PRS se nf 53

[Grandfunkfan]

I just read a review for the Indonesian made PRS tele copy and it said it's " The tele for players that don't like teles". I guess they deserve credit for not trying to compete with the original. I wonder why they bother to use a tele style body. Anybody got there hands on one yet?

 

[Peegoo]

The reviewer probably was referring to the sound. The NF53 is not twangy like a typical Telecaster; it's got more midrange punch.

 

[Grandfunkfan]

That's fine, I've got a couple non twangy teles, but they're Fenders. It's just weird that a competitor would copy a body for a guitar that doesn't sound like most of us associate that shape with.

 

[Wayne Alexander]

 

[Peegoo]

Fender has issued a bunch of Telecasters that are nothing like what your typical country bumpkin would sling on a stage. The Thinline is one of 'em. Remember the John 5 Tele when it was first issued? Many Tele purists had their delicate feelz hurt and they loudly griped about how Fender had lost the bubble.

Guitars are...guitars. They're not the bones of some patron saint of music.

There are several iconic shapes that get copied by many makers because they simply...work

 

[thescarecrow]

I really don't think it is that strange. The Telecaster, Stratocaster, Jazz Bass and Precision Bass are some of the most copied bodies ever. Rightfully so. Mr. Fender got it right so why make a body that might turn a potential buyer off. Tons of people love those body styles.
Actually, I'm glad you made this post. The PRS SE NF 53 has just jumped to the top of my "guitar want list", and I have a birthday coming up.

 

[Grandfunkfan]

I watched this demo. I still have no idea what the guitar sounds like. He's got a nice sounding pedal board though. Probably get a Squier tele to sound the same with that rig

 

[Grandfunkfan]

Fender has issued a bunch of Telecasters that are nothing like what your typical country bumpkin would sling on a stage. The Thinline is one of 'em. Remember the John 5 Tele when it was first issued? Many Tele purists had their delicate feelz hurt and they loudly griped about how Fender had lost the bubble.

Guitars are...guitars. They're not the bones of some patron saint of music.

There are several iconic shapes that get copied by many makers because they simply...work

I mentioned in my post that I have a few non traditional teles. My point was, as much as I love the tele shape, as a competitor, I'd feel weird copying the design. It's pretty tempting, I think it's best looking guitar of all time. The first thing I think of when I see that shape from another builder is "copy's. PRS is big time enough to get away with an original design. Most of the he other copiers don't have reputation PRS does and need to draw in customers with a more affordable tele. By using Fenders design they put themselves in the same category as the lesser builders, at least to.the casual observer. That's all. They should capitalize on their success and seperate themselves from the pack.

 

[Dismalhead]

Meh. It's just a singlecut going for that mystery zone somewhere between a single coil and a humbucker; I've got a couple of tween guitars that cover similar territory already. Shape is Tele-ish, but not quite right, and the neck looks funky.

From their non-icepick comments it does sound like it's being marketed as a Tele alternative. I'm sure it's nice, but no, not anything like an actual Tele in looks or sound. I love PRSs but this one doesn't interest me at all. I do like the finish though.

 

[Gary in Boston]

Ya know............. I kinda feel bad for guitar designers. It must be darned near impossible to come up with something new. Instead they often walk down the same road paved over 70+ years ago STATING it's the cure for the player who doesn't like the very thing they are producing.

Oh and I'm not sure the PRS headstock goes that well with the Tele adjacent body style......................

 

[Grandfunkfan]

Ya know............. I kinda feel bad for guitar designers. It must be darned near impossible to come up with something new. Instead they often walk down the same road paved over 70+ years ago STATING it's the cure for the player who doesn't like the very thing they are producing.

Oh and I'm not sure the PRS headstock goes that well with the Tele adjacent body style......................

That is a bummer for other guitar makers. It's pretty hard to overcome 70+ years of what is considered how a guitar should look. It would be cool to see something new that has a chance of catching on. Until then, there's a tele, and all of its iterations.

 

[tomasz]

There ist a lot of people out there wanting a tele shaped guitars, but of better specs or quality than Fender can deliver. PRS fills this gap with the NF53. Not everybody is out there for the Twang, some of us try to tame it, or live in the middle and neck positions most of the time. The tele shape works for me, but Im more happy with an HB or P90 in the bridge for me to be usable at all.

There is an interesting thing about objects that are around for a long time, we get used to it and experience them as golden standards of ideal. So is the tele and strat shape for many people, who grew up seeing them everywhere and being iconized. But those designs are very dated, if I was objective, same as Cadillacs, 50's era tosters and dining tables

Let's appreciate, that companies still pay tribute to those classic instruments, but also try to update them in their own way!

 

[GRAVITY-LHP]

To me, it looks and sounds like it’s own thing.

The name is a nod to the Tele, but that’s all.

It doesn’t sound like a Tele and doesn’t try to.

I mean, cmon. It’s basically equipped with mini humbuckers.

I think it more of a Vela-Tele hybrid.

There will be countless comparisons to the tele all in the name of likes and hit and subscriptions to YouTube…. But for those that are after the Tele tone and nuances that contribute to the output… they won’t find it in the NF53 or SE version.

I feel like PRS was just poking at Fender with the name more than the guitar. They could have called it anything unrelated to the Tele. But the chose 53… is it an alternative… sure. And why not. I could see any tele fan adding one… but as a complement not a replacement.

Parting thought… personally, I don’t really care for the look. I think PRS should stick to their own look and vibe. Like the DGT. That’s all PRS.

 

[AndrewG]

I'm waiting for Yamaha to revisit their T-styles. I like the 1611MS but it's too spendy for me. The PRS doesn't interest me at all. No idea which Pacifica model this is, but I like it.

 

[Peegoo]

Ya know............. I kinda feel bad for guitar designers. It must be darned near impossible to come up with something new.

Pretty much every electric guitar these days is this, with a different outline:

With the exception of MIDI pickups and multi-scale fretboards, there's been no other true innovation in electric guitar technology.

 

[JDB2]

I’ve got the non SE NF53 and not only is it a fantastic guitar, it’s much more Tele-like than one might expect based on the design. In fact, it sounds and plays more like a classic Tele than the Fender American Ultra—which I have owned—in my opinion. If the SE is comparable, it’s a great guitar at a great price.

 

[tugboat1980]

The reviewer probably was referring to the sound. The NF53 is not twangy like a typical Telecaster; it's got more midrange punch.

The videos I’ve seen of it kinda sounds like a noiseless p90, even in the hands of Zac Childs.

 

[tugboat1980]

Pretty much every electric guitar these days is this, with a different outline:

With the exception of MIDI pickups and multi-scale fretboards, there's been no other true innovation in electric guitar technology.

Kinda feel like electric guitar has already matured. Violins haven’t really changed in centuries. Trumpets. French horns.

Stringed guitar like instruments (mandolin, banjo, etc…) took a few decades but they haven’t really changed much either in a long time.

It’s all mature designs by now. Sure luthiers of acoustic instruments will always mess with bracing patterns but that’s about it. Electric instruments have reached the point of maturity.

 

[unixfish]

I have been sort-of looking at the NF53. Two things are holding me back:

* I like single coils and the single coil sound.
* I want a rosewood / ebony / pau ferro / etc. board.

I get the deep dish pickups sound more like a P90 than a humbucker, but I think I would not be happy long term. Maybe if these had the stacked single noiseless pickups like Fender uses?

Interesting, but not GAS inducing. I like the purple dog hair color too.

 

[Ron R]

That's fine, I've got a couple non twangy teles, but they're Fenders. It's just weird that a competitor would copy a body for a guitar that doesn't sound like most of us associate that shape with.

Didn't the NF53 come out of working with Myles Kennedy on a signature? If so, the shape is probably what he's comfortable with, but he wanted something different than single coils could provide, hence the nearfield humbuckers.