G&L Comanche Shoreline Gold

This USA custom Comanche features:

• Shoreline Gold on Alder, 7.8 pounds
• Satin clear maple neck, Rosewood fingerboard
• Modern Classic neck profile, 9.5" radius, 1-11/16 nut width
• .820" depth 1st fret, .870 at the 12th fret
• Medium jumbo frets
• G&L split and drilled tuners
• Tortoiseshell pickguard
• (3) G&L MFD Z-coil low noise pickups
• Black pickup covers
• G&L Dual Fulcrum Vibrato
• Volume, passive treble and bass controls
• 5-way pickup selector
• Mini-toggle for seven total pickup combinations
• Plek® laser guided fret finishing
• Deluxe tolex hardshell case
• Made in Fullerton, CA

While the G&L Comanche and Legacy share the same body, sonically they are very different in personality and nature. The Z-coil design uses G&L's patented magnetic field design construction utilizing a low resistance coil with a ceramic bar magnet underneath. That may sound like a P-90 -- sort of -- but they don't sound like a P-90 at all. The low resistance/inductance coil provides very broad frequency response but also very good output. The Z-Coil pickup is actually two MFD coils wound in series -- like a Humbucker -- for hum-free operation and low noise. The side-by-side construction also gives them Humbucker-like output but with enhanced clarity and dynamic range. It's a very "Hi-Fi" sound with a broad, even frequency response that is very open and sensitive to playing style.

The neck position is powerful and full bodied with a strong midrange presence. Its tonality is somewhat similar to a moderate humbucker but with better note definition and attack. It does not have the scooped mids of a traditional Legacy neck pickup, but we urge you to experiment to the wide range of shadings available with G&L's passive bass and treble controls. The middle pickup is bold and "stringy" and sounds very much like a traditional middle pickup but with more presence. The bridge pickup has tons of sparkle, but enough roundness on the high end to avoid that icy, edgy tone that Strats are notorious for. The Alder body adds lots of punch to the midrange frequencies and ample low end.

Thanks to the strong output of these pickups, the in-between sounds are especially punchy and tasty. If you're type of player that loves the neck + middle and middle + bridge settings, the Comanche just kills these type of tones with lots of attack and clarity. In addition, the mini-toggle switch also allows selection of neck+bridge or all three pickups which is a great smooth rhythm setting. And like all G&L Legacy-style guitars, the passive Volume, Treble and Bass controls give added flexibility to roll off the treble for added warmth, or roll off the bass for a leaner traditional single coil sound. With MFD pickups, the best tones are not always full up, and we like the Comanche with the volume around 7-8, which slightly softens the attack, and allows for more picking nuance.

The Comanche also makes a really good "pedal" guitar. The strong midrange content, balanced frequency response and low noise operation is great for driving distortion, and modulation type effects with plenty of punch, sparkle and harmonic detail.

The Z-coil Comanche is not new, but for those who have not tried it, the Comanche offers a unique and flexible take on the S-type format. It's a powerful and dynamic instrument that can sound a little 335-ish, belt our righteous crunch tones, and still quack and cluck like a vintage instrument. If you are in love with the shape and feel of a Legacy style guitar but yearn for more power and presence, the Comanche is just the ticket.