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G&L Legacy VS Fender Highway 1 Strat


Cliff Fiscal

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Difference:

 

The build quality, the body, the neck, the pickups, the bridge, the finish, the tuners,....... pretty much the whole guitar.

 

Similarity:

 

Both look like a strat, both have single coils, price of a used Legacy is about the same as a brand new Highway 1......

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Difference:

The build quality, the body, the neck, the pickups, the bridge, the finish, the tuners,....... pretty much the whole guitar.

Similarity:

Both look like a strat, both have single coils, price of a used Legacy is about the same as a brand new Highway 1......

 

 

So the G&L is in a completely different class?

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I would say so. The G&Ls, IMHO, are ultra uber quality guitars. The QC is unreal. I have a '98 Legacy and my friends with Fender CS guitars are always comparing it with their guitars, often more favorably than their CS. All this and I only paid $450 for it used! So, compared with a Highway 1, I'd say it was a no brainer. Of course, if you really want the Fender mojo (and logo) - it would be the Highway 1. Otherwise, go for the G&L.

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I concur. Other than the cosmetic similarities, these two are completely different guitars. I'd have to say that G&L's QC is much more exacting, but if you have the opportunity to try out a few of each I believe you'll find Highway-1s that will compare with the G&L. On the whole though, a G&L is a better quality guitar (I just didn't have that choice; not a lot of G&L's floating around the Dallas shops I've tried).

 

One major difference is that the Highway-1 is a quasi-vintage reproduction. It has a nitrocellulose finish like vintage guitars, and the pickups are vintage voiced, which also means the middle is not RW/RP.

 

I think you'd be very happy with either (unless you need hum-cancelling 2 and 4 positions), but play them both if you can and make your own decision.

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I'm a big fan of USA G&Ls for the price. My guitar is almost exactly the same as the one you posted except I have an alder body instead of ash.

 

If this tells you anything: my friend loves strats - he has a Custom Shop '62 Relic, a mongrel with an original '63 body with '64 neck, and a beat up late 80s USA Strat with Fralins. He's looking to retire the USA Strat because it's not really reliable for gigging anymore and wants a new Strat because he doesn't like to take the Custom Shop and Vintage Strats to some gigs. He's going to get a G&L Legacy like mine to replace it. His CS '62 and my Legacy have a different vibe but we both agree it's hard to say one guitar is really better than the other. They both play great and build quality on both is impeccable. In my opinion, the production Strat that sounds and feels most similar to my G&L is the Eric Johnson, which costs about $400 more.

 

At this point after having played many Fenders and G&Ls while I believe Fenders ARE good guitars I would buy a USA G&L before any regular production USA Fender. I actually have never played the Tributes so I don't know how those are at all.

 

all IMO of course :wave:

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One major difference is that the Highway-1 is a quasi-vintage reproduction. It has a nitrocellulose finish like vintage guitars, and the pickups are vintage voiced, which also means the middle is not RW/RP.

 

 

This is no longer true for the upgrade highway ones (since mid 2006).

They have alnico 3 pickups with the middle RW/RP.

They seem to be much better guitars too (judging from one new and one old I played, perhaps not a relevant opinion)

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This is no longer true for the upgrade highway ones (since mid 2006).

They have alnico 3 pickups with the middle RW/RP.

They seem to be much better guitars too (judging from one new and one old I played, perhaps not a relevant opinion)

 

 

Hmm, OK, mine is 60th anniversary edition (it has the little silver medal on the back of the headstock), so that would be a 2006 model. It has all of the features listed for the current model EXCEPT the RW/RP and the large '70s headstock (my headstock looks like an American). So, I have an earlier 2006, possibly made in 2005?

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I have a G&L Legacy Tribute strat and it looks absolutley flawless. I cannot say the same for the new MIA standard standard strat I was going to buy before I found this one (at half the cost of the MIA Fender with "issues").

 

I finally lowered the action to my liking and it is the best guitar I own and sounds fantastic.

 

I am told the components are the same as the MIA G&L's but the cost is halved because it is made in Korea and QC'd in the US. Don't know about the construction of the body though compared to a US made G&L, but for my playing ability, the MIK G&L is all I need.

 

My son in law just bought a MIK G&L Tele, same thing, a beautiful flawless guitar.

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I own a Tribute Strat and a MIM strat. Both cost the same. Out of the box the Tribute is a way better guitar. The only thing I changed on the Tribute was the tuners. I put locking tuners on it. I have the premium finish on the Tribute and it is gorgous.

 

The MIM strat has had all of the electronics changed, callaham block, graftech saddles and locking tunners. After I changed it all, it is a great guitar, but I have spent way more on it than the Tribute.

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That's true, the components are all made in the U.S.A., but assembled abroad.

 

 

I think I read somewhere that the bridges are the USA design but made under liscense abroad (implying that they're not the same as the USAs I guess?) but yeah the electronics are all the same as the USAs.

 

As for the earlier question on the S500s, the key difference with the S500 is that it has MFD pickups while the Legacy has Alnico V pickups. The MFDs have much more output and to my ears have some humbuckerish qualities. More low end and power, less detail and sparkle. They will not do the vintage Strat thing as well as the Legacy but they might win out on versatility as they have more capabilitity for harder music. Strat on steroids I guess. Depends what you're looking for.

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I like the Tribute Series. In my opinion they are superior to the MIM Standard Fenders. I haven't A/B's them against an American Fender. But for the money they are very nice. They can be a bit heavier than Fender guitars, and this is especially so of the "swamp ash" Premium line.

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I have a Legacy Special......which I've considered selling in favor of a Highway One, which is ironic......but I just can't really pull the trigger, it really is a fantastic guitar. And the best thing about G&L is that well, haha, THE TREMS ACTUALLY WORK WELL AND THE GUITAR KEEPS IN TUNE!!!!!! I might just change out the noiseless pickups and drop in a set of nice single coils one of these days and be done with it. They really are amazing and definately a total steal for the money.

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Hmm, OK, mine is 60th anniversary edition (it has the little silver medal on the back of the headstock), so that would be a 2006 model. It has all of the features listed for the current model EXCEPT the RW/RP and the large '70s headstock (my headstock looks like an American). So, I have an earlier 2006, possibly made in 2005?

 

 

I guess so. The new ones have the diamond thing on the headstock as well.

As far as I know, the greasebucket circuit (and possibly the new pickups?)

were added in the beginning of '06, at least the headstock in June or so (?).

Also, the new ones have narrower bridge (I've played an old one, where the

lower e string was almost off the fretboard) and jumbo frets. Do you have jumbo frets?

I don't have a highway one, but i'm shopping for a black one. Only

there seems to be exactly 0 in stock in continental Europe. I've been

told somewhere, that I could get one in 3 (three) months. They must me MOM (Made On Mars).

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where the lower e string was almost off the fretboard)

 

I have an old one and that's how mine is!!!!!!:mad: :mad: I thought I was crazy.

 

I tried to put graphtecs on it, and it screwed up the action beyond belief.....I ended up just putting the stock vintage saddles back on and now it plays pretty well.

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I guess so. The new ones have the diamond thing on the headstock as well.

As far as I know, the greasebucket circuit (and possibly the new pickups?)

were added in the beginning of '06, at least the headstock in June or so (?).

Also, the new ones have narrower bridge (I've played an old one, where the

lower e string was almost off the fretboard) and jumbo frets. Do you have jumbo frets?

I don't have a highway one, but i'm shopping for a black one. Only

there seems to be exactly 0 in stock in continental Europe. I've been

told somewhere, that I could get one in 3 (three) months. They must me MOM (Made On Mars).

 

 

As per the fender website, the 70's stock and RW/RP version was released June or July 2006. I bought this a week and a half ago new. I still have all the tags; I believe there's one that shows the born-on date. I really don't want to take off the neck to check the date there.

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I guess so. The new ones have the diamond thing on the headstock as well.

As far as I know, the greasebucket circuit (and possibly the new pickups?)

were added in the beginning of '06, at least the headstock in June or so (?).

Also, the new ones have narrower bridge (I've played an old one, where the

lower e string was almost off the fretboard) and jumbo frets. Do you have jumbo frets?

I don't have a highway one, but i'm shopping for a black one. Only

there seems to be exactly 0 in stock in continental Europe. I've been

told somewhere, that I could get one in 3 (three) months. They must me MOM (Made On Mars).

 

 

i think the earlier ones also had the greasebucket circuit, but they just improved it for the new ones somehow, i think by adding an extra capacitor or something. reviews i've seen from 2005 and before mention it.

 

i've seen a few black ones on ebay lately, if you can find someone willing to ship to the EU.

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I played a current model G&L Tribute Legacy at my local shop last week. A great guitar for the money ($429). But they are now made in Indonesia, not Korea.

 

This is the exact guitar I played (they only have one):

 

http://cgi.ebay.com/New-G-L-Tribute-Series-Premium-Legacy-Free-Shipping_W0QQitemZ280098887704QQcategoryZ2384QQssPageNameZWDVWQQrdZ1QQcmdZViewItem

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I have a G&L Legacy Tribute strat and it looks absolutley flawless. I cannot say the same for the new MIA standard standard strat I was going to buy before I found this one (at half the cost of the MIA Fender with "issues").


I finally lowered the action to my liking and it is the best guitar I own and sounds fantastic.


I am told the components are the same as the MIA G&L's but the cost is halved because it is made in Korea and QC'd in the US. Don't know about the construction of the body though compared to a US made G&L, but for my playing ability, the MIK G&L is all I need.


My son in law just bought a MIK G&L Tele, same thing, a beautiful flawless guitar.

 

 

+1

 

My MIK Tribute plays and sounds better than many AMerican Fenders

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