Opinions on G&L Guitars?

jippy · #1 06-25-2003, 11:43 AM

I stopped by one of my local music stores last night and played the new Tribute guitars from G&L. These are the lesser-expensive, Korean-made models, but still include much of the same build quality in the USA models. I played both the Legacy (alder) and an S-500 Premium (swamp ash). Either these guitars are an exception to the rule, or Koream build quality and tolerance are leaps & bounds from what they used to be. I only had the luxury of plugging both guitars into a Fender Vibrolux, so no heavier tones were available. VERY nice guitars. My ears favored the S-500 a bit more. I liked the sharper attack and the neck pickup was a bit fuller sounding than the Legacy. Has anyone else had experience with this new model or G&L in general? I was pleasantly suprised and am considering picking one up.

gkelm · #2 06-25-2003, 02:19 PM

G&Ls are great in all aspects...I had a ASAT Special: amber clear over ash/rose board (tele with P-90 style pups). Every G&L, Legacy or ASAT, I've picked up seemed like a fine guitar.

Korean line now?...I guess everybody's doing it. I agree that Korean quality is getting better all the time...and prices seem to be going up acordingly. How were these priced?
Greg

jippy · #3 06-25-2003, 02:30 PM

The top of the line models (S-500 Premium) goes for around $489.99 (per the latest MF catalog). The store's price was a bit higher, but they can certainly match a competitor price. I plan to go back since they also carry a couple of Comanches. I want to A/B them to see how the tone and feel is between the two. Overall, this Korean model appears very well-built. Wood selection is better than I've seen; finishes are dro-dead gorgeous, and they feature the G&L pickups still wound in the US factory. They indicate all the fulcrum tremolo parts are manufactured overseas, but match the specs of the USA version exactly.

jay ratkowski · #4 06-25-2003, 04:16 PM

I like them. They play pretty nice (although most use too round of a radius for me), look great and are well made. Price is a tad high but not unreasonable. The only real problem with them is resale value sucks. So make sure you want to keep it.

Edit - also my S-500 has all the custom options and was something like $1400 (it was a NAMM feature model). I think it's purdy - http://www.jayratkowski.com/pics/gear/s5001.jpg

Scott 74 · #5 06-26-2003, 03:14 AM

I want the sivler sparkle ASAT! Beautiful guitars!

rlintz · #6 07-02-2003, 09:47 PM

Of the twelve guitars I own, two of the best sounding are my G&L SC-2 and my customized Legacy with large MFDs in the neck and bridge and a Z-coil in the middle. G&L are awesome guitars. I've heard great things about the Tribute line. These use US-made pups, the hardware is nearly identical to the USA stuff, and I've heard that the guitars are all inspected and setup at the plant in Fullerton.

Randy

rlintz · #7 07-02-2003, 09:48 PM

Of the twelve guitars I own, two of the best sounding are my G&L SC-2 and my customized Legacy with large MFDs in the neck and bridge and a Z-coil in the middle. G&L are awesome guitars. I've heard great things about the Tribute line. These use US-made pups, the hardware is nearly identical to the USA stuff, and I've heard that the guitars are all inspected and setup at the plant in Fullerton.

Randy

Dan D Mahnn · #8 07-04-2003, 06:41 PM

If you want the best of Fender your better off getting a G&L. If youve read any of my posts Ive never talked much about fenders and I own mostly Pauls. Fact is Im a huge closet fender fenatic. Ive read alot about the companies history. Despite how cliche it is to talk about the CBS buyout of fender, the fact is most guitar makers, including all the origional fender designers that were alive at the time (george and Leo Fender (G&L)), believe that to this day the company has not come back to any kind of decent manufacturing like it was before that time. If you only knew the stuff that went on during that period. Bean counters who knew nothing about guitars but were in charge of purchasing bought the cheapest possable materials. Materials that should never be used in an instrument. Left over scrap wood and wire from industries. Theyd buy wire for pickups in any guage or material just becouse it was the cheapest. Same with wood and paint. Fenders produced in the first few years after that arent even on par with a Yamaha Pacifico.

G&L was the new project. The new Fender. No holds barred. Highest quality insruments of the type.

I own a very old strat. The only other fender type guitar Id touch this day would be another vintage or a G&L. So you should feel very confident about G&L if your a fender lover. Youll be getting a more pure fender guitar then what the modern fender company sells.

ShredBird · #9 07-21-2003, 01:44 PM

well i stopped off in manhattan earlier this summer and had a chance to go down to 48th street between 5th and 6th avenue where if all you have been there you remember the stores over there... if not well then they have some great places over there... theres manny's music... just incase it ryhmes with lanny's music... and their is sam ash... also just in case it ryhems with cam ash, there are also a few other stores that sell just gibson and fender and some custom shops... any ways i went into manny's or Lanny's (ok thats the last time im doing that) and i had a chance to sit down for an hour and play a few of the American G&L's... now its hard for me to consider a bolt on because im a neck-thru freak... however i really love these things... i only played the american ones but i played the legacy which i really love and then i played one which i forgot the name of but its the one with the z-buckers and coil taps... this thing is AWESOME and its only like 1200 dollars for an american hand made guitar that sounds phenomenal... better then any fender strat ive played... i dont know about the korean models but their american models are still pretty affordable... id say to save up a while longer and pick up an american made G&L for a grand or so... it will be worth the wait, later
-Ran

clnh5 · #10 10-14-2003, 05:09 PM

G&L Guitars are good guitars made by fender, my friend has a ASAT and a custom made G&L , and she loves both of them, and i myself have played both of them, and they are very nice guitars.

darren wilson · #11 10-14-2003, 07:23 PM

G&L is not affiliated with Fender Musical Instrument Corp.

bammbamm · #12 10-15-2003, 01:47 PM

I would love to get my hands on the Commanche with the Z coils, the whole guitar has a great vibe to it.

Bamm

x2n · #13 10-17-2003, 01:24 PM

Hey,
Yes they are sweet guitars...I tried a comanche and I loved it....too bad I can't afford one or I would own one......

clnh5 · #14 10-17-2003, 03:44 PM

Yes, darren, but g&l guitars was a company founded by Leo Fender, george fullerton was a good friend of leo fender, leo named the company G&L (G for George Fullerton and L for Leo Fender) After Leo died his wife chose John C. McLaren to take over management of G&L guitars, to keep g&l guitars alive, like leo would have wanted it. And leo's wife is the chairman of G&L guitars. So, while G&L guitars arent made by fender guitars, essentially G&L guitars is the same thing as fender guitars, in that they were both the brainstorms and inspirations of Leo Fender.