PRS SE Silver Sky With Rosewood Fingerboard Electric Guitar
John Mayer and PRS's S-style collaboration, now in affordable SE trim. This is PRS elevating familiar Strat aesthetics with their build quality and attention to detail, aimed at players who want refined vintage vibes.
Pros & Cons
Pros
- +PRS build quality with minimally-finished satin neck back allows hands to glide with little effort
- +Nicely dressed frets and beautiful rosewood fingerboard deliver excellent playability out of the box
- +Guitar World awarded 4.5/5 stars, praising the refined take on classic S-style design
- +Sweetwater users report getting tones they couldn't achieve with Fender Player or Gibson/PRS models they own
- +Poplar body keeps weight down while maintaining resonance and sustain
Cons
- −One Sweetwater reviewer said their Fender Strat outperformed it, rating neck 6.5-7/10 and pickups 7.5/10
- −Color palette is bland compared to Fender's richer Player II Series options
- −At $949, you're paying for the PRS/Mayer name versus similarly-priced Fender options
- −Some players report the tone isn't drastically different from standard Strats despite the hype
The Verdict
The 90 EJ Score from Guitar World’s 4.5/5 review is backed by enthusiastic user feedback from players comparing it favorably to their USA and import guitars. The PRS build quality and neck feel are the differentiators here—that satin neck finish and fret dressing are legitimately better than most imports. One reviewer preferring their Fender suggests this isn’t a unanimous winner, and the color options are genuinely uninspiring. If you want S-style tones with PRS refinement and aren’t married to Fender heritage, this is worth the $949. But if you’re chasing Mayer tones specifically, remember his rig matters more than the guitar.
