SE NF3?!

[Jimmy]

Finally got to play one in a local store, and left scratching my head. I found that the sweet spot with the volume knob for fuller chords was a pretty tight window. It was easy to go from too much push to anemic with very little movement. Single notes and tight triads sounded great though. The two I played had great build quality.

Makes me curious about the US pickups as far as clarity goes. I bet they are more flexible.

 

[Broseph]

Finally got to play one in a local store, and left scratching my head. I found that the sweet spot with the volume knob for fuller chords was a pretty tight window. It was easy to go from too much push to anemic with very little movement. Single notes and tight triads sounded great though. The two I played had great build quality.

Makes me curious about the US pickups as far as clarity goes. I bet they are more flexible.

Or maybe a better pot? I do think a treble bleed will help make the volume knob more useful

 

[Russ73]

I'm loving mine fellas...very cool guitar and probably the most comfortable too...great sounds in this one try not to overthink it!!

 

[dogrocketp]

Finally got to play one in a local store, and left scratching my head. I found that the sweet spot with the volume knob for fuller chords was a pretty tight window. It was easy to go from too much push to anemic with very little movement. Single notes and tight triads sounded great though. The two I played had great build quality.

Makes me curious about the US pickups as far as clarity goes. I bet they are more flexible.

Betcha a new volume pot would get you there, and cheaply.

 

[Mark Ray]

Call me The Waffler. Had a gunmetal gray w/rosewood in my cart at Sweetwater for a bit. It's now been sold, but I just loaded in another one. Really hesitant to pull the trigger, as I'm waiting for the inevitable SE Studio to be released.

 

[Russ73]

Call me The Waffler. Had a gunmetal gray w/rosewood in my cart at Sweetwater for a bit. It's now been sold, but I just loaded in another one. Really hesitant to pull the trigger, as I'm waiting for the inevitable SE Studio to be released.

That's what I bought...gun metal/ rosewood....heck I'll get the studio as well if it comes to fruition lol....im diggin it...theyre pretty well made...

 

[iekobrid]

Tried one yesterday. No sharp fret edges, seemed generally of good build quality, and just as good looking in person as expected. Unfortunately it didn't do anything sonically that the four mid-boost-equipped strats I own already can't do. (And they're even in the same color schemes as the NF3s I prefer!) So I can't validate buying one.... new. If / when they drop under $500 used, I'll probably give in.

 

[Broseph]

PRS released the wiring diagram - like I thought the pots are not typical. 1Meg volume pot! 500k Tone pot. And a bunch of resistors
https://support.prsguitars.com/hc/en-us/article_attachments/27477429799195
The bridge pickup is different from the neck and middle - hotter and wired differently.

 

[d^rren]

Interesting. I wonder if the bridge is wired in series, whereas the middle and neck are wired in parallel?

 

[vhalen50]

PRS released the wiring diagram - like I thought the pots are not typical. 1Meg volume pot! 500k Tone pot. And a bunch of resistors
https://support.prsguitars.com/hc/en-us/article_attachments/27477429799195
The bridge pickup is different from the neck and middle - hotter and wired differently.

If my armchair electrical knowledge is right...that makes the neck position see 690k, middle see 600k and bridge see 550k.

 

[Broseph]

I'm not too sure. But part of me wonders if the bridge being different is the reason why position 2 seems abnormally "darker" to than I would expect. Position 3 sounds brighter. Position 2 sounds like the tone knob has been rolled down to 3

 

[vhalen50]

I'm not too sure. But part of me wonders if the bridge being different is the reason why position 2 seems abnormally "darker" to than I would expect. Position 3 sounds brighter. Position 2 sounds like the tone knob has been rolled down to 3

I find the same issue with my core NF3. The spank is there...but with a ton of mids instead of scooping like youd expect/want. Id assume those pickups in the SE are super dark already, which is why they went with a 1m and resistors to try to tailor extra hi end out of them.

 

[andy474x]

Interesting about the resistors and pots... I'll tell you this, they did their homework!!!

 

[frankencat]

If my armchair electrical knowledge is right...that makes the neck position see 690k, middle see 600k and bridge see 550k.

It kind of makes sense, it would get slightly brighter response towards the neck pickup. They are probably all the same pickup and this is how they calibrate them.

 

[Broseph]

I find it interesting that the series leads are cut short. I’m not too sure they could reach the pot and selector

 

[vhalen50]

I find it interesting that the series leads are cut short. I’m not too sure they could reach the pot and selector

you could always extend them with a splice. But yeah its kinda like how dimarzio single coil HB's usually have tiny little series link tails.

 

[Broseph]

If my armchair electrical knowledge is right...that makes the neck position see 690k, middle see 600k and bridge see 550k.

So my understand of calculating resistors is shot. From what I call: wouldn’t the middle positions be “darker” when adding up the multiple resistors? Part of me wonders how different it would sound if I installed a 550k pot and removed the resistors.

 

[vhalen50]

So my understand of calculating resistors is shot. From what I call: wouldn’t the middle positions be “darker” when adding up multiple the multiple resistors? Part of me wonders how different it would sound if I installed a 550k pot and removed the resistors.

You’d need to find a 550k pot first. Tolerances usually have the pots be +-5% or so. Highest 500k I’ve ever gotten was 515k. But it’s probably just to try to balance it out across each position.

 

[Broseph]

You’d need to find a 550k pot first. Tolerances usually have the pots be +-5% or so. Highest 500k I’ve ever gotten was 515k. But it’s probably just to try to balance it out across each position.

Bare knuckles sell their 550k pots with 10% tolerance. Maybe shoot for one over 550 lol

 

[frankencat]

WD has 550 CTS pots.