Help me pick-G&L or Suhr

[Miles Long]

I have narrowed down my search.I wanted feedback on which one is the best sounding of the two.I have decided either way that I am going with basswood and a maple top.It will either be a suhr standard or A g&L custom shop legacy.I play in a jam band,so I need the versatility to go from chicken picken' to vintage high gain legato style.Any ideas for neck finish and profile would beappreciated as well as the best tuners and bridge would be helpful.

 

[tthompso7]

I've owned G&L's (non custom shop) and Suhr's - both great guitars. I don't have any experience with the G&L custom shop, in fact didn't know one existed. You won't go wrong with the Suhr, the fit and finish, playability will be awesome. Great necks, great pickups. As for neck shape/size...that's a personal preference. My fav is 60's C vintage med. The satin finish that both companies use on their necks is nice.

My guess is the Suhr with basswood body and maple top will be quite a bit more $$$ than the G&L. I could be wrong but I don't think so.

 

[Ogre]

No contest. Suhr.

 

[shoe]

Originally posted by Ogre
No contest. Suhr.

+1

 

[shoe]

Originally posted by Miles Long
I have narrowed down my search.I wanted feedback on which one is the best sounding of the two.I have decided either way that I am going with basswood and a maple top.It will either be a suhr standard or A g&L custom shop legacy.I play in a jam band,so I need the versatility to go from chicken picken' to vintage high gain legato style.Any ideas for neck finish and profile would beappreciated as well as the best tuners and bridge would be helpful.

I've owned several Suhrs (custom ordered three of 'em) and also play in a jam band.

The basswood/maple combo is certainly my favorite.....definitely the most verstaile in the clean/spank and high gain from hell categories!

Specs are as follows:

Suhr Standard
Basswood Body, flame maple top
One piece oil finsihed maple neck - EVEN C MEDIUM - NO FACE DOTS
Stainless Steel frets - 6105's
H-S-H pickups configuration (DSV neck, V-60lp middle, DSH bridge), with 5-way swich, coil tap on tone pot and custom wiring (middle position of switch gives outside two pickups)
Wilkinson VG300 bridge (love this thing!)
Spertzel locking tuners
Satin Finish - faded blue jean

Man does this guitar sound good!

 

[mattmccloskey]

The suhr is a whole class above the g&l; comparing the g&l to a suhr is like comparing a honda to porsche.
I would get a suhr with his standard trem (which is super high-quality), some sperzels for tuners, and get stainless steel frets, which will make for smooth bends, won't tarnish, and will last forever. I like the vintage C standard carve the best, although the C slim is great too if you like slimmer necks.
If you want versatility get a DSV bridge pickup, and 2 v60lps in middle and neck position. This will give you a smooth fat bridge lead tone, more 'straty' neck tones, and still retain chimey quack tones in 2 and 4. The standard neck finish is great, real smooth and not sticky.

 

[rwe333]

Originally posted by mattmccloskey
The suhr is a whole class above the g&l; comparing the g&l to a suhr is like comparing a honda to porsche.

All IMHO, but NO!!!

I might say the difference between an A+ and A++ as I actually prefer G&Ls to Suhr or any other bolt-on boutique builder esp. given the difference in price point.

 

[mude]

Just curious - how much is a Custom Shop G&L? Thanks.

Evan.

 

[rwe333]

Originally posted by mude
Just curious - how much is a Custom Shop G&L? Thanks.

Evan.

There is no G&L Custom Shop - all their US-made instruments are hand-built custom orders... In other words, G&L is a custom shop (they do also offer a quality budget import line - Tribute).

A general guideline is that a US-built G&L will cost about the same as a CNC'd US Fender while being the quality of the high-priced Fender Custom Shop...

Not entirely certain of US list prices, but would estimate list as between $1500-2000 depending on model/options w/ actual retail being more $1000-1500.

Check here: http://www.buffalobrosguitars.com/gAndL.html

 

[tthompso7]

Junior's Music in Clinton CT has a bunch. Great guitars...not sure I'd agree that they're Fender Custom Shop quality. I see tons of G&L's lined up in shops and I've owned a few. They're not at all marketed as custom guitars.

 

[rwe333]

Originally posted by tthompso7
Junior's Music in Clinton CT has a bunch. Great guitars...not sure I'd agree that they're Fender Custom Shop quality. I see tons of G&L's lined up in shops and I've owned a few. They're not at all marketed as custom guitars.

No doubt I'm overstating my point to a degree (writing quickly w/ my one year old daughter asleep on me here...).
As for not marketing as custom instruments, there has been some - such as the "Even the label was applied by hand" ads and the fact that you can choose many options for the various models (neck profiles, etc).

 

[tthompso7]

Yeah... I'd say somewhere in between an American strat and Fender Custom Shop. Great guitars either way.

 

[mude]

There is no G&L Custom Shop - all their US-made instruments are hand-built custom orders... In other words, G&L is a custom shop (they do also offer a quality budget import line - Tribute).

Thanks for the info. I have played some of the Tributes and the good ones seems like absolute bargains to me.

Evan.

 

[sanhozay]

Every Suhr that I have played epitomizes incredible craftsmanship and quality {Grosh and Anderson, also}.

G&L's are fantastic instruments but they vary all over the map and their pickups, albeit very good, don't have the detail and piano clarity that Suhr winds into his single coils. G&L pickups have a brittleness that grates on me.

And the Legacy's that I've played vary tremendously in weight and neck shapes. I owned a great Legacy that I gave to a friend for helping me out. It was a fine player but it didn't cut it for me; there was not sweetness to the notes and the pickups telegraphed a dead sounding slab of Alder. With Suhr you're going to hear the wood and chances are you're going to love it.

Personally, I really love the work that Don Grosh does. You often find them used for a song.

 

[Mike Dresch]

I've got to so with Suhr as well. I've played some ASAT's I've really liked from G&L as well as some of their basses though.

I'm kind of biased, here's my Suhr Standard:

Basswood body/quilt top, one piece maple neck, 16 degree radius.

The playability is so good, I can't describe it other than to say near perfect. The sound is awesome!

 

[MichaelK]

G&Ls are truly hand made guitars, as well built as Fender Custom Shop, IMO. The fact that they build to your specs without a "custom shop" upcharge doesn't make them less good. Marketing has nothing to do with how well they're made.

If you want to know which is "best sounding" you won't find out from the internet. If you see 12 posts that say "Suhr" and 10 that say "G&L," what are you gonna do, go with the majority vote and consider that research?

You can spec two identical guitars from the same builder and one will sound better than the other. No one can "help you pick" sight unseen. All they can do is tell what they bought.

 

[Miles Long]

Thanks for the info everyone.I think the Suhr is the clear winner.How do Johns' humbuckers sound?I am torn between Koa wood and the basswood with maple top.I am concered about the wood choice.I dont want it to be too. bright and thin sounding.

 

[Den]

Originally posted by Miles Long
Thanks for the info everyone.I think the Suhr is the clear winner.How do Johns' humbuckers sound?I am torn between Koa wood and the basswood with maple top.I am concered about the wood choice.I dont want it to be too. bright and thin sounding.

I've played a lot of Suhrs ... and "bright and thin sounding" is not a description I've ever found to apply. You can give John a call and tell him what you're looking for ... he'll help you put together the right combination.

My Suhr Standard is Basswood with Maple top, two V60LP's and a DSV bridge ... and I love everything about it.

 

[AJ Love]

Suhr gets my vote as well. Incredible guitars

 

[ccteleman]

For the uberstrat thing, you can't go wrong with Suhr. For me it would be that or a Tyler

I like JST HB pickups by the way.

For me I would go with the Maple top over Koa, but either way sure to please.

Call/Email them with what you want out of it and see what they come up with. Very cool/easy to work with.

C