NGD - USA CUSTOM FALLOUT

[blueburst]

Happy New Year. I got my custom Fallout this weekend and I have to say that it's worth every penny. The Tribute Fallout I discussed in my previous post (G&L FALLOUT – How ‘bout Some Shameless Love), is a great instrument and could probably sell for twice as much as its $399 street price without anyone complaining. But the only analogy I can think of is that this USA Custom model is like driving an Indy car - a precision, highly tuned piece of art. I'd recommend the Tribute Fallout to anyone - amateur or professional. But if you can spring for extra bucks and get a USA model or have the great folks at G&L build you a custom guitar, I say go for it. You will be happy. Very, very happy. Here are the specs and the options on mine:

Body Wood: Alder
Color: Belair Green
Pickguard: White Pearl
Neck Profile: #1B – Heritage C – 1 5/8 nut width, 12” radius
.790” depth at 1st fret - .910”depth at 12th fret
Neck Wood: Quartersawn Maple with matching fingerboard
Neck Finish: Vintage Tint Gloss
Neck Option: White Binding, Black Face Dots
Headstock: Matching Body Color
Tuners: Schaller Locking

[Salmon]

Congratulations. Very Gumby! How do you like the Heritage C neck?

[blueburst]

The heritage C neck is awesome. Thanks to my smallish hands that apparently stopped growing when I was 13 even though the rest of me continued to grow, I've always had some issues with the chunky old Fender necks, any "V" or "U" shaped necks etc. The G&L #1 neck has always worked best for me and I was perfectly happy with my Tribute Fallout. But when I actually had extra money this year after finishing my Christmas shopping, I figured that I should treat myself to a USA model and try the 1B/Heritage C. I'm glad I did because it's perfect for me. I wouldn't recommend it to anyone with big hands or large fingers though!

[supereiv]

Nice looking fallout,
funny how this guitar wear different outfits with ease.... She looks surfy/groovy/rock in that suit !

[blueburst]

supereiv - I feel ya for sure! I was absolutely going for the 60's retro feel on this guitar and the G&L gang did not disappoint. One of the beautiful things about Leo's designs is that the same guitar can look retro, traditional or modern depending on the color choices etc. I think it has to do with the contours of the bodies and headstocks as well as the shapes of the pickguards. Don't tell anyone, but if my tax refund is big enough, I may order another one with a more traditional design and different woods (perhaps natural swamp ash with an ebony fingerboard). I know what y'all are thinking, but I'm not married so I wouldn't get in trouble!

[darwinohm]

Blueburst, that is a class act. I am a fan of pearl pickguards and that is the perfect dress for that guitar. Ii just posted last week about a special bass I was trying to order but I talked to my dealer yesterday about having reservations about another bass. I am tempted to special order a fallout but we'll see what's shakin' at NAMM first. The vintage C should be nice and thin. Nice guitar! -- Darwin

[Fumble fingers]

sweet color combo , the neck binding looks great

[RampageFan]

Blueburst, That is a classic looking guitar. I love it! Did you custom order it or did you find it in a shop? The binding looks really cool! I am waiting on a Belair Green Fallout myself. I bought mine from Music Store Live, and it should be here anytime. Mine is more basic, belair green with clear finish headstock and rosewood board. Did your Fallout come with the push/pull coil split? I've been reading mixed reports, some did and some didn't.

And I agree with you, the Fallout has the best of both worlds. Some look like a vintage Leo classic, and some finishes look like a modern guitar.

Thanks,
Dave

[glvourot]

All of these Fallouts lately have been getting me thinking.... Great guitar , love the neck binding and matching headstock. Play on .

[bloodied_fingers]

looks cool. wish the pickups weren't black..

Otherwise I really like the combo, usually I don't like the matching headstock on maple fb but with the binding and colors you have it looks really sweet. congrats

[blueburst]

glvourot - This Fallout was a custom order from Music Emporium in Bellmore, NY. They're really great and they worked with me over several weeks to make sure I got everything I wanted and that everything would look just right once it was done. Personal attention - that's the biggest advantage of shopping at smaller and specialty music stores rather than the big chains.

bloodied_fingers - The one thing that completely slipped my mind was that G&L has a pickup color option for the Fallout and you can also get cream or white (at no charge) if black doesn't float your boat. I may have gone for white if I was thinking clearly, but I'm happy with the black.

FYI - American Guitar Boutique in Minnesota developed an awesome custom guitar generator app with G&L. Anyone can go to the page and go crazy by selecting any of the many options G&L offers on ALL of their models. When you're done, the app displays a perfect image of what your custom guitar will look like. Even though I just got this Fallout, I go there all the time just to configure ASATs, Bluesboys, Comanches etc. in case I hit a lottery someday. Check it out. You'll love it. http://www.americanguitarboutique.net/Guitar_index.html

[fianoman]

That guitar looks like it is begging to be played. Very cool. I like the black pickups, but I have to say, the combo in BF's avatar looks good too! One of each.

Blueburst, you like the USA fit and finish better than the Tribute but after getting to play both, are there any sonic differences that jump out at you between the USA and Tribute?

[sam]

Beautiful guitar ya got there.

Love the color and neck binding sets it off perfectly. I have played a tribby version and was impressed, so based on yer review, could this be what takes me to something beside an a ASAT? We shall see. Post some sound clips if possible.

[blueburst]

fianoman - RE: sonic difference between the Tribute Fallout & the USA Fallout: There are some sonic differences, but I wouldn't call them extreme. The P90's at the neck are the same Paul Gagon design in both models, so there isn't any real difference there - which is great because that's one of the best P90's I've ever heard and it delivers very little, if any noise even when played alone with the pickup selector in the neck position. There are some differences in the humbucker sound. While the Tribute Fallout uses a Paul Gagon designed AW4470B alnico humbucker in the bridge, the USA model uses a Seymour Duncan JB. Both sound great, but they definitely sound different. The Gagon humbucker in the Tribute is a bit brighter and edgier and can deliver that Carlos Santana-like moan when used with some overdrive or distortion. The Duncan JB in the USA model is a bit darker with a little more output than the Tribute and pushes things slightly into Les Paul-Jimmy Page territory. The folks at G&L are great and if you order a custom USA Fallout and prefer the Gagon humbucker sound to the Duncan JB sound, they'll definitely put it in there for you. Also, the Tribute bodies are made of Mahogany and the USA Custom bodies are either alder or swamp ash (customer's choice). Mine is swamp ash and I'm sure that the wood choice affects the sound a bit as well. But I think the main reason why the USA is slightly darker than the Tribby is the Duncan JB pickup. Once I get into the studio, if I can, I'll post some sound samples comparing the two. But the bottom line is that the quality of this instrument is off the charts and you can't go wrong with a Tribute or a custom USA. To show you how strongly I feel about this, I sold my classic '75 Fender Tele (that a dealer mistakenly sold to me as a used American Standard several years ago) and my customized Fender Tele deluxe after playing the Fallout. No joke.

[SamIV]

I have been thinking about getting a Fallout for a few weeks. My problem is there is no place local that has one in stock within a 2 hour drive now. I have a few Tributes and like the thinner neck on those and this is leading me to get the Tribute Fallout due my familiarity with the neck. I also have an older ASAT with what I think is a thin neck, but a bit different profile than my Tributes and is 7 1/2" radius so it is up for sale now to finance one with a 12" radius. How does the 1b neck compare to the neck on your Tribute Fallout? I am concerned I will not like the standard #1 neck due to its thickness.

[fianoman]

fianoman - RE: sonic difference between the Tribute Fallout & the USA Fallout: There are some sonic differences, but I wouldn't call them extreme. The P90's at the neck are the same Paul Gagon design in both models, so there isn't any real difference there - which is great because that's one of the best P90's I've ever heard and it delivers very little, if any noise even when played alone with the pickup selector in the neck position. There are some differences in the humbucker sound. While the Tribute Fallout uses a Paul Gagon designed AW4470B alnico humbucker in the bridge, the USA model uses a Seymour Duncan JB. Both sound great, but they definitely sound different. The Gagon humbucker in the Tribute is a bit brighter and edgier and can deliver that Carlos Santana-like moan when used with some overdrive or distortion. The Duncan JB in the USA model is a bit darker with a little more output than the Tribute and pushes things slightly into Les Paul-Jimmy Page territory. The folks at G&L are great and if you order a custom USA Fallout and prefer the Gagon humbucker sound to the Duncan JB sound, they'll definitely put it in there for you. Also, the Tribute bodies are made of Mahogany and the USA Custom bodies are either alder or swamp ash (customer's choice). Mine is swamp ash and I'm sure that the wood choice affects the sound a bit as well. But I think the main reason why the USA is slightly darker than the Tribby is the Duncan JB pickup. Once I get into the studio, if I can, I'll post some sound samples comparing the two. But the bottom line is that the quality of this instrument is off the charts and you can't go wrong with a Tribute or a custom USA. To show you how strongly I feel about this, I sold my classic '75 Fender Tele (that a dealer mistakenly sold to me as a used American Standard several years ago) and my customized Fender Tele deluxe after playing the Fallout. No joke.

Nice writeup - thanks! Looking forward to the sound bites.

[y2kc]

Very nice color. The bound neck gives this simple design some real dignity. I like all of them so far!

y2kc

[Nnanji]

Beautiful!

[blueburst]

I have been thinking about getting a Fallout for a few weeks. My problem is there is no place local that has one in stock within a 2 hour drive now. I have a few Tributes and like the thinner neck on those and this is leading me to get the Tribute Fallout due my familiarity with the neck. I also have an older ASAT with what I think is a thin neck, but a bit different profile than my Tributes and is 7 1/2" radius so it is up for sale now to finance one with a 12" radius. How does the 1b neck compare to the neck on your Tribute Fallout? I am concerned I will not like the standard #1 neck due to its thickness.

SamIV - If the G&L #1 neck (which is standard on the Tribute Fallout) is a little too chunky for you, then you'll be in heaven if you order a USA model with a 1B. As I said in my earlier post, I have smallish hands, so those old baseball bat necks that so many people love just make me crazy. When I bought the Tribute Fallout, I found that the neck was not too chunky and was actually quite comfortable for me, but I knew that the 1B would be 100% perfect and it is. It's slightly shallower than the #1 but with enough curvature so that you've got something to grab ahold of unlike say, a Rickenbacker, which is a bit too shallow even for my little hands and causes you to grip the neck a little too tightly rather than just let it rest in your hand. If any store near you has a USA ASAT or Legacy with a #1 neck (most G&L dealers stick to ordering their USA inventory with the #1 neck because it's the most popular) then try it out and see how it feels. The Tribute Fallout has pretty much the same exact neck so if you like the feel of an ASAT or Legacy with a#1 neck, you'll be OK with the Fallout Tribute. If you need something shallower, then you'll have to order a USA Fallout with a 1B neck.

[Salmon]

fianoman - RE: sonic difference between the Tribute Fallout & the USA Fallout:......The Gagon humbucker in the Tribute is a bit brighter and edgier and can deliver that Carlos Santana-like moan when used with some overdrive or distortion. The Duncan JB in the USA model is a bit darker with a little more output than the Tribute and pushes things slightly into Les Paul-Jimmy Page territory.....

Would you mind explaining this using different words?

What does "edgy" tone mean to you? In context I would interpret it as sharp and intense. So (relatively) bright, sharp and intense describes the Tribute humbucker?

I am confused by what seem to be contradicting characteristics like brighter and edgier combined with "Santana-like moan" as opposed to a darker tone attaining Les Paul, Jimmy Page territory?

Generally speaking, there are two different Santana tone eras, the "transition" period Samba Pa Ti, Hope You're Feeling Better, Song of the Wind tone and then the later thicker darker Europa tone that he has maintained for many many years now. The two occupy both brighter and darker characteristics. Most people associate the current darker Europa tone with Santana so I find it difficult to understand how the brighter tone brought Santana to your mind.

Brighter edgier could describe the early period but not in conjunction with the "moan" which I think refers to the sustain. Edgy would come up when picking rather than sustaining notes. IMO Santana has been performing a cliché of himself ever since he adopted the Europa tone. He makes a point of sustaining single notes where they bloom into feedback when playing live. He did not do this routinely in the early days. I think the reputation for Santana sustain was born in the subtle spirit of sustain in songs like Song of the Wind. There is sort of a drone vamp going on throughout the song but he doesn't actually hold notes for a significant length of time. Are you referring to this?

The early tone:

[youtube]XdmevPWZTRg[/youtube]


The darker Europa tone:

[youtube]dtn4a3bClLA[/youtube]

[SamIV]

Thanks for your reply blueburst. I am going to to have to try and get out and play a new G&L with the #1 neck before I order. I have a couple of Korean Tributes and the necks are a little thinner than the 3 Indonesian models I have and I do like those necks a little better. I think my ASAT has the 2b neck on it. It is nice and thin, but I am not a fan of 7 1/2 radius. It is a blueburst by the way. Nice looking guitar you have there.