Suhr Guitars

[shredmonster]

I must be the only person on the planet who has not found anything I would consider really special about Suhrs (or Andersons) for some reason.

I read all the nice info on them and I have played at least 15 maybe 20 so far. I am not referring to quality here because they are top of the line with exceptional attention to detail. Quality wise they are great.

But I have not gotten any special vibe from them, the necks feel nothing special to me and I have not found one where I really dig the fret job yet.

Honestly I keep hoping I will. I have tried their S and Ts. I have not tried a Modern yet and am dying to try one. The stores around here don't have any in stock.

I would love to try the various neck shapes of the moderns but I am not going to buy one without trying at this point especially when their other guitars don't seem to do anything for me.

I don't get it. Must be me I guess.

[DonP]

Must be me I guess.

no, me too.

[Flatpicker]

I am not referring to quality here because they are top of the line with exceptional attention to detail. Quality wise they are great.

But, In a manufactured good, what else is there?

Quality wise they are top shelf. Consistently top shelf.

You only have a few real indicators of a quality product.
1. good raw materials. (wood, electronics, and hardware)
2. good production processes. (rough shaping and basic fitting)
3. good finish processes. (paint, and tweaking the fit)
4. good QA to catch any of the misses from steps 1-3.

Suhr and Anderson hit these out of the park. The rest I figure is up to me.

I guess I don't understand what you are looking for when you discuss "vibe".

[daisp]

I love mine, probably the best playing guitars I've owned..just my opinion though

[gtrbuyer]

I love mine too....great guitar..sound and playability..plus super light weight

[MakeAJazzNoiseHere]

They don't really do anything for me, either. That is mostly based on the appearance and my personal preferences. It's a Strat with a funny headstock, I don't get excited by it.

[Musician78]

I've never played one... but damn they look sweet.

[Cygnus X1]

I get the same thing out of top of the line PRS guitars.
Played plenty of them...I just can't seem to "get it".

Beautifully made, excellent workmanship.
Big thing that kills it for me is lack of tone!
Comparison is Santana circa 1971 with an LP versus
90's with a PRS.
Playing the same tunes...even his tone stinks.

[shredmonster]

But, In a manufactured good, what else is there?

Quality wise they are top shelf. Consistently top shelf.

You only have a few real indicators of a quality product.
1. good raw materials. (wood, electronics, and hardware)
2. good production processes. (rough shaping and basic fitting)
3. good finish processes. (paint, and tweaking the fit)
4. good QA to catch any of the misses from steps 1-3.

Suhr and Anderson hit these out of the park. The rest I figure is up to me.

I guess I don't understand what you are looking for when you discuss "vibe".

There is more to guitar than just a quality build. Quality does not necessarily mean good tone, feel, playability etc...
Why does not everybody who can afford a Suhr or Anderson own one then??
Because there is a vibe factor that you either get or don't get from a guitar.
People that have played lots of guitars understand it.

It's an INTANGIBLE thing. I was down at Dave's Guitars - a big shop in LaCrosse WI about a month ago. He had 3 or 4 beautiful Suhrs. Picked each one up and played it. Had the consistent Suhr feel and playability and all that .... Then I picked up some $1000 Charvels and there was that feel and that vibe that I personally feel comfortable with. The Suhrs did not have it for me.

Maybe the Moderns will be different.

[Flatpicker]

There is more to guitar than just a quality build. Quality does not necessarily mean good tone, feel, playability etc...
Why does not everybody who can afford a Suhr or Anderson own one then??
Because there is a vibe factor that you either get or don't get from a guitar.
People that have played lots of guitars understand it.

It's an INTANGIBLE thing. I was down at Dave's Guitars - a big shop in LaCrosse WI about a month ago. He had 3 or 4 beautiful Suhrs. Picked each one up and played it. Had the consistent Suhr feel and playability and all that .... Then I picked up some $1000 Charvels and there was that feel and that vibe that I personally feel comfortable with. The Suhrs did not have it for me.

Maybe the Moderns will be different.

I've played plenty of different guitars over the years and I still think that the "intangible" thing is a myth.

What your hands are comfortable with is a factor of the neck carve, backshape, finishing methods, and the fretboard radii. It's a personal preference, but, ultimately a factor that can be replicated by anyone once the specs are quantified.

You don't like Suhr's? I can dig that. I just think that the quality issue is why Suhr and Anderson are considered good guitars.

You can grab 10 of them and they will be very good guitars. Maybe not your thing, but, there won't be a bad one in the bunch.

[Shawn Lutz]

I can't speak for Suhr but couple of Andersons that I played I was impressed with them...pretty much smoked anything else around

[Vass]

We've all had experiences where we've owned the exact same models with the same spec and one has it & the other doesn't. You can be as consistent in terms of build and materials as you want, but we're not talking about molded plastic or even just steel here...the wood is going to be it's own thing on every guitar, even if it's cut from the same part of the tree from the same region of the same age.

With Suhr, Anderson etc what you're really getting is a 100 mile head start on a 200 mile race. You know you won't end up in a situation where the whole would have been greater than the sum of the parts but for an idiot screwing it up back at the shop.

I'd keep pulling the aforementioned guitars off shelves and trying them. I bet eventually you grab one that does it for you completely.

[shredmonster]

I've played plenty of different guitars over the years and I still think that the "intangible" thing is a myth.

What your hands are comfortable with is a factor of the neck carve, backshape, finishing methods, and the fretboard radii. It's a personal preference, but, ultimately a factor that can be replicated by anyone once the specs are quantified.

You don't like Suhr's? I can dig that. I just think that the quality issue is why Suhr and Anderson are considered good guitars.

You can grab 10 of them and they will be very good guitars. Maybe not your thing, but, there won't be a bad one in the bunch.

Did not say I don't like them. I also mentioned above they are consistent. I actually wish I could rave about them like most people do but I can't. I just have not found them to be any different than most guitars - other than they are consistent and of very high quality. I think they sound good to great. If I had to analyze I would say its the neck. I have not found one where I am comfortable with the neck.

I am hoping to like a Modern. I would love to go out to their facility and try all the various neck carves on the Moderns. No one around here carries the Moderns. Only the S and Ts.

[shreddermon]

Intangibles is often just another way of saying personal preferences. In the same way that I can admire the build quality and consistency of Honda's cars, it doesn't mean I aspire to own one. To some people, these are defining traits that make them want to own them. To others, they seem like the automotive equivalent of boring, soul-less appliances.

(And, no, I'm not comparing Suhrs to soul-less appliances. Just an analogy about how people perceive brands and their defining traits differently, based on each individual's personal preferences.)

[shreddermon]

P.S.- Haven't tried a Suhr in a long, long time. So I have no opinions on the brand, other than cool looking guitars with a good reputation.