How "Stratty" is a Suhr Classic?

[Random Hero]

Any owners here cared to compare? I love the Fletcher Landau single coils so I suspect they sound great, but just how "Stratty"?

Any info would be cool.

 

[LReese]

I don't own a C2, but a Classic.

Suhrs are definitely Stratty sounding. They do feel different to a Fender, much more polished. But - pickups can be swapped if you don't like them. FL's get rave reviews, I like V60LP for alder rosewood and V54's for Ash/Maple.

 

[Random Hero]

Yeah, I should have asked about the Classics really.

So the Classics are very Stratty sounding?

 

[Pietro]

The one I played a few years ago was seriously stratty, and the workmanship was way off the charts, too.

 

[GarMan]

Yes. The Classic is pretty damn stratty. Both of mine have a HB in the bridge, but the neck and middle SCs give off those nice stratty sounds. I have FL Standards in mine, and I love them. Very complex pups to explain? They are just great.

In addition, the workmanship, as mentioned already, is other-worldly. So much so that it feels different from any Fender I've played. Remember, you can pretty much order one with vintage specs. One of mine has a 7.25 radius, with the Fender 6 Screw Bridge. I think that the old Fender trem has more of that Stratty tone than other bridges. That is just me though. However, I am sure others will agree with me.

 

[A-Bone]

I own two, one an Alder/Maple model with V54s and a Fender trem bridg, the other an Alder/Rosewood model with one Broadcaster bridge, one FL, and one S90 with a hardtail.

The former is like a super well-made stratocaster (with the remarkable addition of the SSC system). Definitely stratty in the sonic sense. The latter can definitely cop great strattish tones from the 2,3,4 positions, but definitely offers a different sonic character overall.

 

[LReese]

The 510 2 post is supposed to be as good. I should know when the bridge swap on one of my Classics is completed and back in my hands.

FWIW, I had a 6 screw and 2 screw 510 in my possession at the time I sent mine off. I called to verify immediately before shipping - The 2 screw is the more popular one and sounds as good as the 6 screw.

No experience with the FL except for trying a Classic in the bridge of my Strat with Suhr V54's - I did not the combination at all - the pickups did not combine well (bridge + middle quack was too thick, the bridge was fine on its own).

I would not hesitate (and I want to) to try again with a full set of FL Classics. The thing I've experienced with Suhr's pickups is that each model seems to have differences that works well with a particular type of construction.

 

[Oso]

The 510 2 post is supposed to be as good. I should know when the bridge swap on one of my Classics is completed and back in my hands.

FWIW, I had a 6 screw and 2 screw 510 in my possession at the time I sent mine off. I called to verify immediately before shipping - The 2 screw is the more popular one and sounds as good as the 6 screw.

No experience with the FL except for trying a Classic in the bridge of my Strat with Suhr V54's - I did not the combination at all - the pickups did not combine well (bridge + middle quack was too thick, the bridge was fine on its own).

I would not hesitate (and I want to) to try again with a full set of FL Classics. The thing I've experienced with Suhr's pickups is that each model seems to have differences that works well with a particular type of construction.

Standard Bridge pickup is overwound, if you want to really cop the between positions you should either have the tone disconnect when in the combo positions for extra zing or get a neck pickup for the bridge. That is what will make it authentic and use the V60LP or the FL Classics for a 62 tone. It actually balances just fine if you bring the bridge up close and the neck and middle twice as low which is the way it should be to avoid stratitus. The standard FLs are a little thicker than a vintage instrument. Otherwise the Classic is 100% vintage construction.

 

[Random Hero]

Standard Bridge pickup is overwound, if you want to really cop the between positions you should either have the tone disconnect when in the combo positions for extra zing or get a neck pickup for the bridge. That is what will make it authentic and use the V60LP or the FL Classics for a 62 tone. It actually balances just fine if you bring the bridge up close and the neck and middle twice as low which is the way it should be to avoid stratitus. The standard FLs are a little thicker than a vintage instrument. Otherwise the Classic is 100% vintage construction.

Awesome. I love the FLs so that's not a problem at all.

I'll be playing one of your Classics as my own in about a week, John, and I cannot wait!

 

[dsw67]

My Classic Antique Ash/Maple has V54's in it. Sounds good and stratty to me, and plays like a dream.

 

[Kappy]

I've only played a few with V60lps and I found them to be tres stratty, same goes for the people I've heard playing them in recordings.

 

[Defendant]

Very much like a nice strat, perhaps a touch on the bright and zingy side due to the SS frets.

 

[LReese]

Never noticed the Zingy side.

I've said this before in other threads...

My 1st Classic was extremely bright when I 1st got it. After playing it for several months a couple of times per week - it really mellowed out. Don't know if it was something I did (I did a few pickup swaps and a bridge swap and back) or just things coming together. It was really no zingier than any of my Fenders or other Classic (with Nickel Frets). I think I'm pretty picky when it comes to Strat tone - This one is a good one and I'm confident that it will come back to me even better. I perceive a quarter-sawn makes more difference in tone (in general) than SS frets.

I've been gravitating to a setup like Husky mentioned earlier on my Fenders - 4 pole switch (had bad luck with the 2 pole), tone disable on combo positions. I did like all 3 pickups the same a couple of years back, but at the moment I dig the hotter bridge PU.

 

[JDouglee]

All my Suhrs mellowed after the first few months. My latest Antique took about 2 months, and it just bloomed after that.

 

[walterw]

had one customer mildly complain about the "hi-fi" nature of his suhr compared to the "earthier" tones of the fender relics he was used to; i popped the suhr open and snipped the little capacitor sitting across the volume pot, and that was that.

 

[A-Bone]

The slightly extra brightness in my first Suhr Classic was what really taught me how to use the full sweep of the tone knob, rather than just going from one extreme to the other.

 

[GarMan]

All my Suhrs mellowed after the first few months. My latest Antique took about 2 months, and it just bloomed after that.

Mine did too after I played the hell out of them. Mine seem to really shine with D'Addario 10s too.

 

[Oso]

Very much like a nice strat, perhaps a touch on the bright and zingy side due to the SS frets.

They are only an OPTION. If you find ours too bright when you turn down the Volume then remove the Treble bleed circuit on the Volume pot. We only put those in at Fender on the Showmasters and old contemporary. Anderson also uses a treble bleed. Personally I like it since I like funk when turning down the volume but it isn't for everyone and will behave differently if you are using low capacitance and or short cables, in that case it may be overkill.

 

[Random Hero]

They are only an OPTION. If you find ours too bright when you turn down the Volume then remove the Treble bleed circuit on the Volume pot. We only put those in at Fender on the Showmasters and old contemporary. Anderson also uses a treble bleed. Personally I like it since I like funk when turning down the volume but it isn't for everyone and will behave differently if you are using low capacitance and or short cables, in that case it may be overkill.

I love the treble bleed circuit.

John, do you set up the 9-12" radius guitars with the same 1/16" action stock, or is it a hair higher?