Guitar Talk - PRS SE NF3 2024 Review

Hey everyone, I didn't even know this was coming out! As soon as I opened the box, I thought I'd better give it a video!
Let me know what you think in the comments and don't forget you can get in touch at [e-mail]

[@waynedoherty7758]

The look, controls and scale length. This seems so much more appealing than the silver sky to me.

[@TheBbtlegit]

I like the silver sky better. This one sounds dark to me.

[@crimsonwring2723]

@@TheBbtlegitIt is - not bad at all quite engaging in fact. I happened to go to my local shop yesterday and got to play them side by side. I like the NF3…it’s amazing for the price. I just have that tone already. And the Silver Sky neck is more to my liking. But I do think the NF3 is much more versatile instrument than the Silver Sky.

[@crimsonwring2723]

@@TheBbtlegitLOL’ing at myself. I wrote my comment about versatility before getting to the point where he confirmed that for us all.

[@TheBbtlegit]

@crimsonwring2723 .I don't think it's a bad guitar I just don't like thr dark tones on it compared to single coil pick ups. I've got a couple guitars with humbuger pick ups and P 90 pick ups

[@Silkaz7]

Same, scale lenght, fretboard radius and neck profile, this is what I wish the silver sky was.

[@scarcam]

Gotta say, I prefer the sound of the strat 🤷‍♂

[@jimmyjames2022]

PRS SEs are killing it this past few months. Nice to have the SE NF3 comparison with the Strat Fat50s side by side.

[@jc9240]

I don’t know if it’s me because of my experience and age (65!) on why KZbin Platformers on either Hawking a Guitar for “Likes or Sales” feel compelled or inclined overall and foremost to demo a new guitar model in general while needing the aid of Guitar Pedals or Effects Machines with the coupled Amp to enhancing yet the value on how the Guitar sounds through Effects or when playing it “Clean, Raw and Pure?”……The real, truist, genuine field test of a guitar’s capability only can be gauged when it’s played without effects……a $200 Guitar with top end effects pedals and Amp may be manipulated to sound like a $2000 Guitar, but you can’t ever make a $200 Guitar sound like $2000 while playing it at its most “Clean, Raw and Pure State” all the way through its Audio and Sound Production Chain

[@SamBoxell]

Got a chance to play this and I'm blown away! You would 100% say this is a top end USA build guitar

[@markgowans]

Ordered this guitar in the ice blue with the rosewood board yesterday. I got mine for £799

[@elvee7851]

This is not a dark sounding guitar, it's the tone settings being used in the signal chain. These are bright and snappy sounding pickups - just listen to some of the other online reviews, they sound nothing like this. Even the Strat sounds muddy so it's not the guitar/pickups. Check out Chuck Levin's review to hear how bright they are.

[@rickhammel9541]

do you know what the output of the pickups is?

[@hernindio99]

Thank you so much for comparing it with strat! It definitely doesn't have the spanky/glassy-metallic classic strat sound, but it has more "meatier" or rounder tone without being muddy or too fat like LP

[@gorgemusic]

I think I like the clean tone of the Strat but the PRS sounds fatter with the crunchy stuff.

[@mkrj2576]

Make it a hardtail and I’ll sign up.

[@skye7690]

Let's get a hardtail tele se version.

[@flppr1]

Stock strings are PRS 10s.

[@RobTackettCovers]

The actual tones comparing the NF3 SE and the Mexican Strat are similar, except the NF3 has a bit "thicker", more midrange tone, which is great to me, because I think it would cut through in a live band situation better than the Strat. My guess is you are keeping the tone settings the same when going from one guitar to the other demos...if that is the case, then I think all would have to be done is to cut the mids a little on the NF3, and it would be well in the ballpark to sounding very similar to the strat. I'd like to put those pickups in my Ernie Ball Silhouette...it's an HSH guitar w 24 frets and a trem...and the reason why is the whole even output thing with switching from one position to the next on the selector switch...there's a store near where I live that got some in, so am planning on driving there today to check them out. Thanks for the video, and hope you and yours are doing great.

[@BkBk-gy6vr]

Just played one at my local shop today and it does not sound like a Strat. It has its own sound and to me it was a bad harsh sound. Most videos I’m seeing have that harsh brittle sound. What was even more shocking to me is I own a S2 custom 24 and a SE MCcarty and this NF3 felt and played like a 300 dollar guitar it looks very cheap in person. The back of the neck feels like raw wood with no satin. I was so disappointed since my SE MCcarty is on par with my $2000 S2 custom 24. Total disappointment. Try before you buy!

[@RobTackettCovers]

@@BkBk-gy6vr I've watched different videos on it, some were crappy as far as sound quality was concerned, some sounded good...I felt like the PRS video was on the marginal side, and to me, that's kind of unusual...Bryan Ewald really didn't seem like he was having a very good day, like he came off like he might have been under the weather or something...anyway, there is a guitar shop in driving distance from where I live, and they have some in, so I'm planning on going there to try a couple out this afternoon...I say a couple, because they have both the rosewood and maple models in. I also wonder if what a person is playing through would be a big factor as to how it ends up sounding as well, or if they have an undesirable tone thing going on to where it doesn't matter what you plug them into...I suppose I'll find out soon. Thanks for the heads up, and hope you and yours are doing great today.

[@Mark_B585]

​@@RobTackettCovers I watched that same PRS video and I think you're full of crap. It sounded great to me

[@RobTackettCovers]

@@Mark_B585 So I just put a comment here to respond to you saying I was full of crap, and my response was that maybe I was and that I would re watch the videos, but the comment I put is no longer showing...I'd like to clarify that I didn't think Bryan's playing was marginal, because I think he's a great guitar player, and his playing in both the Rosewood and Maple models were no exception. So I rewatched that video, and I pinpointed what I thought was marginal as far as sound quality is concerned, and it was the sound quality of the backing track that he was using, and that is what I think is "marginal" in both the demo's PRS has on their channel, and, for me anyway, the backing track was not complementing what those guitars sound like. When he is playing in both demos of the guitars without backing tracks, the guitars sound great. Thanks for checking me on my comment, and hope you and yours are doing well.

[@Mark_B585]

@@RobTackettCovers I hope you're doing well

[@AlexDay-rg7vb]

I want one!!!! An ORANGE One!!! Or perhaps blue……Both??!

[@BrazzyRosewood]

I got the orange one. Love it!

[@markgowans]

I got the blue one. It’s beautiful and great to play. Not dark at all imo.

[@chriskitchen4772]

Orange is killer looking.

[@Brainiac22]

Just ordered Metallic orange, arriving tomorrow! Totally stoked…

[@dcamnc1]

I think the 25” scale affects the tone also.

[@sixslinger9951]

when you put gain on those pickups they are not very pleasing to the ear.

[@jlepre752]

OK so now I'm finding an issue with my NF3 that I got today. I noticed that as soon as I turned the volume down to around 7 or 8, the volume dropped off dramatically and the treble dropped off as well. It stays about the same volume all the way down to 1.

[@GearSafari]

Yesssss been waiting for this review 🔥🎸

[@kenfee8170]

I have an S2 mcarty Thinline but seriously consider this as a replacement.

[@stringdoc]

I disagree. I do think you can get very convincing Strat tones from these.

[@skye7690]

Thx for the darker playing, few reviewers are doing that on this guitar.

[@KennethKassabian]

I bet with a little massaging from the Boss GE-7 that guitar could do anything.

[@ScottDreyfus]

Looks more like sterling/ music man than fender.

[@bobbychubb6913]

I think this is more like what I would want in a prs strat style guitar more so than the silver sky .

[@epicproperties7260]

Sound was close between the 2. A little eq mods on amp and theyll be almost same.

[@TheBbtlegit]

That sounds really dark

[@Silkaz7]

How does the body compare to the strat size-wise? looks smaller, is it smaller than a strat? thanks. I like strats but they seem chunky to me, this would be a great mod platform alternative.

[@GuitarTalkUK]

I’d say they are very similar sizes but the 25inch scale over a 25.5 makes a difference in feel. Definitely worth trying one out

[@AdrianHernandez-nc3ez]

Tone was amazing! May you share your FM9 preset? Loved how that was

[@GuitarTalkUK]

It’s already on the unit from factory, not one I made :) It’s just called triple crest I believe and it was scenes 1,2 and 3

[@milotin2755]

PRS going to poplar 🥴

[@Brykk]

Now then, would you choose the nf3 or a mccarty 594?

[@GuitarTalkUK]

Nf3 based on the neck profile

[@Brykk]

@@GuitarTalkUK fair enough. I have the 594 and am thinking about getting the nf3. So far, i have leaned towards the thicker necks on the 594 and the 245. Guess i need to just go in and try the the nf3 and see how it compares.

[@bobbychubb6913]

I have the 594 as well and my favorite characteristics of it is the fat neck and brilliant pickups . That said I do like this one as well but I couldn't choose it over the 594 .

[@BrazzyRosewood]

Two very different animals. You need both. The neck is better on the SE NF3, imo.

[@andrewbecker3700]

They always use such weird colors. Plus only the Gunmetal Grey comes with a white pickgaurd. Thats why I chose it, with a rosewood fretboard. Getting one of the new hardcases with mine. Got a good deal on the package. Gonna do some custom wiring on mine immediately. Don't care for bridge and middle in position 2. I'm wiring mine for bridge and neck in position 2. Should be interesting.

[@papasmamas1]

The upper horn looks a bit strange, but I think is one of the coolest releasrs Ive seen lately.