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These seem like sweet guitars. The trem looks massive. Any thoughts on the them. I've noticed that the older ones have a three bolt neck and new ones have 4 bolts. Is either better? The stock pickups any good? My friend saw one for $650 used with locking spezels at a local shop, seems like a good deal. I wonder how chunky is their C shaped neck?

I just bought a Legacy last week. You can see pics of it in the quot;My turn to show offquot; thread I started yesterday.

It's the best Strat you'll play. Better than any Fender. The trem is big. You can wail on it all day long and it won't go out of tune. The neck bolts don't matter. Gamp;L neck pockets are tight, which is what really matters. I just happen to think the 4 bolt neck plate looks better. The neck is a very comfortable profile. The stock pickups, whether the normal looking Alnicos or the MFD's are very good.

The thing I don't like about it? It's a Strat. I bought it and found out I like Teles too much...

I have a '96 Legacy, with a 3-bolt neck joint. There's absolutely nothing wrong with the strength of the joint, and the neck is a joy to play. Mine has a flatter fingerboard radius than my Strat and is a gorgeous C profile, with a vintage fingerboard width. The best of both worlds really. The stock pups in mine had been replaced by SD SSL-1's, which just sing, but I have tried a tribute series with the Gamp;L US pups and was very impressed by the sound and versitility on offer. The tone controls are wired differently then normal in that 1 is a bass control, and the other a treble. I say go for it!

There's one on ebay I'm dead intent on buying. I will kill anyone that tries to outbid me on it. I hope you don't think I'm kidding.

They are damn fine guitars.


Originally Posted by XeromusThere's one on ebay I'm dead intent on buying. I will kill anyone that tries to outbid me on it. I hope you don't think I'm kidding.

They are damn fine guitars.

I don't think you're kidding, but thanks for calling my attention to it. I REALLY want to bid on that now.

G amp; L's are fine. The 3 bolt neck is fine, and that was covered in a recent thread if you want to search for it.

Legacy's used Duncan SSLs until some time in '94, when they switched to their own pickups.

I think $650 sounds high for a used Legacy, but the locking Sperzels sound like it may be a Legacy Deluxe or an S-500.
AFAIK, the necks are pretty much still hand shaped, so they do vary, and they also come in a few different nut sizes. Just something to be aware of.

I just got a brand new Tribute Legacy on EBay. I absolutely love it. Mine is a swamp ash tobacco sunburst w/ rosewood. The Alnico V pups sing. I could not stand to use the neck pup on my old guitar (Ibanez) becasue it was so fvcking muddy, but the Gamp;L has a sweet glassy tone in the neck position.

The bridge gives a classic twang. Add a little spring reverb and my ears just smile.

Oh, yeah, it cost me substantially less than a MIM strat @ $275 - brand spankin new!

Thanks. I've been thinking about getting a strat and the Gamp;L just seems like such a better deal, used or new.

I am near getting a Legacy or Tribute. But I can't get straight answers on them. I know the Legacy has a 12quot; radius and has 6100 Jumbo Dunlop frets, does the Tribute also have these?

Are these a better bet than Strats, USA and Mexican? I am afraid they won't have the strat feel since strats have a narrower neck and 9.5quot; radius board.

Currently I have two LPs and a Mccarty.

Mine has a narrow neck with a flat radius, feels great. I prefered the feel over a '97 Strat plus, which was wider.

I bought a 96 Legacy used from a local music shop. I played it once and it was a 'whoa' feeling. It sounded great unplugged, and any electric that sounds good unplugged sounds even better plugged in.

The pickups are great in them too. From first production till 94 they had SDs in them. From 94 on, it was their own pickups wired back in the original Fender factory. Both sets sound great. I know cause I loved he feel and sound of them so much, I bought a 92 Legacy

(Mind you, I'm getting the 92 Legacy re-fitted with a Vintage Rails/Hot Stack/Hot Rails combo )

I have a legacy, and I was totally blown away by the feel. the only other guitar i have ever played that played this well was a telecaster that once belonged to David Gilmour.

A black swirl Legacy was on Ebay over here recently. I really wish I'd had the money to get it!

I've owned 5 Gamp;L's, and really like some models, and some not so much. Also, I'd never say that Gamp;L's are better than Fender, only because Gamp;L's are so inconsistent. Many are far better than the average Fender, but many also have their issues.

I'm starting to wonder if I really like the high mass bridges. At first I did, but I'm starting to think that the bold brightness of the bridge adds pingy undertones. I also wish the saddles had a sharper break point, so the plain strings don't ever get the sitar effect I've noticed on a couple of mine. Also, their use of jumbo frets that aren't crowned properly makes some Gamp;L's have fret buzz, whereas vintage and medium jumbos don't buzz as much. Some may disagree, but I've had this experience and talked to other Gamp;L owners who've noticed the same thing.

The bottom line.....make sure you play a Gamp;L before you buy it. Buying them off Ebay is hit or miss, so buy it cheap, then be prepared to resell it if it doesn't impress you.
Of course, I've also gotten very lucky with Gamp;L's bought sight unseen. I love it when that happens, because a killer Gamp;L is something that's far better than most other guitars.

Yeah, I agree. This 1 was going for £395, the same sort of prices for a Tribute here. I'm trying to auction 1 of my kids to raise the funds!!!

i have a gamp;l legacy 1996 , and it is better than a fender strat, the pickups sound so smooth, only thing that is a little of a pain, and i mean little, is that fender parts do not fit on gamp;l strats, if you lose your pickup switch nob, or wan't to get a different bridge piece, or even buy a new pick guard, you have to buy it from gamp;l or get one custom made, fender pickguards,nob's, tail pieces etc... don't fit legacy's. but i still love it anyway, it is a solid guitar. once you go gamp;l, you will forget all about fender.

Fender who?