Suhr goes back to the future with the limited edition Standard Legacy series

Suhr Legacy Standard series
(Image credit: Suhr)

Suhr has unveiled the limited edition Standard Legacy series, a range of high-end electric guitars that pay homage to the very first guitar John Suhr designed and made for himself, way back in 1984.

The idea for the Standard Legacy range might date back to the 80s but it is a design that remains every bit as relevant today, combining versatility with high performance. 

Available with a choice of a recessed Original Floyd Rose double-locking tremolo or a Gotoh 510 two-point unit, the Standard Legacy models are the archetypical souped-up S-style, assuming Suhr's S body shape, with solid African okoume bodies topped with figured maple, bolt-on maple necks topped with Indian rosewood fingerboards.

Those fingerboards have a 10"-14" compound radius, and are topped with 22 heavy (or jumbo) stainless steel frets, and allied to the satin smooth 'Even C Slim' profile neck, should make for a very contemporary feel – shreddable, but without the implication that you should be wearing Spandex and backcombing your air. 

Suhr Legacy Standard series

(Image credit: Suhr)

After all, Suhr's take on high-performance guitars is a little more rarified. Just look at the pictures – you might even want to dress up in your finest evening wear when sitting down to practise you scales. You certainly wouldn't want to put a fingerprint on those pristine finishes. 

Each guitar in the series comes fitted with an active EMG-85 humbucker at the bridge, with a pair of active EMG-SA single-coils occupying the middle and neck positions.Controlling this there are knobs for volume and tone, and a five-way blade pickup selector.

Finish options comprise Aged Cherry Burst, Suhr Burst, Black, Pelham Blue, and Trans Caramel, with each guitar finished with scraped binding, gold hardware, and. a high-gloss headstock that is a work of art – bevelled with a gold decal logo and scraped binding to match the body. And of course there are locking tuners. It's a headstock that will inspire a chef's kiss as you open the case.

Now, the bad news. These are not cheap and they're a limited run, priced $3,499. But if you are in the market for a do-anything electric guitar, then you want to head over to Suhr without delay.

Jonathan Horsley

Jonathan Horsley has been writing about guitars and guitar culture since 2005, playing them since 1990, and regularly contributes to MusicRadar, Total Guitar and Guitar World. He uses Jazz III nylon picks, 10s during the week, 9s at the weekend, and shamefully still struggles with rhythm figure one of Van Halen’s Panama.