Rabs Posted May 20, 2014 Posted May 20, 2014 When its a G&L guitar... How does that work? Leo's side company? Lol.. Ive not seen these G&Ls before.. anyone tried one?
capmaster Posted May 20, 2014 Posted May 20, 2014 Looks pretty close to this Fender ICF (Indonesia) model here which I own one of since February, 2013: http://www.fender.com/en-CA/series/special-edition/special-edition-custom-telecaster-fmt-hh-rosewood-fingerboard-amber/ It was the first set-neck Fender I've ever seen. The fret wires are of giant height, so I never touch the fingerboard for intonation's sake. Due to woods, design and construction, they are some kind of "Les Paul light" guitars. ;) Since the neck pickup is reverse wound/reverse polarity, both pickups together in coil split operation are humbucking. The stock Seymour Duncans are marvellous. However, a trembucker in the bridge position would match string spacing better.
Ryan H Posted May 21, 2014 Posted May 21, 2014 You guys seriously don't know what a G&L is? rct I was thinking the same thing. For the uneducated, G&L (George Fullerton & Leo Fender) was founded by George and Leo after Leo left Music Man (which he helped design guitars using his company CLF (Clarence "Leo" Fender) Research after he sold Fender). He cited these as "the best instruments he's ever made" and you can see his continued innovation in the guitars G&L makes. -Ryan
bonzoboy Posted May 21, 2014 Posted May 21, 2014 In response to whoever posted about not seeing set-neck Fenders:Fender has made set necks in the past,I forget the exact production years and the names(I'm 800 miles away from all my guitar reference books),but most were limited production hollow and semi hollow body guitars.The Fender Custom Shop has turned out several set neck Teles and Strats also.
69tele Posted May 21, 2014 Posted May 21, 2014 In my opinion a Fender is not a Fender when it is not made by Fender. Never tried G&L but I am sure they are great guitars, Leo also worked with Musicman who also make great instruments. Then again the Fender production lines are now so wide and blurred than "fenders" are made anywhere from China, through Mexico, Japan to the USA
Jimi Mac Posted May 21, 2014 Posted May 21, 2014 G&L has been around long enough to be considered a veteran guitar maker. There are also plenty of Fenders that seem un-Fender-like; From the Robben Ford/Esprit to the Coronado and the Starcaster (the vintage semi-hollow body not the cheapo strat copy) which have both recently been reissued for the very first time... The price line on both the Coronado and the Starcaster show them to be imports IMHO and I would have thought such a vintage model being reproduced should have been a higher end guitar, but I must say being what it is might actually allow me to buy one which I am contemplating. I'm especially fond of the Starcaster: They were hard to come by back in my day in the late 1980's already and going for what was then pretty steep prices for an original vintage; anywhere from $1,400 to $2,400 and higher for exceptional examples... A brand new American Standard Strat was going for between $500 & $600 then and seemed pretty steep at that... The reissue Starcaster is selling for $699 @ Sweetwater currently... G&L's are great guitars and I particularly like the Comanchee: If I were interested in a Strat style guitar that is... As any guitar maker these days, they offer both USA made and imports in their line... I have no personal experience other than a quick noodle or two of a G&L ASAT at a guitar shop years ago and have no idea how their imports rate with current imports like Epiphone, Vintage, and Squire... I suspect they are good based upon the company's history of producing fine guitars...
capmaster Posted May 21, 2014 Posted May 21, 2014 You guys seriously don't know what a G&L is? rct I was thinking the same thing. For the uneducated, G&L (George Fullerton & Leo Fender) was founded by George and Leo after Leo left Music Man (which he helped design guitars using his company CLF (Clarence "Leo" Fender) Research after he sold Fender). He cited these as "the best instruments he's ever made" and you can see his continued innovation in the guitars G&L makes. -Ryan In the 1980s, some of my pals played G&L instruments. Nice guitars and basses. I checked out several G&Ls over the years, there were some "close calls" but I never ended up with buying one.
Rabs Posted May 21, 2014 Author Posted May 21, 2014 In all honestly... I have ever seen one before... It was just something that was totally off my radar. I think ive heard them mentioned on here... but was more interested to see if anyone has actually tried one cos they look pretty good.
rct Posted May 22, 2014 Posted May 22, 2014 I've been using Fedners since 1971 when I started. I'm a nut about guitar history, particularly Fender, Gibson, and Martin. G&L has a place in there, but for me, their guitars have always been just eh. George and Leo had it all, he should have never sold it, or he should have sold it and stayed out of the biz. If they were that good, or I could feel the movement of history in them, I'd own all the ones I wanted, but I don't. Like a Music Man amp, I played bunches back then, they were nice, just didn't move Fender ahead for me. I'm sorry to say the G&L Tributes are just another imported knockoff with the owners' name on it, that's all. Not that great at all. I run into a G&L only rarely, and I always sit down and whack at it. rct
Karloff Posted May 22, 2014 Posted May 22, 2014 and for many years, Leo hand signed each neck before it was bolted onto a guitar. so the older G&L's, take off the neck, and there's the man, either on the bottom or butt end of the neck
rct Posted May 22, 2014 Posted May 22, 2014 and for many years, Leo hand signed each neck before it was bolted onto a guitar. so the older G&L's, take off the neck, and there's the man, either on the bottom or butt end of the neck I know man. Kills me. I'd rather have CLF on an Esquire or Tele though. rct
Rabs Posted May 22, 2014 Author Posted May 22, 2014 Interesting... Thanks for all the info guys... My guitar madness only really started in about 2008 or so... Before that I had my Classic and a Studio before that and was happy with it and never questioned it for many years.. So I have learned a fair amount the last few years a lot from this forum... And most of that is Gibson based... I respect Fender an all but just have never been as interested in them. I guess theres still a lot of reading for me to do.. :)
capmaster Posted May 22, 2014 Posted May 22, 2014 I've been using Fedners since 1971 when I started. I'm a nut about guitar history, particularly Fender, Gibson, and Martin. G&L has a place in there, but for me, their guitars have always been just eh. George and Leo had it all, he should have never sold it, or he should have sold it and stayed out of the biz. If they were that good, or I could feel the movement of history in them, I'd own all the ones I wanted, but I don't. Like a Music Man amp, I played bunches back then, they were nice, just didn't move Fender ahead for me. I'm sorry to say the G&L Tributes are just another imported knockoff with the owners' name on it, that's all. Not that great at all. I run into a G&L only rarely, and I always sit down and whack at it. rct and for many years, Leo hand signed each neck before it was bolted onto a guitar. so the older G&L's, take off the neck, and there's the man, either on the bottom or butt end of the neck I know man. Kills me. I'd rather have CLF on an Esquire or Tele though. rct Same here. Regardless if it was for public relations or simply due to him not playing guitar himself, Leo always pointed out that his recent developments were improved ones. In contrary, the musicians' demand went its own way, and looking back Leo's later instruments were rather different than better compared to earlier ones. Often you can't beat a Telecaster with another Fender. It's a similar thing as with Les Paul guitars I believe. Given their state of development around 1957 to 1960, one can make guitars different but hardly better.
Jimi Mac Posted May 22, 2014 Posted May 22, 2014 It's a similar thing as with Les Paul guitars I believe. Given their state of development around 1957 to 1960, one can make guitars different but hardly better. Amen! And neither technological improvements, progress, nor our attempts to "perfect" them or correct what at the time we take to be their short-comings actually seems to improve them... For me also, like Rabs says, they don't hold much interest for me now. Yet I can't help but contemplate the Starcaster. A Fender Strat was everything there ever was in a guitar for me in my youth. Now, meh... Frankly, I'd probably go for a G&L Comanchee or a Legacy before I ever bought another Strat for myself! I'm in my Les Paul/Gibson era now... I've said several times before I think Fender over-saturated the market w/Strats and to me they're a-dime-a-dozen now and there's something about the pop/fad/hyped over-abundance that turns me off... It's like rooting for the underdog, I can't simply join the band-wagon and be a fair-weather fan... Such things hold distaste for me and my personal contemplation...
69tele Posted May 22, 2014 Posted May 22, 2014 G&L has been around long enough to be considered a veteran guitar maker. There are also plenty of Fenders that seem un-Fender-like; From the Robben Ford/Esprit to the Coronado and the Starcaster (the vintage semi-hollow body not the cheapo strat copy) which have both recently been reissued for the very first time... The price line on both the Coronado and the Starcaster show them to be imports IMHO and I would have thought such a vintage model being reproduced should have been a higher end guitar, but I must say being what it is might actually allow me to buy one which I am contemplating. I'm especially fond of the Starcaster: They were hard to come by back in my day in the late 1980's already and going for what was then pretty steep prices for an original vintage; anywhere from $1,400 to $2,400 and higher for exceptional examples... A brand new American Standard Strat was going for between $500 & $600 then and seemed pretty steep at that... The reissue Starcaster is selling for $699 @ Sweetwater currently... G&L's are great guitars and I particularly like the Comanchee: If I were interested in a Strat style guitar that is... As any guitar maker these days, they offer both USA made and imports in their line... I have no personal experience other than a quick noodle or two of a G&L ASAT at a guitar shop years ago and have no idea how their imports rate with current imports like Epiphone, Vintage, and Squire... I suspect they are good based upon the company's history of producing fine guitars... Tried the new Starcaster in a store in UK in Jan... felt cheap and badly made... not impressed at all, for the same money you can have somethink like a mexican cabronita.
Jimi Mac Posted May 23, 2014 Posted May 23, 2014 Tried the new Starcaster in a store in UK in Jan... felt cheap and badly made... not impressed at all, for the same money you can have somethink like a mexican cabronita. Dang, sad to hear that... I do like the Baja Tele...
american cheez Posted May 23, 2014 Posted May 23, 2014 i've played a comanche before, and i thought it was a great guitar. had their been a used one available when i bought my am std, i would have bought the G&L instead.
davidl Posted May 23, 2014 Posted May 23, 2014 This one is also not a Fender. Its a Suhr Pro series S3 Easily rivals the build quality of my 1960 Re-issue Les Paul. Plays like butter.
quapman Posted May 23, 2014 Posted May 23, 2014 In my opinion a Fender is not a Fender when it is not made by Fender. Yepper... cant argue that. How about,,, When is a Strat not a Strat? When it has a humbucker... lol For me a humbucker in a Strat is just wrong wrong wrong... Sorry,,, not a reference to the photo above.
capmaster Posted May 23, 2014 Posted May 23, 2014 Yepper... cant argue that. How about,,, When is a Strat not a Strat? When it has a humbucker... lol For me a humbucker in a Strat is just wrong wrong wrong... For me, too. I switched to Fender Noiseless SSS pickups with all of my Floyd Rose Strats. They whyever come stock HSS equipped only...
jdgm Posted May 23, 2014 Posted May 23, 2014 How about,,, When is a Strat not a Strat? When it has a humbucker... lol For me a humbucker in a Strat is just wrong wrong wrong... Oh dear....you mean like this.....?? Works for me.
quapman Posted May 23, 2014 Posted May 23, 2014 Oh dear....you mean like this.....?? Lol,,, yes,,, I knew I was going to offend someone I liked lol.. Sorry bro,, nothing personal :) Opinion only. I just have a special place in my psyche for the classic single coil sound.
'Scales Posted May 23, 2014 Posted May 23, 2014 I'm going out on a limb here and suspecting you don't play girlie pop songs on that thing!
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