Ryan's Gig Guide - September 2018

REVIEW: By Adam Roberts Suhr Classic Antique Suhr have been constructing high qual- ity American made guitars since 1997. The man responsible for its founding is an experienced guitar luthier who has served legends such as Michael Lan- dau, Scott Henderson, Doug Aldrich and Peter Frampton. His name is John Suhr. He spent time working for Rudy Pensa in the 80’s and also did a stint as a master builder for Fender Custom shop.With his knowledge and exper- tise he has brought to life some in- credible pieces of wood and by extension his company’s innovation and attention to detail is clear. This month we are taking a look at the Suhr Classic Antique.A guitar which has a familiar look but when held in your hands becomes a completely different beast.The Classic Antique sets out to merge a blend of vintage characteris- tics with modern technology that can elevate a players performance.The amalgamation of classic aesthetic with modern functionality has birthed an in- strument worthy of any level musician. Available in SSS or HSS, you will be able to choose between a traditional or a more contemporary layout.The HSS pickup configuration offers the widest array of tone options, resulting in an extremely versatile guitar with near endless sonic applications.Also listen out for the little piece of genius that hides in the circuitry. It may not be apparent until you plug the guitar in. Suhr have implemented their noise reduction system the Silent Single Coil System II.You would think a single coil sound without the 50Hz hum would come at a cost to your tone, but again they have pulled it off without any sac- rifice in the tonality of the pickups.To hear silence instead of the growling hum in the back- ground adds to the profes- sional aura that this guitar evokes. Remarkably, this system does not rely on battery so you do not have to worry about your guitar conking out on you mid set. If you are a working musician this is the multitool that can do every- thing and do it well. Another modern feature is the locking tuners. Locking tuner systems add tun- ing stability and also speed up the re- stringing process.Anything that makes changing strings a little easier is 28 rgg Sep 2018 www.ryansgigguide.com