  • I just sold a 2016 R8 and bought a DGT, I had the R8 for 2 1/2 years and loved it but got the itch to move on.

    The R8 is a wonderful guitar but the main issue I had with it was that I found the Custombucker bridge pickup to be a bit spiky sounding overdriven, the DGT bridge pickup is more rounded and fatter in tone to my ears, but they are close.

    The neck pickup sounds fuller on the R8 while the DGT is bit more SG sounding on the neck pickup, they both sound good.

    The weight of the R8 I had was 8lb 13oz, the DGT I have is very light at 7lb which I prefer.

    I prefer the neck profile of the DGT and love the jumbo frets, but I prefer the nitro finish of the R8.

    All I can suggest is you try one before committing to change, ergonomically the R8 is very different feeling guitar.  


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  • teradaterada Frets: 5113
    Avoid the R8s, terrible terrible guitars. I wouldn't be caught dead with one. ;)
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  • guitars4youguitars4you Frets: 14030
    tFB Trader
    Plus, according to the blurb, Doug Grissom and PRS himself spent years putting together the DGT pickups to match DG's vintage 335, and they know more than me. 

    There was talk about this at the time of the release - I was at the PRS USA launch of this, when he spoke about the tone of his old 335 - He then took questions from the audience and someone asked if the 335 sounds so good then why not just play it - Dave's answer was that it was a bitch to play

    To some, the DGT is the PRS that offers more 'soul' than others  - I'd say more versatile/flexible regarding its tonal character than an R8, but as with any guitar, teh what suits you is a matter of taste
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  • BridgehouseBridgehouse Frets: 24578
    I just sold a 2016 R8 and bought a DGT, I had the R8 for 2 1/2 years and loved it but got the itch to move on.

    The R8 is a wonderful guitar but the main issue I had with it was that I found the Custombucker bridge pickup to be a bit spiky sounding overdriven, the DGT bridge pickup is more rounded and fatter in tone to my ears, but they are close.

    The neck pickup sounds fuller on the R8 while the DGT is bit more SG sounding on the neck pickup, they both sound good.

    The weight of the R8 I had was 8lb 13oz, the DGT I have is very light at 7lb which I prefer.

    I prefer the neck profile of the DGT and love the jumbo frets, but I prefer the nitro finish of the R8.

    All I can suggest is you try one before committing to change, ergonomically the R8 is very different feeling guitar.  
    How come you didn’t consider a pickup swap?
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  • crunchmancrunchman Frets: 11413
    DGT is a great guitar, and if I could only have one electric then it might well be a DGT because of the versatility.  Having said that, I ended up selling mine.  The humbucker sounds are very good but it doesn't quite do the Les Paul thing.  It's also got some of the best coil tap tones I've ever heard, but they aren't quite as good as a good Strat or Tele.

    I'd like to try a DGT Standard (all mahogany, no maple top) but they are very rare beasts.
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  • I just sold a 2016 R8 and bought a DGT, I had the R8 for 2 1/2 years and loved it but got the itch to move on.

    The R8 is a wonderful guitar but the main issue I had with it was that I found the Custombucker bridge pickup to be a bit spiky sounding overdriven, the DGT bridge pickup is more rounded and fatter in tone to my ears, but they are close.

    The neck pickup sounds fuller on the R8 while the DGT is bit more SG sounding on the neck pickup, they both sound good.

    The weight of the R8 I had was 8lb 13oz, the DGT I have is very light at 7lb which I prefer.

    I prefer the neck profile of the DGT and love the jumbo frets, but I prefer the nitro finish of the R8.

    All I can suggest is you try one before committing to change, ergonomically the R8 is very different feeling guitar.  
    How come you didn’t consider a pickup swap?
    Couldn't be arsed. Didn't love the R8 enough to keep it I guess, I don't miss it so I think my LP days are done, I just don't bond with them despite many of my favourite tones being played on one.


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  • guitars4youguitars4you Frets: 14030
    tFB Trader
    I just sold a 2016 R8 and bought a DGT, I had the R8 for 2 1/2 years and loved it but got the itch to move on.

    The R8 is a wonderful guitar but the main issue I had with it was that I found the Custombucker bridge pickup to be a bit spiky sounding overdriven, the DGT bridge pickup is more rounded and fatter in tone to my ears, but they are close.

    The neck pickup sounds fuller on the R8 while the DGT is bit more SG sounding on the neck pickup, they both sound good.

    The weight of the R8 I had was 8lb 13oz, the DGT I have is very light at 7lb which I prefer.

    I prefer the neck profile of the DGT and love the jumbo frets, but I prefer the nitro finish of the R8.

    All I can suggest is you try one before committing to change, ergonomically the R8 is very different feeling guitar.  
    How come you didn’t consider a pickup swap?
    Couldn't be arsed. Didn't love the R8 enough to keep it I guess, I don't miss it so I think my LP days are done, I just don't bond with them despite many of my favourite tones being played on one.
    I agree with you about not bonding with an LP, yet love the tone of them, especially when played by my hero's - When I first purchased a PRS, in the late 80's, it was purely about the feel and it gave me pleasure to play, which at the time I could not find on any LP

    20/30 years later, after buying/selling/playing 100's of LP's I have only ever owned one for more than a few months - A 57 Gold Top Tom Murphy that I've now played for over 10 years, so yes I've have found one that I like - And that is the first one in 40 years or so - But I still find it hard to handle compared with a DGT, or a Modern Eagle that I tend to favour within the PRS range - Does a DGT or ME nail the LP tone down to the nth degree ? - Maybe not - But there are many variations of tones within many Gibson LP's, so I'm more than content about what the PRS can offer
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  • HattigolHattigol Frets: 8176
    terada said:
    Avoid the R8s, terrible terrible guitars. I wouldn't be caught dead with one. ;)
    @terada You are a bad man! :-)
    "Anybody can play. The note is only 20%. The attitude of the motherf*cker who plays it is  80%" - Miles Davis
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  • Thanks for your thoughts folks, I am inclined to stay put with the DGT. I think there's one thing I do particularly like, apart from it being great to play, and that's the fact that it's 'modern' as opposed to the traditional 50's designs that prevail - brilliant as they are - it has that difference to it 
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  • BridgehouseBridgehouse Frets: 24578
    I just sold a 2016 R8 and bought a DGT, I had the R8 for 2 1/2 years and loved it but got the itch to move on.

    The R8 is a wonderful guitar but the main issue I had with it was that I found the Custombucker bridge pickup to be a bit spiky sounding overdriven, the DGT bridge pickup is more rounded and fatter in tone to my ears, but they are close.

    The neck pickup sounds fuller on the R8 while the DGT is bit more SG sounding on the neck pickup, they both sound good.

    The weight of the R8 I had was 8lb 13oz, the DGT I have is very light at 7lb which I prefer.

    I prefer the neck profile of the DGT and love the jumbo frets, but I prefer the nitro finish of the R8.

    All I can suggest is you try one before committing to change, ergonomically the R8 is very different feeling guitar.  
    How come you didn’t consider a pickup swap?
    Couldn't be arsed. Didn't love the R8 enough to keep it I guess, I don't miss it so I think my LP days are done, I just don't bond with them despite many of my favourite tones being played on one.
    To be honest that’s pretty similar to me. I thought the R8 I had looked stunning, sounded reasonable but fell short on the “pick it up by default” test. 
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  • RandallFlagg said:
    Didn't love the R8 enough to keep it I guess, I don't miss it so I think my LP days are done, I just don't bond with them despite many of my favourite tones being played on one.
    To be honest that’s pretty similar to me. I thought the R8 I had looked stunning, sounded reasonable but fell short on the “pick it up by default” test. 
    The “pick it up by default” test is exactly the key to the DGT for me. It’s the guitar I go to automatically - and when I do, I often find myself playing for hours. A highly musical guitar....
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  • MistyMisty Frets: 135
    edited December 2018
    I bought a DGT back in Feb this year, and I also have an R7 which I've owned for probably 15 years or more. Since I bought the DGT I've hardly touched the R7, not because it's a bad guitar because it's definitely a very good one, but because the DGT is such a perfect design, I love the feel and, as @richardhomer says, it's just so musical. It' won't replace anything else I've got, (Strats, Tele, 335, SG) but it's a hugely satisfying guitar to gig at a decent volume. I don't like blingy guitars, which PRS's can be, so mine has no birds, no binding, nice bit of flame but not over the top, it's more workman-like than furniture-like. I sold an old Tele which I'd had for 20 years to get this, and I'm happy.

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  • DanRDanR Frets: 1041
    I’ve had a good few Les Pauls, standards, customs and R8.

    All played well for a Gibson after trying a few to get one that was completely shonkily put together.

    But I still don’t find them comfy for extended playing.

    Maybe I just prefer the double cut shape over single cuts.

    I do prefer the 594 over the DGT mainly due to the neck shape but every DGT I’ve played has been very good.

    I always say I won’t buy another Gibson yet still end up talking myself into it saying the next one might be as good a PRS.
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  • TimmyOTimmyO Frets: 7349
    I have a DGT and an R7 - both are firmly 'never sell'

    If you're used to and love the DGT sound then the R8 might sound a bit lumpy to you, and the Les Paul neck pickup position is a less versatile sound, but if you were worried about versatility you wouldn't have lots of guitars ! :-) 

    The DGT is the far more playable of the 2 (a little lighter, ergonomics better) but sometimes you just need your LP 
    Red ones are better. 
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  • TimmyOTimmyO Frets: 7349
    Oh, and put 57 Classics in the R8
    Red ones are better. 
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  • crunchmancrunchman Frets: 11413
    Misty said:
    I bought a DGT back in Feb this year, and I also have an R7 which I've owned for probably 15 years or more. Since I bought the DGT I've hardly touched the R7, not because it's a bad guitar because it's definitely a very good one, but because the DGT is such a perfect design, I love the feel and, as @richardhomer says, it's just so musical. It' won't replace anything else I've got, (Strats, Tele, 335, SG) but it's a hugely satisfying guitar to gig at a decent volume. I don't like blingy guitars, which PRS's can be, so mine has no birds, no binding, nice bit of flame but not over the top, it's more workman-like than furniture-like. I sold an old Tele which I'd had for 20 years to get this, and I'm happy.
    I've had a couple of older Custom Shop Gibsons.  The new one I got this year does have something that the older ones didn't.  Don't know if it's the removal of the truss rod sheath (from 2013 on I think), or something else, but there is a life to the sound that the older ones didn't have. I'm not missing my DGT that much since selling it.
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  • MistyMisty Frets: 135
    edited December 2018
    crunchman said:
    Misty said:
    I bought a DGT back in Feb this year, and I also have an R7 which I've owned for probably 15 years or more. Since I bought the DGT I've hardly touched the R7, not because it's a bad guitar because it's definitely a very good one, but because the DGT is such a perfect design, I love the feel and, as @richardhomer says, it's just so musical. It' won't replace anything else I've got, (Strats, Tele, 335, SG) but it's a hugely satisfying guitar to gig at a decent volume. I don't like blingy guitars, which PRS's can be, so mine has no birds, no binding, nice bit of flame but not over the top, it's more workman-like than furniture-like. I sold an old Tele which I'd had for 20 years to get this, and I'm happy.
    I've had a couple of older Custom Shop Gibsons.  The new one I got this year does have something that the older ones didn't.  Don't know if it's the removal of the truss rod sheath (from 2013 on I think), or something else, but there is a life to the sound that the older ones didn't have. I'm not missing my DGT that much since selling it.
    Yes there could be a difference, but I think I've reached an age when it's probably not wise to spend time analysing or agonising over those things any more!! I have a friend who has way more guitars than me, and my R7 compared very favourably to his more recent R9, the R7 being lighter and sounding just as good, which is fine by me!

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