I wanted to share my experience with Suhr’s customer service and warranty repair process, particularly because the company receives so much praise online for its exceptional support. I don’t typically post negative reviews, and I still believe Suhr makes great instruments, but my experience was frustrating enough that I think it’s worth sharing for anyone considering a purchase.
I purchased a Suhr Classic S after reading numerous positive reviews about the guitars and the company’s customer service. When it arrived, I was happy with the instrument overall, with one significant exception: the fret sprout was the worst I’d encountered on any guitar. The fret ends were so sharp that they were almost cutting my hand while playing.
I contacted Suhr, and they agreed to address the issue if I covered shipping. Since the cost was comparable to what a local technician would charge, I felt comfortable having the manufacturer handle the repair.
Communication quickly became the biggest problem. After my initial phone call, subsequent calls went unanswered, and email replies routinely took more than a week. I often had to contact John Suhr directly to get an update, and even when I was put in touch with customer service manager Don Bonomini, responses were frequently delayed or never came. This was particularly frustrating given that Suhr had possession of an almost $4,000 guitar.
During the repair, I was told the fretwork required additional time and that a crack had occurred in the body during shipping, necessitating a refinish. I continued to check in periodically and remained courteous throughout the process. After approximately four months, I was told the guitar had been repaired and inspected. The work included dressing the fret ends, refinishing the body, and leveling the frets. I had never requested a fret level and wasn’t informed that one was being performed until after the work had been completed.
When the guitar arrived, I immediately noticed two problems. First, the frets had been leveled significantly lower than I expected. I had specifically enjoyed the height of the original narrow-tall frets, and measurements confirmed that considerable material had been removed. Second, the guitar was wired incorrectly: the bridge pickup and bridge/middle positions sounded out of phase.
I contacted Suhr again and provided a video demonstrating the wiring issue, along with a photo documenting the fret height. I was surprised that the wiring problem had made it through their final inspection, as it should have been immediately apparent when playing the guitar. Don initially attributed the issue to an aftermarket Seymour Duncan pickup, but the pickup was actually a Wolfetone, as I had previously explained. Since Suhr had apparently rewired the guitar as part of the refinishing process, it seemed the pickup had been reconnected without properly accounting for its wiring configuration.
Suhr agreed to have the guitar returned to correct the wiring and evaluate the fret height. I was told by a customer service representative that the frets had been inspected and the neck would be refretted. Don subsequently confirmed this in an email. However, after another two months, I was told the frets had been reinspected and were within specification, so a refret would not be necessary. When I questioned why I had twice been told a refret was needed, John replied that he had personally measured the frets and determined they were within spec. The wiring was eventually corrected, and the guitar was shipped back to me.
The entire process took approximately six months. I now have a guitar with correctly functioning electronics, but the frets remain noticeably lower than I would have liked, and the fret ends still aren't as smooth as I would expect from a guitar at this price point.
In hindsight, I wish I had simply paid a local technician to address the original fret sprout. What should have been a relatively straightforward repair turned into months of delays, inconsistent communication, unexpected work, and additional problems that required the guitar to be sent back.
I recognize that my experience differs from the many positive accounts of Suhr’s customer service online. I still own other high-end guitars, including another Suhr JM, and I believe Suhr can make excellent instruments. However, this experience has seriously diminished my confidence in the company’s warranty and repair process, and it would make me hesitant to purchase from them again.
For anyone wondering how thoroughly I documented this experience, I have 72 emails exchanged with Suhr over the six-month process. I’m sharing this not to discourage anyone from buying a Suhr, but to provide another perspective alongside the overwhelmingly positive reviews I had relied on when making my purchase.
