G&L S500 tribute.....2011 model...PU config question

Hi all. Just got a second hand S500 Tribute. Something seems wrong with the PU config selector / wiring / switch

it is the older model....
The one with the black plastic ring under the volume control (Push pull). The guy I bought it off says the volume push pull was originally for an inbuilt tuner and has been disconnected. I have searched the internet and find know reference to this guitar having an inbuilt tuner and if it did where is the LED screen? The push / pull on the volume ok in normal position....pulled up it cuts everything. The tone pot (treble) is also push pull I believe for bringing all of the PU together in certain positions

Firstly the output sounds nice enough...no noise or distortion but output volume seems low to me.... and the PU are reasonably close to the strings. In my experience with the other S500 Tribute I had (Korean) the output was a lot stronger than a single coil PU Fender. This guitar, I did a side by side with my Mex tele and with the amp the same vol setting. I would say the S500 about 60-70% output volume compared to the Tele (noiseless single coils)

PU selector seems messed up unless I am imagining things. Set to the bridge PU setting or bridge / middle it seems like the front PU are active. Is there any way of definitively checking if a PU is active or not with MFD PU? If I tap the metal poles they all seem to be active all the time on every PU....even if I have the selector set to the rear. The selector switch is doing something as the sound / tone alters slightly when moving the selector....it just doesn't seem to be right.

Is there a wiring diagram available for this model S500 tribute? 2011 model going by the serial number. I assume it is different to the US diagram which I see in the forum gallery.

Was there ever a tuner on these guitars and if so how did it work?

Appreciate any help. The guitar is actually a joy to play and as usual with any G&L I have owned set up was done to my liking in minutes.

EDIT...I just removed the PU plate and can't see any obvious issues or like anything has been altered. There is a battery connector and no battery so I guess this is for the tuner. Would not having a battery effect the PU or only cut the tuner function?....however that is supposed to work. I cant find a manual anywhere online for this built in tuner model

[Craig]

Hi all. Just got a second hand S500 Tribute. Something seems wrong with the PU config selector / wiring / switch

it is the older model....
The one with the black plastic ring under the volume control (Push pull). The guy I bought it off says the volume push pull was originally for an inbuilt tuner and has been disconnected. I have searched the internet and find know reference to this guitar having an inbuilt tuner and if it did where is the LED screen? The push / pull on the volume ok in normal position....pulled up it cuts everything. The tone pot (treble) is also push pull I believe for bringing all of the PU together in certain positions

Firstly the output sounds nice enough...no noise or distortion but output volume seems low to me.... and the PU are reasonably close to the strings. In my experience with the other S500 Tribute I had (Korean) the output was a lot stronger than a single coil PU Fender. This guitar, I did a side by side with my Mex tele and with the amp the same vol setting. I would say the S500 about 60-70% output volume compared to the Tele (noiseless single coils)

PU selector seems messed up unless I am imagining things. Set to the bridge PU setting or bridge / middle it seems like the front PU are active. Is there any way of definitively checking if a PU is active or not with MFD PU? If I tap the metal poles they all seem to be active all the time on every PU....even if I have the selector set to the rear. The selector switch is doing something as the sound / tone alters slightly when moving the selector....it just doesn't seem to be right.

Is there a wiring diagram available for this model S500 tribute? 2011 model going by the serial number. I assume it is different to the US diagram which I see in the forum gallery.

Was there ever a tuner on these guitars and if so how did it work?

Appreciate any help. The guitar is actually a joy to play and as usual with any G&L I have owned set up was done to my liking in minutes.

EDIT...I just removed the PU plate and can't see any obvious issues or like anything has been altered. There is a battery connector and no battery so I guess this is for the tuner. Would not having a battery effect the PU or only cut the tuner function?....however that is supposed to work. I cant find a manual anywhere online for this built in tuner model

The only Tribute Series model that had an on-board tuner was the 2009 Tribute Series Legacy "N-Tune" model.
It never made it onto G&L's website. The only reference I can find on this model is the 2009 Tribute Series Dealer Price List.

I found two photos from 2009 Winter NAMM of the Tribute Series Legacy "N-Tune" model:




What is the serial number of your Tribute S-500? You say it is a 2011 model, so it would be built in Indonesia not Korea.
Can you post some photos, including a closeup of the front of the headstock?

Hope this helps.

Last edited by Craig on Wed Dec 06, 2023 12:23 pm, edited 3 times in total.
Reason: added photos of TS Legacy N-Tune from 2009 NAMM

Oh it's Indonesian. In my post I was referring to a Korean model I had before. And that's what it looks like with the plastic ring under the volume knob. although mine is black and has chrome knobs. I have seen only 2 other images of this type of guitar on the net and they were Asian sites with a similar (2011) serial number to mine. But you said they were introduced in 2009?

Anyway, here are a few photos
Thanks as always for your help Craig

http://www.guitarsbyleo.com/GALLERY2/main.php?g2_itemId=58664
http://www.guitarsbyleo.com/GALLERY2/main.php?g2_itemId=58668
http://www.guitarsbyleo.com/GALLERY2/main.php?g2_itemId=58670

G&L only offered the Tribute Series Legacy "N-Tune" model for a year or two. By 2011 the model was dropped.
My guess on your Tribute S-500 was that a previous owner added the N-Tune on-board tuner after market which would mean
they re-wired out the push-pull volume pot (used for the pickup expander function) for the N-Tune on-board tuner.
This would have eliminated the pickup expander function and might have affected the tone circuit. We don't have any Tribute S-500 wiring
diagrams but we do have the US S-500 wiring diagram (which uses a mini-toggle switch for the pickup expander function) to see if
the main circuit was affected by that change.

Hope this helps.

If they had the model for a year or two and was introduced 2009 it could be an Ntune right? That is within the 2 year window. I have seen several of these for sale but only in Asia (I live in Thailand). I have had the pick guard off and definitely looks like original wiring. On my one the push pull for the PU expander is on the treble control. The volume is also push pull which is the tuner. It all looks like original wiring. I doubt very much it has been altered. Anyway, I think I have it sorted out now. I think the push pull pot for the expander was stuck on all PU on...as if the switch was pulled out, even though it was in....hence not much difference in switch settings. I got some contact cleaner in there and worked the pot up and down and back and forth and seems to be good now The pick up selector seems to be working fine now and all PU coming on when they should. I do still feel like the output is a little low, lower than my single coil Fender Tele Nashville (noiseless PU). The PU probably about 3/8" under the strings. I raised them a bit but lost a lot of the sparkle. What is the rule of thumb with the MFD's to get the nicest, sparkliest sound out of them without losing too much oomph? Obviously I need to play around and find the sweet spot but is that sweet spot window in a small particular area? Do people normally lower or raise the middle PU to get some definition from the front and rear? I did lower the mid PU but again lost a lot of sparkle.

If they had the model for a year or two and was introduced 2009 it could be an Ntune right? That is within the 2 year window. I have seen several of these for sale but only in Asia (I live in Thailand). I have had the pick guard off and definitely looks like original wiring. On my one the push pull for the PU expander is on the treble control. The volume is also push pull which is the tuner. It all looks like original wiring. I doubt very much it has been altered. Anyway, I think I have it sorted out now. I think the push pull pot for the expander was stuck on all PU on...as if the switch was pulled out, even though it was in....hence not much difference in switch settings. I got some contact cleaner in there and worked the pot up and down and back and forth and seems to be good now The pick up selector seems to be working fine now and all PU coming on when they should. I do still feel like the output is a little low, lower than my single coil Fender Tele Nashville (noiseless PU). The PU probably about 3/8" under the strings. I raised them a bit but lost a lot of the sparkle. What is the rule of thumb with the MFD's to get the nicest, sparkliest sound out of them without losing too much oomph? Obviously I need to play around and find the sweet spot but is that sweet spot window in a small particular area? Do people normally lower or raise the middle PU to get some definition from the front and rear? I did lower the mid PU but again lost a lot of sparkle.

Just to be clear: G&L did not offer an on-board N-Tune feature on the Tribute S-500 model. It was only available on the Tribute Legacy "N-Tune" model in 2009-2010. The Tribute Legacy "N-Tune" model was discontinued in 2011. So, your Tribute S-500 was modded after-market by a previous owner.
At least they moved the pickup expansion feature from the Volume pot and would have replaced the Treble pot with a push-pull pot wired for the pickup expansion feature.
Is the Treble push/pull pot still 500KA value? [Reference: Album: S-500 Diagrams]

See this post with setup and pickup height post links to check out:
Some setup info posted in the past on the GbL ...

Hope this helps.

Well I got a wiring diagram off G&L for Tribute S500/ Comanche and pulled the push pull Ntune volume pot and associated wiring out and replaced it with a Fender 250 volume pot. Initially I had sound but no volume control. The wiring diagram shows now ground wire going to lug 1 on the volume pot. I added a ground wire to lug 1 and good as gold now. The sound out put still seems to be nice and clear, great tone but a lot weaker than my Tele with Noiseless PU in them. My recollection from the previous S500 I had with MFD's was a lot hotter output than my Fender guitars. The out put seemed low before I replaced the pot by the way. I have all the pick ups pretty close to the strings too. I don't suppose lowering makes them louder by any chance or only cleans up the tone? All of the PU seem to be working correctly in their correct switching positions. Any other reason could be a reduced output?

Wiring diagram for Tribute S500 / Comanche as received from G&L
As you can see there is no ground wire in lug 1 in the diagram. Does anyone know if this is correct or whoever drew it forgot it?

http://www.guitarsbyleo.com/GALLERY2/main.php?g2_itemId=58770&g2_navId=xac780964