John Surh on dropping his name in "Guitar Stories" documentary

[quizzaciously]

Something similar appeared  in a Pensa ad, showing a picture of the Pensa-Suhr  with a photoshopped head saying Pensa only:

http://www.mk-guitar.com/2014/01/04/photoshopped-mk1-in-official-pensa-ad/

Wow, this is fishy as hell...

I only can remember our Russian Orthodox Church leader photoshopping his €30k Breguet watches from the picture, but I can't imagine Mark doing this. Okay, we got you, you basically hate John Suhr. But why to do all this stuff? You can't change the history or it will look like this. I demand answers!

[Crusty]

Rudy closer friend from MK, and MK helping Rudy to make more business and not give attention to Suhr guitar.

But a bad form. Not consequence with picture of MK gentleman.

[JF]

That guitar was used in the Warm Up Gigs at Hammersmith Odeon as well and, I can't recall if it was before or after the Mandela show but, it was used at the Prince's Trust concert at the RAH with Clapton and Elton John so maybe John Suhr was a bit exaggerated about the rush...

yes we talked about that last year :

http://www.amarkintime.org/forum/index.php?topic=4881.msg107390#msg107390

[quizzaciously]

On Jeroen's website it says there was actually two Pensa-Suhr guitars... maybe Mark played different guitar before the Mandela show?

[dmg]

On Jeroen's website it says there was actually two Pensa-Suhr guitars... maybe Mark played different guitar before the Mandela show?

Now that opens a can of worms!  I loved both the sound and his playing at the Princes Trust concert 1988, especially on I Don't Wanna Go On With You Like That.  Superb.  Of course he did look to be in a good mood that night but far more serious at the other show.

Get well soon Elton BTW.

[MK_live]

No, that's not what I mention on my site at all. PT88 and Mandela is the same guitar.

Part from site:
Hand built by John Suhr in de late eighties, a guitar with an interesting story. The guitar first debuted in public during the Prince's Trust gala on 5th & 6th June 1988. Just a week later, it was used on the Nelson Mandela's 70th birthday concert in 1988 and it was Mark's main guitar from 1988 until 1993

[Crusty]

Before yellow Pensa Suhr gitar, MK play black Pensa Shur guitar.
http://www.oneverybootleg.nl/MK_guitars_pensasuhr_black_magazines.jpg

[MK_live]

True, but that one has nothing to do with Mandela or PT88 and i don't think John Suhr was referring to the black one as that guitar was already used in 1987.

[Crusty]

True, but that one has nothing to do with Mandela or PT88 and i don't think John Suhr was referring to the black one as that guitar was already used in 1987.

Sorry I wasnt reading to much carefully.

[quizzaciously]

Well then my next theory would be that John simply mixed the Mandela and PT88 gigs up.

[MK_live]

This is what I found on a forum years ago:

http://oneverybootleg.nl/MK001_story.htm

[Eddie Fox]

Ok, I don't wanna sound naive, I know Mark's not perfect, nobody is, but... is there any chance Rudy lied to him about who built the guitar? This whole thing is so weird. I see three possible scenarios here:

1. John is telling the truth and for some reason Mark is favoring Rudy;
2. John is lying, Rudy built it just like it was shown in Guitar Stories;
3. Rudy lied to Mark and Mark believes he built it.

I'm inclined to believe the first option is the truth...

[Jules]

As long as I know Rudy don't built guitars, they have people who does it in his shop... At least it was like that in the 80's and 90's...

[tobi777]

Neither do I know John Suhr personally nor Rudy Pensa. But I'm inclined to believe John.

He has proven over the years that he makes world class instruments. His career really took off after he left Pensa. So he wouldn't be in a sore need of telling everybody about his point of view.
I doubt if Rudy Pensa ever built one guitar on his own. I always thought he was more of a business man and some other builders create these guitars on behalf of Pensa.
In case of doubt I tend to believe the renowned guitar builder instead of the shrewd business man...

I've also heard a lot good things about Suhr as a person, how he runs his business and how he gets along with his customers - and many negative remarks about Pensa's shop in New York where you have to be a star to be treated nicely - at least these are the rumours.

Additionally the story with the napkin sounds great but highly improbable.

But even if Suhr just built it and Pensa was the "brain" behind it - I think it's highly unfair to not at least mention John Suhr - for god's sake his name was on the headstock!
Mark should know it better and this is not a very nice move - considering how long he played this guitar and how important it must have been to him in former years!

[Jules]

Mk is Rudy's friend for long time ago. John probably was for MK one of Rudy's worker, so he will stand with Rudy always.