G&L Legacy

FLAT POLE PIECES TO MATCH THE 12 DEGREE RADIUS OF THE G&L NECK
VINTAGE OUTPUT

THIS PICKUP IS STCK ON G&L lEGACY GUITARS
THIS PICKUP IT VERY BRIGHT ON THE HIGH END BUT MUDDY ON THE BOTTOM YOU HAVE TO REALLY LOWER THE BASS SIDE TO MAKE THE PICKUP SOUND DECENT.SHOULD NOT HAVE TO DO THAT

AFTER YOU LOWER THE BASS SIDE REALLY LOW YOU AND RAISE THE TREBLE SIDE ONLY THEN CAN YOU GET A DECENT SOUND.
G&L SHOULD BE PUTTING A BETTER QUALITY PICKUP IN THIS MODEL IT OUGHT TO SOUND GOOD ON BOTH THE TOP AND BOTTOM

I WOULD REPLACE THESE PICKUPS WITH SEYMOUR DUNCAN IF THEY WERE STOLEN.
I HAVE BEEN PLAYING FOR ALMOST 40 YEARS.
I PLAY ALMOST G&L ANYMOORE.LOVE THE CLIMAX SERIES.
A G&L IS BETTER THAN MOST FENDERS
TAKE A ONLINE TOUR ON THE PLANT AND YOU WILL BE IMPRESSED
I HAVE YET TO BREAK A STRING ON A G&L GUITAR

Bottom line is that the G&L Legacy is the Strat you always wanted, at a price you can afford. You probably already know that G&L stands for George Fullerton and Leo Fender, who built G&L up after Leo sold Fender to CBS. The G&L Legacy is made in Fullerton CA. It's quality through and through. You rarely hear about them because G&L doesn't really market them, they just build and sell. But they are widely used by session musicians in L.A. The Legacy seems to be about the same quality as a well made USA Fender Deluxe Stratocaster, but my guess is that quality control at G&L is more consistent. You can easily get all the details at the G&L website.

I just bought a used 2000 Legacy, made of 2 pieces of swamp ash, maple neck with rosewood freboard, 12 inch radius. The neck shape is C -- less chunky than the vintage C, but a bit fuller than the Modern C used on many of the current Fender products. Mine was upgraded with Fender Vintage Noiseless single coil pickups in all 3 positions. The tuning heads are stock, and although they look good, I think I'll upgrade to the GL Schaller locking versions.

This is a straightforward Strat guitar, with no modern additional modern features (although the 12 inch radius neck is more playable in my opinion than the older vintage Strats)

Its everything you want if you want the vintage Strat sounds. 5 way switch and the Fender vintage pickups provide everything Strat from fat and warm to thin and twangy. I play it through a Peavey classic 50 watt 4 x10 with the original Blue Marvels and original tubes. Ash body balanced with the rosewood fret board makes for a nice middle tone, not as snappy as a maple or ebony fretboard I suppose, for purists. There's nothing to dislike about this sound, unless you are looking for something other than classic Strat sounds.

Its 8 years old and has a wonderful honey or amber lacquer which gives the ash grain a glorious presentation. Plenty of curb appeal. The neck, thankfully, is satin finished (I believe), so its clear and a little grainy, not like the lacquer on the body. Very playable. Action is fine, 12 inch radius and C shape neck make for good action and playability

The ash body is a bit thicker than the cuts now being used for the Fender Deluxe; the neck is also slightly thicker and the bolt on joint looks tight and well done. Lacking any real gimmickry, my guess is that it will last a very long time and improve with age. The body has rounded edges and a contour back, so its quite comfortable

I called them for info prior to buying (though I bought it from an individual, not from them), and they were quite helpful. They actually called me back after I left a message!

Been playing on and off for 30 years. I've owned a 76 Les Paul Custom, 84 Strat, Baker Bushwhacker, Ibanez SRX700 bass, Brazillian Rosewood Tacoma, Taylor rosewood Jumbo, Martin Dreadnaughts, and a bunch of lesser quality stuff. Those are all good guitars, and this one is right there in quality, though at a lower price point, that's for sure. I would replace this guitar in a heartbeat. If it were stolen, I track the culprit down and force him to learn Wind Cries Mary on it before taking it back. I would encourage anyone to try G&L guitars or other non famous brands, and not be convinced that the best guitars are the most expensive ones. The famous brands spend tons on marketing and jack their prices up accordingly. Fender and Gibson do from time to time make superb guitars, but, you'll pay a hefty premium to get one.

Typical strat features, excempt the whammy uses an allen head screw to set the tension. It's not threaded and so you don't screw it in like the fender.

I like blues and rock and a fat, warm sound. The legacy is too bright. You can warm it up by playing through a hot pedal like and Ibenez tube screamer, and I have read on this forum that hotter aftermarket pickups will warm it up. The one exception is the bridge pickup, which is better than my American Fender strat.

Supeior to the Fender. The tuners are better. And the heavier bridge saddles improve the sustain and volume.

I suspect it is durable. I have to find a way to warm it up enough to make it my everyday player so I will know for sure.

Don't know

If I can warm up the tone a little, I would prefer it to my American strat, California series. I wish it had a brass, bone or rock nut. My Fender is still my #1, only because of the tone.(not the playability) The Legacy is 2nd, my Carvin is a Les Paul type and would be like comparing apples and oranges. I play through a Peavy Classic 30, and a Roland JC50 (Jazz Chorus). I would like to hear it through a Fender Hot Rod Deville, but I don't know anyone with one right now.

Here is pre CNC, handmade (USA), alder body, maple neck, G & L Legacy guitar. Other people gave some good description of this instrument, so I will go to the sound section.

Sound, as you know, is Fender like. Is it better? Nobody can tell you that. You have to try it for yourself. Some people here think that pre-CNC or CNC ones sound like a toy comparing to fender custom shop. Maybe some of these people were lucky or unlucky to try good or bad guitar. Maybe they are so proud to own custom shop fender and nothing compares to it. Here is my opinion. I wanted to buy custom shop fender as it is, simply put, a better guitar than standard production guitar. Note, I also played few production fender guitars that sounded better than custom shop ones. So be careful how you want to spend your money. Then, I tried G&L. I compared it to USA Stratocasters and Deluxe models. Sound wise, these models could not even get close to G&L. Then, I compared it to custom shops. They were very close. None is the winner. The reason I chose G&L over $3500 custom shop fender is the matter of my taste, which we all know, we should not discuss it here. Price? You can get these guitars very cheep and they are comparable to custom shop guitars. Not to forget to brag. Yes, I also own collection of guitars worth lots of money. Some of them are over $8000. I have no guitar that is worth less than $3000 dollars and here I am very happy about 700 dollar guitar that joined my collection.

It is very well built guitar. It is not high end PRS, but very good for handmade instrument.

I agree with all positive reviews here.

I have been playing for over 20 years, and own or owned everything worth playng.

Ordered in 2005 through Performance Music in Woburn MA (great shop!). 3-Tone sunburst alder body, maple neck and fingerboard with gun oil tint and 12" radius neck. I also got creme covers and knobs on the white pickguard. Thee Alnico V single coils. While I ordered it with the tremolo bridge, I ended up getting the bridge blocked because I don't use the tremolo. It came with a hardshell case and all the goodies. In particular, I like the PTB tone control system more than a traditional strat setup and the ability to semi-custom order at this price level (something you cannot do with Fender!) sets the Legacy apart from other Strats. It's not incredibly feature laden but very functional without being complex.

I've had this guitar for 2 years, so this is no honeymoon review.

I play blues, classic rock, alternative, and some jazz. My amps are a modded Fender Deluxe Reverb RI and a Peavey Classic 20, and my pedal setup is a Teese Picture Wah into a Barber Direct Drive (awesome pedal!) into a Guyatone MD3 Delay. I'm very happy with the way this guitar sounds. There is a lot of clarity and detail to the sound, and the cleans are fantastic. Overdriven, I'm able to get a very sweet sound that still cuts through the mix very nicely. The Legacy is not as ballsy as some Fender strats - it doesn't have as much low end punch. It has a bit of a different vibe, almost more refined. My friend has a CS '62 Relic strat and the Legacy compares well. They sound different, but it's hard to say one is truly better than the other.

My only real complaint is that the bridge pickup is a little thin for my liking. I find it to be a bit thin and lacking sustain for single note playing at times. For chording, it has great bite and nice body though.

At the price I think this sounds better than comparable Fenders.

Finish on the neck and body were flawless from the factory, and the fit between the neck and body is extremely tight - much better than on my Ibanez Prestige RG. All hardware is very solid, and the electronics have been trouble-free. Came set up nicely from the factory. Each individual G&L's neck shape is a bit different since they are shaped by hand - mine has a fairly thick C-shape. Neck shape is a very subjective thing and I'm not too picky about it, so I can't say that's really good or bad. This guitar plays very well.

Only problem here - I think the metal on the frets is a bit soft. I prefer to use the positions below the 15th fret, and because I'm doing more bends down lower the frets have already worn down more in middle section than up at the highest frets. I'm a bit shocked there has been noticable wear like this because my Ibanez RG3120 has not displayed this problem yetand I've had it for 4 years longer than the G&L. I also wish they had including something better than a plastic nut.

Barring this however, this guitar is fantastically set up.

This guitar is very solid. I have gigged it without a backup numerous times. Very well put together and the tuning stability is excellent. All components are very very solid.

Have never dealt with G&L directly, so I cannot give an opinion. When I ordered the guitar it only took about 3 months to get it, faster than expected. I believe the warranty is 10 years, which is better than most brands.

I've been playing for 6 years now, fairly seriously, with some experience in bands. I'm an above average guitar player for sure. My other "nice" electric guitar is my Ibanez RG3120, I also have a Squier Strat which I've put some new electronics into hanging around. Before the Deluxe Reverb, my main amp was a Mesa Boogie Single Rectifer. G&L makes the best value strat in the price range. I've played some nicer strats (vintage pre-CBS, D'Pergo), but all have been far more expensive. I don't dislikes Fenders, but I really do think G&L makes the better instrument in this price range. The quality on this is also much higher than on my Ibanez, which cost the same and was top of their line at the time.

I would absolutely buy G&L again. I shop pretty carefully and have played many guitars, and at this price I haven't found anything better. This guitar isn't quite perfect (what is?), but I have been incredibly happy with my tone these days. Overall an 8, but at the price, a 10.

Fullerton Red (which is code for Bright Orange)
Matching headstock.
rosewood fretboad.

I'm not 100% sure which neck it is, but it feels incredible...it's either a really soft V or the best C I've felt.

Everything else is standard Legacy fare, which is to say that it's awesome. I would have originally preferred a different color, but it really grew on me.

The PTB system is what strats should have. Period. I got in the market for a good strat (as opposed to my SG) after playing the EC Signature Stratocaster, and I really liked its electronics. I honestly think these are better. The pickups are better too. Noiseless is noiseless, but if you're complaining about single coil hum, you shouldn't be playing a strat. I am, however, giving it a 9 in this category just because it doesn't have the EC mid boost. I might get a clean boost pedal to do the same thing, but it's going to have to be /clean/ for me to be happy with it not coloring this sound.

It came with the same crappy strings every guitar does. I restrung with Martin Darcos and even with brand new strings, the guitar stays in tune better than anything else I've played. I don't see myself using the trem, but I love the sound, and it's actually useful for stretching springs right after stringing.

I've gotten really into blues, southern/classic rock, and what I consider "my emo," which actually is just specific rock songs and has literally nothing to do with emo.

The guitar is perfect. There's a reverberation in the body that's just amazing. The best way we've thought of to describe it is that it sounds like one of Leo's real strats raped an old resonator acoustic and 9 months later, this was born. I'm running it into an Epiphone Valve Junior head into a gutted Vox Valvetronics Cab (all electornics removed after the DSP died, just the speaker/cab) and it's absolutely amazing. I run the amp wide open and control the volume/breakup with the guitar's volme. And it's gorgeous. I can't see ever needing a pedal with this setup except maybe a clean boost for solos.

Not a single complaint. This thing sounds better than the EC strat. It sounds better than Custom Shop strats up to more than 3 times its price.

Action was acceptable. Finish was impecable and much more impressive in real life. I never though I'd buy an orange guitar. The Frets are not 100% perfect (compared to Nash and Grosh) but they're better than any major brand (Gibson, Fender, PRS...even the custom shop stuff I've played). And I don't anticipate replacing them any time soon.

Intonation was spot on from the factory. And when I took it off the wall to demo it, it was actually in tune...that's the only good thing I can say about the dealer.

No flaws I can find in any of the finishing. The plastic covering on the pickguard was a pain to get off because the pot covers fit so well...which is amazing compared to my SG. The knobs fall off if you turn them the least bit too far.

It seems like it'll last. Only time will tell.

Okay, so. I didn't deal with G&L directly. The dealer (Maple Street Guitars at the corner of Peacthree and Maple Dr in Atlanta (Buckhead)) told me that custom orders can take over a year to fill. After the rest of my experience, I think this was complete garbage.

The sales guys (who aren't even on commission there) were pushy and annoying. At one point when I was literally playing every Legacy in the store one after the other, he asked me if I was ever planning on buying anything or just wanking. It was insulting. It's buckhead. The store is filld with under-educated, over-drugged trust fund babies getting lessons while still wearing their soccer uniforms because mommy wants them to be rennaissance men.

On top of that, G&L's website promises a hard case with Legacies. Perhaps this has changed, but they gave me a gig bag with it.

The dealer sucks, but of the two places I know of that sell G&Ls, they were the only ones to have non-tribute models on hand. I'm never going there again without contacting G&L directly first. I'm in the process of drafting a letter to them about the dealer, because I know any decent shop (like G&L) would not approve.

I'm not leaving a rating because I don't want it to affect the averages, as I think G&Ls are great guitars, but if I could give this shop a negative rating, I would.

I haven't been playing especially long and my technical knowledge vastly surpasses my skill. But I worked at Guitar Center for a while and I've played Strats from $100 Squires to $4000 Custom Shops to $35,000 vintage strats.

G&Ls are leaps and bounds better.

If you're thinking about getting a Fender Custom Shop anything, don't. Look at Grosh, Bill Nash, or G&L. Those are my personal favorites from the boutiques in Atlanta. The Grosh I liked was absolutely gorgeous, and a bit more tehcnicalocially advanced than the others...interesting tone options, and a flawless guitar. the Nashes are just cool...it's like playing a 50-year-old strat that's been played all the time.

I have no idea how Bill Nash does it, but those guitars have souls. I would have gotten one except for two things: 1) price, 2) I didn't find the Nash Strat with a soul that matches my own. When I do, I'm buying.

I bought this guitar because of three things: 1) I really wanted a Strat soon, 2) it felt like it belonged in my hands as well as guitars that cost twice as much, 3) for my playing level, it was the best cost/benefit ratio.

There is no doubt in my mind that I'll own a Bill Nash Strat at some point in my life, but until I find that perfect one, this one has got me sitting pretty happy.

And I'm glad I didn't waste my money on a Fender. They have nothing but marketing left. Every single boutique strat or tele I played was better than its fender equivalent, even comparing them to Fenders that cost twice as much.

This is what a Strat is supposed to be. For about a grand, you can't do better...unless you like a Comanche or S-500 better.

This is a '96 Legacy (U.S.A. made) that I aquired used. Alder body, "green swirl" (one of the bowling ball finishes they don't make anymore, "pearloid" pickguard, maple neck/boards with tons of gorgeous birdseye, SSS pups, dual-fulcrum bridge, etc., etc.

You get a volume, treble cut and bass cut (3 knobs), 5-way selector, and that's about the size of it. I'll give it a 10 because I love strat type guitars and this to me is like a strat with something extra.

This beauty fits me like a glove. I play alot of styles ranging from rootsy country and blues, to progressive rock, to pop/rock and a little adult contemporary. Also been known to jump into some classic rock, gospel, hard rock, a sprinkle of jazz, and even played contemporary christian/worship music stuff. I am able to get sounds that are appropriate to all of these styles. Of course the thing makes some noise. It's got single coils so 60 cycle hum goes with the territory (and I wouldn't have it any other way).

Now I am a strat player/lover for the last 11 of my 20 years playing. There is just something about that sound and this is where my G&L has captured my heart. I've owned mexi, american, and even squire strats over the years. I've played and/or performed with a few vintage strats ('63 and '67 on stage) and a '73 tele (also on stage) not to mention that I work at a music store and get my hands on nearly everything at one time or another. All are wonderful instruments in their own right (even the squires are good for the price point) but this instrument has exceeded all my expectations. Think of a strat tone but richer, fuller, and with more character. Still has that classic bell/quack/latex tone we all know and love but it's more refined, more inspiring, more musical to my ear.

Just to be fair, here is my main rig with this axe:
G&L>TUNER>Jekyll&HydeOD>TS9>DanoDelay>Blues Jr

This is a fairly modest and simple rig to be sure but it suits my needs for rehearsal,gigs,jams and sounds great! This guitar absolutely sings.

Got the guitar used with great set-up. Can't speak for the factory setup. Neck joint is flawless. The only flaws where a couple of battle scars on a well played instrument.

Feels absolutely solid. I can't foretell the future but I anticipate no problems with this piece.

No contact....no need.

As I said earlier I have been playing for a little over 20 years now. I've owned many instruments and amps and pedals and assorted toys over the years. Some I don't miss and others I wish I could have back. This one is a definite keeper. If it were stolen I would weep bitterly, fantasize about what I would do to the thief when I got my hands on him/her and then I would begin to look for another Legacy. All in all this is my favorite guitar I have ever owned. I am one happy guy!

This guitar is the Legacy humbucker in cherryburst. I am particularly delighted with the separarte bass and treble controls.

The sound from this guitar beats my Lonestar strat hands down. It has a full rich tone as well as a thin blues sound and then dirtys up just how you would like.

The attention to detail in the construction of this guitar is obvious. The quality of materials is something you feel instantly.

I have taken this guitar to two gigs, and I will no longer carry anything else with me. It gives me the confidence to play and worry about equipment failures.

I have has occassion to use customer support and found them to be GREAT. John Toner is a wonderful service person who understands players and gives sound advice in the use of the features of these instruments!

I own many guitars and this is the first of many G&Ls that I will by. I used to play LPs only, now I have a broader set of tones and new found creativity.

Finish on this USA made Legacy is a 3 tone sunburst over alder wood with a maple neck and maple fingerboard. The neck is a gloss finish over the hand rubbed gun oil tint with a 12" radius. There are 22 jumbo frets. Pickguard is the upgraded pearloid. Three G&L single coild pups with 5 way switching, typical Strat configuration. Really has all the features you might want from a Strat, maybe you can do fancier switching so I will give it a 9/10. However, this guitar has two tone controls and is provides much more tonal variety than Fenders. Maybe it should be 10/10?? By the way, as you read on you will see some folks have described the Tribute Legacy and not the USA made Legacy. Too bad because the rating of the USA made guitar would be even higher if you take out all the data on the Tribute line.

I have owned the guitar for over a year now and played it in and out, so this is not a first impression here. Playing blues, rock, country, and some R&B and this covers all the bases very convincingly. I tried a lot of Fender Strats before buying because I was never a Strat person and thought I better get a guitar that had a good resale value since I might be selling it soon. Well after listening and playing loads of Fenders I gave this a try and it was beyond belief how much better it sounded and felt. Simple choice to make even if hte resale is not as good. The G&L is cheaper than Fender in the first place. I have played it with a number of amps and it sounds great through all but a 70's Fender Twin where it was too harsh/brittle no matter what I did. Through the Fender Blues Deluxe, Bassman 59 reissue, Blues Junior, and Prosonic amps, a few Riveras, and through an Orange AD30 head it sounds absolutely great. The Strat sound as designed by the man himself, before it turned into whatever it is now.

Action, fit and finish were perfect out of the box. There is nothing I can criticize in this area.

This guitar has been played without a backup lots of times, holds tuning very well, and seems like it is extremely well built for the working musician. I bring a Tele along now and then but not as a back up so much as just when a Tele is all that will work. Bu tI must say that the middle pup/bridge pup combo and the bridge pup alone on this Legacy go way into Tele land and do a great job of it.

Warranty is 10 years but have never had any need to contact G&L or the dealer about any issues in over a year now. Why 10 years though? Look at other warranties and they are not 10 years. Hmmmmm.

Never, ever thought I could be a Strat player but this changed all of that for me. Been through a whole lot of guitars in the past 35 years of playing and only tried to get comfortable with a Strat in the past 5 years. I mean I really forced myself to see what was going on here because before that they left me wondering what was the big deal. Sure they sound great on record but never sounded good to me in person. So I tried a lot of Strats and kept trying. As I said above, the Fender products left me cold every time. Of course the ??ustom shop starts to sound good but that is usually near $2000 or more to get into that sound. This G&L with some extras (gun oil and pickguard) came to $1050 and sounds like a Strat should sound, is incredibly easy to play, has a huge variety of tones (especially with the two tone controls). There is a sound for almost every mood I am in and the only thing missing is the rosewood fingerboard sound that some might like. I prefer maple so I don't miss it. I would buy this again in a minute, there is no other Strat for me. Perhaps I might try some of the others by G&L but that is as far as I would wander. Still have my Fender 52 Tele reissue but all the other electrics are gone now. The acoustics are Martin HD 28 and D12-28 as well as my old Guild D25 from 1972 when I bought it new.

Clear finish. Lite ash body, maple neck and fretboard. 22 frets. Fender-like single coil pickups with 5-way switch.

Pickups compare to American Strat more or less. Like American Strat many tonal varieties. Volume control scratchy. Tried Deoxit made no difference. Pot needs to be replaced.

I re-did the set-up as I wanted the action lower. Once I got the neck releif set I was able to set the bridge height about where I like it and had no string buzzing. The pick guard was very poorly mounted. I had to remove it counter-bore three of the screw mounting holes and re-drill as the mounting screws were so far off alignment that the pick guard looked like it would eventually crack or tear. After removing the pick guard I saw it had the "swiming pool" style routing where they dig out the entire area under the pickups. The tremolo groung wire and output cable to the jack were simply twisted and taped with masking tape. I cut these out and replaced with soldered connections.

I would gig this guitar only as a back up. Although it sounds pretty good and I like the feel of the neck and medium size frets it's heavier than my American Strat and the feel seems to tell me that it wouldn't last long on stage. Tuners are so-so and I plan to replace them Sperzal or Schaller locking tuners. Tremolo could have more range. (For some reason I'm trying real hard to like this guitar.)

Haven't tried it as I generally don't trust anyone and I can do all my own work.

This CNC version of a G&L guitar is OK but I sure would rather have gotten ahold of one of the hand made G&L's. I like Stratocasters in general and disregaurding all my complaints it isn't as bad as some imports I've played and/or worked on. It certainly beats the Mexican Fenders. It would be a good guitar for a beginner.