FS: '02 G&L Comanche - Not For the Faint of Heart or Thin of Wallet

[wingsdad]

FS: '02 G&L Comanche - More Pics & Price Bump

EDITED (in red) and replacement pics showing the case change, 8-31-08. EDITS 9-20-08 in blue bumping price up $200.
I hate to part with her, but due to a set of personal circumstances that have me kicking in my value of people (my family) more than 'things', I'm forced to let some luxuries go, and so I'm putting my virtually mint '02 G&L Comanche (s/n 26509, listed in the G&L Forum's Registry) up for adoption.

I'll post another luxury item here in a thread of its own. More of my harem may follow, as needed, to see me through, 'til I'm down to my hard-core, emotionally bound & tied keepers.

This won't be on sleeze-bay or craig's list or anyplace like that; besides posting it here, I've posted this on the G&L and Tacoma user forums. I've elected not to take up my dealer's offer to consign them for me so as to avoid risking injury at the hands of clumsy, careless window-shopping clowns that can populate a guitar store. But he will be letting his regular patrons know it's available.

Here's the scoop:

Custom-built by hand with minimal if any CNC methods on Fender Avenue in Fullerton, CA.

Solid Swamp Ash body with upgrades of a Flamed Maple cap and birdseye maple Gun-Oil Tinted neck & fretboard. 22 Jumbo Dunlop frets, GraphTech nut, Schaller locking Tuners, nickel-plated brass saddles, and Leo's Fender's brilliant dual-fulcrum tremolo mech.

G&L's '#1' Neck (they offer 5 options) is a 12" radius 'C', 25 1/2" scale, 1 5/8" at the nut, 2 1/4" at the heel. Note: since they're hand-sanded (a human operates the machine), it's very possible that no 2 G&L #1 necks will be identical. I have 2 ASAT's with the #2 neck, and they are different.

The G&L 'Magnetic Field Design Z-coil' pickups are Leo's adaptation of his split-coils he first designed for the P-Bass: the 2 ceramic bar magnet halves are wound in opposite directions to render them noise-cancelling. Polepieces are soft iron, allen key adjustable, while 'traditional Strats' are Alnico mag & fixed Alnico pole pieces; MFD's also yield about twice the output per wind than those Strat pups. Controls are also quite a bit different than a Strat's: Volume, Master Bass & Master Treble (not Tone controls for 2 pickups). Besides the typical Strat 5-way blade switch, the mini-toggle is to flip her into 'Expanded' mode, which adds 2 more pup combos: bridge & neck or all 3 at once.

Never been gigged out cuz I'm strictly an old fart home-studio player, so she, and her molded hardshell case (G&L's standard case by SKB, included in the MSRP of all USA G&L's) have never been exposed to any smoke, roadies or other bar-wars hazadry. Nary a mark on her or the case. (other than a couple of surface scuffs on the case) Original Certifciate of Authenticity, wrenches and case key will accompany her to her new home.

This good-as-new (no exaggeration here...check out the added photo posts, below) Honey can be yours for $1,350 including shipping to the lower 48 U.S., professionally packed & shipped UPS (or carrier of your choice) by my local GAS Station/G&L Dealer, 90 or so miles inland from Los Angeles) If you prefer to use your own preferred shipper or you're close enough to Hesperia, CA to pick the guitar up, drop the price $50 (guesstimated shipping charge) to $1,300, you handle delivery.

Feel free to pm me with any other questions, for more pics, or to offer. I don't do paypal, and while my dealer could help handle that, I'd have to eat the fees, so a money-order mailed in advance to me helps me lower the price will get her rolling your way.

Thanks.

New pics in natural light:

 

[mrmudcat]

Your killing me over here:thwap:

 

[wingsdad]

Hey, Muddy...great to 'see' ya 'round.

Hope you're mending OK, man.

I had my left hand stomped on by a NY club owner's 'enforcer' 30 years ago when we (the band) complained we'd been shorted on the 'gate'. So I've had Les Paul's kinda arm thing ('formed to heal & set in 'playing' position) with my left ring finger and pinky since then, and I figured out how to work with it.

It'll take some time, amigo, but you'll be rippin' up those Strats & such of yours 'fore ya know it...

peace, bro.

 

[mrmudcat]

Thank you ! To top it off (you started it cause ive been not thinking guitars until seeing that *****) I go to M.F. and spotted my xmas present to me !! (goes with my strat/tele's candy tangerines nicely!!...(almost bought it on the spot but im going to hunt out a perfect piece!)

http://guitars.musiciansfriend.com/...-Deluxe-120W-1x12-Guitar-Combo-Amp?sku=481857

 

[wingsdad]

Ever seen or heard of these? Orange Rocker30
Brad Paisley used em (dunno if it was thisparticualr model) for a while til he hooked up wit Dr Z. My local dealer carries them and just got a used one (this model) that came on trade. Didn't bother to check the price, cuz I ain't shoppin'...

 

[aeolian]

I'm sorry to hear that you have to let some of your favorite instruments go. I hope you get over the hump and in the future re-acquire equivalents to these nice guitars.

I wish you good luck.

 

[duhvoodooman]

Man, that hurts to see you having to give up this beauty and that Tacoma. Feel for ya, bud!

 

[just strum]

Geez, I completely missed this one. What are you going to be left with, the ukulele?

 

[wingsdad]

Thanks, aeolian (whaddamoniker...I luv it :AOK: ) and 'vood. 'Preciate it.

Not easy. It took me about 12 years of buying, selling, trading upe, etc to get to what I thought was finally a well-rounded arsenal, no real duplication of anything, everything unique. The last piece fell into place with my Custom G&L ASAT Bluesboy in April.

Then life started happening.

Now the collection feels like a selfish, overdone indulgence.

Geez, I completely missed this one. What are you going to be left with, the ukulele?

Actually, Strummy, that's on the list of can-live-withouts. I'm going to work the list down from these 2 first. I'm having a tough time figuring which will walk the plank next, but here's what's on my Intend-to-keep-til-bitter-end list, in order of last to go/untouchable at the top:

Guild D-40
Ovation CS257
Yam 12
STRAT
MM Bass
Rick 12
Bluesboy

Nothing else is untouchable.

What goes next I may decide before these 2 I posted go. Could be an amp. Could be 2 electrics.

Stay tuned.

 

[hubberjub]

Will you take an out of state third party bad check?

 

[Algonquin]

Will you take an out of state third party bad check?

:rotflmao: :bravo::rotflmao:

 

[wingsdad]

Will you take an out of state third party bad check?

:rotflmao:
That's so funny I just jacked the prices up to $1,400 each on the Tacoma forum & took the ads for both guitars off the G&LDP. I found out I've underpriced the Comanche.

So...no, but thanks for asking.

 

[wingsdad]

I just edited the original post to swap cases with another one of my G&L's tht I'm trying to hang on to but may be on the block (black ASAT Semi-Hollow) so I can drop the price. I also made this change & lowered the price at the Tacoma forum, and will probably re-post this at the G&LDP, but the new price here for fretnetters is/will be lower.

Thanks, all.

 

[wingsdad]

It's only me, again...:whatever:

This, nor the Tacoma JK28C, isn't on e-bay yet, but they should be in about a week or so once my GAS Station dealer is done with back-to-school rental crush.

To prep for that, I took some natural light pics of some details this past weekend, and here you can have a better look at the neck shape, the action, fretboard condition and a close-up of the bridge & trem.

The guitar is virtually mint. Thanks again for taking a peek.

 

[wingsdad]

Price Bump, more photos

Howdy, there, folks...just me again :deadhorse:

Well, since putting this guitar up for sale nerly a month ago, I've watched 2 less-dressed USA Comanches go on e-bay. Each went in no more than 7 days. The last one, with no figured or flamed maple body cap, a $400 MSRP upgrade, and no Gun-Oil Tint on the neck, a $200 MSRP Upgrade, had a BIN price of $1,275 and went for a Best Offer accepted of $1,155 -- where I had this one priced until now. The standard molded case is part of the guitar's base MSRP:

scored on e-bay 9-17 for 1155

I've talked it over with my local dealer, whose store has an e-bay store, but who also e-bays vintage or unique pieces on his own, and he feels that if he put it on e-bay for me, he'd put it out with a fairly low minimum bid to get action going, but place the reserve on it at $1,400, since the guitar today, with the upgrades it has, would have an MSRP of about $3,050, and this one, although a 2002, is virtually dead mint.

So I decided to bring my price up here to $1,350. I've taken it off the G&L Discussion Page Market Place and Tacoma Users Forum. I can't get to my dealer's this weekend with it as I'd planned, but it will go there next weekend and with that, to e-bay.

EDIT: Until then, though, I WILL consider an offer from a fellow-fretter for the $1,150 including shipping price I'd had it here at since 8-31. But once it goes to e-bay, I'm pretty certain it will go for at least the reserve amount. That might even be set at $1300. The point is, I'm trying to clear at least $1,100 on this sale, and e-bay's fees will bring it down close to that, unless a winning bid comes in high. There a very few used USA Comanches on the market, even at G&L's largest retail dealer, Buffalo Brothers.

So...here's a few more of the pics I took last weekend for the e-bay posting:

Here's how you find out the precise vintage of a USA G&L; serial numbers on headstocks are only approximate indicators, and tell nothing of true manufacture date, like, say a Gibson's precise serialization scheme:

thanks for your time...

 

[Rocket]

Last chance. If one of y'all Fenderheads doesn't snap this up, it's mine by next weekend.

 

[just strum]

If I had the cash, Rocket wouldn't have had time or need to post the previous comment. I don't know if it is just a sign of the economy, but if you know G&L, then you have to know this is a deal. I've only known about G&L for a short time and these are the kind of deals I can kick myself for knowing that it has to pass me by.

 

[Rocket]

I'm not a fenderhead... I don't own a single tele or strat. I know if I buy it I won't play it, it'll just become a part of my closet collection. I'd rather see it go to someone who can use it and appreciate it... but I won't let it pass off to eBay.

 

[tunghaichuan]

Bump for an awesome guitar.

I sooooo wish I had the cash for this one.

tung

 

[Rocket]

Going...

 

[Rocket]

Going...

 

[just strum]

I wish, but I have what I need.

Go ahead, I think you will warm up to it or you can sell it to one of your Fender loving friends.

So, post - GONE!!!

 

[Rocket]

Yup, gone... too late!

 

[Katastrophe]

I'm not a fenderhead... I don't own a single tele or strat. I know if I buy it I won't play it, it'll just become a part of my closet collection. I'd rather see it go to someone who can use it and appreciate it... but I won't let it pass off to eBay.

Congrats, Rocket! I really hope that you do play that guitar when it comes in. It's too beautiful to be ignored. :AOK:

Just curious, why no teles or strats up to this point?

 

[just strum]

Congrats, I also hope it doesn't end up as a closet dweller. You never know, you might become a Fender Head. Ok, maybe not, but I'm sure you will enjoy it.

Make sure it comes with candy.

 

[wingsdad]

Thanks....and Congratulations!

Yup, gone... too late!

Y'all are jes gonna luv this here gee-tar!

:AOK:

Make sure it comes with candy.

:thwap: Hey...whaddaya think I am? Sweetwater? oke:

 

[evenkeel]

Congrats Rocket, and a very big "nicely done". :bravo:

 

[Rocket]

Just curious, why no teles or strats up to this point?

I've had em... just never kept em.
I prefer the 24-3/4" scale, humbuckers, and lower maintenance of the Gibsons. Fenderheads make me crazy with their incessant search for "The Tone"... (really someone else's tone).
Just get a LP/decent amp(h) and get your own "tone"!

 

[just strum]

Fenderheads make me crazy with their incessant search for "The Tone"... (really someone else's tone).
Just get a LP!

or a 335 (I'm not an LP guy)

I'm like Rocket when it comes to the choice of the two. I like my Fender and I enjoy playing it, but the humbucker attached to my Dot just is so much more pleasing. The P90's on the Wildkat ain't bad either. Someday a real 335 will reside at my house.

 

[wingsdad]

... I prefer the 24-3/4" scale, humbuckers, and lower maintenance of the Gibsons. ...

First of all, here's a more serious Thanks, Rocket: :bravo: :master: :dude: :beer:

Well, as you know from our little offline chats on the Comanche, there's no getting away from its Fender-like 25 1/2" scale or 12" radius...but...

It's setup as it leaves my possession is flawless, with 10-47's. Dunno if that's your gauge, but with the 25 1/2" scale...?

Unlike a Fender Strat, you're gonna find this G&L is low maintenance. The bridge is solid and the saddles are a snap to set any way you like. The dual-fulcrum, 3-spring trem system works as smoothly as melted butter and backed up by the graphtech nut & string tree, doesn't stick out of tune like my 6-point Trem on my '81 STRAT. There's so many ways you can/have to mess around with the number of springs and whether to sling 'em straight or cross-ways, all depending on what gauge strings you're using...:thwap:

As for your preference for humbuckers? The hum-cancelling reverse-wound Z-coils elminate a Strat's annoying tendency to attract 60-cycle hum or RF interference. No need to shield the cavity. And if you like to set individual string polepiece height, you've got that. And the Expanded mode's particular option for pushing all 3 pups simultaneously can deliver serious humbucker 'meat'...fiddle around with the Bass & Treble Cuts.

You just might like this 'Fender', cuz it's really Leo's Fender, not CBS's or anyone else's Fender Brand.

I'm really looking forward to your review of this guitar once you've taken her around the block :rockon: a few times, Rocket.