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Is the 3 bolt neck construction on older Gamp;Ls inferior to the newer 4-bolt? Should I go to for a newer 4 bolt? The reason I ask is I've found a really nice 3 bolt Gamp;L just recently that I may purchase.

I'd have to say no. The older Gamp;L's where made by Leo (The Man) Fender
not C.B.S. I believe he use a CNC machine to make Em'. I have a L1000
Bass (3 bolt) I never had any problems assocatied w/t the 70's CBS
Fender's.

I have a 3 bolt SB2 bass, solid as a rock. I think stability is more a product of the neck pocket fit versus the number of bolts. And believe me, that neck is jammed in there tight. Can't go wrong with Gamp;L.

I've just recently purchased a '96 3-bolt Legacy, and it is fantastic. The neck joint is solid. If you go to the Gamp;L website, theres an explanation why they changed to 4-bolt. It isn't because the 3-boly joint is dodgy.
www.glgguitars.com

Gamp;L 3 bolt necks are fine, Fender 3 bolt necks were crap because the neck pockets were cut so badly that there was lots of extra space on either side of the neck. George Fullerton said later quot;you could have put 6 bolts in them and they still would have moved in the pocketquot; I used to have a CBS 3 bolt Strat that had been quot;Convertedquot; to a 4 bolt and it still moved! The very first time I ever played a Starcaster the seller showed me where he had put an icecream stick on either side of the neck to make it fit nice and tight...that is how far off the neck posket was...THATS CRAZY!!! Anyway on to the questions, 3 bolt Gamp;L's are older and KILLER guitars!

my '94 G amp; L is a 3 bolt, and it's fine. I prefer it to the 4 bolt because of the micro tilt. On the 4 bolt, you have to shim if the angle's off.


Originally Posted by stevie_beesI've just recently purchased a '96 3-bolt Legacy, and it is fantastic. The neck joint is solid. If you go to the Gamp;L website, theres an explanation why they changed to 4-bolt. It isn't because the 3-boly joint is dodgy.
can't find that anywhere on the website, even under the faq


Originally Posted by XeromusI can't find that anywhere on the website, even under the faq

try here:
FAQ


Originally Posted by Curlytry here:
FAQ

wow that's much more in depth

My Gamp;L Skyhawk is a 3 bolt and that thing is solid as a rock

Ditto, on the above. The main difference between Gamp;L strats and Fender strats is how the neck sits in the pocket. On Gamp;L's, the neck sits higher, making the distance between the pickguard and strings greater, mostly to accomodate the larger floating bridge. This gives Gamp;L's a feel that is more like a Gibson or Tele....great for right handed fingerpicking. Also, the fretboard on a Gamp;L doesn't hang over the body at the 22nd fret, so the neck is not set in as deep as a Fender. This is why the necks are NOT interchangeable, and how Gamp;L also avoided patent infringement.
I love Gamp;L's, and so far, my newest guitar, the Legacy Deluxe is kicking the crap out of almost all my guitars.


Originally Posted by Curlytry here:
FAQ

Cheers Curly, I knew I'd seen it somewhere.

Gamp;L's three bolt neck system is excellent! I've owned nearly 30 Gamp;L's with a three bolt neck, and I've never had a problem with them. The three bolt necked guitars are easier to setup than a four bolt model because of the micro-tilt system.

Sprinter

I have a Gamp;L SC-3. One of the first Gamp;L's. It's a three bolt and very solid. Nice tight fit between the neck and neck pocket too...that certainly helps alot with keeping the neck stable and leaves no room for the neck to shift.

The three bolt Fender Strats from the 70's are a differant deal though. Some have a sloppy neck pocket and if they have the die cast bridge tremolo, it's thicker, so the neck doesn't sit as deeply in the neck pocket as 60's Strats to compensate for the thick bridge.

Those can be a little unstable and I think it's those from the 70's that sometimes have a problem with a lack of stability in the neck pocket. Not always though. Some of those are very nice guitars. Lew