NGD: Suhr Strat

Sleestak

Power User
I placed the order for this guitar via Rogue Guitar Shop, and then worked directly with Suhr to inform them I'd be supplying the side dot material (Luminlay) as part of the order. Suhr has a typical order time of several months, and this was no exception. They do a fantastic job of keeping you informed as to your instrument's start date and status as it proceeds through the build stages.

They finished the build late last week and it arrived today. There is nothing like "new lacquer smell" on a guitar! This guitar has the perfect balance of vintage tone and feel, along with modern amenities that make it ideal for my stage / studio needs. I put it through its paces today via the AxeFX III on my favorite patches, and am happy to confirm this is a good one.

Specs:
  • Classic white antique lacquer finish
  • Gotoh 510 2 post vibrato bridge
  • Parchment pickguard
  • V63 pickups in all 3 positions with SSCII silent coil system
  • Clay face dots
  • Luminlay side dots
  • Medium stainless steel frets
  • Light lacquer finish on neck / headstock

Board.jpgCase.jpgDots.jpgFull.jpgHeadstock.jpgTop.jpg
 
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Sweet!! I have a Suhr Classic. Sunburst, roasted maple neck, ML pickups, Gotoh trem, and mojo galore. Mojo Galore had a sister in the movies.
 
Looks absolutely great. Especially those side dots. If only that headstock didn't make me throw up. But don't mind my OCD, it's your parade. Have lots of fun with it and write some great tunes with it.
 
If only that headstock didn't make me throw up.
Ha! One of my best friends is a vintage purist, and has an allergic reaction to anything that isn't absolutely original. I told him I was going to order a Suhr, and he about barfed a lemur... "WHY would you buy that abomination rather than get a REAL 1963 Strat?!". I asked him if he'd loan me the additional $10K I'd need :) He actually played the guitar and had to admit it was really amazing, but he maintains the Suhr headstock is not acceptable. So, you're in good company about that. I might need to photocopy my Strat headstock and apply it with scotch tape when playing in front of him.
 
That is a very nice build you did. I am a sucker for white guitars. Have a Custom Jackson DK1, JEM 7V, and a Suhr Custom Modern all in white.

Suhrs are great guitars. Mine is a white pearl finish. It also has a vulcanized maple neck. Got it from a Fractal Forum member in the “For Sale” section.

I am getting ready to order a Custom Classic S in S-S-S. How long was your build time? Any thing you would recommend after having gone through the process?

Congrats man, you have a beautiful and really nice playing guitar there. Enjoy!
 
Build time varies just like FAS. Do your research in advance. Know what you want. There are a lot of options to choose between. Knowing what you want in advance helps when you actually order it. Pickup selection, neck shape, fret size and material, wiring, etc.
 
Build time varies just like FAS. Do your research in advance. Know what you want. There are a lot of options to choose between. Knowing what you want in advance helps when you actually order it. Pickup selection, neck shape, fret size and material, wiring, etc.
Of course, this would be true of any custom order. This is not my first custom order, just my first with Suhr. As for the build specs, already planned that out, the order sheet is ready to submit. I am interested if there is any advice or insight specific to working with Suhr the OP might provide having just gone through the process.

Since OP just got a custom build and my build will be nearly identical, his production time gives me an idea of the time I might be looking at... my wait will probably be a little longer due to ordering just after summer NAMM.
 
Have you decided on where you are going to order it? If not I suggest Humbucker Music.
I have a local Suhr dealer running a store that caters to guitar players. I have dealt with him for most of my guitars for almost 35 years. He gives me pricing that I cannot get anywhere else plus at this point we are also personal friends.
 
I am getting ready to order a Custom Classic S in S-S-S. How long was your build time? Any thing you would recommend after having gone through the process?

I placed my order in early September, and was told it would be about six months before they started my build. I was informed in early March (right on schedule) that the build was starting, and I received an update about once a month from Suhr. Because I had requested the antique version of this model, it took about a month of extra time to do all of the aging work on the body and hardware. It was well worth it, and the finished instrument is amazing.
Recommendations? Hmmm... well it sounds like you have a good local dealer, and as I said, Suhr does a good job of keeping you informed of status. Their typical build time is three to four months, and they usually have about a six month backlog before they get underway with new orders. Nine to ten months is a long time to wait, but for a custom instrument with this kind of quality, it's worth it. I actually spent about a year playing and comparing vintage guitars, high-end boutique guitars, and signature models. I spent a day at Gruhn guitars in Nashville, playing a dozen vintage Strats. I came to the conclusion that it would make sense just to order a custom guitar to get the balance of vintage tone / feel, but modern bridge / tuners / frets. Also, I don't have any use for a guitar that is "too valuable to play". All my of instruments need to be road-ready; I'm going to slobber and sweat all over them, plus they'll be subjected to the normal rigors of touring. Thus, I decided to have Suhr build me a guitar that met all of my criteria. They're not cheap (just under 3K for my build), but I can't think of anything that I'd change about this guitar. It's exactly what I expected and wanted. The only thing I would recommend is patience while you're waiting for your guitar to arrive :)
 
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