The previously non-acquainted GEARED duly gets smitten a pair of splendid SUHR guitars – the Classic and Modern models – at Guitar Brothers.

Like them or loathe them (I don’t think that’s the right word here – how is it possible to loathe them once you’ve played one, I wonder?), Suhr guitars are beautifully-made instruments, carved from the finest-quality wood, polished to absolute gloss and fitted out with the best parts. The neck plays like butter, the custom-built DiMarzio, Seymour Duncan and EMG pickups sound exceptional, the build quality is astounding and the attention to detail is phenomenal ... what’s there not to like? They look, feel and sound perfect – like the perfect electric guitars they are.

Which, of course, brings the question – why are Suhrs not as popular as the ubiquitous Gibsons and Fenders? The answer lies in the rather hefty price tag, but then that’s easy to understand because both abovementioned companies pump out thousands of instruments every month while John Suhr and his well-oiled team of craftsmen spend a month working on one guitar. But are they merely state-of-the-art copies? “In the same way Mercedes is a copy of Ford”, as the business proudly declares.

The father of the brand, John holds a position akin to high royalty among guitar luthiers worldwide. Starting out as a novice guitar builder in New Jersey 35 years ago, he eventually moved to New York in the early ‘80s to work with Rudy Pensa – a union which gave the Pensa-Suhr instruments their name. During that decade, John built guitars for such name players as Mark Knopfler, Eric Clapton, Peter Frampton, Steve Stevens and many more and gained a name as a tireless, enthusiastic innovator.

Aside from being a perfection-seeking guitar maker, John also worked with guitar rig builder Robert Bradshaw on a number of tube preamps (also co-designing the CAA OD100 amp) when he left New York for California in the early ‘90s. His expanding reputation led to him becoming a Senior Master Builder at the Cadillac Ranch of electric guitars – the Fender Custom Shop – for a number of years, but it was still his true passion and unique vision that led him to establishing Suhr Guitars in 1997, with a number of Fender Custom Shop colleagues joining soon afterwards, and designing a line of increasingly cult-status guitars.

But anyway ... Guitar Brothers, here I come again without much prior knowledge – show me your Suhr goodies! Not long after I got there, Guitar Bro Craig told me about a customer – the longtime owner of a 1972 Les Paul Custom – who bought a Suhr guitar and subsequently came back to the shop saying “I don’t know what to do with that Gibson now ... THIS is my favourite guitar!” With my interest piqued, I was soon handed a gorgeous Cactus Metallic-finish, three-single-coil Suhr Classic with a distinctive headstock, which was duly plugged into a nearby Suhr Badger 30 amp and temporarily left in my care. Soon enough, my fingers were practically glued to the guitar and I suddenly began to understand what the LP Custom dude meant.

The Suhr Classics come in many pickup combinations, with the time-honoured SSS attracting the majority of “vintage” tone fans. A slick Strat-style body, an amazingly comfortable neck with to-die-for detail and precise spacing and a fantastic acoustic resonance were the first standout features I noted when I inspected the guitar. Once I’ve turned the volume up, strummed a few chords, played a bunch of self-admittedly fairly simplistic licks and flicked the pickup selector switch into various positions, the guitar’s mojo was all over me. I may have still not heard or played enough Fenders in my life (including my trusty, gradually-rusting Mexican), but the sound I heard was richer, punchier and warmer than what I was used to hearing. The lush jangle of the bridge pickup, the twang of the middle, the sting of the neck and the funky, click-clacking snappiness of the respective combinations – they all sounded ... bigger, with a hint of P90 but still with that distinct single-coil sharpness. That expression may be getting a bit tired these days, but the guitar practically played itself. A certified “WANT!” moment.

After I reluctantly hung the Classic back on the wall, it was time to test out the Suhr Modern. Launched at NAMM 2008, the Modern was John Suhr’s ultimate take on the concept of a 24-fret, bolt-on solid-body guitar. With its comparatively small, asymmetrical body – about that below – and extended “horns”, the Modern boasts a completely-redesigned neck heel for no-obstacle access to the highest frets – including the two extra frets to hit the high E, a note many a player have bent the bejesus out of their E strings to achieve.  Based on an early-’80s design, the neck itself is slim, which makes it ideal for speedy playing, but still has enough grip for the player with a tendency to indulge in vicious octave-bending (like yours truly). The guitar’s acoustic sound carries superb clarity and string-to-string definition, while in its natural electric mode it ... slays.

As the folks at Suhr reckon, the Modern is not merely a Standard model with two extra frets – it is an all-out futuristic rock monster. The HSS specimen I picked up from the GB wall and plugged into the cranked-up Badger amp was already tuned to drop D, which equaled an invitation to hammer out a plethora of sub-stoner rock riffs and harmonics. Soaking up the amp’s overdriven tone, like a sponge, the bridge humbucker roared, growled and screamed and the high-powered single-coils in the middle and neck could make anyone yell out “Feel the power of my fusion lick!” like Rudy van Disarzio from The Mighty Boosh. Now that I look back on it, I could have probably spent all afternoon churning out hackneyed sub-Tool patterns on the Modern – just because they sounded so good and felt so natural to play. Once again, the guitar’s playability is fantastic.

The Modern’s aerodynamic form is Suhr’s brainchild. Upon realising the need to rethink the balance between the body and the neck, John spent a whole number of months looking at the most sought-after 24-fret bolt-on guitars on the market and came up with a design that, while remaining familiar to long-term aficionados, stood out among the numerous similar-type Schecter, Ibanez and ESP specimen. This slightly asymmetrical body shape holds perfect balance regardless of whether you play guitar standing up or sitting down (insert your favourite “I-tried-to-play-a-Flying-V-sitting-down” story here).

Custom-built for heavy music genres, the Modern is nevertheless far from being your typical midrange-heavy “shredder” axe. With bucketloads of tone and attitude, sexy, sleek looks, smooth neck and outta-sight playability, it offers an ultimate package for both technically-minded metal/prog/fusion devotees and hard-riffing headbangers.

So there you have it: the Suhr Classic and Modern, two absolutely beautiful instruments – even more so, artworks in the electric guitar format. The price tag might make you go “ouch!” but the looks, sound, quality and detail are positively hard to beat. Approach with caution: you might feel inclined to get rid of your axe collection upon getting one.

RRP $5,999 (Suhr Classic), $5,499 (Suhr Modern). www.suhrguitars.com / www.guitarbrothers.com.au

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