Okay, I've recently acquired a couple long coveted strat scale length guitars (see my chandler avenger post), so I don't need this one anymore. Not strapped for cash, but if I'm going to have another case in the closet, it might as well contain a guitar that gives me something different than the "3 single coil 25.5 inch scale". 5 month old Handmade in the USA S500. This is not a "tribute" guitar. Absolutely spotless. Perfect and clean and setup with 10s in a classic blues medium high action. Neck never removed, pickguard never lifted, never touched but to be played gently and setup once. G&L has started using CNC machines. The new ones are no longer truly handmade. If you think computer carved guitars are a good development there are lots of other companies to choose from. Many G&L fans aren't pleased.
The difference between a G&L Legacy and this guitar is that this guitar has better electronics and locking tuners. Body and neck are otherwise identical. The patented S500 MFD Magnetic Field Design® pickups have individually adjustable pole pieces letting the player effectively adjust the output of each string on each pickup.Magnetic Field Design yield about twice the output per wind, making the pickup quieter while allowing a greater overall output. They are quiter and have a broader frequency response than a normal strat pickup.
The guitar features a 5 position strat style switch which gives you the normal strat pickup selections, but there is an additional âexpanderâ switch, which allows you to also select ALL pickups, or the unique and very useful non-phased neck/bridge pickup combination. The PTB tone system gives you a volume knob, a treble roll-off knob, and a bass roll-off knob. The tone controls work on all pickups and pickup combinations, unlike a classic strat which basically has no tone adjustment on the bridge pickup.
This S500 guitar is a very tasteful tobacco sunburst, with a cream pickguard, black pickup covers, black knurled metal knobs, black main switch. Beautiful dead-straight big full neck, locking tuners. 7.6 pounds according to my bathroom digital scale. Comes with the original case, the case key, the certificate of authenticity and the "bomber girl" decal.
Leo Fender's last great inventions are on this guitar. The MFD pickups and the Dual Fulcrum vibrato/trem were Leo's pride and joy.
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