Best PRS Guitar for Blues (our top pick)
PRS Silver Sky (SE or Core model)
All PRS guitars are known for being very versatile, able to handle blues, metal, and everything in between. But the PRS Silver Sky is one of the only models that uses only single coil pickups, and is designed to mimic a Stratocaster-style guitar.
For blues styles, we typically want to recommend a single coil pickup configuration, or at least a partial single coil configuration. The Silver Sky is the only well-known and widely available PRS that has an SSS pickup setup, just like the Fender Stratocaster.
This is because it was designed by John Mayer after his falling out with Fender.
For a while, he played a PRS guitar similar to the Modern Eagle, but then had the Silver Sky model designed.
It looks and plays very similarly to a Stratocaster.
As such, it's a great fit for bluesy lead and similar styles.
There are two versions of the Silver Sky
- Silver Sky SE
- Silver Sky Core
Read more: Best PRS SE models
The SE Silver Sky is designed to be much cheaper than the Core models, which are typically $3000 and higher.
Our recommendation here applies to both guitars, as they share the same stylistic qualities.
The PRS SE Silver Sky electric guitar is one of our top blues picks.
Compare the Silver Sky to Other PRS Guitars
This section lets you compare the Silver Sky SE model to some other PRS SE electric guitars. It has basic specs and pricing, though you can see more details on the Sweetwater product pages.
Guitar | Name | Rate | Buy |
|---|---|---|---|
 | PRS SE Silver Sky | n/a | |
 | PRS SE Mark Holcomb | n/a | |
 | PRS SE Custom 24 | 89.8 | |
 | PRS SE Hollowbody Standard | n/a |
Compare More Guitars
You can search our database for more electric guitars, PRS and otherwise, to add to the comparison bar at the bottom of this page. We don't have everything, but we have a lot and add to it regularly.
Our Methodology
Those who write for Guitar Chalk prioritize gear we've used, brands we trust, and products that we're familiar with through research and community consensus.
As often as possible we focus on gear that we've tested and held in our own hands. We always avoid recommending products that we're not familiar with, especially if they're not from reputable brands.
As such, all of our recommendations are made by actual guitar players and musicians.
There is no secondhand information on this website.
- Only real musicians and guitar players
- Gear that we've used
- Brands we're familiar with
- Products the community trusts
This goes for PRS electric guitars, the Silver Sky, and everything else we highlight.
If you have questions about our methodology, feel free to get in touch. Thanks to all of you for trusting our content and keeping us going.
Price Guide for the PRS Silver Sky (SE and Core models)
This section gives you a live price guide for both the SE and Core Silver Sky models. You can also set alerts and check price history. Note that depending on the retailer, pricing and availability isn't always guaranteed. Make sure you confirm with the retailer and/or manufacturer.
Note that the history and alert box follow the lowest price among all the guitars listed. This means that it will always track with the SE Silver Sky, and not the Core model.
Prices updated Mon, October 02nd, 2023.
Major Retailers
Amazon Only
Alert (SE only)
History (SE only)
Price History for PRS Paul Reed Smith SE John Mayer Silver Sky in Dragon Fruit w/Gigbag
Statistics
| Current Price | $849.00 | September 29, 2023 |
| Highest Price | $849.00 | May 19, 2023 |
| Lowest Price | $849.00 | May 19, 2023 |
Last price changes
| $849.00 | May 19, 2023 |
Silver Sky Features We Like (sound and neck feel)
The tone on this guitar is incredibly smooth. It has the same appeal of a Strat pickup with a lot more warmth. This is also present on the SE version, despite the cheaper price point.
You can listen in here. It's truly just, I dunno...incredible.
This is clearly one of the most blues-esque tones we could put forward. I'm sure some of the warmth in the demo video is coming from the Supro amplifier, but it just sounds so good in this style context.
How does the neck feel/play?
It plays fast with a slightly flattened radius compared to the Strat, giving it a little more of a modern PRS feel. This neck feels really good in your hands and plays fast, sort of like a Strat neck with a twist. The radius mod is subtle, but a great tweak on the part of PRS.
And keep in mind, this is still the SE version. If you go to the Core model, all of this just gets better.
Pros (SE Silver Sky)
- Tone is incredibly warm while maintaining some bluesy brightness
- Neck carving and radius adjustment make this guitar very fast and comfortable
- 635JM pickups are designed to John Mayer's specifications
- PRS Bird inlays look great when paired with the familiar Strat-style body
Cons (SE Silver Sky)
- Definitely not a rock or metal guitar
- Mayer was a bit shameless with the design, although a ton of brands mimic Strats
Conclusion
The Silver Sky is not only one of the best PRS guitars for blues, but one of the best blues guitars overall. For lead guitar players who are using just a little bit of overdrive and breakup, especially on a warm tube amp, it's our top recommendation from this brand.
If you have questions about the PRS Silver Sky, or anything else we've mentioned here, feel free to get in touch via the comments section below.
Thanks for trusting our content.
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