So since seeing Lynch Mob in Sheffield last year I have had a desire to own a GL-56. But I can't afford one so I turned my attention to the GL-256. I have been waiting on ebay for one for around the £350 mark for absolutely ages but one never turned up.
I played one donkeys years ago in a local music shop when I was looking for a strat style guitar. I really liked how it played but back then I had an issue getting signature guitars of people I didn't like and I had never listened to any Lynch so I didn't get it. The shop went under about a year later and I was pretty sure it never sold but had no idea what happened to it. Fast forward to now, about 4 years later and I'm struggling to find one so I start investigating and find out that the shop that went under had a sister shop still open about 25 miles away. It was a long shot but I contacted them and asked them if they had it and they had one in storage that they didn't know they had when they checked the system! Its an original white plate model (discontinued at the end of 2010) so its at least 8 years old but brand new! I'm pretty sure its the one the old shop had. I took it for £350 as it plays fantastic.
Its a finish only a mother could love though...
https://i.imgur.com/UmMLrvK.jpghttps://i.imgur.com/gW2CrBQ.jpgNow I like the finish - I love relic'd guitars! The neck feels fantastic - it feels played it and is super comfortable. The relic job is pretty shoddy up close but I think I can relic the relic and make it look a bit better (it has a matte sheen to the whole body that makes it look fake)
Now for the bad - the pickups are a bit lacklustre although perfectly usable - better than the 'Duncan Designed' pickups in most guitars at this price point. The electronics are noisy and theres a grounding issue. The tuning stability is poor also (but its only one or two strings that go out of tune and the nut makes that pinging sound when it happens). However I had intended to upgrade most of the guitar before I bought it anyway. I'm going to put locking tuners, a new nut and new electrics and pickups in it at the very least. I want to upgrade the bridge too - I wanted a Gotoh vintage for about £80 but it turns out the guitar has a 2 1/16" spaced tremolo and I'm struggling to find anything suitable for less that £150. I also wanted to change the scratchplate to tortoiseshell but it is not a standard shape, the screw holes don't line up with a Fender, so I have no idea where to find a suitable one and its not worth the cost of a custom one.
Acoustically the guitar sounds wonderful - it is resonant and has a lovely tone - it is naturally a very bright guitar though. Can anyone recommend a humbucker to go in it that will tame that a little? The obvious choice would be a Screamin' Demon for the Lynch thing but I'm worried it might be a little harsh.
I'm so impressed with the guitar though - it's issues are nothing that can't be upgraded which I fully intended to do anyway. The fretwork is brilliant and the frets are smooth. It is effortless to play and has such a nice natural tone that lends itself to Hendrix sort of stuff so well! I like it.
Check out my band
Coral Snake if you like original hard rock!
Comments
I don't mind the finish - to me it isn't actually a 'relic' because there is no attempt to make it look old... it's simply a graphic design that roughly replicates the look of (I assume) Lynch's old Strat.
You can have custom pickguards made quite easily - there are several companies that do it, they just need either your old guard or an accurate tracing of it.
"Take these three items, some WD-40, a vise grip, and a roll of duct tape. Any man worth his salt can fix almost any problem with this stuff alone." - Walt Kowalski
"Only two things are infinite - the universe, and human stupidity. And I'm not sure about the universe." - Albert Einstein
I know I can get custom pickguards made but from what I’ve looked into it can cost around £50 which doesn’t seem worth it!!