GEARED checks out the range of G&L TRIBUTE guitars available in Australia.

G&L Musical Instruments was founded in 1979 by Leo Fender, George Fullerton and Dale Hyatt. Fender had sold his namesake in 1965, before designing and producing instruments for Music Man in the ‘70s through his company CLF Research. When his relationship with Music Man soured, he incorporated G&L, and started producing some of his best designed instruments ever, right up to his death in 1991. His wife, Phyllis Fender, transferred management of G&L to John C McLaren of BBE Sound, though she remains the Honorary Chairman. George Fullerton is a full-time consultant.

Regular G&L guitars are 100% American made in Leo’s own factory on Fender Avenue, though prices are subsequently quite restrictive. The Tribute series was originally made in Japan, though as costs increased production moved to Korea, and eventually Indonesia. Original G&L pickups and bridges are supplied by the Fender Avenue factory however, and the instruments retain a tone reminiscent of far more expensive instruments.

As for Leo’s legacy, as McLaren himself states: "G&L will always be willing to make changes. Leo Fender was a symbol of change and evolution for the benefit of musicians. But for any change that is considered, we must first ask ourselves, ‘Would Leo have wanted it this way?’ If yes, then we do it. If not, then we will not. We always want to feel that Leo Fender would be proud of today’s G&L".

G&L ASAT CLASSIC

Pickups: 2 traditional-size Fullerton-made G&L Magnetic Field Design single coil pickups

Body Wood: Basswood or Swamp Ash

Neck Wood: Hard Rock Maple with Maple fingerboard

Neck Radius: 9" (228.6mm)

Neck Width At Nut: 1 5/8" (41.3mm)

Tuning Keys: 18:1 ratio, sealed-back

Bridge: Traditional boxed steel bridge with individual machined brass saddles

Controls: 3 position pickup selector, volume, tone

Finish: Basswood – Black with Pearl pickguard; Swamp Ash – 3-Tone Sunburst with Tortoise Shell pickguard, Blueburst with Pearl pickguard, or Natural Gloss with Tortoise Shell pickguard

Pickups: 2 traditional-size Fullerton-made G&L Magnetic Field Design single coil pickups

Body Wood: Swamp Ash

Neck Wood: Hard Rock Maple with Maple fingerboard

Neck Radius: 9" (228.6mm)

Neck Width At Nut: 1 5/8" (41.3mm)

Tuning Keys: 18:1 ratio, sealed-back

Bridge: Traditional boxed steel bridge with individual machined brass saddles

Controls: 3 position pickup selector, volume, tone

Finish: 3-Tone Sunburst with Pearl pickguard

Pickups: 3 Fullerton-made G&L vintage style Alnico V single coil pickups

Body Wood: Basswood or Swamp Ash

Neck Wood: Hard Rock Maple with Rosewood or Maple fingerboard

Neck Radius: 12" (304.8mm)

Neck Width At Nut: 1 5/8" (41.3mm)

Tuning Keys: 18:1 ratio, sealed-back

Bridge: G&L Dual Fulcrum vibrato with nickel plated die-cast saddles

Controls: 5 position pickup selector, volume, PTB system

Finish: Basswood – Black with Pearl pickguard; Swamp Ash – 3-Tone Sunburst with Tortoise Shell pickguard or

Blueburst with Pearl pickguard

Pickups: 3 Fullerton-made G&L vintage style Alnico V single coil pickups

Body Wood: Swamp Ash

Neck Wood: Hard Rock Maple with Rosewood fingerboard

Neck Radius: 12" (304.8mm)

Neck Width At Nut: 1 5/8" (41.3mm)

Tuning Keys: 18:1 ratio, sealed-back

Bridge: G&L Dual Fulcrum vibrato with nickel plated die-cast saddles

Controls: 5 position pickup selector, volume, PTB system

Finish: 3-Tone Sunburst with Tortoise Shell pickguard

Pickups: 3 Fullerton-made G&L Magnetic Field Design single coil pickups

Body Wood: Basswood or Swamp Ash

Neck Wood: Hard Rock Maple with Rosewood or Maple fingerboard

Neck Radius: 12" (304.8mm)

Neck Width At Nut: 1 5/8" (41.3mm)

Tuning Keys: 18:1 ratio, sealed-back

Bridge: G&L Dual Fulcrum vibrato with nickel plated die-cast saddles

Controls: 5 position pickup selector plus push/pull pot enabling additional pickup combinations of neck+bridge or all 3 pickups together, volume, PTB system

Finish: 3-Tone Sunburst with Tortoise Shell pickguard, Blueburst with Pearl pickguard or Natural Gloss with Tortoise Shell pickguard

G&L ASAT CLASSIC BLUESBOY SEMI-HOLLOW

Pickups: G&L AS4250B Alnico humbucker with nickel cover in neck position; traditional-size G&L Magnetic Field Design single coil in bridge position

Body Wood: Swamp Ash

Neck Wood: Hard Rock Maple with rosewood or maple fingerboard

Neck Radius: 9” (228.6mm)

Neck Width At Nut: 1 5/8” (41.3mm)

Tuning Keys: 18:1 ratio, sealed-back

Bridge: Traditional boxed steel bridge with individual machined brass saddles

Controls: 3 position pickup selector, volume, tone

Finish: 3-Tone Sunburst with Tortoise Shell pickguard and Rosewood fingerboard or Clear Orange with Pearl pickguard and Maple fingerboard

G&L COMANCHE CUSTOM

Pickups: 3 Fullerton-made G&L Magnetic Field Design Z-coil pickups

Body Wood: Swamp Ash with Flame Maple Top

Neck Wood: Hard Rock Maple with Rosewood or Maple fingerboard

Neck Radius: 12” (304.8mm)

Neck Width At Nut: 1 5/8” (41.3mm)

Tuning Keys: 18:1 ratio, sealed-back

Bridge: G&L Dual Fulcrum vibrato with nickel plated die-cast saddles

Controls: 5-way pickup selector with mini-toggle enabling additional pickup combinations of neck+bridge or all three pickups together, volume control, PTB passive treble and bass tone controls which enable treble and bass frequencies to be cut separately and are effective on all pickups, unlike the traditional volume/tone/tone arrangement.

Finish: Amberburst body with Pearl pickguard; Vintage Gloss neck

G&L LEGACY HB

Pickups: G&L vintage style Alnico V single coil pickups in neck and middle positions; G&L AW4370B Alnico humbucker in bridge position

Body Wood: Basswood or Swamp Ash

Neck Wood: Hard Rock Maple with Rosewood fingerboard

Neck Radius: 12” (304.8mm)

Neck Width At Nut: 1 5/8” (41.3mm)

Tuning Keys: 18:1 ratio, sealed-back

Bridge: G&L Dual Fulcrum vibrato with nickel plated die-cast saddles

Controls: 5 position pickup selector plus mini-toggle switch to split coil of AW4370B bridge humbucker, PTB system

Finish: Basswood – Black with Black Pearl pickguard; Swamp Ash – Natural Gloss with Tortoise Shell pickguard

G&L SC-2

Pickups: 2 large rectangular G&L Magnetic Field Design high output single coil pickups

Body Wood: Alder

Neck Wood: Hard Rock Maple with Rosewood fingerboard

Neck Radius: 12” (304.8mm)

Neck Width At Nut: 1 5/8” (41.3mm)

Tuning Keys: 12:1 ratio, sealed lubrication, adjustable knob tension

Bridge: G&L Saddle Lock; optional Dual-Fulcrum vibrato

Finish: Belair Green, Black, Fullerton Red, Himalayan Blue, or Vintage White

Other: Chrome hardware

G&L WILL RAY SIGNATURE

Pickups: G&L Magnetic Field Design Z-coil pickups in neck and middle positions; WR spec over-wound bridge pickup with extended-length pole pieces for wider bobbin aperture

Body Wood: Swamp Ash

Neck Wood: Hard Rock Maple with Rosewood fingerboard

Neck Radius: 9” (228.6mm)

Neck Width At Nut: 1 5/8” (41.3mm)

Tuning Keys: 18:1 ratio, sealed-back

Bridge: G&L Saddle Lock with nickel plated die-cast saddles

Hipshot B-bender

Controls: 5 position pickup selector, volume, tone with push/pull function enabling additional pickup combinations of neck+bridge or all 3 pickups together

Finish: Clear Orange

Other: Two WR instructional videos included: B-Bender Mania and Stealth Slide, plus a pair of WR’s trademark slide rings

G&L GUITARS are available from Masson Music, 1513 Logan Road, Mount Gravatt, www.massonmusic.com; Ralph White Music, Palm Beach, www.ralphwhitemusic.com.au; Shake It Up Music, Nambour, www.shakeitupmusic.com.au; and Guitar World, Nerang, www.guitar.com.au. For more information on G&L head to www.glguitars.com.

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