Suhr Landau and Fralin Blues Special

[jbear]

Can anyone who has used both comment on the similarities and differences between the two.
I'm going for the Henderson/Landau tone...I know the Suhr does it...how about the Fralin?
I'd love to hear opinions.
You have another favorite for this flavor? Let's hear it.

[DreX]

Re: Suhr Landau and Fralin Blues Special

I don't have the Suhr Landau set, but I plan to try a set of the Standards some day. Are you interested in the ML Classic or ML Standard?

But I do have Fralin Blues Specials and Fralin Vintage Hots, and I can records samples of the Blues Specials later, along with a sample of something else for comparison.

[Dr.J4ckal]

Re: Suhr Landau and Fralin Blues Special

Hi, I have used both. Fralin was a lot more woody and fat sounding, very SRV-ish. But I find the quack in 4th position a bit lacking. And the fralin also tend to mud up with gain.
Suhr ML standards, (somehow I got a non-rwrp middle), a lot brighter, more chime, more quack. They're bold sounding but still has some strattiness. The classic version is very bright and clear with some of the best quack in the market, but can be a bit too clear and dry especially with maple boards. YMMV of course.
Btw, I'm not too familiar with Henderson's music so those were just some general observations.

[jbear]

Re: Suhr Landau and Fralin Blues Special

Hi, I have used both. Fralin was a lot more woody and fat sounding, very SRV-ish. But I find the quack in 4th position a bit lacking. And the fralin also tend to mud up with gain.
Suhr ML standards, (somehow I got a non-rwrp middle), a lot brighter, more chime, more quack. They're bold sounding but still has some strattiness. The classic version is very bright and clear with some of the best quack in the market, but can be a bit too clear and dry especially with maple boards. YMMV of course.
Btw, I'm not too familiar with Henderson's music so those were just some general observations.

That's super helpful thanks very much.
Henderson plays clean to fairly heavy OD for the most part.
I think either will do it...tough choice.

[DreX]

Re: Suhr Landau and Fralin Blues Special

I was just putting some time in with the Fralin Blues Specials, and for whatever reason, they've never wowed me. They're like a less prickly Lollar Blackface, nowhere near the mojo of the Fralin Vintage Hots. Neither of my Fralin Vintage Hots or Blues Specials seem all that great under heavy distortion, and I think that's owed to a combination of a softer attack and an emphasis on higher harmonics rather than meaty mids.

So I took out my Gauss magnetometer to see what the Guass is of the Fralin Blues Specials, suspecting they're lower Gauss, and HOLY **** they're all over the place. One pole piece will be 52 gauss, another will barely touch 30, and that's side by side. Maybe this is why I don't care for the sound, the string balance is a complete mess.

This isn't the only quality control issue I had with these Fralins, the other was that they reversed the hot and ground wires on the bridge of the Vintage Hots, so I installed them, wired up my guitar and played only to discover I had to unstring it and take all apart to fix that, wasting 25 minutes give or take because Fralin QC slipped up.

This is highly disappointing, I'm going to expedite a swap out with the Suhrs.. payday is around the corner.

OP, I'm going to suggest the Suhr, sound unheard, on account of Fralin's poor QC.

Hi, I have used both. Fralin was a lot more woody and fat sounding, very SRV-ish. But I find the quack in 4th position a bit lacking. And the fralin also tend to mud up with gain.
Suhr ML standards, (somehow I got a non-rwrp middle), a lot brighter, more chime, more quack. They're bold sounding but still has some strattiness. The classic version is very bright and clear with some of the best quack in the market, but can be a bit too clear and dry especially with maple boards. YMMV of course.
Btw, I'm not too familiar with Henderson's music so those were just some general observations.

That's a strong endorsement for the Suhr ML Standard, and when I get some, I plan to ask for a non RWRP too.

[DreX]

Re: Suhr Landau and Fralin Blues Special

That's super helpful thanks very much.
Henderson plays clean to fairly heavy OD for the most part.
I think either will do it...tough choice.

OP, you can have my Fralin Blues Specials, private message me your address and I will send them to you.

[jbear]

Re: Suhr Landau and Fralin Blues Special

PM sent and if you are serious...that is incredibly generous of you!