G&L Legacy

I purchased a used 1993 USA built Legacy. It has the three bolt neck with the micro screw adjustment. It has the tri-color sunburst on a what has to be an alder body (it just doesn't feel heavy enough for ash). The electronics are the original three alnico V single coil pickups with cloth lead wiring. Along with the PTB tone system. It has a bird's eye maple neck with a beautiful rosewood fretboard, and a one ply beat to hell white pickguard. There is the standard duel fulcrum vibrato. the neck is almost as shallow as the wizard neck on my Ibanez, certainly nothing like the wide fat neck on my PRS. The 12 inch radius is nice.

I have owned several Fender strats and even a Parker night fly. I have never been satisfied with the thin tones from those guitars. This Legacy has very nice pickups and the PTB system is AWESOME, if I want a chimey glassy clean I dial back the bass to 0 and crank the treble to 10, if I want a punchy crunch I dial back the bass and treble to 2 or 3 and it leaves a nice midrange punch, if I want a jazzy mellow tone I crank the bass to 10 and dial the treble to 3. All switch possitions are very musical. I am currently playing through a 5watt class A tube amp (Peavy JSX Mini Colossal) that interacts with these pickups and tone controls amazingly well. Sometimes I use a VOX Satcherator> Boss chorus ensemble> Digitech digital delay but I really enjoy the dynamics of running straight into the amp. I play worship, alternative rock, some jazz and blues. This guitar can cover the gamut. If I need a heavier sound I use my PRS single cut and the Satcherator.

It was NOT set up from the pawn shop. I fitted it with a new set of elixers in 10 - 52 gauge and set the action where I wanted it as well as adjusted the vibrato to float. I did not have to adjust the neck at all. The finish is in amazing condition for being 16 years old, so I'll give it a 7.

This guitar is 16 years old and the electronics don't have a hint of crackle or pop at all. This blows my mind. EVERY USA built Gibson or Fender I've owned started crackling and popping after two years or so, only my G&L and PRS have stood the test of time so far and the PRS is only 7 years old as of this writing. The finish is also amazing on this guitar.

I give a low rating here because I contacted G&L about obtaining a vibrato arm and new pickguard for it and still haven't heard back from them.

This is the best Strat style guitar I have ever owned. I plan to upgrade the pickguard to tortoise shell and the string saddles to graphtechs. I might even add a switch to enable the rhythm pickup when the treble, and treble middle positions are chosen on the 5 way switch. If this guitar where lost or stolen I would certainly buy another one if I could afford it. If you are looking for humbucker tones get a Les Paul or PRS. This guitar is the ultimate incarnation of Leo Fender's stratocaster.

A 1998 3 tone sunburst Legacy with Maple neck. If you have a 'standard' Legacy, I don't need to go into the rest of its features.

I play rock, blues, and indie, a little of everything, and this thing howls. I have owned it for 10 yrs and haven't looked back. I love the strat sound and this thing does it. I have since played many American made Fenders, and they all seemed to fall short (at least next to my Legacy). The custom shop ones do sound equally as good, but for $3500+, come on... I smile to myself when I play other people's American Standard Strats, knowing that my Legacy would suplex it, then hand it back and politely comment on its good tone. The great thing about this guitar is there is no hard to find proverbial 'sweet spot' in the controls. You can find great tones everywhere, pending on your mood. Even the volume knob is a tone control. After 11 years with this guitar, I still find myself in the mist of a jam and hearing a squeal or scream come out of this beast and thinking, damn I love this guitar...

Final thoughts: While I have probably been over-zealous in my review, the bottom line is this guitar SCREAMS!!! If I could give it an 11, I would.

I don't remember if it was setup good when I got it, but it is now. The finish was impeccable when I got it, but now it is a little beat up.

This guitar is built like a brick house. Never any issues and don't expect any. It's seen many stages and while small, they were stages none the less and I have never had problems.

Never delt with them. Never needed to.

I've been playing for 16 years, fairly seriously. I've been in several bands over that time. My rig in order is Legacy -> Crybaby wah wah -> TS-808 reissue (modded by Analogman) -> Voodoo Labs Microvibe -> reissue American Big Muff Pi -> Modded Peavey Classic 30 (Celestion G12H 70th Anniversary Edition speaker, beam blocker, and tube tamer).

If my Legacy was stolen, initially I would probably cry. This depressed state would slowly turn to rage at which time I would try to find the individual that stole it, so that I could repeatedly stab them with a common and dull case knife. If I could not find them, I would of course, go buy another Legacy.

I some time in the future I am probably going to purchase an ASAT Special. My musical tastes have changed a little and I think it would suit me well.

2008 USA Legacy in 3 tone sunburst with a maple neck and fretboard. all original specs 22 frets, 3 single coils, premium ash body, and your basic 5 way strat type pickup configuration. very beautifully constructed and the 12 inch radius is very cool but the guitar was a little heavier than I wanted.

I play blues/rock and a little traditional jazz. I play through a fender deluxe reverb with a tube screamer and compressor. The guitar is just as noisy as any other single coil guitar but the sound is what I don't like. It's nowhere near the sound of a Fender American strat. Fender strats give a more warm, bell like, chimey, glassy, rich tone (imho) than these G & L's. I was disappointed with the sound. I expected a louder more powerful sounding instrument than my strat but I was wrong. I did an a/b comparison and totally loved the sound of my Fender strats and ended up selling my G & L. The legacy was too thin, harsh and unexpectedly weaker. It's hard to imitate a Fender strat with any other guitar on the market. If you want a nice Stevie Ray/Jimi tone or an Eric Johnson or Gilmore sound, than stick with what they play, a fender, plain and simple!

guitar was setup perfect!!

Can't comment. I never had it long enough.

Pretty good quality but the guitar was too heavy and lacked the tone that I was looking for. I would not buy this guitar if it was lost or stolen. I'll stick to my Fender strats because that is the tone that I prefer for it's single coil sound.

Spec as G&L website but have made changes as below

I got this off Ebay, no problem there this is a 2001 model in a very nice honey burst and I had a Plek set up done by CCGX who did a great job. I thought is sounded good until I got a Nash and then it did not sound do good at all a bit dull and lifeless, I think is is down to the unusual tone and Vol control Pots and Caps, it's arranged so that one tone is like a treble and the other like a base but I think this sucks the life out of it.

Anyway I fitted Amalfitano pickups and changed the pots to all 250K and with a treble bleed on the vol all from Single Coil and fitted a paper in oil cap, low value, and now it's pretty damn good very which I think is mainly down to the awesome Amalfitano pups.

So great guitar but get rid of the controls and maybe the pups

2007 Legacy (USA)

PICKUPS 3 G&L vintage style Alnico V single coil pickups (passive)
BODY WOOD Alder
NECK WOOD One piece Rock Maple (#1V)
FRETS 22 vintage style (25.5" scale length)
NECK RADIUS 12" (304.8mm)
NECK WIDTH AT NUT 1 5/8" (41.3mm)
TUNING KEYS 12:1 ratio, sealed lubrication, adjustable knob tension
BRIDGE G&L Dual Fulcrum vibrato with chrome-plated brass saddles
CONTROLS 5 position pickup selector, PTB system
FINISH Emerald Blue
OTHER Chrome Hardware; 3-ply Creme pickguard; G&L molded hardcase included (with key)

Also Allen wrenches and Certificate of Authenticity.

Basic G&L strat with usual features, plus a vintage neck feel.

The combination of components works very well here to give a broad range of strat tones for all the styles I play from pop, jazz, rock, blues (good SRV neck pickup tones), country, classic R&B, and raunchy dance music.

I use it with two Tech 21 Trademark 60's and a Boss ME-50 multi-effects unit. Also a Kustom Tube 12A practice amp sometimes, with or without a 12" extension cab.

Well shielded and humbucks in switch positions 2 & 4.

The volume pot is 250K, the treble pot 500K, and the bass pot 1 meg (it's the lower tone control). With the treble and bass pots turned down it gets a unique honkin' midrange tone, especially useful on the middle pickup with crunch or distortion.

It won't quite get the massive Les Paul hard rock rhythm punch, but it has lots of steam and comes close enough. Plus it has a crisp high end when you want, but anything less still sounds good when I trim off some highs or reduce the guitar's overall volume. The pots work great together.

I like 500K tone pots for the extra highs on single coil guitars (vs the usual 250K), and have retro-fitted plenty of Fenders with them. The 1 meg bass pot on this guitar is a bonus.

I like the G&L PTB system. Some s/s/s G&L's have an extra switch to allow neck and bridge (or all on) variations but this one doesn't have it. Not that important to me.

It's great to be able to dial out some bass in the middle of a solo if my amp's speakers should start to flap. I can tighten it up right from the guitar. Makes my amp setups more usable without walking over and adjusting them all night.

I haven't adjusted the neck, bridge, or saddles since I've owned it. The neck is hell for stout and doesn't flex. No seasonal adjustments even.
I use 0.010" - 0.046" GHS Nickel Rockers. I forget what came on it. D'addarios, but I can't remember what guage.

The pickups only needed slight adjusting for my taste and usual setup and balance preferences.

The neck pocket is very tight. It won't shift at all. I don't think it can. Very precise fit. Even looks precision, which is unusual in a bolt-neck Fender design.

They said the neck was hand rubbed gunstock oil for tint, under lacquer. I'm not sure why they choose to say that. It looks vintage, maybe like an old Stevens .22 bolt action?

The body finish is beautiful and flawless "Emerald Blue" poly.

I used to think lacquer finish was important on a guitar. I can't hear the difference anymore, and keep my stuff pretty protected from the kinds of exposure that causes that vintage checkered lacquer patina on old guitars with history.

I certainly wouldn't pay extra to have a guitar beat up so it looks like I've neglected it.

I gig plenty. My stuff still looks as good as I can keep it, though it gets nicks from music stands on the occasional tuxedo job, etc. The body finish on this one is very durable. If it somehow blankets the sound I can't tell. It sounds great to me.

I don't see how you could improve anything.

I'm not sure how I could hurt its basic structure without meaning to, and the neck is nice and beefy without being just sloppy fat.

The components are all premium.

The strap buttons are much better than the usual stuff. Good sized, and shaped right. No worries. A strap in decent shape will not come off easily with these buttons.
I used to put a couple of those plastic breadloaf wrapper closures over my strap ends, or use locking systems, but these don't need any help.
I'm not jumping around much anymore anyways, now that I'm almost 60.

No experience really. I've had G&L's before and have never had any trouble with them. The components are good.

10 year warranty is nice, but I can't see ever needing it. Bolt-on maple necked solidbody guitars are probably the strongest and simplest proven design ever conceived.

Played guitar since 1960.
This is my main instrument for all kinds of stuff, though I also have a Les Paul Studio and an old US Kramer. They just hang on the wall unless our youngest son plays 'em. And a cheap Epiphone acoustic.

In the past I've had a used G&L ASAT, S-500, and an older Legacy, as well as bunches of Fenders over the years.

I love the neck on this one. Beefy, with some V to it, and 12" radius with small frets. Perfect for what I want in a neck feel.

This neck used to get a bit sticky feeling like lacquer, so I sprayed it with FingerEase once in a while. Eventually it got to where that's not necessary any more.

This Legacy sounds just like the last Legacy I had, which was from a different era and used, but had the same pickups and alder body, though that one had a rosewood fingerboard.

The used S-500 I had was older too, but about the same general idea. Locking tuners I think.
This one may be a bit brighter sounding overall, is more precise in the neck pocket fit, and prettier. And I picked it new off the rack.
The neck on this one sold me.

It sustains better than any other bolt-neck I've owned, and using the vibrato does NOT throw this guitar out of tune.

I would replace it with another just like it if that became necessary.

legacy, maple w/ birds eye, hand made in USA,PTB system,schaller tuners,dual fulcrum tremolo,lake placid blue color,w/ case.

it's a strato style guitar,but much warmer than standard Fender stratocaster, thanks for the pickups i think..
you can get almost every style sound except for metal,very versatile, thanks for the PTB system.I use Marshall VS65R, Boss DS-1,SD-1,Zoom G2. Legacy,it's sound beetween Fender and Musicman i think..

it doesn't set up right from the factory, to be honest this guitar is kinda difficult to adjust,i have to bring it to a local luthier for a set up twice,then its allright..but maybe its just me. But the neck feels like butter,really nice, i owned American standard strato, musicman silloute, legacy neck feels much smoother! the finish is good.

this legacy will stand through the test of time..

never deal with 'em

I've been playing for 15 years,Legacy is better than standard Stratocaster,sound much warmer,dual fulcrum tremolo seem more solid than a standard strat tremolo,but i'm not a fan of its head model though, its handmade,comes w/ certificate,the PTB system is a great breakthru,more exclusive looks than Fender.
The only thing i hate is hard to set up,but its allright now, maybe because i'm not used to the neck size & radius,but i get used to it.
I wish mine comes w/ humbuckers, this guitar is a great bargain..

Just an update for those of you who don't know about the G&L #4 neck. It's 1-3/4" wide at the nut, a touch over 2-1/16" at the 12th fret and has a 12" radius. All of G&L's Custom Order Options are available on their website.

My 2008 G&L Legacy is a made in USA model with a Premiere transparent blueburst gloss finish and stock two-point vibrato. It features a two piece swamp ash body and originally came with the #1 neck (1-5/8" wide and 12" radius) satin finished rock maple with a gloss rosewood fingerboard. It was factory upgraded with all black plastics and 3-ply black pickguard and a stock white plastic nut. I got the deluxe G&L gig bag with the purchase.

I bought it used off Ebay from a guy who said he was selling it for a friend who was closing his store. This turned out not to be a true story... surprised anyone? It came to me with lots of dead spots on the fingerboard caused by a very slight "S" warp in the neck. Even after a pro set up it would not play well and fretting out (at the octave and above) could clearly be heard through the amp. I think it was exposed to excessive heat while left on a truck or in a car trunk and the fretboard shrunk - the first 5 frets had to be filed because they caught the high E if not played carefully. Obviously the fingerboard shrunk - the original rosewood fingerboard looked dry and rather dead.

I'll give G&L a 10 here because they made a great guitar that someone else abused.

Great strat style sounds with more "Umph," thanks to the stock G&L pickups. This guitar has a nice sound acoustically and sounds great amplified. I use a Peavey Classic 20 around the house and get a great tone mixing the master at 5 and the volume at 6. When I use pedals it's a Danelectro Chicken Salad tremolo, Peavey reverb and an Ibenez Tube Screamer (primarily when playing my PRS C22). I also use Amplitube 2 Live by itself through the Classic 20 to get a ridiculous array of sounds.

Factory set up with the new neck was spot on. Intonation is perfect, with reasonably low action and workmanship that appear hand done and near flawless. The bookmatching seam of the two piece body is almost invisible through it's high gloss transparent sunburst finish - looks very much like one single slab of swamp ash. The satin finish of the neck and the wide deep profile of the #4 neck (12" radius) suit me very well. The neck is almost the same profile and width from end to end... no tapered toothpick here! The two point vibrato is the best I've tried, though I do find the whammy bar set screw tightening to be rather annoying.

There aren't any reviews out there for G&L's with the #4 neck so I wanted you all to know that it's a treat for those of us with large hands.

This guitar is a tank - I know this will withstand lots of abuse. I always have other guitars with me but this will be my primary guitar. All the metal work is top shelf and the stock tuners hold tune well. The plastic nut doesn't seem to present a problem as some do on other guitars. Nice, somewhat oversized strap buttons, but I always opt for strap-locks.

I can't say enough about G&L's customer support. Chris Robosan, G&L's Service manager, is a great guy to deal with. At first I was turned down for a warranty repair. Clearly understandable, since I was not the original owner - the 10 year warranty terms are clearly spelled out on their website. Most people mislead others on Ebay stating that their guitars are still under warranty. I was told I could register the guitar by it's seller... not true. But, after some heartfelt emails pleading my case, Chris did some research using the guitar's serial number and found that I was lied to during my Ebay purchase. Whether it was because my Legacy was an almost new 2008 model or because of my persistence and a run of good luck, Chris brought my plight to the attention of powers that be and G&L decided to make an exception in my case and take the guitar in for a warranty repair. I can't say this will happen for everyone, but this story had a very happy ending.

I was told it would take 5 to 10 weeks because the G&L factory is closed during the month of August. Since G&L makes necks specific for each guitar to insure that the neck pocket is a perfect fit, I was allowed to request the #4 neck - their largest. I can't say if they do this for everyone, but I'm glad I asked... I'm 6'-4" tall with large hands and the standard #1 neck is just too cramped.

After 7 or so weeks, I got a call from Chris to tell me the guitar was being shipped back ... AND that I had received some upgrades in wood from the factory workers. The guitar arrived safely and it's a real beauty. The #4 neck is beefy and beautify - easy playing for larger hands. I was surprised with an upgrade in neck wood to satin finished birdseye maple topped with a very special piece of rosewood. The fretboard is near ebony with a gorgeous feather of bright rusty red running from the nut through the octave and off the bottom edge - it;s absolutely brilliant. The neck show a lot of handmade charm with absolutely beautiful fretwork. No dead spots on this baby! The sustain from this Legacy is outstanding!

The guitar came back with a new serial number, a Certificate of Authenticity and the stuff you get with a new G&L. I did not get the C of A with the guitar originally, so this was a big bonus.

No more used Ebay purchases for me! G&L is the real deal - I have a guitar that was built by hand in the original Fender factory - all that mojo built in without today's vintage prices. I'll certainly be buying another G&L from an authorized dealer in the future.

2003 G & L Legacy made in USA
5 way switch w/ 3 single coil G&L p/u's normal Strat configuration
Alder body w/Mary Kaye transparent cream color w/gold hardware
Heavily birdseyed maple neck w/gun-oil tint
Tuners are G&L but made by Schaller I'm pretty sure as they have the slotted screw. Usually a phillips screw indicates Asian-made.
White pickguard, switch tip and knobs(with gold numbers)

The Legacy has a wide variety of tones . It's the best sounding Strat I ever heard and it's quiet! I always hate when people describe tones in the usual "upper sparkle,glassy,quack etc) so I'll say that I can get a full range of usable sounds. Anything from SRV,Clapton, Jimi, Trower, Gilmour or anybody whose sound you like that plays a Strat! I usually play through a Blues DeVille using the standard effects. Overdriving it brings out the real payoff of this beautifully crafted guitar. I want to be objective but I'll be damned if I can find any flaws or negatives to share. I've owned the Legacy since new and liked it so much I ordered a '57 reissue type Legacy w/tobacco sunburst , aged plastic parts and chrome hardware a month later!

Fit and finish were perfect but on the tobacco burst , there was a crack in the finish at the neck pocket so I shipped it back for repair.

The gold hardware is still as good as the day I got it. Sometimes, that's a problem with other manufacturers. I wouldn't even mind if it got a worn,relic look but even though I play it all the time, it still looks new!

As I mentioned, I shipped my other Legacy back due to the finish crack at the neck pocket and I asked that they send me the same one back because the neck is so heavy on the birdseye and the body looked so good that I was afraid I might not get one as beautiful. Either they complied or they sent me one just as good. Either way I am extremely pleased with customer service. I think it took 4-5 weeks to get it back but I'm not sure since it was 6 years ago.

I've played for 25 years and I also have a 1981 F-100 and an ASAT Classic from G&L so I would say I am a very impressed fan of G&L. I also have a Ric 360,a '76 Tele, a couple of Gibsons and Strats etc but the Legacy is my favorite. I have recently begun building guitars because I feel that most companies don't hand-craft guitars using top of the line components like G&L does and it makes a huge difference. Other guitars aren't really that bad but when you play something with the quality of G&L, you don't want generic, overseas, assembly-line guitars in a solid body. I mean Epiphone makes great stuff for the price, but if I have to install Bill Lawrence pickups and better tuners, I might as well build my own! Without a doubt, I'd replace the Legacy if it was lost. The pickups are awesome sounding but I don't play super hot distortion stuff so I don't know if the Metallica crowd would appreciate the satisfaction of a sweet sounding,full spectrum tonal palate that's available on a Legacy. The Legacy stays in tune even when using the vibrato bar and I think most players will find that it's a better choice than about anything else regardless of price.

If mine had come with locking tuners it would be perfect.

I usually have the bridge pickup on, all the time. The guitar can do lots of stuff. I'm just in love with the brightness. It does have the usual single coil hum. Who cares? You can fool with the knobs and get whatever sound you want.

I play punk/ garage/ psychedelic.

This is the best playing guitar. Before I owned this guitar, I played an American Strat Plus. The G&L is much better.

It stays in tune. I whack the heck out of it, I sweat like a pig, I use the whammy bar relentlessly and it stays in tune.

You won't need customer support.

I ended up buying this guitar because I didn't know any better. I was playing an American Fender Strat Plus, that got stolen. I was shopping for another Fender when the salesman start ripping on Fender coasting by on their name. He recommended the G&L. They had a purple sparkly one, and that settled it. At the time I don't think I had the wherewithal to know the difference. 12 years later, I've picked up a good measure of Fenders in stores (when trying out pedals/ amps). I've never envied anyone's guitar.