I was going to post this under "I want a new..." but it actually seems like more of an opinion question...
I was looking at the MIM strats for a bang-around guitar and you can get a used one for $200 - 300 with accessories. Then the G&L Tribute series caught my eye... Well, what caught my eye was the 22 frets and two-point trem unit... What do you all think about these guitars versus the standard MIM strat? The price points seem about the same (maybe a LITTLE bit more for the G&L depending on the MIM strat you are looking at).
Correct me if I'm wrong, but the G&L has the following:
Made in Korea
PICKUPS
3 Fullerton-made G&L vintage style Alnico V single coil pickups
BODY WOOD
Basswood or Swamp Ash
NECK WOOD
Hard Rock Maple with Rosewood or Maple fingerboard
NECK RADIUS
12" (304.8mm)
NECK WIDTH AT NUT
1 5/8" (41.3mm)
TUNING KEYS
18:1 ratio, sealed-back
BRIDGE
G&L Dual Fulcrum vibrato with nickel plated die-cast saddles
CONTROLS
5 position pickup selector, volume, PTB system
OTHER
G&L Deluxe Gig Bag included in USA (Outside USA please contact your G&L distributor for availability)
Here is a pic of one:
The MIM Strat has the following:
Made in Mexico
Model Name Standard Stratocaster® (Upgrade)
Model Number 013-4600-(Color#) and 013-4602-(Color#)
Series Standard Series
Colors (306) Black,
(325) Chrome Red,
(332)* Brown Sunburst, *add $50.00,
(375) Midnight Wine,
(380) Arctic White,
(387) Electron Blue,
(Polyester Finish)
Body Alder
Neck Maple, Modern “C†Shape,
(Satin Polyurethane Finish)
Fingerboard Rosewood (p/n 013-4600) or Maple (p/n 013-4602), 9.5†Radius (241mm)
No. of Frets 21 Medium Jumbo
Pickups 3 Standard Single-Coil Strat® Pickups (Ceramic Magnets)
Controls Master Volume,
Tone 1. (Neck Pickup),
Tone 2. (Middle Pickup)
Pickup Switching 5-Position Blade:
Position 1. Bridge Pickup
Position 2. Bridge and Middle Pickup
Position 3. Middle Pickup
Position 4. Middle and Neck Pickup
Position 5. Neck Pickup
Bridge Vintage Style Synchronized Tremolo
Machine Heads Fender®/Ping® Standard Cast/Sealed Tuning Machines
Hardware Chrome
Pickguard 3-Ply White
Scale Length 25.5†(648 mm)
Width at Nut 1.650†(42 mm)
Unique Features Vintage Styling
Strings Fender® Super Bullets® 3250L, Nickel Plated Steel, (.009 to .042), p/n 073-3250-003
Accessories Standard Gig Bag
Ok, so long post, but what do you think about the two??
-=- Steve
"If the moon were made of ribs, would you eat it?"
Hey Dali :D
As you may know, I'm a certified strat guy.
I have NO love for MIM strats.
Like you said in an older post of Epi's compared to Gibbo's - They have NO SOUL!!!!
They have the basic look and a sound that closely aproximates a real strat (like a MIM tele that has a WAY too trebley sound
as opposed to a real tele that has a 'Brite' sound.... very different in my opinion)
That being said, I have never encountered a G&L guitar of any kind.
That was supposed to be Leo's Co. after he sold Fender???? Or am I thinking of something else????
Anyway - If you can get a strat type guitar with a swamp ash body and a rosewood board for a fairly inexpensive price....
That's a no brainer for me.
That's my favorite Fender tonewood combo.
The ash body has a slightly edgy sound compared to alder.
It still rings out - it's just more.... well, like Clapton on the Layla album.
Hard to describe the sound. Like the amp speaker is 'slightly' blown.
Hard to get used to - once you do there's no going back. :D
As for the rosewood - coupled with the ash body (on my 71 strat anyway), it creates a multitude of 'sweet spots' on the neck.
My 71 pretty much dictates how I play.
When you hit certain notes, they bloom so beautifully.... and if you can hang on to it, the decay is well worth the wait. :D :D :D :D
If you are used to maple boards, the rough texture of the rosewood takes a little getting used to, and I like the look of maple boards better too.....
The sound/tone of rosewood can't be beat though.
I say G&L all the way.
Just make sure the body on the one you get really is ASH.
Ken
"The man who has begun to live more seriously within
begins to live more simply without"
-Ernest Hemingway
"A genuine individual is an outright nuisance in a factory"
-Orson Welles
G&L makes great guitars. I will never sell mine. The G&L trem is very, very nice, and no contest better than the six screw vintage style synchro trem of the MIM Strat. The G&L PTB (passive treble-bass) tone system is much more useful than the Strat's standard treble bleed tone arrangement.
The only thing to be careful about on the Tribute line is the fret edge finishing. I've noticed sharp edges on some of these. But I consider that a standard warning for most lower cost guitars, including the MIM Strat.
So ...
+1 on G&L
-=tension & release=-
I've tried both G&L Tributes and a George Fullerton signature. They were excellent guitars, the only thing that I wasn't keen on was the soft V neck of the GF signature. Finish was top drawer.
I started with nothing - and I've still got most of it left.
Did you know that the word "gullible" is not in any dictionary?
Greybeard's Pages
My Articles & Reviews on GN
I've got Two G&L Tributes, an ASAT and an Invader. I've also got a MIM Tele and a '94 Strat. If I were forced to choose between the Fenders and the G&Ls I'd keep the G&Ls and let the Fenders go.
The G&Ls have a better fit and finish, and I like the necks and pickups better.
Playing guitar and never playing for others is like studying medicine and never working in a clinic.
