g&l comanche

I have a tribute series s-500 and I am getting ready to purchase comanche and was wondering what some the features on it were

I have a tribute series s-500 and I am getting ready to purchase comanche and was wondering what some the features on it were

Here are some links to G&L's website:

USA Comanche, USA Comanche Semi-Hollow, G&L USA Guitar Options page, G&L USA Finishes page,
Tribute Comanche.

Also, see these posts in the G&L Knowledgebase: Current US G&L Body Finishes, Are there any "off menu" G&L options? and History of the Tribute Comanche?.

Hope this helps.

From the perspective of someone who owns a Tribute Comanche, the features are...
1. Awesomeness
2. Near-absolute versatility, the ability to really craft "your" sound
3. Flexibility - it'll cover a huge range of sounds and if you need to rely on just one guitar for a gig, this is a great choice
4. Individuality - those z-coils are pretty distinct!
5. Quietude - no 50/60 Hz hum

The downsides that I've heard of (but haven't experienced myself)
1. It won't sound like a vintage strat/tele/LP. But then again, it's not meant to
2. Resale can be harder than a typical strat copy. Can't understand why you'd want to sell it, though
3. They take some getting used to. That's part of the fun, though - see Boogie Bill's "Comanche for Dummies Redux" post

I agree with patricks. I just recently bought a Comanche, and so far it seems like a great guitar. It doesn't sound totally like a Strat, but it does have a decent amount of Strat tone; I'd describe the sound as a little more bluesy/deep, but still open and clear - It has a great sound. Plus, you can get such a wide range of sounds out of the Comanche, I might consider it more versatile than a standard Strat. Its pickups are noiseless too, which I like. The pickups are unique too, which is something I like about the Comanche. The pickups make it a very unique guitar.

I would disagree with patricks on one point- resale. I see the market as strong for Z-coil guitars. There is a larger demand from those who know what they are than there is a ready used guitar supply. I think of them at the Jeep CJ of the guitar world.

hey! sorry to hijack the op.

but regarding this, i'm torn between an S500 and a comanche.

I guess a downside having the z-shape pups is if you would like to replace them later with standard straight pups?

Please correct me if i'm wrong.

I have both Comanche and S500 ... IMHO , I think the two sound closer than any other two models G&L makes , they both have bath tub route so you can put any pick up your heart desires .... but ... I actually buy G&L's just for the specific PU combinations , Leo was the "Man" and both guitars are his design .... I also like the Paul Gagon pu's (G&L's other electronic wiz ) ..... if I had to choose between the S500 and Comanche I would probably go Comanche first just for the quietness of the pu design

I just got my guitar out of the layaway a G&L COMANCHE and I love it, she is absolutely gorgeous. I don't know what all I can do with it yet but I'm sure I will learn as I become more aquanted with it. Does anyone else have one I would love to know what all I can do with it.

:happy0065: I just got my guitar out of the layaway a G&L COMANCHE and I love it, she is absolutely gorgeous. I don't know what all I can do with it yet but I'm sure I will learn as I become more aquanted with it. Does anyone else have one I would love to know what all I can do with it.

First you've got to post some photos of your Comanche because it does not exist without photos.
To post photos see this post: Tutorial: Posting photos.

Definitely check out this post: Comanches For Dummies Redux by BoogieBill.

Hope this helps.

agree with Craig, show us a pic! Also, do read the gospel according to BoogieBill on comanches, it's good perspective.

congrats on your comanche! as others have commented in the older posts in this thread, i have found it to be very versatile with regard to the tonal variations available, those z-coil pickups are pretty special with a sound all their own, especially at louder volumes. at low volumes, and with the T and B controls rolled back a little, it sounds comparable to a strat, but not so much at higher volumes. Jake Cinninger of Umphrey's Mcgee says it's the "loudest quietest" guitar that you'll ever play. Of course he was referring to the relatively high output of the z coil pups, and the humbucking properties of the staggered single coil pups that are hum cancelling. Great for use in a club or hall with "bad power" or lots of 60 hz interference. I love it for its performance as a lead solo guitar, as well as its tonal versatility thru the 7 pickup combinations. It serves alot of different songs well.

I did have to shield the underside of the pickguard and the routed body cavities with aluminum tape to get rid of annoying static crackles from touching the pickguard. That's my only complaint. The intervention was effective.

I'm mostly a bassist, but also play guitar and I've had a Comanche since 2015. A few years ago, I installed the hotter Will Ray bridge pickup, which was an improvement and gave me enough bridge pickup punch to sell my 2001 Am. Series Double Fat Strat.

I completely agree with the others about the flexibility, and it's fantastic for covering wide ranges of material. IMO, it largely sounds like a bigger, bolder Strat/Legacy, and can get closer to a traditional S-type by rolling off the volume and/or bass control. But I think there's one exception: the neck pickup. It just won't get that scooped, glassy twang of a traditional S-type guitar, even with the bass rolled down. It's just too thick-sounding. I'd wager a good EQ pedal could get you there, because those Z-coils have a very wide frequency response. This isn't a criticism, because it's a great, useful tone, but I might prefer a slightly underwound neck pickup for a more traditional tone in that position. But hey, that's one reason I also have a traditional Strat!

I've always wondered if Leo ever considered zig-zagging the Commanche pickups in the opposite direction, so the top 3 coils (bass side) were closer to the bridge and the bottom 3 coils (treble side) were closer to the neck.

I've always wondered if Leo ever considered zig-zagging the Commanche pickups in the opposite direction, so the top 3 coils (bass side) were closer to the bridge and the bottom 3 coils (treble side) were closer to the neck.

I wonder if G&L may already have Z-Coils made that way for left-handed versions of the Comanche.