G&L guitars

J

jitter bug

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had an issue forum searching this title.

Any owners here with good or bad experiences?

am i right in that it was leo fenders end of days designs? which could mean something special...or very contrary, like a gary glitter post fame/gain scenario

i have an american tele. i really like alot of gibson guitarists but i cant abandon the tele. i forget how i first came across the G&L lines, but i was intriqued from the first sight. i saw a dude jamming on one in a music shop in portland, me. he had others, liked them, sounded real good. never seen another in shop anywhere out this way.

so whats up? im about due for a second guitar.
 
I don't own one or want to own one, but a buddy of mine had one for about 15 years and it was the nicest Tele I've ever played, and I generally dislike Teles. It just felt solid and it for whatever reason wasn't as searingly bright as a regular Tele. I don't know. It was a great guitar. Real solid. His house got burglarized and that was the end of that.
 
I've got 2 (an early 80's SC-2 and an 84 Rampage) they are great guitars. Leo did in fact own the company (I believe his wife still does) and it was his and George Fullerton's company after he/they had sold out of Musicman. They are becoming collectors pieces because they don't make many, the quality is top notch (on the American ones anyway) and most of the time they blow away stock Fenders (even vintage). But, like everything else, it's more up to you. Do you like it? If not, get what you do like. I love G&Ls and used to have about 5.
 
I remember in the mid 80's I went to purchase an electric and the G&L's we somewhat new. As stated, Fender had sold his company and couldn't use his name, hence G&L. These were a high quality guitar (at the time they were all US made). The prices were right there with Gibsons and Fenders. I ended up buying Guild Electric. Great sound on the Guild (pickups had such a nice fat sound), but it wouldn't stay in tune.
 
G&L Legacy Special

For the past three years I've been using a 1993 Legacy Special (Strat) on stage. What can I say: Sperzel locking tuners, fast neck action nearly as good as my LP Custom (but with a longer scale) and very easy to play, Strat tones from the five toggle switch positions, plenty of treble or bass from the pots, a whammy that you can push and pull with abandon without detuning your guitar (sometimes to the point of being hard to believe), a fit tighter than my ex-wife's budget and a finish tougher than her lawyer. Definitely a quality, pro piece. The tone controls are markedly different than a standard strat but the learning-curve is quick. Supposedly all hand-made. I love my Strat but the action doesn't compare and every time I pick it up after using the G&L the Strat standard ("vintage") hardware makes the Strat come across like a toy. A tad longer than a Strat so I wasn't comfortable with it in a Fender case (too tight against the inside edge); an SKB case works fine. The case it comes with is nice but I don't like the "twist-and-lock" mechanisms and the fact that it is a little bigger and heavier than it needs to be. As far as playability and performance, probably matches most of the Custom Shop offerings.

I haven't met a Tele guy that doesn't have something good to say about the G&L ASAT.

I know that G&L offers all their models in two lines: the original, American-made models and made-overseas models. I only have experience with the American-made line.

Their basses are pretty well respected.

Paj
8^)
 
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I can only say good things about them. I haven't messed with the tribute series. I have a ASAT tele from '91 that I will be buried with. The American made guitars are made on Fender Ave. where Leo's original Fender factory was. It's like buying a Heritage from Kalamazoo, there more Gibson than today's Gibson. Paj is right about the Legacy Special, mine has the split rails in it and it's a monster. My regular legacy has a traditional strat sound and a beefier maple neck. My L-2000 is just solid and the loudest bass I've ever heard, being left handed I have carried it to multiple jams and whenever I follow someone (using their amp) and kept the same settings on their amps, it just seems audibly twice as loud. Go to there website glguitars.com and take a look around.
 
I've got an ASAT Jr. and an '80s S-500. The ASAT gets more playing time than the rest of my electrics combined. I'm a big fan.

Both my G&Ls are USA made but I've played a reasonable number of Tributes and was quite satisfied with the build quality. The Tributes get (or at least used to get) the same American made pickups as the USA built ones.
 
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