I bought the NF3 SE as soon as it was released. It’s as close as one can get to a guitar for all of your needs. I added a push pull pot to the tone control to get neck/bridge combo. Add some highs it will easily do the Strat thing (I have 2 Strats). Add mids and you’re in the humbucking realm ( I have several humbucking guitars). Plays great. Stays in tune.
Just played this guitar yesterday and absolutely loved it! The color looks even better in person! It played and sounds beautifully! Definitely want this one in my collection
The tuning problem went away when I put a new set of StringJoy strings on the guitar. So although I too don’t care much for the stock tuners feel, they did fine with good strings and hold tune for as long as any of my high end Strats.
I have finally had a chance to play this guitar ...and I am really impressed by it...very playable and has a sound all its own...some sort of blend of single coil and humbucker...leaning more on single coil with more punch and presence like some sort of PAF...can not really put an exact sound...I can hear it has a sound of its own... I really loved this guitar and don't expect it to try to be like other guitars like strats...it has its own lane...
Weird how many comments state tuning issues. I have McCarty Se, Silver Sky SE, Custom SE, CE SE, and OlderSingle cut SE and short time had a Starla SE and they are stable and only have problems when temperatures change and new strings stretch like any other guitar. I know from statistics you will always have some bad ones in any product. Are people paying attention to temperature changes, are they heavy hand on trem, not stretching strings, etc? My Alvarez Artist Grand Auditorium does same when temperature changes and new strings. Once it’s adjusted it’s fine. Has people paid attention to how long in store and if it’s been abused? I’ve witness mid-high end guitars have issues from abuse in store.
I can't speak for everyone else, of course, but the guitar I played was straight from the PRS factory. When I recorded the video, I made sure to stretch the strings, and let the guitar acclimate to my house for several days. I think the issues I had were with the nut slots. I don't think every model of this guitar would have the same tuning issues, but I thought it was worth mentioning for the review at least. To your point, there really are a number of things that can affect tuning, so everyone needs to troubleshoot for all the different sources of problems. Unfortunately I just couldn't really do that with a loaner. Thanks for your comment!
I’m thinking about buying an orange with maple fretboard and a gun metal with rosewood then switching the pick guards. Gun metal with black guard and rosewood neck and an orange with white guard and maple neck. 🔥
When the Silver Sky came out, all I wanted was a flater fretboard and noiseless pickups. It looks like this SE NF3 does just that…. And that’s a SE so it’s cheaper! Even better!
I got mine yesterday, tuning is a problem on mine as well. I am trying to decide if I want to take it to get accessed would changing to 10s help? would new tuners? I also do not like that the volume is basically completely gone when dialing past 6
Dang. The tuning issues are most likely a nut issue. Before you send it off, make sure the strings are stretched and done moving, and then see if it still stays out of tune. In my experience, the nut is the biggest culprit with tuning. It might need to have the slots cut a little better. A good guitar luthier can do that easily. New tuners usually don't do much
I played one this week and it is an interesting and amazing animal, I want a strat style guitar with a little more bite and versatility and this does exactly that. Plays like a more expensive guitar and hard to put down. I have one in my cart and I’m fighting against my willpower as I look at a wall of my other guitars.
Got mine last week. Zero tuning problems-incredible stability. Definitely not a stock Strat sound-exactly what I wanted. I have to agree with you regarding the controls. Simple and perfectly located. This guitar is one of the best playing guitars I’ve ever owned. Paul hits another one out of the park.
I've got a review unit out for delivery. I'm hyped. My guy at Zzounds owns one and said I need to try it... and he knows I really don't dig strats LOL. I've gigged with 4 SE's now and every single one has been exceptional.
Saw one of these in the guitar store, thought it was one of the most beautiful looking guitars. Love the metallic orange with the dark rosewood fret board and black pick guard. Not sure if I like the pickups.
I had an SE Custom as my first electric and could never get it to tune. Never played it, got rid of it. I think the SE nuts are the issue, because locking tuners I put on didn't help.
Think P90 or Gibson Minibucker….but when you turn it slightly down… it chimes and becomes strat and tele like…. Seriously a great guitar dead stock off the shelf!!
the tuning issues is one of the most frustrating and problematic thing for PRS specially in the line of Core and up. I had a 594 core and sold due to this issue. 2 professional luthier replaced nuts and setup the guitar to no avail.
I looooove that finish n maple neck with the birds!!! Now i own a se dgt gold top .. had to change tuners with locking ones ... big difference ... i agree Prs saves money on se pegs for sure ... u can tighten the screws but it 's still low quality .i'm a humbucker person and i 've got gas ... i just wonder if the narrow field thing isn't just a commercial thing to lure more sales with due respect 😂. If i'm humbucker person why would i entertain an interest in a single coil modern strat on steroids? I think the looks are stunning and maybe that's why i 'm so attracted to it and this is a compliment to Prs . I think for the money is a great guitar .. the aesthetics are soo spot on...my se dgt is becoming my go to guitar ... even more than the ce 24 i own ... i'd love a maple neck with humbuckers which isn't a 2/3 grand in Uk like that signature metal head one ... Dusty .... Great content btw !!!
yeah it does. It was sealed in a plastic bag, so I didn't take it out. But the tremolo looks like an improved version over the standard strat versions.
Try stretching the strings next time. Any full floating trem will act that way at first. Once the strings break in, it's super stable. The tuners themselves are OK. The modern flat keys are not my favorite. They tend to flop over to easily in your fingers. Snugging up the little screws can sometimes help.
To be able to hear the differences in the pickups- turn off the distortion! Really! Any guitar can sound distorted with any type of fuzz pedal, but and difference in pickup sounds can only be determined with all effects off-including reverb. That is the only to get an accurate A-B comparison.
"I've always liked Black Beauty, but if it was only Strat-shaped"! I dunno. I wish they'd stay away from Fender designs. I feel like a PRS "Bluescaster" offset is just around the bend!
I absolutely love mine! This guitar made me a first time PRS owner. As soon as I seen these NF3 SE's and played on a few I knew I had to own one. I have several different humbucker and single-coil guitars, but this sonically fits right in the middle of them, which is exactly what I was looking for. It's one of those workhorse guitars, that if I could only bring one guitar with me to a gig and needed to cover several different musical styles, this does that...and does it well! Does it sound exactly like a single-coil Strat? No...but it can still do great twangy Strat tones, without being harsh sounding and no 60 cycle hum. And even though it doesn't have that higher output of a full humbucker guitar, it can still play rock and metal really well. I've heard several people say the NF pickups in these sound more like P90's, and I can get why they would say that, but I don't think that's quite the pickup sound, either. It is it's own thing, and that is what's so great about them IMO. And as far as the tuning stability goes, it must be something with PRS's own brand of strings they put on them. But once you break the strings in, it holds tuning well. I have not had any issues with mine not staying in tune. The only "con" I have discovered with these guitars is when you roll down the volume knob your tone gets much darker. However, a simple treble-bleed mod will easily fix this. But other than that, these are fantastic guitars!!
This would make a great secondary guitar for me- that said, imo the TCI "S" pickups in the Paul's guitar sound so good when split- if I get it, I don't see myself really needing anything else. I've never seen a guitar that can do a Tele, a Strat, or a LP- and make all 3 sound very convincing- but Paul's guitar can. And if you look at the design, it makes sense- there are design elements form each guitar in there.
You’re right. No one should ever try to advance the three pickup/ Tremolo setup. Oh wait, not everyone wants 3/trem to sound like a Fender. That would include me. You might try to climb out of the should sound like bag and think about the could sound like thing. PRS sound like PRS. It took me 50 years to play one, and now I won’t play anything else. I wanted to sound like me, not some dead Strat guy.
Hey, I don't know what exactly you found to criticize. I love this guitar. It's obvious that this is supposed to be similar to a traditional Strat. It's also obvious that PRS did its own thing with it. It's fantastic. No need to be negative.
It’s too weird to me. 10” Radius 🤦🏻♂️, humbuckimg single coils…..p90ish? Nope…..the tuning stability is a huge issue for me. If they are gonna send you a guitar to review your think it would be as good as they could get it.
It’s definitely not for everyone. It’s an acquired taste, but I do like it. But I am definitely with you on the tuning stability. Not good. I think I could fix it if I owned it though
I disagree. In my opinion, adding a little overdrive accentuates the differences between the pickups. I try to play some overdrive and some clean for these guitar videos. But for my pickup selection choices, I will always have a little overdrive on it.
To me, if PRS is going to make a Strat shaped guitar, it needs to do Strat things, otherwise what's the point of 3 pickups and the 5 way switch? It's almost as if the guitar doesn't know what its purpose is. From an expectations standpoint, they'd be better off using those pickups on a different guitar.
I see where you are coming from, but they already have their Silver Sky. I think they're trying to make a more improved version of a noiseless single coil. There's a big market out there for these type of pickups, so I like the direction. It also sounds a lot like a Strat, so I think they did a good job.
@@drewmack1709 Really? With the 2 point trem, Ultra neck joint, locking tuners and noseless pickups on the table? I think they’ve made plenty of innovations
@@drewmack1709 Gold doesn't need to innovate to be a cooler nor a better gold. It is just gold and that is what people want. Why changing something that is just amazing. I like innovation, but I don't blame Fender for not doing non Fender things. By the way, their noisless pickups sound awesome...
@@Rocket9asheviile Poplar isn't usually a good-sounding wood, but I'll concede that if you like the sound, then more power to you. About price, however... instrument pricing is all over the place. I wouldn't pay 700 for it. You can find a yamaha for 200 with better woods. You can pay thousands for something that's worn out and rusted.
Poplar is fine it’s about the same as alder. You probably hate basswood too and that was evh preferred wood. If it’s good it’s good. What are you even going on about without even playing anything.
Basswood is OK. Much better than poplar. And good job almost making a civil reply on the Internet. You had it right up till the end. You'll get it next time. And Happy Thanksgiving 🦃
*BUY HERE* (affiliates): bit.ly/3AnoFcL
(Amazon) - amzn.to/3W4l5fI
I got my PRS SE NF3 about a month ago. Absolutely love it! No tuning issues. Well done review!
thank you! Glad you're enjoying it! Great guitar
Great, I got mine about a month ago. Love it. Have fun.
I bought the NF3 SE as soon as it was released. It’s as close as one can get to a guitar for all of your needs.
I added a push pull pot to the tone control to get neck/bridge combo.
Add some highs it will easily do the Strat thing (I have 2 Strats). Add mids and you’re in the humbucking realm ( I have several humbucking guitars).
Plays great. Stays in tune.
Just played this guitar yesterday and absolutely loved it! The color looks even better in person! It played and sounds beautifully! Definitely want this one in my collection
Dude, I just got one. With some eqing, It can play anything
Their T-shaped guitar with these pickups sounds amazing.
The NF-53 with great color/finish choices.
Interesting color! Even as a drummer I enjoy watching your guitar videos
I appreciate that!
The tuning problem went away when I put a new set of StringJoy strings on the guitar. So although I too don’t care much for the stock tuners feel, they did fine with good strings and hold tune for as long as any of my high end Strats.
Love me some stringJoy strings!
I have finally had a chance to play this guitar ...and I am really impressed by it...very playable and has a sound all its own...some sort of blend of single coil and humbucker...leaning more on single coil with more punch and presence like some sort of PAF...can not really put an exact sound...I can hear it has a sound of its own...
I really loved this guitar and don't expect it to try to be like other guitars like strats...it has its own lane...
The best middle pickup sound in the market.
I agree.❤
Weird how many comments state tuning issues. I have McCarty Se, Silver Sky SE, Custom SE, CE SE, and OlderSingle cut SE and short time had a Starla SE and they are stable and only have problems when temperatures change and new strings stretch like any other guitar. I know from statistics you will always have some bad ones in any product. Are people paying attention to temperature changes, are they heavy hand on trem, not stretching strings, etc? My Alvarez Artist Grand Auditorium does same when temperature changes and new strings. Once it’s adjusted it’s fine. Has people paid attention to how long in store and if it’s been abused? I’ve witness mid-high end guitars have issues from abuse in store.
I can't speak for everyone else, of course, but the guitar I played was straight from the PRS factory. When I recorded the video, I made sure to stretch the strings, and let the guitar acclimate to my house for several days. I think the issues I had were with the nut slots. I don't think every model of this guitar would have the same tuning issues, but I thought it was worth mentioning for the review at least. To your point, there really are a number of things that can affect tuning, so everyone needs to troubleshoot for all the different sources of problems. Unfortunately I just couldn't really do that with a loaner. Thanks for your comment!
I’m thinking about buying an orange with maple fretboard and a gun metal with rosewood then switching the pick guards. Gun metal with black guard and rosewood neck and an orange with white guard and maple neck. 🔥
When the Silver Sky came out, all I wanted was a flater fretboard and noiseless pickups.
It looks like this SE NF3 does just that…. And that’s a SE so it’s cheaper! Even better!
I got mine yesterday, tuning is a problem on mine as well. I am trying to decide if I want to take it to get accessed would changing to 10s help? would new tuners? I also do not like that the volume is basically completely gone when dialing past 6
Dang. The tuning issues are most likely a nut issue. Before you send it off, make sure the strings are stretched and done moving, and then see if it still stays out of tune. In my experience, the nut is the biggest culprit with tuning. It might need to have the slots cut a little better. A good guitar luthier can do that easily. New tuners usually don't do much
I played one this week and it is an interesting and amazing animal, I want a strat style guitar with a little more bite and versatility and this does exactly that. Plays like a more expensive guitar and hard to put down. I have one in my cart and I’m fighting against my willpower as I look at a wall of my other guitars.
Got mine last week. Zero tuning problems-incredible stability. Definitely not a stock Strat sound-exactly what I wanted. I have to agree with you regarding the controls. Simple and perfectly located. This guitar is one of the best playing guitars I’ve ever owned. Paul hits another one out of the park.
Great to hear!
I've got a review unit out for delivery. I'm hyped. My guy at Zzounds owns one and said I need to try it... and he knows I really don't dig strats LOL. I've gigged with 4 SE's now and every single one has been exceptional.
Hope you enjoy it!
This looks sick! Loved the Huey!!!
A. h h pick up configuration option would be nice and a hss
Awesome review - a little brand inducement but. How do you to fix the turning problem??
I think it's a nut issue. If I were to troubleshoot it, I would try polishing the nut slots first.
Saw one of these in the guitar store, thought it was one of the most beautiful looking guitars. Love the metallic orange with the dark rosewood fret board and black pick guard. Not sure if I like the pickups.
Can you lower the middle pickup all the way in? Cheers
I'm sure you probably can. I don't really get to alter anything on loaners, so I can't say with certainty. But I'm sure you can lower it a lot more.
Would probably impact the volume of the 2-4 positions. Easier to adjust your picking style.
Genuine question - why would you want to do that?
@ I sometimes hit it while I pick
@@denmut oh! Hahahaha. I thought there's some tonal reason 😂
Do you know that there is an adjustment on each tuner to tighten it up unbelievable
of course
I had an SE Custom as my first electric and could never get it to tune. Never played it, got rid of it. I think the SE nuts are the issue, because locking tuners I put on didn't help.
Yeah I think you’re right. It’s not too hard to fix, but is always annoying to HAVE to.
3:55 is that Soul Shaker by Doyle Bramhall II? Great tone!
it is! Thank you!
Think P90 or Gibson Minibucker….but when you turn it slightly down… it chimes and becomes strat and tele like…. Seriously a great guitar dead stock off the shelf!!
Great review! Looks like your hand might be hitting the switch accidentally alot at you strum.
The pickup switch? Maybe it’s just an optical illusion. I wasn’t hitting it in the video. I don’t think it was a problem really
Just ordered one, Bought it cause I like the way it look and sound..
Also the PRS SE EG
great review!
the tuning issues is one of the most frustrating and problematic thing for PRS specially in the line of Core and up. I had a 594 core and sold due to this issue. 2 professional luthier replaced nuts and setup the guitar to no avail.
When you play mostly overdriven sounds, there isn't that much difference in tones between any of the positions.
I disagree
@BeastMadeReviews guess what distortion means in the English dictionary?
It certainly doesn't mean "super clean distinguishable signal"
@@Sideofbeans158 good to know if I ever need that definition.
@@BeastMadeReviews turns out you did
@@Sideofbeans158 No, it was fine without your expertise.
I looooove that finish n maple neck with the birds!!!
Now i own a se dgt gold top .. had to change tuners with locking ones ... big difference ... i agree Prs saves money on se pegs for sure ... u can tighten the screws but it 's still low quality .i'm a humbucker person and i 've got gas ... i just wonder if the narrow field thing isn't just a commercial thing to lure more sales with due respect 😂. If i'm humbucker person why would i entertain an interest in a single coil modern strat on steroids? I think the looks are stunning and maybe that's why i 'm so attracted to it and this is a compliment to Prs . I think for the money is a great guitar .. the aesthetics are soo spot on...my se dgt is becoming my go to guitar ... even more than the ce 24 i own ...
i'd love a maple neck with humbuckers which isn't a 2/3 grand in Uk like that signature metal head one ... Dusty ....
Great content btw !!!
does it come with tremolo arm? thanks
yeah it does. It was sealed in a plastic bag, so I didn't take it out. But the tremolo looks like an improved version over the standard strat versions.
Try stretching the strings next time. Any full floating trem will act that way at first. Once the strings break in, it's super stable. The tuners themselves are OK. The modern flat keys are not my favorite. They tend to flop over to easily in your fingers. Snugging up the little screws can sometimes help.
I believe I did stretch out the strings beforehand. Maybe it needed a little more.
marty mcfly was a big prs fan. this demo goes deep!
that's heavy...
there's that word again, heavy; is there a problem in the future with the earth's gravitational pull?@@BeastMadeReviews
This is really cool. But please prs make a metallic red one
that would be rad!
Just bought one 😊
Hope you enjoy it!
To be able to hear the differences in the pickups- turn off the distortion! Really! Any guitar can sound distorted with any type of fuzz pedal, but and difference in pickup sounds can only be determined with all effects off-including reverb. That is the only to get an accurate A-B comparison.
Oh I completely disagree. In my experience turning on some gain accentuates the sound of the pickups.
"I've always liked Black Beauty, but if it was only Strat-shaped"!
I dunno. I wish they'd stay away from Fender designs. I feel like a PRS "Bluescaster" offset is just around the bend!
I think that would be pretty cool! lol
I absolutely love mine! This guitar made me a first time PRS owner. As soon as I seen these NF3 SE's and played on a few I knew I had to own one. I have several different humbucker and single-coil guitars, but this sonically fits right in the middle of them, which is exactly what I was looking for. It's one of those workhorse guitars, that if I could only bring one guitar with me to a gig and needed to cover several different musical styles, this does that...and does it well! Does it sound exactly like a single-coil Strat? No...but it can still do great twangy Strat tones, without being harsh sounding and no 60 cycle hum. And even though it doesn't have that higher output of a full humbucker guitar, it can still play rock and metal really well. I've heard several people say the NF pickups in these sound more like P90's, and I can get why they would say that, but I don't think that's quite the pickup sound, either. It is it's own thing, and that is what's so great about them IMO. And as far as the tuning stability goes, it must be something with PRS's own brand of strings they put on them. But once you break the strings in, it holds tuning well. I have not had any issues with mine not staying in tune. The only "con" I have discovered with these guitars is when you roll down the volume knob your tone gets much darker. However, a simple treble-bleed mod will easily fix this. But other than that, these are fantastic guitars!!
This would make a great secondary guitar for me- that said, imo the TCI "S" pickups in the Paul's guitar sound so good when split- if I get it, I don't see myself really needing anything else. I've never seen a guitar that can do a Tele, a Strat, or a LP- and make all 3 sound very convincing- but Paul's guitar can. And if you look at the design, it makes sense- there are design elements form each guitar in there.
I still need to try Paul’s guitar! Sounds like something I would love
good video, well done
Thank you very much!
Id hope they dont sound like s or h im looking for something i dont have. Maybe this maybe mini humbuckers
You’re right. No one should ever try to advance the three pickup/ Tremolo setup. Oh wait, not everyone wants 3/trem to sound like a Fender. That would include me. You might try to climb out of the should sound like bag and think about the could sound like thing. PRS sound like PRS. It took me 50 years to play one, and now I won’t play anything else. I wanted to sound like me, not some dead Strat guy.
Hey, I don't know what exactly you found to criticize. I love this guitar. It's obvious that this is supposed to be similar to a traditional Strat. It's also obvious that PRS did its own thing with it. It's fantastic. No need to be negative.
Stop whining .. wanker !!!
Stop whining you wanker !!!
PRS SE desperately need a guitar with an HSS pickup configuration with true single coils
definitely. If they make a Fiore SE, I might snag one!
It’s too weird to me. 10”
Radius 🤦🏻♂️, humbuckimg single coils…..p90ish? Nope…..the tuning stability is a huge issue for me. If they are gonna send you a guitar to review your think it would be as good as they could get it.
It’s definitely not for everyone. It’s an acquired taste, but I do like it. But I am definitely with you on the tuning stability. Not good. I think I could fix it if I owned it though
Its orange metallic
Yes.
Thats a beautiful guitar....too bad im lefty
I empathize. My daughter is left-handed. I know PRS will make runs of lefties. Not sure how common it is for the SE line, though.
Same. But fortunately, I found a SE standard 24-08 for myself, I think it can cover a lot of things, but I can only relate
Next time play without distortion. Not everyone is into rock. Can be hard to tell with the different positions
I disagree. In my opinion, adding a little overdrive accentuates the differences between the pickups. I try to play some overdrive and some clean for these guitar videos. But for my pickup selection choices, I will always have a little overdrive on it.
Waiting on PRS to release the Tele version of this SE since the Myles Kennedy version is a bit on the overpriced range.
yeah! I don't have any insider info, but I think that would be a safe bet! Both the NF53 and the Myles Kennedy would be a good choice for the SE line.
Huey Lewis
69053 Kristopher Locks
This guitar looks and feels cheap to me. Way overpriced in my opinion. Should be in the $399 range.
I disagree
To me, if PRS is going to make a Strat shaped guitar, it needs to do Strat things, otherwise what's the point of 3 pickups and the 5 way switch? It's almost as if the guitar doesn't know what its purpose is. From an expectations standpoint, they'd be better off using those pickups on a different guitar.
I see where you are coming from, but they already have their Silver Sky. I think they're trying to make a more improved version of a noiseless single coil. There's a big market out there for these type of pickups, so I like the direction. It also sounds a lot like a Strat, so I think they did a good job.
I dunno, I welcome an S shape guitar with a 25” scale. The differences are what stand out to some. Otherwise there are plenty of strats out there
Surely it's better to make something a bit different? I like a strat as much as the next guy but Fender ran out of innovation in about 1963.
@@drewmack1709 Really? With the 2 point trem, Ultra neck joint, locking tuners and noseless pickups on the table? I think they’ve made plenty of innovations
@@drewmack1709 Gold doesn't need to innovate to be a cooler nor a better gold. It is just gold and that is what people want. Why changing something that is just amazing. I like innovation, but I don't blame Fender for not doing non Fender things. By the way, their noisless pickups sound awesome...
$700 for a poplar body guitar...
If the sound is there, who cares? Besides, $700 is not a lot of money for a guitar of this quality.
@@Rocket9asheviile Poplar isn't usually a good-sounding wood, but I'll concede that if you like the sound, then more power to you. About price, however... instrument pricing is all over the place. I wouldn't pay 700 for it. You can find a yamaha for 200 with better woods. You can pay thousands for something that's worn out and rusted.
Poplar is fine it’s about the same as alder. You probably hate basswood too and that was evh preferred wood. If it’s good it’s good. What are you even going on about without even playing anything.
Basswood is OK. Much better than poplar. And good job almost making a civil reply on the Internet. You had it right up till the end. You'll get it next time. And Happy Thanksgiving 🦃
Sounds crapy
I disagree