Oh wow, got to try out a 1981 (?) F-100 Series 1

If any of you live near the Davis CA area, you can check this place out. They had a sick collection of new G&L's. But in the middle of it all they had this 1981 (at least that was what it was labeled) F-100 series 1.

I've always been really interested in these guitars, but there is never one local. I just went to get some strings and there it was

Thing was sweet. I don't think it was the "Active" model bc i didn't see a battery box anywhere. I think one switch controlled the split coils, and the other controlled the series/parallel. Super fun and sounded great. My only complaint was those old frets It's been leaving me tempted.

here are my links to the photos (blerg, you cant just click on them, you have to C/P them into your browser/search)
https://ibb.co/d9xT25
https://ibb.co/gM5Fh5


Really cool pickups though. I spent about 40 mins tweaking around on it and I don't even think I covered all the ground. I had option overload But still, there was a top of great sounds to be had in the electronic options

Coyote, be sure and tell us when you bring her home.

Saw one in Portland a few years back, and one in Atlanta AGES ago and always been tempted. Very cool tones and options galore. There are a few owners round here who I'm sure can provide all the pertinent details. Happy hunting!

Looks like a nice F-100 you found. The large black switch is a three way switch for the neck pickup, both pickups, and bridge pickup. The small red switch is a coil splitter. Towards the neck is split coil. Towards the bridge is humbucking. The small black switch is in phase and out of phase with both pickups. Towards the bridge is in phase and towards the neck is out of phase.

The three knobs are volume, treble cut tone and bass cut tone. The early F-100's deactivate the treble tone when in the lead (bridge) pickup. The later ones have the treble tone always active.

That green Legacy Special caught my eye. The Legacy Special is one of my favorites.

Here are my vintage F-100's

my '81 F-100 can be a very mellow guitar
I like playing jazz stuff on it
the coil splitter switch activates a bass boost, so there is slightly better definition of the notes, but the tone is more bass-y and mellow in some ways. the tonal options are intriguing. you can go other places on it. none of my other guitars sound like it.
this is not to say that it can't rock - it can. but it has a very unique voice.
it's not a les paul or a strat or anything other than an F-100. I've thought it's pretty bright for a 2 humbucker gtr.
I wouldn't want it to be my only guitar. but since I have others that do other things sonically, the F-100 is quite a unique addition.
the neck is relatively thin, and I love the texture and tone of the ebony fretboard.
you may have to take the plunge...

These guitars looks amazing. Maybe I'll buy one when money is flowing. Finding them is hardcore though. I'm suprised about Challenger's collection : they look dead mint!! For aged guitars like these, they look brand new! The more I read about them, the more I want one... Thanks for the GAS!

Still unsure if I should maybe buy a new F100 and mod it with PTB or check for an old one. Maybe both... I gotta find another job to complement the one I've got right now... or sell a kidney?

Looks fantastic in that finish !!!!

My F-100's aren't dead mint. There are some dings and flaws in the finish from honest playing throughout the years. They are in exceptional shape for their age, though. The blue one has the most dings on it of the three and minor oxidation where the vibrato arm plugs in. Yes, I do have the original vibrato arm for that one.

I drove from Iowa to Ohio to pick up the Candy Apple Red one. I bought it in the winter and it has no weather checking and I wanted to keep the nitrocellulose lacquer from getting checked. I know some people like weather checking, but I don't. I look for guitars that are 90% new (or better), priced under market value and that I like.

But in the middle of it all they had this 1981 (at least that was what it was labeled) F-100 series 1.

That's a nice F-100. I agree that it's probably an '81, or possibly an '80. The cosmetics would be the same.

I've owned two F-100s, one of which I still have. The first was a maple/ebony '80, which sounded very shrill to my ears. Having a JC-120 as my primary amp at that point might have been a factor in that. I ended up replacing it with a 'hog/ebony '81, which sounds much warmer to me. I think about trading it occasionally, but then I pick it up for one last playing session and my plans change.

my '81 F-100 can be a very mellow guitar
I like playing jazz stuff on it

+1. That's just how mine is.

Ken

Letting a guitar go is always the hardest thing to do... really, I can't cope with it anymore! GAS is an enemy of all!

You should buy that guitar. Assuming they want a reasonable price for it. I have two. One is a candy apple red 1981 model that I just love. So many tones and it really can rock. The other is a unique prototype from very early 1980 that has some options unlike other F-100s. Here they are.



Definitely buy that guitar if you can.

Tom

Will keep an eye opened for them... they are hard to come by... and can get a bit costly.

CC, did you ever buy this guitar? What were they asking for it?

Tom

There's also a nice one here. Not sure if it's the exact some specs.
http://www.guitarcenter.com/Used/GL/Vin ... Type%5EPLA

There's also a nice one here. Not sure if it's the exact some specs.
http://www.guitarcenter.com/Used/GL/Vin ... Type%5EPLA

Maple fretboard on this one and ebony on the other. Both great guitars though.

Tom