For 70 years, the Fender Stratocaster has stood its ground as the essential guitar for any player.  A new rival is making up ground on the iconic Stratocaster. The PRS Silver Sky SE is a new, affordable S-Style guitar that some might say does a Fender better than Fender itself. As someone who has played both guitars and bought one of them, both guitars are outstanding instruments but one does outperform the other.

In 2018 Fender released the Player Series guitars. This line of guitars is the entry point into the expensive world of Fender guitars. Made in Mexico, the Player Series Stratocaster has all the right ingredients to be a staple guitar for any player. It features an Alder wood body, paired signature player series pickups, and a 22-fret modern “C” shaped neck that can be optioned in either Maple or Pau Ferro fretboards. 

Picking up the Stratocaster, it immediately shows that it is the more budget friendly guitar in the Fender lineup, the fit and finish leaves a lot on the table in terms of quality. It felt more like a top line Fender Squire than a genuine Fender. Once I plugged it in and started playing it felt pretty good, the pickups were surprising and gave that classic fender sound. The neck shape was comfortable and familiar but at a price tag of $799.99 it didn’t really feel like the price you pay matched the quality you receive. 

In 2018 PRS in collaboration with guitar legend John Mayer, introduced the Silver Sky guitar. This guitar is the first of its kind from PRS and gives players that classic Stratocaster look and feel without compromise. In 2022 the Silver Sky was offered under the SE program, this gave players a more affordable option without spending thousands of dollars on a full Silver Sky. At a price tag of $849.99, The SE does not short buyers on anything. It features a 22- fret 8.5” radius neck that comes in either Maple or Rosewood, Poplar wood body, and single coil 635JM pickups. The SE guitars are manufactured in Indonesia but provide the same quality as the U.S. made Silver Sky guitars.

The first time I saw the Silver Sky SE in person it struck me in a different way than the Fender. As a first time PRS player the quality amazed me. As I began putting the guitar through its paces, I noticed that it sounded exactly like a top line Fender, the 635JM pickups allow the guitar to be flexible with your playing style. The sound can go from a crisp, composed sound on a clean amp to a dirty and bluesy sound with the gain and overdrive turned up. The Silver Sky SE was more comfortable that the Player Series Stratocaster and exceeded its price in quality.

Both guitars are a great buy and give you the S-Style sound that guitar players chase. Ultimately the PRS Silver Sky SE is the better buy between the two. It shows that just because it’s the entry level guitar, does not mean that the quality should be compromised in any way. I have had a Silver Sky SE for a while now and it’s quickly turned into my primary guitar that is hard to put down.