PRS NF53 Electric Guitar, Narrowfield Pickups, Black Doghair Finish

Yes the PRS NF53 is a real guitar made by Paul Reed Smith (PRS), and it’s still being sold in 2025. Some people might mix it up with another PRS guitar called the NF3, but the NF53 is a unique model with its own features.

Let’s go over what makes this guitar special in a way that’s easy to understand.

What’s the PRS NF53?

The PRS NF53 is a bold and modern guitar that pays tribute to a vintage 1953 model from Paul Reed Smith’s personal collection. It keeps that old-school look and feel but adds modern features that make it more comfortable to play and more versatile for different styles of music.

It has a solid Swamp Ash body, a bolt-on Maple neck, and 22 frets. One of its standout features is the Narrowfield DD pickups, which give you the brightness and snap of a single-coil pickup without the buzz.

So yes, the PRS NF53 is a real, actively sold guitar and a popular one.

What Are Narrowfield DD Pickups?

“Narrowfield DD” stands for Deep Dish. These pickups are taller than regular ones and have extra metal pieces to help shape the tone. They give you a classic single-coil sound crisp, clear, and full of detail without the buzzing you usually get from single coils.

They’re super versatile and work great for clean tones, gritty blues, or even light overdrive.

NF53 vs. Other PRS Guitars

People sometimes confuse this with the old PRS NF3, but they’re different:

• The NF3 had three pickups and a shorter 25" scale.
  
• The NF53 has two pickups and a longer 25.5" scale (just like a Fender Tele).
  

Other PRS guitars you might compare:

• PRS Vela - more hollow feeling, with a unique sound
  
• PRS Silver Sky - John Mayer’s Strat-style guitar
  
• PRS SE 245 - A shorter-scale, humbucker-loaded guitar, like a Les Paul
  

If you like the sound of a Telecaster but want something a bit more modern and flexible, the NF53 is a great fit.