I would have loved to hear your take on Schecter USA as well. I feel like it would be about the same as G&L comments. I got my first Schecter USA from Sweetwater yesterday and it’s amazing. I anticipate a collection of Schecter USA models over the next coming years and the cost was about the price of Fender production models.
To be honest.. I have had 3 Kiesels and 3 products level USA G&L. But I bought a Custom Shop G&L a year and a half back. The differences you really really notice when you're playing live. It's just insanely good.
I have 2 Carvin (1986 and 1992) and 2 Kiesels (2019 and 2024). The Kiesels are the best instruments I have amongst a majority of more than 20 instruments overall. Immaculate construction and great tones and playability. The only new guitars I bought that I felt they worth every penny spend.
Love my G&L basses but out of 4, I've had 2 necks go bad and have to be replaced under warranty, now the one bass is back again for what will be the 3rd neck since I bought it. Not sure with the guitars but the basses sure have issues with the truss rods and neck stability. Lots of issues with this I read about on all the bass forums.
I have two lefty G&L guitars, first one was special ordered in 1981, a F-100 with double humbuckers. The second one I ordered in 2004 for my 50th birthday, a George Fullerton model which is a copy of a 57 strat. They will make you a lefty guitar if you want one.
like how tremonti's framus-looking prs was never put into production because they would have to add in a new building to make new shapes than they already do.
The only thing I really miss in the G&L lines verses the Fender lines are both of their wide range humbucker pickups (both AlNiCo and CuNiFe). This said, my preferred versions of the Telecaster is an ASAT, for the Stratocaster, a Comanche. I do wish G&L had a version of the Starcaster, but it was a model after Leo left Fender.
Ought to mention that G&L is a wholly owned subsidiary of BBE Sound. hmmm... Do you (Phil) have thoughts on how that benefits or hinders product quality and output?
G&L guitars are awesome. After I bought a Fullerton Deluxe Comanche, I really can't see any reason to buy another Fender guitar. The quality, sound, pricing, service...all off the charts. I do want to design a Kiesel at some point though. I love what they do as well. As far as Fender goes, if you want a true Fender today, buy a G&L.
Phil, what you say about G&L appears to not be true anymore. When you go to the “made to order” page on the new website, only one neck profile offered, only one radius offered etc. it seems there has been a shift, if you want a optioned out guitar now, they want you to order from the “custom shop” and pay an extra $1500.00 more and up. I wanted a lefty v12 Doheny, I inquired on the forum about it and was told yes, when I went to order, I was told it would have to be a custom shop guitar at a extra $1800.00 bucks, just to put the different pick ups in a stock guitar. And I’m sure it would be made on the same CNC machine as everything else.
They have unfortunately changed a lot of that over the years. I ordered a "custom order" ASAT Special 10+ years ago and I could chose from literally anything, truly a "custom shop" experience without the price. Ordered a Fallout a couple years ago, while still a great "custom ordered" guitar, but not a tenth of the options you used to have. Anything unique that you wanted pushed right to a "custom shop" guitar at a much higher price. Still a great guitar, but disappointed with how much they're stripping back available BTO options.
I’m sorry but there is absolutely *no* way Kiesel spends $1M/year on their website. Zero. Unless they are factoring in employee salaries, bridging in all IT costs, they own their own data center/hardware, etc. Even then not $1M. No way. This is absolute bravado fluff from Jeff.
$1M/year is very questionable. Perhaps that was for the 1st year, which would include design and development team, new hardware, employee training, etc.
@@stephenstarr6388 perhaps - but as you likely know - even then, even factoring in hardware/contractors to build/every actual hard cost, it still wouldn’t even approach $1M for this level of online configurator, nevermind $1M per year. If this was truly said by Jeff, there’s just no way it’s accurate unless they are being literally extorted.
I'll do it for half a million... Seriously there's not a chance in hell that their website costs $1m per year to run. Let's say they have 10 developers working full time on the site (they don't) that wouldn't come close to 1m per year. Hosting and other services cost peanuts.
@@newgunguy4176 I have seen more accurate test than this. There was a test on AGF where the guy built 3 les pauls, Mahogany, ash and maple. he simply measured then swapped the hardware between all 3. I have seen some great test but that was probably the best just because of the effort and detail. Results were as expected except maybe maple was a bit smoother than its usually described if im remembering correctly.
G&L website is a disgrace tbf. It wouldn't take much to boot it into 2024..about 1k should do it. So why haven't they upgraded it. A less than ideal experience for anyone checking out the company for the first time.
Hey this company has an awesome marketing dept.! I gotta spend my money on a company that dumps their money in to marketing rather than in to production. Marketing pretty.
also someone is being weird about tonewood in the comments again. tonewood is denied for two reasons: 1) the "skeptic" community imploded and the remnant need new frontiers. 2) understanding tonewood requires abstract thinking (which is so hard-locked behind a high iq range that I think less than 30% of the population even qualifies for it).
for example, the strings on a guitar operate conceptually similar to the diaphram on a microphone: turning vibration to sound. the common referain against tonwood is 90% "WOOD ISN'T ELECTRIC LOL" (showing the intllct of the skeptic), and 10% "it's all amp and pickups."
secondly, magnets do not have an inherent "sound." like wood vibrates differently through physical movement, magnets allow electricity to flow through them differently.
third, each component changes the tone you get out of your amp at the end of the day, and wood matters simply because it makes up almost all of the instrument.
Kiesel sales team is absolute garbage, so unfortunately, I’ll never make it to their customer service. I had a sales issue with them on a first time buy last month, and it was fucking awful. I don’t recommend them to ANYONE.
G&L updated their website. Looks a lot better.
It's hard to go wrong with a G&L guitar. I own an S-500 and an Asat Special. When I'm in that mood, nothing else will do. G&L rocks! 🎈
Always had a lot of respect for G&L. Awesome company.
Have 3 G&L Guitars and 1 G&L Bas, Tribute series, and they blow Fender out of the water!
G&L guitars are amazing!
I love G&L guitars. They are Leo’s best work.
💯
Love the g&l blues boy usa model
I actually work at the place that builds those nuclear reactors Cal worked on. We build them for the carriers and nuclear subs.
I would have loved to hear your take on Schecter USA as well. I feel like it would be about the same as G&L comments. I got my first Schecter USA from Sweetwater yesterday and it’s amazing. I anticipate a collection of Schecter USA models over the next coming years and the cost was about the price of Fender production models.
I'm a G&L junkie and own a bunch. I don't own a single Fender. G&Ls are great guitars.
To be honest.. I have had 3 Kiesels and 3 products level USA G&L. But I bought a Custom Shop G&L a year and a half back. The differences you really really notice when you're playing live. It's just insanely good.
I have 2 Carvin (1986 and 1992) and 2 Kiesels (2019 and 2024). The Kiesels are the best instruments I have amongst a majority of more than 20 instruments overall. Immaculate construction and great tones and playability. The only new guitars I bought that I felt they worth every penny spend.
my ASAT USA neck is perfect z pickups are cool too
Love my G&L basses but out of 4, I've had 2 necks go bad and have to be replaced under warranty, now the one bass is back again for what will be the 3rd neck since I bought it. Not sure with the guitars but the basses sure have issues with the truss rods and neck stability. Lots of issues with this I read about on all the bass forums.
I have two lefty G&L guitars, first one was special ordered in 1981, a F-100 with double humbuckers. The second one I ordered in 2004 for my 50th birthday, a George Fullerton model which is a copy of a 57 strat. They will make you a lefty guitar if you want one.
I'm a Fender guy BUT I played a G&L Fullerton ASAT CLASSIC and it's a. much better built guitar than fender....so G&L is my pick over fender
Oh , cool
I've always said that if I was going to spend $2000 on an American Fender, I'd buy a G&L.
❤❤ G&L 🌴😎🎸🎶🤟
G&L are real Fender guitars. IMO
If you call Kiesel, talk to Chris hong.
Great to see new video!
like how tremonti's framus-looking prs was never put into production because they would have to add in a new building to make new shapes than they already do.
The only thing I really miss in the G&L lines verses the Fender lines are both of their wide range humbucker pickups (both AlNiCo and CuNiFe). This said, my preferred versions of the Telecaster is an ASAT, for the Stratocaster, a Comanche. I do wish G&L had a version of the Starcaster, but it was a model after Leo left Fender.
With MFD , who needs humbuckers
Ought to mention that G&L is a wholly owned subsidiary of BBE
Sound. hmmm...
Do you (Phil) have thoughts on how that benefits or hinders product quality and output?
It's pronounced "nu-klee-er". Sorry, that's one of my pet peeves.
Better still, I have a ‘new clear’ window in my car…how hard is that???
Both are valid.
G&L guitars are awesome. After I bought a Fullerton Deluxe Comanche, I really can't see any reason to buy another Fender guitar. The quality, sound, pricing, service...all off the charts. I do want to design a Kiesel at some point though. I love what they do as well. As far as Fender goes, if you want a true Fender today, buy a G&L.
Phil, what you say about G&L appears to not be true anymore. When you go to the “made to order” page on the new website, only one neck profile offered, only one radius offered etc. it seems there has been a shift, if you want a optioned out guitar now, they want you to order from the “custom shop” and pay an extra $1500.00 more and up. I wanted a lefty v12 Doheny, I inquired on the forum about it and was told yes, when I went to order, I was told it would have to be a custom shop guitar at a extra $1800.00 bucks, just to put the different pick ups in a stock guitar. And I’m sure it would be made on the same CNC machine as everything else.
They have unfortunately changed a lot of that over the years. I ordered a "custom order" ASAT Special 10+ years ago and I could chose from literally anything, truly a "custom shop" experience without the price.
Ordered a Fallout a couple years ago, while still a great "custom ordered" guitar, but not a tenth of the options you used to have. Anything unique that you wanted pushed right to a "custom shop" guitar at a much higher price.
Still a great guitar, but disappointed with how much they're stripping back available BTO options.
I’m sorry but there is absolutely *no* way Kiesel spends $1M/year on their website. Zero. Unless they are factoring in employee salaries, bridging in all IT costs, they own their own data center/hardware, etc. Even then not $1M. No way. This is absolute bravado fluff from Jeff.
$1M/year is very questionable. Perhaps that was for the 1st year, which would include design and development team, new hardware, employee training, etc.
@@stephenstarr6388 perhaps - but as you likely know - even then, even factoring in hardware/contractors to build/every actual hard cost, it still wouldn’t even approach $1M for this level of online configurator, nevermind $1M per year. If this was truly said by Jeff, there’s just no way it’s accurate unless they are being literally extorted.
@@zz-.- extorted or scammed.
@@stephenstarr6388 👍👍
I'll do it for half a million...
Seriously there's not a chance in hell that their website costs $1m per year to run. Let's say they have 10 developers working full time on the site (they don't) that wouldn't come close to 1m per year. Hosting and other services cost peanuts.
PHIL MCKNIGHT TWO IS BACK
Phil did you watch the KDH video about Paul Reed Smith's ridiculous rant about tone woods in Electric Guitars?
Tonewood debate will be settled when someone makes 10 teles completely of each wood, puts the same machine-wound pickups, and compares the results.
@@newgunguy4176 Watch 'JIM LILL Tested: Where Does The Tone Come From In An Electric Guitar?' He pretty much puts the debate to bed!
No such thing as tone wood for electric guitars.
@@S-T-E-V-E I kid you, not. Barocsi still claims tone from the wood tables. 🙄
@@newgunguy4176 I have seen more accurate test than this. There was a test on AGF where the guy built 3 les pauls, Mahogany, ash and maple. he simply measured then swapped the hardware between all 3. I have seen some great test but that was probably the best just because of the effort and detail. Results were as expected except maybe maple was a bit smoother than its usually described if im remembering correctly.
G&L website is a disgrace tbf. It wouldn't take much to boot it into 2024..about 1k should do it. So why haven't they upgraded it. A less than ideal experience for anyone checking out the company for the first time.
Is that a Gibson or Epiphone Firebird?
production companies don't need as many machines or space as custom manufacturers because they only need to make the same thing over and over.
Kiesel for the win! 🤘🏻
Hey this company has an awesome marketing dept.! I gotta spend my money on a company that dumps their money in to marketing rather than in to production. Marketing pretty.
Slow wits all in the comments… you hungry for a crayon yet , sparky ?
also someone is being weird about tonewood in the comments again. tonewood is denied for two reasons:
1) the "skeptic" community imploded and the remnant need new frontiers.
2) understanding tonewood requires abstract thinking (which is so hard-locked behind a high iq range that I think less than 30% of the population even qualifies for it).
for example, the strings on a guitar operate conceptually similar to the diaphram on a microphone: turning vibration to sound. the common referain against tonwood is 90% "WOOD ISN'T ELECTRIC LOL" (showing the intllct of the skeptic), and 10% "it's all amp and pickups."
firstly, wood vibrates, and each wood vibrates differently thanks to density and composition/shape of its rings.
secondly, magnets do not have an inherent "sound." like wood vibrates differently through physical movement, magnets allow electricity to flow through them differently.
third, each component changes the tone you get out of your amp at the end of the day, and wood matters simply because it makes up almost all of the instrument.
you will also notice the skeptics will almost without variation be younger players who use a LOT of distortion.
You're paying how much for a strat copy?
You mean a guitar brand started by Leo Fender.
G&Ls are NOT, in any universe, better than Fender Custom Shop.
My problem with fender custom shop is it’s mostly just an outlet to overcharge customers for relics.
all of the G&L neck shapes SUCK
Kiesel sales team is absolute garbage, so unfortunately, I’ll never make it to their customer service. I had a sales issue with them on a first time buy last month, and it was fucking awful. I don’t recommend them to ANYONE.
Can you explain what happened?