Mr. Leo Fender is arguably one of the most important people in the history of guitar design innovations. There have been no guitars in history that have been copied and emulated more than his original Telecaster® and Stratocaster® designs. Interestingly, Leo the man was not much interested in building sleek guitar bodies. He was more concerned with the practicality of the guitar than the look. From these solid foundations, he concentrated on his true passions which were electronics and mechanical features. The capstone innovations from Leo's brilliance can be seen in G&L exclusive features such as the "Magnetic Field Design® pickups, the "Dual Fulcrum® vibrato", and the "Saddle Lock®" bridge.

Since Leo Fender passed away in 1991, G&L has continued the tradition of quality hand made guitars. Any new guitar models are released only after it is agreed that Leo would have approved of the design. Because of this, every guitar that leaves the G&L factory is a continuation of the legacy left behind by the man known as one of the fathers of modern guitar. It only seems fitting that the guitar we are about to review is called the "Legacy Standard" -- a guitar that lives up to the legacy of Leo Fender himself.

The Legacy Standard



The "Legacy Standard" is one of the newest guitars in the G&L line. The principal difference in design is in the body construction. Most G&L guitar bodies are made from two piece construction. When guitar companies buy a shipment of wood, they inevitably get some pieces that are too narrow for this two piece construction. Instead of letting this wood go to waste, G&L decided to offer two new models in a three piece body construction. Each body is made from consecutive cuts of the same piece of wood assuring uniformity in density and feel. Utilizing the same pressure bonding method used on their high end "Bi-Cut®" neck design, they make certain that these bodies are as strong and resonate as one solid piece. The wood in this guitar is a high quality Alder. You will find no plywoods or veneers as many manufacturers are using today.

In light of their goal to keep the cost of this guitar with range of most buyers, G&L decided to only offer this guitar in two colors per production cycle. However, they rotate to two new colors every three months. This is the perfect compromise that allows the market to have many colors available over time, while still keeping the production processes and cost down to a minimum. The spring colors for 2006 are "Lake Placid Blue" and "Candy Apple Red".

By combining these processes in guitar design and production allow the "Legacy Standard" to be hand built in the USA, keep top quality components, and still carry a price tag of $899. By comparison, if you were to buy the same guitar with identical features in the G&L custom "Legacy" model, you would pay over $1,100.



The guitar I received is the "Lake Placid Blue" model with a matching painted headstock and "Mint" colored pickguard. It features chrome hardware including G&L’s own Dual Fulcrum® tremolo, and high quality Sperzel® tuners.

Legacy Standard Features:

· 3 Fullerton made G&L Vintage Style Alnico V Single Coil Pickups
· Alder Body
· Hard rock Maple Neck with Rosewood Fingerboard
· 12" (304.8mm) Neck Radius
· 1 5/8" Nut Width
· 12:1 Ratio, Sealed Lubrication, Adjustable Knob Tension Tuning Keys
· G&L Dual Fulcrum® Vibrato Bridge with Die-Cast Saddles
· 5 Position Pickup Selector, Volume, PTB System



The Legacy Standard also comes in a durable nylon covered "Gig Case". This is not like any case I have ever seen before. It is designed out of rigid foam covered in nylon. The nylon covering adds the benefit of adding pockets like a gig bag, with guitar protection rivaling that of a hard case. It looks very classy while at the same time retains the protective intent that Leo would have wanted. As an amusing side note, this case was purposely dropped from the roof of the G&L factory! Both the guitar inside came away undamaged as did the case. I highly doubt that many hard cases would have survived this test without cracking!

Taking it for a Spin

The Legacy Standard definitely feels like a high-end guitar should. As soon as I took it our the case I was pleased with how solid this guitar felt. As expected from the Sperzel's, the tuner action was smooth and held tuning well. The neck is set with a four bolt style neck plate imprinted with the G&L logo. The neck fits tightly in the body joint, increasing sustain and adding to the overall great tone of this guitar. The neck contours are extremely comfortable, and it plays with ease. I really have come to enjoy the G&L neck design. It just seems to fit my hand and my playing style perfectly. The Bi-Cut® design involves cutting the neck in half directly up the middle, routing out the truss rod chamber, and bonding it back together using high pressure. Even looking very closely, and I could not find the seam where the wood had been cut.

The Dual Fulcrum® vibrato is buttery smooth, and allows for easy bends. G&L secret weapon for tone is embedding brass inserts deep into the body to attach the bridge. As a result this guitar seems to have much greater resonance and sustain than expected. Overall, I like the Dual Fulcrum® vibrato bridge better than any other I have ever tried.

All of this description leads us up to the sound of this guitar - which, to put it simply, is incredible. I ran this guitar through a hybrid tube amp, and a solid state amplifier. I also put the signal through several effects pedals from chorus to distortion with great results. Using the 5 way switch, it offers a variety of tone options that will suit almost any tonal desire. This guitar can scream out a solo, then switch easily into chunky, driving rhythms. The 3 Fullerton-made G&L vintage style Alnico V single coil pickups offer a wide range of options. Even at very high gain levels, this guitar retains incredible definition and clarity. On the opposite end, jazzy clean sounds positively sparkled. I would find this guitar best suited for rock, classic rock, and county styles although I would not rule out other styles. If you enjoy that classic single coil sound, this guitar is sure to satisfy.


Closing Thoughts

While this guitar may be called the Legacy Standard, there is nothing standard about it. These guitars are hand made by the same people at the G&L factory in Fullerton, CA with the same attention to detail and excellence as the rest of the USA built custom guitars. G&L standards are by all definitions pro level guitars at a price point that intermediate players and serious beginners can afford. The Legacy Standard shatters the price point of any USA built guitar with this level of craftsmanship and tonal quality. Everything about the feel and sound of this guitar is awesome. G&L has done a great service to the guitar players of the world by offering a guitar of this caliber at this price.

I regard the "Legacy Standard" as one of the best guitars I have played in a long time. I award it the "Approved" and the "Rig Ready" award for 2006.



By: Gary Allen

Copyright (c) 2006 Allen & Halberg Publishing, Inc.
All Rights Reserved
Guitar Gear Heads is a division of Allen & Halberg Publishing, Inc.