wondering about a couple guitars

[Salmon]

hi,

anyone know why they paint the s500 deluxe sunburst finishes to black around the edges? i want to see the wood grain but most are solid black around the back. those honeyburst comanches with flame tops would be similar except the wood is mohogany i think. is it the mohagany grain that g&l thinks people don't like? seems like a waste to have a flame top then cover a third of it with solid black.

also when you order a custom guitar do you have a chance for trial and test or are you stuck with what they make even if it is unplayable? i don't mean defective but some guitars might be defective if they are awful to play i know technically that is a personal feeling about a guitar. what of 10 people agree the guitar is a dud?

thanks for any info

[Craig]

hi,

anyone know why they paint the s500 deluxe sunburst finishes to black around the edges? i want to see the wood grain but most are solid black around the back. those honeyburst comanches with flame tops would be similar except the wood is mohogany i think. is it the mohagany grain that g&l thinks people don't like? seems like a waste to have a flame top then cover a third of it with solid black.

also when you order a custom guitar do you have a chance for trial and test or are you stuck with what they make even if it is unplayable? i don't mean defective but some guitars might be defective if they are awful to play i know technically that is a personal feeling about a guitar. what of 10 people agree the guitar is a dud?

thanks for any info

See this post in the G&L Knowledgebase, General G&L Questions: Can you explain the Bursted finishes on G&L instruments?

Regarding custom ordering, you need to discuss the specific policies on custom orders and returns with the dealer you are interested with placing an order.

Hope this helps.

[suave eddie]

also when you order a custom guitar do you have a chance for trial and test or are you stuck with what they make even if it is unplayable?

As Craig said, this is an issue between you and your dealer.

You may want to check a few dealers and see what their policies are.

I was extremely lucky with my order--My dealer not only did not require a deposit, but gave me the option to reject the guitar for any reason when it arrived. I don't think this is common for most dealers.

[Salmon]

i didn't know there wasn't one singular policy on ordering a guitar that every dealer followed.

it must be the specific burst that is the problem. I don't care about it being a burst on the back. I care about the finish being transparent on the back. so to deal with this i would need to carefully choose the burst making sure it was a transparent burst throughout like the honeyburst.

i think i have seen some cherrybursts that went either way with some solid red on the edges and some transparent on the edges. I never realized why i liked some cherrybursts and not others until now. solid cherry is too light. when it is transparent the grain adds some interesting dark features. sometimes with a flame top the pattern looks darker than other times also. i would just order one of those stock s500 deluxes off the major retailer websites if i knew i would get one with the flame quality shown in that stock picture. i am afraid of getting one more like tomato soup than say chili beans.

another question about the s500 has to do with the mfd pickups. i read that some people say the asat classic doesn't sound like a tele or that the mfds sound unique. i disagree. every asat classic i have heard sounds like a tele. there might be certain differences but with my eyes closed i could identify an asat as a tele and not mistake it for another guitar. it is in the tele ballpark.

so are the s500 mfds like the asat classic mfd? would the neck position get a strat neck position sound only hotter? i want a hot strat sound. i have an asat classic and love the mfds. i hope the s500 bridge pickup is similar to the asat bridge pickup only as a strat like the asat is as a tele. are you following me? the asat mfd sounds like a strong tele pickup. does the s500 mfd sound like a strong strat pickup?

do they make s500 deludes with a humbucker in the bridge h-s-s?

i saw that amberburst prototype s500 deluxe before it was sold. i wanted a maple neck or possibly an ebony but was discouraged by the rosewood. if the pictures that the buyer made were used to sell the guitar i would have bought it with a rosewood neck anyway. that is the quality of burst i want. the picture that was on the g&l website didn't show it off well. in fact i do not like any of the pictures used to show the guitars and finishes on the g&l website. They look like they are illustrations not actual photos.

is amberburst going to be available to order?

i read that there are two different tobacco sunbursts. why don't they have both up on the website? the old school is way better but the regular tobacco is used more often. the fact that it is a secret might have something to do with it.

thanks

[SouthpawGuy]

My S500 Dlx and Legacy Dlx. Both have a maple top, and both have transparent edges.

[Fumble fingers]

there is also a nice S 500 vs Legacy video sound clip floating around here to compare sound between the two , you can it least here how a S 500 sounds

[Philby]

so are the s500 mfds like the asat classic mfd? would the neck position get a strat neck position sound only hotter? i want a hot strat sound. i have an asat classic and love the mfds. i hope the s500 bridge pickup is similar to the asat bridge pickup only as a strat like the asat is as a tele. are you following me? the asat mfd sounds like a strong tele pickup. does the s500 mfd sound like a strong strat pickup?

That's a pretty good analogy. I have a few strats, a Legacy and an S-500. The S-500 is in the strat 'ballpark' as you say. It definitely sounds like a strat type guitar, but perhaps not quite as 'quacky' in the in-between positions 2 and 4. The S-500 MFD pickups have a more even, fuller response across the frequency range to my ears. A larger than life strat sound if you like.

I'm slightly disappointed with the sound of the bridge MFD in my S-500. The neck and middle sound great. I was hoping the bridge would sound big and brawny like an ASAT bridge pickup, but it doesn't. It DOES sound 'bigger' and less wiry than a traditional strat bridge pickup, but it's overshadowed by the middle and neck pickup IMO. It could do with being more overwound to calibrate it with the other pickups. One day I might pop a stacked humbucker in there or send the MFD away to get wound for higher output. At the moment I tend to avoid the bridge pup by itself.

[darwinohm]

Philby and SPG have covered your questions quite well. Some of the Bursts are totally transparent and SPG has shown a couple of great examples. It is not the dealer but the color you choose. I really like the transparent bursts and even a transparent Red cannot be beat!-- Darwin

[supereiv]

The MFD in the S500 deluxe are as you guessed it. But, the deluxe is mahogany/maple top and that changes make it less strat than an alder body w/pickguard.
That guitar sounds definitely like a triple single coil guitar should, but the attack is different, more compressed (that's the mahogany effect). And the S-500 MFDs are driven by the PTB, which is another thing by itself. So, is the S500 deluxe as stratty as an ASAT classic is to a tele ? I'd say yes, and no...

I really like those MFD, the bridge too (sounds killer with the treble rolled back).

[Craig]

so are the s500 mfds like the asat classic mfd? would the neck position get a strat neck position sound only hotter? i want a hot strat sound. i have an asat classic and love the mfds. i hope the s500 bridge pickup is similar to the asat bridge pickup only as a strat like the asat is as a tele. are you following me? the asat mfd sounds like a strong tele pickup. does the s500 mfd sound like a strong strat pickup?

do they make s500 deludes with a humbucker in the bridge h-s-s?

i saw that amberburst prototype s500 deluxe before it was sold. i wanted a maple neck or possibly an ebony but was discouraged by the rosewood. if the pictures that the buyer made were used to sell the guitar i would have bought it with a rosewood neck anyway. that is the quality of burst i want. the picture that was on the g&l website didn't show it off well. in fact i do not like any of the pictures used to show the guitars and finishes on the g&l website. They look like they are illustrations not actual photos.

is amberburst going to be available to order?

i read that there are two different tobacco sunbursts. why don't they have both up on the website? the old school is way better but the regular tobacco is used more often. the fact that it is a secret might have something to do with it.

thanks

For a comparison of the S-500 and Legacy, see: S-500 or Legacy? Video Clip.

The factory did do some S-500's with a SD TB-4 humbucker as a Special Build: see 2010 S-500 HB Trio Special Build.

Regarding the finish you are referring to as Amberburst it really is Autumn Burst. See this post: Autumn Burst as custom finish?.

Regarding Tobacco Sunbursts: Old School Tobacco Sunburst was discontinued many years ago, but was brought back by request of some G&L Dealers. It remained
off menu until the release of The G&L Custom Creations Savannah Collection. I need to find out
if it can still be ordered for standard production models. Stay tuned on this.

Hope this helps.

[supereiv]

I didn't realize that fact : the buyer of the S500 deluxe prototype is me actually !

it's a killer guitar !

[Salmon]

can the autumn burst can be ordered?

the cherry burst shown above.....is that an example of what the s-500 deluxe looks like that is available from musician's friend or music123? in the stock photo they both use the edges look darker except for the upper left edge. i think it is the photo and the finish doesn't actually get that dark but i'd like to know for sure. does anyone recall any members having ordered their s-500 deluxes from either of those sources?

i am thinking about the got neck but in satin not gloss. i'd probably choose the light tint rather than the full vintage tint but it will depend on which finish i end up with. some vintage tints look too yellow. anyone have any comments on matching got to finishes?

thank you

[yowhatsshakin]

can the autumn burst can be ordered?

No. Autumn Burst has been reserved (at least so far) for the Launch Editions for the Alnico models (ASAT Classic Alnico and ASAT Classic S Alnico), some prototypes, and the GbL LE-2.

the cherry burst shown above.....is that an example of what the s-500 deluxe looks like that is available from musician's friend or music123? in the stock photo they both use the edges look darker except for the upper left edge. i think it is the photo and the finish doesn't actually get that dark but i'd like to know for sure. does anyone recall any members having ordered their s-500 deluxes from either of those sources?

I would trust the picture these online stores put up on their website a representative for an instrument you order with them. They are using the same stock picture for any and all models of that type. Since creating a burst is still in the art of the painter, every burst is slighly different from guitar to guitar even for the same color. And on top of that each painter has his/her own 'fingerprint' for bursts. But the pictures in this thread are representative of what you would get for a certain burst color: some have the burst repeated on the back, some have an even transparent color, some have a solid opaque color.

i am thinking about the got neck but in satin not gloss. i'd probably choose the light tint rather than the full vintage tint but it will depend on which finish i end up with. some vintage tints look too yellow. anyone have any comments on matching got to finishes?

Either will look good although my personal taste is to go with the full vintage if you go Cherryburst, light tint for the Honeyburst. But again, that is just personal.

Hope this helps,

- Jos

[Salmon]

i have seen mahogany mentioned in specs of built guitars but on the g&l website it states swamp ash under flamed maple. It is not clear whether one is an option as far as i could tell.

"The S-500 Deluxe departs further from the expected, with a stunning Premium Flamed Maple top bent over the arm contour shaped into a Swamp Ash body."

is there any word on the old school tobacco sunburst finish still being available to request?

i gather the autumn burst would not be an option soon enough but i am going to express my interest anyway to add up with any other people that might change g&l's mind.

[Craig]

i have seen mahogany mentioned in specs of built guitars but on the g&l website it states swamp ash under flamed maple. It is not clear whether one is an option as far as i could tell.

"The S-500 Deluxe departs further from the expected, with a stunning Premium Flamed Maple top bent over the arm contour shaped into a Swamp Ash body."

is there any word on the old school tobacco sunburst finish still being available to request?

i gather the autumn burst would not be an option soon enough but i am going to express my interest anyway to add up with any other people that might change g&l's mind.

The ASAT Special Deluxe, both ASAT Deluxes (solid body and semi-hollow), and the Invader Deluxe models
have Maple tops on a Mahogany body.

The S-500 Deluxe has had three different body woods:

- 2001 until about mid-2007, the body wood was American Tilia (Basswood)
- About mid-2007 until about mid-2008, the body wood was Mahogany
- About mid-2008 to present, the body is Swamp Ash

AFAIK, there are no option wood types for any of the Deluxe models.

Yes, Old School Tobacco Sunburst can be ordered on request.

No, Autumn Burst is still a special only finish. I would suggest you contact your favorite G&L dealers and ask them to ask G&L to make it
a standard finish.

[Salmon]

thanks for the information on the old school finish especially.

the picture used on the guitar center-musician friends websites is supposed to be cherry burst. i think it is actually 3-tone sunburst. the edges get too dark for cherry burst.

i have located at least four new usa s-500 deluxe guitars that are described as having mahogany bodies.

all of these guitar ads either state or imply 2013 or show the serial number plate that started being used in 2011 so they do not fall within the time frame you have described.

music store live

studio gears

upfront guitars (was just sold recently, it was also on ebay)

musician's friend, guitar center, music 123 all have used the same ad

do big stores like these custom order g&ls for customers?

i have not seen one that I would buy so I only care whether this reflects the dealer's lack of knowledge or interest in g&l guitars. unless something surfaces that meets my desires i will probably custom order one. i have yet to decide from which dealer. this doesn't look good for these stores if they are clueless about what they are selling.

there is a lot of conflicting information. i want to iron this out in advance of talking to a salesman at a store. i tried that and between getting a guy when he has time to talk, contacting sales people during business hours when i am working and finding someone that seems both knowledgeable and interested in ordering custom guitars is not easy.

i am grateful for what i can learn here.

[Craig]

Oops, I see that my post is missing some info from my notes.

Here's a corrected version (but the last two entries need to be confirmed by G&L):

The S-500 Deluxe has had three different body woods:

- 2001 until about mid-2007, the body wood was American Tilia (Basswood)
- About mid-2007 until about mid-2008, the body wood was Mahogany
- About mid-2008 until about mid-2011, the body was Swamp Ash
- About mid-2011 until about mid-2013, the body was Mahogany (*)
- About mid-2013 to present, the body is Swamp Ash (*)

(*) Needs to be confirmed from G&L

AFAIK, there are no option wood types for any of the Deluxe models.

I have emailed Dave McLaren at G&L to confirm the mid-2013 to present body wood being listed as Swamp Ash on the main G&L website.
As this would be a change from the 2012 and 2013 (Jan 1, 2013) US Price Lists. I have also asked if there are any optional body woods for the
Deluxe models.

Sorry for the confusion on this and I hope to get this confirmed or corrected soon.

Stay tuned.

[yowhatsshakin]

...
- About mid-2011 until about mid-2013, the body was Mahogany (*)
- About mid-2013 to present, the body is Swamp Ash (*)

(*) Needs to be confirmed from G&L

Craig, did that transition just take place (like last week) or should the year be 2012?

- Jos

[Craig]

...
- About mid-2011 until about mid-2013, the body was Mahogany (*)
- About mid-2013 to present, the body is Swamp Ash (*)

(*) Needs to be confirmed from G&L

Craig, did that transition just take place (like last week) or should the year be 2012?

- Jos

No, the spec page change was made on May 15, 2013 (I did say "about mid-2013"). I do suspect that their web person
made a cut and paste error. Once I hear from Dave, we will get the answer.

[Salmon]

thanks for working on this.

it is all very helpful.

i have read that old school tobacco sunburst is distinguished by its transparent brown edges. it doesn't get black or opaque.

can anyone describe what is the difference between regular tobacco sunburst and 3-tone sunburst? both use opaque black on the edges. i have had this confirmed by a dealer selling a guitar with tobacco sunburst. it was definitely black and opaque on the edges and all over the back. 3-tone sunburst is solid black to reddish to golddish. in the pictures i see this could describe regular tobacco sunburst also.

another question i have is with the guitar that is offered by musician friends and guitar center affiliates. they call it cherry burst but are using a picture that looks like 3-tone sunburst to me. it is common for people to use the wrong terms to describe colors and finishes. i would expect 3-tone sunburst to be offered if they were going to pick a single burst. 3-tone sunburst is the classic standard of bursts. has anyone ordered that guitar from any of these stores? can anyone confirm whether it is cherry burst or 3-tone sunburst? is it possible to contact someone at g&l about what finish is used when they mass produce for musician friends-guitar center?

i think 3-tone sunburst looks its best over a flame maple or quilted top.

this is what guitar center and mf have up as cherry burst.



(i found this at dealer website some time ago.) i am pretty sure this is 3-tone sunburst.



i have seen darker cherry bursts but they are definitely a darker shade of red orange and don't approach black. sometimes it is darker because of the wood the body is made of too. compare these with this and the cherry burst in the earlier post.



this is one of the things i'd like to be certain of before i decide what to do. with gc and mf having 15% off sales the price is tempting as a back up though i really want a maple fret board. i don't expect a salesman to be able to confirm this at these stores. it would take reading the spec sheet of a guitar in stock or they would have to talk to the person who places the orders directly at g&l which i doubt they have access to. they don't have them in stock on a display floor as far as i know. the people you talk to online are at a desk somewhere and not working the floor in a store.

(in an earlier post the burst on back of guitars was described. i am interested in transparency to show the wood grain. it doesn't matter to me whether there is a burst or solid color on the back).

thank you

[Craig]

Oops, I see that my post is missing some info from my notes.

Here's a corrected version (but the last two entries need to be confirmed by G&L):

The S-500 Deluxe has had three different body woods:

- 2001 until about mid-2007, the body wood was American Tilia (Basswood)
- About mid-2007 until about mid-2008, the body wood was Mahogany
- About mid-2008 until about mid-2011, the body was Swamp Ash
- About mid-2011 until about mid-2013, the body was Mahogany (*)
- About mid-2013 to present, the body is Swamp Ash (*)

(*) Needs to be confirmed from G&L

AFAIK, there are no option wood types for any of the Deluxe models.

I have emailed Dave McLaren at G&L to confirm the mid-2013 to present body wood being listed as Swamp Ash on the main G&L website.
As this would be a change from the 2012 and 2013 (Jan 1, 2013) US Price Lists. I have also asked if there are any optional body woods for the
Deluxe models.

Sorry for the confusion on this and I hope to get this confirmed or corrected soon.

Stay tuned.

Here's the scoop on the S-500 Deluxe body wood change from Dave:

Hi Craig,

We had some back and forth on the body wood and while it settled on Mahogany the site didn’t get the memo. I’ve just edited the page.

The price list doesn’t account for swapping out the body wood on an S-500 Deluxe, but I’m sure he’ll have no problem ordering it with Swamp Ash or Alder if he prefers.

Thanks, Craig.

Dave

So here's the updated list of S-500 Deluxe body woods:

The S-500 Deluxe has had three different body woods:

- 2001 until about mid-2007, the body wood was American Tilia (Basswood)
- About mid-2007 until about mid-2008, the body wood was Mahogany
- About mid-2008 until about mid-2011, the body was Swamp Ash
- About mid-2011 to present, the body was Mahogany

I will also add optional body woods of Swamp Ash and Alder are available for the Deluxe models in the Are there any "off menu" G&L options? post in our G&L Knowledgebase.

Hope this helps.

[Salmon]

- About mid-2011 to present, the body was Mahogany

Ahh, that ever fleeting present leaves me perpetually wondering what wood will it be in another moment?

Thanks for the inside scoop.

[Craig]

- About mid-2011 to present, the body was Mahogany

Ahh, that ever fleeting present leaves me perpetually wondering what wood will it be in another moment?

Thanks for the inside scoop.

Okay it's been corrected in the Knowledgebase post.