Fender American Strat VS Competition Shootout | Fender vs G&L vs Maybach | Thomann

[@pabloboqueron7788]

Congrats for the demo, Kris, great as always! Just a word of advice regarding G&L, that seems to be in the weak position comparing with the other two because it is "too thin". In fact, G&L Legacies are, in a way, closer to classic Fenders Stratocaster than current Fenders are. When tone controls and volume are all open, Legacies give thin, crystaline sound, very convenient when you want to do some funk or surf. This is even more obvious when you cut low frequencies with the PTB System. But if you just roll down volume to 8 and treble tone to 6/7, you will be now in the Fender Stratocaster territory. So, in a way, with a Legacy, you can get almost every sound that you'd get with a Fender Strat, plus some more when all controls are open.

[@dominolexington9435]

Also the real stars of this video are the "Almost this famous riff, but just different enough to not get in trouble" riffs! 😁 @1:58 Yeller Leadbelly @2:35 Smooch @3:05 Captains of Charleston @3:36 The Rando @5:20 Pleasant Place Mobile

[@nihiabstracto]

Perfect comparison, not too long, not too short, we have all the info about setup and pick up used. Please make more video like that ! The sound is very different ! Very interesting !

[@VeitLehmann]

I liked the Fender best for most sounds, although the Maybach sounded really nice too, especially with bridge pickup and overdrive. However, I found it to be a little too polite when played clean. The Fender has that nice bite and sounds just like it should, clean and with drive. The G&L had a different kind of bite, more towards the the treble region, and lacked body, especially when overdriven.

[@MrJemabaris]

The Fender sounds (as it should) like the real thing, the Maybach has a bit of a different flavor, but still sounding really nice. The G&L is kinda the loser for me here. It sounds too thin and misses some lower frequency punch (imho). It might be suited for very percussive funky playing but I can achieve that sound with the two other guitars with some EQ as well. Cheers!

[@dejadejayoutube]

shoutout to shootouts, when they are done well they are a great resource and i always appreciate hearing a sweet player too👍

[@ThomannsGuitarsBasses]

Thanks a lot man! Cheers //Kris

[@henrysu5100]

Well done comparison. The tone differences were definitely noticeable even through KZbin. The G&L definitely had more "spank" due to the high end but seemed to lack all punch on the lower strings. The Maybach definitely had more bass response but it seemed to lose some of that "sparkle" you expect with a S type guitar. The differences were noticeable but not enough that i would refuse to play any of them. A slight tweak of tone controls would probably "fix" any of them to my personal preference. It would have been interesting to also hear the Silver Sky you had hanging on the wall in this context.

[@dominolexington9435]

I agree completely. The Maybach (white one) was beefy, the G&L was thin, and the Fender was right in the middle. Playability is huge though. I wonder if you could put the Fender's neck on the Maybach and see how that goes.

[@lasombra_br]

Love the shootout. Really interesting sounds. I think a shootout of the affordable models would be great.

[@ThomannsGuitarsBasses]

I'm more than happy to make that happen. Thanks Ingo! //Kris

[@yogawithsteve9386]

The Maybach obviously had the warmest and fullest tone of the 3, even through phone speakers. The G&L definitely thinner than the others, but I thought it had a bite that the others lacked, and I can imagine lots of styles, and mixes, where that would be an advantage. The strat- well it was like a strat!! Great comparison Kris. ✌🏼🤘🏼

[@dominolexington9435]

That "thin" tone would suit a funky James Brown kind of part, I think.

[@yogawithsteve9386]

I agree, and also an overdriven, aggressive sounding lead line.

[@KrenarCilkuGuitar]

We know it's the Maybach, Kris! 🤣 I can't express enough how amazing Maybach guitars are! A production line Maybach, be that a Lester, Albatroz, Teleman or Capitol is direct competition for Custom Shop Fenders or Gibsons, yet, they cost almost the same as a regular productio line Fender or Gibson. Totally worth every penny and if you're in Europe, it makes much more sense to buy a Maybach since you're getting a lot more for your money. Not to mention, they also have the Nick Page custom shop. Those guitars are special!

[@szymonszymanski3]

I really liked the Maybach but Fender has something about it. G&L sounded little bit thin to me but that's a personal preference. Nice tones Kris.

[@achimdg6335]

So what about the best position of them all? Position 3, the middle pu alone, the best sound on a strat. Why not play all five positions, why only four of them?

[@purplecats1642]

Thanks for a good comparison video. First point : all guitars are the same fretboard wood, rosewood? I'm assuming so. That's very important! Second: you play the same riff on all guitars. Third : same gear used for every guitar sample. Fourth: you actually show the pickup or combination being used in each example. This is how a comparison guitar video should always be made! This should be a template for others to follow. Awesome, so great and professional or even "scientific," haha! As a result, I liked the Maybach best. The other major thing that can't be known by watching or listening is of course the "feel," of the guitar. That matters too, but by sound and tone alone, I would pick the Maybach! Thanks again for a superb comparison demo, so many others out there don't understand how to control the factors/variables in such demonstrations.

[@jasoncrago7068]

At the end of the day, all of these guitars still sounded great. To me it’s all going to come down to the feel that’s going to be more comfortable for you to play. EQ and effects/different amps/playing technique, will all have a major impact on sound and recording. They all cut it, in my opinion and will sound totally different anyway with your own gear. Me personally, I love versatility and the feel of a guitar. Can’t say that any of them were better than the other unless you’re wanting a specific tone.

[@jclarke1097]

The Maybach is my favorite. Now I have to see if I can get one here in the States.

[@allanflippin2453]

Kris, Thanks, good review! I vote for an econo shootout. For example, Sire S7, Harley Benton Fusion III, Sterling Cutlass. Just none of the sub $200 please :D

[@georgeraz1781]

The Fender killed it in the in-between positions, while I liked the G&L in the neck and bridge positions. The Maybach just sounded dull all the way

[@timkannard7646]

I'd like to see a shootout between a EBMM Stingray and a Fender Meteora bass.

[@kasperdavide5174]

Informative Shoot Outs are always cool. A Shoot Out for Teles, Single Cuts, Jazzmasters, etc ... in a similar price range are interesating for me. Also shoot out at other price categories are interesting.

[@ThomannsGuitarsBasses]

Cool man, thanks for the input! I'll be on it! :) //Kris

[@thierrypica2183]

This test make me want to try a Maybach. Next Time maybe Xotic vs Suhr vs fender CS.

[@robertranford5574]

Nice shootout Kris! 👊 Agree with everybody’s observations here. The G&L had the thinnest tone, at times tinny even. The Maybach is on the other end of the tone spectrum. Not good or bad, just different and each may be useful depending on the vibe you are going for. A custom shop group or an entry level group comparison will definitely be informative.👍

[@SombraDeLaMosca]

The Fender for Disco and Funk!, they Maybach for Rock! and the G&L, don't know really, Country?? Great video, perhaps next Fender Player, Squier and Ibanez?

[@MichaelMacherey]

A custom shop group or an medium level group comparison will definitely be informative.

[@craigthomson3621]

The G+L tone can be significantly altered using the guitars controls (which operate differently to that of a Fender Strat), and the guitars tone can be made much less thin sounding. Would have been interesting if you had a G+L S500 available as the MFD pickups on that guitar can be easily varied sound wise by the adjustable pole pieces. Interesting that when Leo left Fender his first new design - the MusicMan - was quite a departure from the Fender Strat, yet his last design - the G+L - came back closer to a Fender Strat. I own an Fender American Professional II and a G+L USA Fullerton HSS Legacy.

[@circaSG07]

anyone who's played a g&l will know that the Passive Treble and Bass knobs would have addressed it's thinness. In this comparison, it sounded thin, but I am extremely confident that if the bass knob had been rolled higher, that thing would have been the beefier of all of them if he really wanted. Unfortunately for this video, I feel as though the G&L didn't get its tone run properly.

[@GraniteSoundtrack]

Yes custom shop version and really affordable too

[@explorervango880]

More comparison videos would be nice. It is better when you explain how you feel playing them and the differences more than the shootouts where they give no opinion or context and just the demo playing each. We can’t always get all of these in person to have them in our hands and if we can not always at the same time in the same store for a side by side comparison. Living the the USA there are no Maybach (sad face emoji).

[@TheKaves2]

Make a HB vs squire vs fender Mexico

[@macauley70]

nice...other round we need weight please

[@samsmart111]

Out of the 4 guitars that we could see in this video, I'd go with the silver sky that is hanging on the wall 😉

[@orlandogustar1717]

The Maybach gets my vote! The look ,the sound & the vibe....(crazy it may sound) the style of the headstock makes me drool(I'm a headstock guy) ....I'm dreaming already

[@biohazard8295]

Did you get it?

[@guillaumeghanty4633]

Hello Kris, could the Maybach be rather compared to custom shop range guitar?

[@ThomannsGuitarsBasses]

Pretty much, yes. Or let's say, with the new Fender American Vintage II series. Very similar vibes and quality, except for the light aging on the Maybach of course. //Kris

[@guillaumeghanty4633]

@@ThomannsGuitarsBasses Thanks Kris! 🙏

[@kyle9667]

I think a true comparison between the affordable versions and the crazy expensive custom shops would be interesting. What does all that extra $$$€€€£££ get you? Particularly if you put them through effects.

[@1301markus]

Great Video. Like Always. I missed a bit Japan made guitars. Maybe a FGN Expert Odyssey, or a Vola...

[@ThomannsGuitarsBasses]

Thanks and you're so right! Next time! //Kris

[@mcfek7575]

3:12 sultans of Lucky

[@SomeKindOfMadman]

I dug the Maybach, sounds better. A Custom Shop shoot out would be cool. Thanks for the upload Kris

[@ThomannsGuitarsBasses]

Thanks man! Yeah I'll be on that custom shop comparison soon. Cheers //Kris

[@Oilid]

"I'll use 2 amps... because it's fantastic!" 🤣🤣🤣🤣👍

[@ThomannsGuitarsBasses]

It's true though 😆 Cheers dude! //Kris

[@joermnyc]

G&Ls are a different beast because of the tone knobs, there’s a certain setting (I think it’s less treble, and volume down a little) that gives a more “Fender Strat” sound, after all these are Leo Fender designed guitars, just evolved from more experience building guitars. I’d be interested doing an A-B of the G&L Legacy and S-500 (Fullerton or Tribute models). Are the MFD pickups in the S-500 better than the traditional pickups in the Legacy. 🤷‍♂️

[@tjtj3829]

Unless you have the same brand and weight of guitar strings on it's not a fair comparison?

[@PaulCooksStuff]

Changing things from factory spec makes it an unfair comparison too. Compare them vanilla, factory spec that we get if we buy one, then we have a comparable baseline for how they sound. If we have our own personal preference in string brands and gauge, we probably already know what small tonal change that usually makes from standard.

[@markbass354]

YAY KRIS IS HERE

[@ThomannsGuitarsBasses]

Hey Mark, I'm always there where cool guitars are. They're like magnets. Haha! Cheers man //Kris

[@markbass354]

@@ThomannsGuitarsBasses VERY NICE I WISH I COULD PLAY A COUPLE OF BASSES THERE

[@GreenyBlues]

The G&L just doesn’t sound as good as the others. The Maybach tone is the one that appeals most to me. Much warmer and fuller. I’d like to see an affordable shootout - Squier vs Harley Benton etc. Seems like there’s a lot of good value and tone around these days.

[@ozgurcemg]

We go custom wooooo!!!

[@kyle9667]

The Maybach has a great sound. Fender sounds like Strat. G&L sounds more like my nephews Squier Affinity. Has it's place, but thin, tinny and like it's in a coffee can.

[@AzureSky_Music]

I preferred the Maybach on all the clean settings and the fender on all the dirty settings

[@rigodon97]

Do the same with a G&L Comanche, we'll see which one is too thin 😅

[@Furtheronmusic]

Both a custom shop cbs an affordable version welcome

[@GermanPichinao]

Maybach rules!

[@stevendegoodmojosmet4034]

Wow in my ear The Maybach was miles better clean, but not with gain.. Great guitars .

[@gcvrsa]

I don’t think shootouts like this are really very useful, because no one is going to use guitars like this in real life. In real life, we pick up our instruments and adjust the amp to get the sound we want. So, if one guitar is a little brighter than another, we’ll still dial in our individual preferences on the amp and pedals. You’d get similar variations if you took three otherwise identical guitars and just put different model pickups in them.

[@ThomannsGuitarsBasses]

It really depends on your goal. If you don't want to mod the guitars and want a certain strat tone without constantly twisting the amp knobs, I think this is kind of relevant. But hey, everyone has a different approach and that's absolutely awesome! Cheers //Kris

[@lucwilson1]

Yes - “custom shop” shootout

[@SpecialReserve]

The G+L is weaker of the three, the Maybach is the best alternative. But not being a Strat man, the Strat wins.

[@PaulCooksStuff]

Is Guillaume really on holiday, or have you locked him in the cupboard so you get to do the strat shootout? 😜

[@ThomannsGuitarsBasses]

Pssst 🤫 Don't tell everyone. I think it's safe to let him out now. The video is online. 😆 //Kris

[@nicolaebreaban8154]

The Maybach sounds the best to my ears.

[@mivani84]

Now G will make a tele video 😂

[@ThomannsGuitarsBasses]

Haha, no way! 😂 //Kris

[@jasonhall947]

I thought the Maybach sounded best.

[@walterppk1989]

The fender has a thing and so does the maybach. Don't like the gnl

[@geteese]

Maybach is the best

[@PooNinja]

Strat, mmm I’m more a super strat kinda poo, JEM it up!!! Or go seea a Pia!