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PRS SE NF3

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Electric Guitar

PRS SE NF3

PRS · SE NF3

Price: 43 EUR – 1.317 EUR

Price history 07.09.2026 19.09.2026
Cheapest seen Most expensive seen

Availability: 9/10 (Common)

A triple-Narrowfield take on the Strat-style bolt-neck format, deliberately built as its own thing rather than a Silver Sky sibling - where the Silver Sky refined PRS's S-style body into something close to a traditional outline, the NF3 wears a distinctive beveled edge around its horns and leans into bold modern colorways. Three Narrowfield DD 'S' pickups aim for a middle ground reviewers describe as thicker than a single coil but clearer than a standard humbucker, landing it closer to true Strat tonality than any other Narrowfield-equipped PRS.

Where available? Go to the best price – 44 EUR About this instrument

About the PRS SE NF3

The NF3 descends from PRS's original 2011 Narrowfield-equipped model but arrives, by the reviewing press's account, radically altered from that starting point. Where the Silver Sky took PRS's S-style body shape toward a close reading of a classic single-cutaway Strat silhouette, the NF3 deliberately goes its own way with a distinctive beveled edge wrapping the horns and contemporary metallic finishes - a choice that signals this guitar isn't trying to be a Silver Sky alternative. A poplar body keeps weight down, and the three Narrowfield DD 'S' pickups use taller bobbins with extra winds and added metal pieces between the magnets compared to earlier Narrowfield designs, a construction change aimed squarely at closing the gap to genuine single-coil clarity.

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Source: https://reverb.com/item/100139230-prs-nf3-se-ice-blue-metallic

Sound character of the PRS SE NF3

The redesigned Narrowfield DD 'S' pickups land in a deliberately middle register - thicker and more substantial than a true single coil, but clearer and more articulate than a standard humbucker, with the middle position singled out by reviewers as a standout for its improved articulation over earlier Narrowfield designs. The overall character reads as a more muscular, modern take on classic S-style tonality: Strat-adjacent character remains recognizable, but with added density that holds up well for rock and blues playing, particularly once a drive or dirt pedal is added to the signal chain.

Crisp Midrange-forward Punchy Modern/Hi-Fi Full-bodied

What owners of the PRS SE NF3 say

Owner sentiment runs strongly positive, with more than one forum post calling it simply an incredible guitar for the money. The three Narrowfield DD pickups draw particular praise for sounding remarkably close to genuine Strat pickups while still delivering usable humbucker tones - not an exact single-coil clone, but close enough that owners describe the hum-free single-coil sound as beating most noiseless Strat pickup sets they've tried. The recurring practical complaints are consistent rather than scattered: the missing treble bleed capacitor dulling the top end at lower volume settings, occasional fret sprout on maple-neck units as humidity shifts, and a control layout - volume knob near the tremolo arm, selector requiring a reach around it - that takes some getting used to. None of these read as dealbreakers in the sources found; one reviewer went as far as calling the SE line the benchmark for import-guitar quality at this price point.

Playability & handling of the PRS SE NF3

The wide neck profile is described as filling the hand comfortably, paired with a back body contour reviewers call seamless against the body and a beveled neck joint that reads as a genuine quality touch rather than cosmetic flourish. Fretwork comes in for specific praise - nicely rolled and dressed edges - while the stock closed-back tuners are judged adequate, with one reviewer noting they'd personally swap in locking tuners rather than treating the stock units as a weak point needing urgent replacement. Forum owners flag a less convenient detail: the volume knob sits almost directly under the tremolo arm and the pickup selector requires reaching around it, a layout quirk worth knowing about before gigging rather than a dealbreaker discovered on stage.

Recommended accessories & strings for the PRS SE NF3

A detail worth planning for rather than being surprised by: unlike the original USA NF3, the SE version ships without a treble bleed capacitor, so rolling the volume knob down below roughly 9 noticeably dulls the treble - several owners address this with an aftermarket treble bleed mod, a cheap, well-documented fix rather than a guitar-specific mystery. Owners buying used units also report that some arrive needing real setup work on the bridge, neck relief and intonation, playing well afterward but not necessarily gig-ready straight from a private sale the way a new unit would be.

Technical data for the PRS SE NF3

Type Bolt-neck solidbody electric guitar, S-style with tremolo
Production PRS SE series, built in Indonesia
Body Poplar
Neck Maple, bolt-on, Wide Thin profile, beveled neck joint
Scale length 25 in.
Fingerboard Maple or rosewood (option), 10 in. radius, 22 frets
Pickups 3x PRS Narrowfield DD "S" humbuckers
Controls Master volume, master tone, 5-way blade switch
Tremolo PRS Patented Tremolo
Hardware PRS closed-back tuners
Weight Approx. 3.35kg (7.37 lb)

Price history for the PRS SE NF3

Cheapest seen: 43 EUR  ·  Most expensive seen: 1.317 EUR

1.317 EUR43 EUR 07.09.2026 15.09.202616.09.202618.09.2026 19.09.2026
Cheapest seen Most expensive seen

The history of the PRS SE NF3

The NF3 traces its pickup concept back to PRS's original 2011 Narrowfield-equipped model, but the SE version represents enough of a redesign that the reviewing press describes it as radically altered rather than a simple reissue. Its most visible break with PRS convention is deliberate distance from the Silver Sky: rather than refining the S-style body toward Silver Sky's close reading of a classic single-cutaway shape, the NF3 carved its own identity with a modernist beveled horn and bold metallic finishes, positioning it as a parallel rather than a budget version of PRS's more famous Strat-style model.

About PRS as a manufacturer

Background on the SE line's broader origin and its acknowledged quality step below the hand-finished USA Core line is documented elsewhere in this project's PRS SE research rather than repeated here; background on the Narrowfield pickup platform's 2011 origin is documented at the prs-se-nf-53 entry.

Notable players & recordings featuring the PRS SE NF3

No verified professional endorsement ties a specific touring artist to this exact SE model.

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