I just got one of these from Anderson’s for £600. I can’t tell you how much of a pleasure it is to play this guitar. I’ve been a Les Paul player since is was 18. I’ve tried Strats and Tele’s and always went back to the LP but over the last few years I’ve been bored. This Silver Sky SE is incredible. I love it and can’t recommend it enough. The weight, the feel, the neck and the sound, they’re amazing. Get one.
My favorite clean was #3, and I was confident that it was the SE. In all of the vids that compared it to the US model, the SE consistently had a fuller midrange that I love. With gain though, I preferred #2.
That's funny, with gain #2 was by far my least favourite while #1 was the only one that's sounded usable to my ears and my playing style. Other than that they all sounded great when playing clean with a slight preference to #2.
Same here! I was astonished when they revealed that my favourite sounding guitar was Fender Vintera. But I might be biased as I own Classic Player 60s strat for years and it's my favourite guitar :)
I too chose the Fender and for some reason, I was a little surprised that I did. I play Strats and Teles most of the time so I guess I shouldn't be surprised.
Thats actually crazy! I preferred number 1 the most (overall I thought 1 > 3 > 2) and I was fairly sure #1 was the fender. This pretty much convinces me to get a silver sky instead. EDIT: I thought 1 was the fender because 2 and 3 sounded much more similar to me
Excellent marketing from PRS. I don’t own one but had a few SEs, an S2 and a USA Mira. Nothing but respect and admiration for Mr Smith, his company and the guitars. How they pulled this off if just amazing. First snagging Mayer and then creating this PRS Strat. Just amazing.
Great review. I love the limited lifetime warranty for PRS guitars. Much better than Fenders one year warranty. I think PRS did a fantastic job with this more affordable Blue Sky SE version.
Really nice demo guys. I was pleasantly surprised that I preferred the SE in the blind test which for me had more mid range and a sweetness and warmth on the clean setting.
Two very different sounding guitars. Also the feel is very different thanks the the neck. I preferred the sparkly tone of the Vintera, Guillaume liked the SE more. It's all about tone preferences and it's great to have options. Cheers //Kris
Life is harder after I felt that neck profile first hand and heard pickups of the US version in person. If someone wants to sell neck and pickups from a SE, hit me up I left this video for later to be in best shape and boy oh boy, I celebrated every second of it. It's good that you have different taste in music (and one of you is in the same cult as me 💓) After comparison with Vintera it's clear for me why all the Strats in store didn't excite me. I like strat shape but I'm in love with Silver Sky sound and playability Thank You for making my Saturday evening exciting 💓
Aww, thanks Artur! Glad to hear that. Yeah, as told the Silver Sky is actually a very different guitar than a strat. It does the strat thing if you want and it looks very similar, but it feels and sounds different. Which is great. Cheers //Kris
My reasoning from having played a silver sky was it was a bit scooped and I found it sounded thin unless you attacked the strings very hard. I guessed the Strat was in the middle, the PRS 1st, a bit more scooped but very clear, 3rd the SE, still a bit scooped but less clarity. It may just be a lucky guess. I bet if you did an extensive blind test most would choose the stratocaster, you could roll off some highs with the tone if wanted. I have several stratocasters, I still might pick up the SE at this price range. All were excellent & loved the playing and fun shootout. Job well done boys 🥂
From 750 euros in the US ($849) to 999 euros in Europe ($1135). There's a Squier CV between those prices. Such a shame. I know, taxes... For many PRS, prices are the same. Or just a bit different. Now, it's a BIG difference. $1135 for a poplar body and no locking tuners ? cmon guys. You know that it's way too expensive and overpriced.
US prices are always shown without taxes because taxes depend of the state you’re buying from. While European prices are always shown WITH taxes. So if you do math of 750 + 20% VAT, you end up to 900-ish Euros already. Then you look at EUR-USD change rate and it could fluctuate, which is not something either PRS or Thomann can really control. Also, European laws generally have 2 or 3 years guarantee while you only have 1 year (sometimes even only 90 days) in the US. And finally, some store will add shipping cost, while Thomann might send it for “free”… of course, it’s not free, it’s just contained in the final price. So once we do math, add all variable and such, the US price is pretty close to the European price. It’s not as big as 750 to 999 as we could think at a first google glance. I hope it helps to understand pricing… cheers
As long as you haven't played it, you can't say whether it's overpriced or not. Specs tell very little about the quality. Are you really going to feel the different body wood? I don't think so. Costs are put into the fit and finish. Also, poplar is used in high end Ibanez guitars such as in Satriani's.
@@Spidouz It helps. Thanks. But I don't get why it's that much different for the SE SS than the SE Custom 24, Paul's Aqua or the Holcomb. We paid a bit more than the US (if I compare with Sweetwater). For sure. But definitely not that much. Plus, at Sweetwater the Standard 24 is at $649. In Europe... between $590 and $649. :/
Pre-emptive guess: #1 USA PRS, #2 Fender, #3 SE PRS. #1 and #3 were so god damn similar I figured they had to both be the PRS, and deduced #2 was Fender because it was the outlier. Then I just flipped a coin. They really nailed those pickups. Good Job.
Although I'm a fan of the PRS SE line, this time I think that the Silver Sky SE model is way overpriced, 30% at least due to it being a JM sig model... There are at least 2-3 models from the competition, which come to my mind right away, that are in the same price ballpark or cost 100-300$ less (at least in the EU) which are a better option - Charvel DKs 24/22 + Red Ash model, FGN J-standard, Schecter Nick Johnston sig., Yamaha Pacifica 612v II, just to name a few... I'd even throw in the G&L tribute, Godin and the Sire LC S7 line in the mix, which cost 40% less than the Silver Sky and are also not a bad option, certainly better than the whole F's MiM lineup right now... Heck if Thomann wanted to they could knock it out of the ballpark with a modern(-ized) strat, a "modern classic" or "classic revisited" model, if they decide to improve a bit their formula from the Fusion III line - HSS/SSS type guitar with somewhat better pups than the Fusions have, compound roasted maple neck+alder/ash body, SS frets with rolled edges, locking tuners+Graphtech nut and a Wilkinson bridge with a thicker tremblock (maybe even fixed bridge like the one the Yammy 611hfm). All that for 500-600$/euros with solid QC, and since there is no "middleman" the value of the model would be way up and could basically wipe the floor with almost all the
To me it looks more like a 500$ PRS SE Standard model than a PRS SE, which are known to be some of the best options under 1000$/euros. I guess that's a perk of being a JM Silver Sky signature guitar... I also have a feeling that this time PRS is just being really cheeky, knowing this will sell anyways, so they've decided to upsell an SE Standard model for 1k... It's just sad to see this agressive marketing and synchronized review publishing on all other bigger channels, and it's even more sad to see the YT influencers ('cause that's what they are) praising the heck out of this guitar even though they know it's not worth the money PRS is asking for it.
1 and 3 sounded very similar and I thought they were the 2 SS models. I liked both very much. I could not say which was which. I have the US SS with maple neck and I bought it because I fell in love with the neck and the satin feel is great... Great video and playing guys!! Now, if they did a tele with that neck...
Kris, As always definitely love your guitar style and technique. As far as PRS, a great guitar manufacturer but way over priced. I'm still more than happy with Fender and their are versions of this guitar lower priced sounding great. Great show. Go Thomanns!
@@asdfjklol The JM SE is 1140 usd in Europe and 1200 usd in GB.I live in EU and the JM Se will cost me the same amount of money with the player plus (buying from Thomann ).I am not sayng that the MIM plus is better but the price thing is not the same all over the world.If i spend 115 usd more I can get a US Performer model from my local store (brand new).Again , I am not saying that the US strat is better BUT if we are talking about value I think its propably the winner.
@Mark Seymour Not true.VAT is not the main reason for different prices.For example the Z.Myer model or the SE Hollow II will cost 115 usd more in EU (using different models to make a point). The JM one has 295 usd difference in EU.If VAT was causing this, then the same price difference would be applied to both the SE Hollow AND the JM model but in US the price is 1199 usd and in EU the price is 1289 usd for SE HOLLOW II while the JM model cost 850 usd in US and 1145 usd in EU.VAT is one of many reasons (region is another due to import fees and other costs or stock to name a few) BUT still the difference is TOO big to say that it is just a VAT "thing".The US JM model cost 557 usd more in EU but the S2 Custom 24 cost around 200 usd more in EU.The Fiore model is 545 usd more in EU compared to US.I think you get my point.
@Mark Seymour 100% agree with you. My point was that a more expensive model (SE HOLLOW II) has smaller price tag difference compared to a less excpensive model (SE JM) as we speak. So its not just VAT or shipping costs. Either way its a model to consider if you are looking for an S type guitar (around 1000 euros in EU) AND since its a PRS product,everyone knows that it is a quality guitar and obviously a different animal compared to a Fender strat (example) at the same price point. Some will say it is overpriced in EU, others will say its not ,the same way we talk about all guitar models/brands. If you ask me, the better choice is to go for the USA model even if you have wait in order to save money for it.
That's really interesting, because to my ears the tones of 1 and 2 sounded the same and #3 seemed to have a stronger bottom. I was sure 1 & 2 where the PRSs and 3 was the strat. I think the SE sounds great, especially in the hands of you both. But my skill level would not justify adding one to me stable of guitars, which is probably too many already.
I’m a big fan of PRS, of Strats and John Mayer; I do suck (= trying to play) on a Two-Rock Studio Signature, but I’ve been very reluctant of getting a Silver Sky because of the 7 ¼” radius. I use a PRS Brent Mason which is 25 ¼” scale and 10” radius, satin neck that I love. So a SE model with 8 ½”’ radius and satin neck, it’s just PERFECT to finally have a strat-like guitar by PRS. And I believe the price is right. If I would have to bring 1 critic, it would be the only 4 colors that are ok, but not as sparkly as the US Silver Sky.
hah, I liked the guitar no 3 the best as well. Surprising, I thought that No 1 had to be the mid priced Fender. It sounded more muffled in the high end. Guitar no 2 had more sparkle in a good way and no 3 had that too and at the same time sounded more refined. Well, listening with the ears instead of the wallet can be a rewarding experience :-) cheers guys, nice video!
Nice! I love the blind tests, for me, Guitar 2 was obviously the best, then guitar nr 3 and I actually disliked guitar nr1 :) And I did not expect that!
Agree! I was actually hoping #2 was the SE as I've got my eyes on one but that Fender (to my ears) sounded the best which was a little surprising to me.
Well sorry to say guys but I nailed the Fender being the 2nd guitar. There’s just something about that sound that’s hard to replicate. The only pickups that I really like that do an amazing job is the Lace Sensor Gold pickups and guess what they were on arguably the best model that Fender ever produced. Everything is subjective but to my ear it was definitely noticeable. Great review. 👍🏼👍🏼👍🏼
Very interesting to hear the Strat thrown in there, I feel like a lot of people will like that tone but there's just something more JM about the mid range and lack of jangle in the PRS's
I guessed the order right, which I think I'm happy about? I figured that the Vintera pickups were gonna sound a little too bright clean but fine with gain, the US Silver Sky would be full and clear both clean and dirty, and the SE Silver Sky would be a little dark with gain but a lot like the US version clean. Kind of happy because I want to like the SE Silver Sky, but not happy because I usually don't like thicker necks and they'll always be out of stock. But I like the overall look of the Silver Sky more than a Fender strat, and the colors are more interesting to me
Nice review. Agree with your comment at 19:15. PRS did not do itself a favor. Seems like PRS maintained alot of good qualities in the SE version from original Silver Sky without compromising too much. With what was actually changed, I don't see it as a cheaper version - Just makes you wonder how much overpriced the original Silver Sky was set as a price point based on these differences. PRS will sell a bunch of these for sure and may even out compete the original (though need to sell 3 SEs to equal 1 original Silver Sky to break even)
Companies look at % profit margins, not net profit. If an SE cost $200 to build and an American costs $600, they don't charge $800 and $1,200, they charge $800 and $2400. Even if you used all identical parts, you still have to charge a lot more for an American instrument that would sound identical just due to cost of labor, cost of manufacturing space, cost of tooling, cost of materials, etc. Literally all your overhead costs more here. Whether you consider it as overpriced or not is another matter. It mostly depends on how much you value 'Made in America' and want to own the 'real deal' so to speak.
One thing you didn’t mention in the specs piece is that the USA Silver Sky has a 7.25” radius vs. an 8.5” radius on the SE. Not a significant difference, but still different.
I feel like all the people who preferred the vintera don't quite get or appreciate Mayers tone. The vintera was much more harsh and trebly, with stronger attack. Mayers tone is rather creamy and full, which is perfectly executed via both the silver skys. What I'm getting at is if you prefer the vintera, you aren't looking to capture Mayers tone at all.
This video has 2 problems, I saw Ariel short demo first (and he totaly melted me). Second, my favourite sound was guitar 2 from test and least favourite number 2 😲. PS: great playing, esp Guill was today on fire.
I liked the Fender. The blind test proved what Stevie Ray said about Pau Ferro sounding more like Brazilian Rosewood then Indian Rosewood. John Mayer is already Parent music. In 10 years he'll be grandparents music and everyone will feel about the silver sky how they feel about the Santana model. The Stratocaster however will still be cool.
Hi guys, thanks for the demo, really nice! So since yesterday everyone is comparing the SE to the USA core model. And it’s great to see PRS didn’t skimp out! But an apples to apples comparison would be excellent. Similar price point. You guys did that a bit with the vintera. But a video with the player plus maybe would be awesome. What do you think?
Hurraaaa, ihr habt's voll drauf 🥳 und ich hab's verkackt 😄 Die erste klang clean so gut, hab sofort gedacht das muß die fender sein 🤷♂️ ich glaub ich muß mal wieder zum arzt 👂😇
Haha! Keine Sorge, die Vintera klang auch echt gut also alles in Ordnung mit deinen Ohren. Bloß war die erste die US Silver Sky, die halt quasi auf dem Niveau von CS Strats klingt... 🤷♂️ Also schwierige Nummer dieser Blindfold Test, haha! //Kris
When it comes to cleans, i liked the SE the least and prefered the fende. The SE also had the worst dirt tone, but the US Silver Sky beats the Fender. But honestly, for strats i think clean tone is most important so i would say Fender wins. Cant copy a strat. I was actually quite surprised, as I dont really like the vintera series, much prefer player strats and i guess the us models
Heard (but couldn’t play) an original 1957 Strat with the 5-way switch mod (everything else original)… and all 5 tones were awesome… and it made me wonder why they don’t replicate that!
WOW! I got the Fender right, but had reversed the SE and 'regular Sky as I thought the A pickups were a bit more muddy and lacked the clarity of C. The SE was a better sounding guitar to my ears. Genuinely surprised!
Found #2 & 3 pretty close. Both preferred to #1 for me. Wonder how big of an impact this SE will have on the American CE version. Would buy a Schector Nick Johnston strat over either PRS though.
Thanks for the video guys, but you need to dim the front lighting a bit more, it's blasting all semblance of color nuance and erasing detail from the guitars
Thanks for a great review. I would go for the fender. Like the glassy tones the best. After that the US Silver Sky. But the tones from the SE was great but dont like the colours and mostly the ugly plastic tuners, looks so cheap. This is way to overpriced for me. Rather go with a Fender or maybe the Sire escpecially for the rounded fretboard ends just like the SE has. The SE is overpriced and you have to mod it with new nicer tuners and trussrodd cover and then its even more expensive. Is that what PRS want us to do? Buy new tuners because these are so ugly. Thanks for this review its really helped me out what to buy.
It is so cool they are making these, just wtf happened with the color choices ? Might just be my opinion but they look kinda plastic-ish with those colors it's a shame
The American PRS is super dark and moody sounding which makes sense if you've heard John Mayer talk about how he likes strats, but prefers the top end rolled off on the sound to take some of the edge off. The Vintera and SE however sounded incredibly similar. So SE gets the win easy. $250 cheaper, better fretwork, better bodywork, better overall build.
Congrats! Yeah, the 1. sounded fullest and the 2. more sparkly / straty (what a surprise, since that was the strat, haha). It's a matter of taste really, but the difference definitely makes sense if you know John's taste in guitar tones. Cheers //Kris
.... I don t know why but.. I like the third guitar more than the first one... hm... the second has a little tuch of cheap... 🤔.... not clear but with distortion.... clear.. number 2 sounds very good
