Hi there,

I've a chance of G&L Legacy for £250....quality wise any comments?

Thanks

Dave

Hi moriah888: on the face of it that's a very good price for the guitar. Maybe too good - is there something wrong with it we should know about? Is it in horrible condition? Badly modded? Something wrong with the neck, frets, electronics, or some other issues?

These are the things you need to be looking out for when demo'ing it prior to purchase. If you are buying sight unseen, well, that's the risk you are taking. Maybe you'll snatch a fabulous bargain, maybe you'll buy a pig in a poke. Impossible for us to tell.

Before we can answer your question helpfully there's much more we need to know about the guitar - age, condition, reason for selling at this surprisingly low price, etc. If you don't have the answers to those questions, well, I wouldn't be buying any instrument without knowing them.

Meantime, got any pictures of it you'd like to share with us?

Good luck - C

_________________

Hi Ceri,

Thanks for the reply. Here are some pics :





The guy literally lives around the corner from me and he's coming over tomorrow night so I'll be able to have a good play on it. I'll pick his brains then about why he's getting rid of it. Here's what he says about it -

"If you're looking at this you probably know that G&L stands for George Fullerton and Leo Fender - some say more fender than fender! This is their tribute series, which contain the same hardware and pickups as their American made counterparts.
Consistent reviews place this above a Mexi Fender.

More Fender than Fender!!!

It features:
Dual fulcrum Tremelo
USA G&L Alnico 5 pickups
Ash body, hard rock maple neck and rosewood fingerboard
12" radius neck
Fender gig bag "


...does this give you anything more to comment on?

Cheers
Dave

Hi again Dave: yes it does. Most significantly, the word Tribute on the headstock. That's G&L's Far East manufactured brand and explains the price. You can buy a new Legacy Tribute for around £330 upward, so £250 for a second-hand one in good condition seems reasonable. I'd previously been assuming we were talking about a US model, hence the doubts. Now all seems in order.

From the photos I see nothing obviously wrong. So it comes down to whether your hands like the feel and your ears like the pickups. Only you can decide on that.

Anyhow. Unless there's something someone more familiar with the brand than me can see, there probably aren't warning signs not to buy. So if you like it, go for it, why not?

Good luck - C

_________________

As Ceri pointed out the Tribute series is like the MIM series for Fender, with one important distinction I have been told. The Tribute series uses the same pickups as the American series. The other electronics are not quite up to par, but a fairly inexpensive change of pots would make the electronics almost identical.

Correct me if I am wrong on this. This info came from a long time G&L player who has both American and Tribute series gear.

_________________
http://www.facebook.com/UCtheband
2012 American Standard Strat Charcoal Froast
2009 Standard Strat Sunburst Brown
Blues Junior Tweed NOS
2007 Line6 Spider Jam

That sounds about right. The Tribute guitars have the exact same pickups as the American models. The only other real difference is that the American models have the vintage-y glossy neck finishes as well, so I guess people who don't like high gloss necks would be more inclined to get the Tribute model. The American guitars also come with a hard case and some documents and such, whereas the Tribute models just come with the gig bag.

I myself plan on getting a Tribute Legacy. Just wish there was an option to get the HSS model that didn't come with the Floyd Rose.

_________________

O my good God....

I have owned a £2000 Steve Vai JEM.
I have owned a £1800 Malmsteen Signature Strat.
I have owned a £1500 custom ESP.

....NOTHING has come close to the tone and quality and MOJO that's coming off this guitar.

Gap between neck and body? Ooooo about one atom's worth!
Action...about 1 mm.

Now I started the day a bit discouraged. Guitar sounded muddy. Lacked balls and clarity. Did a lot of fiddling around and then thought "bugger this". Installed new strings. Cleaned the fretboard. Fixed the intonation and adjusted the action and pickup height. Then spent about 3 hours working out which of my pedals "work" with this guitar and which don't.

This guitar now with a simple overdrive pedal and noisegate sounds more Yngwie than my aforementioned Yngwie strat. The neck is so fast it makes those piece of crap Wizard III necks look like a rough-cut log.

Plus amazing side benefit....it's so easy to play the arthritus in my left wrist (was diagnosed 2 months ago) isn't giving me pain...this is the first time in 2 months I've been able to play for more than an hour at a time.

Sounds like you have a real winner. I have seriously thought of getting a G&L. Almost picked up a used American Legacy Tele at GC a few weeks ago. The body was all original but the neck had been changed out and its origin was unknown.

Congrats!

_________________
http://www.facebook.com/UCtheband
2012 American Standard Strat Charcoal Froast
2009 Standard Strat Sunburst Brown
Blues Junior Tweed NOS
2007 Line6 Spider Jam