Bought a Suhr but now I have many questions!

[snooze]

Hi all,

Some of you may have followed my thread about buying a Suhr. It came to a nice end when I found a used one... but now I have some doubt... honeymoon are always like this!!? So I have some questions for you:

1- The previous owner changed all the electronics, which I don't mind much, but he also changed the pickguard and drilled new holes... that won't affect the sound of the guitar but it is anoying! I am a bit concern about the long term damage that could result of this. Is there a risk that the finis could crack? Should I do something to fix it?

2- The guitar is a Classic from 2008 so it came with the Buzz Feiten system. But the previous owner changed the string gauge for 11-48(or 52). I understood that the system is based on string gauge so changing the string size could need a different nut/compensation. Is that right? And if the height is good, can I simply but 10-46 without having to replace the nut? Will that affect the sound? I guess the worst case is that the slot will be wider but it is so negligeable that it should not affect anything... hopefully!?

3- Is there an online place where I could buy Suhr part to replace the pickguard, pots, pickups, knobs, etc.?

4- Considering those changes, what should be the value of this guitar if it is in perfect condition (no wear at all)? 2014 Classic are 2900$ (CAD)!!! Will the holes decrease the value of the guitar?

Again, thanks for your great help to all of you!

Snooze

 

[itstooloudMike]

Sounds like someone put a Fender pickguard on your guitar, and they are not exactly the same a the original Suhr pickguards. If the original unused holes are covered by the new pickguard, then I would say just stay with what's on there. A new Suhr pickguard will cost you $60, and might not cover the holes which were added. Regarding the pickups and wiring, if they are high quality and sound good, you should be OK. If you wanted to put Suhr pickups back in, you're looking at another $200. On the string gauge, I would put 10s back on it and adjust the setup accordingly. The BFTS should not give you a problem, and the nut probably wasn't changed from original. You still have a great Suhr guitar, even with the few "issues". I have a 2004 Classic-S, and absolutely love it. Best neck ever. I would guess that a pristine used Classic-S would be worth close to $2K. You can buy clean Pro-Series S-type Suhrs for around $1600. Even with the issues, your guitar should be worth at least as much as a typical Pro-Series. If the pickups are a well known high-end set, that would help the guitars overall used value. But you should not be worrying about what you spent, or how much your guitar should be worth. You wanted a Suhr for the awesome playability, and now you have one. Just play the crap out of it, and smile.

 

[Jerrod]

Here's hoping the OP got a deal.

 

[snooze]

A new Suhr pickguard will cost you $60, and might not cover the holes which were added.

Damn, that's pretty scary... Suhr pickguards allow access to the truss rod so I would like one of those (and the aged green look amazing). And the pickguards that was put on it interfere with the bridge which I don't really like! It is really tight on it and kind of mess with the bridge movement.

Thanks for the comments. The three pickups are Dimarzio Area 67.

 

[icr]

what should be the value of this guitar if it is in perfect condition

The guitar you described was not in 'perfect condition.' How much is he asking?

 

[Simon]

Without telling us what brand and type the replacement parts are it's hard to give you any advice, also whether it has upgrades like SS frets, matching headstock etc, it's hard to give you a value.

He either did what he considered to be upgrades, what he personally liked,,, or he took all the quality components out and is pulling a fast one!
Did you know it was altered when you bought it?

If it is replaced with quality parts I would just enjoy it.

I have two Suhr Classics and there the best gtrs I've owned. Niether one is original to the spec sheet, different pups and one has a titanium pick guard.

 

[kiwicanuck]

I can't imagine wanting to swap the pups and electronics on a Suhr.

I'd contact Suhr and get their opinion on what has been done to the electronics and whether they think a return to stock would be worth investing in.

Or - if it plays great and sounds great you could just play the heck out of it.

 

[MollyPolly]

First you need to figure out exactly what you've got, i.e the brand and model of the pickups, and the type of components and wiring that's in there.

My first guess is that the previous owner pulled the loaded Suhr pickguard and swapped it with one from a cheaper guitar. It might not be complete junk, but I would be surprised if it's on the same level as what was originally in there.

Suhr pickups are on the same level as other 'boutique' pickups like Fralin, Lollar, etc., so I doubt they were swapped out for something of equal value.

If that's the case, and it wasn't disclosed to you when you bought it, it's at best dishonest, and at worst outright fraud.

If you bought a BMW and took it in for an oil change, only to find out there was a Toyota Camry engine in it, you would be justifiably outraged.

This is the same thing on a smaller scale, if that's what happened.

Good luck.

 

[Pietro]

The guitar is a Classic from 2008 so it came with the Buzz Feiten system. But the previous owner changed the string gauge for 11-48(or 52). I understood that the system is based on string gauge so changing the string size could need a different nut/compensation. Is that right?

No problem. The BFTS nut placement has nothing to do with string gauge, but the offsets programmed into the bridge saddles might change. Easy to do, don't worry about this.

Thanks for the comments. The three pickups are Dimarzio Area 67.

A lot of people love those pickups. If they work well, don't sweat it.

 

[UncleStric]

Who the hell drills holes and pulls the electronics out of a Suhr?! Madness.

 

[Stringbender11]

Who the hell drills holes and pulls the electronics out of a Suhr?! Madness.

I agree - wtf?

 

[Redrum]

Caveat Emptor The stock electronics loaded in Suhr guitars are one of the reasons the guitars are so playable. The quality electrical components, competent assembly, shielding, wiring and even the soldering quality all contribute to the overall quality of a Suhr guitar.

Same for a properly cut nut that matches the string guage the instrument was shipped with. Your used Classic may have been ordered originally with 11's, but if it was 10's and the previous owner just slapped them on there you might have string binding at the nut which could cause tuning issues, especially when using the trem.

It sounds like you have a really nice Suhr snooze, but if you're not happy or completely satisfied with it, see if you can return it back to the shop you got it at. Lot's of shops have return policies so there's a good chance they will work with you. If that's not a possibility, spend a few bucks more and have a local guitar tech check it out and set it up for you.

 

[Simon]

Sounds to me like the guy needed silent single coils and it was a cheaper route then having a silent system installed by Suhr, nothing wrong with the Area pups.

Where did you buy it, store, ebay, here?

 

[macatt]

The pickguard rubbing against the bridge plate IS an issue and will mess with your trem returning to proper tune.
I had that problem and fixed it by scraping away a couple millimeters of plastic from the guard. Just enough to see some daylight between the guard and the plate.
It's easy using a cabinet scraper. A razor blade would work; or maybe a file.

S Mac

 

[snooze]

So it seems that the pickguard is loaded with Dimarzio components (pots, etc.). Finally the bridge pickup is an Area 61 and the middle and neck are Area 67.

I bought the guitar from a store and I still have the chance to bring it back. They were not dishonest, they just didn't know from the seller what was in the guitar. But I wanted it so badly that I bought it with the condition that they would provide me the information. But the first guess was that only the pickguard was changed.

So except the holes (that seems that they will be covered by an original Suhr pickguard), it doesn't seem like a big deal.

But I am still concern about resell value.

The guitar is a 2008 Classic Suhr, Alder body, 60's C Vintage medium 0.83-0.95, Tusq nut (Buzz Feiten), Heavy SS, 510 6-Screw bridge (with steel block), Nut 1.65, Sperzel Locking, Hard Shell case, Area 61 and Aera 67, Dimarzio hardware. With holes in the body that are hidden by the pickguard!

So based on this, how much would you pay (USD or CAD)? I understand that those classic are now 2900$ CAD!!! So it seems to be a good deal to me!

Thanks again for your help!

Mathieu

 

[MollyPolly]

But I am still concern about resell value.

IMHO, the Dimarzios are a step down, but not by much. A lot of guys love those pickups.

I think the pickup change affects the value more than the holes. If you put the proper pickguard back on, it's like it never happened.

I'm not advocating misleading anyone, BTW. I'm just saying that the vast majority of guitar players will never take the pickguard off.

As is, I'd say take 15-20% off the value of a stock version, whatever that happens to be.

 

[Jerrod]

I wouldn't pay more than $1500-1600 USD.

 

[ldizzle]

^I agree. $1600-1800 maybe. Those are great gigging pups(not really traditional strat imo)...but if someone wanted a suhr, usually they're usually wanting the whole shabang!

However, if you got it cheap and it feels good?...those pups are excellent at what they do and could get you a lot of mileage.

 

[zosozep7]

I have a set of Areas in my Eric Johnson Strat and love them!

 

[zosozep7]

So it seems that the pickguard is loaded with Dimarzio components (pots, etc.). Finally the bridge pickup is an Area 61 and the middle and neck are Area 67.

I bought the guitar from a store and I still have the chance to bring it back. They were not dishonest, they just didn't know from the seller what was in the guitar. But I wanted it so badly that I bought it with the condition that they would provide me the information. But the first guess was that only the pickguard was changed.

So except the holes (that seems that they will be covered by an original Suhr pickguard), it doesn't seem like a big deal.

But I am still concern about resell value.

The guitar is a 2008 Classic Suhr, Alder body, 60's C Vintage medium 0.83-0.95, Tusq nut (Buzz Feiten), Heavy SS, 510 6-Screw bridge (with steel block), Nut 1.65, Sperzel Locking, Hard Shell case, Area 61 and Aera 67, Dimarzio hardware. With holes in the body that are hidden by the pickguard!

So based on this, how much would you pay (USD or CAD)? I understand that those classic are now 2900$ CAD!!! So it seems to be a good deal to me!

Thanks again for your help!

Mathieu

Start shopping in the music gear and accessories emporium! I see Suhr stuff pop up often. Should be able to restore to original form in time if you wanted to.