Personally the Suhr was giving me the punch I like, but of course the PRS is what Mayer wanted with his rig and his music and John wanted a more classic feel as well. Thanks for putting this up, glad someone finally put up a vid like this! 👍🏻
Punch alright. Giant, bright, high def, piercing, dynamic, ear punch. No warmth. No lush squishy twang. I am confused people can actually prefer the sound of a Suhr, but I understand they do.
brett james I’m guessing you hear things brighter than them. We all perceive things differently, but also, probably physically hear things differently (like the older you are, the “brighter” you’ll want your tones because you can’t hear the brights you used to be able to
Own all 3. Silver Sky is really hard to beat, super easy to play & pups are amazing (wish it had stainless frets). Fender has a bit more mojo. Trying to sell the Suhr.
well, if we are here to judge sound of 3 guitars made from the same woods with almost identical shapes the pickups are basically at spot yeah? i liked fender too, suhr sounds cool too but a bit more modern sound (with distortion specialy), prs surprisingly did their least expressive and original guitar to the present date in my opinion, matches perfectly the artist! true work of art in that sense
Deus Herbert-Noel It's pretty obvious but if you need it explained it's because generally PRS and Suhr are considered higher end/better guitars. Yes I know it's a custom shop but still....
Very, very good job. I could easily hear the differences in the guitars. The comfort and feel aspect of each guitar would now come into play, as well as which one sounds good with your rig. Definitely enough difference to explore each option. To me, no winners, just different choices.
I just tried a Fender Elite Strat, an Original series 60s, and a Fender Professional alongside a Suhr Classic Pro and a Classic Antique Pro. As a session player I have been recording in the studio for more than 20 years and contrary to what most people say on the forums and everywhere, although I found the Suhr's build quality also superb very nice, but soundwise I found the Suhr very muffled, sterile and overly mid focused. On the other hand the Fender Professional sounded great, twangy, zingy and overall very ear pleasing, just the classic sound. The Fender Elite sounded very nice and the Noiseless pickups (version 4) sounded really good. The Fender Original was incredible sounding but the lack of modern feature on it was a bit annoying (No external truss rod adjustment, no noiseless system at all, no lockin tuner, etc...). The Suhr has some very handy features and again the build quality was wonderful, but for some reasons the sound on both Classic Pro and Antique Pro were really muffled and overly woody (for the lack of better term). It's a bit weird as I expected the opposite to be honest... I find the Fender Elite and Professional sounded the best to me by a rather huge margin. Just my two cents ^^
konnektlive my exact experience also. I think ppl are always looking for the shiny new object but in a real world play off the fender pro n elites are world class guitars. Mayer’s pups are absolutely tweaked in the scoop EQ direction for his pref no doubt too
For me its PRS, Fender, then Suhr. The PRS sound is more rounded and more of what I like. The Suhr sounds a little too twangy and bright to me. It's all preference though, all great guitars, I'd love to have any of them.
1 Fender 2 Suhr 3 PRS Great video, and a nice comparison. The PRS just felt ''too safe'', whereas the Fender was great on clean and the Suhr was great with overdrive.
When you find a Fender Strat that sounds killer like this, there's no match! I think the PRS has his own voice and personality, and if you like it you will stay with it for life. I'm disappointed with the Suhr: too thin and anonymous on clean sounds, it gets better with overdrive, but still not convincing me....
Can I just say I have never felt more satisfied than when I read the comments and saw how many people preferred the Fender. I know it's a personal choice, but just glad other people felt the way I did after hearing those three
@@itsmorphed6416 Im bending the shit out of my SS b string as we speak and its just ringing and ringing and ringing maybe find better guitar player friends?
There's something about the Fender that is more mid-range pushed and I love that for gain tones... but for cleans I prefer the mid-scooped sound of the PRS. But I mean the differences are very little, even tho RU-vid compresses the audio
Grant Huston I agree, a few of those examples Suhr was the best, and then the PRS’s mellow tone sounded clean and a bit more bass, which come in handy when dealing with a Fender. I have a start now, and I wish it had a bit more mellow tone to it. The headstock looks better to me, than the original. But sound wise, The PRS was the best, the Suhr is second, the Fender is third. Now, maybe if there is a comparison to a Fender from other eras, I’ll see if the PRS holds up.
I have to say the Suhr has the v60LP pickups which are designed to be a smoothed top 60s style pickup , so the muddiness that some talk about is actually intentional and its great for some styles , its the cheapest here too.
Got the good headphones out to listen here. All sounded good. So for me the best choice for my taste would be the Suhr with stainless steel frets, two point trem, modern neck radius and included hard shell case. Thank you for the head to head comparison!
I'm with you, luckyrocks; the modern features of a Suhr are all highly functional improvements to a strat. At gig volume, 99% of people aren't going to hear the difference in tone between all of these, so why not go with the easiest to play?
All sounded awesome. The Fender sounded the most vintage. The Suhr was the most modern sounding guitar and the PRS fell right in the middle of the two. I will probably pick up a PRS but the Suhr sounded awesome with a huge punchy sound and balls to the walls. Nice comparison! I would imagine that the PRS was the cheapest of the three as well.....
I would never think i would say this but that suhr totally wrecked, like cleans and crunch. Did not expect it to be my favorite. That fender is close behind and i love the color on it. But 1. suhr 2. fender 3. prs and im usually a vintage guy
I understand why john had the silver sky made. Prs is his sponsor, fender wasn't doing what he wanted. Thus it was born. With that being said, I don't like signature guitars. I feel, if you don't get a really nice suhr guitar with some exotic woods, your just paying a enormous amount of money for a slightly better fender clone. Ultimately, for this price range. I'd spec out a fender in their mod-shop. Which gets you YOUR instrument for a fair price.
Overall Fender, then PRS and suhr for some of the overdriven parts. So the fender sounds the most "Fat" PRS sounds like it has way to thin strings and to low action, and the suhr delivers much punch but just doesnt sound that good to me.
My thought was: "there's a Strat and two copies. Of course I'm going to prefer the Strat since it should sound like a Strat". Well, I definitely preferred the sound of the Suhr, except maybe the 6th string on the neck pickup.
Well, here's my 2 cents. I found the PRS the most pleasing sound when clean and slightly pushed. Sound is much like the Fender, but not as thin- had a little more dynamic range. The Fender is, of course the reference guitar in this comparison video. It sounded good, but my impression was that the player liked the Fender better, or was just more used to playing on it, and therefore played more authoritatively than with either of the other guitars, possibly skewing the results. The Suhr sounded too round/warm for a strat. It sounded best when pushed with gain and the screamer. Of course, I usually base guitar decisions on the neck and how it feels in my hand, which you just can't tell anything about from watching a video. The PRS would be my choice for sound, but when playing them in the past, the neck has seemed a little wide for me. Maybe time to try a Silver Sky...
I felt the fender more quacky and spanky, certainly the prs gets close but I think that is more balanced than the fender because it doesn't have that uncontrollable high end. The suhr has definitely more low end and with a good overdrive I think that you can get a good saturated and fat tone! Wonderful comparison! Cheers
I feel like the difference is miniscule in terms of what ends up in the mix, and have a feeling that a lot of what the PRS is worth is gonna come down to how it feels in your hands.
I'm an admitted Strat fanboy but I'd have to say the PRS definitely has the fullest and most clarified sound. At least in this particular video. Oddly enough on the Anderton's video with the PRS being played through an actual Mayer PRS amp I thought it sounded a little trebly.
Nice comparison video! The Fender sounds like a real nice old Strat. Suhr has a little more oomph and clarity. PRS has a little too much clarity. You know, the new Ibanez AZ is in this same league. That would be a good guitar to add to this line up.
I can honestly say in headphones I wasn't sure, but recently listened with nice studio monitors and the strat absolutely crushes. Nothing like the real thing!
Fender sounded the best to me. When I closed my eyes, it was closest to that classic strat sound I love. The PRS sounded like a great strat, but the fender edged it out. The Suhr sounded almost sterile to me.
Honestly... they ALL sounded fantastic! However, I personally felt like the Strat had fuller sounding neck & bridge pickups... and better 2&4 position tones. I have a Fender Custom Shop 63 sitting in front of me now, plus a fantastic Custom Shop Vintage Custom 1959 Strat that has a 7.25 to 9.5 compound radius... and they’re both absolutely wonderful instruments. That being said, I wouldn’t hesitate to own a PRS if I were looking for another guitar.
Very subtle differences in sound. i guess its more of how the feel is. I have always been more comfortable with a flatter radius. which is why i like the suhr stuff.
I believe that it depends on the prayer on what his needs are... Strats are a huge staple in music. The right woods and pickups and amp and your hands... Will determine what is perfect. All sounds good. PRS, Fender, Shur
Fender & PRS sounded almost identical to me... Fender might be a little more "mid-rangey" ....suhr definitely had more punch & "modern sound" i really like how the PRS looks tho
Spot on observations. The differences were all very subtle though. It really depends on the music you play. Also, with a little EQ these would all sound Identical, soooo.....
They all sound the same. Minus little nuances. The truth is....if you're a gigging musician, the drunks in the bar will never know the difference. Tone is all in the hands. Play what feels good and makes you happy.
I would never want to bring an expensive guitar to a gig. Too many drunks and thieves that are waiting accidents. Bring a cheap sub 1k guitar that plays nice and has good setup and pickups. I like the Fender American Special Stratocaster for the money.
same? Wow you have terrible discernment of hearing. The Fender and PRS I could see someone maybe saying that, but the Suhr obviously has more wood and midrange.
Partly true, but to the musicians' ear, you can feel the vibe of it. Wayback I have a cheapo Korean made strat and put Dimarzio Virtual Vintage singles. I could not help but keep on smiling during the gig. The sound was gratifying that makes you want to spank and dig the guitar more.
Great comparison! The Fender sounds best. In this video I can hear something the tech I use says about Suhrs: they sound like a "computer simulation" of the real thing. The PRS does its own thing, very nice, but not quite the classic Strat sound to my ears. No doubt the Suhr and the PRS are more playable and stable though. (BTW, I don't have a dog in "the fight", love Strats but I play a Hahn 229)
Would love all of them...but I have an American strat I bought used for $400...no way spending $2000 on these amazing guitars. I upgraded the pickups for under $200 m happy! For now 😬
Pam Clark found it on Craigslist it’s a 2003...the brother of the owner who already moved had the task to sell it cause he moved out west for work...I got him down from $550 to $400 cause I had to drive into NYC tolls and gas and new setup coz the work that had to be done on the guitar. Rusted frets and bridge...I guess he was anxious to get rid of it since it wasn’t his in the first place...I was gonna walk if he didn’t give me the deal.
infoowetrust back in the 60s the original fenders were ranged at that price. Just add in some pick ups and maybe a new neck and your guitar will be worth 700 or 600 more.
Just wanted to point out that he carefully avoids to say this lately very explosive word in a PRS video. From now on its a "Fender 60ies type guitar" I guess :-). No passive aggression, I just think it's funny.
Love how this "particular" Fender Custom Shop sounds, through this particular amp. As Mayer himself explained, with the Silver Sky he wanted the following: (and way more) - Replicate the sound of a 50 year old guitar without having to wait that long (came close, but probably not close enough) - All Silver Sky's to have consistent sound, out of the box, with more versatile tone controls. (Which will help achieve that "old" sound, or any single-coil sound to your liking) - Have the right amount of string tension for bends, again, consistently with any SS you pick up - Feel like a vintage Strat with it's round radius - Way cheaper than any vintage/Fender Custom Shop guitar I bet two different Fender 1963 Strat Relic's will feel and sound slightly different from one another. You get close to a beautiful vintage tone, and a beautiful looking guitar, which would otherwise cost you over 10 grand. Even this Suhr is over $3000. Taking all these into consideration, I would definitely go for the Silver Sky, which I already have, and with no regrets...yet :)
Exactly opposite. Suhr pickups on Classic Pros are way less juicy and in fact way colder than Fender and PRS. V70s are the lowest output pickups and that's why it can not produce that bell-like clean tone of the Fender. I have tried all 3 at the same time alongside many other Strat guitars and there is a bell-like dynamic quality to most Fender Strats that almost no other Strat has. Saying that, the newest Suhr Classic Pros ship with V60PL which are hotter and based on the Suhr website has the bell-like quality to them. John Suhr actually sayd he likes the V60PL pickups more than the rest.
Nice work! Wouldn't it be VERY interesting to compare it with the Chapman ML1 Pro Traditional? 😉 As the ML1 and the Silver Sky seem to me two of the best, warm sounding and singing modern takes on the "S", and you seem to think so too.. 😁 Liking that good vibe, good playing and simplicity of yours!
i promise to you this : better cleans = better guitar ... i always created better tone with guitars with better cleans ( even at drive tones sometimes )
Really good video BUT why is everyone saying “F-style” or “S-type”...? I get why manufacturers say it (I don’t support it, but I get it...). Can’t we all just say Fender & Strat type. That’s obviously what they’re based on. Even if they made enough differences to avoid legal issues or whatever. We know what they are.
Jeremy Reddoor I think if they did so Fender would have the ability to go through RU-vid and either claim rights to or shut down the video. It’s really not a big deal, just something brands and youtubers (especially those who are making money on RU-vid) need to be conscious about. Ive seen it on video game channels with Nintendo of Japan being very protective of their products and claiming rights to videos made by youtubers reviewing products.
tvoy batya I dunno, I guess it depends on what’s trademarked and what’s not. I just know it’s been seen on video game channels that some large companies will get aggressive when it comes to controlling the content of videos based on their product. I can understand if a youtuber just says “I’m gonna avoid that mess and just say s-type”. Even though John Mayer dropped the fender name left and right in his recent live stream.
Well not sure if it beats a fender strat but it is another leo fender version so it’s a strange comparison. Like his original idea vs update not sure the classic is awesome but he obviously did some cool updates too
Fender>suhr>prs, the prs sounded to me like too much metallic, i guess It has very shitty pickups remind me at a cheap squier bullet. Im impressed by the suhr awesome tone
I love the PRS headstock. Its also done properly. Strings are supposed to be straight in order to resonate and stay in tune. Most importantly for the G and D strings which due to the headstock design accomplish this. You will also find this methodology on Ernie Ball and Agostin guitars and many other high end axes. However, if you just hate the look then so be it. :)
KRK Rockit 5, so not good speakers. Flat response might be generous. They're not really all that different are they now? Any situation outside of a bedroom would cancel any difference completely. I doubt if the guitarist could tell what was what, let alone the audience. Add the usual distortion pedal, and it could be any guitar playing on stage. Thanks for the test anyway very interesting.
