Members Holey Lint Trap Posted April 17, 2008 Members Share Posted April 17, 2008 So as the thread title suggests, I will be discussing G&L versus Fender. And more specifically the Fender thinline reissues versus the G&L Semi Hollow Body Tribute line. I am really looking into purchasing one of these two guitars as I want that tele sound while having more sustain and depth to the notes. It looks like the G&L would be the wiser purchase due to it being USA made and has some pretty nice and quiet pickups. Also, the quality is supposedly better, but I have been unable to play any of them. Are they better than the Thinlines? or are they basically lateral step. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members mrweems Posted April 17, 2008 Members Share Posted April 17, 2008 I owned a Fender MIA Tele and a G&L American ASAT special. both were fantastic, but i felt as if the Fender was more of a keeper. I can beat my fender to hell and death and it just keeps on going. The G&L was to pretty to beat up. Both were players, and both were keepers but i only kept one. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members english_bob Posted April 17, 2008 Members Share Posted April 17, 2008 I'm interested in this too, as I can vaguely make out a strat-type guitar in my future... It's not like you hear much bad stuff said about mid-price Fender stuff, but the G&L Tributes look really nice. BTW, the G&L Tributes are NOT USA made- the pickups are made in the US, and are the same as the pickups on USA G&Ls, but everything else is made under licence in Korea. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members JBecker Posted April 17, 2008 Members Share Posted April 17, 2008 The Tribute line is Made in Korea, though I think they're very nice guitars. I play G&L (an American) over my strats because I think they're far more consistently built, generally (but no always) feel a tone better, come with better stock hardware and electronics, have more/better options, etc. For me, Fender is great, but you can spend a year looking for "the one" whereas just about every G&L you pick up is fantastic, IMO. Can't speak too much for the Tribute series other than to say that it felt pretty good to me the one time I played a Tribute ASAT. The 72 Thinline Deluxe is the first guitar I pick up at GC to play around with though, it is a great choice. Something to consider-- the Z pickups on some of the current G&Ls are essentially what the original pickups were in the Thinlines but in a different casing where as the current pickups in those Thinlines are only different from humbuckers cosmetically. I'm not sure you could go wrong with either, but if you want some extra finish options and to buy online where you won't play the guitar first, I'd probably recommend G&L due to their consistency. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members Holey Lint Trap Posted April 17, 2008 Author Members Share Posted April 17, 2008 Something to consider-- the Z pickups on some of the current G&Ls are essentially what the original pickups were in the Thinlines but in a different casing where as the current pickups in those Thinlines are only different from humbuckers cosmetically. I thought the Tribute line of Bluesboys ran with a G&L Alnico humbucker and a G&L Magnetic Field Design single coil... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members JBecker Posted April 17, 2008 Members Share Posted April 17, 2008 I thought the Tribute line of Bluesboys ran with a G&L Alnico humbucker and a G&L Magnetic Field Design single coil... There's the ASAT shape has four models Blues Boy, the Classic, Deluxe, and Z3, each which come semi-hollow or solid body. The Z3 is what I was referring to. The Deluxe is 2 HB, the Classic is Hum Single, the Bluesboy is Hum Single. The Classic Custom which also comes semi-hollow or solid body has the MFD and the single coil, far as I know. There's also a 2 MFD model I can't remember the name of. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members Holey Lint Trap Posted April 17, 2008 Author Members Share Posted April 17, 2008 There's the ASAT shape has four models Blues Boy, the Classic, Deluxe, and Z3, each which come semi-hollow or solid body. The Z3 is what I was referring to. The Deluxe is 2 HB, the Classic is Hum Single, the Bluesboy is Hum Single. The Classic Custom which also comes semi-hollow or solid body has the MFD and the single coil, far as I know.There's also a 2 MFD model I can't remember the name of. Aren't most of their single coils, MFD? Or am i just i'gnant! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members JBecker Posted April 17, 2008 Members Share Posted April 17, 2008 I don't know what they call what anymore-- but they have some fatter, not quite P90 looking pickups that are single coil that I refer to as MFD, and then they have the normal sized single coils. www.glguitars.com should lay it out pretty well. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members LoneStarGuitar Posted April 17, 2008 Members Share Posted April 17, 2008 I don't know what they call what anymore-- but they have some fatter, not quite P90 looking pickups that are single coil that I refer to as MFD, and then they have the normal sized single coils. www.glguitars.com should lay it out pretty well. My ASAT has those particular pickups. They are very nice sounding.Not thin at all and just slightly lower output than my '73 Lp Deluxe's mini hums. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members tetaJ Posted April 17, 2008 Members Share Posted April 17, 2008 So as the thread title suggests, I will be discussing G&L versus Fender. And more specifically the Fender thinline reissues versus the G&L Semi Hollow Body Tribute line.I am really looking into purchasing one of these two guitars as I want that tele sound while having more sustain and depth to the notes. It looks like the G&L would be the wiser purchase due to it being USA made and has some pretty nice and quiet pickups.Also, the quality is supposedly better, but I have been unable to play any of them.Are they better than the Thinlines? or are they basically lateral step. I own two Fender Guitars, one is "the" guitar and even thou i have said this story before i have to tell you that i have been offered multiple guitars for this one, from Custom Made SG's and Les Pauls to Surhs to a 48 custom to a Tom Anderson and at one time two guitars at the same time for the one i have. I also own a Fender American Std Telecaster that plays and sounds beautiful. All that been said, i have yet to fins another strat that sounds like the one i have, i don't think i will, it doesn't really sound like a strat, it is too big sounding and to thick sounding. If i had to go out and buy me a guitar again i would go with the G&L's. I heard a G&L tele of a friend and man let me tell you that that guitar kicks ass. Between the Fender and the G&L i would tell you to get the G&L Tele, but don't buy online, go to the store and try em all, all guitars sound different and one has the magic you are looking for. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members smrz Posted April 17, 2008 Members Share Posted April 17, 2008 G&L guitars are way rad, and they don't hold their value very well. Amazing buys used. I haven't really checked out the Z-coil guitars though...how do they sound? Don't old school fender wide range pickups use what is now a rare metal for the magnets or something like that? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members fly135 Posted April 17, 2008 Members Share Posted April 17, 2008 Probably not much help giving advice, but I have a 1982 G&L S-500 that is amazing. I bought it in a pawn shop back in the 80's for $60. I never learned to play so I stuck it in my closet. I started learning to play a little over 2 years ago and found out my G&L was actually a good brand guitar. It clearly feels and plays better than any of my other guitars. It doesn't look that great, got a few chips and the finish is a bit dull. But after owning it I'm a fan of G&L. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members english_bob Posted April 17, 2008 Members Share Posted April 17, 2008 They seem to refer to all the pickups on the ASATs as MFD (Magnetic Field Design), although they look different on the Special versus the Classic/Bluesboy. Essentially, they're hot single coils with individual polepiece adjustment. None of the Tribute ASATs have the Z-coil pickups, but I would imagine that the MFDs would be somewhere like equivalent to the output of the humbuckers on the 72RI. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members smrz Posted April 17, 2008 Members Share Posted April 17, 2008 The smaller MFDs are very similar tonally to normal single coils. They have high output and a bit more girth than most single coils though. They sound really good. The larger MFDs are more midrangey and a bit more high gain. Maybe somewhere between a single coil and a P90? They're also pretty damn cool. I went with the smaller ones though... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members JBecker Posted April 17, 2008 Members Share Posted April 17, 2008 G&L guitars are way rad, and they don't hold their value very well. That's not entirely true. If you load them on upgrades they just sell the same as non-"upgraded" versions, basically. I bought a Legacy for 999 with tax and shipping new that I could sell for 700 on eBay easily. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members Null Pointer Posted April 19, 2008 Members Share Posted April 19, 2008 I own an American Strat Deluxe Plus, and a G&L ASAT Classic. G&L Wins, easily, IMO. The G&L is better in every category, with the exception of 1) not having locking tuners standard and 2) resale value. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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