NGD: 1988 Skyhawk

It takes a holiday to create an NGD post! Here's my first Leo-era G&L, a 1988 Skyhawk in a rare violet (purple) color. I've wanted to meet both criteria for some time, just to learn. Big thanks to the forumites who read my Marketplace WTB ad and posted or emailed possibilities.

This had been listed awhile at Acme Guitars in St. Louis, and I glossed over it because of the 795 price and a previous owner's routing of the pickup cavities to fit Fender pickups (!?!). The price had dropped to 695, and a forumite suggested I look again and see what the dealer might accept. My budget was limited (to keep peace in the valley ) so I negotiated further for this slightly altered piece (for me, the color was a feature, despite a deal-breaker for others). I had a pleasant, long, G&L-filled chat with the dealer.

I've had it several weeks. Except for the routing, truly EXC condition---little fret wear, only one small paint indent on the side, no major scratches, clean headstock, zero rust or pitting. Plus, it has its tremolo bar and case candy (manual, brochure, tag, case keys; no Allen wrenches), and the case still had plastic on the latches and logo! Tremolo cavity sticker stamped 08021988; that's good enough for me---I'm not pulling the neck. Body is 3-pieces (slight finish sinking in one line on the back) and most likely maple?

What most amazes is how SOLID it is! The quality is evident in the materials, workmanship, the Sperzel locking tuners with posts that get shorter for each string, the metal back plate, AND a brass plate shielding the control cavity (can't recall hearing about that!). I haven't weighed it yet on a good scale, but I suspect it's almost 9 lbs; it's heavy enough but not too much. (Not a boat anchor like my former '79 Stratocaster.) I see that Leo meant it when he said these were the best he ever made.

That said, it sounds even better! The pickups have all the S-style sparkle and quack with the greater detail of MFD single coils, and fill an S-niche apart from my Comanche Studio 6. The neck feels great. The treble is pretty biting with the pickups set to spec; I've been running my amps' treble lower than for other G&Ls; I might lower the pickups a bit. Whoever reinstalled the MFDs put the one with the green wire in the bridge position, but the schematic shows it in the middle. So only one of two in-between positions is hum-canceling, but I'll rectify that.

The guitar came set up with 9s and the tremolo claw tightened so the bridge plate sloped back from the posts down to the body. With the manual at hand, I restored factory specs. I had my first chance to use the 3-bolt neck micro tilt, and it is SLICK! The neck was so far in the pocket that the rosewood board was partly buried and the upper neck dots were partly obscured.

I found I had to increase the neck angle *significantly* to match all factory specs (3/16" bridge plate to body; 1/8" plate to E6 saddle bottom, 3/32" E6 to 22nd fret). Is there a tradeoff in tone, sustain, or stability if the neck heel is so far off the body? Can any Leo-era owners share their set-ups? If you lower the saddles, does that negatively affect string break angle/sustain/intonation?



Link to photo album: http://www.guitarsbyleo.com/GALLERY2/main.php?g2_itemId=13331

Last edited by tomanche on Mon Oct 13, 2014 8:30 am, edited 3 times in total.

Congrats on the 'Hawk! I can't understand why that finish would be a deal-breaker. For me it would seal the deal.

I've only needed to use the micro tilt on one of my G&Ls, an '82 SC-2. That was about three years ago, and I can't remember the details of the setup. When I first got the collector bug I set all of my G&Ls up to the exact factory specs. Now that I've done it a couple of dozen times, I get the DFV plate level, adjust the neck relief to fit my taste, and then tweak the saddles to match the board radius and set the intonation. My most recent G&L took me about ten minutes to dial in, but at some point every instrument with an ebony or rosewood board gets a good soak with walnut oil. If I ever need to use the micro tilt again, I will probably go step-by-step from the factory setup instructions.

BTW, that does look like a maple body.

Ken

Thanks Craig for fixing the photo link! I had the tutorial open, followed instructions, couldn't get the image to appear, tried to fix a couple of times---but then it was cutting into my playing time.

Thanks Craig for fixing the photo link! I had the tutorial open, followed instructions, couldn't get the image to appear, tried to fix a couple of times---but then it was cutting into my playing time.

You are welcome. I also resized the other photos in your Registered User's Gallery, because they were too large.
Nice find on that Skyhawk and it is a killer color. BTW, the locking tuners are Sprezel's not Schallers. Only Sprezel's have
the graduated posts.

Thanks, Craig. Edited to Sperzels.

Fantastic!

Y2kc

Beautiful!

I love the color.

Glad to hear you are bonding with it so well.

If you haven't yet, a little steel wool will polish the frets nicely. You might want to protect the fretboard with some masking tape, as the steel wool could scratch it. I usually don't, as I will typically 'oil' the fretboard right after, and that will clean up my slight scuff marks.

HNGD!

I like the color too , plus the sicle head stock !! ... sweet guitar