Lunch:
I'm posting early again today, but this time I really will have the roast beef deli sandwich with Sun Chips and a diet soda. Hopefully the lines won't be too long.
G&L Topic of the Day:
I'll continue the theme of G&L product lines in the early days, this time with the Strat-type designs. George Fullerton wrote that he and Leo wanted to avoid anything that resembled their old Fender designs, but dealers and customers kept asking for instruments that were more traditional than the F-100 and G-200. This led to the introduction of the S-500 in 1982, and the Nighthawk the following year. The threat of a lawsuit caused G&L to change the name from Nighthawk to Skyhawk after less than 300 units were produced. Here's a somewhat blurry picture of these three instruments lined up in a row:
From left to right, they're an '82 S-500, and '83 Nighthawk, and a Skyhawk from between '84 and '87.
The main difference I can tell between the S-500 and the Nighthawk was that the contours were much more pronounced (and comfortable, IMO) on the Nighthawk, and the pickguard went from black crinkle to three-ply black plastic. These guitars had the same circuit but different pickups, and the S-500 bridge pickup was at a much sharper angle. The early S-500 pickups had squared-off corners, and apparently would not fit into a body routed for standard Strat pickups. The Nighthawk pickups were designed to be direct replacements on Strats, and put G&L into the aftermarket pickup market. Here are a couple of close-ups, with the first being the S-500:
The Skyhawk remained identical to the Nighthawk for several years, except for a change to the circuitry. My personal take on these three instruments is that the S-500 is pretty aggressive for a Strat-type configuration, the Skyhawk has the most open and airy sound, and the Nighthawk is somewhere in between. Except for a slight difference in the contours, they all feel and play about the same.
The S-500 remains in the G&L line-up today as the most elaborate Strat-type instrument, although the pickups and cosmetics have changed since the early '80s. The Skyhawk went away at the beginning of the BBE era, just before the Legacy entered the line-up. Meanwhile, various SuperStrats came, went, and returned, and the Comanche came onto the scene to stay. So, here are the questions of the day (finally!): What do you think has been G&L's ultimate expression of George & Leo's original Stratocaster concept? Do you think the Legacy, Comanche and modern S-500 are here to stay, or do you see room for further evolution?
Non-G&L Question of the Day:
Continuing the theme of changes: What in your world has remained the same over the years, that you hope will stay that way?
Ken
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