SilverSky String action and pickup height

On 25 1/2 scale strat style guitars I use D’addario balanced tension 9-40 sets, and .73 picks. I play with a lighter touch, and have a dedicated pedalboard and amp setup to accommodate the difference. I have arthritis, and can’t play long scale guitars with normal sets. Also, 7 1/4 radius necks are anathema to me, no matter the brand or vintage. Interestingly, many vintage strats came from the factory with much flatter necks than advertised, due to hand sanding, and aftermarket work by players...especially from ‘58 thru ‘64, when they sold out to CBS.
I love the 25” scale, and play with D’addario NYXL 9’s..no buzz, nice low set up on all my core guitars. I have played the ss, but I wish it had a 25” scale and a 10” radius fretboard. I would buy at least two, one in rosewood, and one in maple. I am waiting to see what the new Fiore model’s neck has for a fretboard radius..and see how it plays. I know it’s a 25 1/2 scale neck, but If it has a 10” fretboard radius and a pattern neck, I will definitely get one, and experiment with strings to make it playable for me.

so are you primarily staying away from S Sky due to neck radius? My first this size and with arthritis mainly in my thumb it’s definitely different and causing some pain. My core are pattern thin and pattern, feel great.
Love my 24 fret Andy Wood Suhr. Roasted neck like butter, so soft and radius really comfortable. Gonna keep tryin with my SS.
Cool guitar.
 
Yeah, unfortunately. I’ve had the opportunity to set up several of them, and while I can get the action low, and make them play extremely well, the tight radius makes my left hand cramp. If I could find a work around for it, I’d be using one. I have a friend who sent his to a prominent luthier in NJ who re-radiused the neck to a 10” ...and it played much differently. Before he sent it out, I explained to my friend that the ss was purpose built to have a 7 1/4 radius, and that re-radiusing the neck might not be the best solution, and that it might change the playability of it in a negative way. Two months after he got it back..he sold it.
PRS guitars are so consistent and so methodically designed, that making a major change to the neck would most likely have a negative effect on the overall instrument. I played the guitar, and it sounded different. It played a tiny bit better, but removing wood from the neck is never a good thing on such an exactingly designed guitar. Changing pickups, or tuners, is one thing...removing wood from the neck...well, not such a great idea, in this instance.
I also know the new owner, and he’s a happy camper..but he’s a beginner who dabbles in the digital world, and plays with a ton of effects, not a pure player who doesn’t, like the original owner. It’s like anything else, different strokes, for different folks.
 
Yeah, unfortunately. I’ve had the opportunity to set up several of them, and while I can get the action low, and make them play extremely well, the tight radius makes my left hand cramp. If I could find a work around for it, I’d be using one. I have a friend who sent his to a prominent luthier in NJ who re-radiused the neck to a 10” ...and it played much differently. Before he sent it out, I explained to my friend that the ss was purpose built to have a 7 1/4 radius, and that re-radiusing the neck might not be the best solution, and that it might change the playability of it in a negative way. Two months after he got it back..he sold it.
PRS guitars are so consistent and so methodically designed, that making a major change to the neck would most likely have a negative effect on the overall instrument. I played the guitar, and it sounded different. It played a tiny bit better, but removing wood from the neck is never a good thing on such an exactingly designed guitar. Changing pickups, or tuners, is one thing...removing wood from the neck...well, not such a great idea, in this instance.
I also know the new owner, and he’s a happy camper..but he’s a beginner who dabbles in the digital world, and plays with a ton of effects, not a pure player who doesn’t, like the original owner. It’s like anything else, different strokes, for different folks.

Wow. Personally would never re-radius a neck, especially a quality guitar such as a PRS. He must have really really wanted a S Sky to work. I love my Custom Shop Clapton Strat. Feels and sounds great.
Sorry about your cramping but I totally understand which is why I’ll probably send my SS back. Love a bunch of things about it but if not comfortable to play, it’s over, nothing else matters. Thanks so much for your help. Appreciate it.
 
My SS's came from the factory with 10's on them and I have not felt any reason to change them to a smaller guage. All of my electrics have 10's on them now and have for a few years. With lighter guage strings I have had problems when fingerpicking the high e string and keeping chords that I play up the neck in tune. Caveat - This could result from my not so steller technique....I own a Tele & a Strat - both came with 9's & I put 10's on them pretty quickly, for the reasons noted above. I like to play as clean as possible and I felt 10's also put out just a bit more sustain when soloing and string bending.

Your milage may vary however, but if I were going to change I would go with 9's as a starter and see what you think. Changeing to 8's might increase the likelihood that you will need a set up. Good luck on whatever you decide to do. Others might have completly different opinions from mine.
Thanks! I went to 9-46 right after posting. It's much better for me. No issues with buzz, intonation or setup that I can detect.
 
Geo you should play an Andy Wood Suhr.
Radius = 16 and with roasted neck it’s a breeze. My arthritis getting worse and I have the least pain with 16 radius.
Love my S Sky but that vintage radius gettin harder to play. Gettin old bites.......
My custom 24 pattern thin feels great also.
Great neck plus 85/15’s works for me.
 
Interesting some have mentioned arthritis and liking flat radius and thin necks , I am just the opposite I find the fatter necks and rounder radius work better for me. I don't have to bend my fingers so tightly , I don't know if I would call my stiff hands really arthritis but my stiff hands and short fingers like rounder necks better and I fight with anything flatter than 10" , even a 12" Gibby radius it harder for me.
 
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