Has anyone gone the “Build to Order” route with G&L?

[Jakedog]

And if so, are you pleased?

I have two USA G&L basses that I love very much. Was thinking of going “Build To Order” for my next guitar. Just wondering if others have been as happy with the experience as they thought they would be.

Also wondering about all the possible options. Chief “wants” for me would be an ASAT Special with no tummy cut, and only side dots for fret markers. No fretboard inlays. Do they do stuff like that or is it mostly just special colors and stuff?

 

[frank a]

I’m toying with a double bound sunburst with a rosewood neck. I have an ASAT which I love!

 

[BigDaddyLH]

Ask how long the wait will be. I ordered my ASAT Special several years ago, so I can't say the wait would be the same for you, but a baby would have been gestated quicker! Then it arrived and it was perfect.

Have you seen the options list? https://glguitars.com/cs-guitar-options/

"No inlay, just side dots" isn't listed there, but I asked if they could do it, and it was no problem.

 

[runstendt]

I did the option-order when I got my semi-hollow Bluesboy and it was a great experience. I love that my guitar didn’t exist until I asked for it to. It was built exactly how I wanted it, and it’s been my number one instrument since the day I brought it home. It helps to go to a good dealer who can help explain what the options mean. Regardless of where you live I recommend going through Northeast Music Center. The owner, Jack, is a great source of information, an amazing luthier, and just a wonderful guy in general. He’ll help you pick out the right guitar for you.

 

[Jakedog]

Ask how long the wait will be. I ordered my ASAT Special several years ago, so I can't say the wait would be the same for you, but a baby would have been gestated quicker! Then it arrived and it was perfect.

Have you seen the options list? https://glguitars.com/cs-guitar-options/

"No inlay, just side dots" isn't listed there, but I asked if they could do it, and it was no problem.

View attachment 1057539

Ok, that’s custom shop. Which is not out of the realm of possibility, but I think, unless I’ve misunderstood, is different from the “build to order” guitars. My understanding was that “build to order” is more like Fender’s “Mod Shop” options.

Beautiful guitar, by the way.

 

[brookdalebill]

My late friend Carl ordered a lefty Legacy Special with a few custom features.
Admittedly it was long ago (90’s), but he and it sounded great.
I also lucked into a similar model, with someone else’s custom features.
At about the same time, I had a righty hardtail (top loader) Legacy Special, in transparent dark green, with an ebony board and 1 3/4 inch nut width.
The customer who ordered it returned it for some reason, and I bought it at a great price.
It was a superlative guitar, but I foolishly traded it off.
I’d love to have another like it.
The Shop I work at (Guitar Rez) sells G&L.
We recently got a super cool custom order ASAT in Andromeda (flip/flop/black sparkle) for a customer.
GREAT guitar!

 

[BigDaddyLH]

Ok, that’s custom shop. Which is not out of the realm of possibility, but I think, unless I’ve misunderstood, is different from the “build to order” guitars. My understanding was that “build to order” is more like Fender’s “Mod Shop” options.

Beautiful guitar, by the way.

Ah, I see. I think you'll have to call them and ask. When I got my guitar, it was pre custom shop, or there wasn't a distinction between it and build-to-order. I really wanted a T-style guitar with a 1 3/4" nut and a ebony fretboard, so I went that route.

 

[MickM]

Around the mid 2000sI ordered an ASAT semi-hollow with no F hole with standard Tele style pickups. Color was translucent orange which was beautifully done but the "tinted" neck was more like light orange with a couple too big bright orange splotches on the fingerboard.
I should've declined it upon opening it at the shop but took it home and liked the way it played and sounded. I eventually got into "real Fender Teles" and sold the orange ASAT along the way.

 

[mfguitar]

The other guitar player in my band ordered one. The guitar was fantastic, and a great build. I thought at the time the price was fair enough and the wait time was not bad at all. As far as options I cannot speak to what they offer, this was a couple of years ago.

 

[johnnyASAT]

I did it two years ago and was very happy with what came through the door. Best guitar I’ve ever played but that’s not saying much. It did take a close to a year after being told 10 weeks, but that estimate happened like days before supply chain stuff got even wonkier than it was and I can’t imagine that it’s much better now. I will say that they were relatively communicative with my dealer about the whole thing and the final price was the same as my initial quote despite inflation really kicking in during the wait. If you’re prepared to wait option order is, imo, worth it.

 

[Blues Twanger]

Ok, that’s custom shop. Which is not out of the realm of possibility, but I think, unless I’ve misunderstood, is different from the “build to order” guitars. My understanding was that “build to order” is more like Fender’s “Mod Shop” options.

Beautiful guitar, by the way.

Correct, they have different processes for Build to Order and Custom guitars. If it isn't on the Build to Order sheet it goes through their Custom Shop and will take longer.

The quality of any of the Build to Orders guitars I've had has been great, they play especially nice.

Unfortunately I don't have a guess as to current lead times, they may have changed greatly in the last couple of years since I last got a quote.

 

[runstendt]

I mentioned my G&L plenty of times, but I don’t remember ever actually including a picture of it. The cap for the selector switch was lost during a windmill chord, but asides from that she’s as good as the day I got her in 2015.

 

[Swirling Snow]

I used to work for a dealer. They didn't have the current system with "Fullerton" models - every display we ordered was "custom" built. We kept a variety of options on display, and about half the people would special order. I'd say the average response was "ecstatic".

Very few people turned them down, mostly "That wasn't the color I expected!" reactions.

 

[johnnyASAT]

I used to work for a dealer. They didn't have the current system with "Fullerton" models - every display we ordered was "custom" built. We kept a variety of options on display, and about half the people would special order. I'd say the average response was "ecstatic".

Very few people turned them down, mostly "That wasn't the color I expected!" reactions.

They are phenomenal guitars. Touching mine for the first time was definitely a Sword in the Stone moment.

 

[derekwarner]

Well, as Frank a notes......

"double bound sunburst with a rosewood neck",

........pretty good choice Frank!

"possible options?"

For ~~~~$20.00, a set of Schaller aftermarket [or other] "locking guitar strap pegs"........be you as an armchair, or stage performer.........these are the cheapest form of accidental fall/drop insurance you have

Once installed, they provide a psychological understanding and feeling of security.......then also use a quality 90 degree jack lead ........[many a tear has to fall] of straight jacks & Tele's

I find the WEB site for G&L instruments as listed here, to off a huge variety of cosmetic options for a G&L special build, however surprisingly from the background of the Company, they appear to omit such a simple option as "locking guitar strap pegs"...

Derek

 

[Swirling Snow]

Any dealer you order from can supply either choice, and some depend on that service charge to offset the deal they give you. Also, it's an even split, so which do they offer? Both? Then, back to the dealers - they have them in stock, anyway.

 

[boris bubbanov]

I read every post on the G + L board, for a long time. My takeaway was, process is cruelly slow, and as each of these made to order guitars has their own personality of sorts, a significant percentage of the guys who ordered, traded their babies away in fairly short order.

I think, much more than FMIC (even the Custom Shop guys) each USA G + L guitar is its own thing. Which is why, I suppose, I looked at maybe 30 G + Ls in stores over 3 years and ended up buying 5 - which I all still have. Some of those others would've been fine for someone else - not me.

So, no I never did get one made to order. Too much like buying a guitar long distance, that you've never laid hands on before.

 

[posttoastie]

I live about a mile away from G and L Guitars. It is a very small location in a commercial complex. They do have a Plex machine. Good luck Jakedog.