Nothing official seems to be in the music instrument press but it sounds like G&L Guitars is winding up as a going concern. Their workers were furloughed last week and were told on Monday they were going under. There’s rumors that Fender is in talks to buy them out (likely to get Leo’s NIL and toss the rest) but nothing is confirmed.
Huge bummer for those who’ve worked for them for a long time and are losing their jobs. As someone who thinks the Jumbo MFDs in my ASAT Special are the best pickups I’ve ever heard I’m bummed to think they’re going the way of the dodo, and it wouldn’t make any business sense for Fender (if indeed they’re buying G&L out) to keep making a product line that would cannibalize from their own product.
Re: Interesting Gear Developments Thread
702Every G&L I've ever played was a better version of whatever Fender it was based on.defendyachtrock wrote: Thu Oct 02, 2025 1:04 pm Nothing official seems to be in the music instrument press but it sounds like G&L Guitars is winding up as a going concern. Their workers were furloughed last week and were told on Monday they were going under. There’s rumors that Fender is in talks to buy them out (likely to get Leo’s NIL and toss the rest) but nothing is confirmed.
Huge bummer for those who’ve worked for them for a long time and are losing their jobs. As someone who thinks the Jumbo MFDs in my ASAT Special are the best pickups I’ve ever heard I’m bummed to think they’re going the way of the dodo, and it wouldn’t make any business sense for Fender (if indeed they’re buying G&L out) to keep making a product line that would cannibalize from their own product.
Re: Interesting Gear Developments Thread
703Good update!eephus wrote: Wed Oct 01, 2025 3:15 pm This is done. I was able to make the amp cut out, which was a bummer, but on restart...i couldn't. So there's some gremlin.
The boards have pretty robust failsafes, so it's probably overheating a tiny bit or something. The module I used is 1200W soooo it do get hot.
Will, again, advise.
Oh also--I drive both channels by using one of the EA passive splitter boxes.
Jensen transformer, no notable loss in level when using it vs running directly into a given channel.
EDIT: I'm pretty sure I was pushing the input too hard. I tried tapping back the pedal input into the little gain stage that Kerry added, and I couldn't make the amp gag.
It sounds terrific.
Did you use it at the recent shows (with the awesome/ridiculous four 1x15" setup), or is it still too new/untested?
Re: Interesting Gear Developments Thread
704That sucks. Definitely cooler than the Fender offerings. The MFD pickups are really cool (and sold separately at a reasonable price).Kniferide wrote: Thu Oct 02, 2025 3:48 pmEvery G&L I've ever played was a better version of whatever Fender it was based on.defendyachtrock wrote: Thu Oct 02, 2025 1:04 pm Nothing official seems to be in the music instrument press but it sounds like G&L Guitars is winding up as a going concern. Their workers were furloughed last week and were told on Monday they were going under. There’s rumors that Fender is in talks to buy them out (likely to get Leo’s NIL and toss the rest) but nothing is confirmed.
Huge bummer for those who’ve worked for them for a long time and are losing their jobs. As someone who thinks the Jumbo MFDs in my ASAT Special are the best pickups I’ve ever heard I’m bummed to think they’re going the way of the dodo, and it wouldn’t make any business sense for Fender (if indeed they’re buying G&L out) to keep making a product line that would cannibalize from their own product.
Re: Interesting Gear Developments Thread
705Glad to see the love for these pickups. It seems like more times than not when i see folks playing a g&l those pickups have been replaced w something more conventional. A shame really.
I still love my sb-2 dearly.
I still love my sb-2 dearly.
Re: Interesting Gear Developments Thread
706MFDs are cool pickups, but they've always to me seemed like a company with zero identity or meaningful value proposition.VaticanShotglass wrote: Fri Oct 03, 2025 8:56 am That sucks. Definitely cooler than the Fender offerings. The MFD pickups are really cool (and sold separately at a reasonable price).
Re: Interesting Gear Developments Thread
707To some extent I agree. They exist(ed) purely for people that become "G&L dudes". G&L dudes won't buy a fender and kinda look down their noses at Fender guitars. I think G&L were reliably a better feeling/built version of their Fender counterparts but not by any huge margin. The Strat things ( i don't know their models) might as well just be a strat, Same with the Tele things, though I think the pickups on those look kinda dumb (like a 80's japanese knockoff). They really fucked up their Jazzmaster thing by putting that switch in the wrong spot and putting the jack on the side though. Huge fail. Wouldn't buy. They pretty much feel like a good modern JM though. Well built guitars you paid Well Build Guitar money for.mdc wrote: Fri Oct 03, 2025 12:01 pmbut they've always to me seemed like a company with zero identity or meaningful value proposition.
Re: Interesting Gear Developments Thread
708Well, I've often found their tele-ish things pretty tempting. If it had a better pickguard design and kept the short scale I would have been all over their mustang-ish thing years ago. Actually, I think about a decade ago, they did make a cooler version of that one. And yeah, the Jazzmaster one is kind of just gets the body shape down. Could have been much cooler.
It was also kinda lame that they started offering more traditional versions of their strat/tele models. I think their overseas production models were pretty good, no?
Anyway, Reverend has managed to do a little better of setting themselves off from the norm with a more rounded out alternative design profile.
It was also kinda lame that they started offering more traditional versions of their strat/tele models. I think their overseas production models were pretty good, no?
Anyway, Reverend has managed to do a little better of setting themselves off from the norm with a more rounded out alternative design profile.
Re: Interesting Gear Developments Thread
709No, the gagging happened as soon as I got it/abused it for the first time, so I left it behind.benadrian wrote: Thu Oct 02, 2025 4:25 pmGood update!eephus wrote: Wed Oct 01, 2025 3:15 pm This is done. I was able to make the amp cut out, which was a bummer, but on restart...i couldn't. So there's some gremlin.
The boards have pretty robust failsafes, so it's probably overheating a tiny bit or something. The module I used is 1200W soooo it do get hot.
Will, again, advise.
Oh also--I drive both channels by using one of the EA passive splitter boxes.
Jensen transformer, no notable loss in level when using it vs running directly into a given channel.
EDIT: I'm pretty sure I was pushing the input too hard. I tried tapping back the pedal input into the little gain stage that Kerry added, and I couldn't make the amp gag.
It sounds terrific.
Did you use it at the recent shows (with the awesome/ridiculous four 1x15" setup), or is it still too new/untested?
Used the power amp section (going into effects return) from my Tone Hammer and a Demeter Minnie.
It sounded good, but it had a very slightly bi-amped sound that I don't prefer to the way this new thing sounds.
I can't make the new one gag now. I'll see how it holds up in practice.
Re: Interesting Gear Developments Thread
710Can't think of a different thread to post this in, but the bassist from Foxy Shazam was playing an EGC bass in the finale of Peacemaker:
Current Bands: High Priors | Maple Stave
Old Bands:
www.bracketsseattle.bandcamp.com
www.burnpermits.bandcamp.com
www.policeteeth.bandcamp.com
Old Bands:
www.bracketsseattle.bandcamp.com
www.burnpermits.bandcamp.com
www.policeteeth.bandcamp.com