The Birds are homage to Paul's Mother who was an avid Bird Watcher. Even tho I've read that and seen people mention that in videos, I've met Paul several times and he said it right to me at the PRS Factory. I don't mind the birds at all. Most people prefer the birds ,but even if you don't like the birds, you can understand Paul's reasoning for including them. Birds or no birds, they're just great guitars and the SE line is probably the best bang for your buck in its price range in my opinion.

@onceuponashredder

Ай бұрын

I LOVE the bird inlays! (I was just stuck-up back then and very opinionated about silly things.) That is a really cool story about his mom, and the special meaning of the inlays. Thanks for that info. Very cool. Agreed! The SE is definitely the best bang for the buck. I have three SEs, one S2, and a whole bunch (10?) "core" PRS guitars. The SEs are just so nice for the price.

@LuisMorales-xr1gm

Ай бұрын

@@onceuponashredder Oh, no worries at all, there are many people that aren't fans of the birds. I like some of the bird inlays like the Hollow Birds, but I just wanted to let you know ( in case you didn't know) the meaning behind the birds that's all.

@LuisMorales-xr1gm

Ай бұрын

@@onceuponashredder Great review by the way. I have the pearl white one. I ordered it on June 22nd and got it delivered on June 28th. I have about 6 PRS SE guitars, 5 core PRS guitars,and 1 S2. All great guitars, but what you get in the SE line is amazing for the money for sure. If you ever get a chance, the PRS Factory started the factory tours again. I've done it about 8 times. It's pretty amazing to see how they do it. Treat yourself to a factory tour. Thanks for the video

@Spidouz

Ай бұрын

A PRS without birds is not really a PRS…

@onceuponashredder

Ай бұрын

@@LuisMorales-xr1gmIf I had endless money, I'd buy one of the high-end "Paul's Guitar" models. One of the reasons is because of the amazing bird inlays on those axes. Just gorgeously rendered, artistic, whimsical, abstract, etc. Plus, it's just a monster axe, anyway. Paul's a cool guy. He's VERY opinionated and vocal about it. I don't think I agree with every theory he offers about "tone wood", etc., but I do agree that every ingredient matters. How much it matters is debatable, but most people can agree ingredients must matter to some degree. AND (especially) build quality and attention to detail.

Love this review - just strummed chords and clean sounds - lets the guitar shine.

@onceuponashredder

Ай бұрын

Thanks! And right... just the bare necessities (sorta). I might do one for the LP Supreme, too, which is an entirely different beast sonically.

Great review. I appreciated the way you explained the process and the pictograms that showed what you were playing.

@onceuponashredder

22 күн бұрын

@@richmacgonigle1776 Thank you, much appreciated!

I like looking at the birds while playing

@onceuponashredder

Күн бұрын

@@sfkimrush The birds rock.

Just buttoned mine up tonight, after a few simple mods. Learned a hell of alot about how PRS is wiring these, to get the various tones in different switch positions. I'm very impressed with not only the quality of all the electronics, but the level of workmanship. Everything's tidy and whitey. No corners cut anywhere. I'm not a big middle pickup fan, and can't for the life of me understand why every damn 3 pickup guitar is wired the same? Who the hell wants the middle pickup on, in 3 out of 5 positions? Not me. I much prefer the neck pickup be the most dominant one. I swapped middle and neck pickup positions on mine. This gives you bridge and neck in position 2, neck only in position 3, neck and middle in position 4, and middle only in position 5. This is a WAY better option than the useless wiring layout the factory gives you. It took me the better part of a week, to realize I didn't need to change any wiring to accomplish this. Simply switch the physical location of the neck and middle pickups around! Why I never thought of this before, is a mystery? Only other mod I did was add a treble bleed curcuit to the volume pot. Used a 332pf capacitor and 150khm resistor in parallel. I'm hoping the low value capacitor will help the pickups stay as bright and chimey as possible, all the way down the volume range. This should make this guitar a heck of alot more versatile than it already is. Tomorrow, I'm gonna rock out with my newly modded one off super NF3!

@onceuponashredder

Ай бұрын

Very cool! You're more savvy than I, though I've done my fair share of "tech" work. For me, it was always the bare middle pickup of three on its own that wasn't useful. Until the NF3! Fender solved the neck+bridge on their American Ultra Strat line by embedding a pushbutton into the first volume knob. If I had time and interest to mod this NF3, I would probably swap the volume pot for a pull-push pot to facilitation that. But I like it as-is. And (in general) I like the bridge+middle and neck+middle combos on 3-pickup guitars that have that option. I have just never liked - until this axe - the middle pickup on its own. Enjoy your personalized ultra-NF3! :) I like the weight, balance, and sustain. All-around, this is a really solid entry for the SE line.

@andrewbecker3700

29 күн бұрын

@@onceuponashredder Not fond of any kind of volume pot with switching. They all feel flimsy and don't have enough tension. I'll only run my push/pulls on the tone pots. Totally agree, the middle pickup on most SSS guitars serves little purpose alone. And personally, I have very little need for bridge and middle together. Much rather have bridge and neck. Then, with a well sorted treble bleed. You can dial the volume all the way down the range, without losing as many frequencies. I've got a Cutlass HSS with some ultra mod'd wiring going on. It has one of them DiMarzio superswitchs so it acts the same way as my NF3, but has the wiring and switch positions normal. So positions middle and 5 are standard, and position 2 is bridge and neck. Thats my only other 3 pickup, or even S type. Trems aren't my thing. But to be honest, the 2 I do have are excellent. I'm very impressed with the overall construction and specs on this SE model. By far the best one I've seen yet. The McCarty .594 singlecut standard I bought earlier this year, needed every part except the pickups, bridge and tailpiece upgraded. All other electronic parts and tuners were garbage.

@onceuponashredder

27 күн бұрын

@@andrewbecker3700 Interesting! I wonder if you got a lemon (594 singlecut). I have one SE 594 singlecut, and three Core 594 singlecuts. Love 'em! I used to mod everything. Everything. But at the beginning of 2024, I decided to stop modding and spend more time just enjoying each guitar for its own stock personality. OR... sell it if I'm not digging it! It's mainly a time thing for me. I wanted to spend more time playing/recording and less time trying to perfect the guitars. I have 40+ guitars, which is probably my limit. I literally have no more room in the studio for another guitar, which is a handy G.A.S. limiter guitar-wise. I have leaned more heavily on "tones" though, I think. Because my pedal collection has grown, mostly in the boost/overdrive/flavor pedals. Which, honestly, is sorta silly, because I have an AFX3 - which has the entire tone universe inside. But knobs, man! There's a level of satisfaction I dig from the standalone gear, even if I used it rarely. G.A.S.! And proud of it!

@andrewbecker3700

27 күн бұрын

@@onceuponashredder I'm struggling to make much sense out of your reply, if that's what it is. You claim you used mod every guitar you had? But just recently stopped any and all work on guitars, to focus more on enjoying them factory stock. Good luck trying to find one you can do that with. This NF3 is actually only 1 of 3 I've ever bought that didn't need significant mods to make the cut. Why you think a specific guitar would be what you refer to as a "lemon", I'm not understanding? The guitar is excellent, as most PRS SE's are. The electronics and tuners were subpar. After switching out the pots(like I almost always do) I wire them how I want, with my choice of tone capacitor. If it's modern wired, a treble bleed is imperative. Otherwise 50's wiring is my preference. The switch and jack depends how they feel mostly. The McCarty had junk. Plain and simple. It's not rocket science. Many a guitar, I've never even plugged in, before tearing them apart for a complete rebuild. It's just my nature. If anybody with some dope money can buy the same thing. What fun is that? No. I'm a hot rodder to the core. Everything MUST be souped up. Good luck trying to find the "one". I only have 10. But they're all dimes.

@onceuponashredder

22 күн бұрын

@@andrewbecker3700 I don't ascribe to guitars "needing" mods. It's a choice, right? You choose to mod to your personal satisfaction. I used to do that to many (not all) of my especially "cheaper" guitars, because I was reaching for something. Then, I found that I started enjoying the unique character of the guitars as-is. They sound the way they sound, so I've changed my stripes about replacing stock electronics, etc. I am an omega-level guitar nerd, like you and most people who care about this stuff. But preferences change, and mine have changed. My copious guitar collection now consists of guitars that each has its own unique vibe, feel, character, even among guitars that are the same model (e.g., six PRS CE 24 DW models). They're all unique beasts, every one of them. I accept that now, and enjoy that now, rather than burning the midnight oil reaching for something. My personal opinion after owning hundreds of guitars now during my life: no guitar is or ever can be "perfect". And even if one guitar is (or very close to) perfect, it won't remain that way because my own tastes will change regarding "perfection". I eventually kinda organically arrived at a place where I personally started to just enjoy the unique character of each of my guitars for what they actually are instead of what my very active imagination dreamed they could become. And that's just me! You love modding. I'm done modding (unless something needs fixing; then I'll hunker down and get 'er done).

Love your vibe. I was a PRS hater till I found the narrowfield guitars. Now I own a bunch in different configurations and love em! Probably won’t get the SE version since I have a few Swamp ash specials and OG Nf3s but glad to see it added to the affordable line. These guitars have been invaluable to me as a professional touring and session musician

@onceuponashredder

Ай бұрын

Thanks! Yeah, I wasn't aware of an OG NF3 until I started looking further into this one. Though, I was vaguely aware of the NF pickups on some of their other guitars. PRS is the shiz-nizzle. I have lotta, lotta other guitars, but PRS have become my faves. You're lucky to have an OG NF3!

Thank you for a great review!

@onceuponashredder

27 күн бұрын

@@photoz23830 Thank you! Much appreciated.

Good video and sound. Great demo. Subscribed 😊

@onceuponashredder

14 күн бұрын

@@billybaru82 Thank you, sir! Much appreciated.

Just got into guitar. My first was a prsccarty les Paul style. I too have small fingers so I traded it for an SE CE. Love it. It also has great sustain and tone. Great video

@onceuponashredder

Ай бұрын

Thank you! Oh yeah, I love the McCarty. I have an SE single cutaway McCarty, and I have three "core" single cutaway McCarty "Les Pauls". I love the CE, too. I have I think six CE 24 DW guitars (with Floyd... I'm a Floyd guy)... LOVE THEM. Best playing guitars, in my opinion. You're right, great sustain. The CE 24 DW guitars are what really pulled me into the PRS universe, even though I wasn't very familiar with Dusty Warring. I just liked the specs of the guitar, and started there. Thanks again for your comment.

Very nice video on this STELLAR budget guitar from PRS!

@onceuponashredder

Ай бұрын

Thanks, much appreciated! I figured a walk through clean tones was sorta lacking in YT Land, and really that's what I care about most, anyway. I can do overdrive, distortion, lead, heavy riffs, whatever. But a nice clean... that's what I really want to hear from a guitar. You're right! It's a stellar axe at this price, really any price. It's just a solid guit-box.

@alanparkinson4568

Ай бұрын

⁠@@onceuponashredderTotally agree. Waaaaay too much ‘blues noodling’ in gear reviews.

@onceuponashredder

Ай бұрын

@@alanparkinson4568 LOL! I'd recorded some video of me yammering along those lines but edited it out. (So much gets edited out, mercifully.) I appreciate the demos people do, but need to subtract points on some of those videos because it's the instrument I really want to hear, not the playing.

I love a maple neck with birds ... I'm tempted with the orange version n maple neck obviously ... It seems to me them pick ups are possibly closer to a p90 vibe rather than a strat /silver sky sort of glassy cleans ... i just wonder how that axe is gonna behave with beefy rhythm riffs ... i wonder if i could get enough "girth" like i can with my se dgt gold top .. I always wanted a maple neck prs se sooo my gas is kicking ahaha

@onceuponashredder

6 күн бұрын

@@giovannibonapace4250 It's a solid axe. It's akin to a Strat, so I think it'd hold up just fine. These PRS SEs (in general) are just rock solid, in my experience. Like I mentioned in the video, I bought this one because I'd been looking for a Strat-like axe that was not an actual Strat. I was a Strat guy way back when, but I'm just not any longer. THIS axe seems perfect to me: 25" scale length, three humbucker pickups, five-way selector, unique sounds all its own. Just great tone. They're roughly equivalent to mini-humbuckers, but with the added benefit of the magical positions 2 and 4 that come damn close to Strat territory. And the middle pickup is just fantastic (and I don't like middle-of-three normally). So, YES! It could easily be the main axe for all your Rock. Handily, I think.

I just b 13:25 ought one. To my ears, the tones are more dramatic through the Marshall clones, with more pronounced mids. That's how I set my Quilter amp. I also have 25th Anniversary Swamp Ash Special NF to compare it too. The older NF pups have a bit more humbucker tonality, much louder and more low end. I'm loving both guitars.

@onceuponashredder

27 күн бұрын

@@charlesbecker101 Indeed! This one has a decadent "cluck"-y vibe without going overboard. Great middle ground, I think. The background instrumental I recorded for this video - SoundCloud link to that one if you expand the video description - all of that is through the "Marshall" (UAFX Lion), except for solo at the beginning (that's still a "Marshall", but the AxeFX3). This NF3 guitar convinced me to keep that UAFX Lion! I didn't realize a Marshall "clean" could sound so gorgeous. I had it listed on Gear Exchanged, started making this vid, and went "Whoa!" What a lovely clean vibe. Yeah, so everything except that super-saturated guitar solo in the middle is through the UAFX Lion, because it just sounded sweeter than through the "Fender" (and that sounded awesome, too).

Sounds great, the bird inlays are exactly why I haven’t bought one also

@onceuponashredder

19 күн бұрын

HA! Then you know what it's like! It was my first CE 24 DW that started turning me in the other direction. I'm a lefty on "righty" guitar, and I'm also a fine artist, so I am almost too visual. Each bird inlay is a unique shape. So, playing that CE 24 DW, I realized the bird inlays were making it easier for me to know where I was on the neck (like, I didn't get "lost" as easily). That's what turned me. Then I was like, "Well, they're not bad." Eventually, I liked them. But I didn't for a long time. My ideal (back then) was LP block inlays. Those were "real" inlays! 😝

The content is very good

@onceuponashredder

27 күн бұрын

@@KestejooAlgonquin-v7t Thank you, much appreciated.

I own and have owned many PRS guitars. I just dont buy a burger at a steak restaurant, or pizza at a sushi place. I can put any pickup combination in a strat. I can throw it in a gig bag into my vehicle without the fear of a tiltback headstock getting cracked off. I even have a MannMade (OG PRS) trem on a strat. To me it just doesn't make sense to buy a strat that's not a strat.

@onceuponashredder

9 күн бұрын

@@30smsuperstrat All your current PRS's were/are a "new" spin and preexistent guitar type.

how was the guitar out of the box? i ordered one from sweetwater and was reading some posts on reddit saying that they needed to adjust some things/the guitar was never tuned/etc, etc im a new guitarist so i dont necessarily know what to look for in terms of “flawed” parts of the guitar

@onceuponashredder

19 күн бұрын

It was great out of the box. It was slightly out of tune, but that's to be expected. It traveled a bumpy ride from Indiana to Maryland over three days, maybe four. But I didn't need to adjust anything besides tuning it. I've been doing business with Sweetwater for a very long time now, and they're rock solid in my opinion. And they bend over backward to make things right if something isn't great. I think PRS is doing a really good job with their "SE" line. They're eating other company's lunches. For example, Fender just introduced a line of Fender-branded guitars at around the same price point. I don't think I've ever seen that before. Not Squire. Actual Fender branded guitars. So, they're feeling the pressure from PRS, because the whole SE line is so good. Congrats on ordering your new guitar! Let me know how you like it. Feel free to ask any questions. I'm not at the level of a full-time guitar tech, but I am an omega-level guitar nerd and know my way around, including adjusting, etc.

One question. Does it sit comfortably on your leg with no strap or does the treble side horn fall off like a LP or PRS standard?

@onceuponashredder

22 күн бұрын

@@andrewkrodel7976 Good question! Well, since I didn't notice anything odd, I'd say it must sit nicely on the lap. I'm a right-leg guy (I'm not into "classical guitar" sitting posture) when resting a guitar on my lap. However, keep in mind that all my guitars are strapped. I hoist the guitar a little higher than many. So, that's another reason why I didn't notice and probably don't think about it.

Would you please compare this se nf3 against an se dgt?

@onceuponashredder

17 күн бұрын

If I owned one, yes! :) I probably won't be getting the DGT. They seem really sweet, though.

they nearly had me...love the narrow-field idea. but i don't do poplar... one of the least desirable guitar woods... but it's come into vogue, as other woods become more and more expensive.

@onceuponashredder

Ай бұрын

Interesting about the poplar thing! I honestly couldn't tell you what most of my (I think over 40) guitars bodies are made of, with a handful of exceptions. I just happen to remember a few of them are mahogany. I even have a PRS "Wood Library" Custom 24 w/Floyd, and I don't know what that body is! (Which is weird and ironic, don't you think? I mean, it's a "wood library" guitar.) I've been playing for decades; I've toured, recorded (still record), and electric guitar and "tone" are my obsessions. But the type of wood has never been that important to me, because even with guitars made of the same wood, no two are alike in my experience. I have six (maybe seven) CE 24 DW guitars, and no two are a like. They're similar, obviously, but they're not identical. Each one has its own personality. Crazy how that can be true, but it is. Thanks for your comment and perspective. Much appreciated.

Resonate body? I thought this was an electric guitar?

@onceuponashredder

22 күн бұрын

@@hanskung3278 Hey! I'm talking about how it feels and how it sounds w/o being plugged in. Nice and resonant. It contributes to the overall electric tone, too (usually), unless a guitar is just sorta dead and doesn't sustain very long. But this one sustains nice and long. And when playing, it vibrates against the body really nicely. That's something I dig about guitars, anyway. How do they "feel" while resonating/vibrating?

@dstarling61

6 күн бұрын

Paul Reed Smith has some odd views, he believes that solid body guitars resonate like violins and that pickups are microphones. I’m guessing he isn’t an engineer…

@onceuponashredder

5 күн бұрын

@@dstarling61 Well, he's not entirely wrong. The body does resonate. Perhaps not exactly like a violin (acoustic guitar yes; electric guitar not so much). But you can clearly feel it, and it's part of the overall tonality of the guitar. _How_ it plays into the tonality, that's another matter, and highly debatable. And pickups are microphonic, though not "microphones" in the traditional sense. I've recorded sounds by directly yelling into the humbuckers of a guitar (like, lips practically touching the pickups) plugged into an overdriven amp. The sound was not clear, but that was the point. So... play electric guitar long enough and spend enough time as a reclusive studio rat... these are the kinds of weird things one does! :P

I tried one, and it was terrible, absolutely terrible and I'm the owner of another PRS se that is fantastic.

@onceuponashredder

12 күн бұрын

Interesting! Care to elaborate? What specifically was absolutely terrible? Did it just not fit your personal style, or was it physically defective?

@BkBk-gy6vr

12 күн бұрын

@onceuponashredder The cheap feel, the neck feels terrible to play and the pickups were some of the worst sounding pickups I've heard. I couldn't find one video where I thought boy that sounds good, which is why I went to my local PRS dealer to try it out in person before buying it and thankfully I did that. My PRS SE McCarty feels and sounds premium compared to this guitar, even my SE custom 24 is so much better. It just felt, played and looks cheap in person. The neck didn't even feel like maple it felt and looked like a piece of pale looking pine even though it's not pine. Shame, I think they dropped the ball on this one.

@onceuponashredder

11 күн бұрын

@@BkBk-gy6vr Fascinating! Yeah, my take is entirely different. I have over 40 guitars, most of them PRS. I have a Wood Library Custom 24, an S2 Custom 24, six CE 24 DW guitars, three "core" McCarty 594 single-cutaways, an SE McCarty single-cutaway, a "Paul's Guitar" SE (oy... the list goes one), and this SE NF3. I think the NF3 is magnificent, plays like a dream, feels kinda "Strat"-like (what I wanted, but I didn't want a Strat), and I LOVE the pickups. Super-versatile. I guess it just depends on what a person's looking for, eh? Different strokes.

@BkBk-gy6vr

11 күн бұрын

@onceuponashredder Stop is not strat at all, just because their not humbuckers doesn't make it a strat. Owning 40 guitars doesnt make you an expert or prove anything. I'm sure you also don't want to upset PRS since they provided this guitar to you.

@onceuponashredder

10 күн бұрын

@@BkBk-gy6vr LOL! Oh I wish. PRS has no idea who I am. I'm a software engineer! I do KZread for fun when I have time, because I'm just your average omega-level guitar nerd. I don't make money on KZread. I lose money on KZread. 😛 Editing these dumb videos takes forever. (You wouldn't believe how much yammering I cut out. It's ridiculous.) It's totally cool if you didn't like the SE NF3. Nobody likes every guitar. I don't like every guitar I touch. But to me it is Strat-like. Yes humbuckers, but it has a Strat-like layout, and it gets pretty darn close in positions "2" and "4". I think it's a beast. But opinions are like elbows: everyone has them. Totally cool if your impression of the NF3 is different.

Grow some hair

@onceuponashredder

14 күн бұрын

@@cucumbermelon6166 LOL! To quote Gandalf: "Many that have hair deserve none, and some that are bald deserve hair! Can you give it to them? Then do not be so eager to deal out baldness in judgement. For even the wise cannot see all things." (Pretty sure that's accurate.)

Greediest company out there besides the poorly managed BLACKSTAR.jesus christ guys BUILD 1 GOOD AMP.insted of a mediocre parade of stuff.just sayin.

@onceuponashredder

27 күн бұрын

@@leehenderson8132 Interesting! You think RPS is greedy? I guess, technically, all companies are greedy, yeah? They don't get into this to break even. But I may have misunderstood what you meant. If you don't own a PRS, trying a "cheap" one is the way to go, in my opinion. Their SE line is insane quality for that money. I was anti-PRS for decades. Didn't like those bird inlays, then I bought a nice PRS because I liked the specs. Got hooked! I have more PRS's than any other brand, now.

@MascarasMil

27 күн бұрын

That’s a lot of hate to have towards a guitar company. Did PRS bang your girlfriend?