SE Silver Sky vs Sterling CT50SSS Cutlass

[BoneDigger]

I'd like some honest opinions from anyone who may have tried both? I am on the fence about this one. I already own three PRS guitars and am considering adding a Silver Sky. However, I have heard some say the Silver Sky sounds a little darker than a typical strat. I played around with a Cutlass HSS and loved the thickness of the roasted maple neck and the guitar sounded nice. Fit and finish seemed good.

I tend to use the strat more for surf and twangy type music so please keep that in mind. My current guitars are a SE 594 McCarty SC, a SE 594 McCarty DC, and a Hollowbody II and they cover any other music I play. I also own two teles and a 335.

Thoughts on these two? I do realize this is a PRS forum, but I value any thoughts on both.

 

[Lewguitar]

My SE Silver Skys hang right in there with my Fender Strats and Custom Strats. If anything the SE pickups have a little more zing on top than typical Alnico 5 Strat pickups.

Which is why I changed the pickups in my SE's first to Duncan Antiquity Surfers and then to Chubtone 61's in one and El Gordos in the the other. Those three sets are some of my favorites.

I prefer the sound of early 60's Fender pickups and from what I've read, so does John Mayer. A good one has a slightly woody character to the mids while still having having that smooth glassy treble for chord melody things like "Little Wing".

Still, my SE Silver Skys are two of best "strats" I've owned and the stock pickups are fine.

The flatter fingerboard and medium frets makes string bending easier than on a vintage Strat, the whammy bar works better IMO, and my guitars stay in tune!

 

[BoneDigger]

Thanks for the reply! Have you had a chance to play the Cutlass by any change to compare them? I'll admit that right now I am leaning heavily toward the Silver Sky since I love my PRS guitars. But, the Cutlass is cheaper and seems fairly comparable.

 

[Glide-bpm]

I'd like some honest opinions from anyone who may have tried both? I am on the fence about this one. I already own three PRS guitars and am considering adding a Silver Sky. However, I have heard some say the Silver Sky sounds a little darker than a typical strat. I played around with a Cutlass HSS and loved the thickness of the roasted maple neck and the guitar sounded nice. Fit and finish seemed good.

I tend to use the strat more for surf and twangy type music so please keep that in mind. My current guitars are a SE 594 McCarty SC, a SE 594 McCarty DC, and a Hollowbody II and they cover any other music I play. I also own two teles and a 335.

Thoughts on these two? I do realize this is a PRS forum, but I value any thoughts on both.

My core Silver Sky was ultra bright with very little lows/dark tones. I raised the pickups and brought the low mids and bottom up to the right level.
It was anything but dark!

 

[Lewguitar]

Thanks for the reply! Have you had a chance to play the Cutlass by any change to compare them? I'll admit that right now I am leaning heavily toward the Silver Sky since I love my PRS guitars. But, the Cutlass is cheaper and seems fairly comparable.

No. Have not.

 

[Drew]

Both are stupid good for the money, especially the Cutlass. Can't wrap my head around how much you get for like $550. Flip a coin. Can't go wrong with either.

 

[BoneDigger]

Right now, the Cutlass in HSS layout is on sale for $399 at MF. I went ahead and traded in a guitar I don't use for the Cutlass after getting GC to match the MF price. I think I may also consider the Silver Sky. There is a used one at a local shop. I want to, of course, play it first. God I love the neck on the Cutlass!

 

[BoneDigger]

So, today I picked up an SE Silver Sky in Stone Blue with rosewood board. I am looking forward to having it in my collection! I had some gear that I traded straight up for it. I am stoked to have another PRS!

 

[Russ73]

So, today I picked up an SE Silver Sky in Stone Blue with rosewood board. I am looking forward to having it in my collection! I had some gear that I traded straight up for it. I am stoked to have another PRS!

Waiting for mine to come weeks end hopefully but I played one at sam ash and loved it....for the OP the cutlass is cool...different neck the one I tried had a big neck it felt like....for 399 it's a steal...

 

[BoneDigger]

I'm not a very good player, and this is just noodling around to a backing track. However, I'm loving the guitar! This is the SE Silver Sky.

 

[Glide-bpm]

I'm not a very good player, and this is just noodling around to a backing track. However, I'm loving the guitar! This is the SE Silver Sky.

$weetne$$!

 

[bodia]

I'm not a very good player, and this is just noodling around to a backing track. However, I'm loving the guitar! This is the SE Silver Sky.

Nice!

 

[BoneDigger]

For anyone that may want to compare, I made a Short with the Cutlass as well.

 

[Allyn]

Late to the party but here’s what I’ve got-

I own a CT50 HSS in Toluca Blue w/ Tortoise Shell. My cheapest guitar gets the most compliments. (Btw Sterling now sells $30 pickguards…HSS even has an off white)

I’ve also played the Silver Sky SE a lot lately. A top tier GC opened up near me so played both Rosewood and Maple.

Sound
The CT50 has much a much brighter top end. In fact I have my pickups lower on the treble side. It’s really just the high E. The Humbucker is a must. You will use it.

The SS SE is much closer to my Tele Ultra which has the Fender noiseless pups. They’re full sounding and have a nice pop to them when chicken pickin or string raking. It’s the sound of ‘Gravity’.

Winner- SS

Feel
CT50 has slightly wider string spacing. The neck is nearly identical the SS Core model or the SRV Strat, but with a flatter radius. It’s fat, but rounded nicely. It’s also unfinished so can be sanded to your liking without anyone knowing. The control layout is superior and the best of my guitars. Much better than a Strat layout.

SS has a more traditional neck that you’ll feel at home with. Nothing special. It feels faster to me but that’s cause it feels like my Teles. The layout is a strat. That volume knob is right there.

Tie - Both trems are great

Looks
CT50 wins if you get the right color and pickguard. It’s a unique take on a Strat/Tele body style. The SS looks best with Rosewood and simple colors. Its bland, but modern.

Verdict-
Fat neck…get the CT50 then if you want fatter pickups, get ‘em.
Slimmer neck… SS. No pickup replacement needed.

You can own both. Deck one trem, float the other. They sound and play different enough.

 

[BoneDigger]

I think your assessment is accurate. In the end, they are similar but also very different too. The necks, the pickups, the tuners, the tone, quite different. I obviously own both and I'm surprised at just how great both of them are.