Suhr Pro Series

[thefunkyone]

Have any of you guys played one of these yet? What do you think of them?

[olectric]

played one once. it did nothing for me. sounded very vanilla, if that makes sense. had a tiny neck and kind of felt like an ibanez. at that price point, i think there are other guitars that are just as good if not better, sounding. construction and finish were flawless, though.

[thefunkyone]

Thanks for the response. There aren't any dealers around where I live so I haven't had a chance to get my paws on one yet.

[GaryMcT]

Played a few. They sound really good, but don't feel like anything special, if that makes sense. Actually, I find that to be the case with most Suhr guitars that I've tried. Nothing feels like an Anderson, which is a problem sometimes. If there is a type of guitar/tone that I really want and Anderson doesn't make it, kinda sucks. :)

[thefunkyone]

Played a few. They sound really good, but don't feel like anything special, if that makes sense. Actually, I find that to be the case with most Suhr guitars that I've tried. Nothing feels like an Anderson, which is a problem sometimes. If there is a type of guitar/tone that I really want and Anderson doesn't make it, kinda sucks. :)


Thanks for the response. I have only been an Anderson owner for a few weeks now and right from the get go I can see I will be disappointed in other guitars. The Anderson already feels like "home".

[guitarzan]

I was in a store a few days ago and finally got the opportunity to try some boutique gear that I'd never tried before, namely Dr. Z., Carr, Suhr, and Trussart. There was a trans yellow HTC on the wall and a trans plum Cobra S, but I've played Andys plenty so I left them alone. I kept grabbing this Suhr to take back to the amp room to audition amps and the guitar was "vanilla", as O said above. All the guitars were put together with love, without a doubt, but they each lacked something that could make them unforgettable.

But, man, when I finally grabbed that HTC, it was like night and day. It was the final 10% of perfection above the others that sat at 90%. I couldn't believe it. Truth be told, I almost came back to my hotel room and sent Tom a fanboy PM just to gush over his guitars, but I have done this often enough that one more might have been grounds for him blocking my PMs. :)

[tom]

i'll always love you corey. you change guitars as often as i do, so it's nice to hear that you still like what we do.

[guitarzan]

there's a prodigal son story unfolding here... I'm sure I'm going to get rid of the crap that I lug around these days and eventually come back to an Andy. As a matter of fact, I sold my very first Andy to a worship leader in Indianapolis. He says that every time he gets done playing it, he wipes down and says "gotta keep Corey's guitar clean", cuz he just assumes that someday I'm gonna call him to buy it back.

It was the first one I ever had- the one that Swerd brought me up to the shop to spec out in person, and the last thing my mom spoiled me with before she eventually passed.

I'll be home soon enough. :)

[Colt]

Have any of you guys played one of these yet? What do you think of them?

Nice guitars but sorta stiff feeling and stale sounding. No comparison to an Andy.;)

[Pietro]

Played a classic and thought it was easily as well-made and cool as a TAG. But I've played some Fender Custom Shop guitars that I think are, too.

I've been really intrigued by the Pro series, because I'm a BIG Wilkinson Trem fan, although some don't like them, but I only use "two-voice" guitars now.

I have to say I've played them and a Suhr, a Grosh, a "real" PRS, or a Tyler are just as well made as a TAGW. (Sorry, fanboys.)

That said, the only one of the aforementioned guitars I own or have ever owned is an Andy... So whatcha gonna do.

[GaryMcT]

I'm not a fan boy, I'm just being honest. Finding a manufacturer that makes a guitar that is consistently good as Anderson is difficult, and I've been trying (mostly to get a more ergonomic Les Paul, which Anderson doesn't make. If they did, I'd get one!) Collings is really good so far, but I've only played three of those. One Grosh Set Neck blew me away, but then the next one with similar specs wasn't even close. I've yet to play a Suhr that compares to an Anderson on playability. Suhr is up there on tone, but not playability.

[J.T.Guitar]

I have 5 TAGs and 3 Suhrs. Both men make superb guitars of the highest quality. You can order either with similar neck sizes that play very close to each other.

My opinion of both guitars... from someone who knows both guitars intimately; T/A has a more straight forward, clean, modern sounding pickup and smoother, rounded and tapered fret ends. Suhr's P/Us are more vintage in character (fuzzy around the edges) and the frets are not as tapered from the edge of the fretboard.

I'm glad to have both... If I had to choose one, I'd go with *&%$#*% (a slight technical difficulty has corrupted the rest of this post!)

[thefunkyone]

Interesting

[sjanis]

I live in NYC and Rudy's Music store is practically around the corner from me. They sell "Pensa Shurs" and "John Surh" guitars.

After my 96 Cobra was stolen, I really needed to replace it with something of quality and playability and I needed it fast so I went to Rudy's.

Pickups and stuff like that is always secondary to me. For me it's how the guitar feels. I play for a living. Lot's of country , Jazz and very fusion type stuff where I do very long improvised lines and pick every single note. I'm a stacatto player. I've not found any guitar that plays like the TA Cobra and I doubt I will.

The John Surh guitars are nice, but they just don't have the neck profile or the string space which is condusive to really accurate and clean playing.
They also don't "fit" in your body like the Cobra's do...if that makes any sense at all. I've got 17 guitars. Les Pauls, Strats. I even have a 76 Charvel which was made before Wayne Charvel hooked up with Jackson. (No ...it's not for sale!!!). Nothing really comes close in my opinion. TAs' are simply the best playing guitars on the planet. Other companies my surpass Tom in terms of hardware , pickup configs and all that stuff, but that can all be replaced. It's the guitar; the actual piece of wood that's the center of a great guitar IMO. For example, I swapped out one of teh HO1+ pickups in my TA Cobra for a PAF pro. (Sorry Tom. I really dig PAF Pros, and man do they sound awesome in your guitars :) ).

So ...that's my little editorial on Tom Anderson VS....well anything else.

You're the best TOM!!! For real.

[Mister T]

I ordered a set of the Suhr Fletcher-Landau pickups for the neck and middle positions on my 2003 ANderson Classic.

I love the way most of Johns pickups sound...but I think Andersons guitars are nicer. At least for me.

[thefunkyone]

Thanks guys! Lot's of good info and I found it interesting.

[picnic]

I picked up a Pro 1 this summer off TGP. I was familiar with the V60-LP's in a 98 Fender AmDlx I put them in. The blender wiring option is great. So when I got the Pro, i was ready to be stoked again. Wrong. The humbucker sounded way to thin. No meat. The singles had good tone, but not at all what I expected. Maybe it was the wood.

The neck was slightly thicker than the 030 carves on my TA Classic and HTC. Very comfortable. The body for some reason felt a little smaller. Weight and balance were fine. The finish had some cracks in the neck pocket. Suhr has written this up on his site and it isn't structural. No big deal.

I swapped the guitar after having it for two months for an amp. The guitar showed up again on TGP a few weeks later. I don't know if this was a problem guitar. AFAIK, I was the third owner. I'm not done with Suhr. I bought another set of pups, V60LP's again, blender style off ebay. I like the tone they put out. All I need is the right Fender Am Dlx to come along and install.

[fusionman67]

Oh yes, the Suhr Pro guitars. I have two of them. An S1 and also an S2. One has the rosewood board (S1) and the other (S2) has the all maple board. I have been playing now for almost 30 years, and I have come to find out that Suhr makes some great guitars. But, Anderson, Tyler, and many others make great guitars also. Im really not loyal to one brand or anything, so. I play what I like. Until Im paid and sponsored by Suhr, Anderson, or any other company, I will continue to play what I want, when I want. Every forum I go to, THAT guitar or THAT amp is the best. I dont feel like that. I think they are all good in their own way. They each have a unique and different playability and tone. I dont feel that Suhr is superior to Anderson, or visa-versa, or Tyler or any of them....:confused: :cool: :p ;)

[tom]

sooo, you'd play what you didn't like best for a sponsorship?
just teasing of course.

[guitarzan]

I played some Christmas concerts with another guitar player who had a teal green Pro Series S1. He made it sound glorious. Very sparkly clean tones with a feather light use of the whammy was really beautiful. I called around and eventually got a smokin' deal on a Pro Series S1. I bought it retail thinking that I would try it out and then flip it in hopes of getting me closer to another Andy (my 5th?). But I have been pleasantly surprised by it. The neck feels nice, the pickups sound nice, and I'd never tried to use a trem until that one. To be honest, I was just hoping to get close to what I'd heard from that other guitar player at the Christmas rehearsals.

In short, it plays well, stays in tune with trem use, sounds good in all 5 positions, and the workmanship is really great. I have to admit, though, my two biggest problems with it are that it's the same configuration as my main cheapie strat (which feels like a gift from God), and that the pointy headstock makes me feel like this guitar should come with a monkey grip and some Aqua Net.

http://www.dognmoon.com/anderson/suhr.jpg http://www.dognmoon.com/anderson/brownstratsmall.jpg

[Pietro]

I've only played two of the Suhr guitars, neither was a pro series. They were, imho, as good as an Anderson. John seems like a great guy, too. I think the idea of the Pro series, making them more affordable with less options, is great. It seems to be working for them.

[fusionman67]

Ha, no, thats not what I meant. What I meant was, is that I play what I want to, much like everyone else here. I know that there are certain artist that play a certain brand and get paid for it, and get sponsors and all, and say they are the best, blah, blah, blah, ten change at the drop of a hat, then say that the next brand is the best. I have 2 pros, one Tyler, and Im in the market for an Anderson right now. Its hard to say which is the best, I like them all. They all have their different, unique qualities about them, and are made by some of the most talented men who make guitars today. Tom, John, James, they all make great guitars. I cant choose just one to love the most.....:) Everyone has their favorite I guess, and thats cool, but I like them all. Even some Fender stuff, and Gibson, but I rather have a more of a quality guitar from a smaller company, such as Anderson, Suhr, Tyler....

[tom]

all good flavors.

[fusionman67]

Yes Tom, and you make a very delicious flavor at that. You make one of the best guitars today. My hats off to you....

[tristan]

after leaving music man , the french distributor for suhr made me a nice endorsement deal. I love it. I'm still an anderson fan too. to me, they're just a couple of the best guitars in the world...

http://img136.imageshack.us/img136/7295/chouchouttenk8.jpg

I think I have a video somewhere with it...

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DvNBUlGoFmg

like I said before, I'll buy and anderson for myself someday, maybe a drop top classic...I really liked mine very much !

[fusionman67]

Thats a real Beauty....

[tristan]

thanks !

I'm sure there's an anderson as good as this one somewhere...I hope we'll got a new distributor in france soon !!

[fusionman67]

Oh yes, Anderson makes some really beautiful guitars also. Have you played one yet? Also, Have you ever played a Tyler?

[tristan]

Oh yes, Anderson makes some really beautiful guitars also. Have you played one yet? Also, Have you ever played a Tyler?

I owned a drop top and a drop top classic...but I did not have the chance to play a tyler yet...

[fusionman67]

A Tyler is unique in itself. What I mean by that is, is you really have to play one to know. They do have a funky looking headstock, but thats what makes a Tyler a Tyler....