Latest Project Complete! 1984 G&L NF3 Cavalier

Hello and thanks for checking out my latest project thread!
I am calling this a G&L NF3 Cavalier.

This started almost two years ago when I purchased the Cavalier neck (April 27, 1984 stamp). I continued to look for a body and pups.
I bought the body about a year ago from a guy who said it was sold to him as an early S-500 alder body that was an unfinished second. I was interested in the body because it was 3-bolt, so I wouldn't need to alter the Cavalier neck, if I decided to use it.

Last month, after not being able to locate a Cavalier body or pups for almost two years, I purchased a set of three used Paul Reed Smith Narrowfield pups.
These don't come up for sale often (ever?) and reminded me visually of Cavalier pups, without the angle.

So I decided to route the S-500 body for the NF3 pups, make a suitable pick guard and make a guitar!

Here it is. Let me know what you think.

Only a volume knob? How does it sound?

Looks pretty and clean to me.

How do the PRS pups sound in this guitar?

Good work. Sure would like to take it for a spin.

y2kc

Thanks guys!

I still need to clean up a few rough spots, but nothing major.

Yes there is only a volume knob, for now anyways. This is the first time my son has worked with me on a project like this, and I wanted him to have some input and he thought it would be 'cool' to only have a volume knob. As you can see, I left room for another knob, which is where the volume knob will move to and the volume knob will become a tone control. Although, I am still considering the G&L treble/bass set-up also. The pups are really bright sounding (almost like the original early-'80s S-500 pups) and I'd like to be able to roll some of the treble off.

The pups sound like great single coil pups, but 'thicker' or 'rounder'. Due to the pups being humbuckers, they are dead silent. At about 5-6 on the volume control, the pups are very single-coil sounding (thinner and spankier). This is my first experience with the NF3 pups, and I was expecting them to be more HB-ish. The 2 & 4 position cop the tone of the Michael Jackson song Billie Jean lead line perfectly.

y2kc, if you are ever in the Chicago-area let me know and you can spin it all you'd like. Except, I'll have to get strap locks installed before then!

What part of Chicago are you in? I'm in the Gurnee area.

Please please please record some samples of this guitar and upload them to something like Soundcloud and definitely add the PTB system.

What is this Chicago Area you speak of?


y2kc

I am guessing we are all closer to one another than we think. I am in Lake County, 10 minutes due west of Gurnee. You y2kc?