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.

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.

Made in the USA, by hand, in 1994. Mine is the 3-bolt model with factory SD SSL-2 pickups.

The neck is perfect. It has a natural, oiled back. So, it's not covered in coats of clearcoat. Great feel. Also, the 12-inch radius is perfect for me. The neck is slim, which is also just right for my taste. Jumbo frets are well-polished with no rough edges.

The tuners are Sperzel, non-locking, and work great. I won't replace them.

I've covered the pickups in another section, as well as the electronics.

My Legacy came stock with Seymour Duncan SSL-2's. These really capture the vintage vibe, and are supposedly well-suited for flatter fretboards, so I assume that why they were chosen. Frankly, they capture that vintage tone a bit too well for my taste. When it comes to guitar construction, I'll all about old-school. However, when it comes to pickup design, I really embrace technology. So, even though these are very, very nice pickups, I switched them out for a set of Fender vintage Noiseless pickups. I can't stand the hum of conventional single coils, no matter how much they cost. The older Noiseless pickups (as opposed to the newer "hot" version), in my opinion, nail that great single-coil tone, without any of the buzz.
With the new pickups installed, this guitar is now tied for first place on my "best guitars ever owned" list.

Mine also came with the switching option found on some of G&L's other models. It's a push/pull tone pot that lets me activate the neck and bridge together, for a jangly tele sound, or all of them at once. This, combined with the standard G&L switching system that was already WAY more versatile than any Fender system ever designed, opens up every single pickup combination available. That, combined with the passive bass and treble controls, make this the perfect "strat" system.

Because the original pickups did capture the sound that most folks will be looking for, and becuase the switching system is so rediculously versatile, this category gets a perfect 10.

Mine is a '94 that I purchased in 2006, so I have no clue what the factory setup was like. When mine arrived, I worked on it for an hour or so to acheive an action/buzz ratio that I could live with. Well, more than that, I'm really happy with it. Like every other guitar I've had, it could always be just a little lower with absolutely no buzz. However, you can really tell that this instrument was crafted with care, and the current setup reflects the efforts of the G&L guys 12 years ago.

That said, the guitar was built exceptionally well. Like many other reviewers, I would rank this guitar with the Fender Custom Shop Strats. The quality GREATLY exceeds any standard USA Strat I've played that was manufactured since the CBS buyout of the late 60's.

I've been playing on and off for about 15 years now. I'm by no means a professional, but I have owned dozens of guitars over the years. That whole time, I've been searching for guitars that have that perfect "feel" to them, without worrying so much about looks, brand name, or country of manufacture. I'm all about value. Judging from the $600 that I paid for this guitar, it's one of the best values I've encountered (the Korean-made Washburn HB-35 is still the best value I've ever seen, and has been for many years now). This guitar is a blast to play, has incredible action, sports every single pickup combination (even if yours doesn't come with this mod, your local shop can take care of it easily), and was perfectly constructed. The 3-bolt neck joint is incredibly solid (not shaky like the 70's Fenders), so don't worry about that. The neck pocket is so tight that it plays almost like a set-kneck. You can feel the string vibration even at the tip of the neck at the headstock. Very impressive. No, it doesn't have Les Paul sustain, but it's WAY better than a Fender. Pretty much in the middle.

OK, here's how much I like it. I've had it for 3 days, and I've already purchased another one in Vintage White with a tinted birdseye neck. I don't have a lot of cash at present, so this wasn't a casual purchase. I'm just addicted to this guitar. If you are trying to decide between a Strat and a Legacy, look past the ugly headstock and buy the G&L. You won't regret it!

For those who care... The other guitars in my quiver include a Washburn HB-35 (as I mentioned, best value of any electic made, period), a Washburn J3, 3 Dillion guitars (well-made Korean copies of a PRS, PRS hollowbody, and a Martin accoustic/electric), and a Heritage 140-CM. If you don't know Heritage, you should. Its history is very similar to G&L's, but it's Gibson instead of Fender. The one Fender that I have left (of many) is an 85 Japan model, which has my favorite neck of any Fender ever. It's very similar to the Legacy, with a 12 inch radius. It's kind of funny that my favorite Fenders of the modern era were made in the 2 years that production moved away from the US completely...

Buy this guitar!!!

Bird's eye maple neck; gun oil finish. Two-tone sunburst. Upgraded case. Preferred to the EJ Strat.

Played through a Germino Masonette combo, with either a TTE or reverb pedal and one of my chorus pedals. Added Eric Johnson pickups. Sperzel locking tuners. Great axe.

Setup needed tweaking, no problems now. No issues with hardware, controls etc.

Stands up to heavy playing. No problems.

Never had to call them.

I've got an American made, 22 fret, alder body, maple neck/fingerboard gorgeous legacy. It's sort of a reddish sunburst (very classy). The PTB system is a strat lover's dream. I know strat players who had their fenders rewired to try to accomplish what G&L do. The bridge is cool, and the whammy bar just goes straight in and out, without all the winding of a fender. The frets are quite heavy, jumbo I believe, and this baby stays in tune better than any guitar I've ever owned.

If you want a strat, and can't afford a pre-CBS or a really slick custom shop, then there should be no question. G&L is the answer. I reckon it's fierce competition with Fender's top of the line custom shop, and the fenders are a helluva lot more expensive by the way. This guitar has a beautifully bright sound. It's great for blues, although the neck pick-up doesnt cut through sometimes unless you really tweek your sound. Using the middle and bridge pickup at the same time yields a wonderful Jerry Garcia type tone. Who knew? It sounds sexy. The Alnico pickups have so much warmth, and while they're not as loud as say, a texas special, they are beautiful sounding pickups. Run your legacy through a nice fender amp with a touch of crunch and reverb, and that's all your gonna need!!

Finish is lovely. Reddish sunburst. Action is superb after being professionally set up with 11's. Like I said, the guitar stays in tune better than any guitar I've ever played. Personally I feel a rosewood fingerboard is a lot faster than a maple, but this maple gives such a distinct sound that it's just a case of what do you want. I also have a comanche with an ebony board so don't we all need a maple as well???

C'mon now, it's really a strat, just better. Any little dings it takes give it character. If you scratch my 335 I'll kill you, if you knock around my legacy, I probably wont mind.

No idea

If you want to buy a strat, play a legacy. Unless you can afford a pre CBS, you need a G&L. And even still, the care that they make these bitches with SHOULD BE BETTER than a pre CBS. At the end of the day, they're custom made and each one is different. Play one and see if you like it. I love mine and dont know anyone who doesn't like theirs.

1994 G&L Legacy guitar.
Strat-style design:
Double cutaway body, made of alder (I think)
Six-on-one-side tuners
Two point tremolo bridge with pop-in trem arm
3 single coil pickups w/ a 5-way p/u selector switch
1 volume, 2 tone knobs. The only difference here is that one knob works to cut/boost high frequencies, and the other works to cut/boost low frequencies across all pickups. Better than the standard Fender design, if you ask me.
Bolt-on maple neck with rosewood fretboard. 3-bolt neck with the tilt adjustment
Single-ply pickguard
Deluxe tolex hardshell case

Basically, a Strat with a few little changes.

Sounds like it looks. Like a Strat. And I wasn't expecting anything different. Typical strat noise on the individual pickup modes, and hum-cancelling on the 2 and 4 positions. Like most Strats, the bridge pickup was a little thin and weak, so I replaced it a DiMarzio Hot Rails humbucker. That helped balance out the sound a lot.

I have a black finish, and if you look closeley enough on the body, you can see the seam where they joined the two wood body pieces together. Hardly noticeable, but it's there, which I've never seen on a black guitar.

That being said, the thing plays like a dream. The neck feels just a little more narrow and a little thinner than my Strat, but it's incredibly comfortable. I've heard a number of people say that their necks warp beyond playable, and I haven't had a problem. I did, however, bottom out the truss rod to keep the neck straight (strung with 11s), and was stuck with just a little too much bow. To combat this, I had to remove the truss rod bolt and place a washer on the truss rod before replacing the bolt. This gives me more thread to work with, and was an easy fix to the problem. Now that I've got that fixed, this is definitely the most comfortable of my guitars to play.

I've had this guitar since 1996, and other than the truss rod/neck issue (see Action, Fit, & Finish), I've never had any problems. Finish has held up well, case has held up well, though I don't gig with this guitar (I'm a bass player)...

Never had to deal with the company for any of my 3 G&Ls, so I couldn't tell ya...

G&L's version of a Strat. A few little things, like the bridge and the tone controls, make it just a little nicer than a US-made Fender Strat. I prefer this over my Fender American Deluxe Strat. I love it. I have 2 G&L basses and this guitar, and would definitely buy another one of these if lost/stolen (and same thing with my basses).

This one was made in 2005, alder body, 3-tone sunburst, rosewood fingerboard, maple neck, G&L tremolo, 22 jumbo frets, G&L (Seymour Duncan) single coil pickups, Spertzel non-locking tuners. Features are what I wanted. Fingerboard radius is 12", a major reason for going with G&L.

I bought this to mod into an HSH pickup configuration, but the stock SSS single coil setup sounds quite good. They're true single coils, so they can be noisy in certain situations, but workable. Alder body with rosewood fingerboard is definitely what makes this guitar for me.

The 3-tone sunburst is great, hardware works like it should. Pickups needed adjustment. Big bummer would be the fretwork. I've bought 2 newer G&L guitars in the last year, and the fretwork is pretty poor for an instrument in this price range. Both needed a thorough level and dress on the frets. Once these guitars are setup with proper fretwork, they are great, they can play and sound better than any Fender out there, but come on, G&L, get it together with the factory fret work. No excuse for this lack of quality control. Tuners are not seated properly, either. They need to quit getting boozed up on lunch breaks.

Reliability is fine, it's bolt-on guitar, it will take a fair amount of abuse and still get the job done.

Don't know, haven't tried to contact them. I do my own mods/repairs. Warranty is 10 years, but I'm not in the mood to send it to them, wait for months, and then have to level and dress the frets again anyway once I got it back.

It's a great guitar - once it's set up properly. Out of the box, new G&L guitars are a crap shoot, though that's not uncommon. Too many U.S. production guitars suffer from poor quality control. For the price paid, new American-made guitars should be much, much better. I chose a G&L mainly because of the fingerboard radius of 12". Tired of the Fender 9.5" radius that strats have. The tremolo system is great, very stable and sounds better than most of the other floating tremolo systems on the market. Quality control is what's keeping these from being truly great instruments.

1998 USA G&L Legacy sunburst, maple neck with rosewood fretboard. SSS pickup configuration. 5 position switching, PTB tone system, tremolo. 22 jumbo frets.

I play mostly classic rock and some modern stuff. This guitar sounds great for these styles. I play through a modded Boss compressor, Menatone Red Snapper O.D., Keeley modded TS-9, E.H. Small Stone phaser, Dan Electro distortion, I split the signal into a tuner and a Crate Palomino V16. There seems to be a lot of talk about the versatlity of HH guitars with coil taps, but this Legacy is truly versatile with just the three single coil alnico pickups. The PTB tone controls give this guitar a very wide range of tones. I've had this guitar for a little over a year and I'm still very impressed with the sound.

I bought the guitar used and only had to make minor adjustments to suit my own preferences.
This is a very well built guitar, it has no flaws that I can see, feel or hear. I have the action set fairly low with no buzzes or notes being choked. The jumbo frets let you really dig in for some nice smooth bends. The neck is very comfortable to play. The tuners are non-locking but it stays in tune very well.

As I stated above, this guitar is well built. The hardware is very solid. I haven't played live in a long time but I do get together from time to time with some friends to jam and this guitar is very dependable.

Never had to deal with them.

I've been playing for over 25 years. I own a 1960 Gibson Les Paul Junior and a Tribute by G&L Asat Special Premium. Over the years I have owned 2 other Les Pauls, Fenders, USA B.C. Rich, Prs SE, Ibanez, Ernie Ball MM Axis Super Sport and several others. The Legacy is the only one that I can say I will never get rid of. I like to buy, sell and trade guitars just to try different things but this guitar won't be going anywhere. It may not be just right for everybody, I mean you'll never get thick, crunching humbucker sounds out of it, but for what I like it's perfect.

2006 Legacy
22 frets
Alder body
Maple neck/fingerboard
Tremelo bridge
Sperzel locking tuners
SSS Stock electronics

I give the features a 10 cause it's got everything I want in an electric guitar and none of what I don't want.

I play rock/blues/jazz/claassical/funk/country/folk...etc basically anything that catches my ear.
I use this guitar with Dr.Z amps for rock and blues and it sounds and plays great. I love the sound of single coil pickups but the 60 cycle hum drives my crazy at higher volumes, I plan on replaceing them with a noiseless varient.
Chords and single notes sound just as good clean and dirty. Full, round chords, articulate leads.

I give it a 9 cause it sounds great for what I'm using it for, but it won't be perfect for me untill I put in the noisless pickups.

Off the shelf this guitar was actually properly set up.
Med. action, set intonation, leveled frets, proper neck tension.
I don't know if it came from the factory like that or maybe it was just the shop I bought it at that does a proper set up before it goes on display.
Quality finish on the body. A bit too much on the neck, but it'll wear off with time to thats ok.

Only thing I don't like was the swimming pool routing under the pickguard, which I think is a cheap way of ruducing the time it takes to produce the guitar.
I don't honestly think I could tell the difference sound-wise in an A/B test with a SSS route vs swimming pool.

I give it an 8 cause It look/feels/plays great but it does have a swimming pool which is only a minor thing.

Havn'yt had it very long, but it feels durable, inspires confidence in the finish.
Think I'll have this for a LONG time.

No opinion as I can't really tell yet.

Haven't dealt with G&L, but the store I bought it at is a mom n pop that offer great service, so no opinion.

What a great guitar! To me it's better than the new Fender US strats. Better overall sound, playability, stock setup, options, etc.

I'd have to get another if it was stolen. It inspires me to play only more often but better.

93 legacy. Blue, disco blue.Well I don't think that is the name of the colour but it should be. Then it should be discontinued if it hasn't already been. Ugly as a dogs butt.
Beautiful and versatile sounds!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

All stock, including tremolo which stays in tune.( Listening Fender?????)

It has 5 positions for five completely different tones. It has a bass roll off and a treble roll off and a volume control. Three alnico pickups. It has a bit of a hum, like any strat in the three positions, but if I play it, or keep my fingers on the strings it is gone. Problem? Nope gorgeous sounds. Made a 50 th anniversary fender that I played sound flat and lifeless.

I checked the neck pocket for the date. i found it was carved apparently by hand, very tight, very cool, lots of mojo.
I love the pickup sounds . It is not too heavy, has a great neck and plays like a dream.
It is a refined strat. the tone controls actually work and are simple enough to use on stage in a flash. High quality tremolo, bridge, tuners, pickups pickguard and great strap buttons. But , well, its disco blue.....

Built like a tank but delicate. takes being thrown around. I play it a week later it is in tune. i switched to 10 on the high E and like medium gauge strings better. that is personal though. So I reset the intonation in 5 minutes.

Parts are hard to find here in Canada. Website doesn't help, need a tremolo arm.

Been playing 30 years, I never liked strats, I liked teles. I bought a G&L bluesboy when I first heard it.That and a great coincidence lead to this purchase. Plaed through a silverface super reverb and man there is no excuse to sound bad unless you suck, which I do on occassion. Resale is low as the word is not out yet. Then again I don't know people who sell these and don't regret it usually. The strat as it should be. A custom hand made guitar for 1 K built in North America? Yup. Try one, at least!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!I'm a lucky guy.

My Legacy is U.S.A. handmade in 2005 with 2 tone sunburst, alder body, gun-oil tinted maple fingerboard/neck, Schaller locking tuners, alnico pickups. This was a special from Music123 on closeout and I wasn't expecting the gun-oil tinted neck nor Schaller locking tuners for the price I paid! Great deal! However for a handmade guitar of this caliber, the cheesy SKB plastic case is not appropriate (the G&G case should've been included as standard but G&L wants another $160 for that!). Also, I too get the plastic nut problems with my G string binding at times. Other than the case and nut issues, this guitar is fantastic! I love everything else about it, especially the fit and finish which you can tell were done by a craftsman with love. I've heard opinions that G&L has gone downhill since BBE Sound took over (around 1992 or so I believe) but that's not my experience with this guitar. I sold off my trusty Fender Japan Strat, Fishman Loudbox Acoustic amp and Epiphone mandolin to finance this guy. Besides I don't need those other odds and ends - this guitar demands so much of my attention I don't have time for those other "toys".

I play blues, pop, worship. I've gone thru Fender Strat (Japan), Epiphone Casino, Gretsch Setzer, Gibson Les Paul Special, Washburn HB-30, G&L Tribute ASAT Classic - none of which I have anymore. I only have the G&L Legacy which is all I need. Those other guitars all sound great in their own way. The Gretsch Setzer would probably be my second choice out of the bunch and the G&L Tribute ASAT Classic was the best bang for the buck. This G&L Legacy doesn't sound like a regular Fender Strat. The Fender Strat I sold had a more clear sound. The G&L Legacy has more of what I call a 3-D sound. Another reviewer I think remarked it had overtones. I think it does but in a good way. The G&L Legacy sound is complex and rich kind of like what you get with a semi-hollow or hollow-body (I like this in my old Casino and Setzer but not the feedback) but of course it doesn't sound like a semi-hollow or hollowbody. The passive treble and bass give all the sounds I need. The in-between position 2 and 4 sounds do not have the "latex" or "quack" sound like the Fender Strats but do have hum canceling function. I would have to describe the G&L Legacy as rich and complex while not being overly bright. The Fender Strat and the Gibson Les Paul I had were bright to the extent of annoying, shrill, piercing (in my opinion at least) but with the G&L I can dime my tone controls on 10 and also my volume on 10 on all positions including the bridge which I never could on my Fender. So for me, this sound is a perfect 10. Forgot to mention I use Boss effects (SD1 Overdrive, DS1 Distortion, DD3 Digital Delay, TU2 Tuner) and a Dunlop Crybaby (basic GCB95). I have a Fender 59 Bassman RI and a 70s something vintage Fender Silverface Champ in which I replaced all the caps, resistors. The G&L Legacy sounds right at home thru my Fender amps (in contrast some guitars I owned previously like the Gibson, Washburn sounded like they wanted to be played thru something else. Actually as far as humbucking guitars go only the Gretsch Setzer sounded at home thru my Fender amps. The single coil guitars I had all sound great thru Fender amps).

This is where the craftsmanship and love are obvious on this guitar. All electronics were great on this U.S. made G&L. I had a Korean made G&L Tribute and everything was great on that guitar except horribly scratchy pots. Fit and finish is perfect. The finish is glassy, smooth. The gun-oil tint finish is best I've ever seen and I think is the highlight of this guitar finish wise. Pickups, setup were perfect. I do have issues on the nut with the "stiction" on the G-string but also that a plastic nut is not appropriate for this guitar. This should've had a graphtech nut. All hardware is great from tuners to the dual fulcrum bridge. No flaws I could see on the guitar got this factory fresh from Music 123 and was great. I won't take off points for the nut because I did that in the Feature section.

I changed strap buttons to Dunlop dual-design staplocks. The stock strap buttons on the G&L Legacy were actually fine, they were oversize and solid and probably would be secure enough - just that all my favorite straps have the Dunlop strapbuttons on them and all our (family) guitars have straplocks so as a matter of policy I equip all my guitars with Dunlop dual-designs. The hardware, finish, etc seem built to last but haven't had this guitar very long. I had my Fender Japan Strat since the late 1980s and that lasted fine thruout gigs, church services, etc with the usual nicks, dings, etc and I can tell this G&L is twice the guitar the Fender was so no concerns there. I could depend on this no problem. However since it hasn't been actually tested out in public I'd have to give a no rating on this category.

No opinion on G&L customer support. Haven't used them. I did request a G&L catalog from them a few weeks ago and have yet to receive it. Music123 customer service is great. I've bought numerous items thru them returning some, keeping others and they've always been great. Kudos to Music123.

I've been playing for over 20 years. I have a Taylor 510 acoustic with Fishman pickup, Ibanez GA6 classical with pickup, my wife has a Washburn Lyons electric bass, my son has a Squier Strat. Regarding amps, I have a Fender 59 Bassman RI, Fender 70s Silverface champ and a Ashdown Electric Blue 12-150 bass amp (great value in a bass amp!). I listed my effects previously but one thing I didn't list was the L.R. Baggs Para Acoustic D.I. - this is wonderful for all acoustic instruments. Now back to the G&L Legacy. This is my last stop in my electric guitar quest. I will not be looking, trying, buying other electric guitars after this as I know I won't find an electric guitar best suited for me and my playing. For that reason this guitar deserves a 10 simple as that (funny how I never went thru as much G.A.S. as my other instruments - only electric guitars). I can't keep an arsenal collection of guitars like some of you reviewers and if I could I would've kept all or most of my previously mentioned electrics (and may have added a few amps as well ; 0) ) but for me, this G&L Legacy is it.

Maple neck with rosewood board, four bolt neck, swamp ash body, clear gloss finish, G&L tremolo, G&L handwound single-coils -- basically a strat.

I've owned two of these guitars. For whatever reason -- is it the wood? the pickups? the fit and finish? Both have sounded absolutely unbelievably terrific. Something approaching "Stratocaster Nirvana" in terms of the tone. Bright indeed, but richly bright. Not shrill. Tone for friggin' miles. Extremely resonant. I have a Don Grosh retro classic -- and yes that is an absolutely fantastic guitar. Certainly, the Grosh is nicer -- except -- it really doesn't sound or play any better. The Grosh might feel a bit smoother, and have an intangible something, but -- it cost almost $2,000. The G&L at less than half that price, sounds totally just as awesome, and plays as fantastic. If I weren't able to afford stupidly nice guitars -- I'd by one G&L Legacy -- swamp ash or alder both sound killer -- and I'd play it for the rest of my days -- and sound good as hell.

Perfect guitar.

What could go wrong? It's a strat plank.

Don't know.

The best kept secret in USA made basically "custom shop" guitars.

1997 G&L Legacy,Strat Style, alnico pickups s/s/s, rosewood fingerboard. Standard strat switching, ptb tone system(passive treble & bass)Cherry sunburst finish, G&L tremolo, added grover locking tuners though stock were fine, medium jumbo frets

This is the sound I have been looking for (obviously strat type sound) but I think it sounds as good if not better than most Strats. I love the various sounds available. Smooth and jazzy, out of phase "quack", nice crunch rythym, searing lead. This axe can definitley do it all. It's all too easy to get bluesy, Jimi, Srv type stuff. That's mainly what I love, but you can do all other sounds too.The ptb system is awesome, it forgoes the standard strat tone crap and gives you a passive treble and bass control. Much more control over your sound than any Strat can offer. Does have the standard 60hz hum from the single coils but that comes with the territory and is more than worth the sound.

The 1997 G&L's are hand made and you can tell. The necks are awesome and you can get redicously low action if you want it. Mine arrive from an E-Bayer(racey-b) (please check him out), who sets these G&L's up unbelievable for you. I only paid $600 which I think was great. I sold a gibson goldtop re-issue for this and saved $1200 and am very happy with that. This guitar is the easiest playing guitar that I have played and I have had a couple (SG, Les Paul goldtop, Custom Carvin, which was awesome too just not my sound). Neck fit is great. this one has the 3 bolt neck which is how you tell the last 97's made. there are the good ones trust me. Tremolo is great too, you can work it and it stays in tune beautifuly. I did upgrade to locking grover tuners and I am going to replace the nut with a graphite one just to make sure but so far no problemw with tuning at all. Finish was awesome too. nice gloss finish and beautiful chery sunburst finish. Very nice indeed.

Seems very solid but I did just get it. I have to assume that quality is no problem as this is a 1997 and it is in great shape. Guitar does not feel heavy either. I would not use a backup with this guitar.

Don't know anything about the company support.

have been playing on and off for 30 years, I should be great by now but I never really stuck with it. I am going to try now that have the incenctive to play this awesome axe. I also just picke up a 1973 fender deluxe reverb so I am totally pumped. the combination of these 2 is perfect. I can't imagine better sound. Total heaven!!!! If it were stolen I would but a Real Fender strat and beat the thief with it, then go find another one just like mine.

2004 G&L USA Legacy with Alnico vintage pickups, alder body in three color sunburst with white pickguard, dual fulcrum tremolo, sperzel non-locking tuners, plastic nut, rock maple neck with rosewood board, and molded plastic case. GET THE GRAPHITE NUT!

I play it though my 2004 Fender 1965 Deluxe Reverb Reissue without effects. The sound is absolutely classic Fender. Pickups react very well to volume adjustments made using the volume pot on the guitar, they don't lose any definition when rolling off. My only complaint about sound is that there is the ever-present single coil hum on settings 1, 3, and 5, which of course you know already.

Very good. I've played this next to American Standard Stratocasters and there's no comparison between the two. The G&L is head and shoulders above the Strats in its price range, but I must take off a point for the plastic nut because there's some "stiction" on the G-string which makes it difficult to tune sometimes.

I've owned it for a year, I don't predict that there will be any problems with it. I'll have to wait and see how the nut breaks on over time.

Never had to contact them.

Solid instrument, very good quality. We'll see how it stands up to the Les Paul Epiphone Elite that's coming my way soon.

I traded a Gibson SG Custom for this guitar in 1994. The SG would not stay in tune and I was ready to drop it from a moving truck. The guy at the music store thought he got the better end of the deal, but this guitar is INCREDIBLE! I have own many guitars and played some that most people would give their left testicle for, but none of them has impressed me as much as this one did.

The sound still blows me away. The standard factory pickups have a tremendous tonal range and messing with the tone pots give me everything I could ask for.

Right out of the box this guitar was dead on. I've owned it for 10 years and never touched it. The neck joint makes the rectum of a duck look like the Holland Tunnel.

Again, in 10 years this guitar hasn't failed me. It's been dropped, knocked over and stepped on by my son and the finish still looks like it was applied yesterday.

I've never had to contact G&L so I can't comment.

I've owned and played a number of Fender Strats over the years and they can't hold a candle to the G&L. I can't say I'm a fan of the peg head design, but as soon as you start to play it you get lost in the rest of the instrument. I'm surprise that you don't see more of these guitars around.

I added Sperzel locking tuners and blocked the vibrato for flat only operation, to facilitate staying in-tune and radical string bends without the other strings going flat.

Blues, Afro-Cuban, Brazilian.

Lindy Fralin Blues Specials in neck and middle. Lindy Fralin Steel Pole 43 in bridge. With these pickups and pull-push, m/b pot with mega-switch giving me all seven options, this is the guitar equivalent of good sex.

Rich/Full, Bright. Both done lusciously.

Strings don't align that great with the neck pickup
It had loose frets and needed a fret dressing
It's not set up for strap locks.
Otherwise it kicks elephant butt!!

The great Jimi Hendrix would have to try hard, to kill this thing.

Refer to my ASAT Deluxe Review.

What can I say, they did what they did.

ELEVEN!!!!

If it were stolen or lost? Well, I already bought another one.
Both are premium-blonde, ash body, maple fret-board guitars. I'll put Joe Barden, Blade pickups on the other one, not their PHONY-BALONEY ripoffs

Well the features have been pretty well detailed below already. I wanted a strat, but I feel like Fender just aren't making quality guitars in this price range anymore.

Just for once I want to say something really positive on harmony central. So here goes: The tone is heartbreakingly good. Amazing sustain. Been playing for 20 years. My set up is Legacy-DS1-OD3-CE2-TR2-DD20-GT3-Laney VC30 or Hughes and Kettner Vortex. The sound is brilliant and sparky. Terrific representation of all proper strat sounds from this, but with something extra that I could only call (wankily) love. Great for ska, country, blues (I'd guess), rhythm and lead. This is an instrument made by and for people who really give a shit about guitars. There is nothing that makes me think, 'well it's good but i wish...'

This is a beautiful, crafted instrument, you can tell the makers have dedicated care and attention to the creation of this beast. Even my wife was stunned. But why is the head so girly looking? (the guitar, not the wife) Ah, I can live with it.

Been gigging regularly since I got it (3 months). Sounds fantastic. Not let me down, not even a broken string. But, the top strings can wonder out of tune a bit, but we're talking about out of the box without a fresh set-up. This seems to be settling down with playing, but I'll get a proper set-up next time I have cash...

Looking forward to visiting the factory.

I know this sounds like a commercial. But only once in a while do you get a piece of kit that is really a joy to play - when you don't feel any doubts, or wonder if you could have spent your money better. I really love this instrument.

1996 Legacy. Beautiful transparent blue over ash body. Pearloid pickguard. Schaller locking tuners. 3 G&L alnico V single coils. 5 way switch. Rosewood fingerboard. Med. jumbo frets. G&L Dual Fulcrum vibrato. PTB (Passive Treble and Bass) controls. 3 bolt Micro-Tilt neck. Very sturdy G&L hardshell case.

Fabulous sound! The best sounding strat-style guitar I have ever played, period. It is no more or less noisy than any other passive single coil equipped guitar. Tones range from bright to mellow thanks to seperate bass and treble controls. SRV to Jimi to Knopfler to country, and everything in between. Signal path = Legacy - Peterson Strobostomp - Barber Tone Press - Foxrox ZIM - '69 Fender Super Reverb.

Purchased used so factory setup not pertinent. Action is fantastic. Fretwork is great. Strung with .10-.46 strings. All hardware solid. Fit and finish are first class (as on all G&L guitars I have played).

Absolute top quality. I can completely depend on this guitar for any and all gigs. Hardware is built to last. Perfect finish. I would expect no issues with this guitar.

Never had to deal with G&L.

What more can you say. Leo Fender's final design evolution of the Strat. I am selling my Strat because it does not get any use now. I own a G&L ASAT Special Semi-hollow as well which is also a fantastic guitar. If you have never played G&L, you owe it to yourself to check them out. I am going to purchase a Comanche and a Legacy 2HB next. I wish I had bought G&L years ago. I would have saved lots of time and $ experimenting with inferior and/or much more expensive brands. The Legacy is truly every bit as good as an Anderson or comprable $3K guitar for a fraction of the cost. These guitars are an exceptional value today. Handmade USA Quality.

I have a 1994 us made legacy in sunburst
22 frets S/S/H
non locking tuners

super sound. It's the vintage sound from the alnico pickups which surprises me.
Even if not using the amp it has more tone that any fender tried.

I bought it used.
No flaws and setup is top.

It will withstand anything.

I play bass , drums...etc and have been playing guitar for 2 years so I'm still a beginner,not bloody
I have had 3 Strats from Fender . " Plus and one standerd. Furthermore I have tried customs shop...etc, but nothing came up to the legacy, honestly
Pls sell those Fenders and try the G&L
I have sold all my fenders, bye bye (Hit the road jack and don't you come back no more no more no more no more.

Pretty much standard stuff you'd find on any strat style guitar.

Sounded pretty standard. Nothing to shake a stick at.

The neck was pretty chunky in my hand which made playing it a bit more work than it should be. Also the fret ends stuck out so that my thumb rubbed against them when I went up and down the neck (Annoying).

Good

I've been on a mission for the perfect strat style guitar. I've played custom Fenders, Grosh, Anderson, G&L, and just about everything in between. Grosh is the best sounding but the necks are too big to feel comfortable in my hands (so it's out of the question). Anderson's that I've played, just feel like junk. I don't know if I've gotten bad luck with 'em but they don't impress. Plus with all the switches, I get annoyed. After playing just about all of them in one day I decided to stop by my local shop on the way home.

Just for kicks and giggles I picked up a 50th Anniversary Strat Deluxe (with the S-1 switching). Man OH man! That thing kicks my butt. Plays smoother than any of the previously mentioned, and sounds terrific. I plan on changing the Samarimum Cobalts to Lindy Fralins (the best IMHO).

MADE IN USA IN 1997
STOCK G&L HARDWARE - WHICH ARE GREAT!
22 MEDIUM JUMBO FRETS
BEAUTIFUL TOBACCOBURST GLOSS FINISH ON HIGHLY FIGURED SOLID ASH
SATIN FINISH MAPLE NECK WITH ROSEWOOD BOARD -PLAYYS LIKE 'BUTTAH'
SPERZEL NON LOCKING TUNERS
STOCK G&L CASE

I OWN A G&L 'COMANCHE' WITH "TONS OF FEATURES"...I PREFER THE LEGACY FOR WHAT IT DOES NOT HAVE. ITS THE REFINED SIMPLICITY THAT LEO FENDER CREATED WITH HIS STRAT AND TELE GUITARS

RUNNING THRU A CARR SLANT 6V...TONE HEAVEN
IMHO...IT SOUNDS BETTER THAN MOST VINTAGE STRATS
CLASSIC STRAT FENDER CANT TOUCH FOR 3X THE MONEY

I GOT LUCKY ON EBAY. OTHER MUSICIANS COMMENT: "THIS IS PRFECT". THE NECK IS JUST RIGHT FOR MY HAND...THAT IS MY PRIME FEATURE THAT I LOOK FOR IN ANY GUITAR.

FINISH IS PERFECT. FIT IS PERFECT
I DID HAVE THJE FRETS "PLEKED" BUT DID NOT NOTICE A BIG DIFFERENCE...WASTE OF $200

SO FAR SO GOOD
ONE OF MY FEW CRITICISMS OF G&L IS THE STANDARD CASE. THEY SIMPLY DONT FIT THE GUITAR VERY WELL. I HAVE NOT HAD ANY PROBLEMS, BUT I AM NOT A TRAVELLING MUSICIAN. THEY DO PROVIDE NICE CASE OPTIONS IF YOU PURCHASE A NEW G&L.

G&LDP IS HOSTED BY G&L'S DIRECTOR OF MARKETING, DAVE McLAREN.
HE IS A FREQUENT CONTRIBUTOR AND VERY HELPFUL.

I HAVE AN ISSUE WITH A G&L ASAT JACK (AS DO MANY) I BELIEVE THEY WILL REPALCE IT, BUT YOU HAVE TO SEND THE GUITAR TO G&L. I WOULD PREFER THAT THEY COVER THE COST OF REPLACEMNT BY A QUALIFIED TECH.

PLAYING ON & OFF FOR 40 YEARS
IF STOLEN, IT WOULD NOT BE THE END OF THE WORLD, BUT I WOULD TKE UP 'GAME HUNTING' AS MY NEW HOBBY.

G&L OFFERS ALL KINDS OF OPTIONS FROM NECK SIZE TO CASE OPTIONS. THESE ARE LEO FENDER'S AND GEROGE FULLERTON'S GUITARS..,FENDER CAN'T HOLD A LIGHT TO THESE. THE HEADSTOCK IS THE ONLY THING I HAD TO GET USED TO!

MY FAVORITE NECK IS THE ROCK MAPLE SATIN FINISH NECK WITH ROSEWOOD BOARD. MY HAND JUST GLIDES ON THESE NECKS!

BEST ORIGINAL 'STRAT' IS A LEO FENDER "LEGACY"...PERIOD

1995 metallic gold alder body, dual fulcrum tremolo, pearloid pickguard, rosewood fingerboard, stock legacy pickups (SSS), vol-tone-tone (PTB) controls, Sperzel non-locking tuners, med-jumbo frets. Your basic Strat style setup.

When I tried this guitar (used) in the store, I loved the feel of it and thought it was slightly on the bright side, especially when I compared it to a couple Strats. But I kept going back to it and really started to like it. When I got home, I plugged it into my silverface Fender Vibro-Champ and haven't looked back. What a wonderful musical tone! My style is a mellow jazzy blues with a primarily clean tone. I like to play everything from chord melody type stuff to country to heavy blues. The pristine tone of this guitar fits everything I like to play. The neck pickup (my favorite setting)is warm with just enough snap. All of the pickup combinations are super. Knopfler, Gilmour, SRV, JMH, they're all in here. "Fenderish" in tone but slightly different (which I like)

Bought it used but it was set up amazingly well to my preference! Had 10s on it, which I use. Medium action. The dual-fulcrum tremolo floats just right and is the smoothest I've used. The gold metallic paint looks great with only minor playing wear from the previous owner(s). The neck fits tight with ZERO gaps. Fret work is top notch.

I imagine it's as durable as any other professional grade solid body guitar. It's held up for about 10 years so far and looks as good as new. I'm not gigging these days but I believe I could depend on it.

Haven't dealt with G&L or any other guitar company.

I've been playing guitar for 23 years. I've owned tons of gear over the years. Most major brands. I been getting slightly disenfranchised from the major (read "F" and "G") brands lately and have been looking for a company with some passion. I think I found that in G&L. I would definitely buy another G&L (and probably will). Compare one to a Strat and you may be surprised.

It's a 2004 in 3 tone sunburst on an Adler body (I am pretty sure it's Adler). 22 frets with volume and passive treble and bass cut. Came with the Alnico V G&L pickups. I'm not sure about the tuners (they say G&L on the back), but there really good. The neck is a 12" radius, which is great. The neck is super, hand rubbed gun oil tint glossed over with ?black abalone or mother of pearl inlays. Dual fulcrum tremolo - awesome, that is why Fender copies it now. Came with a hard case-quality ok. I have a tweed fender that it doesn't fit into :(. I gave it an 8 because it's not really a trick guitar with lots of features unless you count great vintage tone and playability!!! Nothing beats an American Handmade G&L!!!

I play Blues, Rock, Funk, a little country (chicken pickin), R&B/Soul, and a little jazz. This guitar has the best sound, feel, and playability of any guitar I have ever played and it also looks the best. I have a MIM Strat with Vintage Hot Lindy Fralins that I thought was the Cat's Meow, but this G&L has 10X the sustain---seriously. I bought my brother a Tribute Legacy and it has as much or more sustain that my Strat, but thats another story.

The sound of this guitar is incendiary. It sounds like a vintage all the way. When I got this home (on my amp Hot Rod Deluxe with different tubes that stock) and played the songs I always play--I was so happy I bought it!!! I couldn't believe how much better it sounded than my Strat with the Fralins and how much it sounded like the recordings of the songs I was playing (Sultans of Swing (Knopfler), Something (Harrison), Time (Gilmore), Castles Made of Sand, Little Wing, Bell Bottom Blues (Clapton), and BB King stuff). If you are on the bubble on this one---pull the trigger!! You will be glad you did. I have a Fender HRD with a Line 6 Pod XT, thought for testing I ran it in clean!!! This thing has all the descriptive words "Chime, Sparkle, Dynamics, Response, Bite...." Get one. Get one. Get one....

This guitar was perfect all the way around. It is so tight I can't even fit a pick under the pickguard while I fingerpick!!! Wood was beautiful, neck is out of this world. It even came with my guage of strings on it, .11's, it was meant to be. The larger frets are great and make bending easy and fun.

"Flawless Victory" for sure

From what I have heard this thing is more solid than a M-1 tank, but since the warranty is only 10 yrs I'm gonna give it a 9.

No clue, but I have faith...

I have been playing serious (practicing at least 2 hrs a day) for about a 10 mo's, I have been playing pretty serious (learning songs etc) for about 4 yrs. I have a custom acoustic made McMurray Instruments in Kingsport, TN that is in the style of a HD-28 Martin (an unreal instrument) and a Mexican Strat with Lindy Fralins (a great sounding strat with a great neck---until I got this G&L, Strat is now for slide) and a 40 W tube amp Hot Rod Deluxe Fender.

If it were stolen, I would track them down! I would definetly get another Legacy, nothing for the price compares (My friend has a American Deluxe Fat Stat that is sweet, but not in the same building as my Legacy!) A fender of this quality would cost over 2 G's.

Nothing compares to this Legacy, except maybe another G&L. I am now a G&L evangelist and can't wait to get an ASAT one day.

I am reviewing my new 2004 Legacy. Mine is a 2004 with a polished gloss Blonde finish on a solid Swamp Ash body. The hard rock maple neck and fingerboard feature a polished gloss finish over a hand-rubbed gun oil tint. The chrome hardware consists of Schaller vintage-style tuners, G&L patented dual-fulcrum tremolo. The electronics package consists of three G&L Alnico V passive single coils pickups, 5-way switch, and the G&L PTB passive tone controls (volume, treble cut, bass cut). The neck dimensions are 1 5/8" wide at the nut with a moderately flat 12" radius. The frets are medium jumbo Dunlop 6100. I am rating the Legacy a "7" in this category because it is not a particularly feature-rich instrument. That is, unless you consider incredible feel and tone a feature. But more on that in a minute.

My style is a mix of blues, funk, and rock. Sort of a mix between Tom Morello and Chris Duarte. My signal chain is pretty basic: Legacy > Dunlop 95Q Wah > Boss OC-3 > Maxon OD-9 > Rivera Knucklehead II (100-watt tube amp) > Avatar 2x12 speaker cabinet (Celestion Vintage 30 & G12H30). The Legacy has an extremely versatile tone that is perfect for jazz, blues, classic and contemporary rock, and even hard rock. The pickups are true single coils, and you get both the benefits and the drawbacks. The benefits are increased dynamics, chime, and clarity. Through the clean channel of my Rivera the Legacy is truly amazing. It sounds almost identical to an original 50's Strat, complete with spank, quack, and bite. It is a very full, rich, three-dimensional tone that must be experienced to appreciate. Through the overdrive channel on my Rivera the Legacy performed flawlessly. Using a low to mid gain setting I was able to achieve very convincing Hendrix or SRV-style tones. The sustain is endless thanks to the slightly weaker magnetic pull of the Alnico V. Because these pickups are so dynamic I am able to achieve higher distortion settings simply by varying my pick attack, thus creating vocal-like phrasing and passages. The pickups are very balanced so there is no difference in tone or volume between the treble and bass strings, making chords ring out true. It is worth mentioning the one obvious drawback to these pickups: The presence of 60Hz hum. While the noise is not a problem for clean and semi-overdriven tones, it can get quite excessive when used with a high gain amp and/or a distortion pedal. But this is to be expected from a guitar that was designed with vintage specifications and I do not fault G&L one bit for the hum.

According to their web site, G&L builds guitars in the same fashion as Fender back when Leo was still owner. The web site offers a tour that shows G&L even using the same exact machines that were used in the original Fender factory. Apparently there are no CNC machines doing any of the work, from cutting fret slots to drilling holes for the dot inlays; everything is still done "by hand". While I agree that this process lends itself to producing very high quality guitars - and the Legacy is no exception - I also believe that it is the reason why no two Strats sound alike. This process lends each instruments its own personality that is not realized until its completion. I love that! That being said, my particular Legacy had quite a few flaws that required my immediate attention. For example, when I first pulled the guitar out of the case I noticed a few spots on the finish, as if something had been spilled on the body. These had to be buffed out, so I used a light polishing compound and rubbed out the spots. Second, the nut slots were not cut properly so the E, B, and G strings were getting caught in the nut causing them to go out of tune on every bend. This had to be resolved by adding a light Teflon lubricant to the slots. However this is only a temporary fix - I will need to have the nut slots smoothed out by a luthier. Finally - and I don't necessarily consider this a flaw - the finish was applied to the fingerboard somewhat heavy handed, causing the finish to run down and settle behind the frets. Again this is not really a flaw, but I prefer thinner finishes and the settling of the lacquer behind each fret has an unkempt look. On the positive side, the guitar was set up immaculately and played great right out of the case. The chrome hardware gleams brightly, showing no signs of oxidation. The Swamp Ash body has a classy grain and shows nicely through the transparent Blonde. Even inside the tremolo route and pickup cavity the attention to detail is evident. But most importantly, the neck pocket is airtight! The neck and body fit together like puzzle pieces, which plays an integral part in the sustain and resonance. I have owned a half dozen Strats in my day, and I have never seen a neck and body fit like this. Great job, G&L.

I have never owned a G&L before so I can't speak on this topic personally. However I did work in a guitar repair/restoration shop for a few years, and I have been good friends with the owner/luthier for ten years. His opinion of G&L guitars is very high. After inspecting my Legacy under the microscope I can tell that down the road I will have few problems, if any at all. The Legacy - much like the Strat - is a very simple design that just works, and lasts.

Never dealt with G&L, and I probably won't have to.

I have fallen in love with the Legacy and I have become a G&L evangelist! I would recommend G&L to anyone looking for a high quality Strat-style guitar. I consider the Legacy to be in the same class as Anderson, Suhr, Grosh, etc. I know that sounds hard to believe, but if you play one you will become a believer.

This is a strat style guitar...5 way switching of 3 pickups,1 volume,2 tone controls, bolt on neck. Fairly flat fingerboard radius (12"). The neck on mine is birdseye maple with a maple fingerboard. Meaty frets. Nice vibrato tail (seems to work well and stays reasonably in tune. I bought this used and the previous owner installed Fralin pickups which they say are the best vintage style out there, but I've got a couple of other G&Ls and the pickups in those are really good too...Pretty much standard strat stuff...

Sounds like one of the best strats ever made...Maybe it's the Fralins, but this thing sounds better than any custom shop strat...For blues, funk, rock, even the ocassional foray into jazz, this thing can do anything a strat can do...Did I mention country? That's where this thing really shines...A real "can do" guitar....I pretty much use tube amps and play pretty clean with just some reverb and compression...It sounds HUGE and pretty...

100%...My guitar is Fullerton red with the gun oil tint neck...Perfectly finished...When I bought it the trem was blocked so I had it set up by my local guy and now it plays flawlessly...It's also beautiful in a kind of vintage way...Mint guard, creme plastic, classic...These things are well made in the usa by people who care about making a great guitar...

Built like a tank...solid as a rock...If it was a motorcycle it would be an Exile custom...

Like I said above I've got 3 G&Ls and they're all great...They each have a distinctive sound and do what they do VERY WELL...I'll probably buy more once my girlfriend gets over the last one...I also have a Heritage Les Paul, an Epiphone dot with upgraded pickups (killer), a real Tele with Bardens, a hotrodded Gibson Melodymaker, a Gretsch, etc.,etc...I know a thing or two about guitars...This thing is as good as it gets...If you scroll down far enough you'll see a review by a guy who doesn't know what he's talking about...One of my ASATs has the three bolt neck which is a killer guitar...The three bolt is a totally different design from the less desirable Fender three bolt, but that's stuff only a real geek would know about...G&L has gone to a four bolt neck anyway (mine has one) but it doesn't really make any difference...The so called "swimming pool" route is likewise a non starter...A real player knows these things are pro instruments...Ask Will Ray...When I was looking for a new strat I played lots of Fenders from Highway One to top Custom Shop guitars...The price difference between a comparable Fender and G&l was about $700 and the fretwork and feel of the Fender was no better...

My guitar is a ninties-era G&L Legacy with a blue swirl finish over an alder body with a bolt on maple neck and maple finger board. I bought the guitar used with aftermarket Fender Noiseless pickups, Sperzel tuners and straplocks installed. The guitar had its factory 2-point G&L tremolo intact.

This guitar is everything a strat is supposed to be. The aftermarket Noiseless pickups have all the classic strat tones with no annoying noise. The G&L two-point trem is smooth and handles tons of abuse.

Like every guitar with a tremolo, the Legacy is not the easiest guitar to set up. It is a time consuming process, but everything in the guitar does work properly: the saddles, the trem, the springs, etc. Fret work was well done and neck pocket fit is perfect. Finish seems to scratch or chip more easily than most.

Generally, everything is made well. My guitar has an intermitent tone knob that needs to be fixed. The finish is also suspect, as mentioned above. The guitar seems as dependable as any other strat-type guitar.

N/A

It's currently my favorite guitar, but then again it is also my newest guitar. My Legacy seems to be on par with most American-made Fenders and some boutique "uber-strats". A great value, especially used. Compares very well my other guitars, a G&L ASAT and Gibson LP.

My legacy is a 2002. Mine came upgraded with Schaller locking tuners, mint colored triply ply pickguard, and it has the gun oil tint finish on the neck and fingerboard. This combined with the Belair Green finish makes for a very stunning guitar - I constantly receive compliments on its appearance. It also has the four-bolt neck, which I think makes for a much more stable neck than the three-bolt neck. Otherwise, the features are all covered in the previous 100 listings, but I will say that it is very comparable to a Fender Custom Shop Guitar.

The guitar sounds great! It really has that great classic Strat sound. I typically end up changing the pickups on all my guitars, but these (3 G&L vintage style Alnico V single coil pickups) are so good that I have never even considered it. It is also very quiet for a single-coil type guitar.

I mainly use a Mesa/Boogie Nomad 55 amp, but I also have a refurbished Fender Champ. The guitar sounds great on both of them.

No guitar will get every sound out there, and this one is no different. However, I can get about 75% of the sounds that I want with this guitar. I also have a Les Paul Standard with Rio Grande pickups, a Paul Reed Smith with P-90s, and a made in Mexico Tele with vintage noiseless pickups for the other 25% of the time. These are all great guitars too, but none of them has the range of sound that this guitar has. In addition, I also have a G&L Comanche with the Z-coils. It has a large range too, but it doesn?t quite have that classic Strat sound, so I tend not to use it very much. Some people really like the Z-coils, but I prefer the more classic sound of the Alnico V single coil pickups.

I bought this guitar new off eBay, and the shop that sold it told me said that they do an initial setup on all guitars that they sell. I honestly can't say whether or not this was true or if he was just pulling my leg to get a sale. However, the initial setup was pretty close other than the action was a bit too low. It took me about ten minutes to raise the action, and I was set. The intonation and pickup heights were spot on.

The one aspect of Strat type guitars that have always annoyed me was their floating bridge. Unless a quality guitar technician spent a great deal of time with them, they tended to be difficult to tune and keep in tune. That hasn't been a problem with this guitar. It is still a bit more difficult to tune than a hardtail guitar, but it stays in tune almost as well. Going through the whole tuning ritual with other floating bridge type guitars in the past was such a drag that after the initial new-gear high was over, I would rarely play them. That hasn?t been the case with this guitar. I can just pick it up and play it with only light tuning adjustments due to the stability of the bridge ? Well Done G&L!

The only fault with this guitar, and apparently all Strat type G&Ls, is that they are about a quarter inch longer than Fender Strats. The net effect is that they do not fit well into Strat type cases. It's close enough that you can do it, but the end of the headstock slightly overlaps the cutout of the case. It's not much of a problem on this guitar, but it always messes up the tuning of the high E on my G&L Comanche. And OBTW, all Strat type cases tend to use the same cutout shape, so there really isn't a Strat type case out there that G&Ls fit in perfectly including G&L cases. At the very least, G&L guitars should be able to fit in G&L cases. Otherwise, the guitar is great. Nonetheless, I'll take off two points for this, as I think this is fairly inexcusable.

My Legacy is really well built. The overall quality is about equal to Fender Custom Shop instruments. G&Ls tend to weigh a bit more than Fender guitars, but I think this is due to better, heavier woods. I have read other G&L feedbacks on Harmony Central that say G&L uses inferior quality wood or have shoddy construction. I guess it is possible that there might be a few lemons out there, but both of my G&Ls along with the other thirty or so G&Ls that I have played have all had absolutely superior wood and build quality.

I have never had a problem, so I really don't have an opinion on this.

I have been playing now for about sixteen or seventeen years. I used to have a serious guitar acquisition syndrome (GAS) problem, but I got better! Still, I am always interested in new gear. Over the years, I have had almost every major type and brand of guitar and amp out there. Today, I'm down to five electric guitars (Les Paul Standard, PRS McCarty Soapbar, Fender Tele, G&L Comanche, and this G&L Legacy), one acoustic guitar (Taylor 414), two amps, and two mandolins. IMHO, G&L gives you the most bang for the buck of any guitar manufacturer out there. If you are considering a quality American made Strat, then I highly recommend that you look into any Strat type G&L guitar in general and the Legacy in particular. I can honestly say that G&L is my favorite brand of guitar, and I absolutely believe they are better than anything from Fender and are the equal in function of any of the boutique Strat manufactures. If you are primarily interested in a high quality instrument that will not hold you back, then you just can't go wrong with a G&L. On the other hand, if you want the name that everyone knows or if you want to be a guitar snob, then you might want to look elsewhere. But you are going to be missing out on a truly outstanding guitar and certainly the best deal out there, IMHO.

Don't let the price tag fool you, this isn't a tribute series, it's a US model that ive dated to roughly october-decmber 96. I'm not too worked up about it to actually remove the neck to find out exactly when. got it in mint and i mean mint condition in 2002. 6 years it must've lay in it's case packed away somewhere cause when I laid eyes on it in the shop it still had the G&L tag hanging on the headstock and the cellotheme wrapping on the pickguard. What can I say, I just happened to ask a pretty stupid assistant who didn't know who G&L where and what they were worth how much the baby cost.

Pretty standard fare as far as strats go. 3 single g&L pickups. dual fulcrum bridge, 5 way stwitching, maple neck, 3 colour burst. I think havign lots of different stuff going on like mid boosts or coil taps etc.... make it more of a machine than an instrument and I really do prefer simpler designs. tele#s only have 2 pickups and 3 combo's Les Paul only needed the same too. I doubt there's be many guitars with 35 different pickup combos and doves on the fretboard held in the same light anytime soon.

On newer fender the black on the burst usually goes right over the tummy cut for the simple reason that it's to hide how many peices the body's made out of. american series included and G&L don't need to do this cos it's either 1 or possible 2 pieces max.

Fir the actual selling price, its a great guitar. for #280 plus a hard case it's an absolute steal.

Beautiful guitar. In the shop I tried it unplugged 1st just to see hwo it resonated. A guitar that sounds crap unplugged has a good change of sounding crap through an amp whereas nice resonant unplugged guitars have a tendency to sound great. This thing sustains like a dream and sounds absolutely gorgeous on it's own meaning the actual sound of the guitar itself without amps or effects is beautiful.

Fire it through an amp and it's just as impressive. Not going to get thrash metal out of it anytime soon but i don't intend to anyway. The bridge position is a little redundant as I find with all strat bridge positions but whack on the middle with it and turn up the gain and you're smoking, move closer to the neck and it just gets warmer and fatter all round. neck pickup with the volume rolled back makes an absolutely gorgeous clean.

I did a gig with this last year. not my usual bag, was a silver anniversary for a family friend and we done a 3 hour set covering everythign fromt he beatles to Pink to coldplay to tina turner to traditional scottish songs and I used this guitar all night with nothign else to aid my cept an eq, a tuner and a keeley modded blues driver. Using the volume to control the amount of gain and using the 5 pickup selections i covered an incredible amount of musical territory with one guitar so it's as versatile as they come.

when the single pups are selected you get a little hum but it's nothing more than ordinary 60 cycle and I personally plug my guitar in to play, not stand around listening to it humming away.

As i said, the only gripe i have is the bridge pup on it's own but it's the nature of the strat beast. dunno if i'd bother putting in a single sized hum cos it still sounds gr8 as it is and dont want to lose the brige/mid sound you get with this babe. Even mates in bands who don't particularly like our style and sound and generally play punky alternative stuff with their gain maxed at 10 (much to my dismay) have all commented on how good this sounds.

perfect. not one sharp fret, finish problem, burred saddle edge.... nothing.

I lowered the action a little but thats just personal taste it was low enough to begin with. I may get the bridge recut sometime int he future cos I think the G slot could be cut a little better but thats pretty anal of me and i doubt any stranger who picked up the guitar would notice or case.

had it for close to 2 years now and not had one problem yet. I gig without backups alot of the time and only ever really bother takign a backup if it's a big important gig. Not because I don';t think it;s reliable but I've had a guitar go down on me mid solo in front of a coupla hundred people and having to stand around trying to crack jokes while the singer runs backstage to beg another band to lend us a guitar for the rest of the set is pretty amateurish and those few minutes seem like years.

Murphys law was probably wrote with live music situations in mind as anyo0ne whos played and/ or promoted a gig can testify :-)

it's a nice guitar but it's also a workhorse. I take care of my gear but i don't baby it and I've still not had a problem yet. I won't be swinging it around my head anytime soon so i don't think it'll be fallign apart in the near future but either way, the guitar is an absolute rock.

emailed G&L UK a few times with enquiries about replacement pickguards and a trem arm since the guitar didn't actually come with one.

Got a prompt return within a day or 2 basically tellign me what i needed to know. Not personal service on the level of say robert keeley or other modders like him but for a multinational it does an excellent job.

I've been playing for 9-10 years and I like to think I know my gear. i'm not the best guitarist out there but i would say im easilly int he top 10% of people I've ever had the pleasure to see, meet or gig with and I'm happy where I'm at playing wise.

Chances of it getting stolen or lost are pretty slim sincei watch it like a hawk at gigs and it's usually in my room at home and I've got a pretty violent temper so I don't fuck about if i think anyones taking my stuff BUT if it did go for a walk I'd be utterly gutted cos i know i'll never find a guitar as good or as cheap like this again.

Sayign that, it would give me a good excuse to splash out more on a G&L custom or a nice ric.

Overall a 10. simply the best guitar i've ever played ever.

This, my friends, is a fabulous guitar. Lake Placid Blue metallic with only a subtle bit of sparkle, gun tint oiled maple neck and fretboard, creme colored plastic pickguard and pickup covers. This was in the store I bought it from for only one day because the minute I saw it and played through it, I was sold. #1 neck, which is a 12" radius, but as these guitars are hand-made, every neck on every G&L I have is different regardless of the category it's listed in. The pickups are G&L Alnico V handwound (supposedly) with the standard strat 5-way switching. Also, the guitar cable input is located on the top side of the guitar just like a strat. Jumbo frets and kudos to G&L for shipping a new guitar with 10's instead of 9's. Also, the body is alder with the pattented dual fulcrum tremolo that does a nice job of staying in tune.

This is quite simply a beautiful, stunning, great-playing guitar with a very high attention to detail, which is very consistent with every other G&L I've owned or played. As far as a rating for features, it's hard to compare it to other guitars that have controls to allow for multiple pickup combinations, and like my Twin, the longer time goes by, the more feature laden other amps get, so I will be fair on rate this accordingly. However, as far as a strat style guitar goes, this is tops!

Just amazing. The guy at the guitar store pulled it from the case the day it came in and strumed it. I actually was sold from that point. This has an acoustic resonance over any Legacy I've ever heard. And then I plugged it in. It took approximately 10 minutes for me to have Corner Music hold this guitar for me until I could come in at the end of the week and get it. The pickups do sound absolutely great. There is an ash-bodied rosewood fingerboard Legacy that I am interested in also, but I just love the way G&L's maple necks look. The laquer on the all maple neck can take some getting used to, and G&L sometimes has sharp edges on their all maple necks, but this one is smooth and plays great. The jumbo frets make string bending very easy and the resonance, combined with the excellent pickups sound wonderful. I play through either a '65 Twin Reverb or a Gibson Goldtone amp and it sounds amazing with either. I briefly had a '59 Reissue bassman, and it sounded great through that amp too.

This guitar does have a glassy, old-style strat sound that can be bright. The bridge pickup has that Jimmie Vauhgn twang to it and the notch positions (2 & 4) are authentic without being to accentuated like some strat-style pickups can be. You do get great Buddy Guy or Robert Cray sounds in these positions. The middle pickup is very useable on its own and the neck pickup is rich and round without losing its stratty vibe. I had an Ernie Ball Albert Lee and these pickups are quite a bit more powerful without losing its musical sound. These are truly vintage style pickups that sound great with about everything I've played them through. And, as with a traditional strat or single coil guitar, you get some 60-cycle hum, except when playing in the 2 & 4 positions as the middle pickup is reverse wound for noise cancellation in those settings.

Also, there really is something about the tremolo. I am not a tremolo player, but after having a Hard-Tail Albert Lee, I am convinced, the hollowness, metal and springs create some kind of magic that makes the strat what it is. It adds a little bit of weight, but it the weight is made up for with mojo that hardtails do not posses. I didn't realize this until I had a hard-tail. Even the Albert Lee, which is a wonderful guitar, sounded different without the tremolo. This guitar also holds it's tuning very well.

For an authentic playing and sounding strat, this is a very tough guitar to beat!

Every G&L I've either owned or examined is flawless. I would figure hand-made would give way to human error, but not with these guitars. Even inside the tremolo section, the attention to detail is outstanding. I've owned a Comanche and two ASAT Classics that were the same way. While the hand-made factor plays in the form of neck feel and overall vibe, the action, fit and finish is near perfect. I sound like I work for G&L, but I don't. I am just a Fender convert and have never looked back. I still have one ASAT Classic, and have my eye on another Legacy with an ash body and rosewood fingerboard.

These are just remarkably well-made guitars for not much more money than an amercian standard Fender. Those are good guitars too, but you almost have to get Fender Custom Shop quality to match the G&Ls. For those who disagree with me, you either have never played a G&L or you got a bad one that has been damaged, because in all my years of playing, I have never experienced more consistency and quality from guitar to guitar than I have with G&L. And the best thing, as these are hand-made, each guitar, while being consistent in the quality department, is very different than the one right next to it.

G&L uses the best materials and workmanship, and as a result, their guitars are extremely reliable. I've bought new and used G&Ls and the only problem I've ever encountered was a short at the input jack, but that was because a former owner had changed tone pots and did a poor soldering job, which was not the guitar's problem as much as it was the idiot who changed stuff around on it. These guitars are built to last and this one is no exception.

Never really had to deal with them, but I did order a saddle replacement and G&L style tone control for my old ASAT Classic. It took a while for my parts to get to me, and they were a bit lacking in the email response department, which I found a bit disappointing. Still, I have yet to file any kind of warranty complaint and the store I buy these from is so good, I don't think I'll ever have to deal directly with them in a warranty situation. I know some manufacturers offer limited lifetime warranties, but a 10-year warranty, such as the one G&L offers, is adequate. I would say if there is a defect in a new guitar you buy, it will show up rather quickly. The certificate of authenticity with the laser etched signature of Mrs. Fender doesn't do that much for me, but it's kind of cool to get a manilla packet with extra goodies in it.

For the warranty stuff, I have no comment, becuase these guitars are so good, I have yet to exact an any claims. For the poor ass email response and two week delivery time on my parts, I'll knock some points off. Unless Sarah from Andy Griffith is the only lady working the email and parts room, there is no reason to fall behind on answering customer questions or getting stuff out quickly.

This is the best strat-style guitar I have ever owned. The Albert Lee was lighter and sounded great, but it didn't look like a strat and was missing some kind of mojo that prompted me to sell it and get this Legacy. This guitar is a joy to play unplugged or plugged into any amp, and I am quickly finding this guitar to be the one I pick up most frequently due to it's attractive looks and playability. There really is nothing like a good strat, and this Legacy makes the best strat seem very mediocre at best. I see very expensive strat prototypes and wonder why those manufactures sell those guitars for so much more than G&L does, when, in my opinion, they don't match the vibe, feel and sonic qualities of G&L. That is to say, in the vintage Fender category. If I need something to give me 25 different sounds and also give me a ride to Pluto, I suppose something more elaborate would be necessary, but if I am going to get someting that looks like a strat, I want something that plays and sounds like one too. Also, I prefer to buy American as there is an argument of consistency and quality, but more so, it's the principal of helping the companies that employ people in the USA. I hate the Tribute series as they are well-built and I understand why G&L did it, but as soon as companies start offering cheapies, it can confuse some consumers with the real thing. G&L tapped into having more market share and making affordable models of good quality to beginners and folks on a budget, and most major guitar makers have plants overseas, but sometimes less is better, but we shall see how the Tribute series works out for G&L.

I try and keep a differnt mix of guitars for differnt moods and styles, but as I said earlier, I am seriously contemplating another Legacy with an ash body and rosewood fingerboard because even though it has the same basic configuration and pickups, it is totally differnt in feel and even sound.

I have been very happy with all the G&Ls I own or have owned, and I think you will be too. Go try one out! For the money they simply cannot be beat. This is hand-made and not machine made. And if you are familiar with Ed Roman, please do not listen or believe what he says. He tries to undermime great manufacturers if they won't distribute to them, and tries to make a case for selling HIS guitars. I have bought guitars from him before and fell into the trap of believing him word for word, until I started examining stuff on my own accord and realizing he was and is full of shit and bad at customer service and backing up his claims of warranty and all the rest. So, as I have already said, if you don't believe me, please go to a reputable G&L dealer (particularly a dealer who also sells Fenders) and play one for yourself. I think you will quickly see what all my hot air and hype is about. Also, be sure and play a strat or two when demoing a Lecacy or ASAT. You will see for yourself just how good these guitars are.

I,m reviewing a 2003 G&L Legacy Alder body - maple neck (satin finish), rosewood fingerboard, schaller (G&L) tuners, dual fulcrom vibrato arm. Volume and two tone pots bass & treble roll off. finished in a georgeous Candy Apple Red. White pickguard knobs etc.

Lets not complicate the issue, these guitars are without a doubt the finest sounding, most versatile instruments I have ever played. Great stock pickups wound on the original Fender winding machine I believe, suitable for everything from country clean, to high gain rock. I play through Cornford Class A tube amps and its all there - great middly tone without the trebly shrill of so many Fenders. The treble and bass roll off pots work superbly and the volume backs off smoothly all the way down to zero!. All the available tones for any situation are simply great!!!

The factory set-up of all my G&L's (I now own nine!) has been excellent although I haven't bought a guitar yet in over 25 years of playing that I haven't tweaked a little to suit. These guitars are handmade - the old way - and they feel really solid compared to a regular Amerian Series Fender. Neck pocket and fit is really tight. Satin neck is silky smooth, fretting is perfect - nut altough plastic is fine. Overall I get the impression G&L really have their attention to detail sorted - this is a perfect players instrument clearly produced by craftsman who really do care!

As solid as it gets!

Never had to use them

I am lucky to own over twenty guitars - Gibson, Fender, etc all of which are great but my G&L's have something thats hard to put into words. I dont make a habit of writing reviews but I felt compelled to after reading some of the other reviews here, these instruments are class, if you come across one in your local music store - pick it up - I'm fairly sure you won't want to put it down.

This is my first review here. I'm not sure of the year of mine, but I bought it new in '99. US made. It has a 3 bolt maple neck, rosewood fingerboard, Alder body, Sperzel non-locking tuners and a honeyburst finish All the other features are covered elsewhere.

This guitar suits my needs perfectly. I play blues/rock Britpop, anything that comes into my head really, except ultra heavy stuff. I was using it with a Marshall VS265R but found I rarely used that amp. I now use a Roland Cube 30. I don't gig, just jam and practice.

I found that the range of sounds just available with guitar controls are amazing and after a search of over a year playing Strats and other G&Ls this was the 'one' for me. I found the Fenders ridiculously overpriced and underwhelming compared to this guitar.

I was experiencing a small amount of 60 cycle hum, so after 3 yrs of ownership I replaced the std p/ups with a set of Kinman AVN Blues. These are totally noiseless and every bit as versatile as the original p/ups (I still have them also). I just love rolling off the bass control on postion two and giving it some serious 'quack strumming'. I find all positions great and the volume control is great to just roll off for rythym and let fly for a solo. Very controlable.

I'm not sure what the factory set up was loke as my dealer gave it a full tweak when he new I was coming back for a second look. But everything plays fine and the tuning stability is awesome even with massive tremelo use.

There are no flaws that I can see, and have had no complaints on anything in the 5 years I've owned it. The only thing I did was have my dealer fit the chrome knurled ASAT type knobs because I like to roll the controls mid song, and I wanted it to look different to a Fender. I have the original knobs but have never used them.

Saddles are very smooth, I am a bend freak and I've never broken a string on this guitar,,ever!

It's rock solid, doesn't show any signs of wear (save for the fingerboard) and have never had any type of problem. I get the intonation done once in a while and that's it.

Would gig without a backup no problems, but me being me, I'd probably like the mental safety net of a back up.

Never dealt with them, never needed to.

Been playing 15 years, I just wanted one (electric) guitar that would do everything I needed, looked stylish, is easy to grow old with and that I would not regret buying.

I find the quality amazing especially for the price I paid. Saw a second hand one recently for a grand more than I paid new! Everytime I pick it up I thank God that for once I was in the right place at the right time. What a guitar, and what a price. I love my G&L and the longer I have it, the more I love it. Makes me feel very smug when I see ppl paying huge money for guitars that they later trade in.Take your time and make the right decisions.

Check out a G&L, I'm sure you wont regret it

I think the Legacy offers the best pickup configuration of any other guitar. The multifunction tone system is a wonderful feature and creates a wide range of tones . Great job Guys!

To me the Legacy is the very best of old and new and the sound reflects exactly that. My pickups hum a little bit however that at least to me adds a bit of old strat likeness . My g&l was made before G&L made thier own pickups so what i have is probably the old seymore duncans single coils. Great pickups!

My legacy is the very best guitar fit and finish that i have ever seen the body honey burst swamp ash is perfect . The weight and balance again is perfect. Maple neck perfect. Trem system never goes out . Im a blues player and use the trem all night long and have had no problems with it going out of tune. I love the saddles i have very very few string breaks mostly the G string still better than my strat by leaps and bounds!

I would definity gig without a backup and regularly do . My G&L is the most reliable guitar i have ever played.I love the fulcrom floating bridge system SUPER!

I have never had any problems in 4 years of playing the guiar and playing it hard.!

Perfect guitar for the descrimanating player

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.

My Legacy is a Standard edition, nothing facy, Alinco Pickups, Five Position, etc. Looks like "brownie" on the Layla Album. Pickups are nice and hot, squawk/ snarl or smooth and cool when asked. Neck is fatter than the thin Strats being made today and frets feel chubby while not being over the top rail-road tracks. Good feeling tremelo.

If you are into specs, check out some of the other guys who have posted here as they have a better feel for the "specs" than I do. Nothing against specs, be mindful of good material, but if it plays, it plays, regardless of swap ash or maple....

I sold my Amer. Stand. Strat Plus w/Lace (1991) last year because it just didn't hold up to the raw nastiness of the G&L.

I'm a blues guy and run my axes through a couple of pedals (wah, Tube Screamer, Delay) into tube amp. Nothing fancy, I want tone and the G&L gives it to me. IF anything, can be a little too much treble and I have to fatten it up a bit. Most of the time, I am diggin the groove.

I've never met a guitar that didn't need to be set up. Anyone who tells you it came perfect out of the box either never had a pro set up and/or hanging with Syd...(Cool if you get the plug for Syd)

That being said, I judge the material on how it reacts to being set up the way I want it. Can it be adjusted? How does it take to refinements? Do the parts last or are they crap?

Legacy performed nicely under all tests.

I've been banging mine around for two years. No troubles.

I have not had to call. Which, is good...right?

I've been playing for twenty-five years. Own or have owned Gibsons, Fenders, Ibanez, Godin, Hamer, G&L, etc. So, if nothing else, I've got a pretty fair idea of what is and should be. IF you are a Strat guy, you'd be missing the boat if you didn't at least give the Legacy a shot.

While reading some of the other reviews, I think you'll find most people are within a point of each other. To the couple of guys who rate this guitar with low scores...I don't know what you play or if you play, but you were not playing a G&L Legacy.... unless it was used and humped.

Just bought it new probably sitting in the store a while though- maybe a 2001-2002 model in red. Standard except it has the aged plastics and gun-oil finished neck. Your basic strat- 5 way switch three knobs volume/treble/bass trem etc... maple neck
The features you would expect nothing more nothing less.
Came with a nice hardshell case from G&L that seems a bit short for the guitar.

Vintage vibe going on for sure, pickups are very nice sounding. Plug in a nice fuzz and a black face twin and this thing smokes- clean, it's very bell-like. Compared to my Fender Strat Plus it much more strat like (Imagine that) Each string rings out well, guitar sounds very full when unplugged (good thing) The sound makes me want to play more. Can't give a better compliment than that.

Great paint, love the gun-oil neck...little darker than my 52 reissue tele neck. pickups are wonderfull in my opinion- they give up the juice in a real vintage way, very clear and bell like adding some spunge feel with the fuzz turned on, pick up harmonics well. Sits very well in a mix. Nut was not cut very well. Neck pocket is very tight everything feels very solid.

This guitar is made very well. Neck it tight more wood on this body than my strat- the neck is the most comfortable neck I have ever played much larger rounded feel to the back compared to current fender- when placing them side by side this guitar feels more substantial. Hope these descriptions are working for the reader- The nut is the only thing that could be better, cut work is not great, and I also added locking strap buttons- personal choice there. Paint job and hardware are all top notch. I think of a good strat as a workhorse guitar but I would give this one that credential plus a bit more class.

I have not dealt with the company.

I've been playing for 15 years and have gone through a lot of guitars, three different Les Pauls' and SG several strats from Lone-Star to standard, to plus models. This guitar is by far the most comfortable to play and has the most "strat vibe" of any strat I've played. I LOVE the neck, I LOVE the trem and pickups, over-all workmanship....what can I say- high marks all around except the nut.
Ready to trade my strat off for another of these now or maybe anotehr amp- I can't see picking the strat up instead of this guitar tho'

I got a customized Legacy two years ago (2001) with locking tuners, a pearloid pickup and a S/S/S pickup configuration. It is basically a standard strat setup with a maple neck, surf green finish and the dual fulcrum tremolo. While I bought this guitar primarily for clean tone and surf music, I was not planning on it taking over duties for much else. My only real beef on features is the lack of 24 frets, but it is not possible with the S/S/S strat configuration. I wasn't planning on getting the features of a Soloist on a standard strat setup. G&L allows you to order what you want as far as colors and features and it takes a little over a month to get the axe after you order it through an authorized dealer.

I got shivers when I plugged it in the first time. The clean sound was full, bassy and bell like. I was inspired by Stevie Ray's Clean sound on "Little Wing" and this axe took me right there. The single coils are much quieter than most that I have heard, but without a gate, it still gets the standard strat buzz. I also cranked it through a Fender Reverb Unit and it rocks the surf like Dick Dale on steroids! I did not expect it to cover any of my hard rock, classical shredding, or punk music when I bought it. I have to say that for the last two years this has been my primary guitar for all of these (with the exception of down-tuned metal). The sound is solid and suprisingly diverse. These pickups are really good for clean, and the bridge is powerful enough to lead the crunch and solos of a hard rock band. My favorite is position four with the neck and center for clean and slightly dirty because it is so clear and pristine, it almost plays itself.

Since this is a customized axe, I got the exact paint job that I wanted. I was surprised that I could not see where they cut the neck to install the truss rod (Leo Fender devised this method of cutting down the center and gluing it back together. The paint job was simple yet effective. The action was perfect out of the case. The medium jumbo frets make it easy for lightning fast classical runs, hammer-ons, but not over obstrusive on the higher frets. I have still not found any flaws with the craftsmanship after two years of serious playing.

It is a strat, so it is pretty tough. I refuse to beat this thing up because I love it too much. It comes with a hardshell case and I have not had any problems thus far.

I haven't had any problems, so I can't really comment.

I have been playing for over ten years, and this is my main guitar. I started playing as a metal guy, but my tastes currently include classical, jazz, blues, all rock, a little country and even some electronic music. I have a Custom Carvin which is a beautiful guitar, a Jackson Kelly (for the downtuned stuff), and I used to have a knock off strat. This is my favorite guitar of all the electrics that I have played. I would recommend this to anyone thinking of buying a Fender Stratocaster. I was going to get a Fender USA Standard, but I wasn't satisfied with their lack of features, hefty price tag, and I didn't think they sounded as good. I do not regret this purchase in the least, and I would have spent a lot more money than I did for this guitar knowing what I know now! If you are looking for something to play really heavy metal, this may not be your guitar. But for the average rock fan that digs Stevie Ray, Zep, Clapton, and Hendrix, this guitar is a great value and a beautiful instrument. I think that I would cry if I lost it or it was stolen, and I would immediately get another one made.

2 piece neck attached with 3 bolts and has swimming pool rout in the body. bad features as these are poor construction techniques that compromises on the guitar's quality and sound.

very bad resonance due to the crappy and heavy cheap wood that G&L uses to make their guitars. it seems that these wood might have been woods rejected by other manufacturers, so that G&L can get them cheaper

fit and finish is terrible. what can you expect from a crappy 3 bolt 2 piece neck?

i wouldn't be caught dead playing it. if you want a good strat, get a tom anderson or a fender.

i don't think G&L offers customer service that can match the bigger companies such as PRS, tom anderson or fender

G&L fails to live up to the hype about this guitar. this guitar is fundamentally awful to start with because they use poor wood to make the guitar in the first place. not only that, they use very poor construction techniques as i mentioned above. if you want a guitar made out of poor wood and poor construction techniques, get a G&L

Standard G&L Legacy made in the US, not sure of the year. Has the 3-bolt (older) neck, used at Guitar Center. Rosewood fretboard on maple neck, sort of flat medium width. 3 single coil Lindy Fralin pickups! Black finish with a white single ply pickguard, which is fairly uninteresting, but not obnoxious anyway, but that drags the quality down a bit. This guitar was used and came with some surface dings but the finish seems fairly thick and has held up well. There's was an amazing amount of dirt and what looked to be spittle on it for something that's hanging up in a store, but hey it was Guitar Center after all and those guys are so busy you can't ask them to actually care for the guitars they are trying to sell.
Amazingly sensitive floating tremelo bridge, which is a big plus. It behaves more like a Bigsby but with a lot more reliability. alsways goies back to original pitch. Equipped standard with nice non-locking Sperzel tuners. Also came with the original G&L Alnico pickups! It's like I got 300 bucks worth of pickups for free.

This suits my style (sort of roots Rock) though I'd been mostly using humbucker guitars. I play through either a Fender Deluxe Reissue or a Hot Rod Deluxe. Pedalboard setup is 95Q wah (sometimes), Ernie Ball Volume pedal, SD-1 with ts909 conversion done at home, BD-2, Dano Fish and Chips EQ, Guyatone MC-2 chorus, Dano mini delay, DD-3. Sometimes I use a Dano Tunamelt tremelo. Once I got a Fender Tele '72 Custom Reissue though I began to get a little more hip to the potential of single coils. The SC are noisy perhaps but only marginally. Once I decided that I needed to go for a Strat-style guitar I decided to try everything. I don't have the money for an actual vintage Strat, so I decided to look at G&Ls. The standard Legacy just didn't thrill me though and I was mostly looking at s-500s or Comanches. Then I almost ended up with a Legacy with Joe Bardens but I thought a little too long before buying and someone else snatched it up. Then I found this one with the Lindy Fralins in it and this just blows even the Barden-equipped one away. It's got a great, full sound and when I roll off the treble a bit can warm everything up. It's remarkably versatile. I love this guitar. I don't know how to really express it, but it has such an authentic sound, with a great deal of dimensional quality, so that it's hard to go back to some of my other guitars.

Action was set up pretty well. Whoever had it before had tightened the claw that holds the tremelo springs way down so that the tremelo only worked one way (down) like a strat trem, but I was able to fix that, when I did release the trem so that it works both ways up and down like the G&L is supposed to, the action got a little higher so I had to adjust the height of the saddles but I always am doing little tweaking like that with all my guitars, so that wasn't a problem. It was missing the set screw that tightens down on the tremelo arm, but I happened to have one around that fit. The pickups were set a little low, so I brought them up a little. The nut on the input jack was a little loose so I had to tighten that up but not a problem. The knobs for volume and tone looked like someone had been chewing on them but they work fine. And I spent a little time polishing off the spittle. But other than that everything else was fine.

I think this guitar is a real workhorse. The hardware looks great and the finish is proven to be quite thick. The strap buttons seem to be sensibly designed though while standing around the studio waiting to do some recording somehow my leather strap slipped off of its button and the guitar sort of half-crashed to the ground. No damage was done at all though, it didn't get any dings or go out of tune and I finished the session and went out the next day and got strap locks like I have on all my other electrics. I still like the buttons and use them on my acoustic because they are really well designed. I did break a string at a gig though and like most trem-equipped guitars, the tuning went totally south until I got the new string on. Good to have a backup at a gig for that anyway.

Never dealt with them

I've been playing 32 years. I own a Guild G-37 acoustic, a Gibson LG-0 acoustic, Fender Telecaster Custom '72 Reissue MIM, a Frankensteined Les Paul Junior from the early '60s that has a Bartolini Hi-Amp in the neck and a Dimarzio in the Bridge, an Epiphone Sheraton II, A Harmony lap steel, a Gibson longneck 5 string banjo, a Squire P-Bass. I loved this guitar especially since it fit what I was looking for and I just traded for it, getting rid of a guitar that looked nicer but didn't have the tone or the action. I'd get another one if I could find its twin, because this guitar is definitely more than the sum of its parts. Not flashy at all, just sweet and tasty tone, super action, responsive tremelo. And it doesn't weigh a ton. I'm a fan of locking tuners so maybe it would be better if it had those, but the tuners it has are great so I probably won't change them. It was a better deal than the Comanche's and S-500s that I looked at, and it sounded way better than the other Legacies I looked at. I like all my guitars but this one seems like it will be the morst workmanlike and cover a lot of bases, so it's moved to the front of the pack.

Excellent black finish, mint green pickguard, v-shape neck with gun oil tint and vintage frets. Alnico V pups. Dual fulcrum vibrato NEVER goes out of tune! Otherwise a "standard" Legacy. I give the features a 10, not because it is feature rich, but because what features it has a excellent. Excellent build quality, tight neck fit, and fine finish. Fretwork is flawless and setup was fine.

This guitar sounds fantastic. It sounds vintage, and the passive bass and treble really allow you to tune in the "strat" sound everyone wants. I play blues and rock, and through my Twin reissue with a TS9, it sound great. Bridge pickup is a little thin, though.

Setup was excellent -- perfect right out of the box.

This guitar is built to last -- have never broken a string (but now that I said that, I'm sure it will happen!!) I'm not sure what G&L uses for a finish, but it is glass smooth. The neck STAYS slippery even when played with sweaty hands! This cannot be said of my Gibson Firebird V reissue, which gets sticky.

Have never dealt with them.

I've been playing for 20+ years, and this has been my main axe since I got it. I also have a new Gibson Firebird V reissue, a 2 year old mexican tele (Great guitar for the price!!) and a Jay Turser JT136 jazz box (another cheep guitar that plays great for what it is!!) Of the two highline guitars that I own (firebird and legacy), the legacy has it all over the gibson in quality and playability. I KNOW I'M COMPARING APPLES TO ORANGES, but the G&L's build quality is superior, and it costs less!

I played American Strats when I was contemplating this purchase, and the G&L is more Strat, than the Strat is - I think none of the vibe is missing here - after all, this guitar is the fruit of Leo's loins!!

I would definitely replace this if it got stolen.

Its a strat. But it does have a hell of a bridge/trem and doesn't go out of tune. It also has treble and bass cut controls which I like. This one is black with white aged pearloid pickguard and maple fret board. Large neck with flatter radius but I like it. I generally don't get to worked up about necks. After playing for a short while I adjust. Fretare another story.

My partcular Legacy weighs a ton and I would sell it if it were not for the absolutely dead on strat tones it produces. I got this guitar in a trade and at the time had a cherry Fender Custom Shop 1960 Re-Issue Strat. I had the same Nickel Rocker 11's put on the Legacy as were on the Fender and A/Bd them for 4 hours one night through 3 different amps. They sound identical and they played identical.

Let's see now $550 Legacy or $1200 Fender. I sold the Fender in one week. (By the way he wound up buying a Legacy)

The only thing I have noticed about G&Ls is that the frets sometimes have tines on them on the sides. Everything else is fine. I would gladly pay $100 to have the tines done and have the guitar set up to my tastes fro what it would cost for an equal Fender.

This thing is a horse. I never recommend gigging without a back-up but if you have to this one is a good choice. It is solid, solid, solid.

Never needed them

Playing 38 years. Started with a Montgomery Wards $50 guitar and amp. Now use USA Hamers (Tele, Special w/ P-90s, and Studio Archtop Custom). Also Gulid Starfire II. Amps are 71 Twin Reverb, Matchless Cheiftain, Rivera M-100 and so on. Life has been good to me and allowed me to own way more gear than will ever make sense.

I have seen a few different kind of players in how they style. Some get their sound from shear talent, some get it from tone and can make a single note sound like magic. I fall in the latter and my Legacy has way more tone for the money. Ive played other strats with better tone but then they were priced for it too.

I would absolutely buy another if it were stolen. I would search for a lighter one this time though.

G&L Legacy, Strat Style body. Gold Hardware, Schaller Tuners, Dual Pivot Tremelo Bridge.

Has all of the Great Vintage Strat Tones! Guitar is very light and has an extremely resonant sound when played unplugged! I currently use a Peavey Delta Blues 2/10. Guitars sings through a Tube amp!

Guitar is set up very well. No complaints

Guitar has a Metallic Gold Finish, I would suspect that it will tarnish/discolor like other guitars. ex.. Gibson Goldtops etc..
Overall though, I cannot see having any type of reliability problem, This guitar is very well made.

N/a

On and off for 10 Years.
I would definetly buy another G & L. These guitars are far superior to the Models put out by Fender. I have seen Custom Shop Strats that don't come close to this quality.

This is one of the earlier Legacys, as it has the rhree bolt micro tilt neck. Metallic blue finish, maple neck/fretboard. Non-locking tuners. Two G&L single coils (neck and middle) and a Seymour Duncan Lil 59 single coil aized humbucker with coil tap in the bridge. Thin neck wirh a 12" radius. Included hard case, strap, cable, tools, manual.

Very similar to a Strat (I own an American Standard Strat and a Strat Plus Deluxe), but I've never liked the sound of Strat bridge pickups, so the bridge humbucker is a big plus. The Legacy also has much improved tone controls, with bass and treble cut knobs which affect all pickups. I use tube and solid state amps, generally with not many effects, I occasionally use an amp modeler.

This guitar played as well as any guitar I have ever owned. The previous owner did a serup, and did a very good job.

Seems quite teliable. I have heard some complaints about the three bolt neck, but have seen no problems.

There is a manual(!). There is also a G&L web site, and a user web site (guitarsbyleo.com). Excellent support.

These are excellent guitars, and particularly good values used. They are at lwast as good as MIA Fenders, and generally cost less. I like the neck radius and the tone controls. I would have preferred locking tuners, but I can always add those later (and you can order a Legacy with locking tuners).

I purchased this guitar in 2000 after a few enjoyable months of shopping and trying different instruments. Although I was nervous about purchasing a "non-strat" single coil guitar for fairly significant dollars, I am very happy with my choice. At the time, the US std strat was the main option when price was priority. The new std strats don't compare to the quality of the G and L guitars. Although, if purchasing new and price was not a factor, I would have strongly considered the strat deluxes (hey, if money were not a factor I would have purchased both!). I don't know what "features" to comment on other than the quality of this guitar is "features enough" for the 10 rating.

This legacy sounds like a great single coil should. No furhter comment.

The action on the guitar was a bit low for me, but this is a minor, continually dynamic process that needs to be adjusted as the seasons change anyway (in Canada). There were no flaws. The finish itself warrants the 10 rating (I don't know the exact company term but I call it a mexican sunset). The pick guard and pickups are matched cream/yellow/dirty white that looks great on the guitar.

NO big problems except the output jack is slightly loose and seems to lose electrical contact if I tighten it. I think they are inexpensive to replace though (not a big problem so "I'll do it tomorrow"). The 8 rating is because of this minor problem.

NO comment. The warranty is 10 yrs? I think.

I've been playing music for about 15 years, though I am not a great player. I get together with a few guys and enjoy blues and any genre with related feeling. I play the Legacy through a Fender Hot Rod Deville either direct (great sounding!) or via a line 6 pod into the Deville (programmed for variations of fender amps - sounds ghostly retro!, though I woudn't know if my settings are exact recreations of the different amp models, but who cares! Not so great with POD set to EL34 type amp models and then through the Deville, but OK if direct to a PA). Overall, this guitar is brilliant. I would not replace it, though I would love to purchase a good humbucker type guitar (Gibson or PRS etc)and then I could have a good variety. The guitar is straight ahead single coil vibe. Plays great, sounds great. That's all I ever wanted.

What a sweet little Legacy: 2001 Blueburst, Top Bound, with Flame Maple Top, Rosewood fretboard and SD humbucker in the bridge. My dream strat!

I enjoy this Legacy because I can cover blues with the neck settings and can do some leadish les paul sounds with the bridge humbucker. This particular guitar is very heavy for a srat, and is incredibly resonant because of the weight, I think, compared to my other standard Legacy. The humbucker in the bridge can be split, and, overall, you get a lot of tonal variety with the s-s-h setup.

I have owned my fair share of G&L guitars. All used, site unseen. I have never found flaw with one of them. Action, playability, workmanship, etc, have all been top notch. I will not buy a Fender because G&L quality is truly so superior to the crap that comes out of the Fender factory. And used prices on G&L guitars are very resonable. They are the best deal on a strat going, I think.

Solid guitar.

I don't know

Just an awesome guitar. Best G&L I've owned, best playing and sounding strat I've owned. The look of the guitar, with it's bound flame maple top, is stunning. The bridge humbucker adds a great hard rock tone to a mean blues machine - very versatile guitar. Can't put it down... Gotta go play.

Highly recommend G&L to anyone looking for a nice strat. I've had some Fenders, some Ibanez S guitars, and even ordered a custom Carvin Bolt once (big mistake -- crapola)... The G&L Legacy is a fantastic strat. I like the Legacy more than the S-500, as the Legacy is a little less "hot", and has a more mellow, well rounded tone.

Made in USA, January 2000, 22 frets, beautiful natural finish on 2-piece solid swamp ash (you can't even see the seam). 3 original single coils with tone controls that actually work! One is a bass roll-off, the other treble roll-off. Schaller locking tuners (great), standard fulcrum tremolo, rosewood fretboard with hard G&L case, tools. Took it apart, dates on neck and body along with hand-written assembly instructions for body, neck, tuners, pickups. Wiring heavy-duty and well-soldered.

I've played any thing from country to metal with it - the only limitation is your ability. Have had 6 Fender strats from original '62 to 80's American standards, and this thing blows them away. The pickups have so much range, especially working with the tone controls. It is so nice to have a hand-made instrument. You can feel the difference when you hold and play it - G&L really cares about how it. Have played through several amps & assortment of effects - can dial in no matter what your using.

Have never had a guitar that played so well - manufacturing & assembly flawless. Wood is beautiful. Neck feels great. Fits better and feels more solid than ANY strat i've played - rounder and fuller feeling.

Would hold up to any gigging scenario - THIS IS THE REAL THING - not one of 50 models ranging from Indonesian copys to "Relic" ripoffs. They put their heart in it, and you can tell.

Have only talked to them about ordering some pickup covers and knobs, but they are really nice people working for a relatively small production company. You actually talk to the person in charge of each department.

Have been playing 38 years. At present I have an Epiphone Howard Roberts archtop, Epiphone EM-1 solidbody, Johnson Strat copy (nice at the time, but have to sell now), Danelectro Hodad 12-string, a couple of acoustics, an Ovation mandolin, Kramer Bass. I sold all of my equipment a few years ago including a couple of Amer. Stndrd. Strats, and starting picking up pieces about a year ago. This is the best buy I have EVER made. I would cry if stolen, then look for another. THIS IS A KEEPER. On one hand, I want everyone to know what jewels these G&Ls are for the company's sake, but on the other, I'm afraid it will push the price up to the level it deserves to be at. I'm definately going to get a G&L ASAT (tele-style PLUS) someday. Thank god G&L keeps the price down to a level that is within the reach of regular players.

Bought this guitar brand new in 1997, 22 frets, mapple neck, honey burst, white single layer pick-guard (looks cheap and doesn't lay completel y flat on the body), hardshell case (I prefer the much smaller fender cases), cool-ass bridge can easily be used without a whammy bar, Outstrat a strat, it does not.

This is my main guitar and has been since I upgraded from my Samick 5 years ago. Back then I was all into blues, then went to funk, then finally to reggae and rock. I've played it through my fender twin, champ 25, Blues Deville, a bunch Marshall stacks, with Tube Screamer and Rat. I have very big issues with the sound of this guitar. It always sounds thin, it's got no bottom to it and a weird kinda high-twangy-midrange that's impossible to get rid of without creating a huge scoop. Even when unplugged, the guitar sounds cold, it doesn't resonate at all like a real strat and feels as if there's too much finish on the body for it to do so.

At this point playing my friend's mexican tele is a treat. I'm gonna be getting something new soon 'cause I can't stand this sound anymore. I can't think of a single style that would benefit from this guitar.

I'm not a guitar tech but the guitar seemed in perfect shape, the finish was great-looking, the action was good.

I've been gigging and touring with it for the last 4 years in punk rock bands and it's almost a tank, almost. After five years it's due for a tune-up and it needs to be refreted, those I know, are normal things. Some of the pole pieces, screws and saddle springs are starting to rust. For this I am resposible for have I never wipped my sweat off of it after gigs. The one part that wore out way too fast were the saddles. The strings have carved out little grooves on the saddles wich now cut the strings after a few hours of play.

I've called the store I bought it from to ask how much a set of saddles where, he told me "around a hundred bucks". So I have a dilema, do I convice myself that saddles are a tenth of the value of my guitar. Or put that 100$ towards a new guitar?
I've yet to contact George and Leo.

I'd only been playing for a couple of years when I bought this guitar, I wouldn't do it again. The store I bought it from doesn't carry fender guitars wich I could have compared them with and I really didn't have the experience needed to make the right decision. It's got a lot of work put into it and it looks great but, in the end, it still sounds like crap.

This is a 2001 G&L Legacy with an Alder body, Maple/Maple neck, S/S/S P/U's, finished in Black with tremolo and non-locking tuners. The frets are wide and of medium height. The Maple fretboard has a 12" radius and is capped off with a nicely cut plastic nut. She came with the OHSC and sealed bag containing the whammy-bar, tools, and parerwork.

FYI guys: Do you want to know why Musician's Friend sells gear at such low prices? It's because all of their inventory is defective in one way or another. These imperfections may not be apparent to the eye, but they are there En Mass! I have returned everthing I've purchased from them From ErnieBall to Fender to Gibson. My friends have the same story...BEWARE!

This guitar is fitted with G&L Alnico magnet hand-wound pickups. These guys are relatively quiet! Very, very sweet tone. Chiming highs, crystalline presence, slightly sculpted mids, and a nice tight bottom end. Obviously, this guitar is Leo Fender's last word on the Stratocaster, featuring all of the improvements that post-CBS FMIC failed to develop.
The P/U cavity features the "Swimming Pool" route. This is at the focal point of much debate, but I have never played a louder, more resonant strat. This guitar came strung with 9ga. strings and with these light wires, the guitar produces a deep, rich acoustic voice. Notice that I use the word "deep". On the E, A, and D strings, this guitar produces loud, rich, notes- even while unplugged. In fact, every string can be heard clearly and evenly; no string dominates the spectrum when strummed! Try that with your Fender strat unplugged!
Anyway, I play the blues, and emotionally charged rock. I love music that reaches into your soul and grabs hold, music that lifts you up and crashes you down, only to lift you up again. That's my style. Don't insult me with genre labels and tags. This guitar can do anything you can imagine. Incedentally, I will be replacing the superb sounding bridge single coil with a Dimarzio rail-type for added versatility. I don't ever want to have to put this guitar down.

This guitar was made in 2001 and hung in a Ohio music shop for a year, untouched. Dayton-Band-Inc. strung her with GHS Boomers (9ga.)before shipping and she arrived slightly out of tune. Due to the overwhelming humidity here in New Orleans, I had to loosen the truss-rod less than a 1/4 of a turn to add some relief. I retuned the guitar and played it for over three hours without having to tune the damn thing. I really have to say something about those cool split-shaft tuners!
This guitar exemplifies quality and Leo's forward thinking. It's the little things on this guitar that add up to one incredible Strat. I mean the attention to detail and the subtle changes on CBS hardware and tooling. There are felt spacers between the bridge and the body placed around the bridge posts. The all metal edges are nicely beveled-even the holes which contain the allen screws for saddle height adjustment. The nut is perfectly cut with string indentions cut at slight angles allowing the strings to be handed off to the tuners at the proper angles. The setup was set to factory specs out of the box! Neck pocket is tight and this guitar has zero flaws. The pots and switch actuate with firmness, not loosely like my Fender Strat(which is up for sale now). Incredible. The tremolo is silky smooth!

I'm a heavy-handed player and she stays in tune perfectly and doesn't break strings. The saddles and tremolo arm are beefy and are constructed of billet metal!
Nice, fat strap buttons!

I don't have a clue.

I've been jamming for 10 years and have wasted untold sums of my hard-earned money on garbage! This guitar replaces many Fenders, Ernieballs and etc!
Why are you people still buying Fender products? Leo wasn't finished developing his strat when he sold the company to CBS, you know. If you want the perfect Strat, you'd better wake up, smell the coffee, and check out G&L. You won't go back.
I've been searching for this guitar all of my life. All of it. I feel like a kid again! I can't believe how incredible this gem is! How can justify paying those outrageous prices for a guitar with antiquated hardware and design flaws(Fender)? Wake up, people. Get over the "Name Hype" and make your own path. This G&L Legacy lives up to it's name in every conceivable way. Thanks to Sean at Dayton-Band-Inc(info@daytonband.com). He handled my internet eParanoia with splendor and unwaivering understanding.
Call or eMail me anytime.

G&L Legacy. 3 single coil design, basically a strat. Mine is Fullerton Red with white pickguard, and creme colored knobs and colors......adds a nice touch. also has a birdseye maple neck and fingerboard with the gun oil tint under glossy finish....also a nice touch. vintage frets, fairly wide not too tall, has the ptb system tone controls and the standard dual fulcrum bridge, and schaller locking tuners round out the features. nothing frilly, what this guitar needs, but the tuners, ptb system, and the bridge put this guitar to a 10.

alright, here is where i hurt some feelings. this thing eats fender strats, bar none. period. i play in an alt-country/americana band and i look for the typical strat sound on a lot of songs. it exceeds my expectations. this guitar acutally has some soul to it. for the first time i have played a strat where the middle pickup is anywhere near usable. the brige p\u is bright, but not clanky like fenders, the neck is fat, but has lots of clarity, and the "in-between" positions are true mark knoppfler, steve miller hollow sounds.the pickups are a little noisy, but hey, it has been that way for 40 years, man! i plug this gem into a teese wah, ts-9, fulltone fat boost, fulltone fulldrive, voodoo lab tremolo, ibanez cf-7, fulltone deja 'vibe to a mesa boogie maverick 35 watt class a 4x10 combo. this is a good combination, as i can get close to the classic "twin" clean sound, but with the nice compressed, or "close" sound of a class a amp. i give a 9 in this catagory as there is always that little extra out there somewhere that can improve tone. i will save the extra point till then.

true craftsmanship. glass-like finish, impecable finsh on the frets and neck. pickups set right. action was a little high for me out of the box, but that is how they came from the factory in the 50's. i simply lowered the action a tad, reset the harmonics, took a tad of the bow out of the neck, and BAM! it damn near plays as good as my prs with no sustain loss or buzzing strings. it will get a 9 here. vastly better out of the box than the fenders.

no problems forseen here....i have a multiple guitar arsenal live, so i dont worry about no backup. seems built like a tank.

not dealt with, hope i never have to.

okay fender guys, dry your eyes and pay attention a moment. i have been fairly harsh on you guys, and though i mean not to pick, G&L is a direct descendent of fender, they are made to be an improvement on the original, and they suceed. i have played every kind of strat short of custom shop stuff, and none come close. sorry. plus add to the fact you can pick them up with the plastic still on the pickguard on ebay for 500-700, who in their right mind would buy a fender??? i have been playing for 12 years, scholastically for 5 and professionally for 4. if lost or stolen i would replace immediately. it is simply what a strat shoul be: simple, practical,and well constructed. for what it is supposed to do, and for what it does, i can see giving no other rating than a 10. www.OneLightTown.com

You all know the features by now. No bells or whistles. Just the essentials. For what it is - a Strat - it has everything it can possibly have or need, with the exception of a humbucker, which is an option.

Well. I've played this guitar through more amps than I care to remember. I've been playing 18 years now. I'm 31 years old. I love so many styles of music from Beatles to Slayer. I'm looking for the Holy Grail of guitars. One that will suit the styles of all my tastes. After thousands of dollars, I've come to the conclusion that that guitar does not exist. My ultimate coverband would seque from "a Hard Days Night" into "Angel of Death" (it's very hard to find jobs). Obviously, it's hard to find a guitar that will suit such diverse sounds. However, for an all-around great playing, great sounding, kick-ass STRAT sound, you CANNOT get a better guitar. I've owned everything. If I haven't owned it, I've borrowed it for considerable lengths of time (I've got very cool, trusting friends). The Legacy plays beautifully and sounds beautiful. It is not a high output guitar with the stock pickups. I've had a number of different pickups in it and I've since put the stock pickups back in it. After all my experimentation, they sound the best. I've had Fender Custom shop Texas Specials, Bill Lawrence, Two different DiMarzio's, and Fender Vintage Noiseless in there. I ordered a pearloid humberbucker pickguard for it. Other than the Bill Lawrence ( Neck & Middle) & Dimarzio (Bridge) configuration, the stock pickups sound the best. They're not as hot, but they sound great. I have consistantly gigged out with this guitar. I am currently playing through a Fender Twin (the new Twins- 2001- with tremelo. In my opinion, this amp is the Holy Grail of amps. I DO NOT work for Fender. I hate reviews where it sounds like the guy works for the company. This is not what this site is about. But if you're interested, it's the NEW Twin with tremelo). I also own a Line6 Flextone2 Plus. It's a decent amp, but just not as responsive as a real tube amp. Especially a Fender tube amp. I also play through a Peavey Classic 30 with a 1-12 extension cabinet. I use this cabinet with the Line6. The combination of the open-back line6 with a closed-back cab (which is the one I mic'ed-Do not go direct) sounded pretty decent. Anyways, that is what I used until I finally got the new Twin. There are more too numerable to mention amps and set-ups I've played this guitar through. After many years, headaches,and money, I came to the conclusion that many of you probably already know... This guitar was made to play through a Fender tube amp. I've owned many effects processors; rack mount and floor. I've come full circle and gone back to stomp boxes on a Furman Floorboard. If you were going to have surgery on your penis, you'd want a Specialist, not a general Practioner. Do one thing and do it good. That's why I feel multi-effects processors (at least in my price-range) suck. Maybe I'm getting old. But I know one thing. When people have come up to me to shake my hand, buy me a drink, and tell me how great my sound was, it was when I was playing a Strat through a tube amp with minimal effects. Not that I'm a great player by any means. But people identify with a certain sound and feel. In my opinion, it's the Jimi Hendrix, SRV, Robin Trower Strat sound, and this is DEFINITELY the guitar to get that sound with.

I bought this guitar in Feb. of 1994. I traded in a beautiful 540 Pro-Radius Limited Ibanez, I was sick of a floating bridge and wanted to get back to the basics. I was never fully satisfied with this guitar. There was fret buzz, and no matter what I had done to it, it could never be corrected. After selling it to a friend, buying it back, and almost giving up, I took it to a more experienced guitar tech (than me and the guy I've been dealing with for 10 years). The store he owned was a G&L dealer (not the one I bought it at) and he said it needed a new neck. He suggested sending it in to G&L to be replaced under their 10 year warranty. The worst they could say was no. Well, they replaced it no questions asked, free of charge except for shipping back. The neck is ABSOLUTELY BEAUTIFUL Birdseye maple. GOURGEOUS! The best feeling, playing guitar I've EVER owned! I'm sold on G&l forever. I thought they were just resting on the laurels of a guys name who, sadly, they can't even really use anymore. I'd give 'em a 10 on this category if my guitar came this way originally.

As I stated earlier, I've gigged regularly with this guitar for the past few years. It is very reliable. My Jeff Beck Fender Strat Strap buttons came loose from regular gigging, but these have stayed tight. Even with straplocks on my strap. This guitar stays in tune and does not break strings. Of course that is all dependant on individual styles. The only complaint is with the case. It is a piece of shit. The clasps rip right out of the plastic. I don't know if SKB makes the case. One of my Fender cases did the same thing. They are not road-worthy. Guitar-10 Case-2

Like I stated before, they gave me a brand-new birdseye maple neck free. I only had to pay $53 in shipping. I didn't even have to speak to them. One of their dealers handled everything. And I didn't even buy the guitar there. The original dealer stopped selling G&L because not enough people buy them. That is sad. Not enough people know about them. That is because of the Behemoth that Fender has become. G&L can't even advertise that Leo Fender started G&L (with George Fullerton- George & Leo??!!). For those who don't know, they started Fender. Oh well, the price of Capitalism.

Right now I'm on-line checking out the G&L site before I buy another G&L. Maybe I'll order one with a humbucker. I've put off writing a review mainly for lack of time. But every time I buy something I check out this site first. Mainly it's kids, or people with minimal experience, who take the time to leave lengthy reviews. I've been burned by reading some reviews , and saved a lot of money by reading others. I don't mean to insult anyone. But for what it's worth, I've been playing almost 20 years, I love Jimi Hendrix, Beatles, Cream, early Metallica, Clapton, Doyle Bramhill ll, some early thrash, other stuff too numerous to mention. My tastes are still evolving. Although this guitar is not a heavy sounding guitar, it's a guitar to appreciate and grow with. You won't be disappointed. If you are, E-mail me and maybe I'll buy it off you. God knows they are getting harder and harder to find.

2001 Legacy with alder body, maple neck, rosewood fret board, sunburst finish, three single coil pickups. What separates it from the Fender product is the Dual-Fulcrum vibrato, the PTB tone controls, the Bi-Cut neck, and the 12? radius fret board. Other than that, it?s a Stratocaster through and through, and has all the features you?d expect. I give the features a 9 because I consider the 12? neck radius and the tone controls to be an improvement over a traditional Stratocaster.

I don?t claim to be a Strat expert. This is only the second one I?ve owned. But it sure delivers the sounds I was looking for. All the great Strat tones are in there; you just need the right amps and, of course, the chops to bring ?em out. It blows the doors off of the Fender American Deluxe I used to own (which, admittedly, may have been something of a lemon). The Legacy is very resonant and it feels lively and responsive. When you play it unplugged, you can really hear it ring. The pickups are outstanding. I have no desire to ?upgrade? them. They do glassy clean or raunchy blues with equal affinity. The tone knobs function as separate bass and treble controls. This is a great approach. It really lets you tailor your sound.

Again, I don?t claim to know a lot about Stratocasters. I?m mainly a humbucker man, but I kept hearing other guys making great sounds with their Strats, so I had to get one for myself. A Les Paul is a thing of sonic beauty to be sure, but there are some things only a Strat can do. I am very, very pleased with this guitar. My previous experience with the American Deluxe was extremely disappointing and that?s why I?ve shied away from Fenders in general and Strats in particular. But it?s also why I decided to give G&L a look. This guitar delivers the goods. I?m playing it more and more and beginning to understand why so many players, for so many years, have chosen this design. God bless you Leo Fender, wherever you are.

As delivered from the dealer, it had incredibly high action, the bridge was way out of adjustment, the ends of the frets were a little rough, and the fretboard was obviously dry. I took it to a good guitar tech for a setup. In his opinion, the guitar had been allowed to sit for some time and probably underwent some climate changes. He leveled and dressed the frets, oiled the board, and set the action. Since then, the guitar plays like a dream. My rating reflects the condition of the guitar as it came from the dealer? pretty darn poor in my opinion. Guitar Hanger did absolutely nothing to prepare the guitar for the customer or add value in any way. As to the original fit and finish of the guitar, it?s clear that G&L does a heck of a job. Quality workmanship is apparent throughout. Once the setup problems were corrected, the guitar?s fine qualities were able to show through. If I could rate it separately, I?d give G&L an 8 for fit and finish, and Guitar Hanger a 1 for whatever they did to the action.

Check with me in 5 years.

The service from Guitar Hanger was fast, friendly, and polite. I enjoyed doing business with them? until the guitar arrived and I realized that I?d been sold something that most dealers wouldn?t allow on their showroom floor. To be fair, I never gave Guitar Hanger the chance to rectify the problem, as that would?ve required shipping the guitar across country (again). Perhaps they would?ve fixed the problems for free. I don?t know. Nevertheless, my rating reflects my opinion that the guitar should have been set up properly before it was delivered. I will not buy from Guitar Hanger again.

I?m very impressed with G&L. So impressed that I?ve got my eye on an ASAT. There is no higher praise than repeat business. This is a great product at a great price.

I?ve played off and on (mostly off) for 30 years. I?ve only become serious about it in the last couple years. Nevertheless, I?ve had the chance to own many guitars and amps and I know quality when I see it. I play mostly blues and some 70?s and 80?s hard rock. I?m currently playing the Legacy through a Soldano Astroverb and a Gibson GA-15RV. I would definitely replace it if it were ?lost.? Every guitar player probably needs to have at least one Strat in their collection. I?ll take a G&L over a Fender any day.

Hand made in California on Fender Avenue. All the features of Strat with serious improvements on the bridge, tremolo, and Alnico pups.
Beautiful highly figured ash, maple neck, rosewood board, Schaller tuners, medium jumbo frets...all perfectly finished.
Beats any Fender I have seen or owned...and I have owned quite a few.
Case is weak, but you can upgrade. Cant believe the price G&L guitars are going for. They are 'Custom Shop' guitars for about 2/3 the cost.

Rich, bell-like, nasal tone... you know, the classic Strat sounds.
Running through a Fender Deluxe Reverb, '65 reissue.
Pups a bit noisy for my tastes. Had them shielded by a tech, now I am happy!
I particularly like the 2nd and 4th position...if you know what I mean.

Purchased used...it was set up perfectly. I have no idea if the previous owner had it set up. The neck is about as close to perfect that I could hope for.
The finish on these guitars is a work of art. Perfectly matched grains of wood, some tiny imperfections in the wood, but that gives it charactar!
Neck fits tight to body, frets are perfectly finished, a "10" here.
Very impressed with most G&L workmanship

It's a "Guitar by Leo" and George Fullerton
So far (2yrs) so solid. Always gig with a backup, just in case of Murphy's Law.

Great website with an appreciation page of some experts!
Little thin on manuals or instructions, but if you are a seasoned musician, you probably dont need it. You should know what the nobs and switches do and where they are.

Playing on and off as an ameteur and hobbyist for over thirty years.
Enjoy playing everything from Eagles to Clapton. I own Gibson ES-335, a G&L Comanche (another gem) and a bunch of acoustic steel strings. I flat pick and finger pick some things, cause I cant sing very well.
Been told I have a very good ear for guitars and music.
I actually traded this Legacy in, tracked it down, and repurchased cause it 'fits' my hand so well. I am glad I did!
Chose this over a Fender because of the superior quality for half the price. Far as I am concerned. G&L's are the 'original' Fenders

2001 USA Legacy strat w/ Fullerton red (fiesta red) finish; 22 frets; 3 vintage alnico G&L single coils; alder body w/maple neck (frets are put directly into the neck; there is no separate piece of wood used for the fretboard); G&L tremelo; vintage style non-locking Schaller tuners w/G&L stamps on back; neck is medium-fat w/medium-jumbo frets; neck has gun-oil tint; all plastic parts are a matching cream color. G&L SKB hardshell case incl. w/extra trem. spring & allen wrenches.

I am into 50's & 60's rock, surf, instrumentals, and some grunge. Currently I'm using a '78 Fender Pro Reverb w/Maxon OD 820 overdrive. The single coils hum on settings 1,3,5 (I expected that so it doesn't bother me). When slightly overdriven, the sound is quite full and has a vintage ring to it. Hitting the strings gives a bright '50's "spank" sound. However, these pickups are VERY weak...even for a '50's style pickup. Palm muting gives a very weak muddy sound as if your fingers are only partially pressed against the strings (mainly the bottom strings) and I find myself trying to play harder while palm muting. Switch positions 2 and 4 sound very synthetic and middy, and not vintage sounding at all (basically useless for my style). I find positions 1,3, and 5 the most useful, but 90% of the time I use the bridge pickup alone. These pickups don't cut it with 60's rock, surf, or grunge; they're way too weak. For '50's sounds it makes the grade, but still is quite a bit weak.

I don't know how it was set up at the factory; the music store did that part and set it up well. I keep the action not too low, not too high. The pickups are set at a medium height, but are so weak that it's probably best to set them as high as possible. The body paint job and the gun-oil finish on the neck are flawless. The trem. system used by G&L is top of the line and does not go out of tune even with the non-locking tuners. The cream colored pickguard, knobs, pickup switch, pickup covers, and nut give it a nice NOS look. The guitar looks quite stunning at a distance. However, where the body is cut for the neck, the cut looks slightly ragged as it curves toward the backplate on both sides. The neck pocket could definitely be tighter as well, and is visibly wider on the high E string side. About 3/4 of the fret slots appear to have been cut too deeply then filled, and then fretted. 4 fret slots with this problem were not filled at all leaving about a mm sized hole under the lacquer. On the opposite side of the neck (the short horn side) the problem is less severe, as if the person fretting the neck was standing on that side and not paying attention to the other. (There was another G&L Legacy strat for sale at the music store I go to, who deal these direct from the factory, and it's fret slot job was about twice as bad as mine--it was a more expensive guitar too, with metal flake paint & matching headstock options) The plastic "3-ply" cream/black/cream pickguard appears crudely cut in some spots as well upon close inspection. I admittedly did not pay close enough attention to such detail work when I bought it. In my opinion, such detail flaws as these are inexcusable for a guitar advertised as a 'top of the line' guitar. The thing that REALLY bothers me about this guitar is that the pickup cavity isn't individually routed for each pickup! It has the cost-saving giant rectangle route like those on cheap strats, which may very well account for some of the muddiness and hollowness in the tone as I explained above. Next time you run into a Legacy strat, take your pick and tap between the pickups...it will sound hollow there if you compare it to tapping on places on the pickguard where it is solid underneath.

As far as reliability/durability goes, everything seems fine for the most part. The chrome will probably not last on the metal hardware, which is expected (unfortunately). I'm not sure how well the tone pots are built but I'm sure they'll last. As for the sloppy fret slots...who knows what may happen after years of use...

(I've never dealt directly with their customer service)

I've been playing about 8 years. I currently play my '95 PRS Custom 24 and my 1960 Fender Jazzmaster (once I get it refretted!) I have a Charvel elec. acoustic, a Cort acoustic, Ibanez 5 string mahogany bass (which is pretty nice), and an Ibanez '84 X-Series...all of which I pretty much never play anymore (pretty much because they all sound pretty poor in my opinion...except for the bass).
Before buying this guitar, I wish I knew about the huge body route under the pickups. If it were stolen or lost, I would most likely not buy this guitar again because of the several detail flaws and especially because of the huge body route. I would probably try to find a G&L strat from the early '90's (I recently found that this is when they stopped individually routing under the pickups and switched to the huge body route), or get a used Fender Custom Shop guitar.

This one is a 97(That's The year on the body and neck)
Alder body and maple neck and fretboard, dual fullcrum
tremolo, Schaller non-locking tuners, and G&L single coil
pickups. Metalic Candy-Apple Red
5-way switching 2and4 position hum canceling
Base and treble roll off tone controls. Which is nice
because Fender Strats have no tone control for the
bridge pickup. that one feature alone makes it a solid 10

I play BLUES ROCK (classic rock by todays standards)
Hendrix, Clapton, Jeff Beck, Stevie Ray Vaughan, Buddy Guy,
and Page.
I play through Fender american tube amps- Blues Deville 2X12 and a Blues JR. I use a Jeckyl & Hyde, a Vox Wha,and
a Perscription Electronics Clean Octive Blend.
sometimes I play through my Johnson J-Station.

This is becoming my favorite guitar in my collection
The sound is almost a dream come true.
I've tried many so called reissues (by Fender) But this sounds so close to what the original pre-CBS Strats sound like I'll never look at the reissues the same way
you can dial in your own taste on any pickup position by using the base and treble tone controls and volume.
This has some of the best clean tones I've ever heard not to mention the best distorted quack tones in the 2 & 4 positions.

I bought this used from guitar center about a month ago
I can't comment on the factory set up but the guy who owned this must not have played much or he didn't know to adjust anything. I had to adjust the neck adjust the pickup height
adjust the tremolo springs, and set the intonation.
Once all that was done it was perfect!
I recommend anybody that owns a strat to buy a book and learn how to do this anyway. It's alot easier than it sounds

This is a well made guitar (hand made) with a very tight neck pocket. It may only have 3 bolts but there are no shims between the neck and the body. You can feel the whole guitar resonate nicely.
I did install Schaller straplocks. I do that to all my guitars.
I would depend on this guitar for just about any kind of performance. What I don't depend on is stings. I don't even practice without a backup set or another guitar.

They have a great web site with a ton of good info and I here that if E-mail them, they will get back to you real fast.

First off I need to say that I'm not down on Fender products. I've owned American Standard Strats, a 66 Musicmaster, Japanese 60 reissue Strat, 68 Jap Strat,50 Jap Tele, and a SRV Signature.
I only got the SRV and the 60 Jap Strat (which I still use for experimenting different pickups)
Leo Fender was a research and develop guy. He took ideas from Rickenbacher, Bigsby, and gibson.
He Developed the first solid body guitar in production and invented the electric base. Plain and simple he built better mouse traps his whole life.
This holds true when he developed the stingray base for Musicman and later started G&L.
I can't recommend a Legacy enough it was the last design
Leo came up with before he died.
I just bought a G&L Rampage Last Week and that one kicks ass too. (Jerry Cantrell from Alice in Chains main ax)
So if you're considring buying a made in mexico or Korea
Strat style guitar think about this.
Most of these nice American made gems are selling used for less than alot of these imports sell for new
and it might not stay that way. It's a stange market!
65 people have reviewed this same guitar 9.6 overall
I'm giving it a solid 10
I think I'm going to buy an ASSAT Classic before the end of the year.
LOVE THESE GUITARS

My Legacy is a 2001 standard model. It has a rosewood fingerboard and swamp-ash body (I think!) finished in sunburst. The trem is G&L`s own dual-fulcrum design with standard machine heads fitted to the headstock. Picups are G&L vintage single coils with PTB (passive treble and bass) tone controls. Nothing very new here - it`s a Strat- but it`s all executed very well.

The sounds out of this guitar are fantastic. The PTB tone controls work an absolute treat and are a great improvement over the standard Strat configuration. I can get this guitar to give me an amazing array of sounds to suit numerous styles. Using a bit of overdrive and rolling off the bass the sound is pure Stevie Ray and gives an extremely sweet lead sound. Dial in more bass and you can get great rock tones - not quite heavy metal but you could probably get away with it! The volume control works superbly. I hardly bother changing channels on my amp anymore - if I want a great, funky clean sound then I just roll off the volume!

The Legacy seems to sound quite a lot darker than the equivalent Fender model ( I used to own one) - but it can do the bright twangy sounds just as well.

When I opened the case this guitar was everything I had hoped for and more. The finish is flawless and tastefully applied and the attention to detail is excellent (check out the way they`ve put a groove in the headstock where you need to access the truss-rod). The action was set-up exactly to my liking with gauge 9 strings. The wood used for the fingerboard is a gorgeous dark-red piece of rosewood and the neck seems to be birdseye maple - even though I didn`t ask for it! The only criticism I have is that the guitar is set up to accomodate gauge 9 strings. When I switched to 10`s I found the b string kept sticking in the nut slot, a pain when you want to use the trem (which is great by the way). A slight adjustment to the nut slot is all that`s needed to correct this.

The Legacy, and every other G&L I`ve seen, has this sort of bomb-proof feel to it. Everything about the instrument seems well made and all the components seem to be of a high quality. I will be surprised if I ever have to do much in terms of neck-adjustment to this guitar as you get the feeling that it is completely indestructible! The finish seems very hard wearing although I have put a couple of dings in it (damn!).

n/a

I`ve been playing guitar for about 6 years and also own a knackered old Jap Strat. I`ve also previously owned a USA Hard tail Strat (which I had to part-ex against a bass rig (bass is my main instrument)). If this guitar were lost I would replace it with the same model without a second thought. It is the best Strat I`ve ever played and the range of sounds the guitar can produce is superb. Played acoustically it chimes like a bell and is surprisingly loud (great for late-night practising). This is an extremely playable guitar that I wouldn`t hesitate to recommend to anyone looking for a Strat (epecially considering this is a hand-made instrument for only a little more than the cost of a Fender). I love Fender guitars, and this a real Fender through and through - don`t be put off by the badge.
If someone stole this guitar I would hunt them down and roast `em on a spit.
Don`t buy this guitar for heavy-metal, but do buy it if you want an extremely versatile, quality guitar.

I have a 2000 Legacy in sunburst made in the USA like all G&L's, God bless 'em. It came with factory upgrades (pearl pickguard, schaller locking tuners). I bought it pre-owned but not "used" from eBay and picked it up in person from a guy who received it as a gift but was strictly an acoustic man. You all know the drill with the Legacy, 3 single coils, dual fulcrum G&L trem etc. 22 frets and a rosewood fingerboard. I was looking for a Legacy and the features are just what I expected so it gets the highest rating in that category.

The Legacy sounds like a great Strat. Leo Fender has more experience with this than anybody so considering G&L's reputaion what would you expect? I wanted it specifically for this reason and although I think they are great, I did not want dual-blades or any other fancy thing besides a great single coil Strat sound and it does not disappoint. The bridge position PU is quieter than any of my Fenders. You all know how a good Strat is supposed to sound so I can't say a whole lot more except it lives up to it's job and then some.

The finish and craftsmanship is astounding. Hard to believe the quality for the money spent. I honestly don't think there is a better guitar made for the money, even at list price. I personally build my own custom electrics and this axe gives me a demanding benchmark. Nicely done indeed. The sunburst finish is flawless and as glossy as they come. Some nice scattered birdseye on the neck and headstock, superb fretwork. My only beef is the action was tad high for my taste. I have had the axe for 6 months now and haven't messed with it yet but it could have been setup lower from the factory. It was virtually untouched by the previous owner so I know that's how it came to him. Like I said, in building my own I know it's no trick to make a guitar play until the action gets low. I mean, this one is certainly not HIGH action but it was not so low and smooth that it grabbed my attention the moment I touched it. Not a complaint really, just an observation that will prevent me from giving a 10 in this category.

I haven't played it enough to fairly rate it in this category. I know G&L's reputation is excellent and I have had zero problems with it so far. I would gig it without a backup based on reputation alone plus my short experience, but it's too pretty to use for bar gigs and the like. Everyting seems fine, the strap buttons are ok but I will switch them for Schaller locks when I get a chance. I won't give a number in this category due to the short playing time I have spent with it.

10 year warranty and a very good rep. Have not needed support and due to the lack of playing time I will pass on rating this category too.

Haven't been playing that long for my age. I am 39 and have been playing seriously now only 2 years plus a few times here and there tinkering with the idea of learning. maybe 2 and a half years in total. I play everyday for an hour or more on the average so the time HAS been consistent. I own 5 strats, a Jackson PC-2, a Charvel Surfcaster, and a Jackson DK-2. I now build my own from scratch in my shop so I have a few of my own creations on hand as well. I use a cry baby through a Crate GX-80 or my Peavy transformer 112 with all the bells and whistles. Usually Ernie Ball Slinky's (10's). This Legacy has a nicer fit and finish than any of the other commercially availble guitars I own, it is beautifully made as I have said. Lost or stolen? Yeah, I'd replace it. I look forward to spending more time with it. Definately a better product than any Fender I have played in my opinion but I haven't "played them all". The $650 I spent, well you would have to spend at least twice that to equal it's quality from what I have seen. My daily player which is a Fender custom shop flamed body with texas specials and a maple MIM neck has I think a better feel and action, but I have spent countless hours getting it that way and I have yet to mess with the G&L so it's not really fair to compare the two at this point. I have never owned a guitar that i would say is an overall 10 since 10 has to be absolutely perfect in all aspects. I give it a 9 because it is the closest I have owned yet. You will not be let down by this axe, that I can say for sure.

2000 G&L Legacy. Bought it used - it was completely stock with original G&L pickups. Tobacco sunburst with white pickups/pickguard. String-thru body. Standard tuners and tremolo. Came with a nice hard case.

However - the setup was all messed up and the pickups were way too noisy for me. There was no shielding in this guitar and it made so much noise i couldn't play it for long. I went out and got it professional set up, bought 3 new Bill Lawrence pickups, AND shielded it. Now it's absolutely beautiful. The guitar is silent. No random noise, no 60 cycle hum. All positions sound awesome.

I play mostly blues, rock, pop, alternative. I use this primarily for direct digital recording thru my j-station. I can get pretty much any sounds out of it. Very versatile guitar.

I'm assuming the guy that had it originally didn't know how to set it up - b/c it was in bad shape. But a simple setup fixed that all. I had to replace the original pickups (too loud - see above), and shielded it. Some of the pots were a bit noisy too.

I'm using it for recording. I'm mainly an acoustic guitar player. So this should last me for the rest of my life!

I called them to help with the noise problem. They were very helpful. But couldn't look at it b/c i bought it used - the warranty doesn't transfer.

I'm 27 and have been playing for over 15 years. I used to play electric alot but sold all my eletrics for some nice acoustics. I'm recording a demo CD and needed an electric sound. G&L is by far the best 'strat' you can get, hands down.

I've got a U.S. made, G&L Legacy with 22 frets, 3 G&L single-coil pickups, maple neck, fretboard, awesome G&L dual-fulcrum vibrato system, Sperzel locking tuners, and a solid black finish...it out-Strats a Strat!

I play a lot of blues with this guitar, both with a sparkling clear sound and down and dirty, and this guitar can really dish it all out. Right now, I'm plugging into my Crate Blue Voodoo 120, and the tones just soar. The pickups can buzz unless you've got the switch in an in-between setting, but that's what single coils are for! The bridge pickup is nice and bright without turning the guitar into a glorified dog whistle, and the neck pickup offers a nice, fat tone that's just incredible.

Everything was great with this guitar as soon as I bought it, only thing I'd have done to it, is add a couple of springs to the vibrato to stiffen it up, and have it set up for heavier strings...maybe 12's. The finish is great.

The guitar can take a pounding! Bend to your heart's content without whacking the whole thing out of tune, and you can even afford to have a few mind lapses and drop it a few times...Mine's taken some licks, but still no problems at all.

To be honest, haven't had to contact the company. Have had the guitar for 4 years now, and never a problem with it.

With this guitar, a nice Gibson SG, and a fine acoustic guitar like a high end Taylor or Collings, you'll have all the necessary tools to blow anyone's mind. I absolutely love my Legacy, wouldn't trade it for anything, and am definately in the market for other G&L guitars - especially the Legacy special. I'd definately recommend this guitar to anyone who's considering a Strat...why not buy the real deal??

My G&L was handmade (like all G&L's) in Fullerton, CA probably during 96 or 97. It has the three bolt design and micro tilt deal on it unlike the new models. The finsh on it is a transparent cherry burst. The three knobs work great, volume, treble, and bass. S/S/S configuration, alder body, rosewwod fretboard, and dual fulcrum tremolo. The temolo is awesome to say the least. The whammy bar is so much thicker than a strat's, and you can bend your notes both up and down. It came with non-locking schaller tuners which work fine, but I'll probably upgrade to locking ones later. The neck plays great, (I love the feel of the raw maple neck), and the frets seem to be a medium-jumbo height. This wonderful piece of craftmanship came with a hardshell case.

I play mostly rock and funk. The three single coils fit the latter style perfectly, and it'll handle that Clapton/Hendrix rock style right on, but for heavier Zeppelinesque songs, I'll probably have to put a humbucker in the bridge. I'm just playing clean through a small amp now, and sometimes it is noisy in the 1,3, and 5 positions. I mainly just use the 2 and 4 and they're humcancelled so I don't worry about noise too much. The sound of this G&L is flat out incredible! Even unplugged, you can feel every note you play. I love the sound of this guitar! On a clean setting, the Legacy is unbeatable. It also handles crunchier settings very well, too.

I bought this guitar used, and the guy before only played it a few times, so the way it was set up when I got it was pretty much like they do it in the factory. I haven't messed with anything. The action is perfect, the string height is perfect, everything's perfect. (For me anyway) The tension on the tremolo is even perfect. The guys at G&L sure know what they're doing. As far as the cherrybusrt finish goes, it is beautiful. Straight up, this guitar is a work of art. A luthier's masterpiece!

This thing will last forever. Everything is solid as a diamond. When I bought it, it had strap locks already installed, so I don't need to worry about dropping my baby. As long as you're using this Legacy, I wouldn't worry about having a back up at a gig.

I haven't talked to anyone from G&L, haven't neede to. But, they do have a cool website! I think you can e-mail the guys from there.

I've been playing for about a year now, (I'm only 17, give me a break!) and the only other guitar I own is crappy Hohner acoustic. If somebody stole my guitar, I would cry for days and search high and low for it. If I had the money, I would definitely buy another Legacy. I love it for its beauty, its lovely voice, its quality, and its great price! I was looking at an American Fender Strat, but they're nowhere near the quality of G&L, and used they cost so much more. G&L was started by Leo Fender (for those that didn't know), and his mark of innovation and quality exists in every G&L. Definitely check them out. Writing about my Legacy makes me want to go to my room and start playing, so I think I will. Adios!

Probably made in 1992 in California, this standard Legacy probably has an alder body, swimming pool route for Seymour Duncan single coils. Redburst finish, standard neck, standard trem, nonlocking tuners. One really nice feature are the tone controls, which control all three pickups, and ofer a treble cut and a bass cut. Really useful.

Sound with Duncan pickups is kinda vintage, weakish to lets replace these suckers with some good pickups. They sound good in the notch positions, kind of lifeless in the single coil positions. Not much sparkle to the clean, sound better with a tube screamer, thicken up a bit. Rating is with stock pickups, I know it will improve with replacement pickups, the acoustic sound is wonderful. This is the second G&L that I have owned, and I swapped out the stock pickups of my s-500, which I never should have sold.

Really well made, I bought it used, with one small ding. Got it for a great price too. It was set up for 09's, so I needed to adjust it for 10's, and intonate it also. Now it is the best.

I gigged with my S-500 many times, no problems. Everything built the way you would want it, really stable and solid. Always bring a backup, sorry. finish, hardware all first rate.

Never needed them, hope I never do.

I have been playing since before electricity, have lots of gear, most of which i don't need, and will probably sell. Since I sold my s-500, I have missed the G&L's friendly warmth and feel and sound. I have had fender strats, Mex, Americant Std, etc. No comparison. This one is the real fender. If you haven't tried one, check one out. I can't wait to put the Vintage Rails in the neck, Bill Lawrence in the middle, and Cool rails at the bridge. Then, look out! Rating is with stock pickups.

Haven't taken the neck off, but my guess judging by the condition is this is circa 1999. It's a standard S/S/S config. Black on Black on Black with a stunning maple neck that shows just a hint of birdseye. Features are all the proprietary G&L patent stuff. See the website for info. I'm giving it a 9 just because it's a standard issue legacy.

I play lots of stuff, leaning lately on funky blues/rock and pop. Because of this it's really important to me to have a very versatile instrument/amp setup so I'm not constantly switching guitars and dancing on pedals. I use a Line 6 amp and effect my tone as little as possible - clean - crunch - lead and maybe tremolo with an occasional wah for fun.
The Legacy is, of all the strats I've owned or played, the finest instrument of its kind. My first impression, and my benchmark for most guitars I own, came when I noodled with it unplugged in the store - you can feel the resonance of a note running right through the guitar and it sustained beautifully. Then I plugged it in. The first thing that impressed me was the balance when switching through the different positions. Often I find the 2 and 4 positions sound great but really lose presence on a strat compared to the 1-3 and 5 positions. The Legacy was a dream. The 1 3 and 5 positions are the best individually I have ever heard. The neck pickup is warmer and rounder than any strat I've owned, without being muddy. The 3 position is a great rhythm sound, which cuts without being harsh. And for the first time, I actually have a bridge p/u that I'll use. Unreeeeeeeal tone.

Virtually flawless, although I want to replace the nut. It's giving me that g string ping when tuning and some graphite from a #2 pencil isn't helping. The action is perfect for my .010 tastes.

I own a variety of guitars - a 70's Les Paul, a '63 Gretsch Single Anniversary, a '65 Tele yadda yadda. Aside from the LP, most of them never see live gigs because I'm afraid they'll get pinched. It's a shame because these guitars sound awesome. The Legacy rocks for me - incredible tone, unbelievable feel, supremely built. I would take it without backup in a heartbeat.

Just got it, can't help you here, but I've heard nothing but praise so I'm giving them high marks by default.

If you want a Fender custom shop level strat, only miles better, for way less money... If you want a guitar that will play better than you thought any strat could play... If you want everyone to ask you what your "magic box" is that gives you "that" tone... If you are ready to buy the last strat you'll ever need (until you find that '57 under your Uncle Ed's bed at the farm)... get a Legacy. It's what Leo would want you to do.

Haven't taken the neck off, but my guess judging by the condition is this is circa 1999. It's a standard S/S/S config. Black on Black on Black with a stunning maple neck that shows just a hint of birdseye. Features are all the proprietary G&L patent stuff. See the website for info. I'm giving it a 9 just because it's a standard issue legacy.

I play lots of stuff, leaning lately on funky blues/rock and pop. Because of this it's really important to me to have a very versatile instrument/amp setup so I'm not constantly switching guitars and dancing on pedals. I use a Line 6 amp and effect my tone as little as possible - clean - crunch - lead and maybe tremolo with an occasional wah for fun.
The Legacy is, of all the strats I've owned or played, the finest instrument of its kind. My first impression, and my benchmark for most guitars I own, came when I noodled with it unplugged in the store - you can feel the resonance of a note running right through the guitar and it sustained beautifully. Then I plugged it in. The first thing that impressed me was the balance when switching through the different positions. Often I find the 2 and 4 positions sound great but really lose presence on a strat compared to the 1-3 and 5 positions. The Legacy was a dream. The 1 3 and 5 positions are the best individually I have ever heard. The neck pickup is warmer and rounder than any strat I've owned, without being muddy. The 3 position is a great rhythm sound, which cuts without being harsh. And for the first time, I actually have a bridge p/u that I'll use. Unreeeeeeeal tone.

Virtually flawless, although I want to replace the nut. It's giving me that g string ping when tuning and some graphite from a #2 pencil isn't helping. The action is perfect for my .010 tastes.

I own a variety of guitars - a 70's Les Paul, a '63 Gretsch Single Anniversary, a '65 Tele yadda yadda. Aside from the LP, most of them never see live gigs because I'm afraid they'll get pinched. It's a shame because these guitars sound awesome. The Legacy rocks for me - incredible tone, unbelievable feel, supremely built. I would take it without backup in a heartbeat.

Just got it, can't help you here, but I've heard nothing but praise so I'm giving them high marks by default.

If you want a Fender custom shop level strat, only miles better, for way less money... If you want a guitar that will play better than you thought any strat could play... If you want everyone to ask you what your "magic box" is that gives you "that" tone... If you are ready to buy the last strat you'll ever need (until you find that '57 under your Uncle Ed's bed at the farm)... get a Legacy. It's what Leo would want you to do.

I'm listed as "anonymous" below. Forgot to fill in my nane(Alan). I need to amend my review after a few days...

The nut, while cut well, seems to be "off center"(we're talking MILLIMETERS). The slots line up exacly where they're supposed to, though, so it doesn't affect playability at all. A point off, but it's proof that it was handmade. I may replace the nut with one made of graphite.

I have a call in about the nut to the store. We'll see if they(G&L)agree to pay for a replacement(if I decide to have it replaed withthe stock type nut).

Still far above any other American made Strat out there, and I'm a STRAT fan.

Sunburst finish/alder body, birdseye maple neck & fretboard(one piece!), S/S/S G&L stock pickups, Schaller non-locking tuners, 22 medium jumbo(bordering om jumbo) frets, black abalone "dot" inlays, patented non-locking G&L tremolo bridge, 2 tone knobs(one for bass, one for treble), one volume knob, five way pickuop selector... essentially Leo Fender's modern vision of the Stratocaster. Has all the features you'd want in a Strat type guitar...just done better.

I play ROCK & a little blues. The pickups on this guitar are higher output single coils(which suffer from 60 cycle hum when ou use overdrive or distortion), but they sound "thicker", and have less harsh treble than Fender Strat pickups. Don't get me wrong, I LOVE my American Series Strat(great glassy tone), but the Legacy has more power, and sings a bit smoother(actually, a lot smoother). The clean sounds are of course excellent, and the guitar handles crunchy chords very well. Pickup positions 2 & 4 are hum cancelling. Best "Strat" sounds I've ever heard.

Factory setup was great, but I had the strings changed to 10's(that's what I'm used to). Frets and finish were flawless, hardware is classy. Best built Strat I've found yet(I've checked out HUNDREDS this year, I kid you not)!Solid from headstock to straplocks,

It's a Strat to the nth degree. Strats are workhorse instruments, it just so happens the Legacy is gorgeous on top of that. Hardware & strap buttons are first rate(G&L has a different design than the norm for the latter that makes straplocks an OPTION again, instead of a necessity.
Although it's not wise to gog without a backup, I know I could depend on this guitar in a live situation.

Haven't dealt with them. heard good things, though.

I have been playing for 15 years, this is the finest instrument I've ever seen, heard or played. I will not do without a Legacy ever again. I am a Fender Strat fan, and this guitar rocks my world.
I play through Fender tube amps(Blues Junior, Hot Rod Deluxe), and they seem the best match fir this guitar. GREAT blues & rock tones. Awesome playability.

1990 Legacy, black with rosewood fingerboard, M.O.P. pickguard, 3 stock single coils, master volume, master bass roll-off, master treble roll-off, Sperzel non-locking tuners, standard G&L trem, (stock everything)

Play it through a Peavey Heritage VTX, King Vox Wah, Marshall Supervibe, Danelectro Hash Browns, Daddy-o and Dan-Echo. Had a crappy Fender strat once upon a time which I really hated, but after having a Les Paul standard since it was new in 1975, I was itching to get back into some Strat style sounds for a change. After reading the glowing review in Guitar Player, I decided to check out G&L while I was looking at Fender strats. I drove 2 1/2 hours to the nearest big town where I could get some selection to pick through, and EVERY Legacy I tried seemed to be excellent, whereas none of the strats I tried seemed to be anywhere near the quality I was finding in the G&L's. This particular black one seemed to be calling out my name, and I came home raving about it. I didn't know until my 40th birthday that my wife had called the music store I found it at and had it sent up to give to me as a birthday gift (turning 40 wasn't so bad after all!) This is a killer guitar-it even sings when I play it unamplified, but through my Peavey, which I was getting a little tired of with just the Les Paul, it just rocks! I play blues, "classic rock", originals, new stuff, not really anything metal, though. I love it for all this stuff (and I always have the Les Paul (which I still love) to do the sounds that require that humbucking thing. BUT, the G&L is always out on a stand in my living room waiting to be played, while the Les Paul resides in its case under my bed. Say no more.

Original setup was perfect for me-no complaints whatsoever.

Other than the time a friend ran into it and dinged the finish with the headstock of a borrowed Takamine, I'd say this is a totally roadworthy axe. I liked the oversize stock strap buttons, which NEVER came undone until my strap wore out, at which time I put on some Schaller strap locks, instead of buying a new strap (go figger?) If I had a new set of strings (I teng to start breaking them if I use them 2 gigs in a row-even used to on the Les Paul), I would totally use it at a gig without a back-up.

After 3 1/2 years, I was noticing that the frets looked like they were needing dressing, so I called G&L and asked a tech if that was common. He said yes, and I told him about the repair guy at a local music shop (1500 miles north of G&L!!), and the tech said, "you mean Richard?" I think it's pretty amazing that he was on a first name basis with a guy so far from him. I also mentioned that I was noticing some notches appearing in some of the saddles where the strings cross, and he said they are now using a new alloy, and Richard could get me a new set when he dresses the frets at no charge. AWESOME service, I think. When I was at Disneyland with my family, I noticed that we were not too far from the G&L facrtory, and phoned to see if I could come and get a tour of the place my baby was born, but alas, they're not insured for those kind of things at the factory!

If this guitar were stolen or lost, I would leave no stone unturned to find it. If I still couldn't get it back, I would certainly buy another. Even though this particular Legacy was THE ONE for me, I know from the experience of trying out others that it would be an EASY TASK to find another suitable Legacy. In fact, if my Les Paul was lost or stolen, I think I would replace it with a G&L too! (Maybe a Commanche or a Legacy HB)

I found this 93 G&L at a yard sale in New Jersey and only paid $175.00 for it. Could not resist at that price despite my ignorance that it "was just a Fender copy". Now, I have sold my two mia strats because I just dont need them. I did keep an old tele because nothing can make that squak so I am not bashing Fender. The Legacy stays in tune, plays well, and sounds heavenly. I have broken a ceiling fan blade with the headstock and hardly blemished the finish. It is stock with the exception of the nut which was broken when I bought it. The greatest feature thing is the tone controls bass and treble roll of for ALL p/u's. The case has been pinched between a truck bumper and a loading ramp with only scatches on its hide. My only complaint is the color which is a green sparkle. I did not get to pick it so I will not bitch too loudly.

I play blues and this guitar can really hit it all from Clapton to Moore (with the treble rolled back). My favorite position is the neck/middle combo It is heaven. The single coils are not too noisy but I use a noise gate so... The ping of the neck pickup is just right for chicken picking and the meat of the neck pickup is perfect for those slow rolling bends a la wooooman toooone. I always end up using this guitar.

Bought it used so I can not comment on action from factory but one trip to Caruso's in CT and it was good to go. The only problem I have had was the shielding making contact with the controls and shorting out the output. Easily fixed. The finish has not faded and has taken without flaw the abuse of my gracelessness. I wish it had a multiply pickguard but... Some of the plating is showing signs of palm muting on the saddles but I have had my sweaty mitts on it for six years so what would I expect.

I use this in beerjoints in my studio and even on a submarine. It is built like a tank and will be here after I am not. Never failed me from stage to studio. It has taken quite a few headplants from stand to stage with NO signs of such abuse. Original strap buttons still on it (I know I know) and screws still tight. I use my tele as my high action slide guitar slash backup.

havent had to find out but it has a ten year warranty

I play my baby through a Musicman 112RD chassis I mounted into a oak head with a 2-12 open back speaker cabinet. I just got a line6 POD and am playing with that live. I own a recording studio and have more toys than room here to type. I would go right to the nearest music store and pay list for a translucent finish blue Legacy. I also play a Hamer Artist for the times when you absolutely positively must have that humbucker sound.

1997, USA made. beautiful instrument. transparrent green. maple neck, rosewood fretboard, ash body, sperzel tuners. all single coils. 22 jumbo frets. plays great. very good guitar. 5 way selector switch.

it is a little limited as far as sound goes. its not a guitar that i would use if playing a metallica riff or anything like that, but for softer distortion, this guitar has it. the clean channel is brilliant. it sounds so sweet and full. when the pickups are not split it can be a little bit noisy. but that is what i get for not getting humbuckers.

the guitar did not have anything at all wrong with it. when i got it, the user prior to me liked his action a bit high. but with the simple adjustment of the truss rod, it became perfect for my liking. everything was perfect other than that.

this thing is built like a tank. it is really heavy. i have used it many times playing live and it has yet to fail me. i would not need a backup with this guitar. i would not worry about using this guitar at all.

if this guitar were stolen i would hunt down the person who stole it and eat their children. if it was no where to be found, i would eat them as well. then i would go and buy a new one. the only thing i dont care for is the noisy pickups and the fact that it cannot put out a heavy distortion. but for the blues player or the classic rock player, this guitar is class. i first wanted a strat. then i played a G&L. i realized how much strats suck. they are cheesy when compared to this work of art. i would recommend this guitar to anyone looking to buy a guitar with all single coils.

This is my 4th G&L guitar. I have an ASAT Classic, an S-500, and a Legacy with the humbucker. All of these were special order with select woods and features that I specified through the music store through which they were ordered. Obviously I am amazed with these instruments.

Although I have not reviewed my other guitars,I feel compelled to critique my latest acquisition.

This is a standard Legacy ordered to these specs:
Ash body
Plain maple neck (no birds eye)
Standard alnico pickups
One piece plain white pickguard
Locking tuners ( the guy who invented these should have his own island)
Standard nut
Standard dual fulcrum vibrato
Finish is a new G&L offering...two tone sunburst...black outside into brown center.

Casey at Absolute Music in Fairborn Ohio brokered this deal for me.
Since it was my fourth I asked him to ask the G&L guys to be very picky about the wood they selected.
In my opinion they listened loud and clear. The ash and the maple neck are pristine cuts. Plain but beautiful.
I wanted an understated basic model and this guitar is it.
I don't give anything 10's. This one is the best guitar I have ever owned. Yes. The best.
To my taste it has the feel and sound I was after. These pickups are beautiful. I cannot rave about them enough. Single coil heaven.
Every guitar is unique and different. This one is extremely special. The good Lord blessed me with a fine instrument.I am very inspired with this guitar and that is what they are supposed to do!

This guitar was built in 2001 in about 8 weeks.

The neck finish is a satin. The body finish is polyeurothene.

My tech did very little to get it to my set up specs. The fret work was splendid.
Came with the standard hard case, key, allen wrenches,G&L certficate of ownership with Mrs. Fender's stamp.... and the cheesy decal.
Okay...I guess it's an okay decal.


I had my tech install the Schaller strap lock system I have on all my electric guitars.


This is a custom shop guitar at 1/5th of the price Leo's old company is charging. I have seen and played many custom shop guitars and to me
the G&L's that I have ordered are equal to and in the case of the
vibrato system and necks...excell over what the custom shop is cranking out. I'm not here to bash fender because they have made some good guitars and inspired many musicians.

I AM SAYING if you have not looked into G&L you should. Make the comparison. For my money the G&L is the Fender of today. Leo's latest and greatest design features and craftsmanship.
Go to the G&L site. You read about the design features.

Most guys choose guitars for two reasons.....feel and sound...then maybe looks get considered.

This guitar's sound is AMAZING. Like I said, I think I was blessed. Whomever built this is an expert.
I play blues and an itsy-bit of jazz. The jazz study flavors the blues I play.
This guitar is the epitome of single coil heaven. These pickups are not noisy for single coils. They sing.
I am amazed at how many players replace pickups and fool with the electronics on their guitars. I guess I am a purist in the sense that I trust the craftsman to do his thing. He did it right on this guitar.

My amps are a Fender Dual Profesional (best I have ever owned)
for the big clubs, and a Fender Blues Junior and a Fender Deluxe
Reverb. This guitar in any of these amps is the tone I desire.
I use very minimal effects. I have a Dunlap Wah, an Ibanez Tube Screamer, and a Marshal Bluesbreaker II stomp box. This Marshall box rocks. Check it out if you have some time. This box is replacing the
tube screamer for me lately.
I am focusing on mostly clean tones lately anyway.

These alnico pickups in this Legay are simply magnificent.

Very happy with the sound of this guitar.

Fretwork was fabulous.
Set up was amazing. Very litle tweaking needed.
I play with 9.5-44s D'Addarios with relatively high action.
The strings from the factory were SIT's and sounded great.

THE ONLY problem was the lack of a nylon pin that sits next to the
vibrato arm between the vibrato arm and the screw in the vibrato mechanism that you tighten with an allen wrench.
I panicked at first but then realized these nylon parts are avaiable on the G&L web site.
I LOVE this vibrato system and having to use an allen wrench (and replace little nylon parts occasionally ) is a small effort for the results you get with the vibrato.

When Leo came up with the P-Bass and the Tele and the Strat, he was designing DURABLE intruments for the working musician....adjustable...
replaceable parts...etc.

In this spirit the Legacy is durable. You can beat it up....or caress it tenderly.
This guitar ( and G&L's in general ) is made to last.
Very dependable. Strong. Run it over in your drive with your car.
It'll pla in tune afterwrds! Hahahahaha! Seriously.....
You don't need a backp on a gig. You may need to change a few strings
so I always bring two guitars to gigs.
The locking tuners make string changing a snap.
BB King still changes his own strings on stage!

Every time I have called G&L ( I guess about 5 times in the last three yeras ) I can get a live human on the phone and they are always courteous and helpful.
I don't call for major service issues...just silly questions ....like where do they get their maple...or about nylon parts on vibrato arms. Ha!

G&L's have a ten year warranty.

These guitars are well made.

I have been playing guitar 30 years. I play blues and perform once a week semi-pro. I play every day.

No big questions for G&L folks. I know their products.

If this guitar were lost or stolen I would cry. I know I could always order another Legacy with the same features, but I'm saying again, there is something really special about this particular instrument.

If I had to unload my other guitars for any reason this would be the
one with which I would never part.

I love the wood they used to build this. I love the sound of the pickups. I love the feel of this neck.I love the dual fulcrum vibrato system. Can't say enough about this vibrato.
I like the understated classic look.

I am not crazy about the polyeurothene finish. Something about the purist in me wishes it had a lacquer finish like the Gibson's do, but everything else considered this is a small detail. I am not so certain the finish is that critical for the tonne I am hearing out of this guitar.

This is the best G&L I have.
I also have a 1969 Martin D-18, and a Gibson Les Paul Elegant.
The Les Paul is a fabulous instrument but as you probably already know, it is quite a different guitar than a Legacy. I can beat on this Legacy but I feel wierd beating on a Les Paul.
I had to have a Les Paul, but my main axe is the Legacy.
The ASAT is my travel/practice/fishing/camping/don't worry about it guitar. If it broke on a plane I would not be suicidal.

This new Legacy reveiwed here is my main instrument for my art form.

***********

Final thought.

I am writing this to let all curious potential G&L buyers that
these guitars are the real deal. I had an attitude a few years ago that these were some kind of cheesy copy. Nothing could be further that the truth.
These are hand made guitars with the latest innovations from one of the pioneers of electric guitar making. I hope and pray that they
continue to make these fine instruments for years and years.
Guitar players need quality instruments.
Play whatever instrument inspires you. (There is really no such thing as a bad guitar.) But if you have not tried a G&L you owe it to yourself to pick one up. After you plug in and play, then make up your mind.

Good luck and happy playing.

PS I gave this category a ten because it IS a fantastic value!

The Legacy is G&L's updated version of a Stratocaster. Mine was made in 1992 and has a 3-color sunburst paintjob that shows grain in the lightest shade. I think it's an ash body but I'm not sure. The neck is maple with a rosewood fingerboard and 22 jumbo frets. The pickup selector switch is the standard 5-way but the two tone controls differ from the Fender original. On the Legacy one tone nob is a treble cut and the other a bass cut. These work across all three pick-ups (a Strat's bridge pickup has no tone control). Chrome Gotoh tuners work well. The tremelo bridge is also new & improved vs the old Strat.

I had a Japanese Fender Strat for a while but the G&L's sound is much more full. It works well clean and w/ tube distortion. The pickups are Semour Duncan, which is what G&L used as stock at that time. They sound like a Strat, including some single coil hum if playing a single pickup. The out-of-phase sound is classic (using the neck & middle pickups). Although it will never be as crunchy as a Gibson SG, the variety of wonderful tones make this a great guitar.

I bought this used from a friend so I can't comment about factory set-up. The contruction and finish are excellent with no known flaws. I had a professional set-up after I bought the guitar and it plays perfectly.

I only play at home so the guitar hasn't had a lot of heavy wear. The construction is solid, so I think this guitar will hold up as well or better than most. I have had to replace a tone pot due to dusty, scratchy noise (the guitar is out on it's stand most of the time, not in it's case).

Never dealt with them.

I've been playing 10 yrs and this is currently my only guitar. I've also owned a Fender Stratocaster (made in Japan) and a Heritage 335-style semi-hollowbody.

I love the Strat design and shape and the G&L is the best version out there IMO. I would definitely buy another if I lost this one.

I really like my Legacy, and I have had it for almost a year with NO problems at all. This is basically a stratocaster, but a BETTER stratocaster. I went to woodwind and brasswind, and played them both right by eachother, and this is the better of the two. It's called Legacy because THE MAN Leo Fender designed it! Accept no imitations this is a FENDER guitar! The finish is black, and while black isnt the hardest finish to pull off, there arent any problems with it. Just your usual 3 single coils with a 5 way switch. Non-Locking tuners, and a Floating trem arm. Came with a case, and tools. I give it a 10 cuz what more would u really want?

This guitar suits my style of play pretty crab nab much. I play mainly classic rock along with blues, alternative, a touch of jazzy stuff, and some heavy metal/grungy type stuff. Oh I also throw in the occasional clean Beatles love song. I use it with a Fender Deluxe 90 amp, whirlwind leader cables, dunlop crybaby, and a boss os2 overdrive/distortion pedal. It can be very bright, as strats should be and is good for those pretty nice clean songs. It's great for classic rock, and you can get some nice zeppelin/who type tones from it. While I do really like it, I must be honest and admit that as is you cant really play any HEAVY HEAVY stuff at least that ive found. For a comparison the heaviest type of a sound im able to get would be closer to a stone temple pilots than a metallica

Not one problem I could find here. Like I said its black so bookmatched aint gonna be much of a prob bob. The pickups and wiring are all set up great. I did break one wire to the input but I DID IT, it wasnt the guitars fault. The action is low and silky smooth like ovaltine going down the hatch.

This baby is a beast!!! I have run into doorframes about 3 or 4 times, and all that happens is a chunk of the door frame is gone! No marks on the finish or any damage. It even stays in tune! Ive had it a year and aint broken yet. Finish seems really thick so it aint gonna fade. I havent "gigged yet" my band is in early stages but i have taken it places about 5 or 6 times and it works like a charm wherever I go. The strap buttons r good and all except I COULDNT GET THE FREAKING STRAP OFF EVEN IF I WANTED TOO !!!! They r sturdy! I ordered a Gibson Les Paul Standard off ebay so ill have 2 guitars soon, but it isnt because of lack of confidence in this one thats for sure. Id b proud to gig with it.

Havent dealt with them yet. 10 YEAR WARRANTY!

I have been playing it a year, I like it a lot, only thing I could think of is if u want HEAVY METAL this may not be your guitar, but every other genre of music is covered. If it was stolen, Id get another cuz ive grown to love this thing man!

This is Leo Fenders Strat. It's what Fender should be making NOW! I played alot of strats before this G&L Legacy, and the Legacy is what the strat is supposed to be. For some reason, the strats just don't play as well or sound as rich. I guess some guys like that and will disagree with me.

This Legacy is a work of art, HANDMADE right here in USA, imagine that.

Mine has the floating non-locking trem, and does not have the locking tuners. I was worrind about staying in tune, but it's not really a problem, you don't play this guitar like a JS1000 (which I also have).

The sound is strat like, only richer and warmer and a little hotter.

Incredible and amazing workmanship. Not a single nothing close to a flaw.

Havn't had it long enough, but can't imagin any probs.

My guitar has the Mary Kay finish. It's a blonds/white trans. finish. White pickguard and pick-ups. Chrome hardware. Birdseye maple neck with tinted finish. Beautiful. If your looking for a strat, play this too, just to be sure. And be sure of this, this is actually made by Leo Fender, so it is a strat. I used to think it was a strat copy, and the whole story around G&L was bogus, but I was wrong.

This is USA made in ?96 or early ?97. I didn?t pop the neck, so I can?t be 100%.

There are 22 medium-jumbo frets. It has a 5-way switch, volume, PTB system. The 3 pickups are the G&L alnico single coil. The body is alder, finished in metallic silver, white pick guard and pickup covers. The neck is satin finished maple with a rosewood fret board, 3 bolt neck. The bridge is a dual fulcrum G&L tremolo The tuners are the Schaller non-locking. The neck is a #1, 1 5/8? with a 12? radius. Schaller strap locks. Standard G&L - SKB molded case. (IMO, the case should have more room between the headstock and case end. I feel the accessory compartment needs to be an inch or more longer also. But hey, this is a guitar review, not a case review.)

This is basically a ?Strat?. If serious tremolo use was involved I?d opt for the locking tuners. I don?t use it much, so these are fine. But, I marked it down a point for not having them.

I play blues. This tone is perfect for me, very clear and bright, full and open, glassy. I run it straight into a Peavey Classic 30.

The PTB basically cuts or boosts treble with one knob and cuts or boosts bass with the other (passive). I find the PTB adds the right amount of versatility for me. I can get a more mid type tone or all the way to a bright, almost Tele tone. It?s capable of plenty of spank.

After day one, I was going to list my favorite setting. After two days, my favorite few... After three I realized, there?s too many to list!

I personal find the tone best to my liking when the volume is 6.5 or above. Below the mids seem to drop a little. It does sound more classic 50?ish strat then, but I prefer more ?beef? dialed in. Of course with the PTB system a more ?classic? strat sound can be dialed in a high volume settings too.

I do get a buzz/hum at an 8 volume setting or above if the guitar is let free and I?m not touching the strings. Of course, I?ve played old Fenders were the buzz happened even while playing. The slight buzz/hum is what keeps me from giving it a 10.

The rosewood fret board is light colored, which suits me fine. The back of the neck has a couple streaks to it. There is a slight nick on the bass side neck pocket. No big deal, but not perfect. This was bought used, but I?m pretty sure it was that way from the factory, since it?s finished with no wood exposed. The frets are finished really well. The fret slots are cut a tad too deep on the bass side on most frets. There are several a tad too deep on the treble side also. Again no big deal and I am being very nitpicky here, but not perfect just the same. The body paint is real good.

The set up is moot since this was purchased used. But, the action is low, much lower than I would normally have it. The thing is, it feels and sounds so good the phrase, ?Don?t fix it, if it ain?t broke? keeps coming to mind. It?s set up for 110+ (10.5 - 48) gauge and has no catching at the nut.

Well built, solid, no worries mate.

I haven't dealt with G&L since the BBE ownership.

I?ve been playing guitar 27 years. My other electric I currently own is an ?89 G&L SC-3. I would definitely get another Legacy if something were to happen to this one. I love the feel and sound. I really have no dislikes toward it except the slight buzz when let free at high volume knob settings. I?ve only had it a couple weeks, but I?m as happy as a pig in... well you know.

As far as electrics go, I?ve owned - Les Paul Deluxe, Les Paul Standard, SG Junior, Ibanez Blazer, Ibanez Artist, Ibanez AM205, American Standard Stratocaster, Charvel Model 4, Charvel Model 6, G&L SC-3, G&L ASAT Classic and I would say overall, this is my favorite. IMHO, I really feel this is one of the best "strats" out there, never mind best "strat" for the money.

I purchased this guitar in June, 2000.
The salesman unpacked it from the shipping carton in front of me, so I'm reasonably certain it is from recent production. In any case, it a standard G&L Legacy with their own pickups, PTB system, 5-way switch, sunburst, maple neck, dual fulcrum vibrato, etc...

I play this guitar through a VHT Pittbill Forty-Five with occasional use of a Demeter Tremulator.
If you're looking for the vintage Strat sound, this guitar doesn't have it. The only way to get even close is to roll the "treble" back to about seven. This instrument does not have that coveted "quack" in positions 2 and 4. In all positions, it sounds too "fat" with none of the classic "cut" or "brightness" of 50's and 60's style Strats.
I rescued this thing from "muddyness" by replacing G&L pickups with Lindy Fralin Vintage Hots. Now it's OK.

The body is excellent. Lovely two piece alder with a nice '59 burst. Bravo!
Now for the unpleasant news. The edges of the fretboard were rough. Almost as if they were finished off with a bastard file. And the B-string slot on the nut was not cut properly. It was "V" shaped rather than rounded, ant it grabbed the string badly.
The nut was an easy repair [costing me $30.00], but the neck may prove not to be so simple.

Durability seems to be one of G&L's strengths. The finish, hardware, electronics are top quality.

I generally deal with my local Luthier/Tech [who is not a G&L authorised serviceman]. He knows my preferences.

This is not my first Legacy. I owned one about four years ago which was magnificent. Unfortunately, in a moment of complete lunacy, I let it go.
I had wished to replace my beloved earlier model Legacy with this guitar. I must say I have been disappionted.

When i first saw this guitar on the shelf at my guitar lessions i knew i had to have it. It has 22 frets 2 tone knobs a humbucker splitter switch( i love it) and a 5 way selecter switch.ok heres the best part its silver sparkel finish and a mirror pickguard the only problem happones with all mirrors is that it gets dirty real easy.

This guitar is god! i can play it through a mini amp or a cab. and it still sounds great. I play a lot of dark melodic music that i make up and it works perfict

i found 1 problem when i used the tremelo the springs in the back would squeak. but all i did was put a lil oil on it and now it works great

the thing with this guitar is that ive hit it a couple of times and it hasnt dented which is great

ive been playing for only 5 years but I know this guitar is great i wont be getting a new one for a while