PRS SE DGT - Anyone received theirs yet?

StratNut · May 2023

I ordered the new PRS SE Goldtop in February, received it in March, sent it back same day as it had a bad - and very obvious and eye-catching - wood knot in the binding nearest the player. It's now the middle of May and I'm still waiting for the replacement the retailer keeps promising. I'm wondering if something's gone awry at PRS. Examples have popped up on the internet of some glaring QC issues, which is doubly shocking since (1) the initial marketing focussed heavily on the partnership with Dave Grissom and his (and therefore PRS's) obsessive attention to details, and (2) to align with that, PRS's boast that the Cort-made DGTs are first shipped to PRS in the USA for final quality checks. Has PRS paused for thought? Ha anyone else received theirs yet?

Strat54 · May 2023

Did you take a pic of that?

cbellanga · May 2023

I had one for 2 days as well - bought from Thomann's B-Stocks... crap electronics, vibrating springs in the tremolo cavity. In the end I thought it didn't worth the investment.

Whitecat · May 2023

StratNut said:

I ordered the new PRS SE Goldtop in February, received it in March, sent it back same day as it had a bad - and very obvious and eye-catching - wood knot in the binding nearest the player. It's now the middle of May and I'm still waiting for the replacement the retailer keeps promising. I'm wondering if something's gone awry at PRS. Examples have popped up on the internet of some glaring QC issues, which is doubly shocking since (1) the initial marketing focussed heavily on the partnership with Dave Grissom and his (and therefore PRS's) obsessive attention to details, and (2) to align with that, PRS's boast that the Cort-made DGTs are first shipped to PRS in the USA for final quality checks. Has PRS paused for thought? Ha anyone else received theirs yet?

Strongly doubt that any examples destined for outside of the USA are shipped there first. I presume that USA-bound (and maybe the rest of N America) ones will be fettled by PRS for QC, to some degree, but it doesn't make economic sense to send other territories' examples there.

One would hope that PRS Europe would perform a similar QC process on models here, for example, but they are a distributor, not a guitar factory...

Strat54 · May 2023

Do PRS UK still have a couple of guys here in the UK doing setup and checks on all the SE guitars? I know they used to.

StratNut · May 2023

Strat54 said:

Did you take a pic of that?

PRS SE DGT Flaw - YouTube

monquixote · May 2023

I got a Core line one.

It's expensive, but ultimately a bargain because I haven't been interested in buying guitars since I bought it about 8 years ago.

rlw · May 2023

StratNut said:

Strat54 said:

Did you take a pic of that?

PRS SE DGT Flaw - YouTube

Got to say I think that is not such a big deal. They're not going to chuck a body away just because there is a natural blemish in the wood.

DrCornelius · May 2023

rlw said:

StratNut said:

Strat54 said:

Did you take a pic of that?

PRS SE DGT Flaw - YouTube

Got to say I think that is not such a big deal. They're not going to chuck a body away just because there is a natural blemish in the wood.

I can understand that bothering some that want perfection but I’m with you , I’d see that as a bit quirky and what you’d expect when working with wood tbh

S56035 · May 2023

Personally I'd send it back but agree that it's a natural material so it's more about my pickiness.

stonevibe · May 2023

I don't have a problem with that at all, so I wouldn't have sent it back. Personal choice for sure, but that was not something I would have an issue with.

guitargeek62 · May 2023

StratNut said:

Strat54 said:

Did you take a pic of that?

PRS SE DGT Flaw - YouTube

You're kidding, right?

DefaultM · May 2023

Not something that would bother me, but I can see why you'd send it back if you thought the replacement would be immediate.

Devil#20 · May 2023

StratNut said:

Strat54 said:

Did you take a pic of that?

PRS SE DGT Flaw - YouTube

Each to their own but not sure why so many people LOL'd that. They weren't going to throw the body away. It's a flaw in the binding and should have been spotted during the gluing process. To be fair it sticks out like a sore thumb and on a new guitar would irk me slightly. After a few knocks less so obviously. On a darker coloured guitar is wouldn't have been so bad.

TTony · May 2023

Devil#20 said:

Each to their own but not sure why so many people LOL'd that. They weren't going to throw the body away. It's a flaw in the binding and should have been spotted during the gluing process.

I’m guessing that the LOLs indicate whether people think that it was a valid reason for rejecting the guitar.

I think it’s natural edge binding, so you see the characteristics of the maple top revealed in the unfinished edge. That mark is part of the natural features of the wood - just the same as the grain lines that you can also see. You might equally reject a guitar because the grain lines weren’t straight, or showing an agreeable pattern.

It’s a matter of opinion, obviously, but I’d rather have a feature that evidenced the natural materials being used than, for example, an aesthetically “perfect” strip of binding plastic instead.

Devil#20 · May 2023

TTony said:

Devil#20 said:

Each to their own but not sure why so many people LOL'd that. They weren't going to throw the body away. It's a flaw in the binding and should have been spotted during the gluing process.

I’m guessing that the LOLs indicate whether people think that it was a valid reason for rejecting the guitar.

I think it’s natural edge binding, so you see the characteristics of the maple top revealed in the unfinished edge. That mark is part of the natural features of the wood - just the same as the grain lines that you can also see. You might equally reject a guitar because the grain lines weren’t straight, or showing an agreeable pattern.

It’s a matter of opinion, obviously, but I’d rather have a feature that evidenced the natural materials being used than, for example, an aesthetically “perfect” strip of binding plastic instead.

I get that @TTony but we all have a threshold to these things depending on your level of OCD. I think there's a video on Richards Guitars of a flamed maple top back and sides hollow body guitar that had a minor dark blemish on it and Richard didn't spot it but agreed it wasn't acceptable. It was a horrendously expensive guitar though and had taken 6 months to make. They had to make the customer another one. You've got me worried now. I'm now off to measure the spacing and straightness of the grain on the Adirondack acoustic top on the guitar I've just bought.

Strat54 · May 2023

StratNut said:

Strat54 said:

Did you take a pic of that?

PRS SE DGT Flaw - YouTube

Yeah fair enough, its a new guitar.....should have been classed as B stock maybe. I know some people wouldn't bother but ultimately if it annoys you from the outset then it will always bug you. Your call.

roberty · May 2023

I quite like it

Musicman20 · May 2023

I’ve been FAR too picky in the past but that’s on basses that would in current day be £2.5k +.

I wouldn’t expect that on an easily seen place of a PRS core, but I wouldn’t be surprised at all to see it on an S2, so SE I wouldn’t even be slightly concerned.

It’s your guitar so you have to be happy! But with it being an SE you are buying a mass produced instrument. It’s reveal binding so it’s part of the top not added binding.

No matter how PRS market them, they are mass produced and potentially, in 2023 a little overpriced.

AK99 · May 2023

I think it's a cracker looking guitar - even with the little knot.

Somebody must have taken a call at the factory that it wasn't worth binning a a blank body with such a small blemish. I'd have tended to agree with them.

YourArsenal87 · May 2023

StratNut said:

Strat54 said:

Did you take a pic of that?

PRS SE DGT Flaw - YouTube

That really is not a QC issue. There’s nothing wrong with that at all. It’s your prerogative to be picky as a buyer, of course, and get something you like the look of, but that doesn’t reflect on the QC.

grungebob · May 2023

I’d have sent that back too.

It’s not a structural issue, the guitar would be 100% ok but it sticks out a mile against the pale maple and gold top.

Given the price of the guitar I’m amazed how many people have said they’d give PRS a pass on this one.

If I’m paying £1000+ for a guitar itd better be perfect.

digitalkettle · May 2023

roberty said:

I quite like it

Wood being wood…I’ve got a lovely one on a Nik Huber!

dazzajl · May 2023

All other things being equal, I’d have chosen that one over another that didn’t have a distinguishing feature. As for our random foibles when it comes to attraction and aesthetics, we all have at least one or two don’t we.

Offset · May 2023

stonevibe said:

I don't have a problem with that at all, so I wouldn't have sent it back. Personal choice for sure, but that was not something I would have an issue with.

Me neither - it's just a natural feature of the wood.

That said, it isn't my money.

monquixote · May 2023

Image: https://tfb-user-images.eu-central-1.linodeobjects.com/42244dd9265d70c07a08399d41de812438d577346d296f9147

My Coreline DGT Goldtop has got marks all the way along.

I think it looks weird on the SE because the wood is otherwise largely characterless. I like ot know I'm playing something organic!

Musicman20 · May 2023

monquixote said:

My Coreline DGT Goldtop has got marks all the way along.

I think it looks weird on the SE because the wood is otherwise largely characterless. I like ot know I'm playing something organic!

Looks great! Natural

BlueStrat · May 2023

Surely that’s just a feature of wood being wood?
That’s in no way a QC issue

Rob1742 · May 2023

I’d have kept it and actually picked that one if I had the choice. A little quirk that I think adds to it.

skunkwerx · May 2023

Actual quality control is done by the end user, ie us.

What a business (be it the factory, distribution centre or retailer) deems as acceptable is far below what our acceptable standards are as the buyer, in particular as enthusiasts.

mrkb · May 2023

PRS SE DGT Gold Top w/ Moons - Electric Guitars from Sound Affects UK

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PRS SE DGT - Anyone received theirs yet?

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