Conference napalm::guitar

    >  the music stores in this area aren't carrying them yet. I would
    
    YET?? G&L has `come and gone' so to say. It's was started by Leo
    after his stint with Music Man. They were slightly popular in 1983,
    but their popluarity has since declined. I've only seen one recent
    ad, which proves they still exist, but I think you'll be hard pressed
    to find a dealer that carries the line...it's just not selling that
    well.
    
    WjB

    Hi,
      I've worked with a few guys that have them. The guitars are not
    as good as the basses. The necks resemble the strat type and precision
    bass necks. The basses sound alittle better that the guitars though.
    Not very popular due to the higher price of them as compaired to
    the jap brands. If you get a good price for one then it's worth
    it. Try one and really listen to it both clean and dirty, but above
    all...     it has to feel good. Kinda like home, if you know what
    I mean.
                                                  Good luck,
                                                             Fred

    I've seen them most recently at Hampshire Music in Nashua, NH.
    
    Hampshire Music also has good prices.
    
    	db

    Liberty Music in Framingham carried G&L the last time I looked (quite
    a while ago).  I currently have a G&L bass that I am very happy with.

    /rick

	I tried one at Hampshire Music(in Keene NH) 4 months' ago
that looked alot like a Telecaster and had 2 single coil pickup's 
and I did not care for it. 
	Too much 60hz noise and not very versatile. The strat shaped
G&L I would have liked to try,but I never could find one. The net
on the telie shape was around $400 which was too much for what I 
wanted.

						Rick

    
    
    	I owned a "musicman" (previous company of leo's) guitar that,
    in spite of it's HUGE pole pieces on the pickups, couldnt hold a
    sustained note to save it's life! At least not when compared to
    one of the best at that, a Gibson SG.
    
    	Joe Jas
    

    re .6
    
    I assume you're talking about a six string here.  The Musicman basses
    I've tried have been MONSTERS!  Just don't let the battery run down.

    The other guitar player in my band bought a G&L strat model from
    Hampshire in 1983, and it is still his main axe (he has 5 guitars).
    I've played it on numerous occasions, and I agree that it is a super
    guitar. I've never noticed any hum problem, and it really has a
    sweet clean sound and is also very punchy in a distortion setting.
    
    However, I picked up a brand new Ibanez Roadstar II a year later
    for half the cost and I think the sound is almost as good, especially
    in the clean setting.
    
    

    Thanks for the info, I was curious about other Leo Fender models.
    I assumed that everyone Leo touched may be gold. It appears that
    this is not the case.
    
    Thanks again !
    
    Tony
    

    I've have a G&L INVADER with a Kahler Cam action.  I think it's
    a great guitar, plays beutiful has a nice sound, this model has
    1 humbucker and two single coil each one can be turned on or off
    individualy.  You can get many sounds from it.  I like you saw the
    G&L advertisement in Guitar for the practicing musician and decided
    to look into it.  I hunted down some dealers, the only one I can
    remmeber is Hampshire music in Nashua N.H. thats where I bought
    mine.  At Hampshire they had a G&L Rampage which was just as nice.
    It had one humbucker, Kahler, one volume nob, and an unfinished
    neck awesome.  Try and track one down I think you would like it.
    
                                           Tim
    
                                HAPPY OWNER OF A -< G&L Guitar >-

    McDuff's in Shrewsbury, MA carries G&L.
    
    Used to work with a guy who had one and the stock G&L whammy stays
    in tune much better than a stock Strat whammy though a locking one
    would probably surpass it.  Sound-wise, I thought it was quite
    versatile.
    
    BTW, I think the company is deliberately staying low-profile rather
    than risk the boom and bust syndrome that Gibson and Fender keep
    going through.
    
    As others have mentioned, the basses are *very* nice.  I spent two
    years shopping for a fretless bass and almost ended up with a G&L.
    The only others I even considered were the Pedulla and the B.C. Rich
    (which I bought) and at the time the G&L was only 1/3 of the cost, which
    should tell you something.

    I'll have to check them out. I am looking for a second guitar.
    If I find one, I'll post my opinion later.
    
    Thanks,
    
    Tony

    Update: G&L Guitars is still producing fine guitars in Fullerton,
    California. 
    
    I own an G&L S-500 and love it!
    
    Paul

    I played a new G&L Legand (Legacy?) Strat style guitar last week.  It
    was truly a fine feeling instrument!  It's like a Strat with all the
    modern features I'd like on it.  It had an updated non-locking tremelo,
    a flatter fretboard radius and large frets.  Played like a dream!
    
    I didn't plug it up (wanted to get outta the store with my Mastercard
    balance intact), so I can't comment on the sound.
    
    The fit and finish was also very nice.  It was Surf Green (or whatever
    their name for that color is) with a maple fretboard and looked great. 
    My only complaint about it was that it had a single layer pickguard and
    it was already starting to warp a little.  I guess they were going for
    the "vintage" look or something.
    
    Price?  "About the same you'd pay for an American Standard Strat"
    
    Greg
                                    

    Was that pickguard warped down near the bridge?  I checked out two
    high priced signature series Fenders this week (the Beck and Cray
    models) and was amazed that both of them suffered from pickguard
    buckle in that same spot.  Maybe it was a bad week at the pickguard
    factory.

    It was warped along the top edge on the bridge side (the section where
    it starts to curve down, a large area with no screws).  It wasn't bad,
    just standing up a little.
    
    Greg

    Just purchased a G&L Asat Classic last Friday.  Traded in the Tele+.
    The neck has a much better feel.  The sound is classic Tele.  I am
    very pleased with this guitar.  Anyone looking should check these out,
    they make several different models, Legacy (strat), some with locking
    tuners, rolling nut, hot rails, etc.
    
    RJ,
    
    (usual disclaimer)
    

    I played one of those awhile back and really liked the feel.  As
    mentioned in another note, I also enjoyed playing the Strat style model
    a lot too.
    
    Greg

   Saw a G&L ASAT Classic "Leo Fender Commemorative" today.  Beautiful guitar.
   Cherry sunburst, brass pickguard and hardware, black pickup covers.  Very
   striking.  Has "Leo Fender" with birth and death dates on the top.  I wasn't
   seriously interested in trying to get "the best price" but was quoted $2300
   for it.  Nice to buy and put in a case for about 20 years...

   -- Sam

    Some of the early ASATs have Leo's signature somewhere on the neck or 
    neck joint. It strikes me that these might be more interesting to 
    collect.

    I got an interesting opportunity to play a G&L ASAT Special Tele
    side-by-side with a stock '53 Fender recently.   The Fender was very
    nice, featherweight body, huge V-shaped neck, all original parts and
    electronics in clean shape.  The body had been refinished (blonde).
    The price?  A cool $4k.
    
    Just for grins, I pulled down a G&L they had for comparison.  I was
    surprised to find the body had the exact weight and feel as the '53;
    it was perfect.  The neck was V'd, but less thick and with large frets;
    the big '53 had a nice funky feel, but the ASAT was faster and more
    playable.  What really killed me were the pickups though.  The '53 neck
    pickup was fairly useless, on the ASAT it yielded a nice full single
    coil sound.  In the bridge, the ASAT had a little more gain and lots
    more twang.  Unbelievable!  The '53 was a very nice Tele, but the G&L
    equalled or bested it in every department from what I could tell.
    Oh yeah, the price on the ASAT?  Around $600.
    
    I walked away totally amazed by the G&L.  Their Strats are nice, but
    the Teles (at least this one) are incredible.  Definitely check these
    out if you're in the market for a Tele.
    
    /rick

    I've never seen (much less played) an old Fender Tele like that, but I
    have played an ASAT and it felt pretty good.  Neck was still a little
    clunky for me, but overall it seemed like a nice solid instrument. 
    
    Greg

    Over the weekend I looked at a G&L S500... it seemed to be along
    the lines of a Strat Plus, with locking tuners, G&L-designed
    pickups, and a nice translucent cherry finish (you could actually
    see wood through it, what a concept).  In addition to the usual
    5-position switch, there was another small switch that they
    claimed let you get a Tele sound (not clear how, maybe by
    selecting 1st and 3rd pickups?).
    
    This guitar supposedly lists for over $1200, and the tagged price
    was $829, apparently "firm", even if paying cash (?!).  Might anyone
    here know enough about G&L's to say what a reasonable price would be
    for one of these?
    
    While I was looking around, I also saw a Strat Plus for $695
    (a blue sort-of-sunburst); what's a good price for a Strat Plus
    these days?
    
    I'm basically looking for some "benchmarks".  While I'm here, I've
    gotta say that looking for a decent guitar (I've never had one, and
    figured it was about time :-)) is ultimately almost as frustrating
    as looking for a new car.  Finding the right combination of "feels
    right" (narrow neck for small hands, regular frets), "looks right",
    price, etc., is tough... usually if it feels right, I don't like
    how it looks, and so on.
    
    Yeah, yeah, I know... buy used, or buy foreign, or both!  I think it's
    time for a break! :-)
    
    Chris

    I'm trying to find a G&L dealer in southern NH/northeastern Mass.  I
    know The Music Factory, Salem, NH, is one, and Hampshire Music in
    Nashua, NH, who used to be one, is no longer.  Any others?
    
    Dave

        Dave - Music Factory just off Elm St in Manchester has _some_
        G&Ls on  the  wall  as  of  last weekend.  I can't remember the
        street name, but  it's almost opposite Ted's Music Mart, up the
        side street about 200 feet on the right.
        
        Andy
        

    Dave,

    There must be a Daddy's around there somewhere. They deal G&L.

    --Ron

    Andy -
    
    The Music Factory in Salem is a dealer, but as of ten days ago they had
    one ASAT (Tele) and one SB-1 (P-bass).  I'll check out the one in
    Manchester, though.
    
    Ron,
    
    There is a Daddy's in Salem.  I didn't know they were a dealer, though.
    I'll stop in and report back.
    
    Thanks.
    
    Dave

    Performance Music Center on Main St. in Woburn, MA. is a G&L
    dealer, and they always seem to have 10 or so of them in stock,
    not bad for a smaller store.  They're very enthusiastic about
    G&L's, to say the least... I got a natural-finish Legacy from
    them a couple of months ago.  Their phone number is 617-938-6411.
    
    Chris

    re: Performance Music
    
    Thanks, Chris.  I've never been in there, though it's not that far
    away.  I hear they have lots of percussion stuff, too, so my drummer 
    wife will want to go, too.
    
    Dave

    This past Friday and Saturday I made a concerted effort to find a
    G&L L-2000 bass in the southern-NH/north-of-Boston area.  I called
    over twenty music stores from Boston to Manchester, NH and Danvers
    to Fitchburg.  The only store or chain who had any was Daddy's; they
    have three somewhere in their chain.  So I had them transfer one to
    my local store, and I should get to play it this weekend.

    But geez, these things are hard to find!  I don't know how anyone 
    can sell any of them when no one even stocks a demonstrator.  %^(
    Performance Music in Woburn, for example, has ten or so G&L guitars
    in stock, but had *no* basses the last time I was in there (the middle 
    of January), and are still waiting on an L-2000.  The owner said it
    was a combination of the NAMM show, the earthquake and the modest
    output of the factory.

    Dave

    Gee Dave, since they seem to be so rare, guess you gotta have one!
    
    sd

    
    
    They're not so rare out here, but then G&L is just up the road a
    piece...
    
    \sun-burned in So CA...
    
    

    -<   life is so 'rough' here   >-
    
    izzat a reference to the earthquakes, or are ya just rubbin' our winter
    laden noses in yer sunshine?
    
    8*)

    re: 31
    
    Well, yeah, since they're so hard to find I have to at least *try* one.
    Of course, Daddy's also just got in this Firebird bass...  %^)
    
    re: 32
    
    I figured G&L instruments were probably more common Out There.
    
    Dave

    
    I guess I was just tweakin' y'all, a little bit.  Actually, the G&L
    factory show room probably experienced a good bit of shaking in that
    last little rollercoaster ride -- maybe there are some scratch 'n' dent
    savings to be had?
    
    I'm not gonna be the one to find out, though...  But I wonder if the
    Rickenbacker store has any specials?  Somehow, I just wouldn't expect a
    Rick to survive a significant drop...
    

    I succumbed to an acute GTS attack friday and traded my American
    Standard Strat in on a G&L Legacy. What an amazing guitar! It is
    very lightweight but the wood is very resonant; it feels like an
    acoustic guitar when you play the notes. It's a lot easier to feel
    'connected' to your playing. The pickups are Duncans and sound great;
    very scooped mid-range sort of Hendrixy sound. The fretboard is a lot
    flatter than on the Strat; I think that's an improvement. Top it
    off with a metallic burgundy-fade-to-black paint job. I'm psyched!

    re: Dave's G&L Legacy........
    
    Does it have a strat style body?  Rosewood or maple fretboard?  How
    many frets? Locking nut? Pickup switch style?  Etc?
    
    steve

    re .-1
    
    Strat style, rosewood, 22 fret neck (not sure of radius, but would
    guess 12" or 16"), no locking nut (I rarely if ever use a whammy
    anyways, so no big deal). Basically a straight-ahead Strat style
    guitar, although Rick C. tells me the tone controls may work on
    different pickup configurations than on a standard Strat.
    
    question ... does blocking the trem (i.e. putting a piece of wood
    in back of the trem unit so it doesn't pull forward when you bend
    a string) affect the tone?
    
    - Dave

>> does blocking the trem affect the tone?
    
    I have heard the answer is yes....increasing sustain (if that is
    considered 'tone') by increasing the string 'contact' with the body of
    the axe.
    
    ask Danny or Brian or Rick........
    
    sd

    As Steve said, blocking the trem will increase sustain. I believe the
    reason is because with a floating tremelo, the bridge gives a little
    as the string vibrates. This causes the tension on the string to
    be reduced. Reduced tension = reduced sustain.
    
    I never bothered to block the trem on my Strat, but I did install
    a couple extra springs. This causes the bridge to sit flat against
    the top of the guitar, and it takes more umph to wiggle the trem.
    It has a similar effect to blocking the trem, without disabling
    it completely. I'm not sure if this is possible on a G&L.
    
    Enjoy!
    
    Mark

    FWIW, I had Rich MacDuff do a set-up on the G&L. Action is now
    3/64" on the high E and 4/64" on the low E at the 22nd fret, and
    the strings don't fret out when you bend them!

    FInally got a chance to try out my G&L cranked up with nobody home.
    The neck pickup has unbelievable cluck, more than even the LP Custom
    I used to play.

    
    
    This sounds like something country players would shooting for...
    
    This must have something to do with chicken pickin', right?
    
    

    I never did finish my string about looking for a bass, so I'll do it
    real quick now.  I was waiting until my new axe came in, but it hasn't
    yet so I'll have to quote the catalog and describe the demo I played.
    
    I ordered an L-2000.  This was described to me (by Rick Calcagni) as 
    Leo Fender's last update on the Precision bass, his previous update 
    being the Music Man.  It's shaped like a P-bass, but has two big low
    impedance humbuckers with exposed polepieces.  These are active
    pickups, but also work in passive mode.
    
    There are three knobs (volume, treble, bass) and three mini toggle
    switches (pickup select, series/parallel, passive/active/active+treble).
    The 21-fret neck is a very comfortable P-bass style, but not as wide as 
    most Fenders; it plays very nicely.  The G&L catalog says it's 1-3/4"
    wide at the nut, but the ones I've seen were actually 1-5/8" wide,
    which is OK by me.
    
    G&L makes two basic bass necks, a less tapered P-style neck and a more
    tapered J-style one.  Each model they offer has one of these as its
    standard neck.  Although the catalog doesn't say so, any of them 
    can be ordered with the nonstandard neck for a nominal fee.  Each bass
    can also be ordered with either a maple or rosewood board at no extra
    charge.  Lefthanded versions are available for a fee.
    
    The instrument's forte is versatility.  In passive mode it sounds quite
    "vintage".  In active mode it's very contemporary.  This versatility
    appealed to me, as I can only afford to buy one good bass, and this one
    will give me lots of options.  I also liked the bypass mode, which
    means the instrument is not completely battery dependant; I guess I'm
    sort of a belt-and-suspenders kind of guy anyway.
    
    The L-2000, along with the Tele-shaped ASAT, is G&L's top of the line
    4-string.  I ordered mine in Cherryburst with a rosewood board, just 
    like the G&L ads in BP; it seems I like red guitars.  I ordered it
    through The Music Factory in Salem, NH; they told me it would be 4-6
    weeks for delivery, and as of today it's been 8, but hopefully it'll be
    in today.
    
    My thanks to Rick Calcagni, Fred Abatelli and Brian Rost (through his
    past notes) for recommending this bass to me.  I'm sure I'll love it, 
    if I ever get the darn thing.
    
    Dave
                      

    I've had an old L-2000 hanging around for about 8 years now.  It's solid,
    versatile, and dependable.  I've used it for recording, gigs, jams,
    practicing, in all kinds of musical situations; it never fails to
    deliver.  It's not as flashy, sexy, or cool as other basses I've owned
    but it's probably the best money I've ever spent on an instrument.
    
    Have fun with it Dave.
    

    Well, I got the chance to hear Dave Clark's new Legacy Strat in person
    last night.  This is a GREAT axe.  Often a guitar sounds good in the
    store or in your living room, but you never really know what it's going
    to do until you get it in a band situation.  The Legacy sounded terrfic.
    
    Dave and I played together on a similar project last summer and at the
    time he was using a Fender American Standard, so I can sort of compare
    the two; same band, same tunes.  The Legacy sounds better, cuts through
    better, and just seems to do more of what you expect from a traditional
    style Strat.  The bridge position in particular is worthy of mention;
    it just has this incredible, Tele-like bite.  All positions have a rich,
    full shimmer.  Even with heavy Rat distortion, the difference was marked.
    Imo, the Legacy sets a new high water mark for modern "vintage" Strats.
    
    /rick

    re .-1
    
    uh, yeah, I agree with Rick

     Hey Rick,

     It could be the amp you know. 8^)

     Neal

    I jammed with Dave Hickernell last Tuesday night! He brought over his 
    new G&L 2000! What a beautiful guitar, what great tone this bass had...
    I got hit with the GTS bug really fast after I played it for a few
    minutes. Gosh...  what a great bass!
    
    Dave sends his best wishes to all in the conference! He had a job
    interview last Tuesday that looks good, but doesn't like the idea of
    driving to Waltham, Mass. from Derry, NH every day. I think he'll keep
    looking for something closer, but he's doing well none-the-less. 
    
    		Rock on,
    			Fred

    Geez -- I'm jamming with Dave Hinkernell NEXT week ... he sure does get
    around!!  ;')

    Got together with Dave Hickernell last week and checked out the new
    bass.  Dave's just got himself a new job (starts today) and he's
    pretty excited about it.
    
    Anyway, we did a side-by-side with Dave's new L-2000 and my "vintage"
    one.  The neck is slightly narrower and thicker on the newer bass;
    the old L-2000 is like a 60's P-bass profile and the new one more like
    a 70's P-bass style.  They got rid of the metal plate under the control
    knobs, so that they are now mounted directly on the body; much more
    attractive than the old style imo.  Otherwise, these basses play and
    sound almost identical.  If anything, the new bass sounded funkier and
    more in-your-face, but that could be because the strings on mine are
    about 5 years old!
    
    /rick

    
    Are there any G&L dealers in the Worcester area ?
    
     Lv

    Daddy's (in Shrewsbury and elsewhere) is one; the Shrew store usually
    has a nice selection in stock.
    
    Speaking of which, I had the chance to play someone's killer '63 Strat
    this weekend and was noticing how much it reminded me of some of the
    Legacy Strats I've tried (Dave Clark's, for instance).  If you're into
    that vintage vibe, I think the G&Ls are the way to go.
    

    
     Thanks Rick.  I heard the Legacy's were pretty nice gits.  Do you have
    an idea what they're getting for these ?  I saw them advertised in 
    Manny's mailorder for ~$680 with case. 
    
      Lv

    I got my Legacy last year for $549 including case at Daddy's in
    Shrewsbury. All the ones I tried were nice; the one I got was 
    the nicest. To me the maple neck ones sounded a little thin,
    the rosewood ones sounded fuller.
    
    - Dave

    Don't know if this is true or not, but I've heard that since GP started
    raving about both the Teles and the Strats prices have gone up. 
    $549 is a way cool deal for one of these.
    

    I was in Daddy's today at lunchtime. They have several of the
    G&L Strat-style guitars. One that caught my eye has a cherry-
    sunburst finish. Glad to see the ole GTS bug is rubbing off!
    

    mmmmmmmm .... cherryburst

    
     Well, GTS has been successfully treated once again.  I looked at the 
    Legacy's which are beautiful guitars, and they sound & play great. In
    the end, I didn't end up buying a Legacy.
    
    
    
    Instead, I ended up buying an absolutely beautiful G&L S-500. This is 
    one of their top-end strat type guitars.  The body is made of swamp
    ash, and the neck is maple with a rosewood fretboard.  The pickups are
    Leo Fenders own design and are manufactured by G&L, not Seymour Duncan.
    It has chrome knobs ala Tele, and a dual fulcrum tremolo.  Tuners are
    locking sperzels, and it has a bone nut.  There's also a mini-toggle 
    which I think functions as a coil splitter.  It seems to provide a 
    brighter sound when you want it.  The bass & treble controls function
    as bass cut / treble cut as in the Legacy Special, and are both 500k 
    pots.  The pick guard is 3 ply, white in color.  The guitar is finished 
    in a transparent Honey premier finish, which actually looks like a mid 
    brown color.  At first, I wasn't crazy about the color, but it really 
    grows on you, and will age nicely.  The wood grain is gorgeous on this 
    guitar !  I haven't had the chance to really crank it up yet, but it 
    has a really sweet sound, and can scream when you want it to.  It plays
    like a dream, and I think there's still room to improve the action.
    I'll probably bring it down to MacDuffs and have Rich set it up for me.
    They replaced the strings, installed strap-loks (Shecter I believe), 
    and setup the action and intonation.  
    
     I got home and had a Manny's catalog waiting in the mail. I called 
    Manny's, and I could have gotten the guitar for about $50 bucks cheaper
    from them (excluding shipping).  Nonetheless, I'm happy with my
    purchase and the instant gratification that came along with it. 
    
      Larry

    I couldn't help it, the peer pressure was too much; went to Daddy's
    today and checked out their lineup of G&L Strats.  The cherryburst
    seemed to be the nicest sounding of the the bunch, a real clucky one.
    
    Larry, congratulations on your purchase.  Mr C's had a transparent blue
    maple board S-500 that I really liked; gorgeous looking, great neck and
    electronics.  Unfortunately, this one weighed a ton; otherwise, I'd
    probably own it today.  I don't think the mini-toggle switch is a coil
    cutter.  Remember, these are single coils, what's to cut?  As I recall
    from playing with the one at Mr C's, in forward position the switch causes
    one of the pickups to be on all the time (either neck or bridge, I
    can't remember which).  This is a cheap and easy way allow you to get
    neck/bridge and neck/middle/bridge pickup configurations.
    
    /rick
    

    Rick,
    
    Are you sure they aren't "stacked" hums?

    
     The swampash body isn't all that heavy. I was comparing it with the
    Odyssey I have, and they felt about the same.  It's really quite 
    comfortable to play.  As to the mini-switch, I thought the sales dude
    said it was a coil-tap or a coil splitter, but I forget exactly. 
    
     Lv 

    To the best of my knowledge, those are true single coils.  There was
    some literature with the Mr C's S-500 that described the mystic
    workings of that switch, should be easy to check if yours works the
    same.
    

    
    	Rick and peer pressure...  did you buy it ???
    
    	If not, it doesn't count...
    
    

    Ha!  No, I left this one for you Tom.  C'mon, you NEED a Strat mon!
    

    GTS GTS GTS GTS GTS

    
    The mystery mini-switch allows you to select a couple of additional
    pickup configurations that you don't get on a standard strat. With
    the mini switch down the 5 way selector operates as a normal strat.
    
     With the mini switch up, you get the following configs:
    
     Selector Switch     Neck  Middle  Bridge
     ---------------     ----  ------  ------
          Up (1)          *     off      *
          2               *      *       *
          3              off     *      off [same as with mini down]
          4               *      *       *  [same as position 2]
          5               *     off      *  [same as position 1]

    
    	re: Rick and me needing a strat... well, I'm not really a
    	Strat guy but I must admit that Bob Conroy's Strat sounds
    	terrific thru the Blues DeVille.
    
    	A tele's another matter though.  And you say those G&L tele's
    	are great, eh?
    
    	Man, it's weird how I can just lust over tons of electrics and
    	have a less than zero interest in acoustics.  If the only 
    	guitars were acoustics, I wouldn't even play.
    
    	Tom
    
    	

    
     Tom,
    
      You just haven't met the right acoustic yet.  They have a bunch of
    G&L Asat's down at Gordon Music in Worcester.  They look like nice
    axes.  I've never been a big Fender fan, and I've never owned a Fender
    style guitar, but I've really been enjoying the new G&L. It's a totally
    different feel than any of the other gits I've owned, and I swear you
    could slice bread with a loud chord on the bridge pickup.  Tons of 
    tonal flexibility, and those Steely Dan solos sound right on tone wise.
    
     I'll bet this axe would really sing through your blues Deville. My
    next guitar acquisition may just be an Asat, but that's a way's down
    the road.
    
     Lv
    

    re .67
    
    yeah, that looks familiar.  I guess there's some way that the
    mini-toggle always forces *both* bridge and neck on when either
    is selected.  Would be interesting to see how it's wired up to do
    this.  In any event, a cool switch.
    
    btw, where is Gordon's?  Directions?
    

    
    Gordon's is in downtown Worcester in the old Denholm's building.
    Parking can be difficult.  If you know Worcester at all, it's 
    right on Main Street near city hall.
    
    
     _____  ___ (parking)
         | |
         | |  [xx]Denholm's bldg
    _____| |________________________|  |____
    Main St                                 ------> Towards Lincoln Square
    _________   ___________________
            |  |<-Franklin St      |  |<- Front St
                   [city hall]
                   
    
    I brought the S-500 down yesterday and had em tweak the action. What
    a sweet sounding guitar !  Of all the guitars I've owned, including the 
    PRS Custom, I think this guitar plays the best and has the best tonal
    capabilities.  It's really difficult to put it down.  Consider me very
    pleased with my purchase.
    
     Lv

    I've only been in Gordon's music once, and to tell you the truth
    I wasn't impressed. Perhaps I should check them out again. If I
    remember correctly, Gordon's music used to have a store on West
    Boylston st, which later become Billy Lee's music. Billy Lee's
    Music has been gone for 3-4 years now, and they even tore down
    the building (a 3-decker) he was in. 
    
    Gordon's Music also has a store in the K-Mart plaza on the
    Fitchburg/Leominster line. Every time I've driven by there,
    they've been closed. I don't get down there too often, and
    usually it's after hours. 
    
    I understand that Gordon's Music also has a store in the 
    Southbridge area somewhere. 
    
    Congrats on the G&L guitar Larry. We've got to get together one
    of these dayz. Last time we got together was the volume-jam at
    the Northboro F&G.
    
    Mark

    
    Actually, that was my first time in their store.  It isn't real 
    impressive.  They have an okay selection of guitars (depleted by
    the only s-500 they had).  They were pretty willing to negotiate
    price, and they had what I wanted so it worked out well for me.
    
     Even less impressive is Union Music.  Geez, Carl has crap in there
    for guitars these days.  I have to wonder how he stays in business
    since he's definitely not one for cutting you a great deal. 
    
     Lv

    
    Well, after ~2 weeks of owning my S-500, I'm thrilled with this 
    guitar.  Used it in my first jam situation on Sunday.  Everyone 
    commented about what a killer sound I was getting.  My basic setup
    is a Hughes & Kettner Attax 100 with a PV 4x10 extension cab, and 
    a MidiVerb II in the effects loop.  You can get some really cool,
    FAT strat sounds or hot distortion as well.  The neck on this guitar
    seems particularly alive. In the past I never did a lot of tapping 
    type stuff, but it sounds great on this guitar.  The action is great
    and I find myself playing ALOT more since I bought it.  I also bought
    a Shure SM57 for recording.  I'd been running a direct line out of 
    my amp into my 4 track prior to this.   I'm amazed at how much better
    the miked sound is on tape !  So all in all,  I feel rejuvenated
    musically speaking.
    
      Lv

    I'm going to need to adjust the truss rod on a G&L Legacy to try
    to get rid of some fret buzz.  I've done all of the other things
    related to setup, as described in the manual, but I'm still getting
    a fair amount of buzz (especially on the upper frets) even with the
    action raised to 3/32.  So, a question for any Legacy owners out there
    who know something about this:
    
    If I'm standing at the headstock with the guitar facing away from
    me, and I've got the Allen wrench in the adjustment nut, and I want
    to decrease the tension in the neck (i.e., let it "bow" a little
    more, which is what I want to do, I think [?]), should I turn the
    wrench counter-clockwise?  Should I loosen the strings first?  By
    the way, it looks pretty awkward turning that wrench with the 3rd
    and 4th strings in the way...
    
    I figured I'd ask before doing it, having read many horror stories
    in here about cracked necks and the like.  I suppose I could take
    it to where I bought it (they offer free lifetime setup if you
    bought it there), but I thought I'd try it myself first, since it
    doesn't look like it should be all that difficult.  Once you get
    the directions right, that is... :-)
    
    Thanks,
    Chris

    I don't have one of these guitars, but I sincerely doubt that they
    would use a counter-clockwise thread.....
    
    Proper trussrod adjustment is done with the strings at tension. Never
    adjust more that 90 degrees (a quarter turn at a time, and give the
    neck some time to settle at the new counter tension setting. To loosen
    the trussrod; while looking down at the trussrod adjustment device
    (usually an internal hex head), turn counterclockwise (to your left).
    To tighten the trussrod, turn clockwise (to your right).
    
    Regards,
    Bill Message

    First of all, don't stand "at the headstock". The neck is not made
    to withstand the body weight of the average guitar player. %^)
    
    To loosen the truss rod, turn it counter clockwise. This will allow
    the neck to relax a little and should eliminate buzzing in the higher
    frets. I'd start by turning it 1/4 - 1/2 turn. It is not necessary to 
    loosen the strings for this, but it doesn't hurt. It's more critical
    to loosen the strings when tightening the truss rod, as more tension
    is being applied.
    
    Good luck with George and Leo!
    
    Mark

    FWIW, my G&L owner's manual says to make truss rod adjustments with
    the strings at tension. I find that loosening the strings requires
    multiple passes to get the neck relief just right, since the neck
    curves a little bit more when you re-tighten the strings. But I'm
    *really* picky about feel.
    

    I agree that all truss rod adjustments are best done under full
    string tension.  One trick I've seen many pro guitar mechanics
    do when tightening the truss rod (and the generally recommended
    way from what I hear) is to momentarily reduce tension on the neck
    by pulling back on the headstock slightly; not much, just a little
    back pressure can have enough of an affect.  On older guitars with
    sticky adjusters, it's often absolutely necessary to do this to get
    the adjuster to even move.  The trickiest part of this is simultaneously
    bracing the body, pulling back on the neck, and turning the wrench;
    one of those times you could use an extra hand.
    
    /rick
    

    
    Maybe I'm misunderstanding the problem, but would'nt he want to tighten
    the truss rod in order solve this problem ?  I thought that if you
    loosen the neck, it tends to aggravate the type of problem he
    described.  It would seem to me that a clockwise turn would increase
    the bow away from the strings and prevent the frets from buzzing. 
    
     Lv

    Nope Larry, you're backwards... well, you're not, just your
    explanation is... :-)

    By increasing the tension -- turning the nut clockwise -- the
    neck is flattened. By decreasing the tension -- turning counter-
    clockwise -- the neck is bowed. The flatter the neck, the more
    likely fret buzz becomes, but the action is "lighter". So,
    it's a trade-off between buzz and light action.

    -b

    Thanks for all the help, everyone... it makes sense that the correct
    thing would be to turn it counter-clockwise, and I'd read all of the
    other related notes on this topic here, but I wanted to make sure
    that there wasn't some weird G&L-specific stuff going on in the neck
    that I didn't know about.
    
    The action/buzz trade-off is interesting... I'm hoping that I can
    get it down to 1/16" with minimal buzz.  It's "okay" the way it
    is now, in a mediocre kind of way, but I think it could be better.
    
    I'll give it a try tonight.  If you hear a loud "snap" across
    the New England area, you'll know that I did it wrong. :-)
    
    Thanks again,
    Chris

    may the force of Leo be with you my son...
    

    Soooo, I didn't break the neck, great!  The Force of Leo must have
    been with me after all.
    
    On the other hand, while it's better, I've still got some buzzzz,
    so I think I might take it somewhere to get it setup; it might need
    some frets to be levelled or whatever.
    
    Thanks again,
    Chris