New G&L Owner!

[MAP70]

Just scored a 2004 Tribute Legacy on eBay! Looking forward to setting her up and possibly replacing the stock tremolo with a USA model and maybe putting in some locking tuners along with an S-500 wiring scheme with a push/pull instead of the toggle.

Also depending on the pickups I may replace them with some Wilde Keystones, I used his pickups in my last partscaster build and it came out great! Any info on how the pickups sound would be appreciated...

Thanks

Mark

[Fumble fingers]

cool ..... I really like the toggle switch on my 1996 S 500 and 2000 Comanche , doesn't look quite as clean but it's easier to flip the switch while playing

[darwinohm]

Welcome Mark. The earlier Tributes are very nice. They are very well built and I not sure what you would gain by a trem. You may consider just changing the block. As for locking tuners, you will probably have to drill holes and they will not show if you use Schallers or Sperzels. Post a picture when you get a chance.-- Darwin

[MAP70]

Hey Darwin, thanks for the reply... I didn't know if the tribute Tremolo had die cast saddles or not... I figured the USA stuff had steel saddles. Would the block on a USA Tremolo better than the tribute one... As far as the tuners I had already figured I needed to drill some holes, no big deal.. I figure I may change out the pots when I get them to some MojoTone pots and replace the 5-way switch with a MojoTone as well since I am going to put S-500 wiring in it anyway...

I got it for $150, so I have a bit of wiggle room for upgrades...

How do you like the stock pickups??

I will upload pics as soon as I can do atachments... ;-) :confused0007:

Mark

[MAP70]

Hey Fumble, The switch is an option as well... But I have a partscaster with a few push/pull pots..so one should be easy.. LOL

Mark

[Craig]

Hey Darwin, thanks for the reply... I didn't know if the tribute Tremolo had die cast saddles or not... I figured the USA stuff had steel saddles. Would the block on a USA Tremolo better than the tribute one... As far as the tuners I had already figured I needed to drill some holes, no big deal.. I figure I may change out the pots when I get them to some MojoTone pots and replace the 5-way switch with a MojoTone as well since I am going to put S-500 wiring in it anyway...

I got it for $150, so I have a bit of wiggle room for upgrades...

How do you like the stock pickups??

I will upload pics as soon as I can do atachments...

Mark

Welcome, Mark!

Yes, the Tribute models with DF trem have die cast saddles. The USA standard production models with the DF trem have chrome plated brass saddles and there is an optional upgrade to the
DFS trem which has stainless steel saddles and a 1018 cold-rolled steel trem block (USA stock trem block is brass).

Regarding posting photos, see the Welcome! Read This First post which has a link to our Tutorial on posting photos.

[MAP70]

Thanks Craig.. I think I will replace the bridge... I figured there was a difference...

Here are some photos...

[astutzmann]

looks terrific! Congrats.

[darwinohm]

Mark, I like all of G&L's pickup configurations. The stock Legacy are Alnicos and in my are opinion are more dynamic than comparable Fender alnicos. I think you have a wider range of tone. They really have the vintage vibe.-- Darwin

[bloodied_fingers]

Congrats, 140 is a bargain.

With regards to the S-500 wiring, it takes about 15 minutes if you have a push-pull pot to use. As for the switch, I just played with stacking washers until my treble pot is a bit higher than the others, makes switching it a breeze and I don't have to look at that mini toggle.

[MAP70]

looks terrific! Congrats.

Thanks!

[MAP70]

Mark, I like all of G&L's pickup configurations. The stock Legacy are Alnicos and in my are opinion are more dynamic than comparable Fender alnicos. I think you have a wider range of tone. They really have the vintage vibe.-- Darwin

Yeah I want to hear them first... but I may just stick the Keystones in anyway... I hear good things about them..

[MAP70]

Congrats, 140 is a bargain.

With regards to the S-500 wiring, it takes about 15 minutes if you have a push-pull pot to use. As for the switch, I just played with stacking washers until my treble pot is a bit higher than the others, makes switching it a breeze and I don't have to look at that mini toggle.

Yup, I like the idea of less controls, especially live...

I couldn't pass it up for $150...

Mark

[MAP70]

So here are some pics, I grabbed a G&L USA tremolo on ebay for cheap and I also snagged a KGC brass tremolo block.. The stock one on the USA tremolo is not bad.. but the brass one is bigger and heavier... Does anyone know what the marking is on the tribute block??

[MAP70]

Well, so far I like the stock pickups... So I left them, put on some Hipshot Locking Tuners and some graphtech string trees... Shielded the body cavity with copper tape, then a quick setup and she is running great.

I replaced the 5-way Tribute switch with a 5-way Oak/Griogsby Switch, the volume pot with a Push/Pull for S-500 wiring and a resistor on the stock cap in parallel to smooth out it's taper, as well as the treble tone pot (500k) and it's capacitor with a Mojo Dion cap.. I left the stock Bass pot (1M Reverse taper) since the one I bought had too long a shaft... I also put the original cap back in (which is not shown in these pics) as I liked the sound better... The upgrades made a BIG difference.. especially the USA bridge and the replaced KGC Brass trem block. I also added a nice older G&L neck plate as well, it was much heavier than the original..

I will probably be putting the original Tribute tremolo, original Tribute tuners, original Tribute neck plate and USA Trem Block (which is real heavy) on eBay.. so if anyone needs parts let me know..

[astutzmann]

that's awesome, great job!!

[MAP70]

that's awesome, great job!!

Thanks Alf... It was fun and it plays very well...

[Elwood]

that's awesome, great job!!

+1
I might have to try a KGC block , looks real nice. Was the USA block you replaced it with the chrome plated brass style?

elwood

[MAP70]

that's awesome, great job!!

+1
I might have to try a KGC block , looks real nice. Was the USA block you replaced it with the chrome plated brass style?

elwood

It was heavy, it was chrome plated... but I didn't see if it was Brass... I got the KGC when I got the new tremolo on eBay so I just dropped it in.. The original was heavy, but the KGC was heavier...

[bloodied_fingers]

Nice work. I'd take the US block off your hands.

[MAP70]

Nice work. I'd take the US block off your hands.

Thanks! I'll let you know as soon as I am ready to sell it...

[MAP70]

Well another update.. I replaced the stock USA pickups with Fishman Fluence Single Width pickups... if anyone hasn't heard of them they are pretty interesting.

[video]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oZSS13d3vZs[/video]
[video]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dE8R6vbGRWg[/video]
[video]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dsHNhDh9rjg[/video]

I didn't really ever jell with the stock pickups, and I was going back and forth on whether I wanted a vintage or overwound Texas style set. With these I get both. Even though they are powered (and I DESPISE Active Pickups), these are different... They don't sound like actives at all, no hum and you don't lose the low end when you roll the volume down; but it still cleans up nicely.

I took out the wiring I had and went to a wiring with tone on the bridge and neck and the middle wide open (similar to the Eric Johnson and Jimmy Vaughan signature models) with independent capacitors for each tone pot. . I also wired in the HF TILT wire to a Push/Pull on the Volume Pot which imitates how a high-capacitance guitar cable might roll off highs. I find it a really nice quick way to warm up the tone.

All in all I am stoked at the pickups and they are more than I expected them to be. I know lots of people HATE powered pickups (which I do as well); but they seem to have gotten it right.. They also have a PAF and Modern Humbucking pickup that sounds great too...

The one buzzkill for G&L's is the battery pack is sized for a Strat backplate so I may just use some 3M command stuff to stick it there instead of drilling new holes... I am not sure yet.. But the thing can be just powered by any smartphone/usb charger with Micro USB..Seems to last a long time too and easy to get to..




I will probably be selling the Black USA pups if anyone wants them..

Mark

[Craig]

I will probably be selling the Black USA pups if anyone wants them..

Mark

Please post this in the Marketplace, not on the G&LDP. See: GbL History & G&LDP/G&L Knowledgebase/Marketplace Guidelines.

[MAP70]

Oops Sorry!!! I will post it them when I want to sell them! Thanks again!

Mark