G&L F-100

this thing is loaded with features. I dont wanna repeat whats already been said below, but this is a 1980 F-100. It has a dual fulcrum trem, mahogany body in a transparent cherry finish and stuff...maple neck with ebony fretboad etc, and Dunlop straplocks.

I play a lot of different styles of music. I normally play straight up old school punk rock in the vein or The Misfits, Black Flag, to stuff like Millencolin, Pennywise and Goldfinger. Also Faith no More and lots of other things. I try to keep an open musical mind. This guitar has many different sounds, and *almost* renders having to carry my Gibson Les Paul and Tele obsolete. Does it sound exactly like those two guitars? of course not, though the Fendery sounds through the coil tap option are dead on. The humbucking bridge sound is awesome, very tight and focused, lots of crunch but with clarity. Acoustically, the guitar is very lively which is of course, a vital trait for a good electric instrument. The clean sounds are immaculate, and are incredible through a solid state amp like a Roland Jc-120 or a Peavey or something. WHile I love the humbucking sounds of my Black Beauty Les Paul, this guitar is something else. As I said before, it does a great job or getting pristine Tele/Strat, and the bridge pickup overdrive sounds better to me than the LP. It sounds like itself, not as sustainy and thick, but still crunchy. My setup is thru a Roland GP-8 and switch between Mesa and Marshall amps. I give it a ten for versatility. once you get used to manipulating the coil taps on this guitar, you can quickly switch from fendery clean tones to harder edge tones in no time. Some of the best sounding stock pickups I ever heard on a guitar.

I got it used, but it was setup well. Action not too high, just right for me. this axe was also pretty beatup, lotsa nicks and dings, so it isnt the prettiest axe out there. But the electronics and stability of the tuners and hardware are still very much in great condition, considering this guitar is now 22.

Will it withstand live playing? Absolutely. It seldom goes out of tune and is very hardwearing. The guitar has been around for 22 years and I have no doubt that it will last as long as I do. A battle-scarred workhorse is what it is. Play without a backup? Until they find a way to make strings unbreakable and alternate tunings possible in a flick of a switch, Ill say no. But I always have my trusty "Lisa" Black Beauty LP to play "Sweet Child O Mine" a Fernandes Vertigo(backup) and Tele. You can surf on a G&L...according to Jerry Cantrell anyway.

wouldnt know

Ive been playing for a decade and currently own 9 guitars. This is easily the most versatile guitar in the bunch, and while it looks like I probably paid a few bucks more for it than most people who reviewed it have, I certainly believe it was worth $700, not to mention I got the Vertigo as well. "Jeanine" is my main axe, along with the Les Paul Custom. If you can spot one of these underrated/overlooked guitars, you owe it to yourself to check it out. the versatility, I feel, is rivaled only by that of the Parker Fly(best sounding axe I ever heard/couldnt afford) They are kinda hard to find, and the first one I ever saw was the one my guitar hero, Trey from Mr.Bungle had. This guitar will last forever.

1981 Handmade G&L F-100 Series I(series I means 12"radius fretboard), 25":strat scale. Beautiful clear candy red finish on swamp ash w/ straty type body, rosewood veneer on maple neck, 2 humbucking pkups with adjustable magnetic pole pieces for fine tune string response. HARDTAIL G&L bridge w/ string-through design (only 1 of 10 are hardtail). Controls: volume, pkup selector, treble-cut, bass-cut, pkup in series(normal humbuck) or pkup in parallel mode selector, and a switch which throws the 2 pkups out of phase (not each pkup individually).[there are some F-100s that have active electronics but no phase switch, easy to tell active => it has a battery compartment on the back and the swirches are blck-red-white instead of black-red-black like this one.]

Many many many sounds. This is the reason I hunted this guitar down. I play bass in a band and only wanted 1 electric guitar for the rest of my life for song writing and recording. These pkups have a great full bodied response across the board. Maybe too bassy for some people, but not me. The addition of a bass-cut knob adds huge functionality by allowing you to cut bass to your liking.
When pkups=series you get the familiar Les Pauly type sound. I wouldn't say it goes all the way toward that sound since LPs use a shorter scale and that can have an effect on tone. Plus the body is ash not the LP mahogonay [but there are F-100s out there in mahagony].
When pkups= parallel you get a more straty sound. You may have to cut the bass to go all the way to strat-lead.
Phase switch: when activated the pkup selector no longer does anything because you need both pkups ON for this switch to throw them out of phase. This is a very useful switch [versus putting the 2 coils of a single pkup out of phase]. By out-of-phasing 2 pkups in different locations you don't cancel all the bass. What results is a cool retro 60's type of sound with a weird modulation during the attack. This is because the harmonics and response of the string varies at the different points. You get a Thinner, slightly compressed sounding crunchiness [in a late 60s street dancin way]. Some how Sounds kinda like they used to record guitar. You can still use the series/parallel switch with the out-of-phase switch on: series will give a heavier feel to it. I love this feature.
Treble-cut/Bass-cut: its got the normal treble cut tone knob, but the addition of the bass-cut know gives tremendous versatility to this guitar. the pkups do have a lot of bass, so bass cut allows you to tame is or leave it there for some vamping rhythm. I don't play very much "lead" guitar so you single coilers out there may want to look elsewhere, but the parallel mode does quite well for me- Plenty of high end, AND in every possible sound configuration this guitar is COMPLETELY HUM FREE!!!

I bought this 20 year old guitar USED, it is moderatley beat up. I had it set up professionally and its fine. One problem with this particular guit is the neck is slightly twisted. Fortunately its twisted such that the Low E action gets a little high past the 12th fret, but when I'm past twelve I am usually play the highest 4 or 5 strings. If I had the huge frets leveled I believe it would be completely fixed.

Built like a tank. Heavy as a tank.
Strap Lock were added at some point.
The only thing I would add would be locking tuners, as a bass player with a bass that never goes out of tune, I would just prefer that I think if I had to play any guitar live. (used to have a floyd rose that never went out of tune, but I don't use any trem so I wanted a hardtail for ease of use).

For the price I paid this was a great buy.
I have been playin for 11 years, heavily gigging on bass for 7.
This guitar has all the features I was looking for.
TONS OF TONES.

Built in 1980 or '81 USA made. 21 Frets Heavy as hell
Controls are very confusing, between passive or active, humbucking single coil or coil tap ... the two pickup guitar has something like 27 possible switch settings ... and I really only used three for my playing ! Kinda reminded me a bit of the Jazzmaster.

Pickups were no good in certain settings, too thin, too muddy, very strange. I fought with it !

Badly set up, poorly adjusted the tremelo springs were so weak that it went out of tune when i bent one string

Very solid ... with a lot of work , new electronics ... different pickups ... dependable too.

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At the time I had been playing professionaly for three years. I bought this one to replace a Fender that had been stolen. New fenders back then were not very high quality IMO.
I hated all the switches,and the weight ... wouldn't have another one.

I do not know much about guitars, 'cause my passion is not knowing about them but playing them. But in the little bit of research I've done I've found out that these guitars were made between '80 and '82 but I'm not sure what year mine was made. One thing is clear though, it is hand-made in Fullerton CA, under supervision of Leo Fender. It has 22 frets, transparent-blue mahogany-wood body. 2 MFD humbucking pick-ups made by G&L. I don't know about the neck. It has a none-locking tuner (holds the guitar in tune almost as good as the ones with locking tuners). Vibrato bridge made by G&L with the trem arm. 3 position switch, which does either a neck, bridge, or both things. An "out-of-phase" switch(Which I use ALOT! :) And at last but not least volume, bass cut, treble cut.

I play what ever I find entertaining so I like a guitar with variety. This guitar can be set to almost any music style (If you first learn how to use all the switches and knobs). The sustain is close to perfect. But the down side to the F-100 is that it has too much bass. I usually play with almost on bass, but it depends. If you play the heavier styles of music then it's very nice. As I said before this guitar has variety. Once I had a crappy amp but still then I could get this crazy, bell sound. I can't unfortunately not remember the settings. But I will never forget that sound. That is what this guitar is about. Always new sounds.

I bought my G&L used. It was 6 years at the time, It had everything, it was in perfect order. No scratches, no nothing. It was as if it never had been used. So you won't hear me complaining

The first time I was on stage with the guitar, I was in this looser, "going nowhere" band. Our leed-guitarist's guitar couldn't take the strain. I have never had any feedback problems, never not found the sound I'm looking for and I know it can take the most bumpy rides there are. It's solid, it's heavy and enhances the durability. I totale faith in my guitar.

I can't say so much here, but I'm trying to sell the guitar, but I don't know to what price. I've sent them a mail and asked them what I should sell it for but I haven't gotten a reply in a week now.

I've played guitar for 8 years now, this is the only electric guitar I've owned. Don't get me wrong, I've tried alot of other guitars but none of them fulfill the needs I've acquired form this guitar. The G&L F-100 has my recommendation world wide.

Made in Fullerton, CA in 1982 or 83. Not sure, sorry. 22 frets, Black Mahogany body. (This is the heaviest strat-type guitar I've ever held. Weighs a tad less than a LP.) 2 MFD humbucking pick-ups made by G&L. Maple neck. The tuners are Sperzels or Schallers and are non-locking. Vibrato bridge made by G&L, for which I am missing the trem arm. 3 position switch, which is supposed to do either a neck, bridge, or both thing. Mine has been re-wired and is a little different. (I'll explain below) A coil-splitter for a single coil mode. An "out-of-phase" switch. Volume, bass cut, treble cut. Pretty cool stuff, I guess, for the price I paid.

I guess I play rock/bluesy rock. I've a crappy amp, which I won't get into. Also have a Boss BF-2, and Lovetone phasor and fuzz. The F-100 is uniquely toneful. Definitely not like a strat. More like a LP, but that's really not a great comparison. I like it quite a bit. It is very bassy, when the bass-cut is untouched (where I usually leave it). The single-coil mode is pretty unimpressive- until you lower the bass. Then it starts to sound more like a strat. As I alluded to above, the controls have been re-wired. Normally, upon activation of the out-of-phase switch, the pickup selector switch no longer operates. On my F-100, the pickup selector ONLY works when the phase switch is activated. This really doesn't bother me at all, because although I lose some sounds, I gain a few you normally can't get. My favorite setting is out-of-phase, humbucking mode, neck pickup selected, tone/volume/bass all the way up, through my fuzz pedal. Amazing sound. Real thick.

well I got it used. So there are quite a few scratches, bite marks, etc, which I don't care about at all. The intonation is/was great. I had the frets replaced, cause they were pretty worn. I couldn't pull bends with the .10's very well. Now it's fine.

I have complete faith in this guitar's reliability. It could definitely take a few knocks(and has). It stays in tune almost as well as my S-500 which has locking tuners. All the hardware will last for a long ass time. The vibrato, which I've honestly not used much, stays in tune great.

N/A

I'm looking for another of these beauties. For $300 you can get a really amazing instrument. I would never buy a Fender. And I hate the radius of a LP, So the F-100 is the perfect blend. I bought this without playing it, or ever playing one of the same model. I had played, however, a few G&L's. They all unequivocally kick ass. Only PRS can pass a G&L in terms of quality. But they cost too much.

This was one of the first G&L's, handmade in Fullerton CA under the supervision of Leo Fender. It's a solidbody with six on one side tuners and a hardtail G&L bridge. It uses two Leo-designed G&L passive MFD humbuckers, and has several switches and knobs: a 3-way pickup control switch, volume, treble knob, bass knob (G&L treble and bass controls work differently than those of other manufacturers, more like the controls on a good stereo - and the difference is dramatic), a coil-splitting toggle and an in-phase/out of phase toggle. The body is mahogany, and the neck is maple. The neck is wide and flat, and the whole thing weighs about nine pounds.

The F-100 doesn't sound like a strat or Les Paul, or any other guitar I've played; it has it's own beautiful voice. The MFD pickups are known for bringing out the quality of the woods used in the guitar, and in this case, the full, dark tone of the mahogony body is complemented by the brightness of the maple neck. With the humbuckers on, in phase, and the tone controls up, it has a rich, throaty feel. With the treble control rolled off a bit, I've been able to get some nice jazz tones. Switch to single coils, and you get something similar to a strat sound, very clear and detailed; a sweet round ringing tone from the neck, and some great twangs from the bridge. Go out-of-phase, and you get a lovely jangly noise with a funny 'wah' in there - perfect for Byrds or early Pink Floyd sounds. I'm still learning to use this guitar, and the more I play it the more I admire the designers. It seems that I can get any sound I hear in my head with a little tweaking of the tone controls.

Everything feels good on this guitar. I bought it used (it was made in '80 or '81 according to the serial number), and there's been some fret wear, but other than that, there are no problems. I don't think I could get a piece of paper into the fit between the neck and body. G&L's are made by hand, and this thing was put together with loving care.

Even used, this thing is solid as a rock. Everything is well constructed with attention to detail. The black finish has some dings in it from a previous owner, but that just shows me how deep the finish goes!

I haven't dealt with the company. New G&L's come with a lifetime warranty, and the people I've spoken with have been very happy with the service.

I love this guitar. In fact, I just bought another one! I'm amazed at how many ways it sounds good, and I've got no doubt that I'll find more things to love in the future. I think you could use this guitar for almost any style of music, and be completely satisfied. For more info about G&L's check out the unofficial page at www.guitarsbyleo.com.