G&L Tribute S-500 Electric Guitar, Brazilian Cherry Fingerboard - Sonic Blue The G&L S-500 debuted in 1982 as Leos own evolution of the traditional double-cutaway bolt-on axe, delivering innovations including the Dual-Fulcrum vibrato and Magnetic Field Design single-coil pickups, each designed by Leo Fender himself. These MFD pickups deliver a bright and sparkly top end and robust bottom end, all without losing midrange focus. Youll find plenty of punch in the MFD pickups, but whats surprising is how glassy and detailed they become as you roll back the volume and bass controls, the latter a part of the S-500s PTB (Passive Treble and Bass) system which functions on all three pickups. Whats more, the G&L Tribute Series S-500 includes a push-pull expander switch on the treble pot to allow neck+bridge or all three pickups together. In a pinch, the neck+bridge combo does a convincing faux ASAT Special. Talk about versatile. The new G&L Tribute Series S-500 features one of Leos favorite pairings: the power of MFD pickups mellowed by the high porosity of a mahogany body. Making the most of this delicious combo is Leos Dual-Fulcrum vibrato, a work of engineering art which allows bending up or down with unsurpassed stability, while offering a silky feel through its beefy aluminum vibrato arm. Leos forward-looking spirit is clearly reflected in the S-500, a guitar he designed for players who share that spirit. And now, its available at a price within reach of every working musician. Once you play a G&L Tribute Series, youll never look back.
G&L Tribute S-500 Electric Guitar, Brazilian Cherry Fingerboard - Sonic Blue The G&L S-500 debuted in 1982 as Leos own evolution of the traditional double-cutaway bolt-on axe, delivering innovations including the Dual-Fulcrum vibrato and Magnetic Field Design single-coil pickups, each designed by Leo Fender himself. These MFD pickups deliver a bright and sparkly top end and robust bottom end, all without losing midrange focus. Youll find plenty of punch in the MFD pickups, but whats surprising is how glassy and detailed they become as you roll back the volume and bass controls, the latter a part of the S-500s PTB (Passive Treble and Bass) system which functions on all three pickups. Whats more, the G&L Tribute Series S-500 includes a push-pull expander switch on the treble pot to allow neck+bridge or all three pickups together. In a pinch, the neck+bridge combo does a convincing faux ASAT Special. Talk about versatile. The new G&L Tribute Series S-500 features one of Leos favorite pairings: the power of MFD pickups mellowed by the high porosity of a mahogany body. Making the most of this delicious combo is Leos Dual-Fulcrum vibrato, a work of engineering art which allows bending up or down with unsurpassed stability, while offering a silky feel through its beefy aluminum vibrato arm. Leos forward-looking spirit is clearly reflected in the S-500, a guitar he designed for players who share that spirit. And now, its available at a price within reach of every working musician. Once you play a G&L Tribute Series, youll never look back.
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last seen 10 June 2026
The lowest price we last saw for G&L Tribute Series S-500 Electric Guitar - Sonic Blue was (last seen 10 June 2026). Prices may have changed since.
G&L Tribute Series S-500 Electric Guitar - Sonic Blue
G&L Tribute S-500 Electric Guitar, Brazilian Cherry Fingerboard - Sonic Blue The G&L S-500 debuted in 1982 as Leos own evolution of the traditional double-cutaway bolt-on axe, delivering innovations including the Dual-Fulcrum vibrato and Magnetic Field Design single-coil pickups, each designed by Leo Fender himself. These MFD pickups deliver a bright and sparkly top end and robust bottom end, all without losing midrange focus. Youll find plenty of punch in the MFD pickups, but whats surprising is how glassy and detailed they become as you roll back the volume and bass controls, the latter a part of the S-500s PTB (Passive Treble and Bass) system which functions on all three pickups. Whats more, the G&L Tribute Series S-500 includes a push-pull expander switch on the treble pot to allow neck+bridge or all three pickups together. In a pinch, the neck+bridge combo does a convincing faux ASAT Special. Talk about versatile. The new G&L Tribute Series S-500 features one of Leos favorite pairings: the power of MFD pickups mellowed by the high porosity of a mahogany body. Making the most of this delicious combo is Leos Dual-Fulcrum vibrato, a work of engineering art which allows bending up or down with unsurpassed stability, while offering a silky feel through its beefy aluminum vibrato arm. Leos forward-looking spirit is clearly reflected in the S-500, a guitar he designed for players who share that spirit. And now, its available at a price within reach of every working musician. Once you play a G&L Tribute Series, youll never look back.
G&L Tribute S-500 Electric Guitar, Brazilian Cherry Fingerboard - Sonic Blue The G&L S-500 debuted in 1982 as Leos own evolution of the traditional double-cutaway bolt-on axe, delivering innovations including the Dual-Fulcrum vibrato and Magnetic Field Design single-coil pickups, each designed by Leo Fender himself. These MFD pickups deliver a bright and sparkly top end and robust bottom end, all without losing midrange focus. Youll find plenty of punch in the MFD pickups, but whats surprising is how glassy and detailed they become as you roll back the volume and bass controls, the latter a part of the S-500s PTB (Passive Treble and Bass) system which functions on all three pickups. Whats more, the G&L Tribute Series S-500 includes a push-pull expander switch on the treble pot to allow neck+bridge or all three pickups together. In a pinch, the neck+bridge combo does a convincing faux ASAT Special. Talk about versatile. The new G&L Tribute Series S-500 features one of Leos favorite pairings: the power of MFD pickups mellowed by the high porosity of a mahogany body. Making the most of this delicious combo is Leos Dual-Fulcrum vibrato, a work of engineering art which allows bending up or down with unsurpassed stability, while offering a silky feel through its beefy aluminum vibrato arm. Leos forward-looking spirit is clearly reflected in the S-500, a guitar he designed for players who share that spirit. And now, its available at a price within reach of every working musician. Once you play a G&L Tribute Series, youll never look back.
The all-time low we recorded was $702.76 on 29 June 2025.
Prices last updated 10 June 2026.
Last updated at 10/06/2026 16:36:08
Tribute S-500 Electric Guitar - Sonic Blue
Delivery between 17–20 June $29
originally posted on musiciansfriend.com
I can echo what was said here. I would consider this an under the radar guitar that represents a tremendous value. I guess it isnt popular because it doesnt say 'Fender' or 'Stratocaster' on the headstock..The irony is that it was designed by Leo Fender himself and represents upgrades and improvements over the Strat he designed,Anyway, this thing is a tone machine. More tones than a Strat...and better tones w. more resonance and sustain than the Strats i;ve played. (Squire Standard, Squire ProTone, Strat Clapton. Can control tone on bridge pickup and you just dont get those harsh icepicky tones unless you really want to dial them in.A couple small negatives. The frets on the one I got were not finished/polished. You could actually hear them rub when you bend..and ... MoreI can echo what was said here. I would consider this an under the radar guitar that represents a tremendous value. I guess it isnt popular because it doesnt say 'Fender' or 'Stratocaster' on the headstock..The irony is that it was designed by Leo Fender himself and represents upgrades and improvements over the Strat he designed,Anyway, this thing is a tone machine. More tones than a Strat...and better tones w. more resonance and sustain than the Strats i;ve played. (Squire Standard, Squire ProTone, Strat Clapton. Can control tone on bridge pickup and you just dont get those harsh icepicky tones unless you really want to dial them in.A couple small negatives. The frets on the one I got were not finished/polished. You could actually hear them rub when you bend..and the guitar comes with 10's not 9's. Makes it really hard to bend and i would think would wear out the strings quickly. So unless I got an outlier, be prepared to do < or have done> some fret work. Also the push pull is hard to engage. You gotta put a fingernail underneath the knob and pull up hard to engage...it does seem to become a little looser and easier to engage with some use. Other than that, levels above the Strats I have played in most all ways. Musicians Friend doesnt do setups I dont think...they just ship them out without taking them out of the box they arrived in. (double boxed)Oh, i bought the sonic blue one. To me, it looks like a very pale green..or maybe i have some color blindness. It's a cool retro colour though i think
originally posted on musiciansfriend.com
Hate to write a negative review and glad others received better instruments than i did. I purchased via SDOTD and the guitar received today 5/13/2021 was bad and returned. Had really great expectations based on reviews. This is aimed at G&L's qc dept. The guitar arrived with 1 inch scratch in the back on the lower horn, dimples in the finish, scratches on the belly cut, areas that were dull from not buffing to a high polish, dents on back of the neck that could be felt and frets that felt like playing strings over sandpaper. Returned back same day. No damage to shipping boxes and purchased new just extremely poor qc. I wasnt expecting this to play like a +1k guitar but this feels like a Rogue guitar. Needs alot of work and setup. No comparison to Squier's in the ... MoreHate to write a negative review and glad others received better instruments than i did. I purchased via SDOTD and the guitar received today 5/13/2021 was bad and returned. Had really great expectations based on reviews. This is aimed at G&L's qc dept. The guitar arrived with 1 inch scratch in the back on the lower horn, dimples in the finish, scratches on the belly cut, areas that were dull from not buffing to a high polish, dents on back of the neck that could be felt and frets that felt like playing strings over sandpaper. Returned back same day. No damage to shipping boxes and purchased new just extremely poor qc. I wasnt expecting this to play like a +1k guitar but this feels like a Rogue guitar. Needs alot of work and setup. No comparison to Squier's in the same price range.
originally posted on musiciansfriend.com
Overall I'd give this guitar a 4.5/5 star rating.The quality of this guitar is right on par with MIM strats. It has a good weight to it and it's comfortable to play. It stays in tune quite well, and personally I really like the 12" finger board radius. It took a fair amount of graphite to smooth the nut slots to the point where the tremolo system stays in tune. But once you get there, you're golden (IMO getting tremolo systems to stay in tune is 100% about the nut being smooth and having no rough edges. forget gimmicky nut sauce. either smooth it out with graphite or get a tusq nut). One minor complaint about this guitar is that the tremolo bar is a bit closer to the strings when whammying than my MIM strat. You'll get used to it, but at first you have to be a bit ... MoreOverall I'd give this guitar a 4.5/5 star rating.The quality of this guitar is right on par with MIM strats. It has a good weight to it and it's comfortable to play. It stays in tune quite well, and personally I really like the 12" finger board radius. It took a fair amount of graphite to smooth the nut slots to the point where the tremolo system stays in tune. But once you get there, you're golden (IMO getting tremolo systems to stay in tune is 100% about the nut being smooth and having no rough edges. forget gimmicky nut sauce. either smooth it out with graphite or get a tusq nut). One minor complaint about this guitar is that the tremolo bar is a bit closer to the strings when whammying than my MIM strat. You'll get used to it, but at first you have to be a bit more conscious not to hit the strings with your wrist when whammying. Another minor complaint is the pickup selector is a bit noisy at times when switching positions. It makes a click sound that is audible out of the amp. This only happens sometimes but is kind of annoying.As for tone, this thing sounds great. It has great versatility with it's 5 positions and push/pull knobs to get extra pickup combinations. One very important tip I have is to adjust the individual pole pieces on the pickups! Out of the box, they are all flat. To me, this resulted in the guitar sounding "kind of stratty, and like a good single coil guitar". But if you look at pole pieces on strats, you'll notice the staggering. On each pickup, I raised the E and A piece slightly (half turn or 180°) and the D and G a little more (full turn or 360°). The guitar comes with a tool for this. After adjusting the pickups, this thing CAME TO LIFE. It sounds very stratty set up this way and suit my taste a bit more. Having adjustable pole pieces really allows you to set up the guitar to suit your tonal preferences, which is awesome.For the price, I highly recommend this guitar.
| Year | 2010 - 2023 |
| Made In | Indonesia |
| Body Shape | S-Style |
| Body Type | Solid Body |
| Bridge/Tailpiece Type | Tremolo Bridge |
Tribute S-500 Electric Guitar - Sonic Blue
Delivery between 17–20 June $29
I can echo what was said here. I would consider this an under the radar guitar that represents a tremendous value. I guess it isnt popular because it doesnt say 'Fender' or 'Stratocaster' on the headstock..The irony is that it was designed by Leo Fender himself and represents upgrades and improvements over the Strat he designed,Anyway, this thing is a tone machine. More tones than a Strat...and better tones w. more resonance and sustain than the Strats i;ve played. (Squire Standard, Squire ProTone, Strat Clapton. Can control tone on bridge pickup and you just dont get those harsh icepicky tones unless you really want to dial them in.A couple small negatives. The frets on the one I got were not finished/polished. You could actually hear them rub when you bend..and ... MoreI can echo what was said here. I would consider this an under the radar guitar that represents a tremendous value. I guess it isnt popular because it doesnt say 'Fender' or 'Stratocaster' on the headstock..The irony is that it was designed by Leo Fender himself and represents upgrades and improvements over the Strat he designed,Anyway, this thing is a tone machine. More tones than a Strat...and better tones w. more resonance and sustain than the Strats i;ve played. (Squire Standard, Squire ProTone, Strat Clapton. Can control tone on bridge pickup and you just dont get those harsh icepicky tones unless you really want to dial them in.A couple small negatives. The frets on the one I got were not finished/polished. You could actually hear them rub when you bend..and the guitar comes with 10's not 9's. Makes it really hard to bend and i would think would wear out the strings quickly. So unless I got an outlier, be prepared to do < or have done> some fret work. Also the push pull is hard to engage. You gotta put a fingernail underneath the knob and pull up hard to engage...it does seem to become a little looser and easier to engage with some use. Other than that, levels above the Strats I have played in most all ways. Musicians Friend doesnt do setups I dont think...they just ship them out without taking them out of the box they arrived in. (double boxed)Oh, i bought the sonic blue one. To me, it looks like a very pale green..or maybe i have some color blindness. It's a cool retro colour though i think
Hate to write a negative review and glad others received better instruments than i did. I purchased via SDOTD and the guitar received today 5/13/2021 was bad and returned. Had really great expectations based on reviews. This is aimed at G&L's qc dept. The guitar arrived with 1 inch scratch in the back on the lower horn, dimples in the finish, scratches on the belly cut, areas that were dull from not buffing to a high polish, dents on back of the neck that could be felt and frets that felt like playing strings over sandpaper. Returned back same day. No damage to shipping boxes and purchased new just extremely poor qc. I wasnt expecting this to play like a +1k guitar but this feels like a Rogue guitar. Needs alot of work and setup. No comparison to Squier's in the ... MoreHate to write a negative review and glad others received better instruments than i did. I purchased via SDOTD and the guitar received today 5/13/2021 was bad and returned. Had really great expectations based on reviews. This is aimed at G&L's qc dept. The guitar arrived with 1 inch scratch in the back on the lower horn, dimples in the finish, scratches on the belly cut, areas that were dull from not buffing to a high polish, dents on back of the neck that could be felt and frets that felt like playing strings over sandpaper. Returned back same day. No damage to shipping boxes and purchased new just extremely poor qc. I wasnt expecting this to play like a +1k guitar but this feels like a Rogue guitar. Needs alot of work and setup. No comparison to Squier's in the same price range.
Overall I'd give this guitar a 4.5/5 star rating.The quality of this guitar is right on par with MIM strats. It has a good weight to it and it's comfortable to play. It stays in tune quite well, and personally I really like the 12" finger board radius. It took a fair amount of graphite to smooth the nut slots to the point where the tremolo system stays in tune. But once you get there, you're golden (IMO getting tremolo systems to stay in tune is 100% about the nut being smooth and having no rough edges. forget gimmicky nut sauce. either smooth it out with graphite or get a tusq nut). One minor complaint about this guitar is that the tremolo bar is a bit closer to the strings when whammying than my MIM strat. You'll get used to it, but at first you have to be a bit ... MoreOverall I'd give this guitar a 4.5/5 star rating.The quality of this guitar is right on par with MIM strats. It has a good weight to it and it's comfortable to play. It stays in tune quite well, and personally I really like the 12" finger board radius. It took a fair amount of graphite to smooth the nut slots to the point where the tremolo system stays in tune. But once you get there, you're golden (IMO getting tremolo systems to stay in tune is 100% about the nut being smooth and having no rough edges. forget gimmicky nut sauce. either smooth it out with graphite or get a tusq nut). One minor complaint about this guitar is that the tremolo bar is a bit closer to the strings when whammying than my MIM strat. You'll get used to it, but at first you have to be a bit more conscious not to hit the strings with your wrist when whammying. Another minor complaint is the pickup selector is a bit noisy at times when switching positions. It makes a click sound that is audible out of the amp. This only happens sometimes but is kind of annoying.As for tone, this thing sounds great. It has great versatility with it's 5 positions and push/pull knobs to get extra pickup combinations. One very important tip I have is to adjust the individual pole pieces on the pickups! Out of the box, they are all flat. To me, this resulted in the guitar sounding "kind of stratty, and like a good single coil guitar". But if you look at pole pieces on strats, you'll notice the staggering. On each pickup, I raised the E and A piece slightly (half turn or 180°) and the D and G a little more (full turn or 360°). The guitar comes with a tool for this. After adjusting the pickups, this thing CAME TO LIFE. It sounds very stratty set up this way and suit my taste a bit more. Having adjustable pole pieces really allows you to set up the guitar to suit your tonal preferences, which is awesome.For the price, I highly recommend this guitar.
There were a couple of issues with this guitar. Basically the body/fingerboard was good, however the nut was not prepared properly and the strings were too high above the first fret and could only be rectified by installing a new nut. The rear cover for the tremolo springs was not aligned correctly. I have rectified both of these issues as I have worked on guitars before, however, another customer may have had to pay a luthier to install a new nut and re-align the rear cover.
Great strat-style guitar for the price that includes design features developed by Leo Fender (G & L stands for George and Leo). The pickups were designed by Leo Fender. By pulling the treble pot out, you are able to get different tones from all three pickups combined and the neck and bridge pickups combined. In other words, you have a lot more tone options than you have in other strat-style guitars. The Leo-designed dual-fulcrum bridge allows you to bend up or down in a very smooth fashion. To learn more about the guitar, see the Guitar Interactive review of the G & L Tribute S-500 on YouTube. The reason the guitar is so cheap is because it's made in Indonesia (I believe). Though this may scare some people, this is a high quality guitar. The only minor thing I ... MoreGreat strat-style guitar for the price that includes design features developed by Leo Fender (G & L stands for George and Leo). The pickups were designed by Leo Fender. By pulling the treble pot out, you are able to get different tones from all three pickups combined and the neck and bridge pickups combined. In other words, you have a lot more tone options than you have in other strat-style guitars. The Leo-designed dual-fulcrum bridge allows you to bend up or down in a very smooth fashion. To learn more about the guitar, see the Guitar Interactive review of the G & L Tribute S-500 on YouTube. The reason the guitar is so cheap is because it's made in Indonesia (I believe). Though this may scare some people, this is a high quality guitar. The only minor thing I wasn't happy about was that there was no manual or warranty card in the box. I couldn't figure out how to install the trem bar properly. There is a tiny hex screw that pushes a nylon brushing into the trem bar to keep it in place. If you accidentally over-screw the screw when the trem bar is not inserted, it is easy to lose these tiny items. You can order a set of 6 screws and nylon brushings from G & L. The screws and brushings are also used in other places in the bridge (I believe).
It took me decades to finally try out a G&L and I bought a used S500 Tribute. I was so overwhelmed by the quality of their "budget" guitars that I bought a USA S500. These guitars are hands down better than any Fender I have ever played. The only thing you need to ask yourself is, "do I like the MFD pick ups?". I love them. They are tone monsters and deliver a great single coil tone with added lows via the unique controls available on these guitars. Mine has a 1 11/16" nut and a 9.5" radius which is my favorite neck size...and the contour is fast and slim. 7 pick up configurations available...it will take me awhile to figure out the tones that I will be able to get out of this guitar! I think the dual-pivot fulcrum vibrato is way better than the traditional Strat ... MoreIt took me decades to finally try out a G&L and I bought a used S500 Tribute. I was so overwhelmed by the quality of their "budget" guitars that I bought a USA S500. These guitars are hands down better than any Fender I have ever played. The only thing you need to ask yourself is, "do I like the MFD pick ups?". I love them. They are tone monsters and deliver a great single coil tone with added lows via the unique controls available on these guitars. Mine has a 1 11/16" nut and a 9.5" radius which is my favorite neck size...and the contour is fast and slim. 7 pick up configurations available...it will take me awhile to figure out the tones that I will be able to get out of this guitar! I think the dual-pivot fulcrum vibrato is way better than the traditional Strat style but, be advised...if you rest your hand on the bridge when you play...you may inadvertently add a little de-tune bend to what you are playing. It just takes a little getting use to. The only criticism that I have about my guitar is: I ordered the "Blue-Burst" finish and, in direct light, all the edges of the burst are purple...I don't like purple...especially on my guitar. I guess I will just have to stay out of direct light? The Tribute series of guitars are fantastic guitars for the price. I guess you just have to ask yourself if you want to spend the extra money for the extra quality? Try one of the Tribute models first, rest assured that the USA version will be a "custom shop" quality upgrade from that but, the Tribute model may be good enough for you?
5 stars because of the price and value for money, for the price it is a quality built instrument with a beautiful finish and a dynamic range of tones. The push pull switch to engage the neck pick up offers an interesting mix of sounds.However I have found that the tuning of the guitar goes off very quickly, I have to tune regularly. I am hoping that it is just settling in on the tension.Also neck pick up was set way too low and therefore was very quiet, but obviously adjusting and raising it was simple and now it sounds much better.Overall, I am very pleased and slowly falling in love with this versatile strat. For the price I don't think you are going to find anything better.
I've had the guitar for only a week nowOk, first, the guitar is very well built and near perfect in cosmetics, neck shape, fret dress, controls. Really no imperfections noticed. I've had a couple similarly priced Epiphones in the past and this Tribute puts those two to shame, it really does.The pickups are great and provide any sound that I need so all in all it's a great buy.The main problem I'm having is with the tremolo system. First let me mention a couple of points that are not a problem but different from the guitars I'm used to playing. The 12" radius is nice but I'm used to the 9.5 so I have to adjust to it; medium jumbo frets-another adjustment on my part, like I said these are not problems but you should be aware of the specs especially if you are only ... MoreI've had the guitar for only a week nowOk, first, the guitar is very well built and near perfect in cosmetics, neck shape, fret dress, controls. Really no imperfections noticed. I've had a couple similarly priced Epiphones in the past and this Tribute puts those two to shame, it really does.The pickups are great and provide any sound that I need so all in all it's a great buy.The main problem I'm having is with the tremolo system. First let me mention a couple of points that are not a problem but different from the guitars I'm used to playing. The 12" radius is nice but I'm used to the 9.5 so I have to adjust to it; medium jumbo frets-another adjustment on my part, like I said these are not problems but you should be aware of the specs especially if you are only comfortable playing thinner necks and smaller frets.The real problem is not staying in tune and the trem system is the culprit. One of the main reasons I bought this is because of the great reviews this trem system has gotten over the years. So this one may be a dud. The tuners are ok, the nut is average and I would suggests an upgrade. I've had the guitar setup twice to recent g & l specs along with 9s, and 9.5s instead of the 10s which it came with. Nut sauce, string stretchin and hours of playing on it. All that and any use of the trem will still put it out of tune. Not once did the strings remain in tune after using the trem. It just doesn't reset to its neutral point. I've had bigsbys that have functioned much better than this. I'm going to give it another week because some people have suggested playing it for a while and that may help the trem system seat itself, if that's even a thing.A fine guitar for the price just be aware that the trem system may be a headache on some of these. I'll try and write another review if I exchange this one for another.
I waste an enormous amount of disposable income on guitars... and since I'm only an experienced hobbyist rather than an actual professional musician, I try to stay under the eight bill retail price point. After just one day of playing this G&L Tribute S500, I knew this guitar was going to be in my "keepers" club, i.e., the six I will keep if the other 20 have to go for some reason. To me, it matches the feel and build quality of an American made Strat and exceeds its sonic capabilities... the multi-field density pickups are great, very responsive to strumming intensity and strumming position. Embarrassingly, it was several days before I realized that there was a push-pull tone knob; and as it turns out one of my favorite sounds is the middle position with the tone ... MoreI waste an enormous amount of disposable income on guitars... and since I'm only an experienced hobbyist rather than an actual professional musician, I try to stay under the eight bill retail price point. After just one day of playing this G&L Tribute S500, I knew this guitar was going to be in my "keepers" club, i.e., the six I will keep if the other 20 have to go for some reason. To me, it matches the feel and build quality of an American made Strat and exceeds its sonic capabilities... the multi-field density pickups are great, very responsive to strumming intensity and strumming position. Embarrassingly, it was several days before I realized that there was a push-pull tone knob; and as it turns out one of my favorite sounds is the middle position with the tone knob in the out position. The Passive Treble and Bass system is also quite nice, allowing you to dial in a wide range of sounds. I was initially planning to go for the sunburst, because it is so fricken gorgeous, but something told me to step out of my normal pattern and go for the vintage white... as you can see a gorgeous guitar in its own right. My only complaint is that the push-pull tone knob is very difficult to pull out... I may end-up replacing just this knob with something that is easier to grip and pull. I highly recommend this guitar to anyone wanting a guitar that feels like a high-quality Strat, but that is capable of covering more sonic turf than your typical Strat -- at a much lower price point.
Wowzer. I bought one of these around a year ago and was not going to leave a comment,However - today I did a shootout of this guitar versus a new American Strat that a buddy of mine just bought, and the results were really surprising. The G&L could mimic the Strat's tones perfectly, but also has a lot more tricks up its sleeve.The sound - volume: First, the G&L pickups have higher output. I had to keep the G&L volume around 7-8 to match the volume and tone of the Strat.The sound - tone: The G&L has an amazing tone setup where there is one master tone knob that works in the usual way - rolling off treble. However, the second tone knob does the opposite - it rolls off the bass. This is the only guitar I am aware of that does this without mods, and it is ... MoreWowzer. I bought one of these around a year ago and was not going to leave a comment,However - today I did a shootout of this guitar versus a new American Strat that a buddy of mine just bought, and the results were really surprising. The G&L could mimic the Strat's tones perfectly, but also has a lot more tricks up its sleeve.The sound - volume: First, the G&L pickups have higher output. I had to keep the G&L volume around 7-8 to match the volume and tone of the Strat.The sound - tone: The G&L has an amazing tone setup where there is one master tone knob that works in the usual way - rolling off treble. However, the second tone knob does the opposite - it rolls off the bass. This is the only guitar I am aware of that does this without mods, and it is brilliant! Any mud in positions 3 or 4 clean up instantly by rolling off a bit of bass. And the bridge pickup can go full Nile Rodgers funky by rolling off most of the bass.We found out that the magic formula to replicate the Strat's tone in each pickup position is to roll the volume back to around 8 and roll cut the bass tone to 6-8 (more roll-off the closer you get to the neck). This means that the G&L can sound exactly like a Strat. But, if you crank the volume and open up the bass all the way, the pickups come on really strong and authoritative - like P-90s to my ear. Also, good to have the extra bit of volume to crank for solos without having to resort to boosters etc.The neck and playability: The neck is just a tad wider than the Strat. This particular Strat had Fender's vintage C profile - the G&L neck was a little thicker. For my hands, I could notice the extra space between strings and found I could play single lines a bit more cleanly (big hands...).The looks: Gotta give the edge to the tri-color sunburst on the Strat - a classic!Bottom line - your milage may vary, but I'm feeling really happy about this G&L!
| Year | 2010 - 2023 |
| Made In | Indonesia |
| Body Shape | S-Style |
| Body Type | Solid Body |
| Bridge/Tailpiece Type | Tremolo Bridge |
