What is the Hamer of G&L Strats?

[Ting Ho Dung]

3 singles. no superstrat or Floyd type. Also what can one find them for on the used market and availability.

What finish does G&L use? I see they have different neck profiles which I like. Which one is your favorite? I know it may not be mine but would like to know why you like it.

Anything else you can think of I should know about G&L?

I have never held one or seen one in person.

[django49]

Resale value is questionable. In my never ending quest for a "Strat" I can live with, I ended up with 2 (USA) Legacys. One regular type (Ash, 3 singles, blonde), the other a "Special" with 3 SC size buckers.(sunburst, alder).

The first SEEMS to be all that a Strat should be. The second has a beefier tone.

I guess it is my personal character flaw.......Every time I get them out, I like just about everything about them......'Cept not enough so as to play either of them live. So, mostly, they go unplayed. Just not "me"....YMMV.

[mrjamiam]

Very good, very consistent quality by all accounts, but doesn't hold value from new - buy used.

S-500, Commanche and Legacy are all the same except for electronics. Expect swimming pool route (but don't piss in it).

S-500 has MFD pickups (a Leo Fender re-think of single coils), Commanche has the Z humbucking pickups, Legacy has the three vintage-type AlNiCos. Except the Legacy Special has single coil-sized humbuckers. There are other variations. Expect PTB (passive treble and bass) tone set-up with master volume.

Older ones might have the three-bolt neck with micro-tilt. Otherwise 4-bolt. Not compatible with Fender or other necks, not supported on the aftermarket.

Edited to correct AlNiCo spelling.

[seeker]

I do like the PTB setup. One knob is like your trad tone control that in reality cuts the highs, whereas the other cuts the bass.

Also, really like the trem. Very very solid trem and trem arm. Pretty much stays in tune.

My only rub is that the way the guitar hangs seems to put the nut farther away from my body, so fretting down there is more of a stretch. For me.

[cynic]

Daytona

[Thundersteel]

I've heard many say G&Ls are custom-shop quality for a decent price. I had a Legacy several years ago; awesome build quality and great sound, but that's when I discovered bolt-on guitars weren't for me due to the large heel.

[tommy p]

Daytona

Exactly what I was thinking - why go for the "Hamer of..." when Hamer makes exactly what you're looking for?

[Hbom]

I had a Bluesboy for awhile. Great guitar until dumbass douglas sold it. I'm sure it's still a nice guit but dumbass doesn't own it anymore.

edit: Gotta agree with others. BUY USED!

[Ting Ho Dung]

Daytona

Exactly what I was thinking - why go for the "Hamer of..." when Hamer makes exactly what you're looking for?

Been there, done that, lookin' for something different and more stratty.

[JohnnyB]

G&L makes nine different Strat-shaped guitars featuring:

• Three basic models, Legacy, S-500, and Comanche
• Each model available in solid or semihollow body
• Six different pickup types, some unique to G&L

Pickup types include:

• Strat-size alnico single coils (Legacy)
• G&L MFD (magnetic field design) high output Strat-size pickups (S-500)
• Dual-blade Strat-sized humbuckers (Legacy Special)
• MFD Z-coil pickups, which cop a single coil sound while being dead quiet (Comanche)
• Various conventional humbuckers for HH and HSH configurations (Legacy HB)

Body woods are usually ash and alder, necks are rock maple available as quartersawn, fretboards can be maple, rosewood, or ebony. Several neck profiles are available at no extra cost.

Is there anything in particular you're looking for, or notice anything in the descriptions that piques your interest?

I still own a G&L Legacy (basic Strat type), ASAT Classic Semihollow, and a 1986 Lynx bass. I've also owned two other basses, two other ASATs and another Legacy (the dual-blade PU Special, which I really miss).

[JohnnyB]

If you want G&L's most traditional take on a Strat, you'd probably want a George Fullerton model. They're out of production, but they have the most traditional controls.

The G&L Legacy and Comanche knobs depart (for the better IMO) from the standard Strat. First one is master volume, second is passive treble and the third is passive bass.

These make sense when you get to know the G&L pickups' capabilities. The dual blade and the MFD high output pickups are way ballsier than standard Strat pickups and have higher bass output. However, if you dial back the bass knob you can cop the classic Strat sound. My Legacy Special (dual blades) had such a ballsy bottom end I had to set the guitar's bass knob to 4.

However, the ballsiness made it much more versatile. I could get lovely jazz sounds with it, could overdrive w/o a pedal, and I even tried one head-to-head with a Gibson Lucille, and it just had more bite and slam than the Lucille.

The S-500 and Comanche have a mini-toggle switch that enables you to get all 7 pickup combinations.

[Ting Ho Dung]

G&L makes nine different Strat-shaped guitars featuring:

• Three basic models, Legacy, S-500, and Comanche
• Each model available in solid or semihollow body
• Six different pickup types, some unique to G&L
• Solid or semihollow bodies

Pickup types include:

• Strat-size alnico single coils
• G&L MFD (magnetic field design) high output Strat-size pickupsG&L's own handwound Strat-sized alnico pickups
• Dual-blade Strat-sized humbuckers
• MFD Z-coil pickups, which cop a single coil sound while being dead quiet
• Various conventional humbuckers for HH and HSH configurations.

Body woods are usually ash and alder, necks are rock maple available as quartersawn, fretboards can be maple, rosewood, or ebony. Several neck profiles are available at no extra cost.

Is there anything in particular you're looking for, or notice anything in the descriptions that piques your interest?

I still own a G&L Legacy (basic Strat type), ASAT Classic Semihollow, and a 1986 Lynx bass. I've also owned two other basses, two other ASATs and another Legacy (the dual-blade PU Special, which I really miss).

I was looking at the tone system you noted. Also interested in their #1 neck (I think). Alder or swamp ash is fine. Looking at the classic 3 burst (tobacco maybe?) Saw one on Reverb that looked reasonable. https://reverb.com/item/1199505-g-l-legacy-2014-sunburst-tobacco

Something about most of the G&Ls I've been looking at though. Their colors aren't very pretty. At least to me. I looked on ebay for at least an hour and only found 2 or 3 to click on just by first appearances. Specs on the USA Legacy's all were pretty similar.

ETA: Thanks for posting all the info for me.

[JohnnyB]

Something about most of the G&Ls I've been looking at though. Their colors aren't very pretty. At least to me. I looked on ebay for at least an hour and only found 2 or 3 to click on just by first appearances.

The hell you say!

I wish I still had my Lake Placid Blue ASAT Special, sunburst ASAT III, and gorgeous blueburst/ash/maple Legacy Special to show you. Maybe those eBay pics just don't do 'em justice.

You might also take a look at the GuitarsbyLeo Registered Users Gallery for more pics.

[django49]

Beauty is in the eye of the beholder...

[Ting Ho Dung]

Maybe that's why they're on ebay. None of the ones I saw were as nice. Well I shouldn't say none. I just saw a lot that I didn't click on. Higher percentage than when I search other guitars. My search was narrow though.

[Jeff R]

Here's my '96 Legacy in a cool discontinued G&L color, called "tobacco sunburst."

I'd call it "barbecue (sauce) burst" if I was trying to accurately describe the color.

This one has what I believe to be their #1 classic "C" profile neck, and it's the best feeling guitar neck contour/radius/thickness wise that I've ever put my hands on.

[JohnnyB]

Maybe that's why they're on ebay. None of the ones I saw were as nice. Well I shouldn't say none. I just saw a lot that I didn't click on. Higher percentage than when I search other guitars. My search was narrow though.

I searched ebay for "G&L Legacy USA" to see what you were talking about and found a lot of crappy photos. The color and detail of many of the Legacy's listed was "off"--fuzzy, very low resolution so a gradually faded burst looked like two trips around the body with two spray cans. G&L finishes--the colors, the fades, the up-close detail, the high gloss finishes--are gorgeous.

BTW, the one you linked to on reverb.com looks nice and is reasonably priced. Used G&Ls were like used Hamers--many available in the $400-500 range a few years ago. But now, like Hamers, the used USA models often push $1000 and even more.

I bought my first G&L in 1997 and still have it.

On eBay, I notice that the pics in the dealer ads look pretty nice. You may have ignored them because of price, but check'em out for a more accurate depiction. Or just look at the pics supplied by our G&L-lovin' HFC-ers, because that's what they really look like. Caveat: the figured maple tops are upcharge options. But the figured ash ones are standard for translucent colors.

Back when I first was getting into guitar in 1997, I was doing my usual reading, playing, and fretting, wondering about neck profile, scale length, radius, pickup type, bolt- or glued neck, tone woods, etc. Then I picked up a Legacy in a store and started playing it and suddenly none of those things mattered. Its comfort, tones, and playability completely trumped anything else near its price range.

[tbonesullivan]

Yeah, my strat killer: 30th anniversary legacy:

It may look like classic white, but it's actually rainbow sparkle, which is hard to photograph. Fretboard is ebony, and neck carve is nice.

[mrjamiam]

BTW, the one you linked to on reverb.com looks nice and is reasonably priced. Used G&Ls were like used Hamers--many available in the $400-500 range. But now, like Hamers, the used USA models often push $1000 and even more.

Agreed. You might find some for less, but they'll likely be more used, too.

You might also put up a WTB thread here and see what turns up.

[it's me HHB]

I like the MFDs and I like the Treble Bass controls, but I HATE a floating trem which all the strat styles have. I had a Legacy for a while in the late 90's , sounded really good but I gave it up over the trem. Ive had several asats in the meantime and like them better overall, but did miss the trebel/ bass controls

[JohnnyB]

I like the MFDs and I like the Treble Bass controls, but I HATE a floating trem which all the strat styles have. I had a Legacy for a while in the late 90's , sounded really good but I gave it up over the trem. Ive had several asats in the meantime and like them better overall, but did miss the trebel/ bass controls

You can get a Legacy with a fixed Saddle-Lok bridge as an option, which means you get a more ergonomic guitar with the PTB controls. From the Options Page:

G&L Saddle Lock bridge

Substitute on all models which come standard with Dual Fulcrum vibrato. Not available on any ASAT Classic variant or JC Rampage.

ORDER CODE: SLB

I think I would really enjoy a semihollow Legacy Special (ash & maple) with the Saddle-Lock bridge.

[tbonesullivan]

If you want a hard-tail strat style guitar, EBMM or Carvin has those all over. The G&L ones can be harder to track down. My hard tail strat is a Carvin Bolt. Love the thing.

They also have a new trem option that is dive-only.

[JohnnyB]

The G&L Saddle-Lock bridge is no run-of-the-mill hardtail. It's probably the best bridge I've tried other than a 2-TEK.

G&L still offers a tobacco burst, but their website pic doesn't show any of the reddish edge Jeffro's Legacy has, so that must be what was discontinued or changed.

[tbonesullivan]

Is the Guitar version sunk into the body like the bass version is? It definitely IS a solid bridge, and has a set screw on the side that pushes the saddles together so they don't move.

The EBMM hardtail is bent steel with like 5 screws holding it on. The bridge carvin uses is not as robust, but is has the strings mounted through the body.

[tommy p]

Yeah, my strat killer: 30th anniversary legacy:

It may look like classic white, but it's actually rainbow sparkle, which is hard to photograph. Fretboard is ebony, and neck carve is nice.

I love those. Someone posted one locally for sale at $650 that he had modified to have a humbucker in the bridge position, but with the original pickguard/electronics available. I replied within about 30 minutes and he said he had already sold it. Either he realized he was giving it away and changed his mind or someone else saw the killer deal I saw and didn't waste any time jumping on it.

[JohnnyB]

Is the Guitar version sunk into the body like the bass version is? It definitely IS a solid bridge, and has a set screw on the side that pushes the saddles together so they don't move.

Yes. The protrusion that's pulled against the guitar body's end grain is a significant part of the sound.

The EBMM hardtail is bent steel with like 5 screws holding it on. The bridge carvin uses is not as robust, but is has the strings mounted through the body.

Leo Fender designed and patented both bridges. The G&L cast bridge with sunken protrusion and locking saddles is the more evolved design. According to G&L the Saddle-Lock has so much tone transfer you don't need string-thru (and I agree).

Also, the Saddle-Lock bridges for G&L 5-string basses allow for string-thru. They say the sharper break angle gives you a clearer-sounding low B.