Pricing and availability
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Description
The G&L Rampage is more than just an electric guitar; it’s a nod to the legendary Jerry Cantrell and his deep-rooted connection with G&L guitars. A perfect blend of style and substance, the Rampage is a solid body electric guitar that promises to deliver not just on sound but also on playability and durability. Crafted with a contoured soft maple body and a hard rock maple neck, it offers a comfortable grip and a sleek finish. The Kahler vibrato tailpiece is perfect for those expressive dives and bends, while the humbucking pickup designed by Paul Gagon ensures a rich, high-output tone that resonates with clarity and power.
Cantrell’s personal modifications are a standout feature of this guitar, including the recessed Kahler tremolo to support lower string action for effortless playability. The addition of a Floyd Rose locking nut provides enhanced stability and sustain, making it a reliable choice for both stage and studio. With just a master volume control in its signal path, the Rampage offers a direct and clear sound with minimal interference, emphasizing the purity of its tone.
For musicians who seek a seamless blend of tradition and innovation, the G&L Rampage is a worthy companion that captures the essence of Cantrell’s iconic sound while offering modern enhancements for today’s players.
Key Features:
- Contoured soft maple body and hard rock maple neck
- Ebony fretboard for smooth playability
- Kahler vibrato tailpiece for expressive sound
- Floyd Rose locking nut for superior tuning stability
- Humbucking pickup designed by Paul Gagon
- Recessed tremolo for lower string action
- Single master volume control for clarity and enhanced output
Reviews
Owner Insights
We analyzed real musician discussions from forums and Reddit to find what players love, question, and tweak about G&L Rampage.
Features and functionality
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The Jerry Cantrell Signature G&L Rampage's Tribute models have Kahler tremolos, while the newer USA models feature Floyd Rose tremolos.
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The Chinese Tribute models are identifiable by black nickel hardware, distinguishing them from Indonesian models with straight black hardware.
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The vintage G&L Rampage models featured a Schaller humbucker designed to Leo Fender's specifications, offering a distinct tonal quality.
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Tribute Cantrell models use a G&L-made "Jerry Cantrell wind" humbucker, praised for its unique sound compared to other options.
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The USA Cantrell model includes a Seymour Duncan JB pickup, the same model Jerry Cantrell used for classic Alice in Chains recordings.
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Jerry Cantrell currently opts for a Motor City Afwayu pickup, or a custom wind similar to it, reflecting his evolving tonal preferences.
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Value and pricing
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Tribute models are priced around $1500 due to rarity, but they are not American-made, which some consider overpriced for the features offered.
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Mods and upgrades
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Owners suggest replacing the Kahler tremolo with a Floyd Rose Original, which costs about $200, for improved performance.
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Comparisons
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Similar guitars from brands like Schecter, ESP/LTD, Kramer, or Ibanez may offer better value with comparable features.
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Some players prefer the Tribute "Jerry Cantrell wind" humbucker over other options for its distinct sound, despite the wide range of available pickups.
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The Rampage is single-humbucker, while the Superhawk offers dual humbuckers, catering to different tonal needs from blues to hard rock.
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The G&L F-100 and Fallout are recommended as alternatives for versatility, with the F-100 offering dual MFD or standard humbuckers.
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User experience
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Owners have found the Indonesian Tribute models to be consistently good, while the Chinese Tributes produced in 2009-2010 are often considered fantastic.
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An owner regrets selling a 1987 Rampage due to its rarity and unique appeal, highlighting its desirability despite limited availability.
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5.0 out of 5
Based on 0 Reviews and 1 Rating
Artist usage
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Used on every Alice in Chains record up to at least 2009, as stated in this June 1998 Guitar World interview and in this December 2009 Guitar World interview.
Guitar World, June 1998, "Jerry Cantrell Unchained" by Mac Weingarten
GW: Tell me about the gear you used to record the album.
Cantrell: A lot of it was the same stuff I used with Alice. The Peavey 5150 head that Eddie Van Halen gave to me, a lot of Marshalls, some Fenders, Soldanos – a bunch of different amps. We just switched it up based on what the song called for. We used a lot of old Rat pedals, and an Electro-Harmonix distortion on 'Jesus Hands'. We also used some vintage crappy mikes on a bunch of stuff. [Producer] Toby Wright used this mic he bought for $20 at a pawn shop on 'Keep The Light On'.
GW: How about guitars?
Cantrell: Pretty much the same guitars I used on the Alice records: the G&L Rampage, the '52 Goldtop Les Paul, some old Strats and Teles. I bought Nancy Wilson's Les Paul Jr. and used that a lot on the record. I've got a new Fifties-era Les Paul that Gibson sent me that I really like a lot. On certain songs, I mixed up the guitars. Like on Dickeye, I had the Goldtop on the left channel, and the white Les Paul reissue on the right.
Guitar World, December 2009, "Jerry Cantrell: Facelift)" by Andy Aledort (published online on January 5, 2010)
G&L Rampage guitars have shaped the sound of every Alice in Chains record. Now the once-discontinued model returns as a Jerry Cantrell signature guitar, complete with a spruced-up feature set.
As the creator of such crushing grunge rock masterpieces as “Man in the Box,” “We Die Young,” “Would?” and “Them Bones,” Alice in Chains guitarist/singer/songwriter Jerry Cantrell is well-known for his distinctive sound and playing style. Part of that signature tone originates from his unique choice of ax: his 1985 G&L Rampage. But the journey that led Cantrell to this particular guitar was circuitous.
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Cantrell discovered a burgeoning hard rock/metal scene in Dallas and, especially, in Houston, where his favorite club, Cardy’s, featured early incarnations of Pantera. The guitarist soon landed a job at Arnold & Morgan Music, a store in Dallas. “We could just smoke pot and play guitars all day long,” Cantrell says. “It was a really great job for a 19-year-old kid.”
One of his buddies at the shop had a Rampage, and Cantrell fell in love with it right away. “From the very first time I picked it up and played it, it just felt right to me,” he says. “It was designed to blend the playability and high-end sound of a Strat with the darkness and full-bodied sound of a Les Paul.” Though some Rampage guitars were built with bodies of ash or poplar, “my Rampage is an all-maple guitar,” Cantrell says. “The neck is hard rock maple, and the body is maple, too. Also, it has one pickup with one volume knob. I’ve never had the need for a lot of knobs or switches, so the design has suited my needs perfectly.”
Cantrell’s primary Rampage is tuned to what he calls “standard Alice in Chains tuning”: standard tuning one half step down (Eb Ab Db Gb Bb Eb). A second Rampage that he purchased shortly after he acquired the first is in drop D tuning down one half step (Db Ab Db Gb Bb Eb).
On the new AIC album, Black Gives Way to Blue, Jerry combines the Rampages with his other main ax: the infamous white Les Paul with burn marks all over the front. “I had a lot of fun with a torch for a couple of days,” Jerry says with a laugh, “burning a design into the face of that white Les Paul. For just about all of the Alice in Chains records, my guitar sound has been a combination of that Les Paul with the G&L.”
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Cantrell fans will be happy to learn that the guitarist has teamed with G&L to create a Jerry Cantrell Signature Rampage. Cantrell says, “The signature model will feature a few tweaks I came up with simply because some elements of the original design were weak. The locking mechanism at the nut was basically just a couple of plates that clamped down, but they would snap off every time you put pressure on them. So I replaced the nut with a Floyd Rose, which is a lot sturdier and more stable.”
He also modified the pickup, replacing the original Schaller pickup with a Seymour Duncan Jeff Beck model. “In addition,” Cantrell says, “the guitar came stock with a Kahler tremolo system, and the low E string would fall out of the saddle when you pushed the tremolo bar all the way down. The solution was to countersink the tremolo, which put more tension on the strings and kept the E string sitting securely in the saddle.” While many guitar players have shown a preference for Floyd Rose trems, “that never really worked for me because I’m a very heavy-handed rhythm player,” Cantrell says. “Whenever I’d mute with a Floyd, I’d always push down too hard and inadvertently raise the pitch of the strings. That doesn’t happen with the Kahler.”
One of the most striking elements of Cantrell’s Rampage guitars is his custom artwork, which includes two stickers bearing the word “rock.” Cantrell says, “Some of the Cantrell Signature guitars will be released looking like mine did when I first bought it, and a limited run will be weathered to look as close as possible to the way mine look now.”
As you can probably guess, Cantrell remains as dedicated as ever to his original Rampage guitars. “I’ve bought plenty of other Rampages over the years, but the original two are still my favorites,” he says. “They are heard on every record that I’ve ever done, and they are the guitars that I play the most.”
In the video "Why Would They Send Me This... (Guitar Unboxing)" by Andrew Baena, he unboxes a custom-made G&L Rampage guitar. This guitar was designed in collaboration with Kahler, following discussions at NAMM. It features a Kahler tremolo system, which Baena mentions is his first experience with this type of bridge, as he typically avoids floating or locking bridges. The guitar includes a Graphtec nut and tuners, a single Duncan Pegasus pickup, and a unique on/off kill switch instead of traditional knobs. It is finished in a distinctive purple to yellow to green crackle fade.
Album Usage
The G&L Rampage has been featured on the following albums:
Genre Usage
Based on how artists on Equipboard use this gear, it is most commonly found in the following genres.
Used With
Based on how musicians on Equipboard use G&L Rampage, it is most commonly used with the following gear.
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