G&L Legacy

Features have been pretty well covered. 1998 USA model Legacy. The guitar is beautiful. Three tone sunburst working from black on the outside, to red to yellow in the middle. The finish is emaculate. You can see the woodgrain when the light hits it right Rosewood fretboard. G&L tremelo, tuners and pickups. The pickups seem to be quite hot. Thin neck with medium Jumbo frets. Included a G&L hardshell case. Three single coils with a 5 way switch. I'm not sure of the wood on the body. Probably Alder because of the weight. The quality and worksmanship is superb.

It's quiet, tons of full rich tone and a bright as you want. Very versatile. This guitar suits me perfectly. It is almost completely noiseless. I love the mid range and low end punch of the guitar. If I want real "twang" I use my Tele.

Perfect finish, low action, tremelo stays in tune, hardware is solid and everything fits like a glove. This is the best made guitar I've had in a lot of years. I compare this to my last 70's vintage Les Paul in fit and finish. My only complaint is the black pickguard and black pickup covers and knobs. It would look much better with a Tortoise pickguard or pearl white. G&L pickguards are hard to come by so it may be a problem replacing it.

I've only had this guitar for a month. I bought it used from a friend at a steal of a price. The guitar is built like a tank and should last a life time with care.

No dealings with G&L yet.

I have been playing since 1962. I've owned Strats, Tele's, Les Pauls, SG's and many other's over the years. This G&L has stole my heart. It's a real Keeper!

My Legacy is a 2003, stratocaster style guitar. I special ordered the guitar with the following features: It has a swamp ash body with natural gloss finish, a bird's eye maple neck with satin finish, locking tuners, and a graphite nut.

The features are perfect for a stratocaster style guitar--the bass and treble knobs are far preferable to the mysterious "tone" knobs of other brands.

BOOM!

It's so loud unplugged, it's like an acoustic. It sustains forever. Each string has its own body and character, and none eclipse the others. Gorgeous.

I play rock and blues with a clean to mildly overdriven sound. I use a Peavey Classic 30 (all tube, 1x12", ~$450) This guitar cuts through the mix without being piercing.

WOW!

G&L took much longer to send the guitar than the usual time they quote. They promised to make up for it. They did. Oh Lord, they did!

Perfectly straight grained swamp ash maple top with clear gloss finish.

Bookmatching so good that the grains actually "V" at the heel of the guitar by the strap bolt and at the top of the body just above the access plate for the neck. INSANITY!

Thankfully, I haven't dropped it yet. What I do know, though, is that it stays in tune very well.

You know how famous artists and scientists are usually notoriously odd? Well, apply that here. You won't get happy hand holding or constant reassurance from G&L. What you will get, however, is a stunning work of art that you can play every day for the rest of your life. I repeat:

BOOM!

I've been playing for 18 years, but only seriously for the last 8. I'm not a hardcore professional musician, but I do gig about once or twice a month.

Were my guitar to be lost, I would most definitely buy another one from G&L. Just writing this, I feel the desire coming on to buy an ASAT semi-hollow honeyburst finish with gun oil over a bird's eye maple neck...

Seriously, this is the best instrument I own. G&L went way above and beyond the call of duty in this custom order.

This is about a 1997 model standard strat style guitar. Features are adequately covered in other reviews.

Sounds great with the right amp. I didn't think it worked and played nice with my Mesa Boogie Studio Caliber so I didn't use it much with that. Sounds much better with the Vox AC-15. Never tried it through a Fender combo.

I bought this guitar because I was looking for a strat, but couldn't find any in my price range that were worth a crap. This seemed to be setup better, sounded better, stayed in tune when using the whammy, and at a much better price than the original. Good enough reason for me.

No problems with this thing. Looks and plays like new for a six year old.

Never needed to contact customer support.

Overall I think it's pretty sweet. I prefer the sound of Telecasters and Les Pauls so this "strat" doesn't get much use. It's nice to have around when I need it. I think someone with strat tendencies would be quite happy owning one.

This guitar is a strat-type with a 3-piece adler(?) body, 3-bolt Maple neck/fingerboard, 3 stock Seymour Duncan pickups,and 3 knobs. The first is for volume, the second for treble, and last for bass.
The Belair Green finish on mine is very cool. I got mine near the end on '93.

At the time I bought it, I needed a guitar that would do everything from jazz, classic rock, funk and whatever unexpected suprises the future would hold in store for me and my new axe. It is particularly well suited to funk (or country), but I could also get a warm, dark jazz tone, and good rock tones at high gain. It's also perfectly suited to blues and R&B. The only thing it might not do is really heavy stuff.

The guitar was perfect out of its case. The only problem is that the 1st string misses the pole piece on the neck pickup.

Once when I was playing this guitar with my high school jazz band, I stood up from my chair and the strap came undone somehow. This guitar slid of my lap, bounced off the linoleum floor twice and came back it tune!
I have since had it shipped to Japan where the humidity is notoriously unfriendly to guitars. No problems after five years.
The only thing that has gone bad is the jack, which is loose.

This guitar is incredibly versatile. I feel confident bringing it to a session or studio, because I know that I will be able to find the right sound from one of its 5 pickup combinations. The controls work very well, and the bass cut knob is a really useful feature.

This is not to say the guitar is not without character or personalty. It is very well suited to funk (or country) Mind you, this guitar has a very warm sound, but sometimes that's not what you want. With the bass cut knob, I can hide in the mix, and STILL SOUND GOOD.

It also plays great, and the vibrato works great, too. Putting 3 in 1 oil in the nut helps to keep it in tune. But you would expect nothing less, right?

The really outstanding feature of this guitar is all the different sounds you get from its pickups and controls. To the 5-way swithc is like a gear shaft for a 5-speed transmission-you can go from cruise to overdrive in 2 seconds.

I think this Legacy's built in 1996, US, 22frets, controls: volume, bass, 5 way-selector... S/S/H.. Just by looking at it, i automatticly fell in love with this beautifull guitar. Th Legacy lays just wonderfull smootly on your body, 'feel one with the guitar'.. Probably the most magnificant thing about this guitar, is that it has perfectly the right features to play, it does'nt have a 1000 knobs & switches, all of this is kept simple but it's all you need to play guitar!

i play it with a fender Hot Rod Deluxe & a '72 fender Bandmaster reverb (both at the same time, in stereo).. and i could say: they are made for eachother! This guitar & those tubes really give you the nicest guitarsound on planeth earth! If God was a guitarbuilder, he couldn't do better than the guys from G&L... :-)

I think 'Made by Leo Fender' is about enough there's to say...

once, the Legacy fell from a meter high onto the ground, not a scratch.. i even didn't have to tune it again...:-) (besides, this will never happen again:-) )

I think even my grandchildren do not need a phone-call..

I've been playing this guitar for several years, and it is simply the best guitar ever made! I also tried different strats en tele's... but none of them come even close to this beautifull instrument. The dealer was crying when i bought his last Legacy.. speaking:'mate, now you really have to play it well' & 'if you ever thinking about selling it, just come to the store'.. well, that probably the last thing i would ever do: selling it! if you want to hear it: http://users.pandora.be/trondheimtriggers (music & pics)

2003, G&L Legacy
Tobacco Sunburst or Swamp Ash (not alder) w, creme pickguard, knobs and covers. Finish is immacualete, but fretboard needs oiling.
Basic Strat 3 P'up configuration

Played through a Rivera Chubster or Classic 50, this guitar sounds robust and full. Amazing diversity of tones from standard p'ups

Amazing fit and finish (neck pocket is tight), beautiful grain on ash, with lustrous finish. Only complaint (minor) fretboard needs oiling.

This is 5th G&L, I have purchased over the last 6 years and I have yet to find a dog!
This guitar replaces an American Series Strat, which is a great guitar itself, but the G&L seems to go a little extra in terms of quality of construction.

Purchased many guitars from this dealer (Guitars ETC, Longmont C0) and they treat me right. Never dealt with G&L, but as the dealer is so good, I doubt I will ever have to call G&L.

Been playing many years. The G&L joins a family of Gibson Historic Les Paul, Gibson Les Paul Standard, ES335, Fender American Tele.
I would(and have purchased) G&L Legacys again. This is without question the best bang for buck (for both new and used) in a bolt on American Guitar. I have heard a lot of folks say G&L does not hold their value. This is bullshit. Just look at the prices on Ebay and compare Fender American prices w/ G&L and you will find in most cases that a comparable G&L will sell for the same and in many cases more than the US Fender.

I belive this is a 2001 edition made in the usa, 22 fret maple neck.
This guitar has the best bird's eye maple neck i have ever seen.
I have owned three Fenders, a Schecter, a Carvin and a few others and this Legacy beats them all! NO CONTEST
Very high quality.**To the guy dariel or what ever his name is who put in the terrible review several below mine;"I want you to play My Legacy and then write another review"!!!!!!!
The only thing I will add is a pearloid pick guard
Traded m;y Carvin for it

Sounds more like a Strat then any of my Fender's did!!!!
If you want a great Strat sound buy a G&L Legacy!!!!!!!!!

Got it from a local music store it was set up perfect
No Complaints
except the thick one ply off white pick guard which will be replaced with a pearloid

So far so good
i don't think i will have any problems

Haven't had to contact them yet.

i have been playing fifteen years and this guitar is the best so far
if were stolen i would get another in a heartbeat
LOVE IT!!!!!!!

First off we must remember that the reviews on this site are just opinions based on that persons experiance with a particular guitar and each person is free to state his or her take on this ..i am not about running someone else's opinion down but in the case of darians review i must respond...i have been playing out live and in the studio for 35 years ..i also have a guitar repair shop..i have owned over 300 plus guitars(electrics,acoustics,basses) and i feel qualified to respond..when dealing with g&l one must remember what the G&L STANDS FOR the G is for GEORGE FULLERTON and the L is for LEO FENDER.these men are true legends they invented the telecaster and the stratocaster !!! I am not sure what kind of legacy darian played or the type of wood it was made of or if it was even a g&l ..there are lots of fakes out there,but i have to respond to his claim that G&L uses reject or low grade wood.. i have owned or do own now fender custom shop,tom anderson,john suhr,prs,terry mcinturff,reverend,gibson,heritage,music man..and many many more..i play blues,country,roots rock styles my amp of choice is blackface fender or dr z..i have owned a dozen or more g&l guitars over the years and have three now that are my main guitars i find that these guitars are built as good or better than all the other top brands i paid way too much for..all the g&L i have played or set up for customers have been top notch..as far as the wood issue goes it is my opinion that the g&l legacy's i own have the best wood and tone of all my others..darians claim of the wood issue is untrue dont let one review out of many stop you from checking out what i and many other guitarist feel is one of the best guitars at any price out there..thanks

Made in USA, 22 frets, trem, alnico pups, ash body, sunburst finish, pearloid pick-guard, the usual 5-way switch, looks great! Strats are fairly versatile but can't do everything, even compared to other G&L's that have the mini-toggle. I'll give it an 8.

It sounds good! Very much a strat - very clucky and quacky when you want it, but awesome blues tones from the neck and mid positions. excellent tone. Whammy works great too.

Splendiforous... finish seems "dipped in glass"... usually only seen on high-priced guitars. This strat looks GREAT.

Strats are only a step behind Tele's in the reliable category. Top notch.

n/a

I sold it out of necessity... it's unfortunate because it really is a nice guitar. I'm a Tele player first, though, then something with humbuckers, then a strat... so the strat had to go. For a strat, you can probably do better with a very spendy guitar, but this easily earns the '9' I'm giving. very easily.

WOW! I've had my Legacy for 10 years now, and I had no idea it was such a popular guitar until I checked this page on a whim. Here's one more reason to buy:

It looks like a classic strat, but sounds and feels more solid and sleek, while giving you just a little bit more in terms of features.

The maple neck and 22 medium frets are very nice balance between modern shred machines, and more traditional strat necks. It has a very nice satin finish, and you can adjust the angle very easily with the 3-bolts.

There is a bass cut knob, rather than a redundant tone control. Pickups by Seymour Duncan. The enclosed tuners, fat strap-buttons, and unique dual-fulcrum vibrato bridge are slick and solid, like everything else.

The only features of this guitar that would seem to be compromises are the three-piece Alder body, and a plastic nut. However, these are not really shortcomings in the face of all the other great features.

It is perfect, in the dennotative sense of the word. I tried installing a Hip-Shot Tremsetter, and took it right back out. I "upgraded" the pickups with Ronnie Van Zandt's, but put the originals back it.

I put a Roland Gk-2a synth driver on for about a year before finally realizing to change this design is to defile it, and commit blasphemy against one of the God's of the electric guitar, Leo Fender. I'm even of thinking of going back to the original GHS 9-42 strings which shipped with the guitar.

It also came with a hard SKB style case with the G&L logo on it, so I could proudly let everyone know where my instrument came from. I never get tired of telling people why this guitar really is a "strat," even though it doesn't say Fender on the headstock.
Unfortunately, I was rather hard on the case and plastic around the locks cracked, making it useless.

The bass is big, round and warm. The treble sparkles, and the mid-range is smooth and unobstrusive.

When I bought this guitar, I was playing in my school jazz orchestra, a quintet doing standards and rock tunes in New York, a party band in my town, and a four-piece Chili Peppers/Jane's Addiction/Zepplin/Rage inspired rock band. It excelled in all of these situations.

I got a great jazz sound from the neck pickup with the tone rolled down to none or one, through and old Crate with 2-12s. Then I could switch back to the bridge and stomp on my Tube Driver for leads. The bridge pickup also sounded quite crunchy through a friend's Peavy Bandit, though not with everything. I was never able to get a good high-gain sound from my H&K Tubeman or Zoom9000S. The reverse-wound middle pickup wasn't very exciting by itself, but was the only pickup that gave me a balanced sound from my Vox Wah reissue.

The variety of clean sounds was incredible. R&B, funk, blues, jangly chorus, it didn't matter. I'm sure it would have sounded great for country too, if I only knew some country licks.

The great thing about it was that you could use pickups and tone controls to always find your niche in the mix. The tone control actually "adjusts" the sound instead of simpy dulling it, or watering it down. This is very useful in large groups where the guitar has to stay in the background. You can hide in the mix with this guitar, but it has so much presence you can still contribute.


Currently, I use it with a ZVEX Super-Hard On through a Roland VG-88, JC-120 or a Japanese amp from the 70s with a solid-state preamp and two 6L6GC. However, I think this guitar sound best going direct, actually. I have used Fender Nickel Plated Strings for years until today, when I switched to using Elixir Strings ( 11-49s).

It is very hard to make this guitar sound bad.

When I took the guitar out of its case, the setup was perfect. You could go all the way down with the bar and come back up (almost) perfectly in tune. My Dad was present at this event, and he remarked that the he would like to buy a car with the same Belair green finish.

It came with a manual explaining the factory set-up, and I tried that, but it was never like the way it was when I took it out of the box. I had it set-up by a pro once after that and it played nicely again.

Things about this guitar that bother me are few. One is that when you apply sideways pressure to the neck, it sometimes snaps into (or out of) place. It seems almost natural though. I crack my neck (the one my head is attached to) several times a day.

The other is a misalignment of the neck pickup and the high E-string, which as a noticeble affect on the strings response. I wonder if this problem can be solved by replacing it with a pickup with adjustble pole-pieces.

Oh...and the jack and pick-up selector knob are loose. But on guitars, this kind of thing can't be helped, right?

Here's a story for you: I was playing in a chair with my strap on once with a jazz orchestra. After the performace, I stood up and the strap came loose. The guitar slid off my lap, hit the hard linoleum floor, and bounced! And you know what? When I recovered from the shock, and picked it up, it was still in tune! Enough said.

This guitar is enough for a gig or even a tour.

For a long time, I thought the only possible appeal of having a Fender Strat was the name on the headstock. Then I played my friend's and realized that the American Strat's are a different type of girl altogether.

This guitar is perfect for me, but there are some occassions where the sound of the Fender would be a pleasing alternative to my Legacy. For most of us, I would imagine it's other way around though.