The best STRAT ever? G&L Comanche by LEO FENDER 

Just my guess, but it's probably because they're not "pretty". Guitars are like sports cars in that many people buy them with their eyes first. GL guitars often have a meat and potatoes look to them or too vintage looking.

G&L are quality instruments… they’re amazing guitars.

People are brand snobs, that’s why. “If it isn’t (insert name here) then it is junk!”. My next guitar will be either a Doheny or Comanche.

Because the headstock is weird and it doesn't say Fender anywhere

As a huge fan of Fender wide range humbuckers I suspect a lot of folks (Fender fan types) look at G&L with genuine interest, for example I'm drawn to their interesting pickup designs, then discover that despite similar looking designs many improvements now mean certain stock Tele and Strat parts are not as easily interchangeable - such as those on the guitar in this video. That's often my reaction at least, though the really poor resale is what would probably stop me ever buying new.

Sold my S-500 ...Big mistake :)

I've had both the Comanche Tribute series and a 2012 USA with the CLF upgrades and everything you say is true. They are versatile and offer up any number of sounds by using the pick up selector, the added toggle switch and all of that before you even get to Leo's PTB tone system. These are incredible guitars and anyone wanting to play everything from the original Strat sounds (hum free) to the most exotic rock, jazz, fusion, funk, country...well, you get the idea. Did I mention that you can adjust individual pole pieces on each pick up to dial in a sound that is all your own? That's the last bit of secret sauce that Leo put into his MFD p/u's, that make them unbeatable and the best single coils you ever played. Good enough for Leo and Glen...good enough for me.

Still are

This!

Thank you so much!

Thank you 🙏

Fender's quality control is abysmal. I worked for a local retailer/dealer and I was baffled at the shit that left the factory floors. USA and foreign made. G&L is so much better

Thank you 🙏

Is that s500 alnicos or mfd ceramics ?

@@24MusicCarats mine is mfd (s500 premium made in japan)..

@@24MusicCarats All S-500's have the MFD pups and the Alnicos go into the Legacy models. Both are great.

Absolutely they do! You may talk a lot about the features but first of all they are a joy to play. Thank you!

@@acoustic-union That's the thing though. You really don't get too many features in an American Strat. Sure you get their higher tier hardware and electronics, but at the end of the day there really isn't anything special about the modern Strat. The most noteworthy feature in the American Strat is their micro adjuster where the neck bolts onto the body. Apart from that and a few other small things, the American Strat has pretty much stagnated in any innovation. G&L at least tried to do things a little differently to make the guitar that Leo and Fullerton wanted the Strat to be. Like with the "expander switch" that is offered on some of the S-type G&L models. Now, that isn't really an innovation, many other guitar manufacturers, hobbyists, and luthiers install all kinds of weird and wacky pickup switching solutions, but you know who doesn't really do that, and their name starts with an F. The coolest and weirdest thing I've ever seen come out of the Fender factory is their now discontinued "Parallel Universe" line of guitars that had S-type hardware in a T-type body and T-type hardware in an S-type body. I think they may have also done some different things with the Jag and Jazz in that line, but I can't remember. Now, I don't think what I just said is a horrible black mark on Fender. Their guitars are some of, if not the most popular guitars in the world, and for good reason. But through that popularity, they have never tried to push themselves to do anything that far from what they have always done. And there is certainly some risk to name and reputation when a company branches out into different ideas. Look at the failure that Gibson had with their self-tuning "Robot" guitars. It was definitely a cool idea, but that was a gigantic dumpster fire. On the other hand, look at what Ibanez has done with their guitars. the feature list for even their more affordable guitars is staggering! You can find such a wide variety of body shapes, neck profiles, wood selections, finishes, pickups, bridges, tremolos, and wiring options that almost anyone in almost any budget can find a guitar in their catalog that will suit their style perfectly. And Ibanez has done nothing but grow in the last three decades. Okay, rant over. Hold on, I need to say one more thing. I'm a giant PRS fan and they can do no wrong lmao Okay, NOW rant over.

👏 👏

❤️

Yes, there is a big difference between USA and Tribute models... But featurewise they are the same. The only difference is that tribute has a push-pull knob instead of micro switch for alternative circuit. And they even share the same bridge and pickups. So in terms of money for value tribute is still a bargain

@@acoustic-union Thank You. I didn't know there was a push pull switch. Now I may consider buying one. I can always install a micro switch to upgrade it. I just hope the pickups are of a decent quality on the Tribute model.

@@briankeenan4901 well they are not just decent. Tributes have exactly the same pickups as American ones.

@@briankeenan4901 they are currently available in 2 colours: Emerald blue acoustic-union.com/products/gl-tribute-comanche-emb-rw?_pos=1&_sid=d219e868b&_ss=r And Olympic White acoustic-union.com/products/gl-tribute-comanche-owt-rw?_pos=2&_sid=d219e868b&_ss=r

I have the Olympic White Comanche Tribute. Excellent sounding guitar!

He never even touched on the fact that you can adjust all of the individual pole pieces with a simple small allen key? More mids anyone? Give it more punch or take it away...Or how about replicating the Fender 60's staggered p/u's? Crazy how versatile this guitar is, and all with crisp clean, no 60 cycle hum tones.

Thank you for your kind words and for your correction, here is correct link: bit.ly/43eRoKF Have a good day, sir!

Absolutely! I have one on my Reverend and it opens up so many options for playing it

That’s really simple, se ship worlwide😄 Visit acoustic-union.com/products/gl-tribute-comanche-owt-rw?_pos=2&_sid=db3003aca&_ss=r

Thanx! 🙏

😂 Soon!

@@acoustic-union if you turn the bass up full does it get really flubby and muddy?

@@Crabfather absolutely no. Actually you can judge by yourself since the intro song is recorded with bass full on:)

@@Crabfather generally you would want to turn the bass down when there are 2 guitars in a band and you want to give more space to the second one

@@acoustic-union I was looking at the tribute comanche but it seems to sound quite different to the fullerton. Grr 😂

Yes he did!

G&L changes color schemes every year and occasionally would have Seafoam one day but if you don’t want to wait - you can contact us on our website: acoustic-union.com so we will make an Option Order from G&L in your favoured colour.

Uglyness and the inability of musician to change. They want stuff from the 50s only.

The Doheny.

Both, comanche and s-500 have MFD's. However s-500 have a bit more of a classical glassy sound, not a wild as comanche.

Pure players secret weapon. All the proof you need, to show that the name on the headstock doesn't have much to do with getting a great sound.

my usa legacy 97,is one of my lightest guitars,havent tried the recent ones

I play a Fender Stratocaster and a G&L S500 stratocaster style. The S500 is slightly heavier but, really, the weight difference is not much. The pick ups in the S500, the MFD pickups, are awesome. That this guitar, the Comanche and the S500, were where Leo Fender was taking the Stratocaster when he decided to sell the company, should tell you that this was the ultimate evolution of the instrument he was building.

@@TheOlesarge As I said...nice guitar and I'd get one if it was light enough. The one I nearly bought was a beautiful natural finish with birds eye maple neck but was 9Ibs 8oz which is heavy for a strat style guitar and as heavy as my Les Paul...which I find really fatiguing after a while.

@@plantagenantwas it a rosewood fretboard?

Mine is 7.9 lbs.

Up

Buy them used!! Such a steal!

Short answer, no.