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NGD: G&L S-500 Deluxe

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  • NGD: G&L S-500 Deluxe

    Hey, my first NGD at the new site.

    I bought the Tribute version of the S-500 a couple months ago and rapidly fell in love with the sound, since I'm playing a lot of clean tone these days. The only problems are that the frets need a slight leveling, and the thin neck shifts constantly--the relief hasn't been the same on two consecutive days.

    Anyway, I started casually shopping for a USA S-500 and couldn't pass up this Deluxe for a great price. Note, the pictures are the seller's because I'm too fucking lazy at the moment.

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    Maple neck, ebony board, Schaller locking tuners, swamp ash body, 3/16" maple top, MFD pickups, pull-control on volume engages both neck and bridge whenever one of them is selected (this is a toggle switch on the regular S-500 with the front-loaded electronics).

    I always have static noise problems with front-loaded Strats in this house, so a rear-loaded Strat works perfectly for me. Plus, the MFDs don't sound much like a classic Strat, so the finer points of that don't matter shit to me. The S-500 sounds like a Strat in Technicolor. Everything is bigger, bolder and more fun. Since it has treble and bass controls rather than regular tone controls, you can dial down the bass and the volume and get pretty close to classic Strat tones. But this sounds phenomenally better full-up for the type of thing I like to do with a Strat.

    Used G&Ls aren't quite the ridiculous used deals they were in the past (more people have figured out how good they are), but you can still find a great price on one if you're patient. This is like getting a Suhr or Anderson at a fraction of the price.

  • #2
    Jeez. That's freakin' gorgeous. I love the MFD pickups, too.

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    • #3
      Hell yeah.

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      • #4
        It makes me anxious that a HB can't be easily swapped in, but I suppose you've got other guitars with those

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        • #5
          Originally posted by Leon
          It makes me anxious that a HB can't be easily swapped in, but I suppose you've got other guitars with those
          A couple, yeah.

          I briefly had an S-500 years ago that had a Hot Rails in the bridge (I think it was factory, because I've seen another just like it in the same finish that the owner said was stock), and that pickup matches up really well with the MFD middle/neck. It was a screamer. The MFD bridge is surprisingly robust and useful, though you do have to deal with the 60-cycle hum with gain.

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          • #6
            Nice man!

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            • #7
              And the award for the ugliest headstock goes to....

              Spiffy fiddle otherwise!

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              • #8
                Very nice! Love that finish.

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                • #9
                  Nice! There was a blue burst S500 for sale here that I sort d regret not buying.

                  Originally posted by Chris
                  And the award for the ugliest headstock goes to....

                  Spiffy fiddle otherwise!
                  It definitely goes into the series of ”let’s avoid a lawsuit from Fender by making the headstock uglier”. It’s not the worst example - that award goes to the Charvel ST Custom:






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                  • #10
                    Gorgeous git-fiddle, JP! Very intrigued by the pickups/tone controls, too.

                    Originally posted by Markus


                    MY EYES!!!
                    Don't expect much, it's not like I'm a Rocket Surgeon...

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                    • #11
                      Originally posted by Iron1


                      MY EYES!!!
                      It’s almost like they had a bunch of Strat headstocks they couldn’t sell, and decided to just saw off the round part.

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                      • #12
                        Originally posted by Markus

                        It’s almost like they had a bunch of Strat headstocks they couldn’t sell, and decided to just saw off the round part.
                        Or were just like "Meh, it's a headstock, nobody cares about those..."
                        Don't expect much, it's not like I'm a Rocket Surgeon...

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                        • #13
                          Originally posted by Iron1

                          Or were just like "Meh, it's a headstock, nobody cares about those..."
                          **Vito Bratta likes this

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                          • #14
                            Those Charvel STs are probably as good, if not better, than the 2008-10 USA Charvel So-Cals that people are currently way overpaying for. They were made by Chushin Gakki and are undoubtedly just as good as the Jackson Pro models. Interestingly, the Japanese market versions of the ST guitar had strat headstocks and command higher prices internationally.

                            I happen to like the G&L headstock--there are way worse Fender imitators out there. The fact that some people get hung up on that shit is what keeps the prices down for folks like me who don't really care, so it's a positive, I suppose.

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                            • #15
                              You prog guys always like ugly shit. Just look at Jordan Rudess's taste in gear.

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                              • #16
                                Originally posted by Chris
                                You prog guys always like ugly shit. Just look at Jordan Rudess's taste in gear.
                                There's beauty in ugliness, Chris.

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                                • #17
                                  Originally posted by Markus
                                  ... that award goes to the Charvel ST Custom
                                  The Tyler guitars headstock would like to say a word.

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                                  Nice axe Chris!
                                  Attached Files

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                                  • #18
                                    James Tyler has always been about self promotion, and it is hard to forget, no matter how much mind bleach you use,,,,

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                                    • #19
                                      I liked everything about my S-500 except for the neck carve. Their standard neck just felt too fat for me, and it may actually have been thinner than my Tele's, which I love. But i really liked the master tone and master bass controls, I though that was a great idea.

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                                      • #20
                                        Originally posted by jim777
                                        I liked everything about my S-500 except for the neck carve. Their standard neck just felt too fat for me, and it may actually have been thinner than my Tele's, which I love. But i really liked the master tone and master bass controls, I though that was a great idea.
                                        The neck on this S-500 is just right for me. Sort of a "medium C" by Fender standards.

                                        You should seek out one of the old Korean Tribute S-500s. I've already sold mine, but it had a Charvel-style neck.

                                        Comment


                                        • #21
                                          Originally posted by Markus
                                          Nice! There was a blue burst S500 for sale here that I sort d regret not buying.



                                          It definitely goes into the series of ”let’s avoid a lawsuit from Fender by making the headstock uglier”. It’s not the worst example - that award goes to the Charvel ST Custom:





                                          Macmull has entered the chat

                                          Attached Files
                                          O K T H E N

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                                          • #22
                                            Originally posted by Webdood

                                            Macmull has entered the chat
                                            That one's not as annoying as the Charvel ST headstock, for some reason. I've always thought the ST headstock looked like it belonged on some $50 "starter pack" guitar you buy at WalMart.

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                                            • #23
                                              Originally posted by jacksonplayer

                                              The neck on this S-500 is just right for me. Sort of a "medium C" by Fender standards.

                                              You should seek out one of the old Korean Tribute S-500s. I've already sold mine, but it had a Charvel-style neck.
                                              One of my 2 Strats actually has an old Model 1 neck on it, and that one is pretty nice. After I sold the G&L I got a Fender USA Deluxe Ash, and that one pretty much hit the nail on the head. If I get a chance to check out a tribute S-500 though I'll definitely do it

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