So what is the scoop on these Suhr guitars?

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Kapo_Polenton

Kapo_Polenton

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They "suhr" as hell ain't cheap... yet these days i feel myself wanting to step above the 600-1000 $ range i have always purchased guitars in and have the possibility of owning one sweet axe instead of a bunch of cheaper ones i don't play. Yes you can make a cheap guitar play great but what really distinguishes these? Is it intonation, staying in tune, finish, frets,wood, what? I see some of these starting in the 2600$ range and going up from there. Isn't there a better deal to be had on a used american strat with a pickguard loaded with whatever pups I want for example?? Tell me more about these. What really makes them the cat's meow or the bees knees? You often hear about spotty finishes on more expensive american guitars. Do all of these come with a perfect finish right out of the box?
 
Seems like you're focusing on Suhr, when really your question is more about justifying any $2k+ guitar. But generally speaking, you're talking better woods, hardware, pickups, fretwork etc. More care and greater attention to detail.

Suhr makes a great guitar - the fit and feel of the instrument (not the neck profile etc, the overall 'vibe') is just at a much higher level than a regular production US strat. Though of course, the law of diminishing returns comes into play in that a $3k guitar isn't twice as good as a $1500 guitar, and to some extent you're paying for a name and some sort of exclusivity (very minor given the sheer numbers of them). I have a Suhr Reb Beach which has an oiled finish, so I can't speak from much personal experience about the quality of their paint / stain / clear but from the guitars I've seen in person, and from all I've read it would seem to be exemplary.

For what it's worth, I'd probably get another Tom Anderson before I got another Suhr. My RB is a great guitar, but there is 'something' about my Anderson that is just special.
 
Suhr are on par with any pro level guitar out there.
You can get the S series for 1500-2000 and they have the same build quality as the custom suhrs.
I would definitely try one if you can. Plus, this is one brand that I have no problem buying sight unseen.
 
When you get to that price point you have a lot of options available. Look to buy used so you don't take a loss when or if you sell later.
 
You guys are correct, not dead set on a suhr necessarily as charvel custome shop, anderson etc, all make some very nice guitars. As far as I can tell, you end up getting what you want options wise and colour wise but build and quality wise, you aren't 1500$ better than a 1500$ guitar.
 
Kapo_Polenton":116jbu77 said:
You guys are correct, not dead set on a suhr necessarily as charvel custome shop, anderson etc, all make some very nice guitars. As far as I can tell, you end up getting what you want options wise and colour wise but build and quality wise, you aren't 1500$ better than a 1500$ guitar.
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That's true for any product, whether it's guitars or shoes or cars. There's always a point of diminishing returns, where you reach the higher end of the products and 2x the price doesn't equate to 2x the quality or features, but rather any noticeable increase in quality costs way, way more. But, if you want the extra attention to detail and consistent material and build quality or any other feature that stands out, you gotta pay for the cost of having something that isn't built in very high quantities.
 
I think RT is the Suhr fan boy hot spot on the net so you came to the right place.
 
There are beautiful guitars out there and I wouldn't discourage someone from buying one. Hell. I bought a Les Paul Custom and paid what I believe to be a lot of money for a guitar for it, so......

The only thing I would say is that ALL of the classic albums were recorded with guitars that cost 1/4 what a nice Suhr would cost so it's up to you to decide for your self. It's a want, not a need. But that's ok too.
 
Disclaimer: I don't own a Suhr. Someday maybe, but not yet. However.......I thought "jeez, it's just a dumb overpriced bolt-on guitar. I don't see how it could possibly be worth it".

Then I played the old GG bolt-on, and a Modern of some sort, as well as their Strat clone (Classic?).

Holy. Shit. Really, I didn't think it could go that much further than my N4 or Warmoths, but they do. There's some mojo too it; the sum of the parts that add up to something really special. I don't think it'll make you play or sound better, necessarily. But they're just great playing and sounding guitars that are worth the investment. Same goes for a nice PRS as well.
 
The Suhr M1 I had was easily one of the nicer guitars I've ever touched, stupidly I sold it....$1,600 used or thereabouts. I've also had Suhrs in the $2k and $3k bracket...and my current Modern has such wonderful fit, finish and features beyond that M1..could be worth that $800-$1k more..who knows?
 
I was bit by the bug a few years ago and now I've got 4 Moderns.
 
My Suhr wasn't the most expensive Suhr in the shop, but wasn't the cheapest either. IMO it played better than the £4,000 ones I tried and it was pretty much half the price. Try as many as you can, but you'll find that overall they're all great, you just need to find the one that you like best! The pickups are amazing too, so I never have to worry about getting new ones which is nice!
 
I'm one of the Suhr fanboys. I went to the store looking at PRS and left with a Suhr Modern Carve Top. Love it in everyway
 
I've played Suhrs and Tylers and owned Andersons. They all are great guitars. If you're willing/able to pick though a pile of cheaper guitars, you can find guitars that play and sound just as nice as anything those guys can make. But from those guys, you're assured to have a killer instrument. And you can get it with the wood/color/hardware/electronic combo that you really want.
 
The suhr modern has the best fretwork and neck for any production instrument i have ever played. The anderson stuff is amazing but i can't stand any guitar that has a C shape neck or anything resembling it. The Guthrie profile 80-850 is such a wonderful size i can't imagine playing anything else after getting my suhr modern satin.
 
mniel8195":9vlmd05g said:
The suhr modern has the best fretwork and neck for any production instrument i have ever played. The anderson stuff is amazing but i can't stand any guitar that has a C shape neck or anything resembling it. The Guthrie profile 80-850 is such a wonderful size i can't imagine playing anything else after getting my suhr modern satin.
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THIS. Love the fretwork and necks on my Suhr Moderns....best I've ever played. Love the look, attention to detail, the TONE, etc, etc. Best customer service in the business. For me, I can take the cost out of it....because, when you find something you love so much, I can simply look past it. My Moderns are my favorite guitars EVAR, hands down....no contest. Yeah, I'm obviously a fanboy. But, it's just so awesome when you find something that you connect with on so many levels. I honestly don't think I could ever find a guitar that even comes close for my taste. I have a Suhr Modern Satin as well, and it's just a wonderful instrument. In fact, all my Moderns have the Guthrie profile (.800-.850)...great neck.
 
yngzaklynch":pkiremyv said:
I'm one of the Suhr fanboys. I went to the store looking at PRS and left with a Suhr Modern Carve Top. Love it in everyway
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Your Suhr Modern Carve is probably the best one I've ever seen. :rock:
 
I love my Suhr, though I do have gripes with it. Namely the cutaway. Really cannot fault any other aspect of the build though.

Vigier & EBMM have a much more playable cutaway & heel for a 24 fret guitar, but they just aren't as attractive or well made in my opinion. I'm always on the lookout for a PRS 24 at the right price but I cannot bring myself to part with the cash they demand for one.

There are middle range guitars out there that i'd be looking into as my first quality guitar purchase & i'd be focusing on the 2nd-hand market. There are some real bargains out there.

If you have your heart set on a Suhr, look around for a 2nd-hand pro series. As said before, the pro series are virtually indistinguishable in quality from the custom-order Suhrs.
 
I own one Suhr. It is a Suhr classic T. Outstanding guitar in every way. My take is this. If you want a Fender but have some particular features you must have that are going to force you into the Fender Custom shop, you may as well look at Suhr. Suhr vs Fender custom shop and Suhr becomes very competitive price wise, and the product is more consistent IMO. Hell, my guitar was cheaper from Suhr than from the Fender Custom shop.

Now when it came time to buy a Strat I didn't have anything I was set on that you couldn't get on a standard model, so I bought a Fender American. Used of course. And it's just as well made as my Suhr that cost over twice as much new. But I had a hard on for particulars in my Tele that I just had to have, so I paid up.
 
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