New Suhr has "dead" notes :(

unix-guy said:
Playing thru the Axe Fx... With headphones or my Xitone wedges... Even just an Input/Output block... Or unplugged.

If it was my hearing then the same notes on other strings would be similar. They are not.

Also, it would be the same on 20+ other guitars, and it isn't...

It's apparently a very common problem that I've managed to avoid for 35 years.
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I am thankful that none of my guitars have a dead spot like this, especially the 620/12, which is the only axe I have with even close to that much cabbage on the bill.

The two PRSes I got recently (an SE24 and a 245, both Indonesian) are pretty much perfect out of the box excepting the nut work, which was super easy to correct, as it was a simple matter of filing some off the top and touching up the slots. $15 out of pocket for each, which added to the $600-ish price tag, is not anything like a problem given how nearly perfect they were otherwise. The SE24 is threatening my #1 Strat's top-dog status....
 
unix-guy said:
Playing thru the Axe Fx... With headphones or my Xitone wedges... Even just an Input/Output block... Or unplugged.

If it was my hearing then the same notes on other strings would be similar. They are not.

Also, it would be the same on 20+ other guitars, and it isn't...

It's apparently a very common problem that I've managed to avoid for 35 years.
Click to expand...

Ok, interesting. I've never had this issue either, so happy to have avoided it.
Last question - do you have a high quality luthier in your area?
Guy near me (Black Cat Guitar) is the best I've ever seen. Problems that baffle me, he figures out in 10 seconds. Just wondering if that's another road to explore (assuming you can't, or don't want to, return it).
 
I had a similar problem, and it turned out to be a bad string. As is ran my fingers up and down all sides of the string... I felt a small crease... for lack of a better term.
 
That really sucks! Hope it gets resolved. Suhr is usually really good with customer service, I am told. I had purchased a beautiful modern with Gotoh floyd a few years back. It ended up getting held up in customs for 45 days. After about 4 months, it developed a nasty truss rod creak. I simply sold it for exactly what I paid and didn't even bother with the hassle of returning it. By the time I paid shipping, it was easier to sell it. I informed the buyer of the issue and he didn't care as he really loved it so all good.
 
Piing said:
That can happen even with the most expensive guitars. I had the same problem with an Ibanez J-Custom RG8550MZ. A dead note at C (523Hz) due to the guitar body absorbing the resonance of that specific frequency.

The vendor didn't admit responsibility, so I sold the guitar

I tried everything. Even swapping necks with another guitar without problems. That didn't solved the isue.

https://www.jemsite.com/forums/f18/j-custom-rg8550-vs-prestige-rg2770-why-custom-worth-$1-000-a-145370-3.html#post1389722

RG8550-Neck1.jpg

Brass tremolo didn't help
RG8550-Brass1.jpg


Blocking the tremolo didn't work
RG8550-x.jpg


The only thing that worked was playing the damned note with an U-clamp instead of a finger (increasing the mass)
RG8550-Capo2.jpg
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Funny you mention this! I had the exact same issue as you. Mine was with a J Custom as well. I had the same J Custom that you have had. Mine was great, no issues. I had an RRG4 which was one of 5 made. Mine had 4 dead spots all at different areas at the neck. It was ridiculous. I bought it straight from Japan so I was not able to get any help on this one. It was not the only J Custom I have owned and not the only one with an issue. On one of my others, the walnut strip was starting to pit in various areas. Ridiculous with this kind of thing but it happens. Like you, I ended up selling all of mine and moving on. My Fender CS's have all been amazing with no issues.
 
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I've experienced this problem with a Gibson ES-339, dead note on the G string 12th fret. I added a sustainer block from Fender (it clamps on the headstock) and it helped a little but that note still doesn't have the attack or sustain of any of its neighbors. I also confirmed the dead note moves when retuning the string, so I assume it is a resonance issue as well. I have owned 50+ guitars and have only experienced this on one. If you figure out how to resolve this, please let us know!
 
BBN said:
Ok, interesting. I've never had this issue either, so happy to have avoided it.
Last question - do you have a high quality luthier in your area?
Guy near me (Black Cat Guitar) is the best I've ever seen. Problems that baffle me, he figures out in 10 seconds. Just wondering if that's another road to explore (assuming you can't, or don't want to, return it).
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Local-ish is Gary Brawer (of Satriani, Santana, Schon, etc fame) but I'm absolutely not paying to fix this. It's on Suhr to make right, IMO.
 
unix-guy said:
Some potential good news: after I sent the corrected details of the issue the Suhr tech is now asking for a recording of the issue as opposed to setting up back to factory specs.
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I went through the same process. Then I sent it to them. They did something and sent me a video that seemed better. Got it back. Same problem. Sent it back and they made a new neck that shifted the note. I think most of the problem lies with the body and perhaps the geometry the design.
 
Like you said unix, its back to Suhr/...you dont pay 3k for this bullshit honestly....question is, when do you send it? (wait till its “safer” to transfer items?)
 
Hopefully Suhr takes care of you. Aside from drilling some holes or making you a new body I am not sure what the fix would be. Of course, I am not a luthier lol. Is returning it not an option?

And Gary Brawer is the man!
 
How common is this problem I wonder?
I have a Suhr modern... I can hear some variations in sustain on the G around the 12th fret.
I then picked up another guitar... put my ear to the body, unplugged, picked a bunch of frets... I can hear some variations in sustain.

Might be a good way to determine what's a good guitar... ear to the body.. looking for dead notes.

I did start to second guess myself a few times on a fret... because I started getting variations in sustain depending on how hard I hit the note, and angle of my pick..

I would give the guitar a little more time.. you have a 30 day return policy.

10's probably going to improve the sluggish notes

When you buy a high end guitar like Suhr.. you have high expectations... and can dwell on something you not happy with. unfortunately it inevitably can ruin the guitar... if you ain't feeling it, it's not going to be enjoyable for you... and that is some of the reasons why we buy high end guitars.... to enjoy what we are playing.

There's even a chance that with a little time.. you begin to overlook it.

If you do return it, then what? Pick up another Surh speced out for 9's?
 
BaronVonGrim said:
How common is this problem I wonder?
I have a Suhr modern... I can hear some variations in sustain on the G around the 12th fret.
I then picked up another guitar... put my ear to the body, unplugged, picked a bunch of frets... I can hear some variations in sustain.

Might be a good way to determine what's a good guitar... ear to the body.. looking for dead notes.

I did start to second guess myself a few times on a fret... because I started getting variations in sustain depending on how hard I hit the note, and angle of my pick..

I would give the guitar a little more time.. you have a 30 day return policy.

10's probably going to improve the sluggish notes

When you buy a high end guitar like Suhr.. you have high expectations... and can dwell on something you not happy with. unfortunately it inevitably can ruin the guitar... if you ain't feeling it, it's not going to be enjoyable for you... and that is some of the reasons why we buy high end guitars.... to enjoy what we are playing.

There's even a chance that with a little time.. you begin to overlook it.

If you do return it, then what? Pick up another Surh speced out for 9's?
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Check google... Apparently pretty common.

It's not the setup or 9 vs 10- Cliff nailed it above.

The solution from what I've read is to alter the neck and/or body mass so that the resonance doesn't align on a pitch but "in between".
 
rickboot said:
I went through the same process. Then I sent it to them. They did something and sent me a video that seemed better. Got it back. Same problem. Sent it back and they made a new neck that shifted the note. I think most of the problem lies with the body and perhaps the geometry the design.
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The crazy thing is even cranking up the gain, that F# just shuts down like there's a gate on it!

If they offer to put a new neck on I'm going to suggest a slimmer profile. That will change the mass to hopefully get a better response and make my fretting happy, too (30 years of Wizard necks :))
 
Morphine said:
Hopefully Suhr takes care of you. Aside from drilling some holes or making you a new body I am not sure what the fix would be. Of course, I am not a luthier lol. Is returning it not an option?

And Gary Brawer is the man!
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I've read of adding a slug to the neck... But John Suhr said in one thread it could be anything that vibrates as well: a switch, a wire, a trem spring.
 
For reference, mine has a mahogany body, limba top, and roasted maple neck with an ebony fretboard. It originally came with a limba neck.
 
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