Intro and Dilemma

Hello G&L owners,

I am likely to be one soon. I have two in mind but I am also considering ordering one from the factory. I have read about the loss when driving off the lot. If I order one it won't be loaded and will only have a few upgrades.

To keep this brief the three options are:
1. the 30th anniversary Legacy ordered from somewhere out of town and shipped to me
2. a regular Legacy here in town that is a conservative finish where the anniversary is rather flashy (relieves investment guilt)
3. ordering a fairly basic model Legacy with a few upgrades.

There are + and - with each.

One thing that I do not like about that otherwise beautiful anniversary design is the way they left the neck natural instead of painting it with the pearl white. The natural maple clashes with the pearl white and ebony IMO. "Clash"is not the best word, had they used the tinted clear it would definitely clash but it just does not work with the pearl white/ebony design to have maple exposed. I am also concerned about retaining the integrity of the model so there would be limitations on any modifications I could do. I want to deal with the hum (i.e. new pickups or a Suhr backplate system). I would also like locking tuning keys but the pearl handles would be sacrificed.

I had not even considered ordering one from the factory until I saw that the guitar available locally is the going base price. I realized if I am not getting a great discount and the wait is not an issue I could have exactly what I wanted, provided what they built matched my expectations.

After seeing those images on the G&L web page I was dead set on an anniversary edition Legacy until I saw the conservative model here in town. The feeling for that local guitar overcame the awe I had been feeling. This is already a long post so I will not go into further details of the feelings involved with the two designs.

So... I am happy to be here,

Michael

Hey Mike (can I call you Mike) I would look at pricing out that regular legacy so you could have everything you want, it seams like with the 30th and the legacy in town you would be settling.

price wise if you have a dealer order from the factory although you would have to wait longer most dealer have you pay half up front and the other half when it comes in so its not such a pull on the ol'e funds.

why settle when for a little more in the long run you could get the guitar of your dreams?

Or if your not to picky keep looking online for used ones, seems if you sow patience you can reap a great find on eBay....

Ahryn,

(Sure "Mike" is OK with me. I have always preferred that people pick which form of my name to use. It sort of makes it part of each association instead of just my name.)

Thanks for the comments.

I'll have to look into the prices like you said. I do not know whether I should go for a guitar of my dreams though. I have not dreamed of guitars for a long time. I played years ago and quit when I was getting married and moving out of state. I also felt that it took time and creative energy from another art form that I was able to make money with. I could play well enough and enjoyed it immensely I just wasn't going to get anywhere with it beyond playing with friends. I sold everything.

I had a Les Paul Custom, not at all like a Strat, so there is an advantage to having the guitar in town to try over several visits when deciding if it feels good to me or not. I have never played a Gibson that wasn't easy and comfortable regardless of the model or neck but I have found a wide range of experiences with Strat style guitars and the different necks. So being able to play the one locally is an advantage. I am not so much settling on that local guitar I just feel a little jaded maybe because it is not discounted at all. If it were on sale it would be different. I have no idea if it will ever go on sale. I would like to have a guitar within a definite period of time.

It will take time to acquire everything as I am starting from scratch. I am also getting a keyboard and multi-track. There are a lot of pieces to gather from having nothing. I think an order take 2-6 months, I would like to have one sooner than 3. (If the question crossed your mind, my tastes have changed and the style and sound I am interested in includes a Strat not a Gibson guitar). I decided to start playing again because it would be healthy, enjoyable and I realize now that it also opens creative doors rather than hogs creativity.

Funny when thinking about it, my reaction to that local guitar was similar to picking a puppy from a litter. Viscerally it was the warm one that stepped out and acknowledged me. As for the way it plays, I am so out of practice that I can only judge what I could potentially get used to vs. no chance.

Hi Michael, and welcome aboard. I would not hesitate getting one built to what specs you want. I did it in the past and have been in love with the guitar since I got it. The price difference will be negligible. The sooner you order, the sooner you'll receive it!

Well after some research I knew more about G&L and about what I wanted so I went down to a local dealer to place an order. First I wanted to handle all of the G&L's in stock to compare any differences. But as soon as I played the one I had liked during my first trip I knew it would be fine. The guitar felt better this time. It has been years since I played and a lot of what I attributed to the neck was actually my being so foreign to playing. I am happy that this worked out because I was going to special order the same guitar only with a #4 neck and locking tuners. I can change tuners anytime. I ended up buying the guitar.

Excellent. Post some photos to help us share your joy, and register your new guitar in the G&L registry on this site. Congratulations! - ed