Grand prize for Guitarist of the Year 2019 revealed!

The live final of Guitarist of the Year 2019 – powered by PRS – fast approaches. We announced our three finalists earlier this month and now we're pleased to reveal that PRS will be awarding the winner with a brand new John Mayer Silver Sky signature guitar.

The high-end electric, which retails at £2,395, was the result of a close collaboration between Paul Reed Smith and John Mayer, who shared the aim of combining vintage Strat-like specifications and a modern look. 

Accordingly, it takes inspiration from their favourite 1963 and 1964 Stratocasters, featuring a bolt-on maple neck, three PRS 635JM single-coils, vintage-inspired neck profile, a bone nut and a steel vibrato. 

“It’s been a dream of mine for years to design a guitar that includes some of my favorite vintage specifications but with a modern spirit and aesthetic,” said John Mayer upon the model's 2018 debut. “After two years of study and refinement, the Silver Sky is my vision of what a reboot of the electric guitar should look and feel like.”

Our initial review praised a “really noticeable balance between heft and spike, a huge dynamic range and that wonderfully enveloping sustain”, not to mention PRS' consistent knack for balancing neck shape, feel and intonation in its instruments.

The winner of this year's final will take home their PRS Silver Sky, alongside the title of Guitarist of the Year 2019.

Want to watch the live final?

The Guitarist of the Year 2019 final - powered by PRS - will take place on Sunday 22 September at the UK Guitar Show, held at The Business Design Centre, London. Visit the UK Guitar Show website for tickets.