PRS NF 53 vs my Fender Professional Telecaster

[Revelation]

I own 5 electric guitars. PRS Silver Sky, McCarty 594 Core, Gibson Les Paul Custom, Gibson 335, and Fender Professional Telecaster. I really don't want to own any more guitars as I want to know each one so well, that playing live I won't have an issue. Everyone is different, I get it.

I just ordered a Tobacco Sunburst PRS NF 53 to compare to my Fender Telecaster. I like the Tele, but I want to see if I would prefer the NF 53. If I prefer the Tele, I will send the NF 53 back, and if I prefer the NF 53, I will sell my Telecaster. I will keep you updated on the tests.

This was my first impression of the NF 53 after trying it in the store for 15 minutes in a store a while back.

NF53: I absolutely just love the blue color on this guitar, with black pickguard and the maple neck. I spent some time really just enjoying the way this guitar looked for a long time and it made me smile. It does not look like a Fender Tele nor does it sound like one….thankfully. I did not want PRS to come out with their version of a Tele like the Silver Sky compares to a Strat. Fenders have a thinner sound and they have more treble. This guitar can sound Tele-ish, but it has a thicker sound. Its shape is similar to a Tele but different enough to have its own personality. Sort of like how the Fiore has a Strat sound but a thicker Strat sound. The first thing I noticed about this guitar was how light it was. The next thing I noticed was how chunky the neck is. It’s not awkward to play but it feels like a small baseball bat. I am 6 foot tall and I will admit I had no issue playing rth or lead guitar on this guitar. I could get used to the neck pretty quickly, but I will say, I prefer the Fiore neck over this neck. Regarding the pickups, they did a nice job with them. The back pickup does not have any ice pick. I love the sound of both pickups together as well as the front pickup. If your looking for a real Tele sound, I would like elsewhere. But if you want a punchier Tele, this thing is amazing. I will say however, with playing through a Mesa Boogie amp, getting the Keith Richards 70’s 80’s sound was not an easy task. Part of the reason was the fuller sound this guitar has. I can get the Keef sound quickly on a Tele with opening tuning. This guitar has a bigger and thicker sound and you would have to put the least amount of distortion to get a Rolling Stone sound. This guitar has its own sound. It does not sound like a Gibson or any Fender I have played. I go back to the comparison of the Fiore vs the Silver Sky with this guitar compared to a Tele Pro. I get Paul wanted that 50s Tele neck, but I do prefer the neck on my Fender Professional Tele.

 

[Glide-bpm]

I love my "thicker Tele" sound!!!

 

[andy474x]

Nice comparison, thanks for sharing!!!

 

[Revelation]

Nice comparison, thanks for sharing!!!

Just wait until I get the NF 53 in my studio for a couple of weeks and do a real comparison.

 

[bodia]

Looking forward to your in depth review.

 

[Revelation]

First impression on the FN 53 was that it was light, and thought the neck is larger than the Fender, it still is comfortable to play. The birds on the NF 53 are larger than the ones on the Silver Sky. I actually like the way they look better than the smaller birds on the Silver Sky. They also are drawn with stronger black lines. The weight on the NF 53 is less than my Tele.
The tuning pegs are very smooth and its easy to make adjustments when turning. The belly cut and cut for your arm is very nice. The playability on the guitar is really nice. It does get that Tele type of sound but its fuller sounding. The Fender has a more chimey top end like the Silver Sky on the front pickup. I love this sound. The back pickup also is brighter and thinner. If you want a Tele sound, I would not recommend the NF 53. If you want a fuller Tele sound that can still do the country thing, the guitar does it very well. The sound with both pickups is also excellent. In putting the volume knob to 9, it removes the fuller sound and it gets a little closer to a Tele. If the gain on the distortion channel is on 4 with the Tele, to get something close with the NF 53, you need to reduce the drive down to 2. In addition, add a little more treble and reduce the bass knob a little on your amp.

The taller frets on the Fender Pro I are really nice, but so are the ones on the FN 53. To play frets 21 and 22, my left hand gets a little cramped on the Telecaster. However on the NF 53, no issue at all. There is easier access to play the highest frets with the PRS.

 

[LunarRock]

Lovely finish, man it makes the tele bout look too big but prefer the tele headstock

 

[Revelation]

As this guitar was damaged in shipping apparently, it is going back. They will send me a new one in the Blue color. I will report back once I receive that one.

I searched YouTube for the best comparison between a Fender Telecaster and the NF 53 and found it. If you just want to hear the comparison, jump to 5:30. The NF 53 can get the Tele sound but it's not as thin and the attack is a little less. In regards to the front pickup, I prefer the NF 53 as the Tele front pickup is thin and small. The Silver Sky front pickup has more beef than the Tele pickup.

 

[d^rren]

Everyone compares the NF pickups to single-coil Strat and Tele pickups, but I'd love to hear a comparison with P90s.

 

[VHTStark]

Everyone compares the NF pickups to single-coil Strat and Tele pickups, but I'd love to hear a comparison with P90s.

This is honestly a better comparison. The narrowfields have more midrange grunt (think PAF midrange....not high output, distortion class) and output compared to true single coils. That said, I also find them less "messy" than a true P90. By this, I mean, no noise, more clarity and attack. Really really great pickups!

 

[Revelation]

I find the NF 53 compared to my Telecaster, similar to my thought process between my Gibson Les Paul and McCarty 594. The 594 is similar to the Les Paul in many ways, but it does not have that thick of a tone of a Les Paul. The NF 53 is like a Telecaster, but it does not have that thin sounding spank like a Telecaster. Both the 594 and NF 53 however can get in the ballpark of the guitars that influenced them. They are both more modern sounding guitars with some improved designs over the older guitars.

As an update; I will be getting the NF 53 in the 1st quarter of 2025 if my finances are good and the world is as stable as can be expected,

 

[Oscar]

I might be swayed by a rosewood ‘board version. PS the pickguard doesn’t compliment the guitar’s design very well in my opinion. I wonder if it would look nice with it taken off (assuming there’s not top rout underneath for the neck pickup wire).

 

[Revelation]

Now I am thinking, if I already have a Telecaster that I really like, why not get something different like a Custom 24 or Custom 234 08? Perhaps the thicker Tele sound of the NF 53 is more like the McCarty 594 vs a Les Paul. Maybe, owning a Custom 24 will provide more of a different sound and might be a better option?

 

[Rider1260]

I feel like the NF53 pickups have a bit of Fender Wide Range pickup influence in them , like a solid body version of a Tele thin line.
Regardless love my NF53 , I love the look of my NF53 without the pickguard , but not enough to look at the pickguard mounting holes , I did change my pickguard and that was enough.

 

[Bobd]

Now I am thinking, if I already have a Telecaster that I really like, why not get something different like a Custom 24 or Custom 234 08? Perhaps the thicker Tele sound of the NF 53 is more like the McCarty 594 vs a Les Paul. Maybe, owning a Custom 24 will provide more of a different sound and might be a better option?

What about a G&L ASAT special ? or a nice Custom Fender strat ? or a Suhr or a nice Nick Johnston Schecter or a .. so many too choose from

 

[dogrocketp]

Bag the other guys. Go with the 24 fret PRS of your choosing. I hike the strap up slightly higher to correct the wrist angle to make it comfortable.

 

[bodia]

Bag the other guys. Go with the 24 fret PRS of your choosing. I hike the strap up slightly higher to correct the wrist angle to make it comfortable.

Ditto to this!

 

[Revelation]

What about a G&L ASAT special ? or a nice Custom Fender strat ? or a Suhr or a nice Nick Johnston Schecter or a .. so many too choose from

I had a ASAT Classic. Too similar to the Telecaster. I already have a Silver Sky and don't want another Strat type of guitar.

 

[Revelation]

After seeing more videos of people who lost everything in the hurricanes, it feels wrong to buy another guitar right now. I am donating money to Samaritan's Purse who is providing food, clothing and relief to hundreds of people. This is a choice for me.

 

[dogrocketp]

Congratulations!