Review: PRS SE NF 53

In 2023, PRS introduced the NF 53, their take on the classic T-Style guitar design. The NF 53 was intended as a respectful tribute to the original as well as being uniquely PRS with its modern appointments and updated specs. Now in 2025, PRS are relaunching the NF 53 as a part of their affordable SE (Student Edition) range, ensuring that the guitar can be enjoyed by everyone, regardless of their budget. 

The PRS SE NF 53, despite being a more affordable model, is a powerful, modern guitar that taps into the spirit of the original 1953 guitar, owned by Paul Reed Smith, that inspired it. Constructed with a swamp ash body and a bolt-on maple neck, PRS haven’t skimped on quality materials with this guitar. Its White Doghair finish is immediately eye-catching, with grainy flecks of black scattered across its creamy base colour, and its abalone fretboard inlays seal the deal, working nicely with the finish. The PRS SE NF 53 range is completed by the contrasting Black Doghair finish, and a Pearl White model.

The body shape of the NF is of course familiar but includes the uniquely PRS additions of a shorter horn, a generously contoured cutaway, a rounded off heel for improved fret access and forearm and rib contours for optimal playing comfort. The NF is also noticeably and pleasantly lightweight, making this a very comfortable guitar. Adding to the NF’s excellent playability is a very comfy maple neck which has a very full profile and an extremely smooth, almost raw finish. 

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Unplugged, the NF sounds extremely resonant and lively which many take as a good sign. PRS are known for their excellent construction and attention to detail when it comes to materials and that always comes through in the sound. From its ash body and maple neck to its steel plate bridge and brass barrel saddles, this is a well-built guitar. 

The maple neck, in line with the inspiration for this model, has a 25.5” scale length but unlike the original, has 22 frets and a 10” fretboard radius in true PRS style. The fullness of the neck makes for a super comfortable playing experience and the balanced radius provides a solid middle ground that is well suited for lead, rhythm and everything in between. The NF features PRS’s classic three-per-side headstock which for this model is loaded with lovely bone coloured tuners that match the guitar’s striking finish. 

Narrowfield Deep Dish ‘S’ pickups

The SE NF is loaded with two of PRS’s Narrowfield Deep Dish ‘S’ pickups, mini-humbuckers designed to sound just like a single coil, without the hum. Narrowfield DD pickups are made with taller bobbins to fit more winds and extra metal pieces in between the magnets for a focused, powerful tone and the ‘S’ variant is specifically voiced to emulate the properties of a classic single coil pickup.

In practice, the SE NF does sound much like a traditional T-style guitar, but with a bit more output and a lot more bottom end. The twang is there, but the hum-cancelling pickups give it a bit of a thicker tone that makes the guitar quite versatile. In the bridge position, the NF sounds bright and spanky, with plenty of midrange and high end shimmer. In the neck position, thicker and warmer tones can be accessed with a generous bass response, the NF still retaining its clarity and never sounds muddy. 

In the middle position, the Narrowfield pickups sound thick and full with a nice even frequency response and a sweet top end. Overall, this guitar can definitely nail some classic country tones, but is equally well suited for rock. T-Style guitars are famously versatile and the addition of these pickups makes the NF even more so. This guitar also features very simple controls, its three way pickup selector is matched with a single volume and a single tone control, making it very quick and easy to dial in a sound. 

The SE NF would be well suited for players who are attracted to the T-Style look and feel but who are after something a bit more modern and with a beefier tone. With the SE line’s low price point, this is also a very accessible guitar for beginners. Along with the price, the versatile sound, highly comfortable playability and the simplicity of its layout also make this model very well suited for people at the beginning of their guitar journey. 

With its striking cookies and cream-esque finish, familiar but fresh body shape, and of course PRS’s signature bird shaped inlays, the SE NF 53 is more than just a clone of a classic, it definitely has its own mojo. Beyond its eclectic look, this guitar is very well constructed and has that lively resonance that a good, solid guitar has, making it feel alive in your hands. 

The full, thick neck is smooth and buttery and thanks to PRS’s innovative contouring, the fret access is exceptional, making this guitar incredibly playable. Despite the low price tag, it is evident that great care went into making the NF both a pleasure to look at and to play. Small details like lightweight wing button tuners and abalone fret inlays make this guitar feel really special, far more so than one would expect from an entry level model. 

Most importantly, it sounds great. With all the twang and snarl you’d want from a T-style guitar but with plenty of low end to back it up, there isn’t much this guitar can’t do. Truly an all rounder, this is a beginner’s instrument elevated to new heights. The Narrowfield pickups in this model are clearly high quality and provide the even, balanced tone that PRS is known for. The lack of 60 cycle hum is also appealing for those who enjoy the timbre of single coils but have no tolerance for the extra noise. 

Affordable, high quality and versatile, this really is the perfect beginner’s guitar for a world in which money is tight for many who need to cover a lot of ground with a single, accessible instrument. It may be based on a guitar from 1953, but the PRS SE NF 53 is most definitely a guitar for right now. 

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