I have played the US Core Silver Sky which is close to 3x the price of the Silver Sky SE, and have to say the difference is minimal.
The Silver Sky SE neck has the same ultra comfortable profile, the pickups sound almost identical (the SE pickups feel a tiny bit brighter than the US core model), the smooth pickup switching and responsive tone knobs are the same too.
If you zoom in to the tiny details, there are definitely a few visible signs of lower cost assembly, but none of these impact the playability or tone of the guitar which as mentioned above, is practically identical to the US core model.
Some issues include
- A few pickguard screws that aren't perfectly perpendicular to the guitar body, leading to some edges of the pick guard not being perfectly flush with the guitar body
- One of the pickup mounting screws left a small scratch on one of the pickup covers
- A small scratch in the satin finish on the headstock wood
You really have to zoom in close to pay attention to these types of issues, and none of them impact the experience of playing the guitar whatsoever. None of them are worth paying an extra €2k for the US core model in my opinion.
Overall, I cannot recommend this model highly enough to anyone looking for a clost to perfect rendition of a 60s style Stratocaster. In this price range I don't think there are any better options, including Fender!
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