2018 Silver Sky

[Johnkenn]

I ran into a kiiiiller price on a core SS - $1399. Black, RW. It has the old tip on the switch and has been played for sure...but it sounds great. I have an SS SE now that I added a brass block and new saddles and nut...and it sounds awesome. But playing this core next to a RW SE they had there - man, big difference. Just way more clarity, and "kerang" - I don't know how else to describe it. But it sounds objectively better. And that's weird because this is the first core I've compared to an SE and just thought it blew it away.
Anyway - my question is - are there any known issues with the 2018 run? Something everyone but me knows about?

 

[Stephen J.]

Not that I have heard of. And at that price, who cares. Buy it.

 

[Johnkenn]

Yeah I know. The price is what makes me a little nervous. Why so low? It’s at a big box chain…so I could always return it I guess if something was up.

 

[dmatthews]

I have a 2018 first 500.
Switch tip can crack, and vol/tone knobs can lose their numbers, but who cares... it's a KILLER guitar!

 

[Rider1260]

I love my 2018 and yes it sounds better ( different ) than the SE , the 2018 also has hotter pickups than the current Silver Skys ( core )
The low price is because they don't pay a lot for used Silver Skys grab it you will be happy !!!
I also had a 2019 and like my 2018 better

IMG_6007 by https://www.flickr.com/photos/152274366@N08/

 

[Zack Matzanias]

I have a 2018 first 500.
Switch tip can crack, and vol/tone knobs can lose their numbers, but who cares... it's a KILLER guitar!

I had one just like this but sold it. I wish I had kept it.

 

[Glide-bpm]

I have a 2018 first 500.
Switch tip can crack, and vol/tone knobs can lose their numbers, but who cares... it's a KILLER guitar!

Loved mine that had rosewood boards!!! Sold a pink one and a green one.... May go back again, but I love my only Strat that I own.
The only Strat that I ever kept more than a year.

 

[Johnkenn]

It’s black and looks just like that. This is such a good deal I might not be able to pass it up. So you guys that have the 2018 (is that first year?) don’t feel like they “fixed” anything in the pickups?

Also - there are some core pickups for sale for a ridiculous $500. Or I could put in boutique pickups for $300.

 

[dmatthews]

It’s black and looks just like that. This is such a good deal I might not be able to pass it up. So you guys that have the 2018 (is that first year?) don’t feel like they “fixed” anything in the pickups?

Also - there are some core pickups for sale for a ridiculous $500. Or I could put in boutique pickups for $300.

2018 is first year.
I would not hesitate to grab it.

 

[Johnkenn]

Well. I couldn’t stand it…so I did it. Ended up being around $1525 after tax - pretty good deal I think. Might be some just as cheap online, but I got to play this one.

Got it home and comparing to the SE. On first listen to each through my gear, I was a little nervous. The SE does sound really good - and I think the tone improved a good bit with the upgrades (nut/saddles/block)…but after an another time switching between them, the core just kind of objectively sounds better. Way more dynamics…I was thinking of an analogy - it’s kind of like this modded SE is like upscaled 1080p and the core is 4k.

They have different voices - the core almost sounds microphonic in a good way. Super touch sensitive. It’s bright - but I actually preferred a comparison online of a 2018 and a 2021. It’s not a harsh brightness, though. Brighter in the tip top - ~10khz - but not the harsh 2-4khz. These PUs seem to be a little more scooped. Which is probably more like Big Dippers. The SE seems to have more bottom and nasal 900-2khz.

If the SE had the dynamics of the core, I’d probably be happy with just the SE. but it doesn’t. Now that I have both, I might try some different pickups in the SE.

Oh - completely didn’t notice this until I was home - but looks like on the horn adjacent to the high E side of the guitar, it’s not black paint. It almost looks tungsten. Like they missed the spray or something. Almost looks like it was on purpose. Maybe that’s primer? Weird. Doesn’t bother me.

 

[dmatthews]

Well. I couldn’t stand it…so I did it. Ended up being around $1525 after tax - pretty good deal I think. Might be some just as cheap online, but I got to play this one.

Got it home and comparing to the SE. On first listen to each through my gear, I was a little nervous. The SE does sound really good - and I think the tone improved a good bit with the upgrades (nut/saddles/block)…but after an another time switching between them, the core just kind of objectively sounds better. Way more dynamics…I was thinking of an analogy - it’s kind of like this modded SE is like upscaled 1080p and the core is 4k.

They have different voices - the core almost sounds microphonic in a good way. Super touch sensitive. It’s bright - but I actually preferred a comparison online of a 2018 and a 2021. It’s not a harsh brightness, though. Brighter in the tip top - ~10khz - but not the harsh 2-4khz. These PUs seem to be a little more scooped. Which is probably more like Big Dippers. The SE seems to have more bottom and nasal 900-2khz.

If the SE had the dynamics of the core, I’d probably be happy with just the SE. but it doesn’t. Now that I have both, I might try some different pickups in the SE.

Oh - completely didn’t notice this until I was home - but looks like on the horn adjacent to the high E side of the guitar, it’s not black paint. It almost looks tungsten. Like they missed the spray or something. Almost looks like it was on purpose. Maybe that’s primer? Weird. Doesn’t bother me.

Well done mate, and rest assured, that paint job on the horn is completely on purpose/legit/original.
They all have it. Congrats!

 

[Johnkenn]

Well done mate, and rest assured, that paint job on the horn is completely on purpose/legit/original.
They all have it. Congrats!

What? The black ones all have grey there? Maybe this is the first black core I’ve seen.

 

[dmatthews]

What? The black ones all have grey there? Maybe this is the first black core I’ve seen.

All the original core Silver Skys no matter what colour have an offset/complimentary different colour there.

 

[dmatthews]

Start at 1:10 here...

 

[Obstructed View]

Yeah, my 2018 is Frost (white) but it has sparkly paint in the cutaway. Best Strat type guitar I've ever played.

 

[Johnkenn]

I wasn't completely convinced I'd made the right decision yesterday...but today everything sounds freaking amazing. Obviously, my ears are rock solid and the guitars completely changed over night lol. (That's a joke, btw)...The SE is an awesome guitar...but the core just is "more" of all the good stuff...

 

[Obstructed View]

I've looked at the SE and I wasn't too impressed. The neck would need to be rolled and worn in more to be comfortable. The core is already perfectly feeling when it's new. The one's after 2020 have a nitro body where the one's before have a poly body and nitro neck.

 

[Johnkenn]

I've looked at the SE and I wasn't too impressed. The neck would need to be rolled and worn in more to be comfortable. The core is already perfectly feeling when it's new. The one's after 2020 have a nitro body where the one's before have a poly body and nitro neck.

Yeah - wonder how much the nitro/poly thing comes into play? I didn't have any fret sprout on my SE...maybe they're just somewhat inconsistent...and I guess weather could cause that too in some areas. Think I prefer the core neck, but the SE doesn't bother me. This SE might even have a little more spank than the core because of the brass block...