Strat or G&L? School me

Chewie5150

Fractal Fanatic
I am looking to buy an electric and want something completely different than my musicman's. Want single coils, basically to cover styles like clapton, U2, beck etc...I have been considering a Strat and have heard the G&L's (though don't retain resale value as well) but are on par if not better than many strats. I'm not looking to spend more than 1K. Any suggestions and/or comments from any here who have experience with either Fender Strats/G&L's?

Cheers
 
I haven't personally owned one but a close buddy of mine had one for a wile and I did have a chance to play on it. I would say it's one of those best bang for the buck guitars. Kind of like a Carvin under rated and over looked ;).
 
Not to hijack the thread but how does Suhr classic compare to the two above (the one that looks like a strat)?
 
Apparently my 1st response did not get through due to server overload. You can go for G&L -> More sound & quality work & hardware for the same amount of $. Got an ASAT (tele-style) and is simply incomparably better than a Fender Tele at the same price. Cannot talk about Suhr, but if I'd have the money I surely might want to try one. If you're on low budget then you can try mex strat and squier but count on having to resetup all the guitar, correct fretting and then changing 80% of the electronic parts & switch within the 1st 2-3 years; but one out of 10 can sound wonderful for few bucks (if there 20 on the wall, try all of them...which might get you kicked out of the store if you test all of them playing just Sweet Home Alabama....:)))
 
Definately G&L, I have two G&L`s, a tribute and a USA rampage, both very good in their own right. Friends own G&L`ASAT and Legacy, more bang for the buck than Fender in that price range, no doubt. But people tend to go for the logo instead of for the guitar, at least over here in the Netherlands and Belgium.
 
I have also been curious, on and off, about G&Ls over the years. I have played on the Ernie Ball/Music Man Albert Lee model, which was really well made. I know they have one with a Strat-esque pickup configuration. If your venture into G&L doesn't do it, this might be an option for that sound from a manufacturer you already have a bit of familiarity with.
 
Unless you go with a custom shop the Fender line that is hanging on the wall at you local brick & mortar outlet is a total crap shoot with respect with build quality.
 
Unless you go with a custom shop the Fender line that is hanging on the wall at you local brick & mortar outlet is a total crap shoot with respect with build quality.

Can't agree with this. The "Made in America" ones are generally very well put together. American Standard Strat is still...well...the Standard.
 
Unless you go with a custom shop the Fender line that is hanging on the wall at you local brick & mortar outlet is a total crap shoot with respect with build quality.

And to be honest, the same applies to the vintage ones. I've played some beautiful strats, but I've also play a mint condition '61 which had a neck like a fence post.
 
Can't agree with this. The "Made in America" ones are generally very well put together. American Standard Strat is still...well...the Standard.

Have to disagree... part of the success that companies like Suhr have achieved derives from the fact that the Fender ones are not as reliably built as one would hope. If they were, then why would anyone pay the extra shekels for a Suhr (or similar)?.
 
Have to disagree... part of the success that companies like Suhr have achieved derives from the fact that the Fender ones are not as reliably built as one would hope. If they were, then why would anyone pay the extra shekels for a Suhr (or similar)?.

They buy Suhrs for the WOW factor imo. I've played em, and still prefer my simple Am Std Strat (the pups died out after 10 years of hard use, so were recently changed out). Nothing plays like it. I guess it's the Voodoo behind "The guitar picks you, not the other way around". Same goes for my EBMM JP6. They "spoke" to me.
 
They buy Suhrs for the WOW factor imo. I've played em, and still prefer my simple Am Std Strat (the pups died out after 10 years of hard use, so were recently changed out). Nothing plays like it. I guess it's the Voodoo behind "The guitar picks you, not the other way around". Same goes for my EBMM JP6. They "spoke" to me.

Then go to the Rasmus line Suhr quality with out the WOW factor for under a grand.
 
I've own severals Strats over the years. I have small hands and I've always struggle playing on those. For strat tone, I now play 2 marvelous guitars. An Ernie Ball Musicman Sihouette special and a Custom Warmoth. The Musicman sounds and play incredibly well. It's a special limited edition made of a ebony fingerboard, Dargy color, H-S-S configuration. I changed the neck pickup for a Dimarzio Pro track and the Humbucker for a Suhr SHH+. What can I say? It's a perfect guitar for blues, rock, jazz, Indie rock. You get all those strats tone and beyond. The Warmoth is built around a Strat body and a Warmoth Pro neck. It'a a Birdeye maple neck and fingerboard with a 10-16 compound radius and a sim Wizard shape. H-S-S configuration (Dimarzio super distortion, Area 67 and Neck injector). It's a superstrat on steroids. The good thing about Warmoth, is you can customize your guitar with almost endless options to fit your specifics needs. All you need is a good luthier to put all the pieces together and set it up. I played 3000$ Strats. My Warmoth swallow them by far. You should definitly consider this option.
 
Sorry, but it always seems folks that don't play Strats, tell everyone else how bad they are. That's crap. I will say I would buy a deluxe Strat USA not a Standard, but my 89 USA Standard is primo . The whole idea of Leo Fene was to make a nice sounding guitar that most players could afford. I think Eric Johnson, Clapaton, SRV, Jeff Beck and others could afford a Suhr if they wanted one-don't ya think.

I would look for a Used USa Deluxe Strat-beter wood, the nut is consistent (good), etc.

As much as I love Strats I do think the new Standards are hit and miss, but so Are Les Pauls Studios, etc, etc. I also think it's so sad that Guitars that are built well cost so much.

Unlike most of you, I don't knock guitar brands-that's for children. But, have it kids................................................. Or Grow up.


That is why I like the USa Deluxe-I ahve an 06 and an 08 and they are rock solid-perfect nut, etc.

G& L are good guitars also-no doubt. Many Strat players use a Strat for the sound but also for the neck-9.5 radius. Which, BTW is very close to many EBMM. Many 10" radius in the EB family, besides 12.
 
This is turning into another us vs. them situation.

People who are all about Harleys say "Buy a Harley or don't buy anything". Then there is everyone else who is very happy buying a "Cruiser" that isn't a Harley.

Analog vs. Digital. Tubes vs. Solid State...etc.

Buy what you can afford and sounds best to you.

I'll only buy a Strat for my Single Coil Fix.
 
Sorry, but it always seems folks that don't play Strats, tell everyone else how bad they are

I've owned/played seven Fender strats in my time ranging from a '61 to an '93. They not garbage, but they are all-too-often nothing special, certainly not good enough to earn any "brand loyalty" from me.

My opinion, nothing more. But I'm just pointing out that it's not an unfounded opinion.
 
I'm not so much about Brand Vs Brand, I really don't care for me it's about the quality of the guitar vs what you pay regardless of brand. I have talked to some very reputable CA based luthiers and based on how many "off the wall" Fender Strats they worked on and can't fix unless they replace the neck is where my response comes from. For the record I have owned some Fender guitars Strats and Teles and both played very good no complaints.

I will add that it has been a wile sense I have had that talk so maybe things have changed with that line of Fender but that last conversation was like 3 out of ten had issues and didn't really want to work on them unless you were a well known customer.
 
I have to admit that I've never played a top-notch Strat, but I can vouch that Suhr makes a great guitar. I have a Modern and a Classic, and they both play beautifully. On the other hand, they are expensive as hell.
 
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