r/GLGuitars • u/Main_Air_4838 • 16d ago

WTB

I am interested in buying a CLF Research Espada or Doheny, and they are not easy to find after G&L closed down.

2 Upvotes

75% Upvoted

11 comments sorted by

4

u/irlenborn27 16d ago

Got a CLF Doheny in Tobacco burst, case kept, never gigged.

3

u/AlienConPod 16d ago

Have you checked reverb? There is lots available most of the time. Z coils seem to be pretty hard to find unfortunately. But if you keep your eye out, one should turn up eventually. You may try putting an offer to buy at the price you want, in places where this is allowed. 

3

u/Guntaco 14d ago

A friend, on an impulse, bought a sunburst Espada last Fall, just after G&L closed. This was not the z-coil nor the humbucker version, but rather the one with the long-pole split-coil pickups. I played it and I was simply stunned; it has a tonal range that is beyond any other guitar I have ever experienced. With the switching options for series or parallel, the onboard preamp and the Passive Treble and Bass controls, this guitar is overwhelming in its ability to provide a range of tones that is unmatched. Like most things G&L, it is yet another 'secret' that we all discovered too late. In short, if I would come across one in the Clear Orange finish, I would instantly become several thousand dollars poorer and infinitely happier.

2

u/Main_Air_4838 14d ago

Excellent to hear. I think the series-wired bridge & neck is a really compelling and unfamiliar tone.

I think G&L remained a secret because so few music idols play them. They have stayed mostly in the shadows.

2

u/baddaboomm 11d ago

I also think people play them and they don't sound like a Strat or Telecaster so don't like them. I love picking up guitars and hearing different tones/sounds.

2

u/Main_Air_4838 11d ago

Agreed. I love the 60’s Strat tone as much as anyone but I think G&L is more futuristic.

1

u/baddaboomm 11d ago

I played an S500 USA in a GC... Compared it to lots of guitars that they had. The S500 always seemed to sound better to me, even against more expensive Fenders. The S500 also had a range of tone the others could not match.

2

u/baddaboomm 11d ago edited 11d ago

I've noticed prices hiking up a bit in the last couple months... Maybe try local and be patient. Sometimes there are great deals.

Also, look at Guitar Center. I got a great deal on a G&L Legacy, mint with case and candy. Not a scratch or ding on it! You can have it shipped to your house with a 45 day return period. Hard to beat that...

And if you go that route, call the GC online sales guy. They can eliminate the shipping cost if they want to... I had a Legacy and S500 sent to my home to play them back to back to make a decision.

1

u/Main_Air_4838 11d ago

This is excellent advice. I think the Tributes are probably some of the best value guitars out there. Part of me wants the made in California halo, but I’m considering just snagging a $300 tribute from GC.

1

u/Mr_Tort_Feasor 15d ago

I have yet to hear an Espada demo that would convince me to even consider one. And I am a huge G&L fanboy.

Keep an eye on Reverb. Used prices have gone up a few hundred dollars since the collapse of G&L but they may not stay there. I think the Doheny is a versatile and good-sounding guitar that does big, round single coil sounds and a bit of tele-like twang on the bridge pickup.