The "Official Silver Sky" Thread

[RaySachs]

The only downside to the headstock from a functional standpoint is it's hard to bend the strings behind the nut. If you don't do that you probably wouldn't even notice that it's any different. It won't matter that much to me in the big picture.

I don't bend the strings behind the nut (or ever use a trem bar for that matter), but one thing I noticed pretty quickly with the Silver Sky is the two highest strings seem notably easier to bend than on a strat. Honestly, a bit easier than I liked at first - I thought about trying a set of 11's on it instead of the 10's I generally play. I don't know but I'm guessing that might be the 3x3 headstock and the shorter run of the higher strings from bridge to final resting place at the tuner? Seems logical... In any case, I adapted and now my Cray strat feels just a bit stiff when I play it.

As mentioned before by others in this thread the pickups are special. I have a pile of vintage Strats and am intimately familiar with the guitar that the Silver Sky is based on. I really believe Paul knocked it out of the park with the pickups. The in between positions are a little light in the quack but all is forgiven due to the incredibly usable bridge position. The reality is I'm impressed with all the positions.

Yeah, total agreement here. And if you lower the middle pickup just a bit, you can get a bit more quack out of the 2 & 4. Too much and the volume of the 2, 3, 4 takes a hit, but there's a sweet spot there.

I don't love all the cosmetic details but it sure is a player.

I don't like the aesthetics of the SS as much as the strat. Before I had one sitting next to my similar color strat I never gave it any thought. But when I look at them side by side, I definitely prefer the softer lines and curves of the strat. I don't care much about the headstock. But I also don't really care about the aesthetics much at all. It would take a really REALLY ugly guitar to make me think about the looks past a first glance. So no problem with the SS in that regard.

I also still don't like the neck profile quite as much as on my Cray or near as much as a Clapton soft-V, but I like it more than enough to never give it a second thought when I'm playing it.

Overall, a solid A if not quite an A+. But I can tell you it's not going anywhere. The Cray lives in the closet now and when I reach for an electric, this is the only one on the rack or the wall...

-Ray

 

[RallyFanatic]

Joined the club today! After a few years with an AmPro Strat, this is an amazing transition.

Love the pickups, all the knobs are well tapered and very functional from 1-10, and the neck...THE NECK!!!...I think Paul snuck into my house one night and measured my hands because it is perfect to me. My hands are average sized at best and I can do thumb over Jimi chords all day with this, it’s epic.

Tried Suhr’s, Fender Custom Shops, Nash and more. All excellent but the SS is just something different. May need a maple neck now! Anyway, per forum unwritten rule, here it is - the Golden Mesa is much richer in person, love it!

 

[dmatthews]

Joined the club today! After a few years with an AmPro Strat, this is an amazing transition.

Love the pickups, all the knobs are well tapered and very functional from 1-10, and the neck...THE NECK!!!...I think Paul snuck into my house one night and measured my hands because it is perfect to me. My hands are average sized at best and I can do thumb over Jimi chords all day with this, it’s epic.

Tried Suhr’s, Fender Custom Shops, Nash and more. All excellent but the SS is just something different. May need a maple neck now! Anyway, per forum unwritten rule, here it is - the Golden Mesa is much richer in person, love it!

Can't see a pic, but congrats!

 

[Plugske]

Congratulations but indeed no picture.

 

[RickP]

Joined the club today! After a few years with an AmPro Strat, this is an amazing transition.

Love the pickups, all the knobs are well tapered and very functional from 1-10, and the neck...THE NECK!!!...I think Paul snuck into my house one night and measured my hands because it is perfect to me. My hands are average sized at best and I can do thumb over Jimi chords all day with this, it’s epic.

Tried Suhr’s, Fender Custom Shops, Nash and more. All excellent but the SS is just something different. May need a maple neck now! Anyway, per forum unwritten rule, here it is - the Golden Mesa is much richer in person, love it!

Here ya go, @RallyFanatic ! Congratulations... love the gold.

 

[RallyFanatic]

Thanks Rick! I what was I doing wrong?? I tried fixing it but the SS was calling me to come back...

Here ya go, @RallyFanatic ! Congratulations... love the gold.

 

[RickP]

Thanks Rick! I what was I doing wrong?? I tried fixing it but the SS was calling me to come back...

I don't really know. I got that error all the time before eventually trying Imgur.com, which has worked ever since. You can right-click the

IMG icon and it'll take you there, but if you happen to be reading on a phone or IPad, you're out of luck!

 

[bodia]

Thanks Rick! I what was I doing wrong?? I tried fixing it but the SS was calling me to come back...

Killer guitar!

 

[DarthNoid]

I played one and was shocked that I thought it sounded better than the new Fender Ultra strats.

 

[RallyFanatic]

So far NYXL 10-46, but I have a 3 pack of regular XL to try next.

Do you like the NYXL’s? How are they compared to stock strings? I didn’t like them on my strat but it was super bright to begin with.

 

[RaySachs]

What strings does everyone use on their silver sky?

Missed this first time around. DR Pure Blues 10-46. Since I first tried these a few years ago, they’re all I’ve used on any electric. Love em. Love the Silver Sky. Love em ON the Silver Sky...

 

[dmatthews]

Do you like the NYXL’s? How are they compared to stock strings? I didn’t like them on my strat but it was super bright to begin with.

I'm definitely a NYXL fan. Been using them on all my guitars for a few years now.
I'm going to experiment with 9s next.

 

[Deleted member 5962]

I don't bend the strings behind the nut (or ever use a trem bar for that matter), but one thing I noticed pretty quickly with the Silver Sky is the two highest strings seem notably easier to bend than on a strat. Honestly, a bit easier than I liked at first - I thought about trying a set of 11's on it instead of the 10's I generally play. I don't know but I'm guessing that might be the 3x3 headstock and the shorter run of the higher strings from bridge to final resting place at the tuner? Seems logical... In any case, I adapted and now my Cray strat feels just a bit stiff when I play it.

This is exactly why I have never been able to bond with strats or other “6 on one side” guitars. I really wanted to try one of the backwards headstock Hendrix models, figuring the increased tension on the low strings wouldn’t bother me as much as it did on the high strings, but never got to try one. This is why the SS has a chance to be the strat I’ve always wanted. Because in one main area, headstock layout, it ISN’T a strat!

 

[jxe]

 

[RaySachs]

This is exactly why I have never been able to bond with strats or other “6 on one side” guitars. I really wanted to try one of the backwards headstock Hendrix models, figuring the increased tension on the low strings wouldn’t bother me as much as it did on the high strings, but never got to try one. This is why the SS has a chance to be the strat I’ve always wanted. Because in one main area, headstock layout, it ISN’T a strat!

Interesting. I guess I've been playing strats (and teles, but mostly strats) for so long that it just was what guitars felt like. When I played an electric with 3x3, it always had a flatter radius, shorter scale, whatever, that made it different enough that the slight tension difference got lost in the noise. Playing the Silver Sky and Cray strat back to back is the only time I was aware of the difference in a relatively apples to apples comparison. And it's not a big deal to me - I'm fine with either. When I first played the Silver Sky, it seemed a little bit slinky for my taste. Now I'm used to it and the Cray feels slightly stiff. I guarantee if I play the Cray for a couple hours and then play the Silver Sky, it'll feel a little light to me again. Certainly not enough difference to be a make or break issue, for me at least...

-Ray

 

[strat63]

This isn't a great picture but figured I'd post it.

 

[RickP]

This isn't a great picture but figured I'd post it.

Good looking guitars! And I like that old Boogie too!

 

[Deleted member 5962]

This isn't a great picture but figured I'd post it.

Don’t kid yourself. That is a picture many would LOVE to have taken!

 

[Joesnewmatch]

Connor Kennedy, one of my favorite young guitarists (who plays with Donald Fagen/Steely Dan, Amy Helm (Levon's daughter), who recently sat in with Little Feat at the Jamaican Ramble, and probably played with countless others) just posted shots on Instagram last night of his brand new PRS Silver Sky Midnight Rose/Rosewood neck. Excellent player, with excellent taste! @Shawn@PRS, if PRS artist relations isn't already aware of him/this, y'all should follow up!

 

[strat63]

Don’t kid yourself. That is a picture many would LOVE to have taken!

I will admit that I'm lucky to have some nice stuff. I'm impressed that my Silver Sky hangs with some of my favorite old guitars.