Introducing the "Dead Spec" Silver Sky
Posted Nov 14, 2023
Meet the “Dead Spec" Silver Sky - a 1000 piece limited run built exactly like the guitar John played on tour with Dead & Company. Below, get a closer look at the "Dead Specs" and see what John himself had to say about the development of the guitar, and how he knew it was something special.
“After playing the Silver Sky designed for the 2023 Dead & Company summer tour, I realized the guitar was special. It quickly became apparent this wasn’t just a tool for one particular job but could be extremely versatile in other players’ hands. I’m excited to hear the music that’s made on these guitars.” - John Mayer
Below, Paul Reed Smith shares his take on this unique new model:
Featuring a Swamp Ash body in favor of the traditional Alder to keep it lightweight, the "Dead Spec" Silver Sky is finished in Moc Sand Satin nitro which sinks into the ash to give the model its characteristic revealed grain. Another significant deviation from the original Silver Sky is the bridge, a modified PRS patented Gen III Tremolo screwed into the body, effectively rendering it a string-through hardtail bridge. Keeping the tremolo’s brass block in the equation adds a musical warmth to the guitar. At the other end of the strings are a brass nut and string retainer bar, which also contribute to the guitar’s resonance and tone.
Perhaps most notably, the Dead Spec Silver Sky’s jack plate has been swapped out for a brass-plate Alembic Blaster preamp. This preamp can be used as a straight boost but has an internal pot that allows players to add between 3 - 14 dB of gain to the guitar when turned on. This not only gives the Dead Spec Silver Sky added punch while maintaining crisp note separation, but it compensates for the capacitance that comes with long stage cables as well. The circuit is bypassed when in the off position.
Have a listen below where PRS Product Specialist Bryan Ewald demos the guitar:
The PRS “Dead Spec” Silver Sky will be made in a limited quantity of 1000 pieces. Shipping November 2023 – March 2024.