2018 Silver Sky pickups vs 2021 and forward pickups; which is closer to a 1963 Fender Strat

[Revelation]

PRS have said how the Silver Sky sounded just as good with a 1963 Fender Strat when it first came out. There were several shoot outs between the Silver Sky and expensive Fender Strats. Now that the pickups are not a hot and the pickups a little less bright, which one sounds closer to a older Stratocaster?

With that being said, I prefer the 2021 pickups and moving forward as the back pickup is less ice picky.

 

[LaxActium]

Check out the comparison Paul did a few days ago live at the CME with an off the rack SS and a 64 Strat.

 

[Revelation]

I saw that one. The Red one had a fuller sound, and the Silver Sky was more open including the mids. He played them with no sound and the Silver Sky had more sustain and a open sound.

But that still does not answer my question; which Silver Sky sounds closer to the 63 Strat, the 2018-2019 Silver Sky or the 2021 - today Silver Sky?

 

[LaxActium]

Any tweaks or revisions would have gone through JM. So whether or not he wanted to deviate or if they got closer to the original sound, we would have known by now.

 

[dmatthews]

My 2018 is all I need in a S type guitar. Brilliant.

 

[Rider1260]

The interesting question is how many folks here have played a 63 / 64 Strat ( or better yet owned one )
Had a 64 for a time it was really not a great guitar neck pickup was nice but not much else, same issue I have had with most of my Strats over the years. I have a 2018 SS and had a 2019 , I have played some of the newer ones and they have not really spoken to me , to low on output. I have played my SS against a 58 and a 63 Strat for tone and playability I picked the Silver Sky as better overall for me.

 

[garrettb]

PRS have said how the Silver Sky sounded just as good with a 1963 Fender Strat when it first came out. There were several shoot outs between the Silver Sky and expensive Fender Strats. Now that the pickups are not a hot and the pickups a little less bright, which one sounds closer to a older Stratocaster?

With that being said, I prefer the 2021 pickups and moving forward as the back pickup is less ice picky.

I'd say they both sound like an older Stratocaster, which is to say they have a traditional tone (like a gazillion other Strats). Generally speaking the earlier ones with the hotter pickups would be closer to a '63-'64 because Fender was winding their pickups beefy at that time. The more recent ones would be closer to a 50's tone.

 

[Revelation]

I just find it interesting that Paul took John Mayer's pickups apart and found out how it got its sound. So he worked on getting as close as he could with the 2018 version. When Tim Pierce compares the two, the Fender sounded a little fuller. Then PRS changed the pickups at least twice after that. So the question remains did he get it closer to John's Fender with the current pickups used or did John just want it tweaked to his taste on making some subtle changes. I will say I do prefer the larger frets over the tiny ones of vintage Strats.