G&L the ultimate boutique guitar maker

For what it's worth
This is what I'm thinking now on my never ending quest for TONE
Everything you put into your chain becomes an integral part of the tone .
The amp is equally important as the guitar .
Buy good to excellent quality leads
Pedals are almost as much fun as you can have with your clothes on .
I can only talk about pre BBE era G&L guitars because that's all I own and I'll get to that later .
Since Klon brought out the greatest pedal ever 20 years ago but especially over the last 5 years guitar pedal manufacturers really have been bringing us incredible pedals . They sound as good as the old school with better features .

I believe that it's a new age for amp builders right now . For me being a Fender amp guy I cannot believe how good the Milkman Creamer is . All there Amps look amazing .
If there was a Creamer in Australia right now I would buy it . Very expensive but very worth it .

However for the life of me I fail to see how the current Botique guitar builders are making guitars any better than early G&L guitars
My mint and ( bought from a collector )Mahogany S-500 maple neck probably built in 82 and costing $1400 is at least equal to them for tone and playability. The boutique makers are selling guitars for 3- 10 times that price. Why ????
Early G&L feel like they were made painstakingly by hand by blokes who loved making guitars. As do the new boutique makers but I love my G&L's because every time I think Anthony buy a new guitar I play my G&L's and the thought disappears quickly .
Amps and pedals are another story .
I might have it wrong but I don't think so
Best
Anthony

Anthony,

Well said. I do not get gas for new guitars because of the old G&L's. They keep me very happy.

Having said that, I must say that new G&L guitars are awesome. Great necks and the attention to fit and finish is the best.

I agree with you on your thoughts about new amps. Some are wonderful but come with a big price tag.

y2kc

I have to agree about Leo era G&L's. I have had my 86 Asat for a little over two years and it is my favourite. I like all the build options available for new G&L's but my next G&L will be Leo era. A poor man's broadcaster would fit the bill. I never would have considered getting the same model in a different colour before. Maybe I am partial to the black hardware. Oh and the sound, and the feel.....the " mojo ".

It really is the golden age for amplifiers. So many choices. I have had my eye on a Gibson GA-5 les paul junior amp for awhile. Some nice early break up on those. Then you have modeling amps which are getting better and better. My Yamaha THR 10 gets used almost everyday.

I don't know anything about the reissue Gibson GA-5 but I am very familiar with the original. In the early 80's I met Noel Schiff (aka- Chicago Slim) and we did some trading. I gave him a Gibson guitar and he gave me the amp and a check. Noel let me use his prototype Les Paul Jr to try the amp with. We went out to the street and he opened the trunk of his giant car and the guitar was just sitting in there with no case. That is how Noel did things. Rest in peace brother.
The amp is used every day and yes the break up is available and very usable. I crank the volume on a Full-tone and adjust the amp volume to the desired cream factor. This amp had the original speaker replaced when I got it with a better Jenson and it just screams. It has also been serviced with new caps and do-dads over the years where needed.
I have other great amps but always come back to the little Gibson for neighbor friendly volume. I live 12 feet from a church and do not want to anger the big guy.

Great guitars do need good amps to get the most out of them. For me they also need to be pushed a tad. I like to keep things close to the breakup point at all times. A little snarl. That is how I do things.

y2kc

The re-issue was made from 2004-2006 by Mojotone for Gibson. They were all hand built with an 8 inch speaker and beefy transformers. Class a circuit with EL84 power tube and 12AX7 preamp. Made in the USA and can be had for around 400 bucks. I like the simplicity of a one knob amp. Guitar in the trunk......well deep down they really are just tools, but still.... Cool story though. I may have posted this article before but its a good read.

https://www.premierguitar.com/articles/ ... -amplifier

I have always thought G&L was a cut above the rest and = to or above boutique. That goes for Leo era and today's G&Ls.