Zac great to meet you the other day at Joe Glaser Guitars. I had a PRS Brent Mason model that I wanted Joe to put and B/G Bender on, he didn't want to do that and suggested I get a really nice tele for him to install the bender on. I called PRS and ask them if they were ever going to build a "T" style guitar, and they said they had nothing on the drawing board. So I hired Dan Bloom of "EB Rooster" guitars to build me a 3 pickup Nashville Tele. The Day I meet you I had Joe and his great staff plek my guitar and install the B/G bender. I am very happy with my custom EB Rooster Tele, but I do love Paul and his passion for his people and his instruments. We are Blessed to have people like you, Joe Glaser, his entire staff, and Paul Reed Smith and all of his great people to support us with great information and products to support our "Sickness."
There is a Guy By the name Forest Lee Jr over out of Dixon that makes Tele style He Made Me a 3 pickup tele with 3 special pick up no B.E. or G Benders . Hes Good Brad Pasley Has a couple tele's Forest has Made Youl Be Happy with His work . I was going to have him do a 4. Or 5 pick up strat a strech the Body for the 4 or 5 pic ups . Hes not hard to Find .
Is the absence of the bridge plate really the culprit for some loss of twang? I was always told that more metal around the Tele bridge pickup caused a widening of the magnetic field of the pickup, making it more mellow. Same thing with pick up covers on PAF..
It’s important to realise that PRS didn’t make this guitar for Telecaster fans. If you’re a hard-core Fender fan, you’re not going to buy the NF-53. PRS knows this. You’re not the target audience. The NF-53 isn’t intended to be a PRS for Tele players - it’s a Tele for PRS fans. There are a lot of people who love PRS and are very loyal to the brand. Until now, those people didn’t have a guitar to reach for when they needed a Tele. In the same way, the Silver Sky isn’t a PRS for Strat fans - it’s a Strat for PRS fans. What they are doing is creating a greater range of guitars for their loyal PRS fanbase, so those people have no reason to go buy a Fender, or a Gibson, etc….
I've been trying to find a video where it's compared to a tele but everyone else's videos just play like hard rock and really "non tele"sounding riffs, I just wanted it a/b'ed with a tele and you're the perfect person for that
When people make videos in front of their bookshelves I always like to see what they're reading. Well, I'd been wanting to find a book about the history of Fender amps, so when I scanned your bookshelf I found you did my work for me. I figured if you had it on your shelf it's probably a good read, so I paused the video and ordered it up from my local library. I also ordered the Strat one too for good measure! Thanks Zac, for finding me books to read as well as all your great videos. Cheers!
I like that he has the Jimmy Bryant and Speedy West album in the background of a Tele review (orange cover “ Two Guitars “ title is visible) Jimmy gave Leo a lot of feedback and was the first guy to stop traffic with a Telecaster.
You might seriously consider publishing a Zacology bibliography if you haven’t already. You are my favorite interviewer and music historian. (Rick and Keith are tied for second place) You do the best homework and background studies. You know how to draw out the gold from all these recording kings. Thank you for sharing your gift of inquiry with us all. God bless you, Zac.
I laughed the first time I studied the shelf. Then checked mine to see if I had been robbed lol! Zac and I agree on literature. Guitar lit anyways lol.
Not sure I care for the aesthetics of the birds on a maple board or the headstock with a Tele body shape. I like PRS stuff but I don't think I'd be interested in this, as great of a guitar as it probably is.
There are soooooo many guitars I can’t play for this very reason. PRS and basically anything that isn’t Gibson or fender, looks wise just looks/feels like a copy.
I bought a PRS McCarty double-cut with moon inlays many years ago, and the looks of the headstock bothered for a long time. I liked everything else but that. Then, I noticed how the curve of the headstock followed the curve of the cut-outs on the body. It then made more sense to me regarding the design, and I didn't mind it so much after that, but I certainly understand not liking it. I am used to it now and like it okay, but sure didn't for a long time.
I also am a telecaster fanatic. I guess all us southern boys and Nashville Cats know our guitars... But, lately, I got a Les Paul Classic for my son, and damn, there is NOTHING that sounds exactly lile a Gibson Les Paul. P. S. Have you tried the "goldfoil" tele? I got one, and, oh boy! That baby is a tone machine.
I never could get interested in PRS. I tried really hard ,but I couldn't. I like the classic designs because of their flaws. The same reason why "Paul Sheldon" in "Misery"(1990) drove that beat up ol mustang it helped him think. LOL Boom! Misery reference. LOL
I just can't with this thing! It's painful to look at and while it "approximates a Tele" tone, it does nothing for me. No offense. Call me old school but I just can't.
I wonder how many of our old heroes (who let's face it we know because of Zac 😂) would get on with one of these. Always have to remind myself that the vintage kit they used was not vintage but new and the "latest and best" they could get. Paul, and even Leo in his later days, never seemed to stop striving.
Want to bet that Paul reaches out once he sees this? He seems to be interested in what people think of his instruments, which is a great way to improve what you design and build, I think. He also just likes to play and jam with others. He builds guitars from a player’s perspective whether his own, or from some of his signature artists. Great video.😬😎
I like the way it sounds and I think the bridge design is cool, but I can't get over the way it looks. The headstock is fine (I have a DGT SE and I kind of ignore the headstock), but I really don't like the pickup having a gap between the body and pickup. That said, it sounds great and I hope the people who buy these love them!
My best Telecaster is my Richie Kotzen signature Fender MIJ. It’s an absolutely incredible guitar. Just my 2 cents on the telecaster topic. I’ve never played a PRS Tele
Very well done video review. It was bound to happen. Interesting spin. One characteristic of PRS guitars: they don't seem to lend well to customization or part swaps. I too prefer a 1-5/8" nut width. I think Zak's tele's just sound more organic.
Great guitar but this leans close to an apples vs oranges situation imo, would love to see the same comparison with a G&L ASAT which was Leo’s last iteration of the Tele which had pretty significant and innovative changes, primarily with the bridge and pickups. Interesting story about how he reluctantly came to design it but demand for a Tele design from him at that stage in the company’s history was apparently strong. Then there is of course the ASAT Classic which is basically a Tele, a comparison to your Esquire would be cool with it as well. Lots of Tele variants from various manufacturers but keeping it all Leo based might prove interesting and have that crucial historical link.
This is good info. I absolutely do not like these guitars , even though I have and love some PRS'... If it wasnt a tele twin I still dont think Id like it. Its just odd to me, like they were trying too hard to do a tele. Sounds groovy enough, I dunno. I'm no Luthier... No Baptist either...Non-denominational really.😅🤣😂LOL!!!!! 🥰Cheers Zac! Thanks man. Good one!
Zach, on break angle, it makes sense to me that a greater angle puts more pressure on saddle, resonating into the guitar. But I have a Bigsby on a guitar with 24.7 scale length that I run the strings over the bar behind the saddle because of intonation issues. The result is amazing sustain and slinky feel. It doesn’t make sense, but I really like it. I love my Fender guitars, but PRS builds a great guitar with a different quality. Solution is to buy more guitars.
Thanks for this review Zac, and thanks to Jesse for making it happen. I like a slightly modern Tele (such as a flatter radius fingerboard and individual saddles), and I’m really enjoying my PRS CE 24 SE. But I’m just not seeing anything in the NF-53 that appeals to me. Not that it matters until they make an SE model that’s in my price range. 😀 When they do, I feel like I’ll have to evaluate it as its own thing rather than compare it to a Tele, though. Because when I think Tele, I think Tele pick-ups, and those NFs may be great, but they don’t seem like a substitute for Tele pickups to me.
Zac looks really pained to like this guitar. I think he’s saying It is a good guitar but it’s not a Tele so what is it exactly? As love tele’s and I’ve had fenders and Gibson’s and PRS. I think this guitar is worth a try.
Leo’s headstock lets you sit a Tele or Strat on its back without hitting the tuners or the headstock itself. Not a major advantage but appreciated now and then.
Always a gentleman - Thank you, Zac. I’m one of those Es335 players who couldn’t get along with a tele neck or bridge intonation. After seeing your review, I actually want to try one of these. ( I bought a thinline tele and played it a lot, but never bonded with that traditional neck- sent it to a new home.)
I put this into the general comment section but here it is as a reply. BTW, Warmouth (maker of necks and bodies of every guitar out there) makes a Tele neck that bolts up to the standard T-body but with the option of a Gibson scale length (24,3/4") and wider nuts width and flatter fretboard radius. They also make a combo fretboard radii with traditional radius towards the nut and a flatter radius up the neck also S/S frets.
Very interesting video, Zac. I’m fascinated lately by “alt” style Teles, having recently obtained a CP Thornton TS-1, which I’ve decided is the best guitar I’ve ever played!
Played one just like that at Righteous guitar in Atlanta - played like butter. I'm a bassist who doesn't much care for teles but I fell in love after 10 min.
Keith from 5 watt world sent me your way because of his short histories and my love of the Tele and thought I would check out some of your videos and enjoyed them and your playing and knowledge so Subscribed and look forward to more videos and checking out your past ones. Keep rocking 🤘🏻🎸🤘🏻
I can't afford to support you on Patreon at the moment but I got to say your content is really good. I love your true tone vids and am super thankful for the content you put out. Liked, subscribed, and will share.
I go back and forth on a variety of neck widths, ranging from a violin to a classical guitar, so I'm used to ignoring neck width. But, one thing that sometimes causes me hiccups on my Fenders is the lack of "wiggle room" between the E-strings and the edge of the fingerboard. In addition to the occaisional string slip over the edge, I sometimes find the base of my index finger making contact with the ringing open high E, causing a sizzle. It's annoying, but I adjust. I never have this happen on my Gibsons or PRSs, though.
Sometimes you need to shim the neck with bolt on guitars. Or at least crack the bolts loose and wiggle the neck until the strings are spaced better underneath it. Been a common issue with my bolt on necks
I have noticed this close to the edge grief on vintage Fenders, with the bridge perfectly centered. I grabbed a G&L Tribute classic T where it showed up. The bridge is parallel, but not centered. The neck joint is perfectly tight. Zero wiggle room for shiming. Not sure I have a cure I like, so I live with it. I love the pick ups! Chris
Same issue here. I have adapted to this E-string roll off by cutting new nuts to a narrower width.. This moves both E-strings in a little. Stew-Mac sells a nut spacing gauge that gives a perfect spaced cut every time. This also allows you to cut the high E a little higher to avoid the sizzle.
@@robertmitchell2178 I have done this. I keep it low as a fret. First fret intonation is paramount. One thing I constantly see is strings not lining up with pole pieces. Every thing is a compromise.
Chris, I'm not seeing how a neck shim would help, here, but a "therapeutic" nut as described above would likely help. On my Tele Deluxe, which came with the wide vintage bridge string spacing, I plugged, redrilled, and installed a lookalike import bridge with narrower spacing. This dramatically improved the playability for me by moving the strings away from the edges of the fingerboard. No one can tell by looking...
Great video, I appreciate you taking the time to do a deep dive. I have been playing a McCarty 594 for about three years and I’m having a great time, no turning back. They’re addicting for sure.
Glad to see a real Tele player run this through its paces. Very cool! Actually does the Tele thing pretty well. Other reviews don’t really demonstrate that all that well.
This was great. Your review was nice because you were coming at it as someone not already playing PRS and not affiliated. This guitar looks and sounds great to me. I have a Fiore and got it mostly for the neck, which is wide and thin. I like the wide string spacing on it, but I feel it still has a pretty standard thinness like a Fender strat or tele. It sounds like the NF is fatter. Still really nice. thanks for putting this out there.
Nice review but I think that you didn’t mention fretboard radius. I only mention it because many Tele and Strat type guitars have large radius boards, I think a large radius fingerboard just doesn’t feel right on them.
Hey Zac, ain't no hillbilly thing about our thumbs , when my fingers are up there, my thumb is over, when they travel down, my thumb is back down there. A barre chord needs the support unless it's long enough to use on the bass strings. I ain't no Richie Havens. Yeah those are big old flappers on the end of that every time you lean it against something you will move those big things. Hold on, gotta retune.
This guy really needs to use his brain. Body mouted pickups WILL NOT sound any different to pickguard or bridge mouted. It's frustrating listing to someone who clearly knows very little about how these components work tell everyone a blatent lie. Another thing, break angle at the bridge also makes absolutely no difference in "tone". This is an electric guitar, not an acoustic. How many more decades will people be so ignorant?
Thanks for the deep dive. The detail about the nut is very informative. No other reviews mention this. This guitar is being aimed at Gibson or PRS players used to their necks. Helpful description. I own a Reverend & Suhr classic T. The Reverend has a slightly wider nut which I prefer but the Suhr is more chunky & I like that too. I’m going to have to track one of these down to feel the neck. I love the tones you got. If I get that without hum, that’s great. I will say I wish they put locking tuners on this like the Myles Kennedy.
Excellent review. Very thorough, interesting and sincere. I always love your cadence and delivery. My favorite thing about the guitar is that it is not a Tele copy. It is, as you said, Tele-esque. PRS designed a unique guitar inspired by the Telecaster and targeted at that customer but not one thing about that guitar is a copy. I would have liked the Silver Sky much more if it wasn't a Strat copy with a really ugly headstock (can't stand the shape of the PRS headstock).
I have not enjoyed any demo of this guitar.. until now! I've always told people having trouble figuring something out:" maybe you haven't asked the right hillbilly yet". 😅
My tele is a mahogany thinline partscaster, with a wide, fat 12” radius roasted maple neck, 4-way switch, and Bill Lawrence microcoil pickups. If I ever get the urge for a solid-body again, it might have to be an NF-53!
As Zak and John know I am a huuuge John Jorgenson fan owning 3 - ASAT’s, 2- JJ silver sparkle JJ edition G&L guitars,one maple neck, one rosewood neck. One JJ fender Hellecasters Strat, one Fender Custom Shop USA JJ Double silver sparkle telecaster, and an SC 30 Matchless. 😊Would buy a new Brent Mason Telecaster But it was heavy. Just had major emergency back surgery and it did not sound like a Tele. Since I am still here on this planet I want to get a great sounding regular Tele. All suggestions are welcome. I do not like anything but thinner necks. I also own the MIJ Jerry Donahue tele with upgraded Duncan pick ups, - recommended by Jerry, the JD fender Strat, the Will Ray MIJ Jazzacaster and the Fender Will Ray Custom Shop Hellecaster Tele. Hmmm guess I am a fan!
I have the Myles Kennedy on the way from a mid-west music store after they install the Phase 3 tuners for me. That is my only gripe with PRS, and I own a lot of PRS guitars, is the Phase 3 tuners should at least be an option on any of their high end guitars. They look and perform fantastic. Great review of the NF-53. I have several NF3s withe the Narrowfield pups and it is my go to PRS. I play for a country artist and can nail everything I need for his shows. Thanks!!
I have a t style guitar i got cheap and it works for that tele type thing for me. I have to admit i have had a sip of the PRS kool aid. Love the detail, fit and finish on these instruments. Only reason I haven't gotten one of the PRS NF-53 is the price. Hope they come out with and SE soon. Thanks for your opinion compared to a real tele. I value your opinion over most people regarding guitars.
Great guitar as most PRS's are; however, as insteresting as it is with unique sounds, I would not fork $3K (after you add taxes) for that! That pale neck does not inspire me and at least for this one, they could have done without them birds. A roasted or rosewood would have been more aesthetically appealing. Just my 2 cents. :)
Nice video over view. Never a fan of the PRS style choices esp that headstock design and the silly little birdies. The tele is a tool and a simple one like a flat blade screwdriver. No urgent need to make it fancy smancy. Leo got it right so just Keep It Simple Stupid!
Forget both. Get a USA made Hamer T-51 "Telecaster," if you can still find one. Superior in almost every way. But, you have to like the 14.5 degree fretboard radius. I do.
Had one since Oct '23. Great in every way, as Zac points out. I would say it's close to 90% the Tele sound. EXCELLENT construction and quality! (played Teles since August 1970!!).
You can keep the PRS delving into Fenderland... I honestly think Leo nailed it with the ASAT and I'll take the MFD pups over the PRS pups all day long.
Maybe I'm just too oldschool and I'm definitely one who (also) cares for the visuals of an instrument (or any product)- so any time I see that pointy PRS headstock (to me remotely looking like one of those WHAM or BANG sound bubbles in a comic strip) on a guitar whose - meanwhile iconic - body speaks an altogether different visual language (like Strats or Teles certainly do) I think: this looks just terrible and is seemingly ignorant of what "good" and visually coherent product design should be about. Maybe they've got a good ear at PRS, but as to eyes I wonder if they really got any at all...
For a guitar with really nothing visually groundbreaking or earth-shattering, i find this design really challenging. I'm sure it feels, sounds, and plays well, but there's something that just doesn't quite work for this guy.
I was a Tele guy for years, then switched to PRS solely - they are just superior instruments. Bought a Myles Kennedy (the other T-style from PRS) and do not regret it at all. But I also get why it may not be aesthetically pleasing to others. There is a reason I don’t pick up a Jackson when I go into a shop… Still, I would recommend just trying one. I think you might be pleasantly surprised
10 points for creative refinements by PRS, and 10 points for a great and balanced review, but I wouldn’t buy this simply because I tune all my guitars down to D or even C# standard (fits my voice better), which means losing treble. Need the full twang. Also not fond of a wider neck, since I’m also a thumb-bass guy.
Thanks for the vid! I think these definitely have a place in today's country music. Especially overdriven stuff. Not so much for the older stuff though. They might be really great in a studio??? I own a PRS Custom SE22 semi-hollow that I really enjoy. But these are not for me. I think they have tried to find middle ground between PRS and Fender but missed on both sides. It's going to be very difficult to unseat the king of country tone after 8 decades. I do love both Teles and PRS. PRS makes some great guitars. Not a fan of these though. They just don't fit into my playing style anywhere.
Great sounding, quality built guitar. PRS is a great innovator. However, I don't care for the overall esthetics. Something about it doesn't do it for me. That's just me though. No doubt, this is an excellent, professional instrument.
Innovator? I don't think so. Okay, so I've owned a couple of PRS guitars, core series. One was a copy of a Gibson, with P90 pickups. The other was a copy of a Gretsch. He's been very successful with his copy of the Fender Stratocaster in both his core and SE series. I like PRS guitars, especially used, so I can get the high quality at a greatly reduced price. The headstock shape is cringe-worthy at any price. So now he has come out with a Telecaster copy, This is not innovation. This is copying. Sure, he tweaks a little, but Leo Fender was the INNOVATOR. Paul's a copier who tweaks a little. That said, I might own another one of his guitars one day. If I can stomach the headstock. I don't object to PRS guitars. My objection is solely with calling the guy an innovator.
Does anyone know why there's no reviews from the more popular TH-cam people on the Squier Thinline 70s limited edition that has block inlays and a bound neck? Such an enormous excursion from the norm for a 'Fender' guitar to have anything but black dots and no binding ever on anything. Sweetwater has channel bound Fender necks but they're twice the price of that whole Squier Tele guitar! And nobody is talking about it? Beuller? Beuller?
Thank you for doing such a well balanced non-biased review. It’s refreshing to see an honest review these days that’s not tainted with the “you scratch my back and I’ll scratch yours” tactics. I think the guitar sounds good and the bridge system offers some improvements over the traditional Tele bridge. However, the neck width, angled headstock, and the birds are all a no for me. The bird inlays are just too distracting looking for such a simple minimalist guitar. And I’m not a PRS Bird detractor. It depends on the guitar and I think the simpler Moons would be a much better fit. All and all just like you said, Zac, these guitars would be awesome for a Gibson/PRS player who needs a Tele now and then.
Zac great to meet you the other day at Joe Glaser Guitars. I had a PRS Brent Mason model that I wanted Joe to put and B/G Bender on, he didn't want to do that and suggested I get a really nice tele for him to install the bender on. I called PRS and ask them if they were ever going to build a "T" style guitar, and they said they had nothing on the drawing board. So I hired Dan Bloom of "EB Rooster" guitars to build me a 3 pickup Nashville Tele. The Day I meet you I had Joe and his great staff plek my guitar and install the B/G bender. I am very happy with my custom EB Rooster Tele, but I do love Paul and his passion for his people and his instruments. We are Blessed to have people like you, Joe Glaser, his entire staff, and Paul Reed Smith and all of his great people to support us with great information and products to support our "Sickness."
There is a Guy By the name Forest Lee Jr over out of Dixon that makes Tele style He Made Me a 3 pickup tele with 3 special pick up no B.E. or G
Benders . Hes Good Brad Pasley Has a couple tele's Forest has Made Youl Be Happy with His work .
I was going to have him do a 4. Or 5 pick up strat a strech the Body for the 4 or 5 pic ups . Hes not hard to Find .
I really enjoyed meeting you, and what a great looking Tele he made for you!
for 3K they need to throw in a hard shell case.
At first glance, it appears that a Fender Tele had a one night stand with a Carvin Holdsworth model, and 9 months later, this was born!
Watching Zack's videos feels like watching the Bob Ross of guitars/music. Great job!
Is the absence of the bridge plate really the culprit for some loss of twang? I was always told that more metal around the Tele bridge pickup caused a widening of the magnetic field of the pickup, making it more mellow. Same thing with pick up covers on PAF..
It’s important to realise that PRS didn’t make this guitar for Telecaster fans. If you’re a hard-core Fender fan, you’re not going to buy the NF-53. PRS knows this. You’re not the target audience.
The NF-53 isn’t intended to be a PRS for Tele players - it’s a Tele for PRS fans. There are a lot of people who love PRS and are very loyal to the brand. Until now, those people didn’t have a guitar to reach for when they needed a Tele. In the same way, the Silver Sky isn’t a PRS for Strat fans - it’s a Strat for PRS fans.
What they are doing is creating a greater range of guitars for their loyal PRS fanbase, so those people have no reason to go buy a Fender, or a Gibson, etc….
Your right there are a lot of people who fall for Paul's bullshit, sales pitch!
I dunno if I agree with the strat part, because as far as I'm aware, the Silver sky is just a good strat clone
I've been trying to find a video where it's compared to a tele but everyone else's videos just play like hard rock and really "non tele"sounding riffs, I just wanted it a/b'ed with a tele and you're the perfect person for that
When you say non tele and hard rock in the same comment it makes me think of Jimmy page. “Nothing sold more Les Pauls than Jimmy pages telecaster”
I felt the same with this review. A great review.
Yup. A clean amp setting is the only way to hear what the pickups sound like.
I hate when people do that lol
@@haplozetetic9519 exactly don't get me wrong though I like a good treble booster but when listening to guitar demos I like hearing the amps clean
I just want to commend your reviewing abilities, how you discuss the pros and cons! I feel more informed than "told what to think".
I'm sure the quality is outstanding. But I'm out.
My consistent opinion on every PRS I look into is: why bother?
When people make videos in front of their bookshelves I always like to see what they're reading. Well, I'd been wanting to find a book about the history of Fender amps, so when I scanned your bookshelf I found you did my work for me. I figured if you had it on your shelf it's probably a good read, so I paused the video and ordered it up from my local library. I also ordered the Strat one too for good measure! Thanks Zac, for finding me books to read as well as all your great videos. Cheers!
I only keep the good ones
I like that he has the Jimmy Bryant and Speedy West album in the background of a Tele review (orange cover “ Two Guitars “ title is visible) Jimmy gave Leo a lot of feedback and was the first guy to stop traffic with a Telecaster.
You might seriously consider publishing a Zacology bibliography if you haven’t already. You are my favorite interviewer and music historian. (Rick and Keith are tied for second place) You do the best homework and background studies. You know how to draw out the gold from all these recording kings. Thank you for sharing your gift of inquiry with us all. God bless you, Zac.
I laughed the first time I studied the shelf. Then checked mine to see if I had been robbed lol! Zac and I agree on literature. Guitar lit anyways lol.
YeahMe2.
It baffles me that companies can charge that much for a guitar with a bolted on neck.
Not sure I care for the aesthetics of the birds on a maple board or the headstock with a Tele body shape. I like PRS stuff but I don't think I'd be interested in this, as great of a guitar as it probably is.
Beautiful review. You brought out the twang other reviewers did not do for this guitar. Thank you for years of music related information !
That's a beauty, BUT the pointy headstock... I have a pointy guitar stigma issue.
There are soooooo many guitars I can’t play for this very reason. PRS and basically anything that isn’t Gibson or fender, looks wise just looks/feels like a copy.
I am both a PRS and Tele fan, so this scratches a lot of itches for me. Excellent overview
The neck radius is the first thing I noticed.
felt great to me.
10° radius
Is anybody reminded of the old Ovation electrics? Like the Viper, Preacher, and Breadwinner?
I once had an Ovation electric. Innovative and really well made.
I had a Breadwinner....wish I'd hung on to it.
the David Cassidy embarassment guitar
not very tele-sounding to me
Always hated the PRS headstock... They sound great but.... Wouldn't ever buy one
I bought a PRS McCarty double-cut with moon inlays many years ago, and the looks of the headstock bothered for a long time. I liked everything else but that. Then, I noticed how the curve of the headstock followed the curve of the cut-outs on the body. It then made more sense to me regarding the design, and I didn't mind it so much after that, but I certainly understand not liking it. I am used to it now and like it okay, but sure didn't for a long time.
I don’t mind it, and it certainly would not be the deal-breaker for me - it would be playability and versatility…
You share some great insights and observations, Zac. Thanks.
Why is the PRS made with a SCARF Neck construction? That’s usually cost-cutting done by cheaper guitars….🧐
I also am a telecaster fanatic. I guess all us southern boys and Nashville Cats know our guitars... But, lately, I got a Les Paul Classic for my son, and damn, there is NOTHING that sounds exactly lile a Gibson Les Paul. P. S. Have you tried the "goldfoil" tele? I got one, and, oh boy! That baby is a tone machine.
I never could get interested in PRS. I tried really hard ,but I couldn't. I like the classic designs because of their flaws. The same reason why "Paul Sheldon" in "Misery"(1990) drove that beat up ol mustang it helped him think. LOL Boom! Misery reference. LOL
Such a fair review, you’re the man, Zac. We all learn so much from you!
I just can't with this thing! It's painful to look at and while it "approximates a Tele" tone, it does nothing for me. No offense. Call me old school but I just can't.
Sir, that was a great review…kudos for the honest take from a tele guru. 👍🏻
I personally don’t like 3 per side headstock
Plot Twist: next two instruments Peavey brings back are the TL5 and the Cropper Classic.
I wish
In Any product.... I would Much Rather have the original.....than a knockoff.....no matter the Alleged improvements......
Is that a dial telephone in your pocket, or are you happy to see me? 😂
I wonder how many of our old heroes (who let's face it we know because of Zac 😂) would get on with one of these. Always have to remind myself that the vintage kit they used was not vintage but new and the "latest and best" they could get. Paul, and even Leo in his later days, never seemed to stop striving.
I can see Roy Nichols using one of these.
IMO they’re way better than those silly music man guitars Johnny Hiland and Albert Lee used/use. .
@@fancykarlmarx why do you come to that conclusion?
@@vintagepearlguitars purely esthetics. Music man guitars sound just fine I just hate the way they look and their bass counterparts.
Want to bet that Paul reaches out once he sees this? He seems to be interested in what people think of his instruments, which is a great way to improve what you design and build, I think. He also just likes to play and jam with others. He builds guitars from a player’s perspective whether his own, or from some of his signature artists. Great video.😬😎
Great guitar, but sorry the headstock is a deal breaker for me.The string-spacing of 3 by 3 tuners affect tone.
That headstock on a tele is beyond bad.
I like the way it sounds and I think the bridge design is cool, but I can't get over the way it looks. The headstock is fine (I have a DGT SE and I kind of ignore the headstock), but I really don't like the pickup having a gap between the body and pickup. That said, it sounds great and I hope the people who buy these love them!
Great review! Appreciate your no nonsense take and insight within this review.
I appreciate that!
Great review Zac.
Love everything with the body and bridge design. Prefer the original Tele headstock.
Got a chance to play one of these recently as our local music store got one. My impression was very much the same as yours. Thanks for a great video!
My best Telecaster is my Richie Kotzen signature Fender MIJ. It’s an absolutely incredible guitar. Just my 2 cents on the telecaster topic. I’ve never played a PRS Tele
Oh man, I am feening for one of those. Is it that great? I m always looking for the perfect tele. Love my "goldfoil" tele.
Very well done video review. It was bound to happen. Interesting spin. One characteristic of PRS guitars: they don't seem to lend well to customization or part swaps. I too prefer a 1-5/8" nut width. I think Zak's tele's just sound more organic.
Great guitar but this leans close to an apples vs oranges situation imo, would love to see the same comparison with a G&L ASAT which was Leo’s last iteration of the Tele which had pretty significant and innovative changes, primarily with the bridge and pickups. Interesting story about how he reluctantly came to design it but demand for a Tele design from him at that stage in the company’s history was apparently strong. Then there is of course the ASAT Classic which is basically a Tele, a comparison to your Esquire would be cool with it as well. Lots of Tele variants from various manufacturers but keeping it all Leo based might prove interesting and have that crucial historical link.
That might be the ugliest guitar I’ve ever seen. If I won that for free I’d decline receipt.
This is good info. I absolutely do not like these guitars , even though I have and love some PRS'... If it wasnt a tele twin I still dont think Id like it. Its just odd to me, like they were trying too hard to do a tele. Sounds groovy enough, I dunno. I'm no Luthier... No Baptist either...Non-denominational really.😅🤣😂LOL!!!!! 🥰Cheers Zac! Thanks man. Good one!
Zach, on break angle, it makes sense to me that a greater angle puts more pressure on saddle, resonating into the guitar. But I have a Bigsby on a guitar with 24.7 scale length that I run the strings over the bar behind the saddle because of intonation issues. The result is amazing sustain and slinky feel. It doesn’t make sense, but I really like it. I love my Fender guitars, but PRS builds a great guitar with a different quality. Solution is to buy more guitars.
It sounds fine. But, damn, that is one ugly guitar.
Thanks for this review Zac, and thanks to Jesse for making it happen. I like a slightly modern Tele (such as a flatter radius fingerboard and individual saddles), and I’m really enjoying my PRS CE 24 SE. But I’m just not seeing anything in the NF-53 that appeals to me. Not that it matters until they make an SE model that’s in my price range. 😀 When they do, I feel like I’ll have to evaluate it as its own thing rather than compare it to a Tele, though. Because when I think Tele, I think Tele pick-ups, and those NFs may be great, but they don’t seem like a substitute for Tele pickups to me.
Zac looks really pained to like this guitar. I think he’s saying It is a good guitar but it’s not a Tele so what is it exactly? As love tele’s and I’ve had fenders and Gibson’s and PRS. I think this guitar is worth a try.
And, can I have an SE version? 😊
I hope they bring one of these to the SE line
Thanks for an honest comparison!
Leo’s headstock lets you sit a Tele or Strat on its back without hitting the tuners or the headstock itself. Not a major advantage but appreciated now and then.
Doinky! My next technical term! Great video as usual...
Always a gentleman - Thank you, Zac.
I’m one of those Es335 players who couldn’t get along with a tele neck or bridge intonation. After seeing your review, I actually want to try one of these. ( I bought a thinline tele and played it a lot, but never bonded with that traditional neck- sent it to a new home.)
I put this into the general comment section but here it is as a reply. BTW, Warmouth (maker of necks and bodies of every guitar out there) makes a Tele neck that bolts up to the standard T-body but with the option of a Gibson scale length (24,3/4") and wider nuts width and flatter fretboard radius. They also make a combo fretboard radii with traditional radius towards the nut and a flatter radius up the neck also S/S frets.
Very interesting video, Zac. I’m fascinated lately by “alt” style Teles, having recently obtained a CP Thornton TS-1, which I’ve decided is the best guitar I’ve ever played!
Played one just like that at Righteous guitar in Atlanta - played like butter. I'm a bassist who doesn't much care for teles but I fell in love after 10 min.
Keith from 5 watt world sent me your way because of his short histories and my love of the Tele and thought I would check out some of your videos and enjoyed them and your playing and knowledge so Subscribed and look forward to more videos and checking out your past ones. Keep rocking 🤘🏻🎸🤘🏻
Thanks to you and @fivewattworld
I can't afford to support you on Patreon at the moment but I got to say your content is really good. I love your true tone vids and am super thankful for the content you put out. Liked, subscribed, and will share.
Gonna be real with you, big guy… you’re far too cool to play or be seen with a PRS
Gonna be real with you, @CityBlades... your statement shows a shocking lack of emotional intelligence
Great review and playing, Zac! You know, that PRS reminds me of my '88 G&L ASAT, only updated by thirty-some years.
I go back and forth on a variety of neck widths, ranging from a violin to a classical guitar, so I'm used to ignoring neck width. But, one thing that sometimes causes me hiccups on my Fenders is the lack of "wiggle room" between the E-strings and the edge of the fingerboard. In addition to the occaisional string slip over the edge, I sometimes find the base of my index finger making contact with the ringing open high E, causing a sizzle. It's annoying, but I adjust. I never have this happen on my Gibsons or PRSs, though.
Sometimes you need to shim the neck with bolt on guitars. Or at least crack the bolts loose and wiggle the neck until the strings are spaced better underneath it. Been a common issue with my bolt on necks
I have noticed this close to the edge grief on vintage Fenders, with the bridge perfectly centered.
I grabbed a G&L Tribute classic T where it showed up. The bridge is parallel, but not centered.
The neck joint is perfectly tight.
Zero wiggle room for shiming.
Not sure I have a cure I like, so I live with it.
I love the pick ups! Chris
Same issue here. I have adapted to this E-string roll off by cutting new nuts to a narrower width.. This moves both E-strings in a little. Stew-Mac sells a nut spacing gauge that gives a perfect spaced cut every time. This also allows you to cut the high E a little higher to avoid the sizzle.
@@robertmitchell2178 I have done this.
I keep it low as a fret.
First fret intonation is paramount.
One thing I constantly see is strings not lining up with pole pieces.
Every thing is a compromise.
Chris, I'm not seeing how a neck shim would help, here, but a "therapeutic" nut as described above would likely help. On my Tele Deluxe, which came with the wide vintage bridge string spacing, I plugged, redrilled, and installed a lookalike import bridge with narrower spacing. This dramatically improved the playability for me by moving the strings away from the edges of the fingerboard. No one can tell by looking...
Well done look at the PRS. Definitely not a PRS guy but I listened to you because were fair and objective. Thank you
Great video, I appreciate you taking the time to do a deep dive. I have been playing a McCarty 594 for about three years and I’m having a great time, no turning back. They’re addicting for sure.
Wow super ugly guitar. …. Hard pass
That PRS headstock is brutally ugly on a T style guitar.
And those fingerboard inlays, ugh . . . .
@@rigelloar7474 so 80s now!
Glad to see a real Tele player run this through its paces. Very cool! Actually does the Tele thing pretty well. Other reviews don’t really demonstrate that all that well.
This was great. Your review was nice because you were coming at it as someone not already playing PRS and not affiliated. This guitar looks and sounds great to me. I have a Fiore and got it mostly for the neck, which is wide and thin. I like the wide string spacing on it, but I feel it still has a pretty standard thinness like a Fender strat or tele. It sounds like the NF is fatter. Still really nice. thanks for putting this out there.
Nice review but I think that you didn’t mention fretboard radius. I only mention it because many Tele and Strat type guitars have large radius boards, I think a large radius fingerboard just doesn’t feel right on them.
It has a 10" radius
Thanks for your quick reply. 10 inches is just about Ok for me.
Don't want to swing a core model but an SE would be great!
I do like tiny frets. Looked for years to replace an old tele and ended up with a new Godin that has small frets
This is a solid pass for me.
I was wondering what you’d think about it
@@oqsyI was wondering what you would think about what he thought about it.
“Pass” as in it is passes or you’re passing on it?
@@stanknuggetI was wondering that too.
@@rubbadubdub6543 I was wondering if you were wondering that.
If they would get rid of the stupid birds!
Never made it past the unfortunate headstock
Hey Zac, ain't no hillbilly thing about our thumbs , when my fingers are up there, my thumb is over, when they travel down, my thumb is back down there. A barre chord needs the support unless it's long enough to use on the bass strings. I ain't no Richie Havens. Yeah those are big old flappers on the end of that every time you lean it against something you will move those big things. Hold on, gotta retune.
As a pretty major Tele guy I would play one (in a solid colour). I respect what Paul is trying to do with this.
This guy really needs to use his brain. Body mouted pickups WILL NOT sound any different to pickguard or bridge mouted. It's frustrating listing to someone who clearly knows very little about how these components work tell everyone a blatent lie. Another thing, break angle at the bridge also makes absolutely no difference in "tone". This is an electric guitar, not an acoustic. How many more decades will people be so ignorant?
Make a video
@@AskZac the lies you believe have been disproven by many people. Not only do you look it, but you really are special.
Love your show Zach always!! I think the pickups are called "Narrowfield".
Thanks nice review. I've got a Buzz Feiten T-Pro... his take on a tele with some mods
Thanks for the deep dive. The detail about the nut is very informative. No other reviews mention this. This guitar is being aimed at Gibson or PRS players used to their necks. Helpful description. I own a Reverend & Suhr classic T. The Reverend has a slightly wider nut which I prefer but the Suhr is more chunky & I like that too. I’m going to have to track one of these down to feel the neck. I love the tones you got. If I get that without hum, that’s great. I will say I wish they put locking tuners on this like the Myles Kennedy.
PRS Tele sounds great
The headstock is sooo hard to look at 😊
i sees the Bose Wave Radio in that shot. Mine went belly up last year, i nearly cried.
They are good little units!
the fret board is an embarrassment.
Excellent review. Very thorough, interesting and sincere. I always love your cadence and delivery. My favorite thing about the guitar is that it is not a Tele copy. It is, as you said, Tele-esque. PRS designed a unique guitar inspired by the Telecaster and targeted at that customer but not one thing about that guitar is a copy. I would have liked the Silver Sky much more if it wasn't a Strat copy with a really ugly headstock (can't stand the shape of the PRS headstock).
I have not enjoyed any demo of this guitar.. until now! I've always told people having trouble figuring something out:" maybe you haven't asked the right hillbilly yet". 😅
My tele is a mahogany thinline partscaster, with a wide, fat 12” radius roasted maple neck, 4-way switch, and Bill Lawrence microcoil pickups. If I ever get the urge for a solid-body again, it might have to be an NF-53!
Zac’s videos are absolutely brilliant👌👌👌🫡
Great, i really enjoyed the review. Now please do some music man and g&l videos on strat and tele reinterpretations.
He just did the ASAT recently.
@@mrbuttons1243 thanks, I'll check it out!
@@mrbuttons1243 ah, I've watched it already and totally forgot! I'm watching it again for good measure.
As Zak and John know I am a huuuge John Jorgenson fan owning 3 - ASAT’s, 2- JJ silver sparkle JJ edition G&L guitars,one maple neck, one rosewood neck. One JJ fender Hellecasters Strat, one Fender Custom Shop USA JJ Double silver sparkle telecaster, and an SC 30 Matchless. 😊Would buy a new Brent Mason Telecaster
But it was heavy. Just had major emergency back surgery and it did not sound like a Tele. Since I am still here on this planet I want to get a great sounding regular Tele. All suggestions are welcome. I do not like anything but thinner necks.
I also own the MIJ Jerry Donahue tele with upgraded Duncan pick ups, - recommended by Jerry, the JD fender Strat, the Will Ray MIJ Jazzacaster and the Fender Will Ray Custom Shop Hellecaster Tele. Hmmm guess I am a fan!
@@mrbuttons1243❤John J
I have the Myles Kennedy on the way from a mid-west music store after they install the Phase 3 tuners for me. That is my only gripe with PRS, and I own a lot of PRS guitars, is the Phase 3 tuners should at least be an option on any of their high end guitars. They look and perform fantastic. Great review of the NF-53. I have several NF3s withe the Narrowfield pups and it is my go to PRS. I play for a country artist and can nail everything I need for his shows. Thanks!!
I have a t style guitar i got cheap and it works for that tele type thing for me. I have to admit i have had a sip of the PRS kool aid. Love the detail, fit and finish on these instruments. Only reason I haven't gotten one of the PRS NF-53 is the price. Hope they come out with and SE soon. Thanks for your opinion compared to a real tele. I value your opinion over most people regarding guitars.
Great guitar as most PRS's are; however, as insteresting as it is with unique sounds, I would not fork $3K (after you add taxes) for that! That pale neck does not inspire me and at least for this one, they could have done without them birds. A roasted or rosewood would have been more aesthetically appealing. Just my 2 cents. :)
Nice video over view. Never a fan of the PRS style choices esp that headstock design and the silly little birdies. The tele is a tool and a simple one like a flat blade screwdriver. No urgent need to make it fancy smancy. Leo got it right so just Keep It Simple Stupid!
Forget both. Get a USA made Hamer T-51 "Telecaster," if you can still find one. Superior in almost every way. But, you have to like the 14.5 degree fretboard radius. I do.
Had one since Oct '23. Great in every way, as Zac points out.
I would say it's close to 90% the Tele sound. EXCELLENT construction and quality!
(played Teles since August 1970!!).
You can keep the PRS delving into Fenderland... I honestly think Leo nailed it with the ASAT and I'll take the MFD pups over the PRS pups all day long.
Maybe I'm just too oldschool and I'm definitely one who (also) cares for the visuals of an instrument (or any product)- so any time I see that pointy PRS headstock (to me remotely looking like one of those WHAM or BANG sound bubbles in a comic strip) on a guitar whose - meanwhile iconic - body speaks an altogether different visual language (like Strats or Teles certainly do) I think: this looks just terrible and is seemingly ignorant of what "good" and visually coherent product design should be about. Maybe they've got a good ear at PRS, but as to eyes I wonder if they really got any at all...
For a guitar with really nothing visually groundbreaking or earth-shattering, i find this design really challenging. I'm sure it feels, sounds, and plays well, but there's something that just doesn't quite work for this guy.
I’ve never liked the look of those damn birds or the PRS headstock, for that matter. I know they make quality instruments, just not my bag.
I was a Tele guy for years, then switched to PRS solely - they are just superior instruments. Bought a Myles Kennedy (the other T-style from PRS) and do not regret it at all.
But I also get why it may not be aesthetically pleasing to others. There is a reason I don’t pick up a Jackson when I go into a shop… Still, I would recommend just trying one. I think you might be pleasantly surprised
10 points for creative refinements by PRS, and 10 points for a great and balanced review, but I wouldn’t buy this simply because I tune all my guitars down to D or even C# standard (fits my voice better), which means losing treble. Need the full twang. Also not fond of a wider neck, since I’m also a thumb-bass guy.
Thanks for the vid!
I think these definitely have a place in today's country music. Especially overdriven stuff. Not so much for the older stuff though. They might be really great in a studio???
I own a PRS Custom SE22 semi-hollow that I really enjoy.
But these are not for me. I think they have tried to find middle ground between PRS and Fender but missed on both sides.
It's going to be very difficult to unseat the king of country tone after 8 decades.
I do love both Teles and PRS. PRS makes some great guitars. Not a fan of these though. They just don't fit into my playing style anywhere.
Great sounding, quality built guitar. PRS is a great innovator. However, I don't care for the overall esthetics. Something about it doesn't do it for me. That's just me though. No doubt, this is an excellent, professional instrument.
Innovator? I don't think so. Okay, so I've owned a couple of PRS guitars, core series. One was a copy of a Gibson, with P90 pickups. The other was a copy of a Gretsch. He's been very successful with his copy of the Fender Stratocaster in both his core and SE series. I like PRS guitars, especially used, so I can get the high quality at a greatly reduced price. The headstock shape is cringe-worthy at any price. So now he has come out with a Telecaster copy, This is not innovation. This is copying. Sure, he tweaks a little, but Leo Fender was the INNOVATOR. Paul's a copier who tweaks a little.
That said, I might own another one of his guitars one day. If I can stomach the headstock. I don't object to PRS guitars. My objection is solely with calling the guy an innovator.
Does anyone know why there's no reviews from the more popular TH-cam people on the Squier Thinline 70s limited edition that has block inlays and a bound neck? Such an enormous excursion from the norm for a 'Fender' guitar to have anything but black dots and no binding ever on anything. Sweetwater has channel bound Fender necks but they're twice the price of that whole Squier Tele guitar! And nobody is talking about it? Beuller? Beuller?
Thank you for doing such a well balanced non-biased review. It’s refreshing to see an honest review these days that’s not tainted with the “you scratch my back and I’ll scratch yours” tactics.
I think the guitar sounds good and the bridge system offers some improvements over the traditional Tele bridge. However, the neck width, angled headstock, and the birds are all a no for me. The bird inlays are just too distracting looking for such a simple minimalist guitar. And I’m not a PRS Bird detractor. It depends on the guitar and I think the simpler Moons would be a much better fit.
All and all just like you said, Zac, these guitars would be awesome for a Gibson/PRS player who needs a Tele now and then.