GuitarGearHeads–I used to love Saturday mornings as a kid. I’d usually wake up before my mom, venture out to the living room, and turn on our hopelessly outdated black and white television. Throughout the morning, I’d watch a slew of cartoons like Space Ghost, Superfriends, Hong Kong Phooey, and Captain Caveman! About that time, my mom would kick me out of the house for a couple of hours to cause trouble with my friends.
By the time the afternoon rolled around, it was time for another round of television. At that time there were only three good major channels plus the fuzzy independent one that took just the right mojo on the rabbit ears in order to receive. The choices in the afternoon were limited because you usually had to choose between Wide World of Sports or 1950’s serial re-runs like Abbot and Costello. At some point though you’d get around to those awesome spaghetti westerns! That’s how I first learned of cool things like the “Battle of Little Big Horn” and the “Gunfight at the O.K. Corral”.
Besides scenes of “masked men”, “high noon”, and “saloons” – I have memories of hundreds of television Indian warriors chasing down poor helpless riders out on the open plains. Often, these warrior tribes were made up of Cherokee, Sioux, and of course … Comanche! Man, those were the days.
That was probably the longest transition I have ever written for a guitar review, but any guitar that carried the Comanche name had better measure up to the nostalgia of those precious years. We have reviewed a few G&L guitars here at GGH and all have received top marks. Two guitars in the G&L lineup have eluded us until now – the Comanche and the Legacy Deluxe. The short version is that these guitars were worth the wait! Just like those old television shows, nothing exudes American tradition like these guitars – both of which receive our “Rig Ready” award for 2007. Read on for the full review!
The Comanche that I received was a honey-burst flamed beauty. It has gorgeous figured maple top with a swamp ash body. Swamp Ash is a wonderful tone-wood for guitars. Not only is it more porous and lighter in weight than many other woods, it generally produces a tone with a nice low and midrange timbre characterized by sparkling highs…the perfect storm for a single coil guitar.
I was especially impressed with the one-piece bird’s-eye maple neck. It was finished with a slightly amber tinted gloss, for a smooth, glassy feel. The neck itself is a bit chunky, but when coupled with 22 jumbo frets this guitar is a deceptively fast player.
Other distinctive features include the pearloid pickguard, G&L’s own dual-fulcrum bridge and Schaller locking tuners. The tuners are a godsend and make restringing a breeze. The dual-fulcrum bridge is a patented design by Leo Fender than delivers a much better engineered tremolo than the typical vintage design.
The real reason I fell in love with this guitar was the dramatic look of the three Magnetic Field Design® (MFD) “Z-coil” pickups. Another one of Leo Fender’s inventions, the three MFD Z-coils are each offset into two groups of three poles. This is not just for aesthetic appearance. These pickups have a wider frequency range than average single coils and deliver about twice the output. They are also much quieter since the opposing pole sets are reverse wound, resulting in a humbucking design.
• Figured maple top (This one is flame maple in honey-burst – check G&L website for more options)
• Bird’s-eye maple neck
• Schaller locking tuners
• G&L dual-fulcrum bridge
• MFD Z-coil pickups
• 25-1/2″ scale
• 1-5/8″ nut width
• Molded case
In terms of overall construction, there are absolutely no flaws on this instrument. The fit, detail work, fret polish, and finish are exemplary – even when extremely high standards for custom, American made guitars are applied.
This guitar arrived in a very nice molded ABS case with a giant “G&L” imprinted on the top. The case fit this guitar perfectly. As with all US built G&Ls, it contained a Certificate of Authenticity signed by Phyllis Fender.
It always interesting when you play a new guitar for the first time. Some guitars have great paint jobs but lack sound quality and offer no inspiration. I’m happy to report that even though the Comanche looks amazing, this guitar is all about amazing tone! Even unplugged, the response of the guitar was harmonically rich with lots of high end spank. What is even more impressive is that the guitar delivers a great deal more mid-range detail and low-end response than traditional single-coil designs.
A 5-way pickup selector works in the traditional way, allowing you to select the first, first and second, second and third, or third pickup. However, the Comanche has a secret weapon built into its wiring! There is also a little toggle switch that allows you to choose all three pickups at once or just the outside pickups.
Three chrome knob controls increase the guitar’s flexibility even further. One knob is the obligatory volume control, but the other two give you treble and bass controls. I found it to be much more useful and intuitive for dialing in just the right sound than just a boring tone knob.
The only problem? Funny enough, the toggle switch and the treble and bass controls are not really documented anywhere! There’s a little manual that comes with the guitar that explains how to operate the bridge and adjust the truss rod – but nothing on the wiring or other interesting features. Unless they’ve been on the web searching, I’m afraid that there’s a host of people out there with G&L guitars that don’t even know what those extra switches and knobs do!
Through all my tests, the Comanche was one guitar that really lived up to, and exceeded, my expectations. To date, I’ve not played a guitar that is as versatile as the Comanche. I never like to oversell any piece of gear I review, but I can tell you that if you are in the market for a “Strat” style guitar you should give this Leo Fender design a very hard look.
Grade- A+
Pro’s – Silent Z-coil Pups, Awesome Resonance and Tone
Con’s- Documentation
Street Price $1650 – $2200 (Depending on Options)
When I opened to case and saw the Legacy Deluxe for the first time, I was amazed. This guitar came with a flame maple top with a honey burst finish. Like other deluxe models in the G&L line, the Legacy Deluxe does not have a pickgaurd, but rather has a rear routed control cavity. This really shows off the flame top on this guitar. While my personal taste leans more toward rosewood or ebony for fingerboards (for tonal purposes only), I must admit that the maple fingerboard on the guitar I received looks striking. I inspected the guitar in detail, and I could find no flaws or blemishes in workmanship. Overall, the Legacy Deluxe is unquestionably a beautiful guitar in fit and finish.
The controls are very straightforward with a five way selector switch, two tone knobs, and a single volume control. The only deviation from this familiar setup is the mini toggle that puts even more pickup options at your fingertips. The HSS pickup style includes 2 vintage style G&L Alnico V single coils, and a G&L AW4370BAlnico humbucker at the bridge. The Legacy Deluxe is obviously designed for those who do not want to stray to far from traditional styling, yet desire to add more flexibility and tonal variety.
Like all US built G&L, the case included an envelope containing a “Certificate of Authenticity”, the tremolo arm for the “Dual Fulcrum™” bridge, and various allen wrenches for making adjustments. The case is the well known molded polyethylene design with the G&L logo inset on the top. All in all, a very classy set up indeed.
• Pickups– 2 G&L vintage style Alnico V single coils, with a G&L AW4370B Alnico humbucker in the bridge position.
• Body– Premium Flamed Maple Top over Mahogany
• Neck– Hard Rock Maple with Rosewood or Maple Fingerboard
• Neck Radius – 12” (304.8mm)
• Bridge – G&L Dual Fulcrum vibrato
• Controls– 5 position pickup selector plus mini-toggle switch to split bridge humbucker, PTB system
Gear Guy Tip: The early versions legacy Deluxe had a front mounted input jack and a push/pull pot. The current versions have been upgraded with a side mounted input jack and mini toggle switch in their place.
The Legacy Deluxe feels very comfortable. It is not the lightest guitar, but it not too heavy by any means. It is well balanced and feels good when either sitting or standing. The tuning keys are smooth with no slippage at all. The neck is solid and action is easy as you could ever hope for.
For my sound test, I plugged into the Ampeg J-20 amplifier. Although small, this amplifier is extremely clean and shows the true characteristics of the instruments you play through it. I started out with some clean strumming and single string rhythms. I was absolutely impressed with the sounds I was able to achieve. Clear highs and smooth rich low end came through without me adjusting the controls on the amplifier. There is so much tonal control in the guitar itself, I didn’t feel that I needed to make any corrections to the amplifier EQ. Putting the amplifier in a high gain setting resulted in great driven tone. The pickup combination is a great balance and I seriously doubt you would find any need to hotrod or replace them. I love the option of splitting the coils on the humbucker as it adds so much more tonal texture to your palette.
I decided to see how well the Legacy Deluxe pushed effects pedals. Although these results are usually attributed to the amplifier, I find that different guitars sound better than others with effects. Again, I attained stunning detail with reverbs and chorus on the clean settings. The sound is positively shimmering. Distortions come at you with fury, and warm overdrive pedals will make you feel the blues you are playing. This guitar is capable of handling your musical mood swings!
I said earlier in this review that I preferred rosewood and ebony fingerboards, but this guitar has me considering a change of thought. I find that maple fretboards seem to give you a lot more of the high end twang, while rosewood and ebony are warmer and less in your face. That said, the Legacy Deluxe almost seems like a hybrid. I can get the twang, but I can also smooth it out to a rich full tone. Once again, the best part is that I can do all of this directly from the guitar itself. I would still like to hear what this guitar would sound like with rosewood, which is an option offered by G&L on this guitar.
All in all, I would rate this guitar a definite must see guitar when you are ready to make a purchase. This has quickly become my go to guitar for rock, country, and blues. I have no problem whatsoever recommending this guitar, and it easily wins the “GuitarGearHeads.com Rig Ready Award”
Grade- A+
Pro’s – Great Tonal Range, Killer Great Look and Feel
Con’s- Price a little high for a beginner, but well worth it.
Street Price $1540 – $1999 (Depending on Options)
It is amazing that G&L guitars don’t get more attention. From the Korean made Tribute models to the high end custom shop designs, we have found that G&L consistently builds the highest quality guitars and offers them at a great value. The Comanche and the Legacy Deluxe are no exceptions. Leo Fender’s legacy is still absolutely intact.
Both of these guitars look amazing and are each incredibly versatile in their own way. The Comanche offers the unique Z-coil pickups and traditional styling and the Legacy Deluxe offers a more modern look with a S-S-H configuration. You also shouldn’t forget that they can be ordered from your dealer to your specifications.
It’s fair to mention that the price on these guitars is not cheap. So if you are a beginner they might admittedly be a bit of a stretch. In that case you might consider the Tribute series from G&L, since they are very close approximations of their American made, high-class, cousins. But, if you are looking to purchase a professional instrument, either of these are highly recommended. The choice you should make depends highly on your tastes and style of music.
We think that it will come as no surprise that GuitarGearHeads.com proudly gives both the G&L Comanche and the G&L Legacy Deluxe the “Rig Ready” award for 2007.
Review by: Dan Halberg and Gary Allen – From GuitarGearHeads.com
Feeds by Audiofanzine:
If you like this blog please take a second and subscribe to my rss feed
Comments: One comment
All the fields that are marked with REQ must be filled
ucekaruq
August 23rd, 2009 at 5:40 am
ucekaruq…
Amd Chipset Drivers For Emachine T6426 …
Leave a reply