PRS Silver Sky vs. Fender vs. Suhr | What's the best Strat? | Thomann
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- čas přidán 17. 07. 2024
- This time: PRS Silver Sky versus the vintage Fender 1963 Strat Relic versus the modern Suhr Classic Pro Sunburst! Who has won? Who's next?
Product used: tho.mn/4xixp
We use Triad-Orbit stands for our videos exclusively: tho.mn/triad
Interesting bits and pieces:
0:00 Introduction
Neck Pickup | Clean Playing
2:15 PRS Silver Sky
2:29 Fender 1963 Strat Relic
2:45 Suhr Classic Pro
Neck + Mid Pickup | Clean Playing
3:00 PRS Silver Sky
3:13 Fender 1963 Strat Relic
3:25 Suhr Classic Pro
Bridge + Mid Pickup | Clean Playing
3:38 PRS Silver Sky
3:55 Fender 1963 Strat Relic
4:11 Suhr Classic Pro
Bridge Pickup | Clean Playing
4:27 PRS Silver Sky
4:43 Fender 1963 Strat Relic
5:00 Suhr Classic Pro
Neck Pickup | Overdrive Playing
5:19 PRS Silver Sky
5:29 Fender 1963 Strat Relic
5:43 Suhr Classic Pro
Neck + Mid Pickup | Overdrive Playing
5:57 PRS Silver Sky
6:19 Fender 1963 Strat Relic
6:44 Suhr Classic Pro
7:15 JHS Bonsai 9-Way Screamer | Talking
Bridge Pickup | Overdrive + JHS Bonsai | Playing
7:44 PRS Silver Sky
8:17 Fender 1963 Strat Relic
8:43 Suhr Classic Pro
9:08 Conclusion
Thanks for watching!!!
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Surprinsingly the Fender sounds best. I probably just prefer the pickups though.
Hannibal Barkas How's that surprising?
well, if we are here to judge sound of 3 guitars made from the same woods with almost identical shapes the pickups are basically at spot yeah?
i liked fender too, suhr sounds cool too but a bit more modern sound (with distortion specialy), prs surprisingly did their least expressive and original guitar to the present date in my opinion, matches perfectly the artist! true work of art in that sense
Custom Shop ain't no joke! I'm with you there.
Deus Herbert-Noel It's pretty obvious but if you need it explained it's because generally PRS and Suhr are considered higher end/better guitars. Yes I know it's a custom shop but still....
Lee Logan You lost me on the last part. Kind of just sounds like more Anti-Fender drama to me.
I like the Fender.
Personally the Suhr was giving me the punch I like, but of course the PRS is what Mayer wanted with his rig and his music and John wanted a more classic feel as well. Thanks for putting this up, glad someone finally put up a vid like this! 👍🏻
Thank you Barry!
Fender wins for me, oddly enough. Suhr was the 2nd. Sounds vintage.
Punch alright. Giant, bright, high def, piercing, dynamic, ear punch.
No warmth. No lush squishy twang.
I am confused people can actually prefer the sound of a Suhr, but I understand they do.
brett james I’m guessing you hear things brighter than them. We all perceive things differently, but also, probably physically hear things differently (like the older you are, the “brighter” you’ll want your tones because you can’t hear the brights you used to be able to
@@brettjames9088 Because people should like what you like
Own all 3. Silver Sky is really hard to beat, super easy to play & pups are amazing (wish it had stainless frets). Fender has a bit more mojo. Trying to sell the Suhr.
just replace it with stainless frets, I have all my guitars refretted to SS frets. Have it made by a competitive luthier tho.
The G&L really shines in this video
Lmao an s500 would put all three of these to a lower level. The MFD pickups are so phenomenal
I enjoyed the Ibanez personally.
Ibanez Talman is the best strat for me
Well we can Say Epiphone did it well
Wow, I love how that fender sounds. It’s been a while and the design still holds up even today. Leo fender is the man.
This is by far the best guitar comparison video I've ever seen and heard...great job
It's great that you put the time stamps in. It's really easy to A-B the sounds that way. Thanks for the video.
I'd love to have all of those guitars.
Andrew Marinkovich you can ! Make it happen ......
Very, very good job. I could easily hear the differences in the guitars. The comfort and feel aspect of each guitar would now come into play, as well as which one sounds good with your rig. Definitely enough difference to explore each option. To me, no winners, just different choices.
Thank you! Glad you liked it
Great idea Chris. Love the comparison!
Clean: Fender wins
Overdrive : Suhr wins
When you find a Fender Strat that sounds killer like this, there's no match! I think the PRS has his own voice and personality, and if you like it you will stay with it for life. I'm disappointed with the Suhr: too thin and anonymous on clean sounds, it gets better with overdrive, but still not convincing me....
I just tried a Fender Elite Strat, an Original series 60s, and a Fender Professional alongside a Suhr Classic Pro and a Classic Antique Pro. As a session player I have been recording in the studio for more than 20 years and contrary to what most people say on the forums and everywhere, although I found the Suhr's build quality also superb very nice, but soundwise I found the Suhr very muffled, sterile and overly mid focused. On the other hand the Fender Professional sounded great, twangy, zingy and overall very ear pleasing, just the classic sound. The Fender Elite sounded very nice and the Noiseless pickups (version 4) sounded really good. The Fender Original was incredible sounding but the lack of modern feature on it was a bit annoying (No external truss rod adjustment, no noiseless system at all, no lockin tuner, etc...).
The Suhr has some very handy features and again the build quality was wonderful, but for some reasons the sound on both Classic Pro and Antique Pro were really muffled and overly woody (for the lack of better term). It's a bit weird as I expected the opposite to be honest... I find the Fender Elite and Professional sounded the best to me by a rather huge margin. Just my two cents ^^
konnektlive my exact experience also. I think ppl are always looking for the shiny new object but in a real world play off the fender pro n elites are world class guitars. Mayer’s pups are absolutely tweaked in the scoop EQ direction for his pref no doubt too
Fender standard American strat USA best you can buy forever
what were you playing these through?
I just prefer the spank and attack of a high end Fender
When the Suhr has the volume down to 7, does it lose the midrange? I'm asking because it sounds like it's turned up to 12.
Very good comparison with good skills.
Thanks for putting efforts in this video. Appreciate it.
For me its PRS, Fender, then Suhr. The PRS sound is more rounded and more of what I like. The Suhr sounds a little too twangy and bright to me. It's all preference though, all great guitars, I'd love to have any of them.
PRS definitely sounded the best in this comparison.
👍
Can I just say I have never felt more satisfied than when I read the comments and saw how many people preferred the Fender. I know it's a personal choice, but just glad other people felt the way I did after hearing those three
Love the tones from the Suhr
Everyone gets so upset over which guitar they believe to be “better”. It doesn’t matter. Why don’t you go and practice
Ryan Harrison True
Amen. That will improve your sound more than a 2K+ guitar
people fight over expensive gears but they can only play "nothing else matter" by metallica
Practicing with an awesome guitar is much more fun!
@@peterb7627 right! if I pick up a crappy guitar I'll just put it back down in 30 min, a good guitar and I"ll play for hours!
Excellent comparative demo. None better or worse, just different.
thank you mate I appreciate it! And yes, you're right. It's all a matter of taste.
//cheers, Kris
Fender was the best clean. Suhr was the best distorted. PRS was its typical middle of the road sound.
I agree
Indeed
Chris Honeycutt agreed.
👍
Chris Honeycutt with you on that.Clean,fender seems to ring like a bell,prs didn’t as far as I heard.
strat sounded best to me
But there are 3 to choose from.
Really?
I also like the strat. 10/10...definitely would buy.
Mental Divergence ok buddy🍔
they all strat 😁😁😁😁
I love the family portrait hanging on the wall.
Thanks for the nice demo. I'd like the Suhr guitar with the PRS pickups.
They all sound great. Would be happy to own any of them!
Can't stand the look of those Suhr head-stocks. Just an opinion.
I feel you.
It reminds me of a cheap guitar you'd see in a pawn shop
It's funny how tastes differ, I love the Suhr headstock shape.
Mike Hunsberger same for me
I used to not like the shape, then i played one. i still have some headstock biasees, like epiphone headstock vs gibson.
I hate the PRS headstock and I own a McCarty.
Nice job on the demo..also excellent comments below!
Great review! Thanks for the comparison!
You're welcome! Please write us a comment with further comparisons you'd like to see 🤟
Overall Fender, then PRS and suhr for some of the overdriven parts. So the fender sounds the most "Fat" PRS sounds like it has way to thin strings and to low action, and the suhr delivers much punch but just doesnt sound that good to me.
All sound good..but the fender has the vibe..and it will hold it's value
That's a nice setup right there. I love how the pedals are stuck on the wall.
This video deserves to be heard with good Headphones plugged to the audio interface; great job!! you're an awesome guitar player. You know what to play to show the differences between these three great guitars
Got the good headphones out to listen here. All sounded good. So for me the best choice for my taste would be the Suhr with stainless steel frets, two point trem, modern neck radius and included hard shell case. Thank you for the head to head comparison!
long stupid comment, because they all come with a case. The two point trems and ss frets, and hotter pickups are all negatives in my opinion
dezionlion Fyi the Suhr and Prs come with gig bags only the fender has a hardshell case
+stratmagic nobody cares about the prs or sewer. the fender is the obvious choice!
I'm with you, luckyrocks; the modern features of a Suhr are all highly functional improvements to a strat. At gig volume, 99% of people aren't going to hear the difference in tone between all of these, so why not go with the easiest to play?
When y’all gonna learn,Fender will always win because the headstock gives it the mojo!! 😋
Kasper Rouser Exactly!!!!!!! The fender strat headstock is by far the best. The prs headstock just looks strange on a strat style guitar
Seriously, those other guitars are just as good, but the headstock feels so backwards compared to Fender.
yeah specially the big headstock.. got mojo got soul..
So you're basing your preference just on the headstock? Not the sound?
Grant Huston I agree, a few of those examples Suhr was the best, and then the PRS’s mellow tone sounded clean and a bit more bass, which come in handy when dealing with a Fender. I have a start now, and I wish it had a bit more mellow tone to it. The headstock looks better to me, than the original. But sound wise, The PRS was the best, the Suhr is second, the Fender is third. Now, maybe if there is a comparison to a Fender from other eras, I’ll see if the PRS holds up.
All 3 sound great - just different! Nice comparison video!
Great demo! I heard things I liked about all three axes. FCS has a sweet neck pup and the Suhr’s pups blended the best to my ear. That PRS bridge pup, though, wow did they nail that one. Nice and quacky clean but still rocked that Kansas riff with gusto!
There's something about the Fender that is more mid-range pushed and I love that for gain tones... but for cleans I prefer the mid-scooped sound of the PRS. But I mean the differences are very little, even tho CZcams compresses the audio
John Mayer's big dipper is also mid scooped, you can easily bring the gain back on the SIlver Sky, or scoop the fender's EQ on an EQ pedal.
1 Fender
2 Suhr
3 PRS
Great video, and a nice comparison. The PRS just felt ''too safe'', whereas the Fender was great on clean and the Suhr was great with overdrive.
They all sound great. I like the PRS for the 7.25 radius and easier neck adjustment... but also that Fender Custom Shop 63 color is AMAZING.
I can honestly say in headphones I wasn't sure, but recently listened with nice studio monitors and the strat absolutely crushes. Nothing like the real thing!
I'm fender fan.
PRS Win in the match
Good comparison.
Well and nice played.
All Strats sounding nice and twangy.
But for me the Suhr have more crisp punch.
Ernie Ball Music Man Cutlass for me!
To see the amp settings is awesome! Please do that in every video. Soundwise I personally say Fender>Suhr>PRS... but all 3 sound great
That prs has such a sparkle to the sound I can’t wait to own one
My thought was: "there's a Strat and two copies. Of course I'm going to prefer the Strat since it should sound like a Strat". Well, I definitely preferred the sound of the Suhr, except maybe the 6th string on the neck pickup.
Personally, I'd have to put it Strat first very closely followed by the PRS and then the Suh - Kev
Kevin Overson same for me. Good demo.
We are glad you like it. Thank you!
Me too, to my own surprise . Guess my taste gets ”older” with my age. ;)
Must be totally honest, I also own a Strat......so probably a bit biased, but agree, it was a good demo
Yep Goran, me too, tho' I do own a Strat so probably a bit biased, it's dated late 90's.....but me, I've been playing since about 1965........Kev
I have to say the Suhr has the v60LP pickups which are designed to be a smoothed top 60s style pickup , so the muddiness that some talk about is actually intentional and its great for some styles , its the cheapest here too.
They are and sound different, all of them are great guitars, trying them out individually is of course the best way to see which is the best one for you. Now PRS guitars feels great all the time so, looking forward to try the silver sky
Before judging, play a Silver Sky. A great old strat with the problems fixed!
I’d agree with this. Wanted to try it because of all of the hate against it. Finally tried it and love it.
B string frets out when bent higher than a tone on the prs . Seen it
@@itsmorphed6416 Im bending the shit out of my SS b string as we speak and its just ringing and ringing and ringing
maybe find better guitar player friends?
@@itsmorphed6416 Nope
@musiccreation1198 yes . Guitar teacher here on yt demonstrated this with his ss . I don't do lies . Maybe it's just his ?
Well, here's my 2 cents. I found the PRS the most pleasing sound when clean and slightly pushed. Sound is much like the Fender, but not as thin- had a little more dynamic range. The Fender is, of course the reference guitar in this comparison video. It sounded good, but my impression was that the player liked the Fender better, or was just more used to playing on it, and therefore played more authoritatively than with either of the other guitars, possibly skewing the results. The Suhr sounded too round/warm for a strat. It sounded best when pushed with gain and the screamer. Of course, I usually base guitar decisions on the neck and how it feels in my hand, which you just can't tell anything about from watching a video. The PRS would be my choice for sound, but when playing them in the past, the neck has seemed a little wide for me. Maybe time to try a Silver Sky...
All three sound fantastic
All sounded awesome. The Fender sounded the most vintage. The Suhr was the most modern sounding guitar and the PRS fell right in the middle of the two. I will probably pick up a PRS but the Suhr sounded awesome with a huge punchy sound and balls to the walls. Nice comparison! I would imagine that the PRS was the cheapest of the three as well.....
I understand why john had the silver sky made. Prs is his sponsor, fender wasn't doing what he wanted. Thus it was born.
With that being said, I don't like signature guitars.
I feel, if you don't get a really nice suhr guitar with some exotic woods, your just paying a enormous amount of money for a slightly better fender clone.
Ultimately, for this price range. I'd spec out a fender in their mod-shop. Which gets you YOUR instrument for a fair price.
I felt the fender more quacky and spanky, certainly the prs gets close but I think that is more balanced than the fender because it doesn't have that uncontrollable high end. The suhr has definitely more low end and with a good overdrive I think that you can get a good saturated and fat tone!
Wonderful comparison! Cheers
Nice comparison video! The Fender sounds like a real nice old Strat. Suhr has a little more oomph and clarity. PRS has a little too much clarity. You know, the new Ibanez AZ is in this same league. That would be a good guitar to add to this line up.
Very nice video!!! All guitars sounds fantastic and if I have to rate then 1. Suhr 2. Fender 3. PRS
Suhr has the most amazing pickups and crazy looking head
Suhr have Ugly headstock
The suhr sounded great!
I don´t know you guys but i really liked the Surh!!!....in fact it really impressed me when it got compared to the other two guitars!!!!
They all sound great.
I want to see a comparison with a Squire Classic Vibe.
I thought the Fender and PRS sounded very similar. The Suhr however, sounded killer. My favorite in every clip.
Very interesting video, just what I was looking for. It's horses for courses: depends what I want to play, and no one guitar meets all my needs.
Kann mich noch so gut an den Test erinnern. Einer der Entscheidenden Faktoren eine Prs zu suchen. Und tatsächlich noch einen First Edition damals abstauben können 😁 Danke nochmal dafür 😉👌🏻
Can't beat the Strat sound.
I have a Telecaster that I love so much. But that Strat sound is clean like the cleanest spring water.
I would never think i would say this but that suhr totally wrecked, like cleans and crunch. Did not expect it to be my favorite. That fender is close behind and i love the color on it. But 1. suhr 2. fender 3. prs and im usually a vintage guy
With studio headphones on, I prefer the string-volume-balance of the PRS and Suhr. The Fender has a lot charm but the dips in volume at different points on the fretboard drive me nuts. Overall, I prefer the punch of the Suhr and its Gotoh 510 bridge, so that'd be my pick. Great video!
Totally agree with the annoying volume dips!
Very nice comparative review! I would like to have the tone of the Suhr with the feel of the Fender. I think the PRS is probably very nice and is built specifically for John Mayer’s sound, but that is not me. Thank you, this was very helpful.
They all sound the same. Minus little nuances. The truth is....if you're a gigging musician, the drunks in the bar will never know the difference. Tone is all in the hands. Play what feels good and makes you happy.
I would never want to bring an expensive guitar to a gig. Too many drunks and thieves that are waiting accidents. Bring a cheap sub 1k guitar that plays nice and has good setup and pickups. I like the Fender American Special Stratocaster for the money.
same? Wow you have terrible discernment of hearing. The Fender and PRS I could see someone maybe saying that, but the Suhr obviously has more wood and midrange.
totally agree ! they sound pretty much identical to me,buy the one that feels best to play.
Tone is not all in the hands. That's a fallacy and an urban myth.
Partly true, but to the musicians' ear, you can feel the vibe of it. Wayback I have a cheapo Korean made strat and put Dimarzio Virtual Vintage singles. I could not help but keep on smiling during the gig. The sound was gratifying that makes you want to spank and dig the guitar more.
Wow, really suprised by how good the suhr sounded
I bought the ultra and came here for confirmation bias. You guys delivered lol
Amazing to see the polarising comments section. Lot's of people voting for each guitar on different merits. Very well rounded comparison and top-notch guitar work provided by the player!
My predicament is that each guitar sounded fantastic. The overdrive on that Suhr was killer though, the Silver Sky had a really smooth twang on the cleans, and that Strat blew it out the park with wonderful tone.
A lovely way to spend $5000 for sure :D You're getting your money's worth!
now change pickguards between them and see how much that affects the tone :D
Hahaha great idea, maybe next time. ;)
und wenn die Bohrungen nicht 1:1 passen -> Doppelseitiges Klebeband :D
Bin eher Fan von Bauschaum für solche Arbeiten. ;)
Put a pick in your left pocket instead of your right, and see how that effects tone.
Would have been great to see the macmull there too but great video guys👍
motofriser macmull is like twice the price and they have like two of them in stock
I know but this would make it even more interesting. To see how well the other guitars could hold up
Also should check Xotic
Would've liked to see G&L also and Nick Johnston's signature guitar from Schecter
motofriser The n
By the way, VERY WELL DONE Comparison. Please more of this kind of stuff!
Thank you Bernd! We'll do more of these for sure!
For the music that I play, PRS would the best choice. Nice review video!! Thanks!!
Fender sounded the best to me. When I closed my eyes, it was closest to that classic strat sound I love. The PRS sounded like a great strat, but the fender edged it out. The Suhr sounded almost sterile to me.
Sterile is a good word for it. It felt expressionless to me, but that sounds a lot more rude than I'd like it to!
You should check out Macmull and Xotic also! Really cool video tho
Thank you, we'll definitely check them!
Nice work! Wouldn't it be VERY interesting to compare it with the Chapman ML1 Pro Traditional? 😉 As the ML1 and the Silver Sky seem to me two of the best, warm sounding and singing modern takes on the "S", and you seem to think so too.. 😁 Liking that good vibe, good playing and simplicity of yours!
Being a player and collector, I'd take all three.. They all sound great and, for me, would serve an individual purpose for sounds I wanted to achieve. This is why I don't drive and own a bloody car!! Lol the wife collects shoes, I have my glass slippers =D
Great demonstration. Sorry I haven't subscribed sooner! Cheers, thomann.
And once again, the "truest" Strat is left out of the comparison. G&L, my friends, are ABSOLUTELY AWESOME.
Good demo. Thanks. For my taste: Fender / PRS / Suhr. I found the Suhr too beefy somehow.
Excellent review, thanks! For me the Fender has the most character. And I can’t stand the truss rod cover on the PRS!
richtfingers thanks for your feedback !
I thought the one with the most distinctive sound was the Suhr. With that in mind, it’s more a decision to make based on price, playability and how easy they are to look after. With respect to the 1st and 3rd points, the PRS might have an advantage?
I don't know but I still wanna be a fender owner. The fender logo on the fender headstock will always inspire me. I'm using Affinity stratocaster and I'm P.M. happy with it so far. :)
I'm an admitted Strat fanboy but I'd have to say the PRS definitely has the fullest and most clarified sound. At least in this particular video. Oddly enough on the Anderton's video with the PRS being played through an actual Mayer PRS amp I thought it sounded a little trebly.
For crystal bell like clean:
1-Strat
2-PRS
3-SUhr
For openness:
1- Prs
2-Strat
3 Suhr
For Distortion
1-Suhr
2- Strat
3-PRS
All sound great 👍 what feels best build quality and playability ?
I want all of them especially the Suhr (because of Mateus Asato) but I feel like Fender sounded the best. Thanks for doing this!
In my opinion:
Prs: dry and mellow
Fender: rustic and dirty
Suhr: fat and wholesome
i want something mellow dirty and wholesome
Would love all of them...but I have an American strat I bought used for $400...no way spending $2000 on these amazing guitars. I upgraded the pickups for under $200 m happy! For now 😬
for now! hahaha
man u r lucky for 400? that's nuts.
Pam Clark found it on Craigslist it’s a 2003...the brother of the owner who already moved had the task to sell it cause he moved out west for work...I got him down from $550 to $400 cause I had to drive into NYC tolls and gas and new setup coz the work that had to be done on the guitar. Rusted frets and bridge...I guess he was anxious to get rid of it since it wasn’t his in the first place...I was gonna walk if he didn’t give me the deal.
On price you can't beat a strat - it's the best value out there.
infoowetrust back in the 60s the original fenders were ranged at that price. Just add in some pick ups and maybe a new neck and your guitar will be worth 700 or 600 more.
Yes thats also what I meant to say, The Fender has its own classic sound, its distinctive and its what I personally love and after 64 years, there is a reason its still the most popular guitar ever made and thats saying a lot given that many manufacturers have made incredible models.
Perfect test !
Fender & PRS sounded almost identical to me... Fender might be a little more "mid-rangey" ....suhr definitely had more punch & "modern sound" i really like how the PRS looks tho
B Floyd what they sounded soooo different
Spot on observations. The differences were all very subtle though. It really depends on the music you play. Also, with a little EQ these would all sound Identical, soooo.....
The Strat all the way. The Suhr sounded cold. Quite like the tone of the Silver Sky.
I feel like the difference is miniscule in terms of what ends up in the mix, and have a feeling that a lot of what the PRS is worth is gonna come down to how it feels in your hands.
Fender Start has the sweetness!! I Love it!
Great comparison! The Fender sounds best. In this video I can hear something the tech I use says about Suhrs: they sound like a "computer simulation" of the real thing. The PRS does its own thing, very nice, but not quite the classic Strat sound to my ears. No doubt the Suhr and the PRS are more playable and stable though. (BTW, I don't have a dog in "the fight", love Strats but I play a Hahn 229)
A Suhr it's a Suhr sound wise and quality wise. Great rivals though.
Edit: WHAT? fender 800 euro more!!! LoL
I have a Suhr Classic Pro Antique, the pickups are different from Classic Pro, but I have a preference for Suhr, it's a remarkably comfortable guitar and the clear, fat sound for me is perfect!
Very subtle differences in sound. i guess its more of how the feel is. I have always been more comfortable with a flatter radius. which is why i like the suhr stuff.