G&L Comanche

Simple but beautiful. And just like that blonde I always wanted to get next to in college, the finish is natural over lovely curves. Solid medium-heavy swamp ash body that has excellent graining. Plain white pick guard and knobs. All the features, just as you'd expect.

I've owned several Strats including a 1973 and a 1999 American Deluxe Fat Strat and this is the sound that I've been looking for. I play blues and jazz and this guitar is so dynamic it blows me away everytime I pick it up. I find no need for effects playing through a Fender tweed amp. Give it a little extra volume and it can growl. Pull back a little and she just purrs. I am amazed at how long and clear a note will sing. I have to use that word because thats what its like. Its like she singing.

I bought her used and after new strings and a pro setup she is the most playable guitar I've ever owned

We've only been together a few months. Time will tell.

What can I say I'm in love. She is the perfect compliment for my G&L F-100.

Features : 10
??? Finish (Blue, transparent)
??? Body style (Strat)
??? Bridge style (Tune-O-Matic, Floyd Rose, Wilkinson)
??? Tuners (Locking)
??? Neck/Scale (Thin, Rosewood, Gun-oil option)
??? Any included accessories? (Case, and case candy)
??? 2004 (USA)
??? G&L Z coil PUP???s

2004 Swamp Ash with birds-eye gun oil neck. Perloid pick-guard. The Comanche trem stays in tune with the Sperzels and even a soft tap make her sing like a bird. Did I mention that this guitar looks classic and to this old guy it was the next logical step in the evolution of the strat. I am so happy that Leo never stopped trying and this guitar is a fitting tribute to his legacy. As a matter of fact, I purchase 2 of them that day. One in Blue-burst and the other is Cherry Sunburst with a Maple top. I thought I would use the other one for trade but that didn???t happen.

It never gives up, it never surrenders!!! I play old rock and I have for most of my 40 years and I have had many guitars slip through my hands, and my wife would tell you that I have many that have not :o) and this guitar convinced me to retire my strats to the music room. It is Versatile for many different types of music and it will NAIL the Ventures tunes. Blues, Rock, Pop are no problem as well.. No guitar can do it all but this one (at least for me) has help me cut down on the number of guitars I need on stage. I play it through a Fender Deluxe Reverb and a 64 Vibroverb and that combination just can not be beat.

What can I say? The action fit and finish are top quality. This guitar is built in a relatively small shop compared to the big boys and you get custom shop quality at a mass production price. Don???t get me wrong, they are not inexpensive instruments when compared to the Strat for a grand or less, but the quality and sounds are worth the extra bucks, and it could even cut down on the number of guitars you need to purchase to get the sounds you are looking for

It's built right with only the very best components. I have not had a problem and I don???t expect any.

Haven't needed to talk to them.

Overall an easy 10 rating. This has the sound, the looks, the classic feel and vibe that Leo is famous for. I understand that this was the guitar he was working on when he passed on and if this is true, I would guess that he created the perfect guitar and there was nothing left for him to accomplish on Earth.

2005 Swamp ash & georgeous figured maple top. Very cool birds eye gun oil neck. Perloid pickguard. I like the dual fulcrum trem, but I've been a Kahler guy for many years. My orignal G&L Rampages have Kahlers. I like them better, primarily because it can bend slacker and up further. The Comanche trem is more subtle. The Comanche trem stays in tune with the Sperzels even when dive bombed and pulled up to the stops. I restrung with EB Slinky standard 10's and it was as breeze with locking tuners. Did I mention that this guitar looks stunning? As mentioned before neck is thick. Not a problem for me.

Lots of sounds. Versitile for many different kinds of music. Blues, Rock, Pop. Not so much for metal or speed riffing. No guitar I've ever played will do it all. This one comes close. Thats why I gave it a 9 not a 10. Sounds absolutely inspiring through my little 60's Fender Princeton Reverb. Rich and thick tone with a bell like quality when using the micro togle to activate the combination neck and bridge pick-ups together. Very versitile through Deam Markley 2 channel RMA-150 hybrid amp (tube pre solid state power section, active tone) A country lickers dream with THD bi-valve and of course it sounds incredible through Mesa Boogie Triple Rec. All my G&L's sound awesome through the MB TR. It is the bomb for high quality guitars, sucks for cheap crappy axes - too hard to control.

What can I say? The action fit and finish are top quality, and it can be easily set up for any action type you prefer.

It's built like a brick sh&*Thouse. Everthing it tight. I gig 2-3X per month. Only had 10 days so haven't giged yet, but I'll for sure be gigging with it. I know guitars having managed a guitar store, owned 10's of dozens over the years, and worked on and set up thousands of guitars. I've no concerns about the durability whatsoever. Locking straps? I simply won't gig without them. One thing I will prbably do is to remove the neck finish on the bolt mating surface in the neck pocket. The tone is already sooo good I can only image what taking the tone damping finish off the mating surfaces will do. Yes, I tweak everything , I'm just particular. I'm sure the sound will then go to 10.

Haven't needed to talk to them.

Overall an easy 10 rating

Finish: wonderfull!! Honeyburst swamp ash body with quilted maple top, bird's eye maple neck and fretboard, white pearloid pickguard and white pick ups covers: the most beautiful guitar I ever had!
Strat style body
G.& L. Dual Fulcrum bridge: excellent!
Schaller locking tuners: excellent too!
G.& L. type 1#, 12' radius, maple, jumbo frets, Fender scale: excellent but impegnative.
Gig bag and humidifier: the original owner equipped the guitar with the security strap buttons.
Probably was made in 2005, in USA, of course!
22 frets
Solid
Volume, master high and master bass tones PTB system, 5 position switch, mini togggle for pick up expantion.
Pick ups 3 G.& L. Z single coils. with passive electronic ( I hate active electronic! )

I play guitar from about 35 years; in the past i playied professional and now I play part-time rock -blues with a band and every kind of music in a studio were we recorded computer music, commercial, pop or music for movies.
I use a Crate VC 5212 or I play straight into the computer using a program which emulate many different amps and effects; when i play live I use two overdrives, a ProCo Rat for the very distorted tones and an old Chandler tube Overdrive setted with very low drive for blues tones, an Ibanez Rotary Chorus, an Ibanez Digital Delay and a Marshall Vibratrem.
It is not noisy, probably the quietest single coils equipped guitar that I ever had.
I'm agree with all the previous comments that said that The Comanche is not "only" a very good SuperStrat; it is something very different and more! An incredible well done guitar ( but this don't surprise me because I have two ASATs too and I know how the G.& L. guys work...), with a very big range sounds and opportunities: the Comanche is expecially good for the recording studio work: it is versatile with a wide choose of sounds and both the tone knobs work very well, they are very smart and responsive and gives to the player the opportunity to find very interestings sounds.
About the live work you must learn how to use this guitar: you can set the tones in the way you like more and use only the volume and the pickups selector to avoid risks, but anyway the mini toggle gives to you other two opportunities of changing sound. When the bass tone knob is all close the volume of the instrument decrease and , of course , the tone become bright and to thin. Personally I set both the tones about at half and after I turn the bass knob a maximum open to play the solos.
It has almost every kind of tone you can have from a single coils equipped guitar: it can play bright, clean or fat and warm.It don't plays just only like a Les Paul or similar style guitars.
The sounds neck+middle and middle+bridge are the best of this kind that I ever heard!; the all three togheter is excellent.
The "like a Tele" sound is good, but a good Tele is another thing...
Each one of the Z coils used alone, sounds different from my expectations and very strange and new to me: very good but anyway different from the classic Strat pick ups.
In particular I found a couple of sounds very close to the Clapton last production and many sounds that you can ear in the Hellecasters albums. I just don't like that I still haven't found how to replicate the twang of the vintage Strat bridge and neck pick up.

I bought this guitar used and the orinal owner setted the guitar in a way that I absolutely don't like. I brougth her to the " Doctor", my liuthier Paolo, and he did an excellent job. Now with a 0,10 strings set the neck and the playability are excellent: the bird's eye maple neck and fretboard are very well done and the jumbo frets are ok. The neck adjustement system work perfectly.
My liutier, which is a Strato maniac, wants to buy a Comanche for him too!

Very relayable and stable! The Dual Fulcrum bridge rexists very well to my vibrato exibithions and only after some excessives dive bombs some string con go a little out of tune.
The neck is very stable and perfectly jointed to the body.
I never go for a gig without an other guitar with me but actually I never be in need to replace my Comanche.

I never needed the customer support service

I played more than 30 years: I actually have five electric professional guitars and two good acoustic guitars ( plus other six or seven cheap guitars and three vintage italian mandolins and my grandfather's classical guitar from the 30's ). tha five electric guitars are 3 G.& L., An ASAT Classic, an ASAT Special and the Comanche and two Les Paul, a Standard and a Studio upgraded with 57 Classic pick ups.
Before to buy the Comanche I was looking for a very good Strat trying to spent not too much money. I knew the G.& L. excellent quality and when I founded this one on line at a very good price i decided to buy it: anyway I played another Comanche before to buy this one and knew the guitar, even if I played it only 30 minutes in a shop.
If they stole this guitar I should be in doubt to buy again a comanche or to try a G.& L. S 500, becouse it has the same elecronic with more traditional pick us.
I love the neck, excellent, it's quality in general, the look , I love the versatility and the quality of the tones and , finally, the playability, weight and confort.
I don't like only that it don't has, or I still not be able to find how to create, the vintage twang of the Strato's bridge and neck pick ups.
I compared it with a good Fender Strato belong to a friend of mine, with different amps ( Fender Super 112,Bassman, Vibroverb and my Crate ) and I discover that it is something different, more complex and versatile and that it sounds different.
Of course the Comanche sounds very different from my Les Paul Standard, but this is obvious. The two ASATs , expecially the Special, have a lot of twang more than the Comanche, and a louder volume, but less versatility.
But you can't have all you want in one guitar! this Comanche is whitout any doubt the most versatile guitar tha I ever had, excellent for studio sessions and for all that players that likes to go around with just one axe!

Mine was made in 2000, beautiful combination of blueburst, maple neck, white pickguard, three black Z-coil pickups and chrome hardware. Features also separate treble and bass controls, mini toggle switch for additional pickup combinations, and GL tremolo bridge. Weights a ton, but i like that. Am. Strat is a toy in comparison :-)I only wish it had the Buzz Feiten tuning system factory-installed, then it would be the winner for recording sessions. My only concern is - the neck is SO massive, that it can possibly cause problems to players with smaller hands - I know, what I'm talking about :-)

This is why I bought this guitar. I play jazz and fusion,my original intention was to buy a strat-like guitar to complement my Gibson ES 135 LE, so I could cover the "pop-territory" as well. Now my 135 is for sale. Surprised? So was I.:-) I found myself playing the Comanche not only during pop/rock recording sessions, but at the jazz jams as well. I like its ability to go damn close to the 135 sound, while on the other side you can instantly switch the pickup combination and play the hottest, tele-like cowboy riffs, and then dig in a Cry Baby and funk it out. Amazing. And it still retains its own character. I have played several american strats, and I must admit this is a completely different guitar, but the musical value is fully comparable. Futher, the Z-coils are a bit the love-hate affair.They are very trasparent sounding and a kind of unforgiving, but once you discover their huge musical potential, you will love them. I have also discovered, that this guitar is extremely amp-sensitive. Once it is an aristocrat, it will not like to play trough the solidstate Crate, but on the other side it likes tube Fenders and will sing trough them. I know you can say this about almost any guitar, but here it is twice the truth. Clean sounds are FAT, yet bright, sometimes the bass knob is a very handy thing to have - when you play clean, you will usually tend to back it off a bit. Actually, it is a kind of addiction - once you have the possibility to set the amount of the lows, you have a problem - other guitars don't have this, and first when you switch back to a non-PTB guitar, you will realize, how much you are missing it. A bit dangerous:-) Distorted territory - that's Comanche's second home. I was able to nail almost everything - from Scofield to Eric Johnson. When it comes to dirt, I have a feeling this guitar somehow loves the RAT pedal from ProCo Sound. I don't know exactly why, but this duo of Comanche hunting a RAT through Fender HRD seems to sound more musical than through the distorted channel of Mesa/Boogie Caliber 50.
I love the tremolo. I tend to bend the notes a bit, when I'm playing, and therefore I appreciate its smooth action. I play almost all the time with the tremolo arm under my palm to do very light bends, and first with this tremolo I can fully do what I want without annoying problems with height of the arm or too tough action. Of course, it's my personal taste.
Warning! The neck is HUGE and Massive, and it certainly contributes to the fat overall sound and sustain, BUT... if you have small hands, beware of this. I have them, so I can honestly say: if any 25.5 scale guitar is hard to play, then this is a torture. But on the other side, it's so beautifull sounding guitar, that I'm on my way to get used.
Many people are interested in comparison Comanche vs. Strat. My opinion is these are two completely different axes. My experience is: with the strat you can't go even close to a sound of any other guitar, which may not matter.The Comanche is far more versatile and it can imitate even such a different instrument as Gibson ES-135 surprisingly well. And, yes, if you play modern country, this is a holy grail:-)

This is all about craftmanship. And here it is simply TOP. Whether you want higher action for clearer tones or a lower setup for twangy punch, all is possible. I'm not a guitar tech, but I was told that working on this guitar is a pleasure. I think GLs are one of the best guitars in this cathegory.
Oh, and the blueburst.... love at the first sight. And second as well-no flaws:-) If only women could be like this....:-) :-)

It's six years old, still looks as new. I play it every day, and so far no problem. You can hardly find more solidly build guitar.

Never tried.

I play guitar 17 years, and except Comanche I own Gibson ES-135, which is now for sale. Honestly, I never went familiar with this guitar, I don't know why. Maybe it doesn't like me. :-) With Comanche I have far better relationship.
Loves: Ultimate versatility, musical sound, overall vibe. This guitar doesn't only want you to play guitar, it makes you wanting to create MUSIC.
Hates: Too thick neck for my small hands, I hope I'll get used.
One suggestion to potential Comanche buyers: this is very unusual instrument, and when you test it, be objective. This is not a strat, and the more time you spend with it in the store, the more you'll find this is an absolutely unique instrument with tons of possibilities and unmatched tone.
I have tested several Comanches, and first I didn't like them, because they didn't sound like the industry standard strat tone, which everyone has in his head, and so was it with me. After third or fourth return to the store I was definitely floored. This is THE MUSICAL INSTRUMENT. Give it a try, and maybe you won't regret:-)

My Comanche is a 2005, honeyburst over bookmatched flame maple top, gun-oil tint over outrageously intricage birdseye maple neck/fingerboard, white pickup covers and eye-popping mother-of-toilet-seat pickguard, and gleaming chrome hardware all the way around. Gorgeous! In every other way, it is identical in features to all of the Comanches reviewed below. So I won't bother repeating it all. Suffice to say it has all of the features that I need in an electric guitar, except for that "Les Paul sound" (and I have a Les Paul for that).

You'll read a lot of reviews below that talk about this guitar "almost getting that Strat sound." I think it's important to note that when Leo Fender founded G&L with George Fullerton, his goal was not to make Strats with a different headstock. He recognized the limitations of the Strat and Tele, but he knew the tradition of those instruments was so strong that he couldn't really tear them down to bare bones and build them up again into something better, at least not under the Fender banner. So he started G&L. The first model there was the ASAT, which is an acronym for "After Strat After Tele." The message here was clear and remains so: Leo Fender wanted to build a different and BETTER guitar than the Fender corporation was producing.

In terms of sound, I believe he succeeded. The Comanche has a "Strat-ish" quality, but that could arguably be said of any guitar with single coil pickups. Where it differs markedly from a Strat is in fullness, punch, and versatility. As others have noted in their reviews, the output is blistering, and pushes an amp much harder than a Strat can do. The result, especially if you're running a tube preamp, is that joyful sound of the amp actually WORKING to handle the input. This guitar almost gets as much natural amp compression as my Les Paul with Burstbuckers... but with infinitely more clarity, and glassy, chiming treble tones that shame the best Telecaster.

As many have observed already, the pickup switching is very clever, and combined with the separate bass and treble controls (separate roll-off for each, no boost as this is a passive guitar), allows you to achieve a huge variety of tones. The coolest thing about the mini-toggle is that it allows you to jump from a hollow, ringing, out-of-phase tone using the neck and middle pickups, to a full-bore blowout using all three pickups, with a single flip of the switch.

I must say that I have not found the pickups to be totally hum-eliminating, but this is very much dependent on the environment. In an old building with dirty power and substandard grounding, it will still pick up hum from dimmers, ceiling fans, ice machines and the like. But it is far more hum-resistant than any guitar equipped with standard Fender-style single coils.

I own a Gibson Custom Shop LP, and an F-Bass BN5 handmade by George Furlanetto. The workmanship on the Comanche is better. In fact, it is flawless. I don't really know what else to say.

I ordered this guitar from GuitarSale.com sight unseen (ask for Barry, he's a great guy and he described the guitar over the phone perfectly). When I opened the case, I nearly wept. My girlfriend actually felt the need to leave the apartment so the Comanche and I could be alone. The finish is so deep, clear as glass. The color is extraordinary - it looks like a big glob of wet caramel, and with the golden color of the gun-oil tinted neck, it simply glows. Everything is straight and tight and precise. It was a wonderful feeling just to lift it out of the case.

The action was perfect right out of the box. It was even in tune! The guitar shipped with .010's though, and I prefer .011's, so I switched them straight away, and made a pre-emptive tweak of the truss rod (just a quarter of a turn). The next morning, I had to back out that truss rod adjustment! This is a mighty, mighty neck, that feels perfect in your hands. This is the most solid feeling guitar I have ever played. It's a rock (but not as heavy as a rock, or a LP).

As a said above, this is the most solid feeling guitar I've ever owned... and after 30+ years of playing, I have owned quite a few. I have no reservations about the durability of this instrument. But I never gig without a backup! What if I accidentally dropped it off the edge of the stage onto the dancefloor and broke something critical? That, of course, would be my fault, not G&L's!

Have not had to deal with them.

I've been playing for over 30 years, all styles. Yes, I've owned just about everything in those years, except for some insanely exotic and expensive one-off custom (I do have a couple of basses like that, though). Interesting how many reviewers of G&L guitars are guys like me, who have played everything and finally settled on a product from Leo Fender's last and best company.

I was looking for a Fender-ish guitar, not only to complement my Les Paul, but also specifically for a recording/gigging project that just begged for that sound. So I compared to Fenders, naturally, and I went all the way up to the big-ticket Strats like the Clapton and Eric Johnson models. I played a bunch of other stuff too, from Parker to Valley Arts. What I found was that the top-of-the-line Strats to one thing very, very well, at least in terms of tone. The best of the customs based on the Strat design do that same thing very well, only cosmetically they are superior to the Fender products (which they ought to be, at twice the price). Other guitars (Parker Fly) got a greater variety of tones, but didn't nail the Strat/Tele vibe closely enough. Among this group, the Comanche was a revelation. It gave me a very close approximation of the signature Fender sound. But it also gives so much more tonally. It's just a bigger, tougher, meatier sound. The workmanship leaves anything I've ever seen from the Fender factory in the dust, including the custom shop. Seriously, when you hold a G&L guitar for the first time, you'll think the price on the tag is a typo. I don't know how they build guitars to this level of quality, with these kinds of materials, in the USA for the prices they charge.

What I love: the tone, the quality, the tone, the finish, the tone, the neck, the tone, the pickup switching and EQ options, the tone, and the tone.

What I hate: that I didn't buy one a long time ago.

Yes, I'd replace it if it were lost or stolen, no question.

If you are considering shelling out top dollar for one of the nicer Strats (Cray, Clapton, Beck, Custom Classic), go out and play as many of them as you can. Then go play a G&L Comanche or Legacy. I figure if you're looking at the Fender Relics/Time Machines/Closet Classics, you're in love with the idea of having a simulated vintage Fender and money is no object. But if you are just looking for a great guitar, and you can get over the fact that with a G&L, you're not getting a Fender, but rather the guitar Leo Fender designed to overcome the limitations of Strats and Teles, then you must check these out. These guitars are Leo's legacy. They burn. They are exquisitely made. And really, the cache of owning one is not diluted by some Mexican-made look-alike. Seriously, most people would not know the difference between a $2000 Mark Knopfler and a $200 Squier from 20 feet away. G&L has the Tribute line, but these are outstanding guitars at their price point in their own right (unlike the low end of the Fender line, which is simply junk).

So, if you're ready to get out of the "I must have a Strat or Tele" mindset, go play G&L. You will be very pleasantly surprised.

Made in 2005...USA. 22 frets, with a flame maple top and swamp ash body. The finish is honeyburst, the neck is birdseye maple with gun oil tint. G & L dual fulcrum tremelo, works fine as far as I can tell, but i'm not really into using it when i play. It doesn't make the guitar go out of tune or anything. The tuners are sperzel locking, no problems there. The pickup system was kind of intimidating with the extra toggle switch. But there are a lot of good sounds. The cable input is on the front, and it looks normal. It really looks like a sweet guitar and it has all sorts of features to make you happy.

I play mostly rock and roll and jam stuff, nothing overly intense. The guys i play with cover some black crowes, rolling stones, steve miller band, pearl jam, the chili's...whatever. This sounds really good doing that, i can't say about other kinds of music like real jazz or heavy metal...i'm kind of a one trick pony as far as my playing goes. It could probably cover a lot of territory and do it well, i'm just not the guy to ask.

At first i didn't know what the z-coils would be like. I enjoy them now, and they give off a strat vibe without question. There is no hum, which is why the pickups look the way that they do.

I play it through a cry baby and some voodoo lab pedal and then a fender deville 4x10. I like my set-up and think that the comanche and the amp complement each other well. It all depends what you are looking to do, but the rock and roll, jam and alternative scenes are taken care of for me. It has a bright tone that cuts through the mix well, but you can adjust it to sounds how you want with all of the controls on board. soooo lots of variety...sounds really good, don't be worried about the pickups they are cool.

The action and all that is good. I'm not very picky, but you can always change it if you don't like it. There were no cosmetic or funtional issues. It is a very high quality instrument, and it looks awesome. They do a great job with the birdseye maple neck and the gun oil tint. My other guitar has a rosewood fingerboard, so this one is different.

It's relatively new, so i've just been practicing and jamming with it. No problems though.

I wanted a guitar that didn't have the humbucker sound, but the noise of single coil's wierded me out. This one takes care of both my issues. Looks, sounds, plays like and expensive guitar should. I would buy one if i were you (or if this one disappears)

Recent vintage Comanche in blueburst with a rosewood neck, stock Sperzels, G&L's PTB control set up, and three Z-3 hum cancelling single coil pickups. Also a mini toggle to add a pair of extra pickup combinations, either all on or neck and bridge activated together. A strat styled body, of course, with a Fender scale neck that's incredibly fat. Floating dual fulcrum tremelo that I don't plan on using. I got this used with an original G&L case and whammy bar.

The Comanche is a pretty unique instrument. It can be adequately described as a "super-strat"... The Z-3s are noise free and have output levels more akin to P-90s than strat type pickups. The PTB system is a little perplexing, although once you get a handle on it you'll have a hard time using anything else. Massive sound, very full, clucky as a strat on steroids when needed, big as a Les Paul Jr at other times. You can also make this sound like a banjo being horsewhipped if you aren't careful.

I'm using it with an '88 Mesa Mark II or a 2000 Budda Superdrive 30 and a fair battery of effects that have included things like Analog Man's MBC, the Barber Direct Drive SS, Jauernig's DGTM, some of Mike Farrow's boosters, Xotic's AC Boost, and so on.

PTB is tricky. You'll initially want to constantly tweak and turn the master tone knobs, but I've found that for me, setting the middle knob (treble) and then dialing bass in or out as needed seems to work best. Otherwise I'm all over the map, making "Cat Scratch Fever" sound like a cat yodelling in a rainstorm. Once you settle on an approach and work within it, it's much more consistant.

This can do the Clapton "Let It Rain"/"After Midnight" strat reediness like nothing I've ever heard. It shines on things like "Mississippi Queen" as well. You have to pick it up and experiment, but it have a very unique set of tones available.

Because of redundant setting in the mini toggle positions (1 and 5 are both all on; 2 and 4 are both neck and bridge; 3 remains middle pickup only) you can use the mini toggle for radical eq changes in mid song, setting up a razor lead tone on your rear pickup and then flipping the toggle up for a meaty clean rhythm part, for instance. Very cool, but you DO HAVE TO THINK with this guitar. Not as much of a "set and forget" axe as others I've had. This is a ultimately a good thing, although it is initially a little aggravating.

Got it used, so I can't speak to a factory set up. Came with .10s, I loaded up some .009s, and will probably need to have a new nut cut for it because of string buzz. Used instruments commonly have issues like these. The pickups are pretty much at factory settings; many people back these down because the output is SO overwhelming. Top and bridge are perfect, a few chips from the previous regime, but I like instruments with some character to them.No complaints. This is a VERY solid instrument... It makes my American Standard strat feel like a toy in comparison. The neck, as I said, is BIG... 12 inch radius, and massive. Adds a lot to the instrument's sustain I imagine. Small hands may want to watch out for this.

I've played it live now half a dozen times... No problems whatsover. The question is when will I ever put it down? Hardware is fine, finish is as brawny as the rest of the guitar. Strap buttons are now Dunlop Straploks (the only mod I've made so far), but the original buttons were terrific. I'd definitely depend on it, but I always carry a backup in case of broken strings or ear fatigue.

I've been playing for 30+ years now. After owning Gibsons, Fenders, PRSs, Reverends, Parkers, and several other brands I've culled my "collection" own to this, a Hamer Artist, and an American Standard strat. I have to say that this guitar is the first instrument I've ever played that's made everything before it seem like a toy. Not even my first pro instrument, a '69 SG Special, was this solid and satisfying. I think the PTB system, although daunting at first, is terrific.

Words of caution: although I've mentioned a few benchmark tones here, the Comanche is really a different kind of guitar. It's bigger, more intense, and feels different from anything else that I've ever played. A lot of people just don't quite know what to make of them, so take your time and get comfortable before giving up. I hope to get another soon. For tone, workmanship, and general vibe this may be the best non-custom American made instrument out there.

The features are well-known by now -- examine the reviews below. I will add that the pickup and wiring scheme is brilliant...the PTB (passive treble and bass roll-off + expander switch) allows for a ton of tonal options...no other guitar I've owned in over 20 years offers as much tonal variety. Absolutely first rate concept and execution.

A full spectrum of useable and excellent sounds.
Regardless of what style you play, you can do it justice with this guitar...rock, blues, country, jazz, folk, fusion...personally, I'm into the experimental and avant/post rock thing and I really like this guitar.

Hum with single coils is gone with these pups.

Amazing!

This baby has better action, fit, and finish than any Strat I've owned. The 12" radius is so much better than the vintage 7.5 and contemporary 9 that you get from Fender... I've owned several Strats and other Fender guitars and G&L really has them beat with the Comanche. Mine is blonde over swamp ash with gold hardware...just stunning. The gun oil tint to the maple neck is lush.

The woods are top notch.

Neck pocket is razor sharp, everything is rock solid...You could do better, perhaps, but you'd have to spend 2 to 3 times more from Grosh, Anderson, Suhr, et al to get there.

Tuning stability is fantastic...it was shipped by UPS half way across the country and it arrived *perfectly* in tune.

The only way to improve this guitar would to put stainless steel frets on it...but it was made before SS was the au courant feature among builders. My NiteFly can beat it on action ("nothing plays like a Parker" ain't just a slogan, it's the truth) but the G&L feels more organic (especially due to the rosewood fretboard) than my Parker. When it's time for a refret I'll see if can't get Chris Shaffer to do the fretwork for me -- he did a custom 19TET acoustic for me and the the fretwork was astonishingly good (you can find Chris at www.kronosonic.com).

built like a tank -- combined with the tonal variety of this guitar you could easily play this guitar for decades and be perfectly happy.

I don't know

playing for 24 years...I own and have owned more than my fair share of guitars from all the major manufacturers. My first guitar back in 1981 was a G&L SC1 and it was a dog. The radius was vintage and the frets were low and wide...just a bad formula unless you just wanted to strum cowboy chords...so I was hesitant to consider G&L again...however the Comanche fit all my current requirements so I took a chance -- man, I was overjoyed with what I got. It plays like butter, is built to last, sounds fantastic, and is beautiful.

I wish it had come with strap locks and a better case that actually fits the guitar.

The guitar has a longer headstock than a Strat meaning that it does not fit just right in the factory case...weird. The only consequence for this is that the 1st string tuner can get turned while in the case. Curious but not a problem.

If I lost this guitar I would definately get another just like it. It's a no-brainer.

Why buy a Fender product when you can get the real deal from G&L with a much better price to performance ratio? The last Fender I owned was an "American Standard" from 1988. I dropped it and to my horror discovered that it was made not just from plywood but what appeared to be wood sausage. The thing just exploded into little chunks. I vowed to never waste my money on a Fender again...in fact, after that, I sold anything that had "Fender" on it. Fender is just a huge corporation, ruled by bean counters, cranking out mediocre stuff as fast as they can.

If you want a "real" Neumann microphone then you buy a Gefell with the M7 capsule and if you want a "real" Fender guitar then get a G&L. It's pretty simple.

This is an american-made Stratocaster-style guitar, made by the company set up by Leo Fender and George Fullerton, after the Fender company was sold by the former, who, of course, was the founder.

Mine is a post-2003 (probably 2004) Comanche in ?Honeyburst?. Dating G&Ls: one can either refer to the G&L enthusiasts? site www.guitarsbyleo.com and hope that others? data is there, against which you can compare your own serial number, or for a definitive dating you can take the neck off, and apparently find a date stamp on the neck, and one in the body pocket. As I am loathe to remove the neck from what is a superbly-set up guitar, all I can find out from the serial number is that mine is post November 2003.

First, some words about the build quality: stunning; amazing; fantastic; awesome; gobsmacking? do you get the picture? I never thought I?d live to see such build quality in a guitar that cost me 620 quid! Everything is tight, no rattles, nor blemishes.. the hardware is great and the overall finish is stunning.

The features: stunningly-figured bolt-on (4 bolts) birdseye maple one-piece neck, tinted with gun oil, and finished to a brilliant high gloss. Apparently, 4 different necks are available for this guitar, and mine definitely has a ?C? profile, with a nut width of 1 and 5/8th inches, but I?m unable to say what the radius is. (Lack of carpentry knowledge)! 22 frets which are medium jumbo on my model, and very nice black abalone dot inlay markers. Graphite nut, locking (Sperzel?) tuners, bullet truss rod (one eighth of an inch AF), and a black plastic string tree for the top two strings.

The body is ash, with a beautiful bookmatched ?flame? maple top.

The pickguard is 3-ply white pearloid.

The pickups are white G&L Z3s, with 5-way selector switch Strat-style with a white cylindrical tip, with separate volume, treble, and bass rotary controls which are in chrome (known as the PTB system), and there is also a small two-way selector switch enabling more pickup configurations than the normal Strat-style: for example, you can have the upper half of the neck pickup with the lower half of the bridge pickup, or all three pickups together, but without the benefit of a manual, I?m unable to say which setting is which! I just have to rely on my ears.

The bridge is G&L?s own fulcrum-style, with separate adjustable saddles for each string, and a pop-in steel tremelo arm that has an allen bolt fixing, if you want to have a tight tremelo arm fitting. (Nice touch). I very much like the visual design of the bridge too: it?s chunkier than the stock Strat fulcrum, with rounded front corners as well. Looks very nice.

The lead socket is a usual Strat-style, recessed front-of-body.

The hard case is G&L?s own, plain-looking and uninspiring, but functional nonetheless, and I personally do not find it too small for the guitar. No complaints from me.

Now the sounds and playability: my rig is a GK 250ML Series 2 with a 2x10 Celestion stereo extension cab.

Although it looks to all intents and purposes like a super custom Strat, it?s much much more than that, as a previous reviewer wrote. I did get approximations of the stock Strat sounds, but not exactly, which pleased me no end, because the array of sounds goes beyond any Strat I?ve ever played, both clean sounds and overdriven. Absolutely gorgeous. It?s a separate guitar in its own right, not any sort of a Strat clone, at least sound-wise. I like the PTB system: separate bass and treble controls, enabling more shaping of sounds than the norm.. it sounds great with the GK?s inbuilt compressor too, which doesn?t happen with many guitars, in my experience. Overdriven in either of the parallel positions, with the treble cut out, it screams.

..and the playability? What can I say? It arrived with by far the best setup I?ve ever had in a purchased guitar. Only one thing have I had to adjust since receipt, which is quite stunning in itself: I just raised the 1st string a tad, to accommodate my bending style. The trem setup is floating, super-smooth, soft yet no sloppiness whatsoever, and the action is quite wonderful. With the high-gloss maple neck, it is low, slick and fast, with no buzz whatsoever. The neck is probably the best thing about this guitar, in my opinion. Superb.

Time will tell, but I've every confidence this superb build quality is built to last.

Never had to use them.

So what?s wrong with it? Nothing, really. All opinions are subjective, but nevertheless, being a confirmed ?V-necker?, I would prefer a V neck, and this option is available for this guitar. When I first got it, I thought that I?d prefer a fixed bridge too.. but this guitar has swayed me: I love the trem, but..

In my opinion, a Hipshot tremsetter might not go amiss. The bridge is so supersensitive, that any tuning automatically affects the sympathetic tuning of the other strings, which can be a bugger in the middle of a song. That?s not to say that this guitar has tuning problems, because it stays in tune very well? it?s just that on those rare occasions when one string does slip, it?s tricky to retune.
I?m not too sure about the graphite nut/string tree, either. It?s probably down to my sticky fingers, but it starts to catch on the second string after a decent play..

..but these are just minor considerations, when held up against all the positives this great guitar has. Would I buy another one? You betcha I would! It?s absolutely friggin? gorgeous! You can probably guess that I?m completely taken by this guitar, and the whole G&L thing.

I?ve been playing for 36-odd years, and also own a Fender Strat Plus, a Fender Strat Ultra, an Indie ILP5, and a Fender Classic. I would recommend the Comanche unequivocally, and am nothing but amazed that there isn?t a lot more interest in G&Ls in the secondhand market. More fool the public, that?s what I say. It?s a player?s dream of a guitar, IMO.