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James... « Feels so amazing »
Published on 02/05/12 at 08:57Swamp ash solidbody
Hard rock maple neck
Ebony fretboard
22 jumbo frets
Schaller tuners
25-1/2" scale
1-5/8" nut width
2-1/4" neck width at heel
12" radius
Traditional boxed steel bridge with brass saddles
3-way blade-style pickup selector
Duncan SH55N Seth Lover humbucker neck pickup
G&L MFD (Magnetic Field Design) single-coil bridge pickup
Deluxe Fitted Tolex case
UTILIZATION
I play in a modern indie/pop/rock band that tours a fair amount. We have an odd sound. Think coldplay meets the beach boys meets pop punk. Anyway, we are gearing up for a spring summer tour and I realized the two guitars I usually bring on tour with this band have been sold. Oops! Generally I like to bring one Les Paul and a Tele style guitar. I have les pauls till the cows come home but recently I've been selling off all my teles.
I went to the ole guitar shop thinking I was going to get a Fender of some sort, totally forgetting about G&L altogether. It wasn't until a sales rep put this guitar in my hands that I remembered "oh yeah G&L makes teles too."
This is a great feeling guitar. The best part about it really, is that it doesn't have any of that heavy finishing that most Fenders do. You can actually feel the wood in your hands. The hardware on these is great. In fact, there's really nothing to complain about in terms of build quality. I love the neck radius which is compound I believe. Finish is awesome. Tuners are wonderful. These are just some well crafted instruments.
SOUNDS
I am not usually a big fan of teles with a humbucker in the neck position. It just seems backwards to me since I usually use that neck pickup for clean sounds and a humbucker does not always lend itself well to that. But let me tell you, whatever humbucker they have in here sounds great for cleans and lead passages alike. It's not super hot but it does have a little grit behind it. It reminds me somewhat of a Classic 57 with a bit more sweetness on top. Someone told me it was a duncan seth lover. I can believe that. Be aware, the bridge pickup is not your typical tele sound. It sounds great but it isn't your typical nashville twang maker. It's kind of its own thing. Very compressed sounding at times. I am not a traditionalist about my teles so it's not a big deal for me.
OVERALL OPINION
Not only is this a great looking guitar, but it is a great feeling instrument. To me, that is what matters most. Fortunately it sounds good too. I never thought I would end up buying such an unorthodox design. Especially not a guitar that was probably meant for blues and not pop rock stuff that I play. But for cleans and light overdrive it really gets the job done. I will be playing it through a matchless chieftain most of the time. Seems like a good match if it doesn't get too trebley. These are a killer value. Try one out. See if you don't come home with it.
Hard rock maple neck
Ebony fretboard
22 jumbo frets
Schaller tuners
25-1/2" scale
1-5/8" nut width
2-1/4" neck width at heel
12" radius
Traditional boxed steel bridge with brass saddles
3-way blade-style pickup selector
Duncan SH55N Seth Lover humbucker neck pickup
G&L MFD (Magnetic Field Design) single-coil bridge pickup
Deluxe Fitted Tolex case
UTILIZATION
I play in a modern indie/pop/rock band that tours a fair amount. We have an odd sound. Think coldplay meets the beach boys meets pop punk. Anyway, we are gearing up for a spring summer tour and I realized the two guitars I usually bring on tour with this band have been sold. Oops! Generally I like to bring one Les Paul and a Tele style guitar. I have les pauls till the cows come home but recently I've been selling off all my teles.
I went to the ole guitar shop thinking I was going to get a Fender of some sort, totally forgetting about G&L altogether. It wasn't until a sales rep put this guitar in my hands that I remembered "oh yeah G&L makes teles too."
This is a great feeling guitar. The best part about it really, is that it doesn't have any of that heavy finishing that most Fenders do. You can actually feel the wood in your hands. The hardware on these is great. In fact, there's really nothing to complain about in terms of build quality. I love the neck radius which is compound I believe. Finish is awesome. Tuners are wonderful. These are just some well crafted instruments.
SOUNDS
I am not usually a big fan of teles with a humbucker in the neck position. It just seems backwards to me since I usually use that neck pickup for clean sounds and a humbucker does not always lend itself well to that. But let me tell you, whatever humbucker they have in here sounds great for cleans and lead passages alike. It's not super hot but it does have a little grit behind it. It reminds me somewhat of a Classic 57 with a bit more sweetness on top. Someone told me it was a duncan seth lover. I can believe that. Be aware, the bridge pickup is not your typical tele sound. It sounds great but it isn't your typical nashville twang maker. It's kind of its own thing. Very compressed sounding at times. I am not a traditionalist about my teles so it's not a big deal for me.
OVERALL OPINION
Not only is this a great looking guitar, but it is a great feeling instrument. To me, that is what matters most. Fortunately it sounds good too. I never thought I would end up buying such an unorthodox design. Especially not a guitar that was probably meant for blues and not pop rock stuff that I play. But for cleans and light overdrive it really gets the job done. I will be playing it through a matchless chieftain most of the time. Seems like a good match if it doesn't get too trebley. These are a killer value. Try one out. See if you don't come home with it.