PRS Silver Sky - 2018 vs 2021 - How have John Mayer's improvements changed the Silver Sky tone?
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- Опубликовано: 13 дек 2024
- Comparing the tones of a 2018 and 2021 Silver Sky.
There have been a number of documented differences between the current models and earlier models. Clearly this is a guitar that PRS and John Mayer plan on improving more and more as time passes, which is brilliant!
My good friend Tommy is the absolute expert at documenting Silver Sky changes, especially pickups, so give him a follow: / tommyguitars
Gotta say, I think the 2018 Silver Sky is my favourite, that top end just does it for me!
I specifically searched out to get a 2018 didn’t like any of the other ones
@@apophispnw5717 dude same here, I have a 2018 horizon and it plays like a dream, the pickups just stand out a lot better than the 2021 imo
I wonder how many of the differences can be ironed out by simply using the tone control on the Silver Sky, it was designed to be super usable and rarely all the way on "10", letting you go brighter than traditional but having more control over usable portions of those frequencies. I dial back the tone control and sweeten to taste on my 2019 all the time.
For all the impatient ones who can't wait to have their pre-ordered 2021 Silver Sky's in their hands. :D cheers boys! 1:18 2:14 2:43 3:11 3:31 4:01 4:28 4:55 5:18 6:40 8:08 9:44
I had a 2021 Dodgem Blue with maple fretboard and sold it after a while. I recently bought a used 2018 in Frost White and it's a much better guitar IMO. It stays in tune better, the pickups have more character, the trem works exceptionally well and smooth and the pots don't feel as "grainy" if that's a word. And it looks killer with that bright white finish and the very dark - almost black - fretboard.
I've been binging on silvery sky vids; yours is one of the very best. I love the tone of the 2018 the best. the 2021 nailed the BLK1 tone.
At the 1:36 mark the 2018 bridge pickup sounded brighter. I liked it.
Ohhhhh that tone at 8:42 with the Black1 is soooo good. I keep thinking I've nailed that slightly overdrive neck position strat tone and then I hear that and realize...nope not quite yet. What is the signal chain? What pedal into what amp/speakers? Looks like the volume is rolled down to 8. Please don't tell me it is a digital modeler into an IR.
Great vid. I think the 4 and 5 positions are nicer on the newer model for sure! I think if you are lucky enough to have both in the same room, then pick and choose per song. But both sound like great guitars, and owners should be happy with the version they own!
The 2021 for me. I agree that it sounds much more voiced to the Black1. The 2018 had so much top end it sounded sterile, almost digital to me. You can hear the note sag in the 2021
Great video! My conclusions: 2018 has the most presence/sparkle and the 2021 satin is the best bang for your buck to get the blk1 sound. Can’t go wrong with either silver sky depending on what sound you’re looking for because they both feel awesome in hand.
Such a great demo dude! Personally I prefer the new pickups, my Nebula's bridge was rather harsh and these new pickups help take care of that!
I have a nebula as well but I’m pretty sure it has the new upgrades. I asked prs and it has a nitro finish so in that case it should have the other upgrades as well
@@Codeman117 not all of the changes occurred at the same time. The Nebula does not have the new pickups that is for sure. The shoulders got changed when the Maple Necks came out in early 2020 and Nitro top coat did change in very late 2019 (like November/December). I’m not 100% if the Frets changed in 2020 or 2021, but the new pickups are for 2021 models only.
@@JustinJeske did they change the Pups/frets starting from Jan 1st 2021, or are there variations amongst the models produced within 2021?
New version seems to have a bit less quack, and less sparkle, but a fatter, warmer tone. Both are good, I actually find the new version less fatiguing to listen to. I perceive the older one as being louder, but I'm not sure it really is.
in the end, they’re all top tier guitars so i’m extremely happy with my 2018 silver sky, i actually even prefer it over the new model i think :)
thanks for the great comparison!
I just went to a music store and tried out a 2020 Silver Sky to a new 2022 Silver Sky. The 2020 guitar sounds great and what you expect with this type of guitar. The 2022 Silver Sky does not sound like a Strat to me. It lacks the quack of the 2020 guitar and no longer sounds like a Strat but just single coil pickups. I found out the reason was due to old strings. I played a new 2023 Silver Sky and it sounded excellent. I prefer it over the overly brighter and hotter older pickups
I think the Blk1 theory definitely stands after the comparison, I wish I didn’t dislike the neck so much and I’d be going for one of these new silver skys in a heart beat
I see the BLK1 being the guitar with 'mojo': Vintage-based with some tweaks, destined to be the best version of a strat for John's ears.
And the Sliver Sky is more of a working man's guitar: A higher fidelity version of a strat, with a flatter response compared to the BLK1, more consistent all across the board, completely modernized and made to endure intense touring. I want one.
Amazing video! I can't stress this enough but PRS should really have disclosed the running changes to the Silver Sky. Now there's a giant muddy pool of which guitar has which specs when buying a used one. Both 2018 and 2021 models sound very similar but when they cost so much we have a right to know!
It's been a similar battle on a few of their models, the J-MOD amplifier was the same - the earlier ones have a completely different tone stack to later ones. I've spoken to PRS in the past, and they say that they update their production specs as the artists models change, which is cool at least.
@@TheLondonGuitarist That is true. I think they'd even sell more of them if they advertised changes, at least to crazy mayer fans like us lol
I think it’s smart that they didn’t disclose the differences. That way the player can make a choice based on tone to their ears rather than specs on paper.
Great comparison video matched with superb phrasing and tone. Thank you for making my PRS decision that much easier.
Both sound killer but that 2021 has a vibe to it with a bit more clarity. Great comparison man!
Superb video! Great comparisons. Thank you for making this!
You’re one of my fave demo’ers, so it means a lot, thanks Dagan!
Killer video!! I'm REALLY considering a 2021 SS in Satin Moc Sand!
What was the amp/pedal combo being used to get the overdriven sound starting at 8:43? I've always loved that drive tone!!
That was a Keeley Katana into a Marshall Bluesbreaker MkI into a TS-10, with guitar volume at around 8.
@@TheLondonGuitarist this is THE TONE!!!! That tone made me a JM fan years ago. You Totally nailed it!!!! Would you upload a video with the settings how to get it ??
I love the silver sky but it just sounds too perfect imo, nothing beats an og blk1. Once again, an amazing video man, the quality of your videos are just mind blowing
I agree the 2021 is a little meatier than the 2018 and at the examples with the Black strat, it has a closer sound with the meat of the Strat over the 2018. However the Black Strat sounds the best as it also has a better top end. i would think you would need to add more treble on your amp by about 2 with the 2021 Silver Sky to have the top end also open up. The 2018 model sounds more like a Fender Strat. Its almost like the 2021 model sounds like a PRS humbucker in single coil mode.
Excellent demo. Thanks for sharing.
I love my Silver Sky, but that BLK1 tone is something else.
taking some high end off the Silver Sky was definitely not a bad choice IMO. the newer one does sound better to me, but ok that's just taste. a bigger neck and nitro over poly are confusing choices to me. I did not feel like my early Silver Sky's neck was too small. It was fine; if anything I feel like PRS should have put more taper in it. bigger frets... I mean I know why they did it, that one was unnecessary IMO but I also know who their market is so ok. at the end of the day though, for me the FCS guitar kind of walks them tone wise, and my own SS did not stand up to my FCS guitars, so the SS went away when my k-line custom order came through, which I find as playable but closer in sound to what I like. the SS is a good daily driver but I would not be happy with one as my only strat.
Do you think the pickups better on a custom shop than the ss?
@@villesyren4131 better isnt the right word. I like FCS more. at the end of the day, it's just a strat pickup. there is no magic in any pickup.
the silver sky is still $8000 cheaper than the FCS when it was released though
@@aayandadan9340 maybe if you're buying a masterbuilt. team builds are about 1.5 or 2 silver skys depending. if people want to pay for masterbuilts, go for it. for me the people who earned that title no longer work at Fender so team builts are good enough for me.
I haven't played them back to back, but I typically don't prefer a larger neck. My favorite neck carve is from a 2004 Custom 22 with a rosewood neck. I think it's similar to a PRS pattern thin, although I don't know what it was called back then.
The tone when you played the Live Belief intro, the 2018 had more of that chorus midtone thing going on then the others, a sound I just cant get enough. This is likely attributed to more treble output. What do you have the pickup heights set at?
I prefer the new ones, less brighter. But nothing beats a strat if you want the classic jm tone.
Perfect description at the end. SS is hifi/modern sounding. I think the guitar John was playing during the JM3 days sounds a bit like the SS. Watch Gravity live in Bowery, it has that high end.
Would be awesome if you could get your hands on a maple board version too. Lower output, but snappy sound from the maple board really sounds killer.
great comparison! I heard the intro of Art of Life! Surprised!
BLK1 still sounds best.
It seems new silver sky sound more "fender" like.
Id say every sounds has its own time and place and its good that you can have all of these sounds for all of these times and places.
No such thing as best
@@wengjai sounds best to my ears i mean. Sure there is no such thing as best...
Whilst the 2021 version has less high end, I think it has more attack and percussiveness to it and is closer to the BLK1.
Hi. Great video. Is the neck thinner on the newer model over the 2018 version?
Great video! What pedals were you using for the last segment? The live version of the Belief intro.
Holly crap.... I love my silver sky (late 2020) when I first tried one it didn’t blow me away (2018ish)but the one I picked up at the start of this year was in a different level
This is a really helpful video as someone who is looking to pick up a Silver Sky on the used market. My big question though, as I prefer the additional high end on the 2018 model, is how do I know whether the one I'm looking at is an 18 compared to a 21 (assuming the seller doesn't advertise it)? Is there an obvious serial number designation?
I was thinking the same thing.. from what I can tell is you’ll have to take the pick guard off and look at the date on the inside. From what I’ve seen in videos there should be at least 2 different QC stickers on the inside with dates that it passed inspection but I doubt your gonna be able to talk the seller into letting you open it up so I recommend asking the seller to take pics and document it for you.
All PRS serial numbers start with the year. Look for an 18-xxxxxxx serial.
Serial numbers are at the back of the headstock. If the seller doesn't have a picture of it, ask for one.
Damn. The Satin sounds better to my ears when just comparing the 2018 vs. 2021, but the BLK1 just... changes the whole game.
Great video, the two silver sky guitars sound very very similar to my ear, and I'm quite picky so...I have a question, does a silver sky feel more 'slinky' than a regular strat? I'm a lefty so it's hard for me to compare fairly myself.
Nice comparisson, however it looks like you hit it harder on the 2018 then the 2021, specially on the mid pickup. Sometimes guitars make you play different, but this gives a good idea of the differences. Personaly i like the earlier ones when i compared them, especially on smaller amps like a deluxe. Bigger amps may better match to the 2021 is my guess, thanks!
The sounds were very similar. The 2018 Silver Sky bridge pickup was a bit brighter at some points. Question. Is that satin moc Sand a satin finish as the name would imply?
Think too much top end? What about a little roll on the tone knob?
So I saw on the SE model that the pickup shape and route was like a traditional Strat vs the USA Silver Sky, do you know if the 2021 USA model also updated this?
I have a launch Ed Tungsten too and it’s perfect. Prefer it’s pickups. The neck is amazing too. I like a big neck but don’t need it any bigger than it is now.
Nice comparison! Thanks for sharing this. I prefer new one's mid and neck pu to old one's. But I like the bridge pu of old one!
Very well done review, thank you!
What amp did you use ? it just sounds 'right' !
Two Rock. Dudes got all the bells and whistles.
Seen this a bit late in the day, I prefer the 2018 SS tone over the 2021, but the best tone to me is the strat. I've got a 2019 SS.
Imho, The bridge saddle for intonation is setup differently. It will produce slightly different sound in certain string. I think 2021 setup is the standard and 2018 isn't. I bet the lower E string in 2018 is louder and more treble than 2021.
You had to measure the same pickup height to achieve comparable result. Cmiiw.
So... did you find that th g string is buzzy on the open string when plucked infront of bridge pickup? Also did you notice no matter how high you set the action the g string still buzzed up and down the neck on every fret? Im 2 for 2. One 2019 one 2021 usa models.
So what was the differences in the neck profile and the radius of the fretboard?
I prefer the old neck profile. Yourself?
Does the more satin neck come in all 2021 models? I had seen maple fingerboard with satin neck and rosewood fingerboard a bit more glossy. But I don’t know if the different neck finish is by the year of the model or by the fingerboard : maple= more satin , rosewood=more glossy
5:09 Which song is this from?
That was basically Bold as Love
The old silver sky has more fret buzz. Is it because more high end pick ups, lower frets or maybe just worse setup? Sonically I prefer BLK1 over new SS over old SS. Great video. Thanks!
Being that it has the 7.25 radius I’d say bad set up. Just my
opinion. I like low action so
I personally avoid this guitar for a few reasons. The neck is for John’s giant hands. The pick ups are too low as far as output. I’d just prefer a Fender. Years ago Fenders would come set up perfect.
@@Utube-s8m fender years ago had a 7.25 radius
Any idea what fret size is on the newer one? That’s the only thing that’s ever put me off about the SS.
Class video.. How do you like the satin finish?
Sounds pretty similar. I guess less high end but not night and day in my opinion. One sounds like slightly less volume but same tone.
That Fender sounds awesome 🙂
The 2018 was the only one I like and the one I bought
Does the Lunar Ice have the old or new pickup specs?
It doesn’t matter because if they are not going to offer a SE version I can’t afford it 🤷♀️
is Moc and Sand also a Nitro finish ?
I am looking at getting the Moc Sand Satin I love the color, but how well does it hold up? It looks like for some reason it could get dirty easily? Could you describe how it feels? Thank you!
Mine is like new a year on, but I don't gig it really. I think they do go slightly shiny where they make contact with other surfaces a lot, but I don't think they get dirty!
@@TheLondonGuitarist Awesome, thank you so much for your response!
Does the newer one has significantly bigger frets??
What about the neck carves?
Thks for the video
Although I love nitro finish, still love the tone of 2018 more!
Thanks for the comparison! I liked the BLK1 better, at least over YT. IMHO it sounded more hifi than the SS's. I can hear all strings in a good blend. With the SS's I hear them just melted together, if that makes any sense. Again, thanks for the very well-made and excelent video!
It's funny you say that as I used the same terminology when I saw him live with the SS. Not as much articulation in the SS as there is in the enders. I said to my then GF, "it's a lot less hi fi"
I know what you mean but I have the opposite reaction to it in that I consider it to be an undesirable sound as they're slightly discordant to my ear (which I guess shouldn't be surprising considering all guitars are out of tune).
Did the pickups change again in late 2022 or 2023?
The strat is a better guitar. The reason I own an SS core is because it handles better, only cost 2.8k as opposed to 5k or more for a CS strat with deminishinh returns. prs doesn't have the quality control issues that plage bigger brands.
Were you playing Art of Life by X Japan there by any chance?
Yup!
@@TheLondonGuitarist 👌🏻fine taste.
I prefer the 2018 pickups!
Oh, man. It really sucks to be poor. Saved up for 4 years just to now find out I can no longer buy the one with the original pickups unless in the used market.
Man the 2018 sounded SO awesome, and thick, and rich in overtones.
The new pickups just sounds like a regular low output strat. Nothing special anymore.
The 2018 has more brightness and it quacks better than the 2021. I think they made a mistake with the lower treble pickups.
Outstanding demo. I assume pickup heights and neck/string setup were set as close as possible between guitars? I'm very interested in a 2021 SS to complement my hotter-output Strat.
It looks to me that the PRSs have higher pickups. It might explain the hotter output.
Interesting video but not done correctly, for some reason you can see you hit the strings much harder on the 2018, i wonder why you do that? but it does effect the sound big time ! I have compared a 2018 and 2023 myself and there is very little difference or no difference at all in the pickups if you have the same PU hight, same strings and same playing, same pick etc. There is little difference in the neck shape and I prefer the 2018 but thats very personal. other then that guitars are very much the same, both very, very good guitars
was this the fractal?
Great video! Was curious how you think the neck change would effect someone with smaller hands. Thinking of getting a 2019, but the 2021 pick ups sound so much better to my ear!
I think you really need to play them, it's really hard to say. I have pretty small hands, but my Dave Grohl is one of the most comfortable necks. I think with small hands, the depth of the neck (from the fretboard to the back of the neck) is less important than the shoulders (how wide it is nearest the fretboard). A neck that is quite deep, but with smaller shoulders can feel a lot more comfortable than a smaller neck thats more of a D shape, with wider shoulders... if that makes sense?
@@TheLondonGuitarist Totally, so the 2021 model the nut width stays the same? By Dave Grohl you mean the 335? I have a es-335 and really like the neck! Again great video covering a topic that literally has like ONE other video comparing the two!
@@TheLondonGuitarist Mate is that the OG custom shop blk1 that's 20k quid ?
Blue chip?
IF THE PICKUPS ARE TOO HARSH SWAP THE OLD 300K VOLUME POT TO A 250 THATS IN IT
YES the silver skys have 300k pots
This was helpful... Do you know if the SE does as well...?
I wanted the 2021 so bad, but man it sounds puny compared to 2018!
Guess it’s time for a third silver sky in my collection! Ha..
thx for information!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Is the whole 2018 SS affected with this setup or only up to which dates?
All the 2018’s are the same.
@@TheLondonGuitarist thanks for the info
All good All different but Strat for me👍🔥🎸🦅
I had a 2021 and the pickups sucked ass. No warmth, no harmonics. Loved playing the guitar though and want it again, but I'd change those pickups.
Crazy statement, they’re lower output so not going to push the pre-amp as much.
I like the sound of the 2021 more, but I wish they would’ve stayed with the glossy finish
Seems noticeably lower output on the newer model.
If JM likes the new pickups thats all that matters, its his guitar. But in my opinion they fucked them up.
It was unclear which was which. Why did you stop labeling which guitar was on scvreen?!
The blk1 is in a league of its own when it comes to tone. The lack of paint allows the body to breathe and which allows for such a warm and resonant tone. Almost like it’s a hollow body. The silver sky sounds great, but no where close to blk1
When you played belief the silver skies sounded more like the black1 than the black1 sounds like the black1😂
Both PRS’s are not for me. Fender sounds warmer, richer.
was that art of life?
Yup!
2021 sounds muffled to me
Wait, ALL THAT TIME to develop the Sky, and it still requires 'improvements'?
They're just having to change the guitar to suit beginners and amateurs (sorry, but that's my opinion) who aren't schooled in eq'ing to taste and just run amp at low volume, tone at noon, and guitar wide-open.
It also stimulates guitar sales. All the manufacturers have to do it; "new and improved". How many times has a manufacturer ruined a good thing? I don't own a Silver Sky, but I own a ton of Strats from lots of gens and different pickups and tone controls. They don't always get better.
I like that you played an arctic monkeys song on a silver sky lol
Wanna sell your blk 1?
There are no 2 guitars that sound the same… different tree… :)