Sure as eggs is eggs, I will get a lovely selection of "old-bloke stuff" this Christmas - socks, hankies, daily tablet organiser, etc. I'll smile and thank everyone, while secretly wishing Ms GT had noticed the frequent times I'd left my Macbook open at the Suhr Classic S page. If she noticed, she didn't take the hint. Can't think why.
So I'll have to cheer myself up in the New Year by buying one for myself. Most likely used. And an HSS with a proper finish (not that wafer-thin satin stuff), 22 stainless steel frets, 2-point trem (not FR) and ... not yet sure on neck/fingerboard.
Or should I be looking elsewhere? I'd like to stay fairly mainstream, so I've not paid much attention to smaller builders with unknown resale values. Ibanez AZ Prestige might be an option. Others?
Comments
Suhr look cool, only you can say what you want though. Personally I would get an Anderson or a Charvel if I was looking at that type of guitar.
If resale is your thing, buying a second hand fender custom shop would probably a good idea to look at, too.
My band, Red For Dissent
I'm more LP than super strat these days but I always think the Anderson was probably the best guitar I have ever owned.
The San Dimas is a nice guitar with a great neck profile, but the build quality isn't up there with the other 2. I couldn't call a difference in build quality between the mj Charvel and Suhr.
What I do know is that as I type this, the Charvel mj is sitting within hands reach of me, where it usually is. The Suhr is hanging on the wall and someday I will bite the bullet and scuff it up deliberately. That way it won't feel too perfect to play. But that's just me. Each to their own.
Charvel SD/MIJ and Schecter are also good shouts. More research...
The Drop Top Tom Anderson I had was one of the best Superstrats I've ever had but as you say, they're quite pricey now but I would recommend them above Suhrs.
Schecter Custom Shop are good and I had one of those and a friend had an FGN Odyssey and that was excellent and will give you change out of £1K but all the quality and spec is there. The same friend has a K-Line Strat and that's a wonderful thing.
Tyler Japan Classics are very good, too, but I recently picked up a PRS Fiore and that's one of the best and most versatile Superstrats I've ever played and owned. Tele, Strat, combinations of those and hot-rodded Strat are all in there. Used prices are good but watch the weight of them as they can vary by as much as 1.5lbs and colours are little limited.
My main squeeze is a Rob Williams Custom with Tyler pickups and Tom Anderson switcheroo/blower and series/parallel switching. That places it firmly in the Anderson/Tyler/Suhr camp and so if you can find one of those, they're great
https://uk.prsguitars.com/electrics/model/se_swamp_ash_special_2024_2
https://www.fender.com/en-US/player-plus-stratocaster-hss/0147322340.html
https://www.fmicassets.com/Damroot/ZoomJpg/10006/0147322340_fen_ins_frt_1_rr.jpg
I’ve had my eye on them for a while but they all seem on the heavy side for a SuperStrat, even despite the mahogany body.
Currently I have an Andy Wood HH, Pete Thorn HH and a Classic T that's been refinished by @lamf68 and the neck reshaped by @FelineGuitars to match the Pete Thorn.
Build quality and pickups are top notch and they feel very much like home to me. All but one of them were bought on the forum.
I've never played an Anderson, but I traded the Modern on the forum earlier this year for a PRS DGT. PRS were a brand that had never been on my radar, so much so that I'd never even touched one, so I wasn't holding out much hope, but wow, what a guitar. Definitely on par with my Suhrs, so I'm curious to try a Silver Sky at some point.... @goldtop maybe that should be on your list of potentials in addition to the Classic S?