My first Suhr...
- Thread starter The Shark
- Start date
That is too pretty to play.
Dave Scepter
Well-known member
Good lord, that's a beaut!.. I was so close to buying one myself... congrats 
Looks OK I suppose.
The Classic S that passed through here (from srvwannab) was impeccable.
I have always had a hard time adapting to "Strats". A friend is very high on Suhr guitars. So, I just did pick up a used Custom S. Change of pace, of sorts, for me. THREE Thornbucker pickups, so not quite "vintage" in that Strat sense, though the pups split nicely too. Sort of a "Superstrat" in essence. These pickups are, I think, a bit more vintage than the apparently hotter standard Suhr pickups. Very good match for me. Maybe not quite so much for a higher gain player.
Not really into the relic thing, but it is definitely that. Ash body, roasted maple neck, stainless steel frets. It plays as well as just about any guitar I have ever played. Almost effortless. To top it, the circuit is very low noise when in single coil mode. Cannot find a fault. Based upon a sample of ONE, I would highly recommend Suhr.
That quilted one is a real beauty!
Not really into the relic thing, but it is definitely that. Ash body, roasted maple neck, stainless steel frets. It plays as well as just about any guitar I have ever played. Almost effortless. To top it, the circuit is very low noise when in single coil mode. Cannot find a fault. Based upon a sample of ONE, I would highly recommend Suhr.
That quilted one is a real beauty!
Is your Suhr a Strat, or does it just look like a Strat? There have been guitars like the Hamer Daytona and PRS Silver Sky that have design differences. So, how different is the Suhr?
Looking at it side by side with an actual Strat (Fender), the dimensions, forearm and belly sculpting, top and rear trem cutouts and rear plate where the neck is connected all look the same. And I mean exactly the same shapes and sizes. Even the pickguard has the exact same 11 screw layout, so it appears they would be interchangeable. The one thing I notice that IS different is that the rear of the cutaway is a bit more sculpted to allow for easier access to the higher frets. Which is to say that, besides the sculpted part at the lower horn, the lower (treble) side is a bit thinner than the bass side so there is less material in the way of my hand.
Not sure if this picture totally shows that.
On balance, I would way it is a very slightly modified "Strat" as opposed to a similar design. Obviously different headstock shape and a flatter radius (10-14 compound) fingerboard. Given the solid feel and playability (and without taking it apart) I would venture to say the pieces are built to a more precise fit. Makes me think of the guy that is (or was) building extremely accurate (and very expensive) exacting replicas of vintage Fender Strats and Teles. I am forgetful....His name does not come to mind.....I recall meeting him at a guitar show in LA at least 25 years ago. I was intrigued, but never pulled the trigger. IIRC, his prices started at $5-6k even way back then and he had a long wait list. Way too much when I could pick up a very good Fender Strat with upgraded pickups and "custom shop" parts for $500. Or the SRV Strat or Clapton Strat for $600. And I was not so much into that style in those days......Seems to me he was pretty much a one man shop building one offs around the basic styles.....Suhr is obviously a bigger operator......But offers a good deal of custom tweak options to personalize a guitar, as well as apparently doing"stock" runs. Like the Fender Custom Shop, they come with very detailed spec sheets, re builds.
That is about all I know.
ETA.....My mind cleared. The guy I was trying to recall is Michael DeTemple in SoCal. I was very impressed with his work and attention to detail. Quite the contrast to Leo, who was well known for making guitars quickly and cheaply......IIRC, he laughed out loud when asked about care in matching pickups and the like...."Hell no.....We grab 3 pickups out of a large pickle barrel, slap them in place and send it on down the line.... If it made sound when it was tested, it was good!" Your actual cost to build a Stratocaster back then? "No one ever asked me that before......$38.26!"
This is dated but (if people care) here is a review/interview of what goes into one of DeTemple's builds....AFAIK, he is still in business as a 2 man shop.
https://www.premierguitar.com/review-michael-detemple-spirit-series-guitar
Not sure if this picture totally shows that.
On balance, I would way it is a very slightly modified "Strat" as opposed to a similar design. Obviously different headstock shape and a flatter radius (10-14 compound) fingerboard. Given the solid feel and playability (and without taking it apart) I would venture to say the pieces are built to a more precise fit. Makes me think of the guy that is (or was) building extremely accurate (and very expensive) exacting replicas of vintage Fender Strats and Teles. I am forgetful....His name does not come to mind.....I recall meeting him at a guitar show in LA at least 25 years ago. I was intrigued, but never pulled the trigger. IIRC, his prices started at $5-6k even way back then and he had a long wait list. Way too much when I could pick up a very good Fender Strat with upgraded pickups and "custom shop" parts for $500. Or the SRV Strat or Clapton Strat for $600. And I was not so much into that style in those days......Seems to me he was pretty much a one man shop building one offs around the basic styles.....Suhr is obviously a bigger operator......But offers a good deal of custom tweak options to personalize a guitar, as well as apparently doing"stock" runs. Like the Fender Custom Shop, they come with very detailed spec sheets, re builds.
That is about all I know.
ETA.....My mind cleared. The guy I was trying to recall is Michael DeTemple in SoCal. I was very impressed with his work and attention to detail. Quite the contrast to Leo, who was well known for making guitars quickly and cheaply......IIRC, he laughed out loud when asked about care in matching pickups and the like...."Hell no.....We grab 3 pickups out of a large pickle barrel, slap them in place and send it on down the line.... If it made sound when it was tested, it was good!" Your actual cost to build a Stratocaster back then? "No one ever asked me that before......$38.26!"
This is dated but (if people care) here is a review/interview of what goes into one of DeTemple's builds....AFAIK, he is still in business as a 2 man shop.
https://www.premierguitar.com/review-michael-detemple-spirit-series-guitar
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I have heard great things re the "Andy Wood Signature Modern T Whiskey Barrel". Long lead time. I see there is one offered in Japan if you cannot wait. This excerpt from their listing is inspiring.....
"With a combination of an ash body and a roasted maple neck, the range is wide, and it has a dry taste without a pleasant treble.
The sound of the material is well summed up by the sound of the sound, which may It's too hard with other specs.
The warm element of covered ham works well".
"With a combination of an ash body and a roasted maple neck, the range is wide, and it has a dry taste without a pleasant treble.
The sound of the material is well summed up by the sound of the sound, which may It's too hard with other specs.
The warm element of covered ham works well".
"Can you describe its acoustic voice?" becomes "Can you describe the sound of the sound?"
It took a while to find one of the HH models, but it was worth the wait. Not that I needed to do it, but then a version of the Andy Wood in SS format (Iron Man colors!) was offered to me at a major discount (unusual by a dealer of new Suhrs) and I said yes. Arrived a few days ago. Not unhappy. I do like the HH version more. With 5 way and push/pull, it can pretty much work the tones of a Tele, Strat and LP (or HB equipped Tele). Either it or the earlier 3 pickup S type MAY supplant my long time (14 years now) numero uno Dolphin. But then the Shishkov with all that and piezo.....
