Fender vs G&L Strat Shootout help wanted

[chcjunior]

I have a Legacy. It's an excellent guitar. The trem is amazing for having nothing that locks on the guitar. Absolutely no tuning problems. The neck is great, the finish is flawless. The only problem? It's still a Strat.

I should have bought an ASAT. Oops. The Legacy will be for sale shortly.

I knew I wanted a Tele with balls. GearJoneser pointed me in the right direction on that one with the recommendation of the Asat Deluxe. I'm just not a Strat guy regardless of the manufacturer.

[Gearjoneser]

This is a good post, because I've pondered this question in depth.

My conclusion is that Leo founded both companies, but the guitars are WAY different, mostly due to the differences that kept G&L from infringing on Fender patents.

Fender and G&L strats and teles are not similar at all. G&L bridges have a lot of mass, so the overall sound of the guitar is more bold and less resonant than a Fender. This makes it a matter of taste. I prefer Fender bridges, despite the appearance of superior quality from the G&L.

Also, G&L necks are set into the body deeper toward the bridge than Fender, without the fretboard over-hang that Fenders have. On G&L's, the fretboard ends where the neck ends. On Fenders, the fretboard extends over the body by a centimeter. This also means that the necks aren't interchangeable, which was a patent issue.

Fenders are consistent from guitar to guitar. G&L's aren't. The neck profiles differ, so you really need to play a G&L before buying it.

I would never say that G&L's are better than Fender, or visa versa. It's mandatory that you play each individual guitar and decide what you really prefer. My opinion is that traditional strats and teles sound best by Fender. Non pickguard guitars sound better by G&L, such as the Deluxes. I think they're superior to Fender's Showmaster line. Of course it's my opinion, but pickguard guitars....buy Fender......non pickguard guitars....buy A G&L Legacy Deluxe, ASAT Deluxe, or Invader. I've come to that conclusion by owning a bunch of Fenders and G&Ls. Keep in mind, I'm not solely basing it on build quality, but the tones I find to be superior.
Some of the things on G&L's, like their wiring and bridges, seem better in theory, but in a blind listening test I'd steer toward Fenders till we get to the guardless designs.......then, the highmass bridge mates better to that design, and G&L uses US Duncans on those models as well.

[Butch Snyder]

One of the best playing and sounding Strats I have ever played was a G&L George Fullerton model. It blew away any Fender Strat I have ever played...

I was working for L&M Music at that time as a salesman. The guy who was demoing it also agreed; but I couldn't make the sale because he wanted nothing but a Fender. In fact, we compared apples to apples. We had a 3-color suburst Fender 62RI and a 3-color sunburst G&L GF model. There was no contest. The G&L was so much better in fit and finish and sound. Didn't matter though, as I said before, he wanted a Fender...

[Curly]

this debate could go on and on ....
but since I own both ..

yes, G & Ls are generally of higher build quality. They are still made more of the "old way" ... AFAIK, the necks are still shaped by hand, and of course they are made in much smaller numbers

it's true that Fenders retain a better resale, though, which makes used G & Ls a good value

the G & L trem is better, FWIW

I like Fender wiring a little better - G & Ls wiring seems good in theory, but the pot values are high, and the tone is a little bright

however, strat type guitars vary so much from one to another of the SAME brand that you really need to play before you buy, if at all possible

[AniML]

How are their tribute line? They seem to be one step ahead of the Squier in term of price, but how is the quality?

I have a Legacy Tribute. A fair comparison is to a MIM Fender, not a Squier. IMO, no contest. G&L easily.

[Hot _Grits]

I've been impressed with all the G&Ls I've played and would put them at a similar level to the higher end MIA and custom shop fenders. In the end, I always tend to find a fender I like better, though. G&Ls have the same weight variances as non-CS MIA fenders, and accordingly some sound better than others. Of course, there's very little price difference between top of the line G&Ls and fenders down here, so the value argument doesn't wash for me where I live.

I'm very impressed with the tribute line. Great for the money. I'd definitely choose one over an MIM fender.

[Sprinter]

G&L uses US Duncans on those models as well.

G&L, is now beginning to build their own traditional style humbuckers. I look for G&L, to quit using Duncan pickups within the next couple of years.

Sprinter

[FELIX57]

[QUOTE=Xeromus] G&L is more Fender than Fender is. Fender is now just a company that was purchased from Leo many years ago [QUOTE]

yep from wat i understand Leo Fender was given an offer by CBS he took it and sold the company. Then he worked with ernie ball on his guitars and making improvements on that. then he moved on to G & L incorporating all of the knowledge that hes accumulated in his lifetime to make the best guitars.

Fender is now a corporation type business cutting cost increasing productivity unfortunately at the cost of quality

G & L is a musicians type business caring more about quality then how much guitars they can ship off

the only thing im interested in is which is better fender or "tribute" g & L's squire

[Xeromus]

[QUOTE=FELIX57][QUOTE=Xeromus] G&L is more Fender than Fender is. Fender is now just a company that was purchased from Leo many years ago

yep from wat i understand Leo Fender was given an offer by CBS he took it and sold the company. Then he worked with ernie ball on his guitars and making improvements on that. then he moved on to G & L incorporating all of the knowledge that hes accumulated in his lifetime to make the best guitars.

Fender is now a corporation type business cutting cost increasing productivity unfortunately at the cost of quality

G & L is a musicians type business caring more about quality then how much guitars they can ship off

the only thing im interested in is which is better fender or "tribute" g & L's squire

G&L Tributes are far superior to MIM Fenders and Squiers. I bought a MIM strat as a backup a few weeks ago and returned it the next day, it was so crappy. And I picked the best out of the bunch when I went too.