HELP! G&L Guitars

[Muff Wiggler]

hi folks, i'm having a crazy dilemma

for about 20 years i've been waiting to buy myself 'the right strat'. i wasn't gonna wimp out and buy a cheapie or anything, because i know how right 'the right strat' feels to me.

i just sold the beautiful guitar i've been using in the meantime, i have a bunch of money in my hand, and i'm in the middle of searching to find 'the right strat' and purchase it

well, suddenly i'm having a MAJOR crisis, while at a shop looking for strats, i picked up a brand new G&L legacy. it has *all* the features i'm looking for in the strat i wanted, same color, same fretboard, same pickup type.

only things that weren't 100% ideal is that the tremolo bridge is a little big and 'floyd roseish' for my taste (but not nearly as bad as the big FL monstrosity), i'm not sure about the plastic nut, it's brand new and not an older model, the headstock is wierd looking, and, well, it's not a strat

ok, so that's a lot of things, but on the other hand finding these '100% ideals' in the strat i'm searching for probably won't happen all in the same guitar either, so i'm going to have to compromise on some of the things anyway.

but...you may say, 'that's a lot of stuff that's not ideal, muff', and you're right. but here's the other thing. while it doesn't say 'strat' on it, it's a strat. it's all the last final step in the evolution of leo fender's design for the strat. this much i know. i played it, and it's ROCK SOLID, and feels great, better than the brand new Strats i've tried (which is why one of my criteria was always an older strat, like up to 88-89 or so i guess). so that sort of eliminates the 'its not a strat' and the 'its not old' criteria.

and the headstock and tremolo things are cosmetic only, i'm sure they both add up to making it a better guitar.

anyway, besides this (all of which i've just learned today), i don't know a damn thing about G&L guitars, except that it was Leo Fender's company before he died.

I've waited my whole life to buy a strat and now i almost blew the money on something else that 'seemed' a better strat. am i succumbing to trend and marketing? wtf should i do?

can any of you guitar headz out there please do what you do and wax on and on about the merits of G&L vs. the Fender Corp, and their products, how do you all feel about these guitars, this goes out to Fender players and G&L players and otherwise guitar geeks who have an opinion on this.

thanks a bazillion

[BertKoor]

If it is love at first sight, even after you've held hand: GO FOR IT!!
If you don't, you'll always regret it...

[vonRed]

You're saying G&L is trendy and marketing savvy? What alternate universe are you posting from?

[mikebeck]

I bought G&L bass many many years ago and it's pretty much the same guitar as it was when it was new. I know that's not a dramatic endorsement, but I think it shows that their stuff is pretty solid. Most people I've talked to that own G&Ls are rather enthusiastic about their appreciation for G&L.
Strats - I've found them to be individuals. If I went by my impressions of some of the so-called high-end models I've tried, I might end up thinking they were bad guitars. I've had the same Strat for a long time. I found it in a used guitar store, and it simply felt right as soon as I held it. And then the sound followed suit. After anything I've learned and read about regarding guitars over the years, these two things beat any marketing or technical specs: Feels right. Sounds good. The rest is only minor details or fodder for esoteric collectors. Granted, I don't have to think about what it looks like since I don't play live any more, and was never in an "image" band anyway (that's not a slam against "image" it's just acknowledging that some people have to consider what it looks like).
Hey, Mr. Wiggler, I did indeed ramble here and forgot if I even addressed any of your questions!

[dachilles]

Nothing to worry about! They are very good guitars and you could always re-sell it if you decide you cant live with the headstock. ( Which I agree, somehow it just isnt that classic look. Not that it would stop me)

[Hink]

hi folks, i'm having a crazy dilemma

for about 20 years i've been waiting to buy myself 'the right strat'. i wasn't gonna wimp out and buy a cheapie or anything, because i know how right 'the right strat' feels to me.

i just sold the beautiful guitar i've been using in the meantime, i have a bunch of money in my hand, and i'm in the middle of searching to find 'the right strat' and purchase it

well, suddenly i'm having a MAJOR crisis, while at a shop looking for strats, i picked up a brand new G&L legacy. it has *all* the features i'm looking for in the strat i wanted, same color, same fretboard, same pickup type.

only things that weren't 100% ideal is that the tremolo bridge is a little big and 'floyd roseish' for my taste (but not nearly as bad as the big FL monstrosity), i'm not sure about the plastic nut, it's brand new and not an older model, the headstock is wierd looking, and, well, it's not a strat

ok, so that's a lot of things, but on the other hand finding these '100% ideals' in the strat i'm searching for probably won't happen all in the same guitar either, so i'm going to have to compromise on some of the things anyway.

but...you may say, 'that's a lot of stuff that's not ideal, muff', and you're right. but here's the other thing. while it doesn't say 'strat' on it, it's a strat. it's all the last final step in the evolution of leo fender's design for the strat. this much i know. i played it, and it's ROCK SOLID, and feels great, better than the brand new Strats i've tried (which is why one of my criteria was always an older strat, like up to 88-89 or so i guess). so that sort of eliminates the 'its not a strat' and the 'its not old' criteria.

and the headstock and tremolo things are cosmetic only, i'm sure they both add up to making it a better guitar.

anyway, besides this (all of which i've just learned today), i don't know a damn thing about G&L guitars, except that it was Leo Fender's company before he died.

I've waited my whole life to buy a strat and now i almost blew the money on something else that 'seemed' a better strat. am i succumbing to trend and marketing? wtf should i do?

can any of you guitar headz out there please do what you do and wax on and on about the merits of G&L vs. the Fender Corp, and their products, how do you all feel about these guitars, this goes out to Fender players and G&L players and otherwise guitar geeks who have an opinion on this.

thanks a bazillion

well I've looked this post over a bit and given this much thought...you may not be aware of this but I just got this new guitar, it's called a Daion I wouldn't trade it for either one

[Muff Wiggler]

hehehe Hink

well, after trying about 15 different strats, and A/B'ing them against this G&L...

ended up buying a G&L Legacy

vintage white lacquer, cream pickguard and controls, maple fretboard with the hand-rubbed gun oil finish

this thing is INCREDIBLE, it's everything i was looking for in a strat, and much much more, very happy with this purchase

thanks a lot for all your help everyone

[Hink]

fwiw I was flattered that you asked me my opinion...

[Muff Wiggler]

well sir, when I think "who knows more about guitars then I do?" you are at the top of the list

should have asked Lunch Money's opinion as well, as he's more of an axe-slinger than me, and local

anyway, no looking back now! i made the right call

cheers

[zerocrossing]

I've owned a G&L Skycaster (I think that's the model) for 23 years now and it's an amazing guitar. Far better than any Stratocaster I've ever tried. I once traded it to a music store and a was depressed for weeks. Luckily they didn't sell my guitar and I was able to get it back. I've not tried the new Legacy, but I imagine if it's anything like the guitar I own you'll be happy for many years to come. (do yourself a favor and upgrade the tuners to spritzel locking tuners, you'll find the tuning improves if you spend a lot of time on the trem bar like I do)

[susiwong]

Hi Muff,
congrats, imho you did the right thing.
First, G&Ls are serious guitars and among the best "Fenders" you can buy, period.
Second, are you aware how many country and blues players use G&L ? Those guys do know their "Fenders".
Third, it may not matter to you, but I'm a bit of a collector of "player's guitars" and while owning and playing several original Gibsons and Gretschs, for some odd reason my "Fender" dept. is mostly made up of custom-built "Fender" clones and Schecters, simply because those were the guitars that said "yes" when I found them.
My next Fender style might be a G&L, a real Fender or something else, I'll know the right one when I find it, nothing to do with brand names for me.
Enjoy your fine new guitar, BUT don't forget to post a nice photo !
Cheers, susiwong

[Germ777]

anyway, no looking back now! i made the right call

cheers

I see I got here a bit late, but I am glad you made the right choice
Another option would be to go to a good Luthier and tell him what you were looking for in a guitar. Chances are he would have an adequate solution for you.
Anyway. GLs are excellent guitars and I have played a couple "stratier than a strat" ones
@ Hink;
Hey dude what's up? How's life over there

[Hink]

anyway, no looking back now! i made the right call

cheers

I see I got here a bit late, but I am glad you made the right choice
Another option would be to go to a good Luthier and tell him what you were looking for in a guitar. Chances are he would have an adequate solution for you.
Anyway. GLs are excellent guitars and I have played a couple "stratier than a strat" ones
@ Hink;
Hey dude what's up? How's life over there

real good...send me your email my friend, I can't find it..

[Uncle E]

Regarding the nut, you could always put in an Earvana or one of those nice Tusq nuts that a lot of the boutique builders are using. Either one of those is better than what you'll find on most off-the-shelf strats, anyway. Once you've used an Earvana or the Buzz Feiten system, it's hard going back to a standard guitar.

Personally, the G&L headstock has always been one of my favorites.

[Muff Wiggler]

Eric! Great to see you bro

Thanks everyone for helping me feel even better about this purchase (which was a lot more than i ever expected to EVER spend on a guitar), i'm really really happy, and have no doubt about this - this is the guitar i've been looking for for YEARS (although I hate the newness, it needs to get banged up a bit)


Eric, in a few months when I feel like doing a setup, i'll probably pester you to help me pick a really good nut for it, and hopefully i can order it from you i want some low-friction thingy, preferrably anything but plastic, and i'm not keen on big locking monsters, i like the old-school look too much

cheers