ELPANABANANA
New Member
**Long post. Scroll down for pictures and list of parts used for this project.***
I used to be an HSH non-believer. I have to admit that my dislike was mostly with the aesthetics of the exposed pickup route of almost all HSH guitars on the market. However, after a lot of experimenting with different pickup combinations, I am now a firm believer in the versatility of the HSH configuration.
The USA Silver Sky has the best sounding single coil pickups for my needs. But as a Hard Rock/Metal lover, there's nothing like a full-size humbucker in the bridge position of an "S" body guitar. This is the origin of why I started to modify my Silver Sky's.
My HSH journey began partly because of the results of my Silver Sky HH project, in which I experimented with the following PRS pickup combinations: Tremonti Bass, 58/15 Low Turn Bass, and a Tremonti Treble. I found that after completing the project, these combinations of HH pickups had something lacking sonically. Fortunately for me, there was no cost for the pickups, as these were all pickups I had lying around after removing them from other guitar projects.
After getting back to some more experimenting, I found the versatility of the following PRS pickups to be the perfect pairing for an HSH guitar: 58/15 Multi-Tap Bass, 635JM for a middle position, and the Metal \m/ Treble in the Bridge position. Side note, the PRS 58/15 Multi-Tap pickup is my favorite Neck/Bass pickup. What makes it particularly special, as far as how I understood it explained to me by my guitar tech, one of the coils in the MT's has extra turns on it which are only engaged when in split/single coil mode. In humbucking mode, the overwound coil is tapped, excluding the extra turns and leaving you with two equal coils. This offering of multiple tap options for each coil makes this particular pickup incredibly versatile. In its full humbucking mode, it has a rich and powerful sound, but when split, it offers a sweet and sparkling single-coil tone. This versatility allows for a wide range of tonal possibilities, making it an excellent choice for an HSH configuration.
My HSH Silver Sky has become the most versatile guitar I own for studio purposes. With its range of tonal options, I can dial in the perfect sound for any recording session without the need for multiple guitars. The HSH configuration offers a great balance between the clarity of single-coil pickups and the power of humbuckers, making it a go-to guitar for any genre of music.
As for my next project, I do have another Silver Sky build in the works. The pickup configurations haven't been decided yet, but if I could get my hands on a PRS Narrowfield pickup, I think I can create something special. If anyone is parting ways with one, please reach out to me. So stay tuned for my next project post, and who knows, maybe I'll become a believer in another configuration.
In conclusion, I am now a firm believer in the HSH configuration, and my HSH Silver Sky has become one of my go-to guitars. With the perfect combination of pickups, it offers a wide range of tonal possibilities and is capable of handling any musical style I throw at it. So if you're a non-believer like I was, I encourage you to experiment with different pickup combinations and give the HSH setup a chance. You might just be surprised by what it can do.
Mods-
Pickups:
Bass- PRS 58/15 MT (Multi Tap)
Middle- PRS 635JM (stock)
Treble- PRS \m/
•PRS Core Saddles
•PRS Vintage-Style Locking Tuners (Direct fit)
•Emerson Custom prewired Kit: 500K Bass/250K Middle/500K Treble Pots (I had to use two kits to make this HSH configuration)
•Kill Switch: Tesi MIMMO 10mm Blue LED
•Mini Toggle: On/Off (set for coil split on Bass & Treble)
•Mojoaxe Pickguard
2021 HSH PRS SILVER SKY
I used to be an HSH non-believer. I have to admit that my dislike was mostly with the aesthetics of the exposed pickup route of almost all HSH guitars on the market. However, after a lot of experimenting with different pickup combinations, I am now a firm believer in the versatility of the HSH configuration.
The USA Silver Sky has the best sounding single coil pickups for my needs. But as a Hard Rock/Metal lover, there's nothing like a full-size humbucker in the bridge position of an "S" body guitar. This is the origin of why I started to modify my Silver Sky's.
My HSH journey began partly because of the results of my Silver Sky HH project, in which I experimented with the following PRS pickup combinations: Tremonti Bass, 58/15 Low Turn Bass, and a Tremonti Treble. I found that after completing the project, these combinations of HH pickups had something lacking sonically. Fortunately for me, there was no cost for the pickups, as these were all pickups I had lying around after removing them from other guitar projects.
After getting back to some more experimenting, I found the versatility of the following PRS pickups to be the perfect pairing for an HSH guitar: 58/15 Multi-Tap Bass, 635JM for a middle position, and the Metal \m/ Treble in the Bridge position. Side note, the PRS 58/15 Multi-Tap pickup is my favorite Neck/Bass pickup. What makes it particularly special, as far as how I understood it explained to me by my guitar tech, one of the coils in the MT's has extra turns on it which are only engaged when in split/single coil mode. In humbucking mode, the overwound coil is tapped, excluding the extra turns and leaving you with two equal coils. This offering of multiple tap options for each coil makes this particular pickup incredibly versatile. In its full humbucking mode, it has a rich and powerful sound, but when split, it offers a sweet and sparkling single-coil tone. This versatility allows for a wide range of tonal possibilities, making it an excellent choice for an HSH configuration.
My HSH Silver Sky has become the most versatile guitar I own for studio purposes. With its range of tonal options, I can dial in the perfect sound for any recording session without the need for multiple guitars. The HSH configuration offers a great balance between the clarity of single-coil pickups and the power of humbuckers, making it a go-to guitar for any genre of music.
As for my next project, I do have another Silver Sky build in the works. The pickup configurations haven't been decided yet, but if I could get my hands on a PRS Narrowfield pickup, I think I can create something special. If anyone is parting ways with one, please reach out to me. So stay tuned for my next project post, and who knows, maybe I'll become a believer in another configuration.
In conclusion, I am now a firm believer in the HSH configuration, and my HSH Silver Sky has become one of my go-to guitars. With the perfect combination of pickups, it offers a wide range of tonal possibilities and is capable of handling any musical style I throw at it. So if you're a non-believer like I was, I encourage you to experiment with different pickup combinations and give the HSH setup a chance. You might just be surprised by what it can do.
Mods-
Pickups:
Bass- PRS 58/15 MT (Multi Tap)
Middle- PRS 635JM (stock)
Treble- PRS \m/
•PRS Core Saddles
•PRS Vintage-Style Locking Tuners (Direct fit)
•Emerson Custom prewired Kit: 500K Bass/250K Middle/500K Treble Pots (I had to use two kits to make this HSH configuration)
•Kill Switch: Tesi MIMMO 10mm Blue LED
•Mini Toggle: On/Off (set for coil split on Bass & Treble)
•Mojoaxe Pickguard
2021 HSH PRS SILVER SKY
