The PRS Silver Sky

In 2018, PRS announced the Silver Sky. It was very controversial. One of my friends called it a “Stupid Guitar” because it was another Stratocaster copy. Many other players were excited. It gave them an option for a unique “S” style guitar. 

John Mayer

John Mayer is the visionary behind the Silver Sky. He had been working with Fender for years to build signature guitars. But, then Fender and the leader of their custom shop division, Mike Eldred, parted ways. He was John’s contact with Fender. John would bounce ideas off him and they would create unique instruments. But, when he left, John lost the ability to connect with the company. It became transactional.

John pitched the Fender team on a new style of guitar. He wanted to do something more than a Signature Model. He wanted to make something new. In an interview with Jeff Ross, John said, “The electric guitar is this vestige of 1950s and '60s car and surf culture.” People in the comment section attacked John because the Silver Sky has '60s style pickup. They said that he wasn't making something new, just a copy. But John wasn't talking about forgetting the parts of a Strat that were awesome. He wanted a fresh design. The original Strat was based on colors from station wagons and surf boards from the '50s and '60s. He wanted a new design with modern colors.

PRS

He began looking at other companies. The one he chose was PRS. PRS is the third largest electric guitar manufacturer in the US. The other two are Fender and Gibson. PRS guitars are some of the best-made guitars in the world. They follow strict quality control not found in the other brands. Plus, Paul loves creating new guitars. 

What makes PRS unique in this industry is that the owner of the company is still alive. Leo Fender died in 1991. Orville Gibson died in 1918. These companies are now owned by private equity. Private equity companies are notorious for squashing ingenuity with process. But founder-led companies are constantly innovating.

Paul was a founder. He poured his blood, sweat and tears into building some of the best guitars around.  It is reasonable to believe that this reputation intrigued John, so he reached out.

John and Paul spent months going back and forth on each spec of the Silver Sky. They paid homage to the guitars from the past with pickups that model the '64 and '65 Strat pickups. But they freshened up the design. They added contours into the body that were never seen before on the Fender Stratocaster. The colors feel like ones you would see in modern design today. They aren't trying to copy the colors of surf boards and cars from the '50s.

The American Silver Sky

The guitars are available in the PRS Bolt-On lines and the SE line. The Bolt-On version is American-made and considered the John Mayer Signature. It comes in a wide range of colors. There are satin finishes for players who like a smooth guitar body and neck. There are gloss finishes for players who want the extra protection on their guitars. They are using the PRS 635JM pickups. The Silver Sky Bolt-Ons are some of the best guitars on the market.  

The Silver Sky SE

The PRS SE is made in the PRS Indonesian factory. This has been one of the best-selling guitars on Reverb since 2022. The SE version is all in gloss finishes. There is a wide array of color options available. There are left-handed versions available. They use the 635JM “S” pickups. The output is higher on the SE version than the Bolt-On model. 

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 John Mayer’s journey to creating the Silver Sky was one that a lot of players resonate with. There are many players who want to buy the vintage guitars that started it all. There are also players who want something new. The truth shows how popular a new guitar design could be when backed by an incredible player. The Silver Sky SE has been one of the top-selling guitars on Reverb for three years. If you are looking to find one, click the link to see the PRS SE Silver Sky guitars available at Roxy Music.