John Mayer Silver Sky: The Reviews Are In

Posted Nov 27, 2018

Behind The Gear / Gear Reviews

November marks 8 months since the John Mayer Silver Sky was announced. In that time, thousands of players around the world have had a chance to get their hands on the Silver Sky and give us some feedback. Below we've compiled reviews from artists, magazines, YouTubers, and more!

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Casey Deeter //

"Ok... here it is... the most CONTROVERSIAL guitar of the year! The PRS Guitars Silver Sky designed by John Mayer. Everybody knows I prefer a tele to a strat, just my opinion. But ya know what?! This guitar is absolutely insane. It’s comfortable, it’s sleek, and the neck... the NECK!!! You don’t wrestle with this guitar at all. It’s smooth and delicate, much like John Mayer!"

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Clay Cook // Zac Brown Band

“You can take as many modern or vintage twists as you want on an instrument. The real question is: does it work on stage or in the studio? Silver Sky works.”

Desi Serna // YouTube Review

“After much review, I can honestly say the Silver Sky beats any Fender I have ever played. John Mayer and Paul Reed Smith totally nailed this guitar design. The Silver Sky tones and sounds are fantastic and the guitar feels great too!”

Eric Krasno // Producer & Guitarist

“Man I am hooked on this Silver Sky. Can’t stop playing it! The feel and dynamics are really next level.”

Gearmandude // YouTube Review

"Wow, first thoughts are that it possibly out strats a strat."

Gear Patrol // Full Review Here

"This is a lot of guitar for the price. If you’re in the market for a top-tier guitar in the Strat wheelhouse, the Silver Sky should be on the top of your list. It’s got the responsive evenness that PRS is known for and a clear, focused single-coil sound that is hard to beat. You’ve got a lot of colors to play with tonally, and the instrument feels great in-hand. While the guitar sounds this great out of the box, I can’t wait to hear how it will age with a decade or two of playing."

GuitarGate // YouTube Review

“I can tell that this guitar was built for somebody who is an amp driver… It’s clear, it’s clean, it’s transparent, it really wants you to dig in and fight a little for it.”

Guitar Interactive // Full Review Here

“[The PRS Silver Sky] offers up shockingly good vintage tones and feel, but modern production methods and PRS’s legendary attention to detail have eliminated all the problems that go along with vintage instruments…including the monstrous price tag!”

Guitar Player // Full Review Here

“Bottom line: The Silver Sky absolutely delivers on the promise of being a damn-near-perfect version of this type of guitar. Some people (many of whom have no problem with a Gibson Trini Lopez headstock) are revulsed by the sight of a 3-on-a-side headstock on a Strat-style instrument. So be it. Plenty of folks are quick to pillory Paul Smith for what they see as heresy, while giving a pass to dozens of builders who have essentially done—or tried to do—the exact same thing (Peavey Predator, anyone?). That is their right. But any honest assessment of the Silver Sky has to conclude that this is a glorious guitar that sounds and plays amazing. Paul Reed Smith doesn’t mess around, and you’ve got to assume that he never would have made this guitar if he didn’t think he could bring something inspiring to the party.”

^ Winner: Guitar Player Editor’s Pick Award

Guitar Girl Magazine // Full Review Here

"The PRS John Mayer Silver Sky is a blend between vintage and that classic PRS creamy, sophisticated look and tone we have all come to love."

Guitar World Magazine // Full Review Here

“After playing the Silver Sky, it’s easy to understand why it took so long to design and why John Mayer embraced this endeavor. For aficionados of the classic three single-coil pickup solidbody guitar design, this is truly one of the finest examples ever produced.”

^ Winner: Guitar World Platinum Award

Music Radar // Full Review Here

“A superb vintage and experience-informed three single-coil bolt-on. Build playability, sound and typical PRS attention to detail and quality.”

Music Is Win // YouTube Review

"First impression is just...woah."

Maverick Magazine

"This guitar isn't designed to be just a collector's item that is hung on a wall to look at, it was built to be played and pushed to the limit."

MusicPlayers.com // Full Review Here

“As Paul Reed Smith pointed out in an interview, every aspect of the guitar was thoughtfully designed, or redesigned. But don’t just take our word for it. Try one out. You may be just as impressed as we are. Immediately, it was obvious that this was a well-made instrument with everything you would expect from PRS. The fretwork was flawless. The set-up including the intonation and string height was perfect. And weighing in at just under 7.5 pounds, the guitar was comfortable and well balanced.”

^ Winner: Wish I Had One Award

Premier Guitar // Full Review Here

“The [Silver Sky] is a beautifully made instrument that authentically nails the feel and tones of a pre-CBS Strat, while benefiting from a number of modest yet meaningful refinements…Despite its departures from vintage design, Silver Sky captures the sounds of an early-’60s Stratocaster as well as any modern instrument I’ve encountered. In fact, it sounds better than some originals.”

^ Winner: Premier Guitar Premier Gear Award & Gear of The Year 2018

Robert Baker // YouTube Review

"The guitar sounds fantastic, it's a very fat sounding singlecoil."

Tim Pierce // YouTube Review

“The thing I noticed about the PRS Silver Sky is that PRS has solved a lot of the issues as far as the pickups being balanced and not being harsh.”

Vintage Guitar //

“Tonally, it’s big, clear, and airy when played clean, and fat and resonant with overdrive kicked on…There’s so much to dig with this guitar, but most are sure to keep going back to that heel and amazing upper-fret reach, which changes everything.”

Worship Musician // Full Review Here

“You know there is something unique and inspiring about a guitar when you look up from playing it and wonder where the last hour went, and that was my experience more than once! And while this is not what PRS fans might be used to, this guitar is an excellent offering into the market, and if you are looking for a single-coil guitar, the Silver Sky is definitely worth checking out.”

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Check out the Silver Sky product page!

Find a dealer to order your Silver Sky.

Need a holiday gift for yourself or a guitar-player in your life, check out the Silver Sky holiday ornament.