Suhr - I feel guilty!

[nil0201]

I own a beautiful Suhr Modern Satin. It was a bargain and a self present after finishing my music college, I was really happy at that time.

Then I moved to London.

With her, an acoustic guitar, my laptop on the plane on a reserved spot next to me where I could watch them all the time and my poor girlfriend not too far away from us.

But after 3 years, I realized that... I am not playing this guitar anymore and I feel so guilty.

My journey as a guitarist started with a Bc Rich and then, my mom bought me a Swamp Ash Special. I played that guitar for ages and I still consider that guitar as my main axe, but at the moment I can't bring it with me.

Whenever I play a single coil guitar, it's like that something it's missing. I feel lost, almost like a beginner.

I was thinking to sell or exchange that poor Suhr and reinvest the money for a high end PRS, but at the same time, I am afraid i'll lose that single coil tone that could be helpful for a session work or any production. It also has an excellent neck for shredding, which, sometimes, it's one of my guilty pleasures. ( Thank you Yngwie, I still dream to become a successful guitar hero like you )

What are your thoughts about it? Did something similar happen to you? Should I sell\exchange it and stopping feeling guilty because I am not playing that guitar? And, what could be a good guitar similar to it?

This is the Suhr.

 

[veinbuster]

I'm not generally a single coil player, but there are things that suit it very well. It took me about that 3 years to really appreciate it. I would probably keep a good one that did that job well, rather than have to buy it again (and again) later.

I do like my Swamp Ash Special though. I travelled with it for about 10 years before switching to a hollowbody piezo on the road.

 

[JasonE]

This is a difficult one. I have a few Suhr guitars. Two of them are custom builds. I play one of them very frequently. It is in rotation with my PRS guitars. It is just a little different than the PRS guitars and I love the way it plays. I selected everything about it so it really fits me. To me, the Suhr guitars are just a little different than my PRS so they play well together.

There are some PRS guitars that can get you that single coil sound, especially with how they are wiring them now for split sounds. If a high end PRS would suit you more, that may be the way to go. I love all of the ones I have. My collection is dominated by PRS. You could get some nice split tones from a 594 or a DGT. The necks are going to be different than your Suhr. I am not sure which neck you have on your modern, there are a few available on that model too. My modern has the medium elliptical carve. It is really going to boil down to what motivates you to play your best. I would recommend playing some of the core PRS models if you have that opportunity to see what you like and don't like about them compared to the modern.

Something I noticed is that your modern has a HB in the neck position. That is giving you a split tone for the single coil, which you can get with multiple PRS models. The custom Suhr standard I had built has an HSS configuration. That is one of the reasons that it became a main player for gigging for me. I like the sound of the real single coils in the neck and middle. I don't have a PRS with that configuration. If I were to have a private stock built, I would probably have it built with HSS.

 

[nil0201]

I'm not generally a single coil player, but there are things that suit it very well. It took me about that 3 years to really appreciate it. I would probably keep a good one that did that job well, rather than have to buy it again (and again) later.

I do like my Swamp Ash Special though. I travelled with it for about 10 years before switching to a hollowbody piezo on the road.

Thanks! Yeah I am really tempted to sell the suhr and get like another one but at the same time, i don't want end up with big regrets.

My Swamp ash is amazing, I didn't carry it with me just because it's really heavy.

 

[nil0201]

This is a difficult one. I have a few Suhr guitars. Two of them are custom builds. I play one of them very frequently. It is in rotation with my PRS guitars. It is just a little different than the PRS guitars and I love the way it plays. I selected everything about it so it really fits me. To me, the Suhr guitars are just a little different than my PRS so they play well together.

There are some PRS guitars that can get you that single coil sound, especially with how they are wiring them now for split sounds. If a high end PRS would suit you more, that may be the way to go. I love all of the ones I have. My collection is dominated by PRS. You could get some nice split tones from a 594 or a DGT. The necks are going to be different than your Suhr. I am not sure which neck you have on your modern, there are a few available on that model too. My modern has the medium elliptical carve. It is really going to boil down to what motivates you to play your best. I would recommend playing some of the core PRS models if you have that opportunity to see what you like and don't like about them compared to the modern.

Something I noticed is that your modern has a HB in the neck position. That is giving you a split tone for the single coil, which you can get with multiple PRS models. The custom Suhr standard I had built has an HSS configuration. That is one of the reasons that it became a main player for gigging for me. I like the sound of the real single coils in the neck and middle. I don't have a PRS with that configuration. If I were to have a private stock built, I would probably have it built with HSS.

Thanks for the tips about the PRS I should try. Next time I'll have some spare time, i'll be sure to try the 594 or the DGT.

Wit the Suhr, i really use only the Neck and the Bridge position. I really can't stand the middle pick up.

 

[veinbuster]

My Swamp ash is amazing, I didn't carry it with me just because it's really heavy.

Ah. I wondered why you didn't take it with you. I never thought of mine as heavy, but I played a Les Paul for quite a few years before getting the swamp ash special - it's easily 1.5lb lighter.

 

[nil0201]

Ah. I wondered why you didn't take it with you. I never thought of mine as heavy, but I played a Les Paul for quite a few years before getting the swamp ash special - it's easily 1.5lb lighter.

That's probably why! I love Les Paul but the ones I tried during the years were quite heavy!

 

[JasonE]

Thanks for the tips about the PRS I should try. Next time I'll have some spare time, i'll be sure to try the 594 or the DGT.

Wit the Suhr, i really use only the Neck and the Bridge position. I really can't stand the middle pick up.

I didn't used to use the middle pickup by itself but decided to try it more often. There are some really good tones there, depending on the type of music you play. I can tell you that a middle position single coil through a tube screamer into a good Fender tube amp is glorious. I am a convert now and have been for a good number of years.

 

[opnoob]

Try a Paul's Guitar, 24-08 or a MEV. I think the tone variations are pretty great and might go where you want it to go. No matter how good a coil-split/tap is though, I don't think I've ever heard one that isn't without *some* tonal compromise when compared to a true single coil. That being said, humbuckers are just so much better in every situation other than when you want that quacky tele-tone (just my opinion).

 

[Simon Says]

Most PRS guitars split very well, I have the 24-08 (35th Anniversary), and I keep the neck pickup in a split mode almost exclusively on a clean channel.

Saying that - I have a lot of biased love for Suhr Modern. As far as prog guitar goes, you can hardly get any better. Satin Pro is such a stunner. If Peach Guitars had them in stock the moment I was buying my 35th Anniversary, things could look very different.

 

[Lewguitar]

I don't know how much you can get for your Suhr, but if you can get $2000 you could get a SE Silver Sky and a SE DGT, the new David Grissom model.

Or maybe a used Core DGT. The DGT gets killer single coil sounds.

 

[nil0201]

Try a Paul's Guitar, 24-08 or a MEV. I think the tone variations are pretty great and might go where you want it to go. No matter how good a coil-split/tap is though, I don't think I've ever heard one that isn't without *some* tonal compromise when compared to a true single coil. That being said, humbuckers are just so much better in every situation other than when you want that quacky tele-tone (just my opinion).

The 24 08 would be my first choice for sure! https://www.pmtonline.co.uk/prs-s2-...lake-blue?gclsrc=aw.ds&gclsrc=ds&gclsrc=aw.ds this is like a dream. Do you think that it could work with the single coils?
And I absolutely agree with this. My Swamp Ash is incredible with the humbuckers but with the split, it's too muddy.
I own already a G&L Telecaster and I love it. It's actually my first choice for any pop rock u2ish\coldplay production.

Most PRS guitars split very well, I have the 24-08 (35th Anniversary), and I keep the neck pickup in a split mode almost exclusively on a clean channel.

Saying that - I have a lot of biased love for Suhr Modern. As far as prog guitar goes, you can hardly get any better. Satin Pro is such a stunner. If Peach Guitars had them in stock the moment I was buying my 35th Anniversary, things could look very different.

Well spotted! I bought the Suhr because of mr Govan himself, Agent Fresco, The Contortionist. I used to be a Prog head, everything from the 60's to nowdays. But now my ear is asking for something else! More traditional.

I don't know how much you can get for your Suhr, but if you can get $2000 you could get a SE Silver Sky and a SE DGT, the new David Grissom model.

Or maybe a used Core DGT. The DGT gets killer single coil sounds.

Thanks for the videos! I'll check it for sure and intrigued about the DG! I am not really keen with the Silver Sky..


Thanks everyone with all your opinions!

 

[Simon Says]

Well spotted! I bought the Suhr because of mr Govan himself, Agent Fresco, The Contortionist. I used to be a Prog head, everything from the 60's to nowdays. But now my ear is asking for something else! More traditional.

Let me know when you are around Gloucester. I brew a breath-taking cuppa, and I have that 35th Anniversary you can have some fun on

 

[nil0201]

Let me know when you are around Gloucester. I brew a breath-taking cuppa, and I have that 35th Anniversary you can have some fun on

Tea and PRS? I am not sure i'll ever go back to London then..

 

[AaeCee]

With her, an acoustic guitar, my laptop on the plane on a reserved spot next to me where I could watch them all the time and my poor girlfriend not too far away from us.

Well you certainly seem to have your priorities straight with your guitars in the seat next to you, and your girlfriend "not too far away".

We could all learn from this. I salute you, good sir!

 

[Simon Says]

Tea and PRS? I am not sure i'll ever go back to London then..

Two PRS, and as much tea you can drink.

 

[Lewguitar]

I am not really keen with the Silver Sky.

Yeah, that headstock turns a lot of people off. You get used to it though.

 

[nil0201]

Well you certainly seem to have your priorities straight with your guitars in the seat next to you, and your girlfriend "not too far away".

We could all learn from this. I salute you, good sir!

And, nevertheless, we're still together!

 

[László]

I was thinking to sell or exchange that poor Suhr and reinvest the money for a high end PRS, but at the same time, I am afraid i'll lose that single coil tone that could be helpful for a session work or any production.

First, nice playing!

Here are a few thoughts, having hired session aces, and played on sessions myself.

If you're going to do session work and someone insists on, say, a traditional Strat sound, your Suhr isn't going to be that, anyway, because it sounds different with the pickups it has. It's true that there are still producers out there who will say, "I'm hearing a Strat (or something else) on this."

It's also true that most won't ask for a particular guitar. I certainly don't on tracks I produce.

 

[Alnus Rubra]

Tea and PRS? I am not sure i'll ever go back to London then..

Two PRS, and as much tea you can drink.

Both get your @sses up to a proper country, a Santana a modded SE245 and malt whiskey

And a few other fun guitars to play.

The core DGT has some really nice split sounds too.