High-end Fender vs Suhr

[edder]

Nope. Rosewood is brighter than maple. Common misconception.

tell that to those gabajillion websites, builders, users saying otherwise. :mrgreen:

 

[mrtwo]

Nope. Rosewood is brighter than maple. Common misconception.

I learnt something new today! I like maple boards

 

[ShredCow]

that's why common mah.

Probably has to do with the attack when using maple vs. rosewood.

 

[KayCee]

With reference to the Rosewood/maple + ash body combo, I agree with Suhr and Shredcow. I think what Suhr means its a brighter presence which turns unpleasant - this is probably the sizzle he means.

Also, not all rosewood is created equal. Brazilian rosewood is almost as hard as ebony and plenty bright.

For most builders and listeners alike, our ears are attuned to particular frequencies and we favour a certain type of sound. To be really scientific, we'll have mic the piece of wood to a strobe to really know if it's really brighter.

Personally (not a scientific observation), rosewood is not darker and could be brighter on some occasions. It just emphasizes a different part of the frequency spectrum and appears to make the sound 'warmer'. Just like how mahogany with lots of mids appear to be 'warmer' than say ash.

 

[edder]

naahhh... if it looks darker it sounds warmer! its all about the looks! :mrgreen:

 

[ShredCow]

Ebony has gotta be darker than darkest dark!

 

[edder]

ebony is evil! :mrgreen: dark sounds.... dark dark sounds.....

 

[snuffleupagus]

But still I think I prefer fenders because they have more mojo, and mojo is more important than anything else to me when it comes to expressing myself with my rock and roll poses in front of my cracked mirror..

 

[edder]

snuff for prez!

 

[Whitestrat]

Nope. Rosewood is brighter than maple. Common misconception.

That's what I found too... It's just that RW has more than just brightness. The tone seems less focused, and the mid range and bass freq are preserved, while maple eliminates them... That's why some think that RW is darker... Not entirely true though...

But also, I think tonewoods play only like 10% of a tone factor. The majority still lies with the pickups and amps...

 

[JMguitars]

I have a couple of Suhrs. I have a couple of CS Fenders. I also collect from various other small scale builders.

Each company, large manufacturer or small scale builder has their own niche and targeted customer base.

Mostly, they dont try to be everything to everybody.

The right answer (on guitars) - for you & you alone - is the one that makes you happy.

Personally, I think its great that we live in an age of plentiful choices + easy access to information from other consumers.

 

[JMguitars]

With reference to the Rosewood/maple + ash body combo, I agree with Suhr and Shredcow. I think what Suhr means its a brighter presence which turns unpleasant - this is probably the sizzle he means.

and accentuated by the design and sound of his pickups. His pickups didnt gel with me unfortunately.

But, many others love his pickups - so these are just my own personal opinions.

 

[PatheinRaindropMoe]

hehe, lucky music isnt looking at waveform, adjusting frequency and staring at the oscilloscope all the time, we would prolly go crazy

 

[subversion]

before i close this thread, would like to hear from everyone, which Suhr body wood type/ hardware/ electronics they would NOT want to invest in.

IMO there are people who would avoid a basswood boady (not that they are bad of course but it's how much we eventually pay for one).

 

[Whitestrat]

before i close this thread, would like to hear from everyone, which Suhr body wood type/ hardware/ electronics they would NOT want to invest in.

IMO there are people who would avoid a basswood boady (not that they are bad of course but it's how much we eventually pay for one).

I'd rather not have a basswood body, or a HH or Floating trem from a Suhr. Basics are best. That's the key to seeing whether the guitar was built badly or now. Single coils as pickups don't lie. They tell the blatant truth. If the tone is bad on a single, then there's a glitch somewhere.

 

[ShredCow]

I've seen a basswood body that has grain that will (and it has) fool many into thinking its alder.

There's good quality basswood to be had - different from the cheaper variants found in Ibanez guitars for example.

Anyway, there's a reason woods for guitars are termed 'tonewoods'. Its just another factor for tone - so the perceived cost of a tonewood should not be the basis for selection. Its all about the tone (ahh... felt good saying that).

That said, I wouldn't be keen on ordering a Suhr spec-ed to say... a standard strat-type setup. I'd go for Fixed bridges, modern takes on vintage trems or a floyd rose... If its basswood, I'd add a maple cap. I wouldn't order an elbow cutaway, I find I don't need it and I prefer to think that I have more tonewood hence more tone. I wouldn't want a bridge single coil - maybe a P90 is about the most I'd go.

 

[KennethC]

I wouldn't want a bridge single coil - maybe a P90 is about the most I'd go.

A Z-90 is the way to go dude

 

[subversion]

would Guthrie Govan's guitars be desireable to the members here?

 

[ShredCow]

would Guthrie Govan's guitars be desireable to the members here?

I'd take the hair.

 

[Whitestrat]

would Guthrie Govan's guitars be desireable to the members here?

Not to me...