Silver sky pickup question

[horax]

Anybody find a close alternative to the silver sky pickup?

mad PRS doesn’t sell them separately, I’d like something with similar tone.

 

[RickP]

I’d look to his former custom pickups if I were putting them in a Strat, as the SS pickups were tuned to get his sound specifically in the SS. Pickup whiz MJ at Seymour Duncan custom-winds a set to match the “Big Dipper” set John was using, called simply “Scooped” when I’ve seen them. $300 a set, marked N, M, B for location.

Were I searching for his tone, that’s where I’d start, lacking a lot of specifics to use otherwise. I did use some of her customs in a David Gilmour Black Strat build I did, and was impressed. The lady knows what she’s doing. YMMV, but it’s one possibility.

 

[horax]

Awesome.id love a cheaper option if possible.

 

[Rider1260]

You can get them just with a guitar attached, at least one person pulled the pickups selling the guitar with EMGs on reverb so you wouldn't be the first.
I just don't get the point of putting those pickups in another guitar , love the SS as is.

 

[RickP]

You can get them just with a guitar attached, at least one person pulled the pickups selling the guitar with EMGs on reverb so you wouldn't be the first.
I just don't get the point of putting those pickups in another guitar , love the SS as is.

That’s what I thought... $2300 per set, with a free guitar and gig bag! Almost like getting a set of 58/15LTs! Totally understand both sides... why folks want them, and why PRS doesn’t offer every pickup right away.

Awesome.id love a cheaper option if possible.

A total guess here, but I’d bet the SS set will cost that or more if/when they do release them. If I recall, the cheapest single pickup in the PRS store is $150 (albeit, a humbucker). Keep watching Reverb for a used set. Amazingly, as Rider1260 mentioned, people do buy an SS and swap out the pickups.

 

[garrett]

I'd give the Suhr V60 a try. If you don't want the hotter bridge pickup, grab two necks and a middle. That'll get you a similar output set from another notorious tone hound/ace guitar builder/innovator.

I doubt we'll ever see the Silver Sky pickups for sale separately from PRS. Paul has made it clear he is a guitar maker, not an aftermarket pickup maker, and does not want his pickups in other guitars.

 

[Ovibos]

You can get them just with a guitar attached, at least one person pulled the pickups selling the guitar with EMGs on reverb so you wouldn't be the first.
I just don't get the point of putting those pickups in another guitar , love the SS as is.

Yeah, he’s having trouble moving that and will for quite a while.

 

[RickP]

Yeah, he’s having trouble moving that and will for quite a while.

Yeah he is, especially with it priced the same as others with the right pickups.

 

[docteurseb]

Well I just tried to build a clone last week, I mean a Strat, for fun to see how close I could get.
I started with Klein Jazzy Cat pickups, they aren't bad at all but sounded nothing like the SS with the usual .022 uF capacitor: very crisp/clear.
However, once I replaced it with a .1 uF (what the SS has) it started to sound very close to a SS overall, the overly bright high end was gone just like in the SS.

I heard Fender Fat 60s are pretty close / good too but at this point the above experiment is done and I'm going to just keep the SS, overall more comfortable as it was considerably lighter than the Strat clone I built (the body ended up being much heavier with the pearl/metallic paint, and the Warmoth neck model I used is also quite heavier than a regular Strat neck).

Note: a Fender or Warmoth neck with SRV profile is incredibly close to the SS neck shape, I'm not sure I would be able to tell them apart in a blind test. This isn't too surprising though given that Mayer's #1 initially was a SRV Strat.

 

[Bowtiefanatc]

Well I just tried to build a clone last week, I mean a Strat, for fun to see how close I could get.
I started with Klein Jazzy Cat pickups, they aren't bad at all bu sounded nothing like the SS with the usual .022 uF capacitor: very crisp/clear.
However one I replaced it with a .1 uF it started to sound very close to a SS overall, the overly bright high end was gone just like in the SS.

I heard Fender Fat 60s are pretty close / good too but at this point the above experiment is done and I'm going to just keep the SS, overall more comfortable as it was considerably lighter than the Strat clone I built (the body ended up being much heavier with the pearl/metallic paint, and the Warmoth neck model I used is also quite heavier than a regular Strat neck).

Note: a Fender or Warmoth neck with SRV profile is incredibly close to the SS neck shape, I'm not sure I would be able to tell them apart in a blind test. This isn't too surprising though given that Mayer's #1 initially was a SRV Strat.

i was going to suggest Klein’s as well! I have their Epic 62’s and always wanted a set of jazzy cats to build a BLK1 Strat.

 

[docteurseb]

I can't stress enough how important it is to use the higher cap value like the SS, that really is key. Use the typical .022 for single coils and you'll never get close...
Such a high .1uF capacitor is unusual for single coils but I'm glad I tried, if you like the smoother tone of the SS this will get you there.

 

[horax]

I read once that all pickups from the ss are the same resistance. Is that true?

What are the measurements? Alnico v?

 

[garrett]

I read once that all pickups from the ss are the same resistance. Is that true?

What are the measurements? Alnico v?

Shawn gave some info in the first post of the Silver Sky thread: https://forums.prsguitars.com/threads/the-official-silver-sky-thread.29556/

6.4k each, all same spec except middle is RWRP. I haven't seen any mention of alnico type. But that's why I recommended the V60 from Suhr. They're advertised as 6.3k and they sound great from what I've heard.

It's a rabbit hole, though, so beware. There are surely a bunch of different winders who can make something you will like based on the limited PRS spec available. It just may take some experimenting to land on the right set for your ear and guitar.

 

[cedstrato]

Well I just tried to build a clone last week, I mean a Strat, for fun to see how close I could get.
I started with Klein Jazzy Cat pickups, they aren't bad at all but sounded nothing like the SS with the usual .022 uF capacitor: very crisp/clear.
However, once I replaced it with a .1 uF (what the SS has) it started to sound very close to a SS overall, the overly bright high end was gone just like in the SS.

I heard Fender Fat 60s are pretty close / good too but at this point the above experiment is done and I'm going to just keep the SS, overall more comfortable as it was considerably lighter than the Strat clone I built (the body ended up being much heavier with the pearl/metallic paint, and the Warmoth neck model I used is also quite heavier than a regular Strat neck).

Note: a Fender or Warmoth neck with SRV profile is incredibly close to the SS neck shape, I'm not sure I would be able to tell them apart in a blind test. This isn't too surprising though given that Mayer's #1 initially was a SRV Strat.

Hi doctorseb I wanted to have your confirmation, even when you put the tone to 10 there is an attenuation to the overly bright high end. Because I often hear that the capa has no influence when the tone is at 10 ...

 

[docteurseb]

Hi doctorseb I wanted to have your confirmation, even when you put the tone to 10 there is an attenuation to the overly bright high end. Because I often hear that the capa has no influence when the tone is at 10 ...

Correct. Drastic change of tone with the tone control at 10 when you use the typical .022 uF for single coils versus the 0.1uF PRS uses.

 

[cedstrato]

Correct. Drastic change of tone with the tone control at 10 when you use the typical .022 uF for single coils versus the 0.1uF PRS uses.

Ok thank you , I am in a hurry to try i have ordered a Mallory 0.1uF PRS . And another question : the voltage on capa is importante ? (cause i have found a Mallory capa 0.1uF at 630v).

 

[docteurseb]

Ok thank you , I am in a hurry to try i have ordered a Mallory 0.1uF PRS . And another question : the voltage on capa is importante ? (cause i have found a Mallory capa 0.1uF at 630v).

No idea. When I did this I didn't have an actual 0.1uF, I just put 4x 0.022uF orange drop capacitors in parallel.

 

[cedstrato]

No idea. When I did this I didn't have an actual 0.1uF, I just put 4x 0.022uF orange drop capacitors in parallel.

wow , how did you wired that?