"The best instruments I have ever made" — Leo Fender
That's right. G&L Guitars are the late, great hit from the legendary luthier. Successfully melding classic guitar templates with cutting-edge innovations, G&L's "vintage modern" instruments are rock-solid workhorses! Let's take a look at their extensive electric guitar range...
If you’re unfamiliar with G&L Guitars then, at first glance, you may think that their instruments look very similar to those made by Fender. However, there’s a great story behind that! You’ll soon discover that G&L's electric guitars are not just copies, but that they actually boast a number of forward-thinking features that put them ahead of a lot of their competition — innovated, no less, than by Leo Fender…
Leo Fender founded his eponymous company in the mid ‘40s, and arguably formed the foundations for electric guitar design as we know it today. In 1965, the iconic inventor sold his Fender brand to CBS with the intention to break new ground within the industry. Using the vast wisdom and experience he’d accumulated, Leo pioneered new technologies elsewhere.
Forming CLF Research, Leo Fender's new company designed and manufactured instruments for Music Man in the '70s. However, Leo's desire to once again establish a his own fully-fledged musical instrument brand burned deep. That's why he founded G&L Guitars at the end of the decade with George Fullerton, for more creative control and ownership of his ideas. Labelling his new products "the best instruments I have ever made", it was through G&L that Leo refined his formulas to the standards that he'd spent almost his entire life striving for.
Conceiving multiple cutting-edge innovations, Leo Fender’s G&L concepts would prove to push the boundaries of traditional electric guitar design. Influencing other companies in later years to make similar enhancements, Leo Fender’s legacy lives on most strongly though G&L — who continue to drive his vision forward in the 21st Century.
For further reading on G&L's history, check out our blog: The Leo Fender Legacy, Part 3: G&L Guitars.
Leo Fender dabbled with guitar hardware, pickups and circuits until the very end — always on the pursuit for perfection. He wanted to provide musicians with instruments that were easier to play and tonally superior to anything else on the market. Signature G&L guitar features like their MFD pickups, Dual-Fulcrum vibrato and Saddle-Lock bridge were all created by Leo Fender, and are still installed on the majority of G&L's current models. But what are they all about, and why are they so good?
G&L's 'Magnetic Field Design' (MFD) pickups are seriously underrated! Utilising ceramic bar magnets, their unique design transfers the magnetic field to the top of the pickup rather than the middle — which ultimately delivers a warm, balanced and articulate sound with a wide frequency response.
G&L MFD pickups also yield about twice the output per wind, making them less noisy than most conventional pickups while allowing for greater overall output. Trust us, they sound very big and modern! This is also thanks in part to their adjustable iron pole pieces, which let you determine their heights in relation to the guitar strings (unlike traditional single coils that are pre-set). All you need is an Allen key!
For more info on G&L MFD pickups, read our blog: G&L MFD Pickups – Leo Fender’s Greatest Innovation?
Unlike most guitar tone controls that roll the top-end off of your signal, the G&L ‘PTB Tone System’ (passive treble and bass) is far more intuitive and flexible. Featured on G&L's S-500, Comanche and Doheny models, this system essentially gives you two master tone controls — one that decreases the treble like a typical tone knob, and one that lowers bass (akin to a high-pass filter). It's like having a built-in, passive 2-band EQ! With both controls eased off, you can attain a cool, nasally lower mid-range sound (think Dire Straits’ “Money for Nothing”).
The distinctive G&L 'Dual-Fulcrum' vibrato is a considerable improvement over the vintage 6-screw tremolo, with its low-friction design providing a far smoother feel when in use. The hardened steel bridge plate pivots on knife-edge bolts that are set into massive brass inserts anchored into the body; yielding brilliant sustain too!
While also letting players slightly raise their guitar's pitch, the Dual-Fulcrum design has become a standard across the guitar industry, with other companies employing the same concept (including Fender). You'll find this tremolo on many G&L models — including the Legacy, S-500 and Doheny.
The G&L 'Saddle-Lock' bridge is rock solid! Boasting a small Allen screw on the side of the unit that presses all of the saddles together, this allows them to resonate as though they're one single mass and ensures that your strings are evenly spaced apart for greater playing consistency.
This bridge is designed to be partially embedded into the guitar's body too, so that the vibrations from the strings are transferred more effectively through the instrument for increased sustain. G&L ASAT Special, Fallout and Espada models come equipped with the innovative Saddle-Lock bridge system.
All of G&L's USA instruments from the Fullerton Deluxe and CLF Research series' are crafted in Leo’s iconic factory on Fender Avenue in Fullerton, California — affectionately dubbed “The Birthplace of the Bolt-On”. With Leo Fender’s private workshop remaining untouched and at the heart of the factory, his spirit still inspires workers and the construction of modern-day G&L guitars.
Check out the video below, which gives you an in-depth tour of Leo's office at G&L's headquarters:
All G&L USA guitars undergo a thorough 'PLEK' machine process. This machine meticulously cuts their frets and nut slots with laser-accurate precision, to guarantee brilliant consistency across the neck and provide superb intonation at all areas of the fingerboard. This process also levels and dresses the frets so that you can set the string action super-low. Only a handful of guitars in the world undergo this comprehensive procedure!
G&L Tribute Series guitars are essentially more affordable versions of the USA models. Still boasting the same beauty and elegance of their American counterparts, these instruments are produced in Indonesia by teams of highly-skilled luthiers. In fact, many of them even come equipped with the same electronics and hardware used for the G&L Fullerton Deluxe Series — but cost just a fraction of the price! This is why many G&L Tribute guitars have made our list of the Best Electric Guitar Under £500.
Many models make up the G&L Guitars range. So, to make it easier for you to navigate to the instrument that takes your fancy from just a glance, simply click on one of the interactive tiles below to skip to that section. If you want to read about each and every electric guitar that G&L has to offer, scroll down the page as normal:
The G&L ASAT is not a Telecaster! While it takes on the traditional T-type body shape and bolt-on construction, signature G&L innovations make this guitar sound and feel a lot more modern. In essence, it's a timeless and familiar guitar design that's been refined for the contemporary musician.
Most G&L ASAT guitars come fitted with Leo Fender-designed MFD pickups, which have a much broader sound than traditional single-coils. If you're after that distinctive Tele "twang", then you'd be better off going for a more vintage-inspired guitar. However, the beauty of G&L's Magnetic Field Design pickups is their fullness and output — making them far more versatile and dynamic. If you want something a bit different though, the G&L ASAT Classic Bluesboy model features an Alnico II neck humbucker instead — forming a configuration that provides an even more diverse array of sounds.
All of G&L's ASAT Classic models come equipped with a boxed-style bridge — a design that even vintage aficionados will feel at home with! The '50s vibe remains intact with its brass saddles too, but with 6 individual saddles for each string instead of old-school barrel saddles, you can intonate them much more precisely.
Many musicians consider the ASAT Special as the quintessential G&L guitar, created by Leo Fender in 1985. It's very similar to the standard G&L ASAT in terms of construction and feel, but features 'Jumbo' versions of the company's MFD pickups. These project a slightly fatter sound with a punchier mid-range, akin to a P-90. The G&L ASAT Special therefore fares a little better with overdrive and distortion sounds, making it more adaptable for different genres of music.
This particular model is also fitted with G&L's Saddle-Lock bridge rather than the traditional boxed-style bridge found on the ASAT Classic. It's a beautifully-engineered design that features a clever mechanism which essentially stops the saddles from moving, for a consistent distance between the strings and to enhance the string vibrations through the body for increased resonance and sustain.
The Legacy is a popular G&L guitar that's been in the brand's catalogue for over 30 years. Although it sports various forward-thinking features innovated by the late Leo Fender, including the silky Dual-Fulcrum tremolo and flexible 'PTB Tone System', it's fair to say that the Legacy blends together some of the most time-honoured options from the G&L option order menu — making it more reminiscent of a classic S-style guitar.
The main appeal of the Legacy model is its vintage-like sound, which is comparable to a standard Stratocaster. This is generated by a set of G&L's CLF-100 pickups, which are medium-output Alnico single-coils that possess a clear and bell-like character but with a slightly hot mid-range — akin to a '60s Strat. The G&L Legacy HB is an HSS version of the Legacy, fitted with a thick-sounding G&L AW4470 Alnico humbucker for a wider sonic palette.
Introduced in 1982, the G&L S-500 was Leo Fender’s own evolution of the iconic single-coil-loaded, double-cutaway electric guitar that he invented in the mid-'50s. Decades later, the G&L S-500 has been modernised and developed even further to suit the latest generation of players who want the most practical and versatile S-style guitar they can find!
The S-500 shares many of its features with the G&L Legacy, namely the ultra-stable Dual-Fulcrum vibrato and the acclaimed PTB Tone System (passive treble/bass controls). However, what sets the S-500 apart is its set of low-noise, high-output Magnetic Field Design (MFD) pickups — which have a much fuller and more modern sound than the vintage-inspired CLF-100 single-coils installed in the Legacy model.
G&L's S-500 guitar also comes equipped with an 'Expander' mini-toggle switch, which is discretely placed between the volume and tone controls (on the Tribute Series S-500, this is a push/pull knob instead). The Expander function adds two additional pickup selections when used in conjunction with the 5-position selector switch — enabling combinations of the neck and bridge pickups for a T-style configuration, or engaging all three pickups for an even bigger sound!
For a more detailed comparison on G&L's Legacy and S-500 guitars, check out our blog: G&L Legacy vs. S-500 – What Are Their Differences?
Unveiled in 1998, the Comanche takes Leo Fender’s final S-type guitar formula to new heights! While the timeless body shape remains intact, the Comanche is otherwise a huge departure from the decades-old design. It's similar to G&L's S-500 model with its smooth Dual Fulcrum tremolo, PTB Tone System (passive treble/bass controls) and Expander mini-toggle switch that opens up additional pickup combinations. But there are three components that make it an entirely different beast — the trio of 'Z-Coil' pickups!
While not the prettiest-looking things, the Comanche's MFD Z-Coil pickups are actually incredibly sophisticated and, probably, one of G&L's most underappreciated innovations in their post-Leo Fender era. Because of their irregular Z-shape, these pickups emphasise the bass frequencies of your lower strings and the treble of your higher strings, resulting in a much more well-balanced and contemporary sound. Their distinctive design also eliminates 60-cycle hum — for noise-free, single-coil magic!
G&L also took inspiration from Leo Fender’s early offset guitar designs, with their Doheny model evoking some serious "jazz" vibes. However, in standard G&L fashion, they've taken a familiar shape and improved it with a range of their signature, innovative features that include the silky Dual-Fulcrum vibrato and Leo Fender-designed Magnetic Field Design (MFD) pickups.
However, by sporting a pair of MFD single-coils just like, say, the G&L ASAT — what makes the Doheny unique sonically? Well, this model comes loaded with a pair 'Wide-Bobbin' MFD single-coils that are voiced to project more "jangle" than "twang" — featuring traditional Formvar wire to capture the nostalgic ‘60s offset tone. Pair those with the flexible PTB Tone System (passive treble/bass controls), and you've got yourself a surprisingly versatile instrument!
The G&L Fallout guitar is a pure rock 'n' roll machine with alternative style in abundance! If you’re a contemporary player looking for a unique-looking instrument that can transcend multiple genres — this is a contender that you should definitely consider.
It features a completely original semi-offset body shape that's both comfortable and light — with a cool, curvy pickguard to boot. But the party piece of the Fallout is its flexible pickup pairing that comprises a punchy P-90 in the neck position, and a powerful bridge humbucker that can be split for spanky single-coil tones — courtesy of the push/pull tone knob. The Paul Cagon-designed Alnico humbucker dishes the dirt when used in conjunction with overdrive or distortion, making the Fallout one of G&L's best guitars optimised for heavier styles, whereas the P90 yields a warm and creamy tone that remains focused in the mid-range.
This is the ultimate homage to Leo Fender. The G&L Espada is the last ever guitar that the hugely-influential inventor designed, and it’s a real looker — borrowing its shape from a number of G&L models that include the Skyhawk, ASAT and Doheny. Surviving only in sketches (with some of the earliest drafts dating back to the late '60s), the G&L team brought the beautiful Espada to life in 2019. This really could be the most versatile, and dare say, "complete" guitar that Leo Fender ever designed — essentially 50 years in the making!
The Espada is easily the most sophisticated electric guitar in the G&L line-up, with its electronics offering up a near-unlimited amount of tonal flavours to the player. Sporting a pair of hum-cancelling MFD 'Split-Coil' pickups (similar to the Z-Coils fitted in the G&L Comanche model), it's the onboard 9V 'Micro Preamp' that really sets the Espada apart — controlled by a mini-toggle switch with positions for off (passive output), on (buffered lo-Z output), and on with a high-frequency boost that can really cut through in a dense mix.
Throw in G&L's versatile PTB Tone System (passive treble/bass controls) and a series/parallel switch that lets you attain thick, round tones or thin, sparkly sounds — and the Espada becomes a sonic chameleon adaptable for multiple musical genres. It really is something special.
The Skyhawk is another old-school G&L model that's been brought back to life in the 21st Century. Originally designed by George Fullerton in 1984 as an evolved double-cutaway guitar of sorts — the Skyhawk is now regarded as one of G&L's best all-rounders, and is very similar to the S-500.
A trio of Leo-Fender-designed MFD pickups allow the Skyhawk to soar sonically, possessing that coveted single-coil articulation but with a much fuller sound that's higher in output than most vintage pickups. There are extra tone-shaping possibilities too, thanks to the clever G&L PTB Tone System that essentially acts as a passive 2-band EQ (treble and bass controls), and an Expander mini-toggle switch (push/pull tone knob on the Tribute Series Skyhawk) which serves up two extra pickup combinations — bridge and neck, and all three single-coils engaged in unison. The Skyhawk HH is a dual-humbucker version, which is designed for guitar players after a thicker sound that's more suited for heavier styles.
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