Did a string company just reveal the existence of an SE model of the PRS Silver Sky?

Blacksmith Strings
(Image credit: Blacksmith Strings / Facebook)

We've been waiting a while for an SE version of the PRS Silver Sky model electric guitar that the company developed with John Mayer, but now has confirmation of an impending release come from the unlikely source of US guitar strings company's Facebook post?

Let's look at the evidence in BlackSmith Strings' post yesterday (4 March): they title a photo of what looks like a box of gauge 10 string sets with "Yes PRS"  – intriguing in itself as we weren't aware of BlackSmith providing strings for the company's production models before. But the really interesting part of the photo starts at the top of the box sticker.

P.T Cort produce Cort guitars at its Indonesian facility, but the Cor-Tek Corporation also manufacture instruments for other brands, including all PRS SE guitars. 

PRS Silver Sky in Lunar Ice

(Image credit: PRS)

Directly under the P.T Sort name is the name PRS Silver Sky, providing a tantalising link. The rest of the label seems to refer to what we know about the PRS Silver Sky specs: "DHP 22 "(22-frets?) and  “42* 57, 22F, R216” that could be referring to a 42mm nut width, 57mm heel width. But then there's an inconsistency… 

BlackSmith Strings

(Image credit: BlackSmith Strings / Facebook)

If the R216 is referring to mm fretboard radius and is correct and based on a potential new model that equateds to 8.25" - the PRS Silver Sky is, somewhat controversially, 7.25".

Best high-end electric guitars: PRS Silver Sky

(Image credit: PRS)

A new variant? A mistake? And why would BlackSmith do this? 

It's not like we don't know the PRS SE will eventually surface. In 2019, we asked PRS PRS COO Jack Higginbotham when it was coming and he laughed  “I like the way you did that: ‘When?’ Maybe you’d better turn off your voice recorder...”

That was nearly 18 months ago. It is time for the PRS SE Silver Sky at last? 

Rob Laing
Reviews Editor, GuitarWorld.com and MusicRadar guitars

Rob is the Reviews Editor for GuitarWorld.com and MusicRadar guitars, so spends most of his waking hours (and beyond) thinking about and trying the latest gear while making sure our reviews team is giving you thorough and honest tests of it. He's worked for guitar mags and sites as a writer and editor for nearly 20 years but still winces at the thought of restringing anything with a Floyd Rose.