2023 PRS Silver Sky 'Dead Spec' demo

An American phenomenon, Grateful Dead have always been a slight puzzling thing to the rest of the world. Pioneers in fusing improvisational aspects of jazz with the bluegrass sounds of their roots, Grateful Dead were unique. The history of Grateful Dead and the American countercultural movement were parallel although they avoided political concerns almost totally, existing in a peculiar space of being seers to the tie-dyed bus-living fans that were fanatical about their scene and almost being completely distant from them.
Jerry Garcia was the main focus. He was sharp and insightful, funny and passionate about music as well as being subject to the burden of drug addiction. As much as the fans loved Uncle Jerry, he was very different from how they viewed him.
So when he died in 1995, it was not really possible for them to continue. I was at a Dead concert in Oakland 1989/90 but only in the parking lot while they played but more people were outside than in.
Some were outside and inside at the same time!

So when John Mayer joined the offshoot Dead and Co. with Bob Weir and Mickey Hart, I was astounded to hear him play exactly like Jerry Garcia. It was uncanny!
Garcia had a unique style but Mayer is such a great player he nailed the tone and the free flowing spidery bop lines.

The last tour in summer 2023, John Mayer asked Paul Reed Smith to make him a special Silver Sky with some of the features that marked one of Garcia's best known guitars: Alligator.
A '50's Strat made from parts with distinctive stickers, brass all over, a string retainer on the low 4 strings and a custom pickguard and bridge with an Alembic Strat-o-blaster installed.

This was on board pre-amp made by the Alembic company which has strong ties with Grateful dead and can still be bought by the name 'Blaster' as Fender found issue with the name.

This 'Dead Spec' Silver Sky is therefore a signature of John Mayer with a loving nod to Jerry.
1000 made as a limited edition, I demo this through a Two Rock Classic Reverb straight in with no effects and turn it up a bit with an Tone King Ironman attenuator.
I hope you can hear the differences between the Dead Spec and the standard models: a 2023 rosewood board Moc Sand and a 2020 maple board Lunar Ice - also a limited edition.

Mics: Rode NT1-A. SM57
Interface: Presonus Studio 68C
DAW: Studio One
Amplifier: Two Rock Classic Reverb turned up a bit

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Enjoy!

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00:00 Intro about PRS Silver Sky
00:06 2023 Silver Sky rosewood board Moc Sand
02:29 2020 Silver Sky maple board Lunar Ice
04:05 2023 Silver Sky Dead Spec
07:48 Dead Spec neck pickup Blaster off
08:04 Dead Spec neck pickup Blaster on
08:24 Dead Spec neck and middle Blaster off
08:24 Dead Spec neck and middle Blaster on
09:03 Dead Spec middle Blaster off
09:21 Dead Spec middle Blaster on
09:44 Dead Spec middle and bridge Blaster off
09:59 Dead Spec middle and bridge Blaster on
10:24 Dead Spec bridge Blaster off
10:42 Dead Spec bridge Blaster on
11:15 Dead Spec bridge Blaster off - chord
11:26 Dead Spec bridge Blaster on - chord
11:40 Dead Spec bridge and middle Blaster off - chords
12:07 Dead Spec bridge and middle Blaster on - chords
12:27 Dead Spec middle Blaster off - chords
12:48 Dead Spec middle Blaster on - chords
13:13 Dead Spec middle and neck Blaster off - chords
13:35 Dead Spec middle and neck Blaster on - chords
13:54 Dead Spec neck Blaster off - chords
14:11 Dead Spec neck Blaster on - chords
14:58 2023 Silver Sky rosewood board all positions
18:37 2020 Silver Sky maple board all positions
20:58 Dead Spec Blaster on middle position only
22:51 Dead Spec Blaster on neck and middle
24:28 Dead Spec Blaster on middle position