Possible purchase of first G&L w/ concerns

Hi all,

First time poster here, and likely soon-to-be first time G&L owner. I've been passively looking for a while, and considering a Comanche as the next axe. Recently I saw a 1985 Skyhawk pop up in a store nearby, played it not thinking I was ready to buy, and ended up putting that guitar on layaway. lol. I wanted to take some time to see if I'd cool off, but I haven't stopped thinking about it, and all intuition [aside from my bank account] says not to let this one pass. Besides being my first G&L, this would also be my first vintage guitar(!)

I'm here to share some reservations, and hopefully find insight on potential issues. There is rust or corrosion on some of the hardware and pickup poles. Cosmetically I could care less, but my main concern is on the left bridge pin, and where the truss rod sticks out of the headstock. I'll attach some photos that will hopefully illustrate the areas of concern. There is also hairline crack near the neck-joint of the heel that I believe is just in the paint. The bridge is leaning back toward the body, but I would put heavier strings on which may remedy this, or a basic setup should take care of it. Overall the guitar plays well, and sounded wonderful through the store's Silverface Deluxe Reverb reissue. I am mainly worried about the rust effecting functionality, and have not tried adjusting the truss to know if it moves normally.

Should I be worried? Can anyone tell just from the photos if there is any damning information about the guitar?

Thanks for reading if you stuck through all that, looking forward to joining the community and hearing your feedback!

-Seth

[thumb=]IMG_7772 by S M, on Flickr[/thumb]
[thumb=]IMG_7768 by S M, on Flickr[/thumb]
[thumb=]IMG_7767 by S M, on Flickr[/thumb]
[thumb=]IMG_7769 by S M, on Flickr[/thumb]

That's wonderful. I wouldn't worry about a bit of it, provided you have the shop guarantee the truss works (and possibly ask them to set it up while you're at it.) Tilting bridge will have to be dealt with anyway when you change the strings, not a big deal at all; just unscrew/tighten the claw as necessary. My three black G&Ls are excellent guitars, so you made a great choice

EDIT: But I would go through the rusty bridge parts with a disassembly & drench in lithium grease. And if you do disassemble fully, DO NOT turn the posts on the bridge with any string tension. I'd even remove the springs before I did that, though that's probably overkill.

Welcome, great choice for your first G&L. Like Danley said, I wouldn't worry about any of the rust or even the crack. It is probably just the paint as you said and pretty common on these old guitars. Maybe use as negotiating point for them to take a hundred bucks off the price. Not sure how much they are asking though. Do make sure that the truss rod adjusts properly, if they have a tech on site they should have no problem demonstrating this. The rust is no issue. The bridge can be easily adjusted while doing a proper setup and should sit at 3/16ths of an inch and level with the body. You can find the instructions for setting up this guitar in the gallery of this site. If you change the strings as part of the setup procedure it's a good time to take the neck off and double-check that crack too, just in case. Will you be having the shop do a setup? They should be able to do this and let you see it while they are doing it. Have it lubed up a bit too, add a new nut and after a good new set of strings and a setup you will be in G&L heaven. I own a lot of G&Ls but not a Skyhawk so I am a bit jealous so play it loud and in good health and report back when you get it all done and let us know what you think. I think you will be very happy.

Tom

I would worry as long as the truss rod is still functioning.

Cheers, Dan

looks like a good bet. nothing that some chrome polish, a little fine grit sandpaper for the rust, and a clean-up/set-up can't fix.
agree, check the neck and assure proper truss rod function before you buy.
personally, i wouldn't replace the nut unless it doesn't function well.
i have an '84 skyhawk, also black with ebony board, and it is a great player.

Thanks for the replies! I'm feeling a lot more confident in the purchase and glad to hear my gut instinct on the guitar was good. Can't wait to get this baby home, will post an update once I do/if I can keep my hands off it long enough to pull the bridge and give a good cleaning.

I mentioned the possibility of disassembling the bridge, and that's just an anal thing I'd do- Really if you adjust the claw to level it and can use the trem and stay in tune, there's no need to bother with disassembly. Aka, if you get it home and it's fine, no use messing with it If you do use lithium grease, be careful not to let any on the finish.

Would love to see full pics.