PRS was smart..he knew this guitar would get a lot of exposure along with controversy..great marketing tactic..I wanted to hate this guitar but the more I hear it and look at it the more I want one.
Karl Wirth Wanted to hate this guitar, finally got one and amazed at how nice it is (even compared to my CS Strats.. which I still like a bit better). Was not a PRS fan but they did a good job here. Update: It seems I am picking up the Silver Sky more than my CS Strats ...wow. Damn, from a PRS hater to my favorite guitar in only one month 😢
@@tricko2286 Plus you know the build quality and attention to detail will be spot on! I have a Hollowbody Special. It cost me a lot but is an amazing guitar
That guitar is AWESOME !! It's safe to say that JM knows what he wants and that PRS knows how to give what he wants out of a guitar.. JM is typically a strat player but this is something different that's why he went to PRS ..btw nice chops I could see and hear your excitement and that's what a guitar is supposed to do ! Inspire..
I personally really like the headstock that everyone moans about. Also it sounds really clear regardless the settings. Can’t wait to lay my hands on one. One thing that the guys of Andertons TV have noticed is that the pole pieces of the pickups follow the curvature of the fretboard and the neck unlike usual Stratocasters.
The staggered pole pieces are necessary for 7.25 radius fretboards or the middle pole pieces would be much too far from the strings for even volume across the strings. This is the case with every original Stratocaster from the 1950s and 1960s and 1970s. They all had 'em. One of the original "Super Strat" mods was to pull the frets and re-radius it flatter. The 9.5 radius, which doesn't need the stagger, started in the 80s sometime around the CBS sale. A lot of the non-Custom Shop 50s and 60s reissues and re-imaginings don't use the 7.25 radius so they aren't technically period correct.
9:34 you actually nailed it. He also released an amp with PRS and he's saying the same things. Actually semantically beating around the bush of what's essentially a specific sound compression profile he wants with his amp and obviously with this guitar. It's more twangy, that's what it is in the simplest terms!
Best demo of the PRS Silver Sky! I can tell you immediatly connected with this guitar! In a scary good way! Ive seen enough of this Silver Sky to know i would connect with it as well! Great demo!
Fender seemed good enough for JM during all the years of learning, touring and in all his hits (including whatever “compression” you are hearing). I think the Silver Sky a good guitar but not worth all the hype. PRS Headstock & inlays are atrocious on a Strat body IMO. When the SS interest and attention on JM dies down, he’ll hop back to Fender and release an even more expensive Sig. Fender Strat. The ol’ “back to my roots” ploy. 🙃 Update: Man I am eating my words... bought one and it is my new favorite guitar 😳
Fenders management changed over and John said he had trouble getting anyone on the phone or to let him make certain changes. He went to PRS primarily because Paul gave him his direct number and would fly and meet him personally to make any adjustments he wanted. Fender would tell him no to certain tweaks to the Strat that he wanted.
It’s probably the best factory made guitar I’ve ever got and I own 3 vintage strats and I play the SS almost more then my 65 strat that I love. Honestly with all the mayer fan boys out there I can’t imagine how much money PRS has made with this thing.
Nice playing man. The smile on your face says it all. I ordered one in Tungsten and they were on back order so I had to get a Frost one like yours now I just gotta love it. Do you like the white?
the compressed neck sound he talks about is exactly how I feel about a lot of newer strats,, and what makes me gravitate towards telecasters. Maybe it was the old three similar polarity pickups which did not have the hum cancelling 2 and 4 positions.. the old high mass steel tremolo block, or the fatter rounder neck of an early 60s strat all together creating a guitar with less compression.. Paul reed smith mentioned in an interview something about two of the factors regarding the pickups, (bobbin. wire thickness, alloy, wire material etc) that people get wrong in many modern pickups.. I ANd that stevie ray vaughn style playing on the neck pickup has been beaten to death and seriously never really been a fan of that style.. THis guys more country style playing is much nicer to my ears..
Just bought the golden mesa from Ryan Fowler's guitar shop, and can't stop watching reviews just waiting for mine to show up! Feels like all the Christmases at once
A lot of hate for this guitar but I absolutely love it. Can't wait to own one. Choosing between the frost and tungsten is going to lead to nothing but mental anguish.
Tone is in the fingers, but your right! The guitar sounds spanky, and very “quacky” in the middle positions. He lends a lot of attack to the string. I Just ordered one of these in green from Sweetwater. 👍
Can you do a video on how to use melodic minor? I think you would have a good take on it since your videos are more lick/phrase based. Also, love your legato licks
Great demo and very useful information. You’re sound honest, sincere and I love your style, awesome licks I was sitting on the fence with this guitar but now I just have to order a couple for the store. I might have missed it but what amp are you playing through?
I enjoy Michael's vids a lot and regularly :) but I really disagree regarding Strat between positions, I mainly Solo on Position two (unless I'm replicating a specific sound) AND Strats(including the SS) require you to dig in and express yourself like no other guitar model.... they 'make' you want to dig in. That being said the SS is remarkable and as much fun as any S type I've ever played.
He might be referring to more of the current line of Strats. Vintage Strats obviously sound great in those in-between positions ("Bell Bottom Blues," "Sultans of Swing," etc.).
I'm going to make another video soon. I really didn't want to have this one go on for 30 min, so I just mentioned the first things that came to mind. Thanks!
Okay I had this playing in my Headphones Up Until the 6-minute Mark or just before the 6-minute mark and I can come to one conclusion and that is it's Telecaster. It is a 2020 Telecaster. I hear that it's sound so different from the other videos of people playing that guitar that I must have to assume it's your playing style and maybe even your amp settings. This is pure Nashville plain and simple. Nothing wrong with that cuz I play my cast of Nashville album any time I'm not happy I still like Tim McGraw on a regular basis I'm simply saying that I do not hear anything close to the sounds that on other websites. To that I will and you're a very good you're picking coordination with your left hand right hand is on point.
I found it to "feel" to small compared to a strat. I much prefer my made in Korea G&L to the Silver Sky I had laying around. My favorite is my USA tele and Gibson es 339 though. So I'm no stranger to USA guitars when I say my MIK G&L is superior to the SS lol
You compared a Squier bullet to a $2300 silver sky. But yeah fender starts do suck at leads in 2 and 4. But those positions are for rhythm and funk. Still not a fan of the SS I should try it again tho
I hope you can give me feed back; when I listen to the PRS semi hollow limited edition guitar the tone simply sounds gorgeous and that's coming from a guy that's owned a 1960s Gibson SG my entire adult life and wasn't a hollow body guitar guy. How do you compare it to the Silver Sky ?
It's wildly different. There is no comparison. This is like asking how the Ford F250 compares to the Ford Fusion. They're just completly different things for different purposes.
Thanks! Believe it or not, this is plugged in direct to garageband! I literally just plugged it in to make a super quick video. I'll be making a proper one this week. And.... I don't know what reactive load means.... I'm off to google!
Guitargate thanks for your reply bro! Wow 😮!!!! I’m astonished how good it sounds knowing it was directly to GarageBand! It’s sounded like it were a tube amp!🤣 May I Know what interface!? And amp model in GarageBand!? About the Reactive loader! That’s an equipment made to use your tube head amp without a speaker connected in the speaker out on the Amp! So then you can use your tube amp for example, with IRs( impulse Responses)!
Thanks! Yeah you'd be surprised how far that tech has come. And for someone who has 3 kids and works from home, I can't always crank up my class A tube amps and make videos! I think it was the fat face setting.
Hey man - I don't have any idea what John does! All I know is what the thing feels like and sounds like. And to me - It feels like and sounds like something to drive a class A amp because of it's transparency. And BTW - I've seen John play. He's dynamic as all get out. We all use boosts, but we dig in as well :)
It looks and sounds amazing, the question is... How hard would it be to learn to play guitar in it due to the neck radius 🤔 May be even making a video of your thoughts about the PRS Silver Sky as a first guitar 🎸. Asking for a friend 😁
It wouldn't be hard at all. In fact, it would be easier. But buying a Silver Sky as a first guitar is silly. 99% of people don't stick with it, so statistically, it'll probably be a waste of money. But also, you won't have the skill to make it sound good for years. The same way that John Mayer could pick up a $100 Squire and make it sound amazing, a beginner would pick up a $2500 Silver Sky and make it sound like a $100 Squire.
I also bought the Silver Sky SE Moon White and there are alot little things that are not good on it, but I did work it out after major tweekiing. I like the Truss rod cover off, looks like a core model from far away. Two things I think need to be changed from the Factory in the future are the really cheap saddel's and the poor tuning keys. I bought this guitar because I was so tempted to buy a Core Silver Sky for $2600.00 plus tax that I was sure i would also never play. I have said this before in other comment post that this guitar feels like a toy guitar. If you want a really great inexpensive guitar I really think the Fender MIM Vintage Series from around 2012 to 2015 finished in Nitro are some of the best guitar that Fender has made in the past 12 years and also Fender comes with a whole lot more, like the History of your favorite players and MOJO. Fender's are not toys either, they are the real thing, that is why they are the most copied Guitar in history.
( HILLBILLY SLANG sound) Hehe boys now, its jest nuther straty caster, yall come back down ta earth now yee heer? Yall be back down ta geetcha a MIM stratty b4 long now.............. :)
It''s a nice looking and sounding Strat. This guy is admittedly a PRS Shill so give proper weight there. And clearly, based on his comments on spots 2 and 4 and "dead neck", he hasn't played a really nice Strat. I wouldn't mind playing one at some point. FWIW nobody crapped all over Chet Atkins when he went Gibson/Gretsch or EVH when he bounced MusicMan to Peavey. Buy it or don't buy it. For me, I would rather have a played in Strat with larger radius that doesn't choke up high at that price point. But if ya'll want to spend that kinda dough .. rock it! I am just thankful John kept PRS from putting one of those hideous finishes from the Wal Mart Lingerie section on his axe. PRS is a fine guitar maker.
HA! While you're obviously right regarding the unicorn strats, I've played MANY vintage ones and custom shops, etc. and I've honestly just never felt like I had to have it. I didn't buy the Silver Sky for the same reason. It's the truth and thanks for the post!
Jason Hisington ive listened too it when it first came out and i think it sounds so much cleaner and warmer. Amazing guitar but almost everyone on youtube jumps in the "hype" train and doesnt focus on the real deals. Its alright tho people are people
I love PRS... But in this case I couldn't get past the headstock looking plain wrong for a strat copy. I also dislike the big headstock era strats. Looks wise Fender got it right first time. Everything else is an aesthetic failure.
Leo Fender created a masterpiece. The headstock is definitely an eyesore. It's design does not flow with curving lines of a Strat-style body. It's like putting arms on the Venus de Milo. The original PRS guitars were masterpieces in their own right. i would expect more from PRS regarding design integrity, especially in ripping off and bastardizing a time-honored design.
It should just be about sound but I guess aesthetics do play into things. I can't but feel that anything but a fender headstock on a strat (Suhr looks weird, this looks awful) seems unnatural. I also think that extended cutaway looks like this could be a $250 starter guitar you'd see in a box at Target. Of course, to each their own, but definitely don't think these are ever going to be super popular.
I always find it humorous when people put up bass traps and then hang an acoustic guitar on the wall that throws lows and highs out all over the room with sustain.
If it looks and sounds like a strat, it's a strat. When purchasing a guitar, the look has to appeal to me and more than likely I wouldn't be looking at a guitar that looks like something I already have. So if I had 2+ grand to spend on a guitar, it'd take me years to decide which one and then I'd probably end up playing my $600 favorite guitar anyway.
The reason you don't like the Silver Sky SE is it's not a True 22 fret Strat like guitar like Leo's Fender Strat is with the sweet neck pickup placed in the middle of the 12th fret to the bridge. The Silver Sky core model is like a Loe's Original Strat with a sweet neck pickup placed in the middle of the 12th fret to the bridge. Strats, Tele's Les Paul's all have the sweet neck pickup placed in the middle of the 12th fret to the bridge. This Silver Sky SE will never be any good and it is by PRS design, it is like the difference between a PRS Custom 24 and a Custom 22. Through away the Silver Sky SE before it drives you crazy trying to figure this out. They Tricked us all.
PRS as well as Gibson & Fender is to sell-move guitars,PRS -Paul likes to create a story for the guitars cause people buy into his sales hype especially when you come out with a sig model,they all do the same sales hype,bottom line if ur lookin for a double cutaway just get one ur comfortable with(cheaper-strat) & change pickups to suite ur taste ,no need to buy PRS or other overpriced guitars,these models will come & go & Mayer will sign with someone else down the road like they all do because its always about $$$$$$$$$ ,they should of named it Gold Sky cause its gonna make them money,theres no revolution here its just ANOTHER fukn guitar.
Sounds and looks like a strat. And you quote PRS himself from his TED talk. Imagine if you said the guitar was 'not bad',I don't think the PRS factory would let you use a guitar for your videos anymore. And you got help from PRS, so credibility is zero for me. And also, you are dead wrong about a Fender strat is only floor or ceiling. It's just nonsense. John still plays his Fenders most of the time during his live performances. But hey, you never owned a strat (although you first said that you did). John went to Fender first with his ideas for a new strat model. They weren't interested. PRS was his second choice. And guess what: they made a strat. Totally different from a strat.... Then why did they spec it from 63-64 strats? I'm tired of hearing this nonsense that it's totally different from a strat. Guess what: buy a 2 different sets of pickups, and your guitar sounds different. I agree that the guitar sounds really good. But for that price, I'll save 400 euro's more and get myself a custom shop Fender, WITH case.
I've actually never seen PRS's TED talk. But now I'm off to see what you're talking about. And BTW - I've returned many guitars and amps to PRS and others because I didn't like them. And like I said in the video, it's not all fenders. It's just most of the ones I've played! It's also most of the knock-off / clones as well.
Man.. sad to say, this guitar specifically sounded sort of dull. Like it’s sort of just humming the notes- it’s not really vibing. Weird, cause it’s the first video of these guitars I’ve felt that way. If there’s an example of lacking “mojo”, I’d say this may be it.
lol did you skip the entire video or something? The dude melted faces with ease and unless your ears are broken, I think it sounded pretty damn good. Hard to dispute those tones by calling his thoughts biased. Just let the sounds do the work.
I see what you're saying and I agree for the most part. He's clearly partial to PRS. But what are you expecting a review of this guitar to say? It's prs, so surely, no one is going to say it is a shitty instrument in a review because it's highly unlikely that prs would make a bad guitar. And I'm only saying this because I don't own a prs, I never have. In fact, my main and favorite guitar is a fender strat. But i'm trying to objectively look at this new instrument, strat copy or not, and decide whether or not it sounds good and plays well. And based on this video, it appears to.
Michel - If it sucked I'd say so! I do work with PRS for guitargate.com, and I do think they build awesome instruments, but I've played plenty that I don't like. This isn't one of them!
