S-500 Deluxe question?

[tce44]

Does anyone know why the USA S-500 & S-500 Deluxe are almost $400 apart in price?
Im interested in the Deluxe but in a regular color (white) not the tobacco sunburst I see all the time.
Want one without pickguard.
I know its mahogany flame maple top and regular S-500 is just mahogany.
Is there anyway of getting it toned down alittle ,special order if anyone knows.
Thanx alot

[guitar_ed]

Hi TCE,

A couple of thoughts for you.

1) The Deluxe is more expensive because the maple cap is more more expensive than just a solid piece of 'hog.
2) The rear controls & routes for the pups are more difficult.
3) If all you want is a rear-routed S-500 in white, order it that way rather than the Deluxe. Why cover & hide a nice piece of flamed maple?

edg

[tce44]

Guitar_Ed,
So just order a S-500 but without pickguard?
So its looks like the Deluxe but with out all those extras.
Can they do that?
Thanx alot

[Craig]

Guitar_Ed,
So just order a S-500 but without pickguard?
So its looks like the Deluxe but with out all those extras.
Can they do that?
Thanx alot

A couple of things to clarify:

The added cost for the S-500 Deluxe is the Flame Maple top on Mahogany body and the included Premier finish. You can also order a Standard finish without
additional charge or credit, though. And as you know, the body has individual pickup routes without pickguard.

On the standard USA S-500:
The body woods available are Alder and Swamp Ash. The pickups are mounted to the pickguard with the body bathtub routed, which would make
a no pickguard option not possible without a change to how the body is routed, and which is not an available pricelist option.

I recommend you contact a local G&L dealer and ask them if you can order a "no-top" S-500 Deluxe with a standard finish for the same or closer to an S-500 price.
This would definitely be "off-menu" but I do know that G&L has allowed for "no-top" ASAT Deluxe as an "off-menu" option.

Let us know if you found that this can be ordered as you want and I will update this G&L Knowledgebase post: Are there any "off menu" G&L options?.

Hope this helps.

[tce44]

Yes thanx,I will let my local dealer know and see what he says.
Keep you posted.