Suhr, Xotic, Fender CS, etc. vs High-End Warmoth

[TBurst Std]

Congrats
PS I did pick up that Tele I was eyeballing for months. CS 52 Tele

Start a thread on a review of the Overtone Special

 

[alexreinhold]

Congrats
PS I did pick up that Tele I was eyeballing for months. CS 52 Tele

Start a thread on a review of the Overtone Special

Did you get a relic one or NOS? I find it so hard to find non-relic CS models these days..

Will definitely post a review of the amp. Did a lot of research and am very curious if it holds up to its reputation

 

[TBurst Std]

It’s a relic. Not my preference, but I don’t care. It’s about tone, functionality and playability.

 

[TBurst Std]

https://imgur.com/xbAAOiu

 

[alexreinhold]

OK, I did pull the trigger. I asked Thomann to prepare 8 guitars for me to test + i picked another 5 from shelves. I tried various Fender CS guitars, various Suhrs, a PRS and a Maybach. All of them in the price range 3000€-9000€. I had my favorite Warmoth strat with me and extensively compared all guitars with my cousin (who is a sound engineer and has an incredible ear) for tone and playability.

Bottom line: I would NOT have bought 12 of the 13 guitars I tried. I was already imagining my next build.

But then there was this one Suhr Paulownia Classic S (which had my least favorable design, as I was actually going for pink, cream or a strong sonic blue). And I certainly did not want a tortoise pickguard. But there it was - that feeling. It completely overshadowed all the other guitars. The setup, the neck wood, the playability, the tone. It just felt so incredibly right. Luckily, I currently have enough cash to make myself this wonderful xmas present... You can find a picture of my favorite Warmoth hanging with its new Suhr friend below.

PS: the head of Thomann's custom shop department (who owns a few Warmoth necks himself) told me that he sees absolutely no quality difference in my strat (which he gave a lengthy test drive and ended up loving) and most expensive custom guitars they sell - pretty much validating what we have concluded here.
PPS: the color is trans sonic blue. The more light, the more it looks like white. The less light, the more it looks like blue. Super confusing.

 

[TBurst Std]

That's gorgeous. Congrats!

That neck is stunning to look at. And yes sonic blue is like that. If you don't like the tort guard, that's an easy fix.

I don't know why it is, but often the one is the girl sitting all alone at the back corner of the dance.

I had another GAS attack yesterday on Festivus. See the For Sale section here. Yep Gibson J-45 in route.

 

[Waraxe]

3 to 5k , I would start 3 to 5 new warmoth builds

Same here. 3 to 5 starts would mean none are complete. I could do 2 or maybe 3 tops. I have expensive tastes, I guess.

I think its a tinkerers age old question. Why pay for a contractor when I can build it myself? Why pay for a table if I can build it myself? Why buy a guitar if I can build it myself?

There are those that are tinkerers and those that just arent. I love to tinker. I can count on one hand how many electrics I own that are the same as when they left the factory. The rest are parts casters or have been modded by me sometimes just a pickup change or other times more extensive.

I have met plenty of guitar players and other hobbyests that love their respective hobbies like LEGO for example. There are those who collect LEGO sets and those who collect LEGO bricks to build whatever they can imagine. Is one "better" than the other? Nope and thats ok.

I absolutely wouldnt pay for a Suhr or Anderson or Fender CS but thats because I know that even if I ordered exactly what I wanted today, I would still change it up in the next 2-3 years so instead I build guitars I like from parts I can find or make and have exactly what I want.

Each person has a different goal fot their guitar playing journey and no path is better than the other.

So true! I'm a tinkerer at heart, but am realizing it's far easier to exchange a bit of money to get certain things done. Guitars are one of those things that I still do.

Well rule 1, buy used. That 5k guitars is now 2.5-3k. And you get to try before you buy. You already know what you’re getting.

True, but you're limited in scope of spec.

I think that's the part that's messing with my OCD. We have these in-depth conversations about what factors make up tone and I guess we all agree that it's 99% pickups and amp/effects. How is it then possible that I sometimes pick up an instrument with specs very familiar to me but it just sounds stunning - oh, and vice versa of course. 1+1=2, right?


I absolutely love my Warmoth guitars. I can say with full confidence that, for my taste, my builds outperform 99% of all shelf guitars in a store. That's why I keep building rather than buying. But as I said, you sometimes get your hands on a CS that suddenly seems to be on another level. And it's not just setup I think.


Gonna try a few Suhrs at Thomann next week. Wanna see how they play - it's crazy how many people are raving on about their quality..

I think the level of personalization is directly related to the satisfaction level. I feel the same way about my guitars. It takes something special for me to go "wow" when I visit music stores.



My theory on why the higher end stuff is that much better.
It ain't the hardware. That is pretty much available on non custom stuff.
Is it the setup? I don't think so. If it was, then all guitars could be at that level.
I think it's wood selection and mating at the production level. They can choose whatever they feel will work, compared to the next body or neck in the pile or on the line. They can also try a different neck or body if the combo is a dog. I've heard of builders scraping guitars because they sound bad. This HAS to be it.

 

[Spud]

Alex, you are a smooth operator! Congratulations!

 

[stultzies9]

OK, I did pull the trigger. I asked Thomann to prepare 8 guitars for me to test + i picked another 5 from shelves. I tried various Fender CS guitars, various Suhrs, a PRS and a Maybach. All of them in the price range 3000€-9000€. I had my favorite Warmoth strat with me and extensively compared all guitars with my cousin (who is a sound engineer and has an incredible ear) for tone and playability.

Bottom line: I would NOT have bought 12 of the 13 guitars I tried. I was already imagining my next build.

But then there was this one Suhr Paulownia Classic S (which had my least favorable design, as I was actually going for pink, cream or a strong sonic blue). And I certainly did not want a tortoise pickguard. But there it was - that feeling. It completely overshadowed all the other guitars. The setup, the neck wood, the playability, the tone. It just felt so incredibly right. Luckily, I currently have enough cash to make myself this wonderful xmas present... You can find a picture of my favorite Warmoth hanging with its new Suhr friend below.

PS: the head of Thomann's custom shop department (who owns a few Warmoth necks himself) told me that he sees absolutely no quality difference in my strat (which he gave a lengthy test drive and ended up loving) and most expensive custom guitars they sell - pretty much validating what we have concluded here.
PPS: the color is trans sonic blue. The more light, the more it looks like white. The less light, the more it looks like blue. Super confusing.

View attachment 63721

That's the same model of Suhr as my buddy here in town owns. It's a KILLER guitar! Great pick, man!

 

[alexreinhold]

I don't know why it is, but often the one is the girl sitting all alone at the back corner of the dance.

100% - I kind of love that. It's either the very first pick that clicks right away or the very random one you didn't even consider.

That's the same model of Suhr as my buddy here in town owns. It's a KILLER guitar! Great pick, man!

After a few days, I can only confirm that I do not regret a single cent I spent for it.

 

[BroccoliRob]

Is it the setup? I don't think so. If it was, then all guitars could be at that level

could, sure, but they ain't/aren't and it's because of $$$ and