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PRS SE NF3 Maple
Washburn N24-Nuno Vintage Padauk
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Playability
68
Sound
73
Build
59
Value
72
Score
67
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Playability
67
Sound
79
Build
64
Value
70
Score
70
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PRS SE NF3 Maple vs Washburn N24-Nuno Vintage Padauk Specs Comparison
PRS SE NF3 Maple Washburn N24-Nuno Vintage Padauk
General
Brand: PRS Washburn
Year: 2024 2010
Configuration: HHH HH
Strings: 6 6
Made in: Indonesia Indonesia
Series: SE Nuno Bettencourt
Colors: White, Black, Blue, Red Red
Left-Handed Version: No No
Body
Type: Solid Body Solid Body
Body Material: Poplar Agathis
Bridge: PRS Patented Tremolo Floyd Rose Special
Neck
Neck Joint: Bolt-On Bolt-On
Tuners: PRS Designed Grover Exclusive 18:1 Chrome
Fretboard: Maple Rosewood
Neck Material: Maple Maple
Decoration: Birds Dots
Scale Size: 25" 25.5"
Shape: Wide Thin Washburn Nuno Bettencourt
Thickness: 1st Fret: 0.82'' (20.8mm) - 12th Fret: 0.91'' (23.1mm) 1st Fret: - 12th Fret:
Frets: 22 Medium Jumbo Nickel Silver 22 Medium Nickel Silver
Fretboard Radius: 10" 12"
Nut: PRS Propietary Locking
Nut Width: 42.9mm (1.688'') 43mm (1.693'')
Electronics
Bridge Pickups: Narrowfield DD "S" (Humbucker / Passive) Bill Lawrence L-500 (Humbucker / Passive)
Middle Pickup: Narrowfield DD "S" (Humbucker / Passive)
Neck Pickup: Narrowfield DD "S" (Humbucker / Passive) Washburn Humbucker (Humbucker / Passive)
Switch: 5 Way 3 Way
Knobs: Speed Dome
Pickup Mods: None Coil Tap
Volume Controls: 1 1
Tone Controls: 1 0
Hardware
Strap Lock: No No
Hardware Color: Nickel Chrome
Show Diagrams Comparison
PRS SE NF3 Maple pickups switch selector and push knobs diagram
PRS SE NF3 Maple's switch options
Washburn N24-Nuno Vintage Padauk pickups switch and push knobs diagram
Washburn N24-Nuno Vintage Padauk's switch options

Reasons to Get
PRS SE NF3 Maple over Washburn N24-Nuno Vintage Padauk

Release Year
2024 vs 2010
From a more recent year
Frets Height
Taller vs Shorter
Easier to press down strings and bend them
Switch Positions
5 vs 3
More tone options
Tone Knobs
1 vs 0
More tone control
Pickups
HHH vs HH
High output without hum and tons of tone versatility
Nut Width
1.688'' (42.9mm) vs 1.693'' (43mm)
Favors small hands, easier bar chords and other shapes
Bridge
Tremolo vs Floyd Rose
Simple vibratos without too much maintenance
Scale Length
25'' (635mm) vs 25.5'' (647.7mm)
Easier bending, shorter fret separation and warmer natural tone
Fretboard Radius
10'' (254mm) vs 12'' (304.8mm)
Easier to play chords without muting strings
Value Score
72 vs 70
Better price/quality relationship

Reasons to Get
Washburn N24-Nuno Vintage Padauk over PRS SE NF3 Maple

Pickup Mods
Coil Tap vs None
Lowers output of humbucker coil to create a single coil sound
Pickups
HH vs HHH
High output without hum
Nut Width
1.693'' (43mm) vs 1.688'' (42.9mm)
Less likely to mute strings by accident and more space for fingerstyle
Bridge
Floyd Rose vs Tremolo
Allows intense vibratos and techniques like Dive Bombs
Scale Length
25.5'' (647.7mm) vs 25'' (635mm)
Lower action and brighter natural tone
Fretboard Radius
12'' (304.8mm) vs 10'' (254mm)
Flatter fretboard makes it easier to play single notes and bend

Other Key Differences
PRS SE NF3 Maple vs Washburn N24-Nuno Vintage Padauk

Bridge Pickup
Narrowfield DD "S" vs Bill Lawrence L-500
Different Bridge Pickup
Neck Pickup
Narrowfield DD "S" vs Washburn Humbucker
Different Neck Pickup
Body Wood
Poplar vs Agathis
Different Body Wood
Fretboard Wood
Maple vs Rosewood
Different Fretboard Wood
Headstock
3-3 vs R6
Different Headstock
Nut Material
PRS Propietary vs Locking
Different Nut Material

Shared Features
PRS SE NF3 Maple vs Washburn N24-Nuno Vintage Padauk

Neck Wood
Maple
Same Neck Wood
Strings
6
Same playing style
Body Type
Solid Body
Feedback free
Volume Knobs
1
Same volume control
Number of Frets
22
Same maximum octave
Paint Finish
Poly
Resistant paint that ages well
Pickups Power
Passive
Cleaner sound and no battery needed
Neck Profile Type
C
Comfortable neck that works for most people
Neck Joint
Bolt-On
Allows you to detach and swap the neck
Type of Frets
Medium Jumbo vs Medium
You'll feel the fretboard when pressing down the strings

Common Strengths

  • High-Quality Nut
  • Top Pickup Brand

Common Weaknesses

  • Neck-Through Build
  • Weight Relief
  • Stays in Tune (Evertune)
  • High-Quality Frets
  • Compound Radius Fretboard
  • From a High-Quality-Standards Country
  • Luminescent Sidedots
  • Strap Lock
  • 21:1 Tuner Ratio
  • Active/Passive Preamp

Price History Comparison

SET PRICE ALERT

Washburn N24-Nuno Vintage Padauk Prices

SET PRICE ALERT

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Hand Size Comfortability

After taking into account the scale length, nut width, neck profile and fretboard radius, we can conclude that both favor small hands .

PRS SE NF3 Maple:
Big Hands
Small Hands
Washburn N24-Nuno Vintage Padauk:
Big Hands
Small Hands

Beginner Friendliness

The PRS SE NF3 Maple meets 4 out of our 8 criteria items for beginner friendliness, while the Washburn N24-Nuno Vintage Padauk meets only 3. This takes into account the type of frets, scale length, nut width, bridge type, fretboard radius, and neck profile to determine the easiest combination for new players.

New Player Friendliness

PRS SE NF3 Maple
  • Comfortable shape
  • Easy-to-use bridge
  • Tall frets
  • Comfortable neck
  • Comfortable fretboard
  • Narrow nut
  • Short scale
  • Locking tuners

New Player Friendliness

Washburn N24-Nuno Vintage Padauk
  • Comfortable shape
  • Tall frets
  • Comfortable neck
  • Comfortable fretboard
  • Narrow nut
  • Short scale
  • Locking tuners
  • Easy-to-use bridge

Sound Quality Comparison

The wood used in an electric guitar or bass is not as important to determine the final tone. However, some people prefer specific wood types, so we'll take a look at those first. Then, we'll take a look at the electronics to determine the versatility and sound quality of each instrument.

Woods Used in Both

Maple wood pattern used for guitar building
Maple

Maple is one of the most popular necks for good reasons. It is a strong wood that is relatively cheap to make and looks beautiful. The highest quality maple is the hardest that comes from North America. Find out more about Maple.

Woods Used in the PRS SE NF3 Maple

Poplar wood pattern used for guitar building
Poplar

Poplar is a cheaper and heavier alternative to Alder wood. It terms of tone, it emphasizes the low-end and has cutting mids. It's relatively soft compared to most body woods. Find out more about Poplar.

Woods Used in the Washburn N24-Nuno Vintage Padauk

Rosewood wood pattern used for guitar building
Rosewood
Agathis wood pattern used for guitar building
Agathis

Rosewood is an almost purple-looking wood that is used mainly for fretboards since it's heavy, rare, and expensive. It's sometimes used on acoustic guitar bodies to create stronger warm tones. Find out more about Rosewood.

Agathis is a softwood similar to Mahogany. It's more affordable, which makes it popular as a way to reduce production costs. People believe it to produce a warm tone with good punch and sustain.

Winner: Washburn N24-Nuno Vintage Padauk.

Pickup Configuration

The PRS SE NF3 Maple has an HHH configuration while the Washburn N24-Nuno Vintage Padauk has HH pickups.

A triple Humbucker (HHH) can be intimidating at first, but it's one of the combinations that offer the most tone versatility. You'll be able to have from a lot of output for Hard Rock genres, to warm and clean sounds that are more common in Jazz.

On the other hand, Double Humbucker (HH) is the choice for people who want a fuller, more round sound with tons of mids and lows. Humbuckers also get rid of the hum noise that plague single-coil pickups. They can work out for almost any genre going from Djent to even Jazz.

Pickups Quality

Both come with very good pickups from at least one of the specialized brands in the market. With pickups like these, you probably won't need an upgrade anytime soon.

Both use Passive pickups. This is what's used for most music genres. They have a regular output and will serve you for both high-gain and clean tones. The alternative (Active pickups) offer a higher output that is mostly used for heavy music.

Winner: Tie.

Versatility Comparison

Some instruments offer you more ways to explore your creativity than others. Below you'll find how both compare when it comes to versatility.

Switch Options

The PRS SE NF3 Maple gives you 5 switch options while the Washburn N24-Nuno Vintage Padauk gives you 3. This means that the PRS SE NF3 Maple gives you more options to find the right pickup combination for the type of sound you want to achieve

Only the Washburn N24-Nuno Vintage Padauk comes with some kind of pickup modification: Coil Tap.

Coil Tap is similar to Coil Split but it works a bit differently. Instead of completely cancelling one of the coils of the humbucker, it only cuts part of the output once activated. Some people believe this gives the split pickups a more real single-coil sound.

When evaluating versatility, we also take into consideration bridge and neck joint type, number of frets, switch options, amount of pickups and more.

Winner: Washburn N24-Nuno Vintage Padauk.

Final Sound Quality Scores

PRS SE NF3 Maple
Pickups 90
Sustain 65
Versatility 70
Tuning Stability 65
Sound 73
Washburn N24-Nuno Vintage Padauk
Pickups 90
Sustain 70
Versatility 72
Tuning Stability 85
Sound 79

Build Quality Comparison

When it comes to build quality, we like to take into account everything used to build the instrument. This includes materials, hardware and the quality control expected depending on the country where it was built. Let's see how the PRS SE NF3 Maple compares to the Washburn N24-Nuno Vintage Padauk.

Country of Origin

The manufacturing country can tell a lot about the build quality of an instrument. Both in this comparison where made in Indonesia.

Indonesia is becoming the most popular country for guitar building because they can make good instruments for a low price. Some people think that they're 'the new China' when it comes to build quality. But the truth is that Indonesian guitars are more consistent, although Chinese quality has improved a lot in the last few years.

Winner: Tie

Nut Material

If you want your guitar to stay in tune and sound good, you need a well cut nut. Nut quality can be inconsistent even when comparing two copies of the same model. The best way to make sure you're nut will be well done is by getting a nut made by an expert company like TUSQ or Micarta.

The PRS SE NF3 Maple has a PRS Propietary nut. It's similar to TUSQ nuts, but they're not as hard, and the tone is not as bright. However, the material is self-lubricating, and it's usually well cut, so they have good tuning stability.

On the other hand, the Washburn N24-Nuno Vintage Padauk comes with a Locking nut. Instead of a regular nut, this guitar has a locking system that will lock down the strings at the nut, preventing it from getting out of tune. It removes one of the disadvantages of tremolo bridges, tune stability.

Winner: Tie.

Fret Material

Most fret wire is made of nickel silver. This material eventually wears down after a lot of use and most instruments end up needing a complete fret replacement. However, some expensive models come with stainless steel frets. This is what you should aim for if you can afford it.

Unfortunately, none of them come with stainless steel frets.

Winner: Tie.

Bridge

The perfect bridge for you will depend on your playstyle because they all have advantages and disadvantages. However, some bridges are more expensive—like Floyd Roses and Evertunes—and thus add more value to a guitar.

The PRS SE NF3 Maple's brige is a Tremolo. Tremolo bridges give you more versatility than fixed bridges. They let you perform the intense vibrato effects that would be impossible with a fixed bridge. However, since the bridge floats and there's less contact with the body, the strings lose sustain slightly faster. They can also be a bit harder to restring and set up correctly than fixed bridges.

On the other hand, the Washburn N24-Nuno Vintage Padauk's is a Floyd Rose. This is a double-locking bridge system that allows you to perform techniques like dive bombs and pinch harmonics. The locking nut allows your guitar to stay in tune even after the most intense tremolo usage. The disadvantage is that it takes more work to change the strings and set up everything correctly.

Since we need to be objective, the most expensive type of bridge will be the winner of this section. In the end, this doesn't matter if you're not going to use the bridge for its original purpose, so choose the bridge that fits your playing style better.

Winner: Washburn N24-Nuno Vintage Padauk.

Tuners

Both come with regular tuners. The PRS SE NF3 Maple's are PRS Designed while the Washburn N24-Nuno Vintage Padauk's are Grover Exclusive 18:1 Chrome

Winner: Tie.

Neck Joint

Contrary to popular belief, the difference in sustain and tone that some neck joints give to a guitar is simply unperceivable—if they're all well built. However, some of them do have advantages over the others.

Both have a Bolt-On neck joint. This neck is joined to the body by 4 bolts that you can simply unscrew. This allows you to replace the neck or take it off for travel. It's the most common and cheapest way to build a guitar.

Winner: Tie.

Here is the list of features that were considered when choosing the winner in the Features subcategory:

Strengths & Weaknesses
PRS SE NF3 Maple
  • PRS Propietary Nut
  • Top Brand Pickups
  • Tremolo
  • Cheap Fret Wire (NS)
  • No Locking Tuners
  • Made in Indonesia
  • No Expensive Woods
  • No Neck-Through Build
  • No Push Knob or Extra Switch Option
  • No Weight Relief
  • No Luminescent Inlay
  • No Compound Radius Fretboard
  • No 21:1 Tuner Ratio
  • No Strap Lock
Strengths & Weaknesses
Washburn N24-Nuno Vintage Padauk
  • Expensive Wood
  • Locking Nut
  • Top Brand Pickups
  • Coil Tap Pickups
  • Tremolo
  • Cheap Fret Wire (NS)
  • No Locking Tuners
  • Made in Indonesia
  • No Neck-Through Build
  • No Weight Relief
  • No Luminescent Inlay
  • No Compound Radius Fretboard
  • No 21:1 Tuner Ratio
  • No Retainer Bar
  • No Strap Lock

Final Build Quality Scores

PRS SE NF3 Maple
Quality of materials 51
Features 55
Quality Control 70
Build Quality 59
Washburn N24-Nuno Vintage Padauk
Quality of materials 51
Features 65
Quality Control 75
Build Quality 64

Playability Comparison

Let's now compare their playability. Bear in mind that the instrument will feel different depending on your hand size and play style. That's why you should always test before buying. But if you can't or want a second opinion on it, we can still take a look at each of the important measurements of the instrument for you. This way, we can predict how easy a guitar might be to play, or how different it will feel compared to the other.

Remember that, even though the difference might seem small, every inch counts when it comes to feeling of the instrument in your hands. Any variation can completely change how comfortable a guitar feels in your hands.

Nut Width

PRS SE NF3 Maple Nut Width
PRS SE NF3 Maple Nut Width
Washburn N24-Nuno Vintage Padauk Nut Width
Washburn N24-Nuno Vintage Padauk Nut Width

The nut width will affect the separation between strings at the nut. In this comparison, the Washburn N24-Nuno Vintage Padauk has the wider nut with 43mm (1.693'') vs 42.9mm (1.688''). This is a 0.1mm (0.0050000000000001'') difference

This means that it will be more difficult to do bar chords on the Washburn N24-Nuno Vintage Padauk, especially closer to the nut. However, it's also easier to play without muting strings accidently. This favors people with big hands.

Scale Length

PRS SE NF3 Maple's Scale Length
PRS SE NF3 Maple's Scale Length
Washburn N24-Nuno Vintage Padauk's Scale Length
Washburn N24-Nuno Vintage Padauk's Scale Length

The scale length is one of the things that influences playability the most. This is the distance between the nut and the bridge and will affect everything from low action allowance, difficulty to perform bends, fret separation, and even tone.

The Washburn N24-Nuno Vintage Padauk has the longest scale: 25.5". The PRS SE NF3 Maple is only 25" long. This is a 0.5'' (12.7mm) scale length difference.

This longer scale means that the strings need more tension to get in tune. This is good if you want to avoid fret buzz, which can happen when the strings are too loose and touch the frets while vibrating. This is especially important when playing in lower tunings. This will also let you reduce the gap between fretboard and strings (low action) to make them easier to press down. However, this higher tension will also make it harder to perform bends and vibratos as the strings will feel stiffer.

This also means that the frets have a longer separation between each other, so this will make it harder for people with smaller hands when playing some chord positions.

Another characteristic of a longer scale is that it makes the guitar sound 'snappier' or brighter. This is due to the extra separation between harmonics and overtones produced by the tension. This influences tone more than any other factor (except the pickups).

Lastly, remember that you can also affect the tension of the strings by changing your string gauge. You can use a thicker gauge for more tension and a lighter one for less tension.

Neck Profile

PRS SE NF3 Maple Neck Profile
PRS SE NF3 Maple's neck profile
Washburn N24-Nuno Vintage Padauk Neck Profile
Washburn N24-Nuno Vintage Padauk's neck profile

No single neck shape is better than others. However, most people tend to prefer a thinner necks because it doesn't get in their way when playing fast and most hand sizes can adapt to it pretty well. However, some people still prefer thicker necks for a better grip, especially if they have big hands.

Both the PRS SE NF3 Maple and the Washburn N24-Nuno Vintage Padauk have a C-shaped neck. This is what you'll find in most modern guitars. Most people feel like the thickness of a C neck is simply the less intrusive one for playing fast, while at the same time allowing you to grab the neck easily for resting if you want to.

Fretboard Radius

PRS SE NF3 Maple Fingerboard Radius
PRS SE NF3 Maple's Fingerboard radius
Washburn N24-Nuno Vintage Padauk Fingerboard Radius
Washburn N24-Nuno Vintage Padauk's Fingerboard radius

Most guitar fretboards are not flat; they usually have a curve or arc across their width. A curved fretboard will make it easier to perform chords without muting strings, while a flatter one will make it easier to play single notes, which is good for bending and soloing in general. The best fretboards have a compound radius that varies across the fingerboard, but they're not common since they take a lot more work to build.

In this case, the PRS SE NF3 Maple's fingerboard radius is smaller, which means it's more curved than the Washburn N24-Nuno Vintage Padauk's. This extra arc will make playing chords easier in this model. You won't be as likely to mute the strings, especially if you have big hands. However, playing single notes and bending will be easier on the Washburn N24-Nuno Vintage Padauk.

Fret Size

PRS SE NF3 Maple Frets Size
PRS SE NF3 Maple's Frets Size
Washburn N24-Nuno Vintage Padauk Frets Size
Washburn N24-Nuno Vintage Padauk's Frets Size

The PRS SE NF3 Maple has Medium Jumbo frets, which should be taller than the Washburn N24-Nuno Vintage Padauk's Medium frets.

Some people prefer taller frets because they result in more sustain since the strings get pressed cleanly without interference from the fretboard. However, if they're too tall—like Jumbo frets—, you might change the pitch of the strings accidentally if you press too hard because you won't be touching the fretboard with your fingers. This is also why some guitarists with a heavy grip prefer smaller frets. They like to feel the fingerboard to avoid pressing down too hard and getting out of pitch.

Final Playability Scores

PRS SE NF3 Maple
Bending & Vibrato Ease 70
Chord Playability 70
Solo Playability 65
Playability 68
Washburn N24-Nuno Vintage Padauk
Bending & Vibrato Ease 70
Chord Playability 60
Solo Playability 70
Playability 67