Player's Perspective
This is a smooth, versatile, Leo Fender-designed, American crafted S style guitar, but with enough twists to really set it apart and a price tag way below what it should be. Tonally, this guitar is a testament to the fact that the S-500 has found its own voice in the single-coil, double-cut world. With the characteristic single coil top-end shimmer but a beefier midrange than you might be used to, the S-500 has a unique and fully realized tonal identity that will enhance a whole range of styles. The neck is substantial, round and extremely comfortable everywhere, and upper fret access is easy. Very hard to beat, especially given the price.
Item Details
The G&L S-500 debuted in 1982 as Leo’s own evolution of the traditional double-cutaway bolt-on axe, delivering innovations including the Dual-Fulcrum vibrato and Magnetic Field Design single-coil pickups, each designed by Leo Fender himself. These MFD pickups deliver a bright and sparkly top end and robust bottom end, all without losing midrange focus. You’ll find plenty of punch in the MFD pickups, but what’s surprising is how glassy and detailed they become as you roll back the volume and bass controls, the latter a part of the S-500’s PTB (Passive Treble and Bass) system which functions on all three pickups. What’s more, the S-500 includes a mini-toggle switch to allow neck+bridge or all three pickups together. In a pinch, the neck+bridge combo does a convincing faux ASAT Special. Talk about versatile! The S-500 features a Leo Fender-designed Dual-Fulcrum vibrato, a work of engineering art which allows bending up or down with unsurpassed stability, while offering a silky feel through its beefy aluminum vibrato arm. Leo’s forward-looking spirit is clearly reflected in the S-500, a guitar he designed for players who share that spirit. If that sounds like you, you owe it to yourself to check out the S-500.
Specifications
BODY
- Model: S-500
- Color: Shell Pink
- Body Wood: Alder
- Pickguard: 3-Ply Parchment
NECK
- Fretboard: Caribbean Rosewood
- Neck Wood: Maple
- Finish: Satin Light Tint
- Scale: 25.5"
- Fretboard Radius: 9.5"
- Frets: Medium Jumbo, Nickel
- Neck Profile: Modern Classic - 1 11/16” nut width with 1 5/8” string spacing allows a generous edge roll for superb comfort without string fall-off. Fairly slim with mild taper from 0.820” at 1st fret to 0.870” at the 12th fret.
ELECTRONICS
- Pickups: S-500 Single-Coils
- Controls: Volume, Passive Treble, Passive Bass
- Pickup Selector: 5-Way Blade Switch, Mini-Toggle Expander
HARDWARE
- Bridge: Dual Fulcrum Vibrato
- Tuners: Standard 12:1 Ratio
MISCELLANEOUS
- Case: Deluxe Black Tolex
- Serial #: CLF1910106
- Approximate Instrument Weight: 8.1 lbs.
Overall Condition
This G&L USA S-500 is in brand new pristine mint condition with absolutely no nicks, scratches, or blemishes of any kind. Photos are of the exact guitar you'll receive.
Our in-house guitar tech will inspect, test, set up, and clean all of our instruments on site prior to shipping. All of our instruments are guaranteed to be fully functional upon arrival.
Music Store Live is one of the top authorized G&L dealers on the planet! We do our best to stock inventory of what our team of experts feels is the best combination of specs, specifically, so you don't have to wait for a custom order from G&L. With that said, if you haven't found what you're looking for, we would be happy to custom order a G&L for you. G&L’s factory works like a big a-la-carte shop, so it’s easy (and affordable) to get what you want. Finish, body wood, fingerboard, pickguard, bridge, neck profile, neck finish, nut type, frets, tuners, binding – there are nearly 1 million possible combinations of specs on a G&L. They now also have a full-blown Custom Shop where they can build virtually anything you can imagine. Call or message us for details!
