Updated: I preferred the PRS Silver Sky 2020 pickups over the 2022 until the 2022 had new strings.

[Revelation]

My son has a 2020 Silver Sky with a maple neck. I brought it to the music store so I could compare it to a 2022 Silver Sky I was interested in.
Yes the frets on the 2022 are a little more raised vs the 2020. I found I could slide up and down the neck a little better with the 2020 version which is no surprise as the 2022 version has taller frets. But it's not an issue that would make me not purchase it or that I would find it annoying.

The big factor is the pickups. When comparing the pickups of both guitars, I played them one right after the other playing the same songs and licks. I also have a 1982 Fender American Stratocaster. I found my son's 2020 Silver Sky to be a little meatier than my Fender and I liked the fact that the back pickup does not have the ice pick issue of my guitar. Also you can adjust the tone knob on the back pickup on the Silver Sky which you can't do on the Fender. Now when I compared the 2020 guitar to the 2022, the 2022 had a lower mid bump that made the top end also sound dull. Not sure if they changed the EQ on the top of the pickup or just boosted the lower freq's with their latest Silver Sky pickups. However it sounds less like a Fender Stratocaster. It could be a Kiesel Bolt, Ibanez LM1, or other brand that has single coil pickup. Now some may say, I like the direction PRS went with the latest change to the Silver Sky. They moved a little further away from the thinner bright charater of a Stratocaster. With the 2020 version, I would agree with this statement and I really like the sound of my sons guitar and it still quacks. They did however had issues with the nitro finish where if the guitar laid against some materials, it could affect the back of the guitar. But that is another story. With the lower mid bump less top end, the 2022 quacks less and just does not sound like a Stratocaster. I was really disappointed. I really wanted to get this beautiful Silver Sky at my local store. But sadly I won't as it just doesn't have the character I am looking for. Remember those older Silver Sky videos where they compare it to a $20,000 Strat, etc. Yes those older Silver Sky's sound incredible. The new ones not as much, unless you want something more different sounding. But if I want something that is not like a Fender Strat but thinner than my 594, I would buy a PRS Studio guitar or even a Core 24.

I wish PRS would go back to the older Silver Sky pickups. This is the guitar I want, but it does not sound Strat enough for me.

https://imgur.com/6xa88Ww

 

[Broseph]

Do you absolutely need a maple board? If not go for the older rosewood models. Those will have the pickups you desire with the lower frets.

 

[Revelation]

I have not read anywhere that the pickups in the rosewood necks guitars are different than the maple necks. Do you have any support of this?

 

[Revelation]

Thanks but I don't want a used Silver Sky. I want to voice my opinion to PRS and tell them my opinion of these new pickups. I am a musician for over 25 years, own a recording studio and own multiple guitars. I studied sound engineering and I want to respectfully give my opinion on a change I think they should make on their current pickups on the Silver Sky. I know they changed the pickup design at least 3 times now. I loved the first and 2nd version of the pickups but this last one.....its fine but its no longer has a Stratocaster sound. Those who see the look of it will think it is in the Strat family but sadly it is not.

 

[Lewguitar]

You might like to watch this video explanation of changes in the Silver Sky pickups.

Some people prefer the newer pickups. Some people prefer the older ones.

It's surprising to me that the older Silver Skys have more treble when the pickups are higher in DCR.

And the newer Silver Skys have a warmer tone altho the pickups have a lower DCR.

Perhaps they've changed the volume and tone controls? Just a guess.

I know there's a resistor on the volume control of both the USA and SE versions of the Silver Sky, and that the volume control in SS guitars measures higher than 250K.

250K is the value normally found in Strats. As you raise that value the guitar gets brighter because less treble bleeds through the pot to ground.

I've played Strats with no tone controls. They were crazy bright, so the treble bleeds through the tone controls too and takes the edge off, even when the tone controls are on 10.

 

[Revelation]

Yes I saw that video before I went into the store. This is why I wanted to bring my son's Silver Sky in to hear them side by side through a PRS amp. The amp is amazing by the way. I only tired a PRS Studio once but it seem to have a brighter chime (closer to a Fender Strat character) than the newest PRS Silver Sky.

On this video, check out the tone at 4:17 with the two narrow field pickups and at 5:29 with the back pickup single coil with the middle pickup. That wonderful open top end is what you expect with a Strat type of guitar. The new Silver Sky's don't have that sound. Granted you can boost the treble on your amp to help a little but the character of the design on purpose does not provide the sound Strat guys or gals are looking for....unless you want a thicker single coil sound.

 

[Lewguitar]

I like them both. It's why I own two Silver Skys.

One has stock pickups and one has Chubtone '61 pickups which are slightly lower in output but have a warmer fuller sound.

And i have a Strat with Duncan Antiquity Surfers which give me a third "vintage" sound.

That guitar uses a small cap and resistor across the volume pot (a Fralin volume kit) to retain highs when the volume control is turned down, while the Silver Skys use a volume pot modded with a resistor to achieve 270K or higher which results in more treble than standard 250K pot Fender has always used in the Strat.

I like all three guitars. They all sound good. Just different.

Also, every guitar sounds different, even if they have the same pickups.

 

[Revelation]

Check out this video in the comparisons with the older and newer one.
At 1:34 and 3:45 example is what I heard at the store. I wish we could still purchase the earlier pickups on a new Silver Sky if we wanted to.

 

[Lewguitar]

Check out this video in the comparisons with the older and newer one.
At 1:34 and 3:45 example is what I heard at the store. I wish we could still purchase the earlier pickups on a new Silver Sky if we wanted to.

There's plenty of great used ones. And they're cheaper!

 

[Revelation]

There's plenty of great used ones. And they're cheaper!

Correct, but the formula of the Silver Sky moving forward is changed and not for the better in my opinion.

 

[Broseph]

I have not read anywhere that the pickups in the rosewood necks guitars are different than the maple necks. Do you have any support of this?

As others have stated here PRS has updated the frets and pickups but never made them official changes. Only tweaks. If you desire the older sounds then at this current time your only means would be used or getting lucky with a NOS. The rosewoods the first 2 years were very consistent. After 2020 the changes began, including even the neck profile for maple

 

[shinksma]

Correct, but the formula of the Silver Sky moving forward is changed and not for the better in my opinion.

Yeah, well, you know, that's just, like, your opinion, man.



As noted, at least there is a plethora of used, possibly mint, maybe even NOS, early production models out there. I know you say you don't want to buy used, but I doubt PRS will ever release a "retro Silver Sky" with the original-design pups.

Maybe you could buy a used 2018 and a new 2022/2023, and swap the pups/wiring ? Then sell on the used "body" with the new pups. Many folks won't care that they are getting a different set of pups, and maybe some will actually desire that combo.

For whatever reason, JM and PRS (probably involving PRSh) have decided they wanted these changes - it would have been too easy to not bother and just rake in continued sales of the original configuration.

Look at it this way: everyone talks about the various years of production of the Fender Strat, and how this Silver Sky design straddles the 1963 and 1964 models, and so on.

Thus, JM and PRS are just following Fender's lead on continuous tweaks, if you like (or not, apparently).

Just hope that CBS doesn't buy them out in a decade.

FWIW, I have a 2020 maple neck/FB Silver Sky, and I'm quite happy with it - according to the video above those pups are mild tweaks to the original design, far less of a delta than the 2021/2022/2023 version. But I suspect I'd be happy with the new design too. :shrug:

 

[RC Mike]

Keep in mind that posting here isn’t really sharing your opinion with PRS. They don’t actively monitor the forums in that way.

 

[markd21]

Dude, I feel you. I hate the new TCI Paul's pickups like my ME-V has. I much prefer the older narrow 408s that were in my older Paul's Guitars.

 

[Rider1260]

The reason I don't have a maple board Silver Sky is the changes to the pickups and the neck shape.
What made me buy the original Silver Sky was the pickups and vintage feeling neck.
I went Fiore and now a NF3 to get my maple neck PRS fix.
This goes toward the current PRS trend , Non Locking tuners or non Phase 3s , Bone Nuts , Nitro finishes that are not my thing.
Luckily there's plenty of used inventory with the specs I prefer.

 

[Lewguitar]

I wish PRS would hurry up and put out a SE Silver Sky with maple fingerboard and the same neck shape and frets they're using on the SE version right now. Don't change a thing. Just offer it with a maple fingerboard with no other changes.

Then I could put the pickups I prefer in it and be one happy camper.

Not that the standard SE SS pickups don't sound great. They do!

But sometimes we have other preferences that we've just gotten used to and the SE SS is a perfect platform for pickup swapping.

 

[Broseph]

I wish they did to the SE model what they claimed what they wanted to do with the original design. A nod to modern colors. Hence the lack of bursts. I think the current SE colors are blah. Go for metallic finishes with the maple releases.

 

[Lewguitar]

I wish they did to the SE model what they claimed what they wanted to do with the original design. A nod to modern colors. Hence the lack of bursts. I think the current SE colors are blah. Go for metallic finishes with the maple releases.

Modern car colors (which is what Fender used in the 50's) have gone retro. They remind me of colored clay. Sort of muted. But I like it.

 

[Andrew Paul]

Fascinating thread. I don't have a Silver Sky yet and I had no idea they changed it so much since it's inception. You can hear the difference with the pups in the video. Thanks for providing time points. I did watch entire videos also. I must say I was a bit impressed with the Studio model.
From what I heard on vid I prefer the 2018. Thanks for posting this.

 

[Andrew Paul]

Dude, I feel you. I hate the new TCI Paul's pickups like my ME-V has. I much prefer the older narrow 408s that were in my older Paul's Guitars.

I respectfully disagree. I've owned both older Paul's and own new Pauls and MEV with TCI version and I just love the TCI pups more than the old 408's. But when it comes to the sound of 58/15 LT pups I prefer the older compared to the new 58/15 LT TCI version. Go figure.