PRS Paul Reed Smith DGT Guitar, Rosewood Fretboard, Eriza Verde, Moon Inlays

The DGT (David Grissom Trem) is the result of more than 20 years of collaboration between Paul Smith and David Grissom. The DGT is based on the McCarty with a unique DGT neck shape, taller frets, special pickups, and a revised control layout. Grissom and Paul spent a year A/B-ing more than forty sets of pickups before nailing the vintage-voice of DGT humbuckers. When paired with individual volume controls for each pickup and a push/pull master tone control that operates the coil taps, DGT pickups provide versatility and articulation.

“The DGT is a product a lot of miles down the road: a lot of gigs, a lot of records. It’s like picking up a vintage guitar. It sounds like a vintage guitar, and out of the box it’s ready to go. There’s a whole lot of thought gone into this. The DGT is pretty perfect to me.” – David Grissom

It’s All in the Details: TCI-Tuned Pickups and Nitro Finish

Paul Reed Smith is known as a man who studies history, scrutinizes the details, and never stops applying what he learns to his own instruments. It is that passion, care, and tenacity that has permeated PRS Guitars’ culture and led to the constant evolution of PRS products. Last year, PRS announced TCI (tuned capacitance and inductance) pickups on the Paul’s Guitar. But, TCI is more than a pickup, it’s a process. That process has now been applied to all PRS pickups offered on our Core line of instruments, with the exception of a few artist Signature models.

“TCI stands for Tuned Capacitance Inductance. When you wind a pickup, the coils are capacitors, resistors, and inductors simultaneously. Our more refined ability to be able to tune those factors is what we have incorporated into TCI pickups,” said Paul Reed Smith. “To our ears, the results are very musical. We are very proud of how far we’ve come in the understanding and making of pickups. It’s been a fun process.”

In preparation for shipping 2020 models, PRS is also updating the finish system in their Maryland factory. PRS has been known to tweak its finish formulations and processes, always looking to provide a great sounding, feeling, and looking guitar while maintaining a repeatable, quality-driven manufacturing process. This new nitro finish is a variation of PRS’s Private Stock high-gloss nitro with a cellulose CAB basecoat. The resulting finish is thin, hard, and clear – all qualities that help make a resonant, musical instrument that feels great.

“When you pick up a guitar with this finish, you can immediately feel that it’s not taking away from the guitar’s energy. It’s feels organic - like a classic, vintage guitar; it’s clear and does not hinder the figure or color of the instrument, and it sinks very little over time,” said Paul Reed Smith.