They are awesome guitars, but nothing will kill the Tele (or Strat or Les Paul). Those 3 guitars just have too much nostalgia to ever be killed off no matter how much better other versions are now.
not to mention that the sound of the silver sky and those is just a smoothed out version of the original, which leads to loss of the original character. wonder how these would sound with proper tele pick ups in them tho
They’re all just kit guitars, bolted together with old technology. Endless variations on a very basic theme. And… on Tele style guitars, there seems to be a competitiveness in making the ugliest pick-guards.
Preach. Guitar sounds like a mix between an LP with p90s and a telecaster minus the hum. For almost $3k I think I can find something a little bit more “exact” to one of those and have some money left over.
@@zaccarter3801but that’s the whole point; that it’s not “exactly” like the things that have come before. It’s Paul Reed’s Smith interpretation. If it was “exact” there literally would be no point in the guitar. It’s T or Tele style, it’s not meant to be “exact”.
Totally, there are some PRS models I really like but at the price point I'm going elsewhere. The NF 53 in that white finish is beautiful but at 2900$...I'll pay a bit more and get a Fender custom shop with the same finish.
@@isaias9516I think you hit the nail on the head. PRS didn’t set out to do "their version" of a Tele just as they didn’t set out to have the 594 emulate them Les Paul or the Silver Sky cover the Strat. I think they recognize that no matter what they do building a version of someone’s else’s invention always comes across as a mere imitation. More than just an imitation, it could never truly do justice to nor upend the character of the original so why try. Instead, I think that they built something purposely different with its own vibe. You may like it or you may not but even though it is meant to superficially evoke a Tele don’t call it a Tele-style guitar because it’s not a Tele, it’s a PRS.
I like the idea of using the Narrow Field pickups here. Sounds like he was going for the sound of a blackguard without the noise, which seems like it's working. Whenever the SE version comes out, count me in!
Narrow field would not be a blackguard, it had flat poles, and no bevel, a blackguard had about the widest pickup listening area, a a more narrow pickup happened in the 60s, with raised poles, and beveled magnets. A narrow field ish from fender came long after the blackguard times. Just saying.
@@chippsterstephens6800 Good points. I am referring more to sound than construction - it seems like the tones here sit in the same fat Tele range that a Blackguard fits into. Far as construction, when I refer to "Narrow Field," I'm referring to the PRS pickups by that name, which have a field in between the size of a Tele pickup and a humbucker. They also have no bevel and minimal stagger. You are right - it is a radically different recipe, but it seems to still land in the same tonal camp
I’ve been waiting for a Myles Kennedy signature for years. Just out of my price range right now 😭 Listen to all the stuff Myles does. Very different sounds with his solo work and AB. His tone in AB, particularly the latest album is stunning and was done with that tele
@@PrajnanaLook up Alter Bridge - “Blackbird” Live at Royal Albert Hall. That will tell you everything you need to know about Myles as a singer and guitarist
Myles is an fantastic guitarist, songwriter but especially vocalist. He plays many differing styles of guitar. His performance of “Words Darker then their wings” live at the Royal Albert Hall has the single most impressive vocal performance I have ever heard in my 54 years. The high note he hits at the end of the song is mind blowing.
I think the world is flooded with too many 3rd party Tele, Strat, and Les Paul knockoffs already. Do we really need one more? And for the price, I don't see how this one can compete with the American Ultra Tele. Look at that goofy bridge. Good luck on intonating that. How can that be an improvement over the six saddle Fender bridge?
@@Lovell93 no one is disputing prs quality, but I own a Fender American Ultra Tele, American Ultra Luxe Strat, and American VII Tele deluxe…..none of which have any quality issues. maybe you’re referring to the cheaper models. My question is, what does this PRS guitar offer, for the price, that I don’t already have, that would make me want to add it to my collection. It’s difficult to make an educated statement of which would be better, unless you actually owned this one and a Tele Ultra. Or minimally have someone do an honest video review comparing the two, not just a sponsored biased review.
These are two outstanding guitars. Expect nothing less from PRS. However, the tele, strat and les paul are classic designs that work well with so many variations in the details. I actually like that many different companies put their own flair into these designs. Especially when they do it at a high quality, high price level. Sounds more 70s Gibson Les Paul and the neck of the NF sounds almost P90 and I'm not hearing a Tele when it's compared as such. These are both their own thing.
I haven’t played a Silver Sky nor do I really care one way or the other to play it. I do have a pre cnc Custom 24 which is a phenomenal guitar. I also have an American Standard Strat, also a phenomenal guitar. Fender is still selling a ton of Strats, the Silver Sky probably hasn’t made a dent in Fender’s Stratocaster market share, so I really doubt the PRS Tele-style guitar will have much if any impact on Fender’s market share, so no I seriously doubt they just killed the Tele.
To answer the question on Myle's guitar, he is known for both that high gain American 6l6 sound in AB such as the main riff in Wouldn't You Rather, but his solo records are definitely more of a vintage single coil and acoustic sound with a heavy jazz influence. So his guitar is definitely unique take on trying to succeed in both sounds.
Nothing can kill the Tele. The Tele is so simple, so functional, that it can be modified into anything. I have everything from a single-single coil Esquire tele to a Tele with an H-S set up and a double locking Floyd installed, along with a number of other Teles ... they can do anything!
I saw the Anderton’s video for those guitars. For comparison they brought out Danish Pete’s stupidly pre-beat up Telecaster painted in ugly purple for comparison. It’s like his Telecaster sounded so much better they didn’t go far with the comparison at all and didn’t say much about it.
O my god I just couldn't believe my ears when you introduced by saying "he plays with a famous guy with a hat". Myles is one of the finest vocalists of the century or maybe "ever"!!!
I really like the was the MK sig looks, the only thing that is off putting about it is the pick guard imo. Sounds great & I dig that green color they're doing it in
Tried a Silver Sky and bought a Fender Strat instead. I imagine this will be a similar situation. Never played a PRS I'd want to spend my own money on. Always something else in the price range that I prefer the feel of. Can't knock the finish on a PRS though. Beautiful luthiery.
I can usually justify PRS's price point but this one is a real head scratcher. Great sounding guitars no doubt but that much for a tele? I seriously wonder if these two will still be on the market in a decade or so.
IMO the NF-53 is 100% a Telecaster killer. The Miles Kennedy Signature is a different beast entirely. Both are absolutely outstanding guitars. I'm so thrilled that PRS has a tele killer in their lineup now.
@@Childofbhaalneither the ASAT or the PRS are “tele killers” if you’re comparing them to a decent pro-built replica or vintage instrument. That’s like saying EVH’s Frankenstein is a strat killer which is superior to a 54 strat. These “killer” instruments just have thicker less-defined sounds which seem to generically work well in a lot of genres.
Yea that's the curse of being a lefty player. PRS is a brand that offers most models for Lefty players. I would have loved a Fender Telecaster Ultra but they don't exist for left handed players.
I didn't understand (and still don't) why the Silver Sky needed to exist, from a player's perspective. (I can guess why it exists from Mayer's and PRS's perspective.) But I don't feel that way about these guitars. I'm a longtime tele player and these are different enough to be interesting. Esp. the signature model, which has a ton of features that seem wonderful. These are the first PRS guitars I've ever really wanted to buy, and I'll buy one if I stumble on a pot of gold... or if they put out a SE version.
Hello Mike! I enjoy your videos and like seeing your progression! To answer your question, PRS guitars are quite eye-catching for sure. However, they don't quite have the mojo of the guitars they try so hard to emulate.
I always have had to have a Tele , Strat,Les Paul ,SH and 335 . I've had cheaper Asian knock offs of these guitars over the years that were pretty good . Never had the desire for a PRS . Good guitars , but nothing a Fender or Gibson can't do and never really liked the feel of the necks . Just my opinion . Sure plenty of people are very happy with them .
I love my SS and really want to love these. The horribly obvious 3 piece bodies just don't look good. Guess that means I'd have to get a non transparent finish and only have to deal with the upper 3rd glue line in the body showing through like on my SS. For this price these should be 2 piece bodies.
Still overpriced for what it is. I'm not exactly sure since the price increase but my custom shop G&L asat that was bulit to my exact specs was $2500 shipped to my house in a beautiful g&g case.
John Mayer is a great player and I realize he’s got a lot of fans but I’m really surprised how many people don’t know who Richie Kotzen is. He has to be the most underrated guitar player in the last 20 years, and he has a signature Tele with fender that you should really check out. It’s the nicest T style guitar I’ve ever played.
I appreciate what PRS are trying to do, there's enough boomer guitar styles out there, guitar companies don't have the balls to evolve or innovate...But if my guitar budget is $3k, this is not it, unfortunately. (Though my opinion on guitars often changes once I get my hands on one) I like the Silver Sky and I hope one day they put out their spin on a Jazzmaster style guitar.
@skratchrapture Crazy good guitars. I love Teles and I love my Fender Tele, but I already have one and there's plenty of modernization to be desired that other companies offer, often for cheaper. I had hoped a T-Guitar from PRS would have more going for it aesthetically. Though this is entirely subjective and I'm sure there are those that prefer the look of these PRS Teles.
PRS makes really top quality guitars. As for their S and T style guitars they are in competition with all the other Partscasters. The PRS double cutaways are great which are all original in the design. In any case the guitar is about 10 percent, amps 10 percent and your hands are the other 80 percent. Rock on !,,,
I’m sure they’re good guitars, but the standard telecaster is the desert island guitar for me. Aside from the shape and bolt on construction, they’re not similar enough to compare, and I kind of wish they were. The Silver Sky was so close to being a full blown strat, I would have rather them try to do the same with this. I don’t doubt that a ton of knowledge and testing goes into the pickups, I love the pickups in my PRS guitar, but to me you can’t improve on the sound of an early Tele/esquire/broadcaster bridge pickup, and part of that is the noisiness. I’d rather buy 3 MIM telecasters than 1 of these :/
I believe you have your answer. They are different guitars. Their T-shape is simply a way to attract attention. At the extreme, if they were a true "PRS' take on the Tele", that would be a testimony that the original Tele still is the source of inspiration. There wouldn't be no "killing the Tele" if there were no Tele to look up to. Same with the Silver Sky vs the Strat, same with many LP-inspired PRS models. What attracts attention is not so much the guitar itself and its intrinsic qualities as the very model on which it is based. Good strategy, well marketed. If you're not coming with something real new but something real good, find yourself some famous benchmark to compare to and say you're making sth better. Some doctors like to spend big money on Gibsons and Fenders because they are supposedly the real deal. Other doctors like to spend big money on PRSs because they are supposedly better than the real deal. And guess what: it's perfectly fine. The guitar business is doing well, and even RUclipsrs get a share of the pie in the end Plus: it's not something specific for PRS. It's the whole business, from cheap to dear, from vintage to modern: "I can't believe how great that cheap T-style plays" or "The best LP your 600$ can buy", or "They took the Strat to another level" and the list goes on. It's amazing how those 3 models made in the early 50s have remained so unsurpassed today, despite their flaws. As long as guitar making companies keep comparing their models to those 3 flagships, it means those old, imperfect models are still ruling the world of electric guitar.
From my experience PRS doesnt even really compete with Fender, PRS especially the SE variant type of purchase is more of a small side quest in the grand scheme of most players careers. PRS guitars just dont hit right, even their flagship guys are still Fender guys (John Mayer) maybe ive had bad ones but the answer is no.... PRS did not kill the Telecaster
Considering the silver sky hasn’t killed the Strat in anyway whatsoever, I’d say probably not! I love the look of most PRS models but the silver sky and this look so ugly in my opinion
@@travvhunter Yeah I know, fender has dominated the beginner/budget market for awhile now and I don't see that changing. I didn't mean suhr was killing fender, just that Suhr has done a better job with fender like guitars than PRS
@@notkwcly1368 I know no one is a threat to fender at all but I’d say Ibanez would be the best contender. Their new AZ stuff in recent years and the fact that they’ve now got SO many influencers as signature artists. The AZ is THE guitar you think of when you think modern guitarist. There’s probably a lot of people buying AZs who likely would have bought a fender otherwise. But like I said, even Ibanez don’t threaten fender
@@alexjackson8841 in my opinion Ibanez beats fender in that $1-2k price range while fender beats ibanez under that. Charvel would beat them both if they would just switch to stainless steel frets. Charvels are still the best feeling guitars to me but that's personal
Since the 70s a guitar company had to be really good to bend potential customer's minds away from all the saturated commercialize imagery media gas lighting for Gibson and Fender. PRS innovates and remains tasteful and competitive. Congrats to Mr. Smith for doing such a good job diversifying the line up without sacrificing the fundamentals. I build my owne stuff but sometime an axe from other builders appeal to me. I like those new T styled PRS units. The smooth lines kinda coming together is spectacular and the clean full tones from all five positons got me bro. Good show.
Its an high quality T-Style HH guitar but it cant kill the Telecaster, at least not in that configuration, i dont even think its fair to compare them. Apples to Oranges. Amazing guitar though
Dude you play well. You have a great amp, but…..the tone is not a tele tone, not that the tone is bad, it’s just flat out not tele, in a classic sense, be it 50s or 60s, the tele spank is completely missing here. Reminds me of playing county on a les pual, yes it can be done, but plug In a tele, it’s a magnitude’s difference. Pretty sure the tele is safe, that’s no tele, it’s a prs. It’s its own thing. Same with the silver sky, it’s no Strat. It never will be, it will always be a prs, with PRs tone. And a PRs headstock. Lol.
Praise God! Those guitars look great-especially the nf53 God bless ya n’ thanks for sharing! SOLI DEO GLORIA (To The Glory of God Alone) Father, Son & Holy Spirit -Ronnie
I like the body configuration the look and the top loader bridge. My brain however, is not allowing me match the body with the bird inlays and the 3 per side head stock. We've been looking at traditional Tele's for so many years it's a bit hard to take this in. Maybe I'll get there.
Wow PRS recognized you enough to send you this guitar early for a review. Nice. These are clearly not teles as they are fuller sounding but they seem nice
Hats off to PRS. That they make beautiful instruments is not in dispute. After living with my PRS Tremonti for several years, it was traded away yesterday. And for what you ask? It was traded away for a Casino, just a plain, run of the mill Casino. This guitar isn't "like a Casino," it IS a Casino! Also, sitting on a stand in the studio is an Eastman SB59. I have no need for anything LP-like ever again. As is the case with several other Eastman instruments here, they are flawless. There are two other instruments in the studio that will never ever be replaced by anything, a Stratocaster and the guitar that gets played more than any other electric, a blonde Telecaster. When people come here to play, they are welcome to use anything we have. What gets picked up more than anything? The Telecaster. Thank you for showing us these new instruments. I'm sure they are wonderful but I promise, if they were on stands here and musicians reached to pick something up, they would stay on the stands while the Tele went to work. There has never been, nor will there ever be an electric guitar like this. Comparing anything to it is a fool's errand. PRS, Eastman and many other makers deserve recognition for excellence. But, IMHO, the most iconic, and possibly the most important electric in history is the venerable Fender Telecaster.
I am not an expert on guitars in any way (my husband is a very accomplished guitarist), but I am a huge fan of Myles Kennedy as front man and co-lead/rythem guitarist of AB, vocalist in SMKC, and Myles solo work, as well as his bands preceding AB, such as The Mayfield Four. Myles studied jazz fusion in college and has been in a jazz fusion band, and plays so many different styles of music. Acousic, slide, country-ish, jazz, rock and heavy, thus this guitar that seems like it can "handle it all".
Don't forget your muffins are in the oven! This is the second vid I've seen today about someone trying to kill a Telecaster. It's nice that they've done something to the voicing on the pickups. I like the cutaway for high neck access. The finishes look cool. But the Tele is the first solid body design and has required very little refinement over the years. It's so easy to change stuff on these models, that you can achieve the same by modding a standard T-style. So the fact they've made these changes mean they are pointing ever so slightly away from the traditional T market, when if someone wants a Tele they'll just buy one.
I think PRS are amazing guitars, I just bought a thinline tele with wide range humbuckers. Of course it doesn't have all the "twang" but it's close. Maybe my next tele will be the Kingfish model, that's he one that seems like me it checks all the boxes.
I don’t know why PRS keeps trying to do knockoffs of the Fender Strat, the Gibson Les Paul, and now the Fender Tele. I’ll stick with the originals thank you.
I'm going to buy a PRS guitar tomorrow morning.... I've never played one before, but I'm a big Santana fan so Imma go blow some folding😎 I don't trust Fender quality any more, and Gibson are way over priced, so PRS it is! I love the sound of both of the new babies in the video, just incredible!
Prs started in 1985 in Maryland after smith left the custom shop at alembic?.. the 24 was released in 87 and put them on the map of high end instruments.
Both guitars look and sound great, it’s a shame they are so expensive. If you read the comments on any of the videos about them, they’re filled with people saying, “I hope they release an SE version”, or “Can’t wait until the SE comes out”.
PRS make excellent guitars. Teles are my favorite guitar, but only the crazy Fender loonies will argue there aren't room for improvements still, would love to try one of these out
Perfect, excellent and free of any kind of soul/vibe/mojo and inspiration. That my experience having played soo many, cause I really wish I could find the PRS vibe. So far, no luck 😀
@goswo only ever really tried the SE double cuts and the Silver Sky but was extremely impressed by both tbh! Especially the silver sky! SE is excellent for budget players too though! I feel like the silver sky improved alot of things I've never loved about strats personally so excited to try their stab at a tele!
here's a tip...don't hold the neck like it's a shovel handle. you might wind up sounding like john mayer and you don't want that. keep that thumb BEHIND the neck so that your fingers can 'dance' on the fretboard.
I love the modern T-style body, but prefer the lower ranges and HATE that twangy bridge sound! The PRS's have great potential for comfort and sound. I look forward to trying them ... someday.
I do like the guitar, it sounds like thick tele or more like a guitar with humbuckers that can also go somewhat close to a tele. While teles are the opposite. So you don't get this to replace a tele, you get it to fill what it lacks
Let's hope they do an SE version of the of the NF53, that would be interesting. The core models are out of my price range, in Europe these are 3.7K guitars ;(
And what did you pay for that really nice Custom Shop Tele? A lot of the argument has been about the cost of the PRS models. When you get the top models, the price difference isn’t that big. Then it comes down to what feels best for you. I have a PRS CE22 that I love but I also have a 2010 Fender American Standard Tele that is phenomenal! But I paid $1100 for it then and it now is around $2000 today!
@@matthewwacker6068 Just looked up your Tele and it’s made in Indonesia so the comparison with an American made PRS or Fender really isn’t the same. I have a Fender Player Series Strat that was made in Mexico that’s great but it’s still not an American model and runs about $900. The cheapest American Tele is $1400 and runs all the way to over $2500. Whole point being about comparing apples to apples.
I’ve always wanted a tele but I may spend the extra bucks to get Myles’ new signature. Looks and sounds great and it’s been long overdue that he got his own sig. fantastic guitarist and singer
People need to watch the videos from Myles and PRS about those guitars. They do a lot more than you covered and they answer why they made it. If it wasn’t $3000 I would buy both or at least Myles for as Myles says “swiss army knife” of guitars. I have always like PRS guitars for quality and being a multi purpose style guitar
They are awesome guitars, but nothing will kill the Tele (or Strat or Les Paul). Those 3 guitars just have too much nostalgia to ever be killed off no matter how much better other versions are now.
Even Leo Fender couldn’t kull the Tele:) he tried to kill it with the Strat, but even that wasn’t enough!
After Fender, all the rest are just copies.
Absolutely
not to mention that the sound of the silver sky and those is just a smoothed out version of the original, which leads to loss of the original character. wonder how these would sound with proper tele pick ups in them tho
They’re all just kit guitars, bolted together with old technology. Endless variations on a very basic theme. And… on Tele style guitars, there seems to be a competitiveness in making the ugliest pick-guards.
The problem with PRS is that there is always something else I like better in the price range.
Preach. Guitar sounds like a mix between an LP with p90s and a telecaster minus the hum. For almost $3k I think I can find something a little bit more “exact” to one of those and have some money left over.
@@zaccarter3801but that’s the whole point; that it’s not “exactly” like the things that have come before. It’s Paul Reed’s Smith interpretation. If it was “exact” there literally would be no point in the guitar. It’s T or Tele style, it’s not meant to be “exact”.
Totally, there are some PRS models I really like but at the price point I'm going elsewhere. The NF 53 in that white finish is beautiful but at 2900$...I'll pay a bit more and get a Fender custom shop with the same finish.
I really like PRS SE guitars. They dominate their price range, in my opinion.
But for American PRS moolah, there are many things I'd rather get.
@@isaias9516I think you hit the nail on the head. PRS didn’t set out to do "their version" of a Tele just as they didn’t set out to have the 594 emulate them Les Paul or the Silver Sky cover the Strat. I think they recognize that no matter what they do building a version of someone’s else’s invention always comes across as a mere imitation. More than just an imitation, it could never truly do justice to nor upend the character of the original so why try. Instead, I think that they built something purposely different with its own vibe. You may like it or you may not but even though it is meant to superficially evoke a Tele don’t call it a Tele-style guitar because it’s not a Tele, it’s a PRS.
I like the idea of using the Narrow Field pickups here. Sounds like he was going for the sound of a blackguard without the noise, which seems like it's working. Whenever the SE version comes out, count me in!
Narrow field would not be a blackguard, it had flat poles, and no bevel, a blackguard had about the widest pickup listening area, a a more narrow pickup happened in the 60s, with raised poles, and beveled magnets. A narrow field ish from fender came long after the blackguard times. Just saying.
@@chippsterstephens6800 Good points. I am referring more to sound than construction - it seems like the tones here sit in the same fat Tele range that a Blackguard fits into. Far as construction, when I refer to "Narrow Field," I'm referring to the PRS pickups by that name, which have a field in between the size of a Tele pickup and a humbucker. They also have no bevel and minimal stagger. You are right - it is a radically different recipe, but it seems to still land in the same tonal camp
I’ve been waiting for a Myles Kennedy signature for years. Just out of my price range right now 😭
Listen to all the stuff Myles does. Very different sounds with his solo work and AB. His tone in AB, particularly the latest album is stunning and was done with that tele
I’m hoping they will come out with an SE model but that awesome hunters green will probably not be available.
Who is Miles Kennedy? Never heard of him before this release...
@@Prajnana you might not know Slash either
@@PrajnanaLook up Alter Bridge - “Blackbird” Live at Royal Albert Hall. That will tell you everything you need to know about Myles as a singer and guitarist
Myles is an fantastic guitarist, songwriter but especially vocalist. He plays many differing styles of guitar. His performance of “Words Darker then their wings” live at the Royal Albert Hall has the single most impressive vocal performance I have ever heard in my 54 years. The high note he hits at the end of the song is mind blowing.
He goes from a classic round sound in his solo stuff to full on heavy riffs with alter bridge. And he does it with this guitar, can do it all.
Came for the PRS, stayed for Mike singing at the end. Killer stuff.
I think the emergence of this guitar is a testament to the enduring popularity of Telecasters and Telecaster-style guitars.
I think the world is flooded with too many 3rd party Tele, Strat, and Les Paul knockoffs already. Do we really need one more? And for the price, I don't see how this one can compete with the American Ultra Tele. Look at that goofy bridge. Good luck on intonating that. How can that be an improvement over the six saddle Fender bridge?
Not only is the popularity of the Tele enduring, I would even argue that worldwide, it's more popular than the Strat
@@bmg696Oh it’ll sell. PRS quality is miles above Fender lol.
@@Lovell93 if u say so
@@Lovell93 no one is disputing prs quality, but I own a Fender American Ultra Tele, American Ultra Luxe Strat, and American VII Tele deluxe…..none of which have any quality issues. maybe you’re referring to the cheaper models. My question is, what does this PRS guitar offer, for the price, that I don’t already have, that would make me want to add it to my collection. It’s difficult to make an educated statement of which would be better, unless you actually owned this one and a Tele Ultra. Or minimally have someone do an honest video review comparing the two, not just a sponsored biased review.
I just love seeing Myles getting some long overdue respect.
I haven’t watched the video yet but I refuse to let the tele die
Oh man! Mark Hopkins and I made the vid! Great job brother. Can't wait to try one of these myself. Cheers :)
These are two outstanding guitars. Expect nothing less from PRS. However, the tele, strat and les paul are classic designs that work well with so many variations in the details. I actually like that many different companies put their own flair into these designs. Especially when they do it at a high quality, high price level. Sounds more 70s Gibson Les Paul and the neck of the NF sounds almost P90 and I'm not hearing a Tele when it's compared as such. These are both their own thing.
PRS makes a great guitar.
I'd love to see them make a thinline version.
INSTANT buy for me
Just bought the nf53 yesterday. It’s 5:11AM and I literally have not stopped playing it. Absolutely perfect.
I haven’t played a Silver Sky nor do I really care one way or the other to play it. I do have a pre cnc Custom 24 which is a phenomenal guitar. I also have an American Standard Strat, also a phenomenal guitar. Fender is still selling a ton of Strats, the Silver Sky probably hasn’t made a dent in Fender’s Stratocaster market share, so I really doubt the PRS Tele-style guitar will have much if any impact on Fender’s market share, so no I seriously doubt they just killed the Tele.
you should try a silver sky.
To answer the question on Myle's guitar, he is known for both that high gain American 6l6 sound in AB such as the main riff in Wouldn't You Rather, but his solo records are definitely more of a vintage single coil and acoustic sound with a heavy jazz influence. So his guitar is definitely unique take on trying to succeed in both sounds.
the riff at 5:38... Whats it from?! it popped into my head a couple weeks ago and I went crazy cause I couldn't remember where it was from
Nothing can kill the Tele. The Tele is so simple, so functional, that it can be modified into anything. I have everything from a single-single coil Esquire tele to a Tele with an H-S set up and a double locking Floyd installed, along with a number of other Teles ... they can do anything!
I love PRS. I have four of them. But I can't imagine a justification for the price of these. If anything they should be less expensive than CEs.
I saw the Anderton’s video for those guitars. For comparison they brought out Danish Pete’s stupidly pre-beat up Telecaster painted in ugly purple for comparison. It’s like his Telecaster sounded so much better they didn’t go far with the comparison at all and didn’t say much about it.
O my god I just couldn't believe my ears when you introduced by saying "he plays with a famous guy with a hat". Myles is one of the finest vocalists of the century or maybe "ever"!!!
I really like the was the MK sig looks, the only thing that is off putting about it is the pick guard imo. Sounds great & I dig that green color they're doing it in
Tried a Silver Sky and bought a Fender Strat instead. I imagine this will be a similar situation. Never played a PRS I'd want to spend my own money on. Always something else in the price range that I prefer the feel of. Can't knock the finish on a PRS though. Beautiful luthiery.
I can usually justify PRS's price point but this one is a real head scratcher. Great sounding guitars no doubt but that much for a tele? I seriously wonder if these two will still be on the market in a decade or so.
As a Tele freak..............Cosmic freaks of nature...... I just can't......... love your channel btw
IMO the NF-53 is 100% a Telecaster killer. The Miles Kennedy Signature is a different beast entirely. Both are absolutely outstanding guitars. I'm so thrilled that PRS has a tele killer in their lineup now.
G&L ASAT already killed the Telecaster years and years ago
@@Childofbhaalneither the ASAT or the PRS are “tele killers” if you’re comparing them to a decent pro-built replica or vintage instrument. That’s like saying EVH’s Frankenstein is a strat killer which is superior to a 54 strat. These “killer” instruments just have thicker less-defined sounds which seem to generically work well in a lot of genres.
@@Childofbhaal I've seen countless telecasters and maybe a handful of G&L's in the past 5 years, idk if I'm missing something here...
@@xtrapickls Popularity? Of course the telecaster is more prevalent. In terms of guitar? G&L all the way
@@Childofbhaal that's what "killing" implies tho, ending the telecaster and taking its place
These look awesome. I love the finishes too. Beautiful. 👏🏻
IF PRS offers them in lefty I’ll get one or both. Love the sound they both produce. It’s tele-like and also different and unique.
Yea that's the curse of being a lefty player. PRS is a brand that offers most models for Lefty players. I would have loved a Fender Telecaster Ultra but they don't exist for left handed players.
there's no left handed pianos....
@@SpidouzYeah! Us lefties need to stand up for our “Civil Lefts”! 🤨🤣
I didn't understand (and still don't) why the Silver Sky needed to exist, from a player's perspective. (I can guess why it exists from Mayer's and PRS's perspective.) But I don't feel that way about these guitars. I'm a longtime tele player and these are different enough to be interesting. Esp. the signature model, which has a ton of features that seem wonderful. These are the first PRS guitars I've ever really wanted to buy, and I'll buy one if I stumble on a pot of gold... or if they put out a SE version.
Hello Mike! I enjoy your videos and like seeing your progression! To answer your question, PRS guitars are quite eye-catching for sure. However, they don't quite have the mojo of the guitars they try so hard to emulate.
I always have had to have a Tele , Strat,Les Paul ,SH and 335 . I've had cheaper Asian knock offs of these guitars over the years that were pretty good . Never had the desire for a PRS . Good guitars , but nothing a Fender or Gibson can't do and never really liked the feel of the necks . Just my opinion . Sure plenty of people are very happy with them .
Myles Kennedy has been playing his prototype for a while now. Seen him playing it live in Detroit
I love my SS and really want to love these. The horribly obvious 3 piece bodies just don't look good. Guess that means I'd have to get a non transparent finish and only have to deal with the upper 3rd glue line in the body showing through like on my SS. For this price these should be 2 piece bodies.
Still overpriced for what it is. I'm not exactly sure since the price increase but my custom shop G&L asat that was bulit to my exact specs was $2500 shipped to my house in a beautiful g&g case.
Great video Mike! First time watching one of your videos and instantly I'm subbed! Looking forward to more great content!
John Mayer is a great player and I realize he’s got a lot of fans but I’m really surprised how many people don’t know who Richie Kotzen is. He has to be the most underrated guitar player in the last 20 years, and he has a signature Tele with fender that you should really check out. It’s the nicest T style guitar I’ve ever played.
He's never been underrated. Never. He's not mainstream and Mayer is.
@@daveg4236 You may want to check out the definition of underrated. You pretty much just described it.
@@mr.e8432 nope. Don't be dense
They sound absolutely incredible!
PRS fanboys will wet themselves over this like the Silver Sky, but no Tele fan will choose that over a Tele.
I appreciate what PRS are trying to do, there's enough boomer guitar styles out there, guitar companies don't have the balls to evolve or innovate...But if my guitar budget is $3k, this is not it, unfortunately. (Though my opinion on guitars often changes once I get my hands on one) I like the Silver Sky and I hope one day they put out their spin on a Jazzmaster style guitar.
They've got the Vela, kinda a jazzmaster.
@@ReyFromCursedBuilds that is true. Nice guitar too I guess I never saw it as an offset!
@skratchrapture Crazy good guitars. I love Teles and I love my Fender Tele, but I already have one and there's plenty of modernization to be desired that other companies offer, often for cheaper. I had hoped a T-Guitar from PRS would have more going for it aesthetically. Though this is entirely subjective and I'm sure there are those that prefer the look of these PRS Teles.
@skratchrapture If the best guitar I ever owned was a Chapman anything, I'd take up trumpet.
PRS makes really top quality guitars. As for their S and T style guitars they are in competition with all the other Partscasters. The PRS double cutaways are great which are all original in the design. In any case the guitar is about 10 percent, amps 10 percent and your hands are the other 80 percent. Rock on !,,,
I’m sure they’re good guitars, but the standard telecaster is the desert island guitar for me. Aside from the shape and bolt on construction, they’re not similar enough to compare, and I kind of wish they were. The Silver Sky was so close to being a full blown strat, I would have rather them try to do the same with this. I don’t doubt that a ton of knowledge and testing goes into the pickups, I love the pickups in my PRS guitar, but to me you can’t improve on the sound of an early Tele/esquire/broadcaster bridge pickup, and part of that is the noisiness. I’d rather buy 3 MIM telecasters than 1 of these :/
Your videos are getting better loved this edit 😂
I believe you have your answer. They are different guitars. Their T-shape is simply a way to attract attention. At the extreme, if they were a true "PRS' take on the Tele", that would be a testimony that the original Tele still is the source of inspiration. There wouldn't be no "killing the Tele" if there were no Tele to look up to. Same with the Silver Sky vs the Strat, same with many LP-inspired PRS models.
What attracts attention is not so much the guitar itself and its intrinsic qualities as the very model on which it is based. Good strategy, well marketed.
If you're not coming with something real new but something real good, find yourself some famous benchmark to compare to and say you're making sth better.
Some doctors like to spend big money on Gibsons and Fenders because they are supposedly the real deal.
Other doctors like to spend big money on PRSs because they are supposedly better than the real deal.
And guess what: it's perfectly fine. The guitar business is doing well, and even RUclipsrs get a share of the pie in the end
Plus: it's not something specific for PRS. It's the whole business, from cheap to dear, from vintage to modern: "I can't believe how great that cheap T-style plays" or "The best LP your 600$ can buy", or "They took the Strat to another level" and the list goes on. It's amazing how those 3 models made in the early 50s have remained so unsurpassed today, despite their flaws. As long as guitar making companies keep comparing their models to those 3 flagships, it means those old, imperfect models are still ruling the world of electric guitar.
That body shape is amazing. An SG Tele. Always liked that type of cutaway
No. Nobody can kill perfection
Indeed...played a Tele in college....and gravitated to LPs in my 40's....now at 62...getting/playing mostly my Teles...all very recently acquired.
Love your enthusiasm lol
From my experience PRS doesnt even really compete with Fender, PRS especially the SE variant type of purchase is more of a small side quest in the grand scheme of most players careers. PRS guitars just dont hit right, even their flagship guys are still Fender guys (John Mayer) maybe ive had bad ones but the answer is no.... PRS did not kill the Telecaster
Alterbridge does everything from quiet and tele chime to metal crunch. Myles is amazing and should be checked out if you haven't beyond slash
Considering the silver sky hasn’t killed the Strat in anyway whatsoever, I’d say probably not! I love the look of most PRS models but the silver sky and this look so ugly in my opinion
hard to say PRS would kill the tele or strat when theirs cost 3k. if anything Suhr has killed Fender guitars more than PRS
@@notkwcly1368 Bro news flash, Fender is feeling no type of threat from any of the other guys
@@travvhunter Yeah I know, fender has dominated the beginner/budget market for awhile now and I don't see that changing. I didn't mean suhr was killing fender, just that Suhr has done a better job with fender like guitars than PRS
@@notkwcly1368 I know no one is a threat to fender at all but I’d say Ibanez would be the best contender. Their new AZ stuff in recent years and the fact that they’ve now got SO many influencers as signature artists. The AZ is THE guitar you think of when you think modern guitarist. There’s probably a lot of people buying AZs who likely would have bought a fender otherwise. But like I said, even Ibanez don’t threaten fender
@@alexjackson8841 in my opinion Ibanez beats fender in that $1-2k price range while fender beats ibanez under that. Charvel would beat them both if they would just switch to stainless steel frets. Charvels are still the best feeling guitars to me but that's personal
Since the 70s a guitar company had to be really good to bend potential customer's minds away from all the saturated commercialize imagery media gas lighting for Gibson and Fender. PRS innovates and remains tasteful and competitive. Congrats to Mr. Smith for doing such a good job diversifying the line up without sacrificing the fundamentals. I build my owne stuff but sometime an axe from other builders appeal to me. I like those new T styled PRS units. The smooth lines kinda coming together is spectacular and the clean full tones from all five positons got me bro. Good show.
Its an high quality T-Style HH guitar but it cant kill the Telecaster, at least not in that configuration, i dont even think its fair to compare them. Apples to Oranges. Amazing guitar though
Mini-humbuckers are great. Maybe it takes PRS calling them “Narrow Fields” plus some signature hype for more people to actually notice.
Dude you play well. You have a great amp, but…..the tone is not a tele tone, not that the tone is bad, it’s just flat out not tele, in a classic sense, be it 50s or 60s, the tele spank is completely missing here. Reminds me of playing county on a les pual, yes it can be done, but plug In a tele, it’s a magnitude’s difference. Pretty sure the tele is safe, that’s no tele, it’s a prs. It’s its own thing. Same with the silver sky, it’s no Strat. It never will be, it will always be a prs, with PRs tone. And a PRs headstock. Lol.
Dang, bruh! What a repertoire!! Kudos.
gotta get the Myles PRS now !
These sound GREAT..I would buy one
Nice review, and editing.
I have the NF 53 and love it. Would say it's 80-85% Tele... with more oomph.
You're a talker, but very affable and no bs!
Praise God!
Those guitars look great-especially the nf53
God bless ya n’ thanks for sharing!
SOLI DEO GLORIA
(To The Glory of God Alone)
Father, Son & Holy Spirit
-Ronnie
I like the body configuration the look and the top loader bridge. My brain however, is not allowing me match the body with the bird inlays and the 3 per side head stock. We've been looking at traditional Tele's for so many years it's a bit hard to take this in. Maybe I'll get there.
Wow PRS recognized you enough to send you this guitar early for a review. Nice. These are clearly not teles as they are fuller sounding but they seem nice
Hats off to PRS. That they make beautiful instruments is not in dispute. After living with my PRS Tremonti for several years, it was traded away yesterday. And for what you ask? It was traded away for a Casino, just a plain, run of the mill Casino. This guitar isn't "like a Casino," it IS a Casino! Also, sitting on a stand in the studio is an Eastman SB59. I have no need for anything LP-like ever again. As is the case with several other Eastman instruments here, they are flawless. There are two other instruments in the studio that will never ever be replaced by anything, a Stratocaster and the guitar that gets played more than any other electric, a blonde Telecaster. When people come here to play, they are welcome to use anything we have. What gets picked up more than anything? The Telecaster. Thank you for showing us these new instruments. I'm sure they are wonderful but I promise, if they were on stands here and musicians reached to pick something up, they would stay on the stands while the Tele went to work. There has never been, nor will there ever be an electric guitar like this. Comparing anything to it is a fool's errand. PRS, Eastman and many other makers deserve recognition for excellence. But, IMHO, the most iconic, and possibly the most important electric in history is the venerable Fender Telecaster.
The Telecaster is irreplaceable. The only time a Fender classic body shape was replaced was the Esquire going with the 2 pickups route
I am not an expert on guitars in any way (my husband is a very accomplished guitarist), but I am a huge fan of Myles Kennedy as front man and co-lead/rythem guitarist of AB, vocalist in SMKC, and Myles solo work, as well as his bands preceding AB, such as The Mayfield Four. Myles studied jazz fusion in college and has been in a jazz fusion band, and plays so many different styles of music. Acousic, slide, country-ish, jazz, rock and heavy, thus this guitar that seems like it can "handle it all".
Don't forget your muffins are in the oven!
This is the second vid I've seen today about someone trying to kill a Telecaster. It's nice that they've done something to the voicing on the pickups. I like the cutaway for high neck access. The finishes look cool. But the Tele is the first solid body design and has required very little refinement over the years. It's so easy to change stuff on these models, that you can achieve the same by modding a standard T-style. So the fact they've made these changes mean they are pointing ever so slightly away from the traditional T market, when if someone wants a Tele they'll just buy one.
Some new things to dream about.. Excellent video Mike!!!
I think PRS are amazing guitars, I just bought a thinline tele with wide range humbuckers. Of course it doesn't have all the "twang" but it's close. Maybe my next tele will be the Kingfish model, that's he one that seems like me it checks all the boxes.
I don’t know why PRS keeps trying to do knockoffs of the Fender Strat, the Gibson Les Paul, and now the Fender Tele. I’ll stick with the originals thank you.
The “I’ve got muffins in the oven” joke was great. Fuckin awesome.
To “kill” the Telecaster you need to first have an option for every price point, there are $200 Teles out there
If I want a non Fender Tele, I'll get a Schecter. Sounds great, pretty to look at and cheaper than Fender or PRS.
That tone is 😮
I'm going to buy a PRS guitar tomorrow morning.... I've never played one before, but I'm a big Santana fan so Imma go blow some folding😎 I don't trust Fender quality any more, and Gibson are way over priced, so PRS it is! I love the sound of both of the new babies in the video, just incredible!
Prs started in 1985 in Maryland after smith left the custom shop at alembic?.. the 24 was released in 87 and put them on the map of high end instruments.
I’m all about these two more than any model.
Both guitars look and sound great, it’s a shame they are so expensive. If you read the comments on any of the videos about them, they’re filled with people saying, “I hope they release an SE version”, or “Can’t wait until the SE comes out”.
Love your channel!!!
These remind me of the Framus Renegade from the late 90s.
Especially their first Run with SSS plus a MiniHB in the bridge.
the silver sky and the NF53 have their own sound. neither of them really have that signature sound of a strat or a tele. it's a good thing IMO.
Wow this Ibanez looks amazing
🤣
Great channel. Would love both the S ands T style PRSs. Some day?
PRS make excellent guitars. Teles are my favorite guitar, but only the crazy Fender loonies will argue there aren't room for improvements still, would love to try one of these out
Perfect, excellent and free of any kind of soul/vibe/mojo and inspiration. That my experience having played soo many, cause I really wish I could find the PRS vibe. So far, no luck 😀
@goswo only ever really tried the SE double cuts and the Silver Sky but was extremely impressed by both tbh! Especially the silver sky! SE is excellent for budget players too though! I feel like the silver sky improved alot of things I've never loved about strats personally so excited to try their stab at a tele!
Good playing man!
Forgot to say, fantastic playing, great video.
No $3k guitar can kill a $1,500 guitar specially if its called Telecaster or Stratocaster, it can have all the bells and whistles, doesn’t matter
I’ve got muffins in the oven 😂😂 I love this guy
I love Teles and nothing will ever ever rid the tele or replace it. Teles, strats and Les Paul guitars are American history.
Bro is really good with dates for some reason. Almost all teh videos start with a random year😭
PRS just taking over! Let's goooo!
here's a tip...don't hold the neck like it's a shovel handle. you might wind up sounding like john mayer and you don't want that. keep that thumb BEHIND the neck so that your fingers can 'dance' on the fretboard.
I love the modern T-style body, but prefer the lower ranges and HATE that twangy bridge sound! The PRS's have great potential for comfort and sound. I look forward to trying them ... someday.
I do like the guitar, it sounds like thick tele or more like a guitar with humbuckers that can also go somewhat close to a tele. While teles are the opposite. So you don't get this to replace a tele, you get it to fill what it lacks
Let's hope they do an SE version of the of the NF53, that would be interesting. The core models are out of my price range, in Europe these are 3.7K guitars ;(
Recently bought a Fender Custom Tele SE FMT HH. Practically the exact same thing. Better in my opinion.
And what did you pay for that really nice Custom Shop Tele? A lot of the argument has been about the cost of the PRS models. When you get the top models, the price difference isn’t that big. Then it comes down to what feels best for you. I have a PRS CE22 that I love but I also have a 2010 Fender American Standard Tele that is phenomenal! But I paid $1100 for it then and it now is around $2000 today!
@@gregmiller7123 I paid $750
They are $1000 brand new
@@matthewwacker6068 Just looked up your Tele and it’s made in Indonesia so the comparison with an American made PRS or Fender really isn’t the same. I have a Fender Player Series Strat that was made in Mexico that’s great but it’s still not an American model and runs about $900. The cheapest American Tele is $1400 and runs all the way to over $2500. Whole point being about comparing apples to apples.
Great video sir!
If you want a custom tele, build your own, much more satisfying and cheaper than having prs do it for you.
I’ve always wanted a tele but I may spend the extra bucks to get Myles’ new signature. Looks and sounds great and it’s been long overdue that he got his own sig. fantastic guitarist and singer
Add up
⬆️⬆️⬆️
Get a tele bro. Nothing does a tele like a tele...
People need to watch the videos from Myles and PRS about those guitars. They do a lot more than you covered and they answer why they made it. If it wasn’t $3000 I would buy both or at least Myles for as Myles says “swiss army knife” of guitars. I have always like PRS guitars for quality and being a multi purpose style guitar
its crazy watching ur fav creators get scooped up slowly by a brand. bro went from a normal player to now a PRS ad lmao.
I love how he mentioned Myles as the guy who played with Slash FIRST instead of his incredible work as Alter Bridge 😂
The driving to guitar stores with the Mario kart is perfect!
🤣nothing can kill the Telecaster. To me it’s the best guitar ever built. Leo got it right the first time.
Bro those things sound sooo good 😮