What, exactly, are the differences in Fullerton Standard?

Loving my Fullerton Standard Legacy, and I think that it's one of the very best bang for the buck deals out there right now in U.S.-made guiitars. The one thing that's puzzling me is what the precise delta is between the regular USA Legacy and the Fullerton Standard. Gig bag instead of hard case, check. LImited finish options and only one choice of body wood and neck, check. Same electronics, same hardware, same extraordinary playability, made by the same people in the same factory — are there any differences I'm not getting? Because at a street price of a grand (I'm not gonna quibble over the dollar) this just seems like a deal no serious guitar player should be passing up.

Or are we keeping it a secret?

GVDub, I think you pretty much nailed the differences. Lower cost of entry, gig bag, and not having the ability to customize your guitar.

I was ready an interesting article about the state / business of electric guitars and how the market has actually grown over the last 10 years. It hasn't recovered from the hey days, but it is myth that it continues to decline. But the interesting part was where they had interviewed Fender. One point they brought up:

Millennial's want to be able to customizer their guitars. Fender has recently introduced their Mod Shop to allow people to customize their guitars. I guess you can say they are playing catch up to G&L here. Also mentioned less desire for "traditional" constraints. So maybe the old G&L design that were too radical may actually fit in this shift in preference.

So my take as this relates to G&L and the Fullerton Standard Series (FSS), the FSS serves to give G&L more visibility in the market by offering a very high quality USA made guitar at a lower price point. It should be easier and quicker for dealers to obtain and get in front of customers to expose them to the G&L brand. But I believe the regular line up will still be the bread and butter. If the market is really shifting to customization, G&L certainly is ahead of the curve. But first people need to become more aware of the brand. The FSS does that IMO. Once they experience the quality, learn the history / legacy of the brand, the FSS will not being the only G&L in their stable of guitars.

I'm just old-school (and just plain old) enough that I prefer doing my own mods. One guitar not listed in my sig is a candy-apple Fender MIJ '62 RI body with a Fernandes neck, custom-wound DiMarzio Virtual Vintages with a trick switching system Steve Blucher and I dreamed up, and an oddball vibrato bridge iinvented by a Kiwi surf guitarist named Colin Doughty that uses two sets of springs, one for up, one for down and a dual pivot system so it's essentially a hardtail untill you grab the bar. It has been the main guitar for my psychedelic acid jazz project, Gruppo Subconscious, but the Legacy may be moving into that slot.

I do get the feeling that a spalt-top thinline ASAT Z3 may be somewhere in my future.

Lower price point is supported by lower "brain damage" sustained by keep the order options restricted and volume higher. And you are right, it does all those things you are talking about. FSS is a great program. Look for more to follow.

Sounds sort of like the path trod by later versions of the SC3 .

Loving my Fullerton Standard Legacy, and I think that it's one of the very best bang for the buck deals out there right now in U.S.-made guiitars. The one thing that's puzzling me is what the precise delta is between the regular USA Legacy and the Fullerton Standard. Gig bag instead of hard case, check. LImited finish options and only one choice of body wood and neck, check. Same electronics, same hardware, same extraordinary playability, made by the same people in the same factory — are there any differences I'm not getting? Because at a street price of a grand (I'm not gonna quibble over the dollar) this just seems like a deal no serious guitar player should be passing up.

Or are we keeping it a secret?

No secret, see: The New G&L Fullerton Standard Legacy now available! and January 25, 2018-present G&L U.S. Specifications & Options.