Difference is clear as day. One’s blue, one’s orange.

Fun Fact: one can purchase G&L parts from electronics to bridges to bodies to necks to fully built B stock guitars and basses...directly from G&L. Name a part on that guitar and you can *just buy it* which if you think about it for a second...nobody else does that, much less down to the screw. Bonus - they're competitive/reasonable in price compared to mainstream aftermarket components or OEM replacements.

G&Ls in general deserve more love. Even the Fullerton US models are a steal. Such great guitars.

Thank you! 🙌

Holy Crap, I won the Comanche! What kind of beer do you boys like

I am fortunate to have both a '03 Fullerton-CLF and a '15 Tribute Comanche. I had both at the same time for awhile and found them both to be awesome guitars. They both sounded great and as Ryan showed, you have a greater ability to shape the sound with the PTB tone knob system. The tribute in my opinion was a greater value because the quality/cost ratio was more favorable, but the Fullerton-CLF was absolutely one of the top 3 finest guitars I have ever owned and played. The neck was sublime and the build quality coming out of G&L USA is second to none in my opinion and it is the only guitar that I regret selling to the extent that I contacted the buyer and offered him a premium to get it back. I still have my G&L Doheny (offset) and love it. My advice is that if you have $700 get a tribute and if you can swing it, get yourself a Fullerton. Also don't be afraid of the used market, they are a "secret bargain" to be had because resale is usually lower than other brands.

Thank you Ryan. Best show ever. But I'm biased because I just love all things G&L!

If you did this style of vid with every US made vs. import, I'd watch them all. I'm not a strat guy, but I'm absolutely captivated.

Thanks for this thorough close-up comparison on the details that set the two apart. Based on this, I'd be happy with either of them - but I'm sure I'd be even happier with the Fullerton. It's good to know that it offers a superior experience.😉

One of the many nice things about G&L is that nobody generally cares about them. As such, you can find deals on them. I recently grabbed a new Fullerton Deluxe Doheny HH for $1299 out the door. A steal. Anyway, Tribute or USA, they’re great guitars. And why other makers don’t offer some similar type of PTB system is a long standing mystery. Thanks, Ryan!

The Tribute tuners are easily upgraded with GraphTech Ratio tuners. They're a drop in replacement. You don't even need to use any of the adapter plates, since the Tribute tuners and the GraphTech Ratios are both two-pin design. I have them on my MIK S-500 and MIK Legacy, and I know they'll also work on the MII Tributes.

The bass roll off knob is super cool. Reverend guitars have it on most of their guitars. They are really easy to do too with a little soldering.

Very Cool, Thankyou. Both awesome Looking and Sounding Guitars. Amazing "Jam Mix" playing near the End. Nice Work. All the Best. Cheers

Great video! I’m a bass player but seeing the differences is fascinating and since I’m looking a some G & L basses….. Thanks for your vids!

Thanks for this! It reminded me to pull my white Tribute Comanche out of the closet and mess with tones. It was very nearly in tune after being put away for months. And you're right the wiggle stick works like a dream and mainly stays in tune. I did have to level the frets when I got mine but otherwise it's perfect. And I finally got that Hendrix neck pickup tone I always looked for on this guitar (treble cut 3 and pick over the neck pup).

My #1 guitar is a roughly 2008 US Comanche. I swapped the bridge pickup for the hotter Will Ray Z-Coil (which I don't think that they make any more). It takes a little while to get used to the PTB tone system, but once you put a little time in, it's super flexible. It came with a hardshell case, and I got it with locking tuners, a Graftech nut and string tree, and matching headstock color. I also have a US Legacy Special, and a Tribute ASAT Special. All mighty fine guitars, but the Comanche gets almost all the play time.

Thank you for this video. I own both tribute and fullerton S500s and Legacy's, they are both giggable guitars, but USA versions offer that extra attention to detail that make them worth it. I'll never sell my G&L's

Thanks Sweetwater, you definitely know how to help a local San Diego boy great content, we will buy you guys Carne Asada Burritos when you visit us

Can't wait to watch this after work. I have Tribute Fallout that I started out making my own recordings on. I recently got a used Fullerton Deluxe Fallout (for the "wiggle stick") and its one of the best made guitars I've ever played. The Tribute is amazing.

Great comparison video!!! I traded a new American Standard Fender Tele for a new G&L ASAT in the mid 90's... best trade ever! The ASAT was a keeper and I still enjoy it today. I'd be curious to know if the material of the hardware on the Fullerton and Tribute are different metal alloys. If I had to guess, I'd say yes.The quality of the Fullerton may not be close to 3 times the quality, but if you want the extra (premium) quality that's the price you gotta pay. I'd love to get a Comanche... and although I'd prefer the Fullerton, my wallet says Tribute.

Ryan, it is pretty simple to do that bass cut mod- although to do it exactly like G&L does it you will need a 1Meg anti-log potentiometer. They are "easy" to find in 16mm diameter sizes, but on 24mm size it's a bit harder (not impossible). The rest is pretty easy to do. I do offer this option on all "strat-type" guitars that drop on my workbench for a setup/electronic service/maintenance. And also the toggle switch option. Because, in my humble opinion, the PTB circuit is a (big) step further the usual strat circuit. Leo knew better.

Your point about Strat knobs being slippery for pulling up was well taken. I replaced knobs on both my Donner DST-400s for just that reason. I even selected a contrasting color for one guitar, so as to "color code" the knob with the push-pull pot. I tried to find out what the sustain block material is. No joy. Even G&L's own site doesn't tell. It DOES say that the saddles are brass, though, and they are clearly chrome plated, so maybe the block is the same. It seems less than likely to me that the plating would do anything to the tone or sustain, but it would look a trifle better to some. A brass block is usually a good thing, though they can be heavy.

Ryan, this is spectacular, like it's so in depth there really aren't many videos that go into this much detail. Would you consider doing this with like a Fender player and a American pro, or perhaps a Player plus vs American Ultra

And yah honestly the paint job/finish and the high polished gloss is one of the reasons it's better. The finish on my fullerton Doheny Lake Placid Blue is freaking beautiful, the nicest LPB polished paintjob i've seen in person. I was very close to getting the American Performer with the satin Lake Placid Blue as that looks beautiful in person, but those paintjobs are way easier to mess up and scuff and crack and all sorts of nonsense. I was honestly not that big a fan of thick gloss/clear coating until I saw how they polish it to look like glass basically. It's completely changed my mind on highly glossed finishes. As another commenter mentioned even their gloss necks on g&l are nice so I actually am interested in trying that even though I swore off of gloss necks years ago. If there's one thing they do right over there it's freaking polishing. everything polished. The neck and fret ends I imagine are slightly better too. G&L does clearances on their website of b-stock or messups and the ones that are just the paint jobs miffed are a good value.

Excellent video and great way to compare them in a way that makes sense to the viewer. Kudos!

It was really fantastic that GL gave you the chance to do this experiment.

I was lucky enough to pick up an NOS G&L SC-2 a few years ago. Apparently, the music store I got it from bought out an older music store that had stuck it back in the warehouse/back room 20 years before. They had a few other models and I should’ve picked those up while I was at it because I got it at a great price. They even ran it through a FLEK machine. Absolutely a fantastic guitar.

I appreciate this review. I recently bought a used Tribute Comanche on reverb for a little over 400 bucks. It's a fantastic player. G&L for life!

I need to try a Fullerton one soon, so far it has all the sounds that my Strats have. Not offering a PTB circuit was a miss for FMIC.

Good review!!! Q. Are the neck pockets the same? In other words, are the pickup height to the strings the same? Also weight difference?

I have a Tribute Comanche in Olympic White and I love it! Having large, long fingered hands, I prefer the chunkier Tribute neck to the Fullerton version, but that's a personal preference. Aesthetically, I also. like the push pull better than the little toggle that looks like someone's aftermarket add-on. As for tone, both versions have the same pickups and sound about the same to me, though I did replace the plastic nut on my Tribute with a Zero Glide that's a big help in maintaining tuning stability. All in all, to me the Tribute is a lot more bang for your bucks than the pricey Fullerton version.

the Passive Treble Bass control is genius , I love my 2 tributes for that one reason ! I just don't wanna play any other configuration now :P

An interesting thing about the Tributes is that occasionally Cort (the overseas manufacturer) will do limited runs of instruments without being prompted by G&L. I picked up a limited edition Tribute Comanche last year for $850 that had a burl cap on the body with a roasted neck and locking tuners. I love it. The only issue I had was with the 5-way switch (as you noted), which was having problems with the contacts inside, so yeah, the controls are generally lesser quality on the Tributes. To your point about the bridge, I think the major difference between the bridges is the mass. The USA bridge (including the hardtail) are fully chrome-plated brass, while the imports are (I think) plated aluminum.

I absolutely love G&L. I have a Tribute S-500 and its my favorite guitar i own. I would love to try an American made G&L

The tribute has a ground wire soldered to one of the springs where the Fullerton didn't, won't be able to remove the spring without soldering. Just bought the tribute used yesterday and glad I did after watching your video. Good job thanks.

I have the Fullerton Deluxe Comanche. I absolutely love it. When I got it, it was having some issues staying in tune though. Since I actually live in Fullerton right up the road from G&L, no problem. I called them, drove on down and they dialed it in PERFECTLY! They also swapped out the regular tuners for locking tuners...no charge! It plays like an absolute dream now. I can go nuts on the tremolo bar and it just won't go out of tune no matter how hard I might try. They also swapped out the .10's for .09's and re-setup everything...again at no charge. Anyway, great video and as for G&L, they make GREAT instruments and have wonderful customer service!

Managed to nab a Fullerton blue burst Comanche second hand for 850 bucks! It needed a bit of work done but nothing complicated. Now it plays like a dream. What a guitar. Those pickups are really something special

I have a 2019 Tribute with the burl top finish and roasted maple neck. A few months ago I found a CLF USA version for a great price and I took the plunge. G&L was nice enough to run the serial number and tell me the manufacture date, 2001, neck profile and wood type. When I bought the Tribute I had a USA PRS. The tones on the Tribute were so good that it became my #1. Now my CLF is. There's a difference between the two guitars, mostly in the neck. The tribute is a little wider and has a flatter radius. It's also heavier than the American model. My rig is a Helix and I found there was no need to change tones on any of my presets. I've owned Strats, Les Pauls (I have one now) and other premium guitars. This guitar gives me all the sound, output and tones I need. My LP is for heavier, chunky rock but if I had only the G&L I'd be happy with that .

I own a two of those Fullertons, the Orange Metallic and a Clear Ash body. The Ash has a maple neck and is brighter. For me those little upgrades are worth it. I also have a older 2019 American Fender Ultra Strat when Fender rereleased them in Plasma Red. All three has newer stock noise canceling single coils. Those G&L’s really shine under stage cans, no hum, and actually hold tuning better than the Ultra Strat. Thanks for the video

First time here. I like the tones of the pick ups. I’m typically an SG guy with P-90s. This guitar in either model is very versatile. Well done G&L.

Well I missed this by a few months & I was going to by a new Player series strat since I sold my 79 American one (I know I was soooo stupid) but I saw the G& L on the site have since done a 180 ! Well I want that Fullerton But my budget says Tribute so we’ll see what happens….lol. GREAT video btw! I’m so glad I saw this before I went and bought that Strat. 😊

G&L built me a Legacy Special in ~1997 and it is so comfortable and versatile and looks great. 👍🏻

About the "jangle" vs. "smooth" sound, is it possible the original pickup height adjustment on the Tribute was correct for the pickups? Just a thought.

G&L sells those tuner sets for $70 off their site. I love them (I have two Fullerton G&Ls) and just bought a set for partscaster I'm building.

I've owned two tributes and two USAs (well, technically three but the third was modded to hell by a previous owner and ruined), all of them second-hand and nowhere near two grand. My very first was a Korean Tribute ASAT Special that was solid and reliable and sounded great (those overwound MFDs are real noisy, though). in 2012, I got a 1999 USA ASAT Classic that I still own and love. Last year, I got an itch for an S-style, so I found a used Tribute Legacy, which was just fine but not exceptional. Then I stumbled upon a stupid cheap custom shop S-500 and fell in love. It played beautifully out of the box. My ultimate conclusion was that Tributes are good guitars and one of the best values out there, but I've never really bonded with them. I instantly bonded with both of the USA ones and will never let go of either. That said, in practical terms, I'm pretty handy and could probably spend a little time and money working on a Tribute on things like frets, upgrading tuners (see previous post), and maybe little things like switches and pots that would get the Tribute close if not on the same level. But my love for those guitars isn't really practical. It's just a feeling of holding an instrument that is perfect down to the last screw and solder. And I also feel like pickups and electronics account for at least 90-95% of the guitar's sound (player notwithstanding), but little things like tonewoods and just generally being well put together makes that last 5-10% significant and where the magic happens. Worth $1300 difference? Not to me, but I also know you can get great deals on used USA G&Ls if you have a little patience (just a little patience).

Best comparison I have seen on KZfaq. I am in the process of humming and harring over putting an offer in on an Indo Comanche as I write this. Talk about a timely stumbling on to your site. If I get it (highly likely now), its all your fault buddy. I'll get back to you. Cheers from Australia, Ken.

Wow. Cool comparison

Were the strings grounded on the orange one? I looked closely and never saw a ground wire going to the claw in the trem cavity, and I never saw a ground wire in the control cavity when the pickguard was removed. I'm just wondering if I missed it somehow.

Great video concept. There could be a more compact edit. Subscribing now!

I like the teal one .I think the raddle is the nut .this was a perfect comparison great job . I want to cross wire those pick up soo bad .thanks!

Love the Color on the DeLuxe Comanche! I used to have a Dodge Avenger in that color. Chrysler called it Copperhead Orange. I miss that car, as much for the paint job, as anything else. That car turned heads going down the street.

I got a Comanche Tribute from Amazon (2019). Knowing what I know now I would have immediately returned it. The spread of the pole-pieces were identical on all 3 pickups, consequently the strings were mis-aligned with the pole-pieces except for the neck pickup. (Pole-piece spread should be different on each pickup to accommodate string spread). The high-E string was completely mis-aligned with the corresponding pole piece (bridge) and very wimpy sounding. I had missed the return window. I could not find any options via G&L to replace with correctly designed pickups. I changed the angles of the middle and bridge pickups so that strings were in much better alignment with pole-pieces. I really butchered the pick-guard to make it happen. I could order a new custom pick-guard but I decided it looks kinda cool with the exposed wiring. I know it very likely was an Indonesian bean-counter's decision to put bad product out but I'm disappointed with G&L in letting that happen. I haven't even considered another G&L product since then.

Ryan, I don't recall if you've looked at any MusicMan guitars before. I bring it up because the price difference between US MusicMan and "Sterling by MusicMan" is more drastic. Would that be another good video idea? Good examples are Cutlass HSS or St. Vincent. The price difference is nearly 4:1. That would be a good video!

31:44 I wonder if the smoother tone (vs the jangle that "editor Ryan" mentioned in the pop up) is coming from the pickup height adjustment. Part of me wonders if they tuned it for the same sound regardless of height and by trying to normalize the two by height it may have given the Tribute a disadvantage for tone.

I watch (usually) on my computer. 16" screen with earbuds. I own a G&L U.S.A. Legacy made in 1995..Love It!!!!

yes you got the sound comparison spot on! better stuff lasts longer.

those are beautiful! theres this purple legacy at the local guitar shop i go to alot and its the nicest strat ive ever played with the smoothest trem!

I would like to have verified pickup and pole piece adjustment. If these pickups seem that dissimilar then there is an explanation beyond esoteric differences in paint, etc. These sound like two completely different guitars. The abundance of low mids in the USA is a strong clue to the possibilities. I wish more time to investigate the concrete differences had had their due diligence. That said the format of the video was great! Would watch a lot more of this style content.

I have two G&L guitars, a Fullerton Doheny (JM) and a Tribute Legacy (Strat). I ended up setting up the Legacy with Lollar pickups and electronics more similar to a standard strat setup. The Doheny is still stock. I love them both. I'll never part with the Doheny. If you're in the market for any Fender guitar and the label's not important, try a G&L. Tributes are superior than 99% of MIM Fenders I've played. My Fullerton feels better than any standard American JM, closer to Custom Shop quality. TWO PRINCETONS SLO-MO!

Router took a dump, thanks for the comparo Ryan. We are lucky to have Sweetwater in this country. At almost 3x the price I expect some cool inlay work on the fretboard.

I have the Tribute G&L ASAT deluxe and I dig it. The neck is wide though so more complex chords can be challenging but for playing leads it is a blast. I'd recommend to anyone looking for a humbucker Tele.

Some players prefer a push-pull switch. Some players prefer a push- push. Philadelphia Eagles players prefer a tush push.

Im definitely late to the party, but you playing Green Onions spoke to the Chicagoan in me 😂

As a Fender Fanatic who is very happy with my Strat, I must admit if I was in the market for an S type today, I’d buy the $700.00 Tribute over Fender’s $850.00 Player easy.

Difference in sound sounds very like a difference between full maple neck with more bright tone, and a maple neck covered with rosewood or similar with little less bright and additional middle tone. If that Z-coil pickups in both guitars a same with same resonance peak, than that could be that difference in sound. And btw there is available models with neck pad for cheaper guitar. So in the end they possibly could sound almost identical.

It’s interesting to hear the differences between the two price points. I think I liked the sound of the Tribute better, but I also think it would come down to the difference between rosewood vs. maple fingerboards. I prefer the sound of a maple board-I can hear the difference-but I like ebony better than either. I have a hollow ASAT Z-3 with a bound ebony fingerboard, and it sounds and feels great. It doesn’t have the PTB setup, though-just a treble-rolloff tone control. I’ve used it for all kinds of gigs; I even played it on a big-band jazz gig once, and it sounded like a big jazz box. I didn’t dare use anything but the neck pickup on that gig!

Ryan G&L makes a big deal about how their MFD pickups are only made in the US and whatever model of Tribute you buy the pickups are the same. I own an ASAT Special (Jumbo MFDs) and Comanche (Z-Coils) in the Tribute versions and love them. They also say the bridges are the same, US made, but you have shown that some of the hardware is cheaper on the Tribute, the bridge body is the same. BTW the MFD pickups and bridges were both designed by Leo Fender, some of his brilliant last designs. The PTB circuit is special and I wish all my guitars had a low-cut. I did change the knobs on my Comanche to a design that is easier to pull up. Love G&L! I own 5 tributes, G&L does not get the love they deserve.

This video was a great idea. I’m not an expert on any of this, but maybe these comments will add to the discussion: Yes, you can put the passive treble-bass tone control in another guitar. There are schematics and wiring diagrams online. The original design used a one-meg reverse taper pot for the bass cut. The bass cut knob wiring in the video showed a capacitor on the bass cut pot that is not in the original circuit. The pickups on both guitars are made in G&L’s Fullerton factory. You pointed out the extra wires coming from the pickups. The earliest Comanche models had a toggle switch for each half of each pickup. For example, you could turn on the pole pieces for the lower three strings of the neck pickup and the pole pieces for the higher three strings on the bridge pickup. The pickups are called magnetic field design (MFD) pickups. They are radically different than the pickups used in Fender guitars. Leo Fender decided he had done all he could do with the slug pole pickups used in the Fender guitars. He designed a pickup that used a ceramic magnet. However, the MFD pickups went way beyond the type of ceramic bar magnet pickups found in lower-priced guitars. You might have noticed that the pickups on the Comanche guitars have adjustable pole pieces. This offers an additional way to change the sound. The Fullerton Comanche neck appeared to be thinner than the Tribute neck. At one time, G&L offered a choice of neck profiles for the made-in-USA guitars. They may still do that. That might account for the difference. The differences in the body are puzzling. It would seem that G&L could run the same CNC program in the Indonesia plant as they do in the Fullerton plant. The difference in the guitars, besides the different components, appears to be in the fit and finish. For example: polished frets; the nut is cut better; the metal imparts are smoother and shinier. I suspect that tumors time is spent on quality control in the U.S. factory. Also, many G&L employees have worked there for a long time and have developed a high level of skill. Has anyone ever compared the U.S. PRS guitars to the SE series? Maybe Sweetwater would go for that! All in all, this was a great video.

lol I love the ptb circuit from g&l, my uncle has an old g&l that had that circuit and I have since always modded my strats to have that highpass knob, it's fantastic and I am always astounded that its not more common.

Different body wood For the price difference, they have a different sound but the tribute is fine Too bad they don't come with roasted maple necks ‼️

I own a Tribute Comanche and love it. Regarding the tonal difference between the USA and Tribute, they are slightly different but they sound like they come from the same family. In fact, outside of the side by side comparison, I doubt that very few people would hear the difference if played separately. My only knock on the Tribute was that it had a tiny bit of peach fuzz on the frets at first. It was noticeable but not enough to bother polishing the frets, I just played it in and it's fine. Regarding the price difference, the Tribute is a compelling value. I also owned, but foolishly sold a USA S500, selling it was a huge mistake. I'm now considering buying another S500. The question now becomes, USA or Tribute for the future S500.

I've got two Fullerton G&Ls. A Legacy and an ASAT Deluxe. I love them more than any Fender I've owned - and I own a lot. The Legacy is superb, but the ASAT is sublime. It's such an amazing guitar that, IMO, kills any Tele made.

Good comparison. 27 inch monitor, Sony headphones. Did I miss it? Or was there a discussion on the difference in the rosewood fingerboard, That must be a little more money. I would prefer the rosewood

USA G&Ls are among the very best Fenders short of a tip-top custom shop specimen, and have been for decades. A used one is perhaps the best value electric guitar purchase going.

G&L are underrated instruments. I have a 1990s Legacy Special and it feels amazing in my hands, just a joy to play. I never could get the stock Gotoh blade pickups to work for me. However, they didn’t sound bad and I could imagine them being perfect for another player. At any rate, traditional single coil pickups are easy to find and my Legacy Special is now one of the nicest “Strats” I ever played.

And no those bridges don't really rest on the body btw. I found that out with my doheny when i got it. It also takes a little more technique and skill to adjust it at least compared to the trem on my strat that I know exactly how it's gonna react. With this one you have to get the combination of the post hole heights and the springs to play together in a way that you like. They're made to be floating, but it stays in tune way better than my strat does when it's floating.

"If those dates sounds like they're in the past, then you've already missed it" - Well, it _is_ already the 23rd of October according to my calendar, but I live in NZ, so it must still be the 22nd in the US! 😁 And I'm watching this video on my laptop, and the orange colour of that Fullerton G&L does look great indeed! 😊

When you compare US and imports, it is very important to also compare things like "string spacing" at the nut and at the bridge, "tremolo bridge posts spacing", and neck radius (at nut and at neck joint if it's a "compound radius") ... to do so you need 2 tools : a good professional vernier caliper, and the "StewMac Understring Radius Gauges Set".

After buying a Fullerton deluxe doheny first, I'm totally ready and willing to try the tribute, every review I've read or watched says they are fantastic, and it's mostly all the same hardware, i think except the tuners?

Great comparison! I'm really interested in this guitar model. But it's clear, a higher quality is more expensive. The sounds of the tribute series are really good. I would like to have the bronze block in the Fullerton version...

Just ordered capacitors to do the bass control mod on a couple guitars.

Watching on a big screen tv, I usually watch on a tv and then if I really like the video listen on headphones through my phone while at work. Love your videos, don't always watch the whole video, but often.

Great comparison. They do sound different, but both sound great. If I only owned one guitar Id spring for the Fullerton probably.

I have a custom G&L S-500 and a tribute ASAT. The fit and finish is much nicer on the custom, but the tribute is fine too, no glaring issues.

Great video, thank you sir‼️ Looks like I need to find two grand 😂 After all, orange is my favorite color.. and I need a rosewood fretboard🧡 This is a super high quality S-type guitar 🎸

I bought my Tribute Comanche when 1st issued. On mine quality is high & I have the switch just like the orange guitar & the hardware is polished to a high luster like.the orange guitar. Anyone who plays my Tribute Comanche finds it hard to stop. I love the "Z" pickups, great mix of humbucker & single coil sound. Funny, my Fender American Deluxe Strat has the same pickup selection switching (volume is a push button same function as the toggle on the G&L). I got the Am. Deluxe a couple of years before the G&L After the audio comparison, they cheapened the import. I have the Rosewood fretboard & Tobacco Burst body.

You're probably right about them using a slightly different shaped bit to bevel an round the edges of the two guitars but it could just be that while the Tribute bodies only receive the merest lick of hand sanding after coming off the CNC, with the Fullerton they take more time to hand sand and soften the edges. As for the tonal difference I wonder whether maybe that comes down to Poplar vs. Alder bodies and Maple vs. Rosewood fretboards but it seems quite a big difference for all that. Difference in bridge block material likely comes into play too. For the tone controls, yes, you can put that same wiring scheme in any S style or other guitar with 3 knobs easily. Just look up Reverend or G&L tone control diagram or just copy what you see on these two guitars. I have put the same style controls on my LTD Eclipse 1000

The obvious cost of labor comes into play. If the Tribute were made in the US, (with the same materials and workmanship), I would guess it would be double the price. They are both reasonable options once you are fully informed on what you are paying for. Thank you for making the video, you are a true wordsmith.

Yup - I can see the more rounded radius on the Fullerton. Fender did the same thing on my 1999 Deluxe Strat. Belly cut was deeper too.

can a metal flake paint job with a silver base coat provide shielding? also those little pigtails are to connect the two split coils. in > coil1 > pigtail > coil2 > out

I enjoy this type of video, especially getting to take a peek into the internals. The swimming pool route in a $2000 guitar does bum me out a bit and without videos like this I'm not sure how I would find that out before a purchase. I hope you'll do more of these videos, maybe the Sterling vs Music Man Cutlass.

G&L has the absolute best color finishes. They have the best Oranges and Blues and even one called Emerald Blue that they feature every now and then, among others. The Fullerton's stand out is Pharaoh Gold Firemist (I know because I have one) and of course the Irish Ale is one of the greatest finishes on any moderately priced guitar line, like the Tribute series. Having owned both The Fullerton CLF and the Tribute, I can say that both options are the best guitars to be had at their respective price points. The Fullerton exceeds most premium guitars made by other brands and the Tributes are just blowing away the midrange guitars like Fender MIM and Epiphone models. PRS SE models are comparable, but they are a different animal for different players. As an extra bonus for new buyers, the used market has not caught on to "Leo's secret guitar", so you may still find excellent Tributes for $3-400 and the Fullertons for under a grand on your favorite used sites.

60% of string vibration occurs at the neck. Maple is brighter, especially unplugged. It’s real

I have grown to quite a fan of G&L. I own 3 ASAT T-style Fullerton guitars and a custom Doheny. I have had my eyes on a Fullerton Comanche… a burst on Sweetwater. This video has pushed me a bit closer. As Ryan said several times… thanks Sweetwater!

I bought a tribute Comanche a couple years ago. Plays and sounds beautiful

I bought a Fullerton Commanche last year for studio recording and am very happy with it because it's great quality and quiet. Between these two, there is a small difference in sound, most likely due to rosewood vs. maple, a slight adjustment in sound could compensate one way or the other. You can't go wrong with either one. Generally you'll save alot of money by going with the tribute, but I got my Fullerton used and at a nice discount. Thanks for posting.

The fret wire looks different ...Tribute has a wider, flatter surface while the Fullerton 's are narrower, with more of rounder surface all the way across. Thaks for the closeups!

How do i watch? My computer is hooked to my big flat screen t.v. and i kick back on the couch with a wireless keyboard and mouse. Same way i watch everything.

Why not stainless steel frets in the high end model?

I have a few tribute G&L's I love them.