1982 G&L S-500 ? Price Question

Hey all!!
Got a little G.A.S. for another G&L .I had looked at a asat but found some things a little funny about the sellers info so passed it by. I am now looking at a S-500,as I already own a Leg. Spec. and a Comanche my first question is how will this gtr differ in sound compaired to the G&Ls I own(having never played one) dont want 3 gtrs very close to each other sound wise. The next is how much is to much for an older gtr as this(1982)
Once Again I Thank You For Your Time and Advice!!
Steve

Hey Steve,

The early '80's S-500 has slightly different pups than the modern day version: still MFD of course but using enamel coated wire of a slightly different gauge (I seem to remember), and less windings. But note that Greg Gagliano in describing this '82 S-500 still calls the pups "high output"! In any case, they are completely different pups compared to the Z-3's on your Comanche and the (Power) Blade buckers on your Legacy Special so it would be an excellent sonically diverse addition to your collection.

I just checked the price for that era S-500 in the Blue Book and it varies from $1,250 if in practically new condition to $575 if in Good condition.

Hope this helps and good luck,

- Jos

+1 to Jos's comments. I own an '82 S-500 and previously owned a Legacy, and found them to be completely different guitars in terms of sound and feel. The early S-500 has less shimmer and more bite. The body wood may factor in as well. Many of the early S-500s were mahogany, and I believe there may be some maple bodies out there as well. The norm was swamp ash.

I have recently seen early S-500s run from $500 (for well worn but all-original instruments) up to the $900s for guitars in good cosmetic condition. Mahogany or maple bodies may drive the prices toward the higher end of the scale, compared to a comparable instrument in swamp ash. That is probably more a function of the relative rarity than actual performance.

Ken

+1 to Jos's comments. I own an '82 S-500 and previously owned a Legacy, and found them to be completely different guitars in terms of sound and feel. The early S-500 has less shimmer and more bite. The body wood may factor in as well. Many of the early S-500s were mahogany, and I believe there may be some maple bodies out there as well. The norm was swamp ash.

I have recently seen early S-500s run from $500 (for well worn but all-original instruments) up to the $900s for guitars in good cosmetic condition. Mahogany or maple bodies may drive the prices toward the higher end of the scale, compared to a comparable instrument in swamp ash. That is probably more a function of the relative rarity than actual performance.

Ken

Thanks for the info guys!
One more question about this s-500 are the neck plates and pickguards avail for these ? I looked on G&L and was not able to locate.

One more question about this s-500 are the neck plates and pickguards avail for these ? I looked on G&L and was not able to locate.

Steve,

You won't be able to get them from G&L, as they were last used in '97 (for the neck plates) and around '85 (for the pickguards). You could try to post a "wanted to buy" ad in the G&LDP Marketplace, or you could contact Gabe Dellevigne (a long-time G&LDP participant). Gabe has a company called ESI that makes direct replacement parts for older G&L instruments. His website is http://electricstringedinstrument.com/index.php.

If the guitar you are looking at is an '82, it should have the serial number on the bridge. I just mention that since you are looking for a neck plate, and from around '83 through '97 the serial numbers were on the neck plates. At least you won't end up with a guitar without a serial number.

These are really sweet guitars. After I read your post I had to pull mine out, and as always it sounded even better than I remember.

Ken

One more question about this s-500 are the neck plates and pickguards avail for these ? I looked on G&L and was not able to locate.

Steve,

You won't be able to get them from G&L, as they were last used in '97 (for the neck plates) and around '85 (for the pickguards). You could try to post a "wanted to buy" ad in the G&LDP Marketplace, or you could contact Gabe Dellevigne (a long-time G&LDP participant). Gabe has a company called ESI that makes direct replacement parts for older G&L instruments. His website is http://electricstringedinstrument.com/index.php.

If the guitar you are looking at is an '82, it should have the serial number on the bridge. I just mention that since you are looking for a neck plate, and from around '83 through '97 the serial numbers were on the neck plates. At least you won't end up with a guitar without a serial number.

These are really sweet guitars. After I read your post I had to pull mine out, and as always it sounded even better than I remember.

Ken

Ken the gtr Im looking at has a nat. mahogony finish,the bridge although
has been replaced w/ another 1982 bridge w/serial # because of pitting ,but the gtr comes w/orig. bridge which I suppose Ill try to get refinished if possible?The serial # of the orig. bridge (I suppose)would be the serial# of this gtr. as the seller himself replaced it.?
The finish makes me wonder if it were stripped or if it was a spec. order?
I have alot to learn about S-500s and not alot of time to do so!
Thanks so much for your time in this matter
Steve... Oh the need for neckplate is because owner put hole in it for strap pin!!! only blk w/G&L on it. The seller also says the pup select switch works backwards as down puts on the neck pup and said this was normal for these gtrs??

Steve,

Natural gloss would have been used on mahogany bodies back then. I believe the most common finishes for a 'hog would have been natural or sunburst. If it's original it should have a glassy appearance with some depth (as compared to a matte or satin finish). The early natural and sunburst finishes tend to have picked up weather checking over the years, although some early G&Ls have made it three decades with little or no visible checking. I mention that just to let you know it's normal and somewhat to be expected on an original 1982 G&L finish.

Pitting does seem to plague those thirty year old chrome parts. I suppose you could get it re-chromed, leave it as is, or go with the one that's on it now. My Nighthawk has considerable pitting on some of the chrome parts. It bothered me at first, but eventually I decided to keep the original parts original, even if they weren't exactly pretty. Some people pay Fender big bucks to fake more serious aging...

I haven't seen the switch wired backward on an old G&L before, but my frame of reference is limited to my own guitars. It is a fairly common and completely reversible mod on ASATs and ASAT Classics - not so much reversing the switch as reversing the whole control plate. I guess it would make sense on an S-500 or Nighthawk/Skyhawk if a player sticks with the neck pup and tends to hit the switch while playing. I'm not a modder, but if I ever become one I will definitely think about reversing the switch on my Strat-types.

Ken