A Gathering to Praise the Brilliance of Suhr Pickups

Hello everyone! I’m Kito, a guitar instructor working quietly in Nagoya.
Now, let me ask, have you tried swapping out your pickups recently?

From Lindy Fralin and Seymour Duncan to Rio Grande, there are so many brands offering a wide variety of pickups.

Each has its unique sound profiles—vintage-inspired, modern, modern-vintage, metal-oriented, and so on. Today, I want to dive into the fantastic world of Suhr pickups.

My main Strat has got:

• Suhr ML (Front)
• Suhr ML (Middle)
• Thornbucker (Rear)

These pickups give my Strat that ‘Suhr experience’, and I rely on them constantly. So, let’s jump in and take a look at some highly recommended Suhr pickups!

Recommended Suhr Pickup #1: Suhr ML

Suhr / ML Neck Parchment

First up is the Suhr ML, which I use regularly. As described on Sound House:

“Designed by John Suhr in collaboration with top players Michael Landau and Kirk Fletcher, this pickup delivers the refined nuances of vintage tones, a powerful fat lead sound, and sparkling rhythm, catering to all playing styles.”

With world-renowned players like Landau and Fletcher involved in the pickup’s development, you can immediately tell that the ML is a highly reliable choice.

This description might make you think it has a purely ‘vintage’ sound, but surprisingly, that’s not the case—it has a broad range and a unique character.

Specifically, it’s not the type of pickup that delivers an overwhelming amount of high-end. However, it produces a beautiful, chime-like sound in half-tone settings, making it a hard-to-define yet versatile pickup.

Its strengths lie in its punch and tonal sheen. Additionally, it’s remarkably resistant to noise for a single-coil, which I think is classic Suhr quality.

Noise can be a real hassle in recording, but the ML should perform very well in that regard. With all 15 reviews on Sound House rating it five stars, the ML’s excellence is clear.

Recommended Suhr Pickup #2: Suhr Thornbucker

Suhr / Thornbucker Bridge 53mm Raw Nickel

The Thornbucker is named after pro guitarist and now popular YouTuber Pete Thorn.

This pickup falls into the PAF category but, like the ML, it stands out for its clear, lustrous sound quality.

One of its best features is that even when heavily distorted, the bass remains defined rather than muddy, and it captures the nuances of your picking exceptionally well, making it a superb choice for drive tones.

Suhr’s signature ‘modern vintage’ approach is outstanding here. As I noted with the ML, it’s not overly vintage-oriented.

Instead, it effectively addresses common guitarist complaints, like noise issues and muddiness in the low end, solving those ‘tricky spots’ with ease. Suhr really is an impressive brand.

On Sound House, the Thornbucker holds a perfect five-star rating across five reviews—a testament to its high regard.

Recommended Suhr Pickup #3: Suhr DSH+

Suhr / DSH+ Black 53mm

Lastly, let me talk about the DSH+. While the previous picks—ML and Thornbucker—lean toward a modern vintage style, the DSH+ packs a serious punch.

I’ve tried a guitar fitted with the DSH+ before, and I found it delivers impressive sustain, feeling particularly suited to distortion-focused soundscapes.

In the same category, I might also consider the Doug Aldrich model. The Thornbucker can handle high-gain settings, but the DSH+ is even better suited for players who rely heavily on distortion.

On Sound House, the DSH+ has received eight reviews, with seven rated at five stars and one at four stars, showing it’s highly regarded. As the number of reviews increases, ratings can naturally vary, but the consistently high trust from users speaks to the appeal of Suhr pickups.

So, that’s my review of Suhr pickups! There are many pickup options out there, so I’m not saying you must use Suhr. However, for those looking for modern-vintage or modern tones, these pickups can bring you closer to the sound you’re aiming for.

Until next time!

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