If there was one change you could make a on Silver Sky, what would it be?

[Revelation]

My son has a Silver Sky and I have a 1982 Fender American Stratocaster. I admit the Silver Sky is very nice including some design improvements over my Strat. I like the neck better, and the whammy bar where you don't have to screw it in. The Strat bridge pickup is too bright, and it can sound like an ice pick. The Silver Sky has a much-improved bridge pickup that is more balanced sounding. But there is one thing I like better about my Strat over the Silver Sky; the way toggle switch 2 sounds vs the Silver Sky. Though the back pickup I never use on its own, its brighter tone blended with the middle pickup gives you that nice banjo type sound with a nice open sound. On the Silver Sky, its too dark for my taste.

So the one change I would make on the Silver Sky is this. Have a design inside where the top end on toggle switch 2 would provide a little more treble, and only on that setting. I think if it was just 5% brighter, it would have that brighter banjo sound that you hear from Slow hand and many other artists who use toggle switch 2.
I also would love to see a black Silver Sky, with a white pickguard and maple neck.

 

[Broseph]

I’d change the radius. Sorry but vintage radius can stay in the past. I would love the standard PRS 10” radius on all models. It would allow for nice low action. My SE action is much higher than even a Mexican fender 7.25” that I have. My SE high E is hanging out at 2mm and still some buzz is present.

The neck shape is great. I would dig a satin finish to the rosewood version.

 

[László]

Does changing it into a 594 count as one change?

Yeah, I'm kidding.

Probably that last bit of treble you want is the result of the bridge pickup not being ice-pick bright as it is on your Fender.

So here's my solution to this kind of problem: Set your amp up a little brighter, and turn the tone control on your guitar a little darker, but when you want that brighter tone, turn the tone control up, and it'll be there. You could do the same with the volume control on the guitar, or the combination of the two controls.

Alternatively...

A good EQ pedal, especially one with a parametric sweep high frequency control, could solve your problem. You could switch it in when you need that little bit of brightness, and switch it off when you don't need it. The parametric sweep lets you find the exact frequency you want to increase.

I use an EQ pedal to achieve lots of different tones in my projects, it simply becomes second nature.

The right tools and techniques will solve this.

 

[Broseph]

Odd. I've had both a SE and several USA models set to a 4/64" (1.6mm) action on the e with no buzz or choking when bending on either.
If you're getting buzz not bending that's not the radius, rather the frets aren't level ((assuming all other things have been setup properly i.e. neck relief, nut slots).

That said, I would also change the radius. The vintage one did feel a little weird at times.

Have a feeling I’ll need some fret work done. No chance I can get it to 1.6 and avoid buzzing when noodling on the high E between frets 10-17. I go back forth with other models (vela, 408, 594, vintage 50’s tele, vintage 60’s strat) and none of them buzz like the SE SS, and some of them have action close to half the SS. I did have the frets leveled on the strat tho. Made a huge difference

 

[RickP]

I like It as is, and have not found the radius to be an issue, but I play on a bunch of different neck sizes regularly so maybe it being different is just that. It hasn’t fretted out on bends, or had any weird buzzing or dead spots, so that checks my boxes.

If I changed something about it, it would be the part around it… the case. No guitar in this price range should come in a gig bag, IMO. You should get a proper case, and add a $150 gig bag later if you’re into those. Don’t get me wrong, I use a Mono gig bag most of the time, and love it. But a hardshell case is best for storing (especially shelving or stacked).

It didn’t keep me from buying one. But when stored, it’s in an old Strat hard case.

 

[Rider1260]

I would change the pickups on the new ones back to the ones that came on the 18 and 19 guitars, Oh and make sure the Maple board had the same neck shape as my 18 and 19.

 

[Revelation]

I would change the pickups on the new ones back to the ones that came on the 18 and 19 guitars, Oh and make sure the Maple board had the same neck shape as my 18 and 19.

Whats the difference? My son has the original Silver Sky pickups and they sound great. Did they change the neck too? My 82 Fender American Strat is brighter than the original Silver Sky. I believe people have said the new ones have even less top end than the original Silver Sky. If true, that is disappointing.

 

[watelessness]

that jm is playing it with dead & company. it just doesnt work in the context of that band. it lacks girth.

 

[RC Mike]

I’d change where the switch is. I often bump it as I’m strumming. Next thing I know, I’ve gone from 4 to 1 or 2 on the selector.

 

[dmatthews]

OK...
I would like to have a humbucker in the bridge, and have it splittable.
In the split position I'd want it to sound exactly like my '18 SS does.

 

[sergiodeblanc]

Turn it into a Santana with single coils.

 

[dmatthews]

Turn it into a Santana with single coils.

Singletana!

 

[WEDGE]

9.5 radius and a splittable 59/09 in the bridge

 

[Draconomics]

Odd. I've had both a SE and several USA models set to a 4/64" (1.6mm) action on the e with no buzz or choking when bending on either.
If you're getting buzz not bending that's not the radius, rather the frets aren't level ((assuming all other things have been setup properly i.e. neck relief, nut slots).

That said, I would also change the radius. The vintage one did feel a little weird at times.

Best I ever got was 2/64" on an SE. Like you said, its always the frets being unlevel. Granted, tighter radii necks can make it a tad more difficult, but once frets are level then nothing really stands in your way in lowering the action.

 

[Alnus Rubra]

Turn it into a Santana with single coils.

Singletana!

Santansky (‘n’ Hutch)

 

[László]

I like It as is, and have not found the radius to be an issue, but I play on a bunch of different neck sizes regularly so maybe it being different is just that. It hasn’t fretted out on bends, or had any weird buzzing or dead spots, so that checks my boxes.

If I changed something about it, it would be the part around it… the case. No guitar in this price range should come in a gig bag, IMO. You should get a proper case, and add a $150 gig bag later if you’re into those. Don’t get me wrong, I use a Mono gig bag most of the time, and love it. But a hardshell case is best for storing (especially shelving or stacked).

It didn’t keep me from buying one. But when stored, it’s in an old Strat hard case.

Quite some time ago, maybe late '90s or early '00s, there was an article in Bob Taylor's newsletter about how much manufacturers pay for hard cases - it was surprisingly costly, The article went on to discuss how much trouble they are to deal with (warranty returns on the cases, etc), and how they're basically the bane of many guitar manufacturers' existence.

This was, if memory serves, in the context of explaining why Taylor (who made their own cases) was moving their case manufacturing to their own plant in Mexico; it was to keep from raising the price of their guitars substantially..

Granted, Bob Taylor wants to be like Henry Ford, who made his own steel, hated buying from parts manufacturers, and even burned wooden pallets to make into charcoal and sold it.

So Taylor makes their own cases, bought an ebony company in Africa, etc. And granted, an acoustic guitar case is usually heavier-built than an electric guitar case.

But the discussion seemed to make common sense.

Hence, the problem isn't that a Silver Sky ought to come with a case at that price. It's that it can't come with a case at that price, given PRS' manufacturing processes and quality, and offer enough of a profit margin. The price would have to go up. A PRS costs more to make than a Fender.

I'd guess that the $200 or so they now charge for the case would be the amount of the price increase, maybe a little less.

That's probably why they offer a very nice hard case as an accessory. If you're a hard case kind of person (I certainly am), the solution is to simply buy the hard case, or a different hard case, and call it part of the price of owning the guitar. Don't need a hard case? Great! Save a few bucks and use the included gig bag.

 

[sergiodeblanc]

Quite some time ago, maybe late '90s or early '00s, there was an article in Bob Taylor's newsletter about how much manufacturers pay for hard cases - it was surprisingly costly, The article went on to discuss how much trouble they are to deal with (warranty returns on the cases, etc), and how they're basically the bane of many guitar manufacturers' existence.

This was, if memory serves, in the context of explaining why Taylor (who made their own cases) was moving their case manufacturing to their own plant in Mexico; it was to keep from raising the price of their guitars substantially..

Granted, Bob Taylor wants to be like Henry Ford, who made his own steel, hated buying from parts manufacturers, and even burned wooden pallets to make into charcoal and sold it.

So Taylor makes their own cases, bought an ebony company in Africa, etc. And granted, an acoustic guitar case is usually heavier-built than an electric guitar case.

But the discussion seemed to make common sense.

Hence, the problem isn't that a Silver Sky ought to come with a case at that price. It's that it can't come with a case at that price, given PRS' manufacturing processes and quality, and offer enough of a profit margin. The price would have to go up. A PRS costs more to make than a Fender.

I'd guess that the $200 or so they now charge for the case would be the amount of the price increase, maybe a little less.

That's probably why they offer a very nice hard case as an accessory. If you're a hard case kind of person (I certainly am), the solution is to simply buy the hard case, or a different hard case, and call it part of the price of owning the guitar. Don't need a hard case? Great! Save a few bucks and use the included gig bag.

WRONG! It’s common knowledge amongst guitar Yelpers that guitar cases are free.

 

[bodia]

Turn it into a Santana with single coils.

Correct answer!

 

[Rider1260]

Whats the difference? My son has the original Silver Sky pickups and they sound great. Did they change the neck too? My 82 Fender American Strat is brighter than the original Silver Sky. I believe people have said the new ones have even less top end than the original Silver Sky. If true, that is disappointing.

The Newer models have a lower output set of pickups , the only thing I think this review had wrong is the older ones have the bigger neck I believe ( more shoulders )

 

[The Bird]

If they offered a double humbucker version, I would buy one. I’ve tried some Silver Skies in guitar stores and they all felt great. I just don’t know why single coil pickups exist. Put some real pups into that thing and take my money! Also, love the round radius.