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PRS SE NF3
PRS SE Silver Sky
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Playability
68
Sound
73
Build
59
Value
72
Score
67
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Playability
70
Sound
74
Build
60
Value
73
Score
68
FIND IT ON:
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PRS SE NF3 vs SE Silver Sky Specs Comparison
PRS SE NF3 SE Silver Sky
General
Brand: PRS PRS
Year: 2024 2022
Configuration: HHH SSS
Strings: 6 6
Made in: Indonesia Indonesia
Series: SE SE
Colors: White, Black, Blue, Red White, Blue, Green, Red
Left-Handed Version: No Yes
Body
Type: Solid Body Solid Body
Body Material: Poplar Poplar
Bridge: PRS Patented Tremolo 2-Point Steel Tremolo
Neck
Neck Joint: Bolt-On Bolt-On
Tuners: PRS Designed Vintage-Style
Fretboard: Rosewood Rosewood
Neck Material: Maple Maple
Decoration: Birds Small Birds
Scale Size: 25" 25.5"
Shape: Wide Thin 635JM
Thickness: 1st Fret: 0.82'' (20.8mm) - 12th Fret: 0.91'' (23.1mm) 1st Fret: 0.846'' (21.5mm) - 12th Fret: 0.949'' (24.1mm)
Frets: 22 Medium Jumbo Nickel Silver 22 Vintage Tall Nickel Silver
Fretboard Radius: 10" 8.5"
Nut: PRS Propietary Synthetic Bone
Nut Width: 42.9mm (1.688'') 41.3mm (1.625'')
Electronics
Bridge Pickups: Narrowfield DD "S" (Humbucker / Passive) PRS 635JM "S" (Single Coil / Passive)
Middle Pickup: Narrowfield DD "S" (Humbucker / Passive) PRS 635JM "S" (Single Coil / Passive)
Neck Pickup: Narrowfield DD "S" (Humbucker / Passive) PRS 635JM "S" (Single Coil / Passive)
Switch: 5 Way 5 Way
Knobs: Speed Bell
Pickup Mods: None None
Volume Controls: 1 1
Tone Controls: 1 2
Hardware
Strap Lock: No No
Hardware Color: Nickel Nickel
Show Diagrams Comparison
PRS SE NF3 pickups switch selector and push knobs diagram
PRS SE NF3's switch options
PRS SE Silver Sky pickups switch selector and push knobs diagram
PRS SE Silver Sky's switch options

Reasons to Get
PRS SE NF3 over SE Silver Sky

Release Year
2024 vs 2022
From a more recent year
Neck Profile
Wide Thin vs 635JM
Comfortable neck that works for most people
Pickups
HHH vs SSS
High output without hum and tons of tone versatility
Neck Thickness at 1st Fret
0.82'' (20.8mm) vs 0.846'' (21.5mm)
More comfortable open chords for small hands
Neck Thickness at 12th Fret
0.91'' (23.1mm) vs 0.949'' (24.1mm)
More comfortable at higher frets for small hands
Nut Width
1.688'' (42.9mm) vs 1.625'' (41.3mm)
Less likely to mute strings by accident and more space for fingerstyle
Scale Length
25'' (635mm) vs 25.5'' (647.7mm)
Easier bending, shorter fret separation and warmer natural tone
Fretboard Radius
10'' (254mm) vs 8.5'' (215.9mm)
Flatter fretboard makes it easier to play single notes and bend

Reasons to Get
PRS SE Silver Sky over SE NF3

Frets Height
Taller vs Shorter
Easier to press down strings and bend them
Neck Profile
635JM vs Wide Thin
Thick neck that gives you a better grip
Tone Knobs
2 vs 1
More tone control
Pickups
SSS vs HHH
Beautiful cleans and good tone versatility
Neck Thickness at 1st Fret
0.846'' (21.5mm) vs 0.82'' (20.8mm)
More comfortable open chords for big hands
Neck Thickness at 12th Fret
0.949'' (24.1mm) vs 0.91'' (23.1mm)
More comfortable at higher frets for big hands
Nut Width
1.625'' (41.3mm) vs 1.688'' (42.9mm)
Favors small hands, easier bar chords and other shapes
Scale Length
25.5'' (647.7mm) vs 25'' (635mm)
Lower action and brighter natural tone
Fretboard Radius
8.5'' (215.9mm) vs 10'' (254mm)
Easier to play chords without muting strings
Value Score
73 vs 72
Better price/quality relationship

Other Key Differences
PRS SE NF3 vs SE Silver Sky

Bridge Pickup
Narrowfield DD "S" vs PRS 635JM "S"
Different Bridge Pickup
Middle Pickup
Narrowfield DD "S" vs PRS 635JM "S"
Different Middle Pickup
Neck Pickup
Narrowfield DD "S" vs PRS 635JM "S"
Different Neck Pickup
Nut Material
PRS Propietary vs Synthetic Bone
Different Nut Material

Shared Features
PRS SE NF3 vs SE Silver Sky

Body Wood
Poplar
Same Body Wood
Neck Wood
Maple
Same Neck Wood
Fretboard Wood
Rosewood
Same Fretboard Wood
Headstock
3-3
Same Headstock
Strings
6
Same playing style
Body Type
Solid Body
Feedback free
Switch Positions
5
Same pickups versatility
Volume Knobs
1
Same volume control
Number of Frets
22
Same maximum octave
Paint Finish
Poly
Resistant paint that ages well
Bridge
Tremolo
Simple vibratos without too much maintenance
Pickups Power
Passive
Cleaner sound and no battery needed
Neck Joint
Bolt-On
Allows you to detach and swap the neck
Type of Frets
Medium Jumbo vs Vintage Tall
You'll feel the fretboard when pressing down the strings

Common Strengths

  • High-Quality Nut
  • Top Pickup Brand
  • Expensive Wood

Common Weaknesses

  • Neck-Through Build
  • Pickup Alter Switch/Knob
  • Weight Relief
  • Locking Tuners
  • 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

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Hand Size Comfortability

And after taking into account the scale length, nut width, neck profile and fretboard radius, we can conclude that the PRS SE Silver Sky favors large hands more than the PRS SE NF3.

PRS SE NF3:
Big Hands
Small Hands
PRS SE Silver Sky:
Big Hands
Small Hands

Beginner Friendliness

Both meet 4 out of our 8 criteria items for beginner friendliness. 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. If you're looking for your first guitar to learn how to play, you can't go wrong with either of them.

New Player Friendliness

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

New Player Friendliness

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

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
Rosewood wood pattern used for guitar building
Rosewood
Poplar wood pattern used for guitar building
Poplar

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.

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.

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.

Winner: Tie.

Pickup Configuration

The PRS SE NF3 has an HHH configuration while the PRS SE Silver Sky has SSS 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, SSS is perfect for players who like to play clean. The definition you get between notes and the crispiness is unmatched by most other configurations. You can still use it for distortion, but you won't get the same kind of output and power compared to a humbucker, and the hum they produce also makes them less adequate for high gain.

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.

However, the PRS SE Silver Sky has a slight sound quality advantage when taking into account other factors like the type of pickups, magnet, position, etc.

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: PRS SE Silver Sky.

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

Both are equal when it comes to the pickup switching option.

Neither of them come with some kind of coil split or pickup mod option. This makes both lacking in terms of versatility.

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

Winner: PRS SE Silver Sky.

Final Sound Quality Scores

PRS SE NF3
Pickups 90
Sustain 65
Versatility 70
Tuning Stability 65
Sound 73
PRS SE Silver Sky
Pickups 100
Sustain 60
Versatility 72
Tuning Stability 65
Sound 74

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 compares to the PRS SE Silver Sky.

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 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 PRS SE Silver Sky comes with a Synthetic Bone nut. Bone is the best natural material for guitar nuts. However, its tonal properties can be inconsistent. That's the problem that synthetic bone fixes. This is much better than using a plastic nut because the nut is more slippery—which helps with tuning stability—, and it gives your open strings rich harmonics.

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.

Both come with a similar bridge: 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.

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: Tie.

Tuners

Both come with regular tuners. The PRS SE NF3's are PRS Designed while the PRS SE Silver Sky's are Vintage-Style

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
  • Expensive Wood
  • PRS Propietary Nut
  • Top Brand Pickups
  • Tremolo
  • Cheap Fret Wire (NS)
  • No Locking Tuners
  • Made in Indonesia
  • 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
PRS SE Silver Sky
  • Expensive Wood
  • Synthetic Bone Nut
  • Top Brand Pickups
  • Tremolo
  • Cheap Fret Wire (NS)
  • No Locking Tuners
  • Made in Indonesia
  • 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

Final Build Quality Scores

PRS SE NF3
Quality of materials 51
Features 55
Quality Control 70
Build Quality 59
PRS SE Silver Sky
Quality of materials 56
Features 55
Quality Control 70
Build Quality 60

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 Nut Width
PRS SE NF3 Nut Width
PRS SE Silver Sky Nut Width
PRS SE Silver Sky Nut Width

The nut width will affect the separation between strings at the nut. In this comparison, the PRS SE NF3 has the wider nut with 42.9mm (1.688'') vs 41.3mm (1.625''). This is a 1.6mm (0.063'') difference

This means that it will be more difficult to do bar chords on the PRS SE NF3, 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's Scale Length
PRS SE NF3's Scale Length
PRS SE Silver Sky's Scale Length
PRS SE Silver Sky'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 PRS SE Silver Sky has the longest scale: 25.5". The PRS SE NF3 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 Neck Profile
PRS SE NF3's neck profile
PRS SE Silver Sky Neck Profile
PRS SE Silver Sky'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.

In this case, both have different neck shapes:

The PRS SE NF3 has a C type of 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.

The PRS SE Silver Sky, on the other hand, has a Vintage neck. This means that it's thicker than most modern necks, and makes it a better fit for playing chords and slow solos. Some people prefer this type of neck because it gives them a better grip thanks to the extra mass. Still, the vast majority prefer a thinner, faster, and more ''modern'' neck.

Fretboard Radius

PRS SE NF3 Fingerboard Radius
PRS SE NF3's Fingerboard radius
PRS SE Silver Sky Fingerboard Radius
PRS SE Silver Sky'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 Silver Sky's fingerboard radius is smaller, which means it's more curved than the PRS SE NF3'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 PRS SE NF3.

Fret Size

PRS SE NF3 Frets Size
PRS SE NF3's Frets Size
PRS SE Silver Sky Frets Size
PRS SE Silver Sky's Frets Size

The PRS SE Silver Sky has Vintage Tall frets, which should be taller than the PRS SE NF3's Medium Jumbo 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
Bending & Vibrato Ease 70
Chord Playability 70
Solo Playability 65
Playability 68
PRS SE Silver Sky
Bending & Vibrato Ease 60
Chord Playability 100
Solo Playability 50
Playability 70