Suhr or Anderson

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Gitfiddler

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Both seem to get quite a bit of love on here and elsewhere. For those of you who have owned or have played both, which do you prefer and why (tone, comfort, cost, appearance, features, one is more suitable for a particular style of music?)?


thanks!
 
played ~ 6 of each.

of the 6 Andersons of which all were cobras, one of them was extra special with a drop top chosen by TA himself. That guitar was LOUD unplugged, and the neck felt like a million dollars, just felt right in your hands - nothing you needed to change to or nothing to dislike. it held its tuning great and the buzz feiten nut really sounded great for open chords. best damn guitar i have ever played or heard, it even had store clerks asking questions and gathered a crowd in ~20 minutes, and before i saw what it was, it was collecting dust hanging at the top of a ceiling in a back corner. 1.5 weeks later i found the original owner here on RT and it was sold back to him.

the other Cobra's were not custom drop tops, however the necks and guitars still had that same feeling to them and sounded great. played great too.

the Suhrs felt like fender neck backs to me, different neck options available of course but make that my opinion - it felt like a fender neck but with custom shop quality. the guitars played the same as a fender as well, there was nothing that i heard, felt, played, that made each of them stand out as a $3k guitar, only in looks and wood quality did they seem like an upper end model. i actually prefer one of those 2010 USA or MIJ San Dimas necks over a Suhr neck, and guitar for guitar i prefer the san dimas guitar both in sound, feel, playing, and price point. When i strummed an F#m chord on both, the TA's pack a punch and hit you in the gut - you can feel it. did the same on the Suhrs and nothing stood out - just sounded like every other guitar that i have played or like a high quality fender. And this was the same for three of them.

By far a TA fan and for good reason. Honest guy, has replied to any emails i sent and in a timely manner, and having played both can honestly say id take a TA over a Suhr anyday of the week - modern or not.

This is also coming from a nut swinger who hated both for years, thought they were blowing smoke and were a complete rip - off, when i actually had the chance to demo, so far 6 over the years of each, it was obvious what they delivered to me. Wont be happy until i own a TA :rock:
 
Recently played a cobra at a local dealer. This guitar was in desperate need of a set up. There was so much relief in the neck the action was about .25" off the fretboard. Price tag was $3600 and it was the only TA they had. Kinda redidulous to have such a nice guitar hanging there in such bad shape.
 
Both are great companies. I prefer TAs though. They just play a little bit better. Playing a TA just feels right, it's like it plays itself.
 
Haven't played both. But I guess it comes down what feels right for you. They seem to be of equal quality. I own a TA so I'm trying not to be bias but judging from clips, I like TA tones best, which probably comes down to pickups.
 
I agree that both make excellent guitars. I prefer Suhrs myself. I've owned a TA, and while it was great.....the Suhrs I have now just fit me better. I just love the way they sound, play, look, etc. I would not be against owning another TA, but my Suhrs will always be my main players. You just have to figure out which one is best for you. For me personally, I have never owned or played any other guitars that felt so right as the day I got my first Suhr. It was like finding the holy grail or something.
 
I must say i have not dealt with Suhr personally so my post seemed biased on the customer service, but i do know that both are excellent standup guys. It really comes down to personal preference. I know the wood quality of the TA's i have played have always been top notch.

I would really make an effort to play at least one of each before buying, two totally different feeling guitars IMHO - nothing seemed the same except price areas of investment.
 
I own a 7/11/11 Drop Top and a new Suhr Modern in Aquamarine with a hardtail. Both are fantastic guitars...but so are Tylers. The Anderson is Alder with a maple neck and the Suhr is all mahogany. They are unique to each other with great necks. Not a build flaw on neither. I've met both John and Tom. They are both great guys. Suhr has been quit busy over the last year with the move and demand. Tyler also is moving into a new shop. So that might answer some of the response issues. I've owned 3 Suhrs and 7 Andersons. Alot depends on you and what you like.
 
Too many different wood combos, different models, etc. to say one is better. Both top notch guitars. You could find a great one with each builder.
 
I'm a Suhr guy through and through. They just feel "right" in my hands when I'm playing and that's what works for me. However Tom Anderson makes a killer guitar too and though he offers less options than John, there's still some great models to check out with top notch craftsmanship.

W.
 
Both are absolutely top notch. I have owned 5 Suhrs and played numerous Andersons. Both guys offer OUTSTANDING customer service. Its actually SHOCKING to me how much interaction John Suhr has with his customer base considering how much larger his company is than Tom Anderson. I would bet they make at LEAST 8 times more guitars a month than TA does and thats not even counting the amps, cabs, pedals, pups, and everything else that John happens to have his hands in. He is extremely hands on considering....

I truly believe that you cant go wrong with either one, and that any perceived superiority of one over the other is purely a matter of personal preference
 
I've played quite a few Suhrs. A friend of mine was a dealer and went thru a bunch of them. They were nice, but none had that sound unplugged that I look for in a guitar. He's now just playing Andersons. I like my Andersons, great guitars for me.

When you are at this price level, most everything is nice. Just have to decide what is right for you.
 
Tom Anderson for me as well. Don't forget James Tyler...
 
Both are top notch, but with anything else you need to play the guitars and judge them on an individual basis. You really can't throw a blanket over it and just say that brand A is better. They each offer a few models that are unique like Suhr's moderns or Anderson Cobra's and Bulldog. The Suhr standards and Anderson Drop Top's are pretty similiar though.

The biggest different I have found between the 2 brands is the sound of the pickups. I prefer Anderson's H2+ and H3 humbuckers for heavy rock tones as they have a lot of bottom. The Suhr SSH+ is nice but a little brighter an cuts well. If you have a bright guitar with not much bottom the H3 would make a good choice.

I will say this though after owning several Anderson's and Suhr's. If I wanted a guitar that gives me the best kickass hard rock and metal tones, I'd probably be reaching for a Les Paul.
 
George and Dan pretty much summed up my thoughts. Both make great guitars...it comes down to which one you bond with better.

To George's point about unplugged sound, I agree completely...that was the first thing that came to mind when I saw the thread title. Andersons just have a more resonant, "alive" quality in my experience.
 
I have tried a few Suhrs and own 3 Andersons and they are all great guitars. I agree with George, in this price range you are getting a great guitar. I ultimately chose Tom because of his service and interaction. Simple as that.


AmpliFIRE":vchutbin said:
Tom Anderson for me as well. Don't forget James Tyler...
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Do you own an Anderson? I know you had that killer Tyler for a while. I would love to try one someday. Hard to find a place in Utah that would even carry one.
 
Andersons for me. Like many have said, they just play so great right off the bat. You never even want to change the initial set of strings on that they come with they play so good. The even taper neck profile is awesome. Perfect for me. I have a Drop Top 7 coming soon and I can't wait for it.

Suhr makes great stuff, too.
 
I have both an Anderson and a Suhr on order. The Anderson should be delivered in March and the Suhr by mid summer. Cant wait!
 
Another builder you cannot go wrong with is Melancon.Hes a good friend of Toms as well. They do not hold their resale value so if you find one used its every bit as good as the Suhrs and TA's I have played and can be found allot cheaper. Extremely resonant also.
 
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