Greetings

[Darth Weller]

New to this forum, 44years old, started playing in 1988, stopped about 2000, picked up again a bit about 2012 and just joined a band last week.

I've owned a PRS Custom 24 I got in 1991 and sold in 2000 ( IDIOT!)

First exp with G&L was at a music store in Delray beach Fla. in 1989, they had them there and I liked it but I was too into pointy metal sticks back then so I got a Charvetter instead of a G&L. It took only a few years to realise that was very dumb.

Before I quite, I played a G&L at a music store and allmost got it but I had bills to pay. I sometimes think if I got that guitar, maybe I would not have quit plaing for so long?

Well my 2012 Carvin CT324M and cheapie Samick are being joined by a cherryburst S-500 I ordered through ebay at Atomic Music in Md. It shipped tonight, should be here tomorrow night or Weds am.

Cant wait, as soon as I get it, it's down to the tech to have the trem set up so she only drops pitch, do this with putting a block insude the trem cave, replace a spring in goes a block of wood or a bracket. I can bend with my fingers, I hate floating trems, my old PRS was slammed as is my Samick but I do want this bridge to sit where it's meant to so this method is what I'll use.

It's ssn is G041174, as I juat signed up, I can;t get it on the registry but i will. I'd like to find this thing's year of make? I'ts a 3 bolt, so it's pre BBE

http://www.ebay.com/itm/G-amp-L-USA-S-500-Electric-Guitar-CHERRYBURST-/272566893345

This site was helpful in my decison to get it. My Carvin is very " Gibsonish" it's like a meaner SG, so I wanted something in the Strat camp and as I don;t want an MIM or 2 pay over a grand for a Fender I'll have to replace a bunch of things on, I opted for the S-500. This tghing is like a chopper, not a sportser; it's ready to rawk!

Look forward to great threads!

[sam]

Welcome Darth Weller!

That S-500 is a beauty, be sure to post some pics of yer own when it arrives.

Come around often, lots of G&L fans round here.

[john o]

Darth Weller, that's a beautiful s500. Looks like a 90's guitar to me. The "3 bolt" necks were used til about '97 I think, so not necessarily pre-BBE. Also appears in very nice shape. Look forward to your thoughts on tone/feel. May the force be with you!

[gothink1]

Congratulations on your purchase! And welcome to entering into the G&L family. I like the S-500 you got as I looked at it a few times as well. : )

You might find you can never have enough G&Ls.... lol

[Darth Weller]

Thank you for the welcome guys.


Well it came last night, pulled it out the case and it was still in tune!

The previous owner had some monster strings on it but it still played nice. After a whiule I noticed the trem was not level with the body and it gave me a hunch that the previous owner was an SRV devotee. I dropped it a half step and the thing was now in a perfect set up for these strings, it played and sounded even better!

Going to take her to Union Street Guitars to have her set up, have the trem half blocked so she only drops pitch, put some 10-46's and begin our journey together.

[video]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=L06j2ajme0Y[/video]

I have not felt this instantly connected to a guitar since the day I got my former mid 80's PRS. This thing is how the perfect strat sounds in my head and I dont have to change a single part, whereas a strat needs to be fitted out like a custom chopper to sound like this.

I played a Fender Custom Shop strat last week and this G&L is every bit as nice and sounds better with old stings than the FCS strat sounded out of the box.

So, so stoked!

[cho]

Welcome to the forum and congrats on the new guitar! It is a beauty! By chance, is your name a reference to Paul Weller?

[Darth Weller]

Welcome to the forum and congrats on the new guitar! It is a beauty! By chance, is your name a reference to Paul Weller?

Yes it is. He's not too well known in the US, a shame really. I saw him from the 5th row on the Heavy Soul tour with Matt from Mother Earth. What a great show.

[cho]

Yes it is. He's not too well known in the US, a shame really. I saw him from the 5th row on the Heavy Soul tour with Matt from Mother Earth. What a great show.

Awesome! I am a big fan too! I also saw that Heavy Soul tour with Matt on guitar (he played a gold top Les Paul, right?) - that was my first Weller show. (Mother Earth is great too!) And I have seen Weller every time he has come to California since then. I like that he is not very popular here. He plays nice small venues and rarely sells out. I saw him on his last tour at the Fox Theatre in Pomona, which is a 1920s Art Deco style theatre with big plushy balcony seats. It was John Lennon's birthday, so they opened up with a cover of All You Need Is Love. What a great show! I do miss Steve White on drums, though.... that guy was just as amazing to watch as Weller...

Anyway, welcome to the forum. I'm looking forward to hearing more Weller stories. Do you live in the US or UK?

[Darth Weller]

Yes it is. He's not too well known in the US, a shame really. I saw him from the 5th row on the Heavy Soul tour with Matt from Mother Earth. What a great show.

Awesome! I am a big fan too! I also saw that Heavy Soul tour with Matt on guitar (he played a gold top Les Paul, right?) - that was my first Weller show. (Mother Earth is great too!) And I have seen Weller every time he has come to California since then. I like that he is not very popular here. He plays nice small venues and rarely sells out. I saw him on his last tour at the Fox Theatre in Pomona, which is a 1920s Art Deco style theatre with big plushy balcony seats. It was John Lennon's birthday, so they opened up with a cover of All You Need Is Love. What a great show! I do miss Steve White on drums, though.... that guy was just as amazing to watch as Weller...

Anyway, welcome to the forum. I'm looking forward to hearing more Weller stories. Do you live in the US or UK?

Matt did have a Gold top, he also played a strat a bit. It was also at a nice theater so the sound was great as was the enviroment. The tone just ooozzzed out of the stage, it was the Heavy Soul LP sound live. Paul played his SG for most of the show. The Bassist, I forget her name but she was awesome ( I think she played on some of Wild Wood and Stanley Road?) and of coarse Steve White was Steve White, just a great drummer when it comes to playing for the song.

[Darth Weller]

After initial set up and having the trem half blocked ( only pitches down) at Union Street Guitars in Occuquan, Va. I found that some of the screws on the bridge where corroded so I brought it back to Unionstreet where Justin put new screws in the bridge.

So after that and OCDing my set up further till I had the action right, I am starting to settle into this guitar and get a better feel/ear for it's electronics.

I wanted a Super Strat and this sure fits the bill. I can't see me swapping any of the pickups opr electronics on this axe. Other than maybe a difffernt strap retention system than Dunlop's down the road and maybe either black pick up covers or leaving the whites on and gwetting a black pickguard for it. I really like two toned pick guards and pick ups. Other than that, she is as she is, now it's just working on our relationship.

So with my Carvin CT324M I have a "Gibson solid body" sounding guitar ( all be it a PRS shape with a 25" neck, close enough, it sounds like a modded Les Paul) and my S-500 I have a good "Fender" style guitar. I need another 25.5 scale axe for half flat tuning stuff as my Samik Malibu is so below my other 2 guitars in sound quality, I am thinking of looking for a used S-500 Tribute to fit that bill. Damn ruined on any Fender befow $800 now! Squires are o longer on the map.

[Darth Weller]

After Easter I'll get on getting this thing on the registry. I may find out it's actuall age then?

[FZTNT]

Hi and welcome. Sounds like you have G&L GAS and are working the peddle.

I live near Occuquan but never heard of Union St. Guitars (I really should get out more). How do they rate? Do they know G&Ls fairly well and do they have a top notch luthier or two?
I dread going over the bridge to Maryland for guitar work and would just be in Heaven if there was a good place right around the corner. I do a lot of the setup but don't have the tools to do some of the work I would like to have done.

Thanks for any Info, I'll probably check them out on Monday.

Tom

[Darth Weller]

Hi and welcome. Sounds like you have G&L GAS and are working the peddle.

I live near Occuquan but never heard of Union St. Guitars (I really should get out more). How do they rate? Do they know G&Ls fairly well and do they have a top notch luthier or two?
I dread going over the bridge to Maryland for guitar work and would just be in Heaven if there was a good place right around the corner. I do a lot of the setup but don't have the tools to do some of the work I would like to have done.

Thanks for any Info, I'll probably check them out on Monday.

Tom

Mine was the first S-500 he worked on but he did a great job on my set up and on replacing all the hardware on my bridge.

He's a Strat guy, that's for sure and you walk right into the shop he does the work at. He takes the time to listen and I played for a few minutes so he got an idea of my attack and whatnot.

He also did a nice job replacing the brisdge and tuners on a friend's Gretsch.

My Carvin will be going there when I replace the stock Asian bridge with a graphtech or Babicz and add a tailpeice and I hope to have him assemble a guitar for me next year.

He's my tech from here on out, I am getting some tools to do my own basic work as I plan on having enough done beyoned my abilities or nerve.

I'll PM you a link.

[cho]

Hey Darth,
Did you see that Weller announced his North American tour? I got tickets for the Wiltern in L.A., and I preordered his new album, which will be out in 3 days! I can't wait!

[sam]

Awesome news on Weller's tour dates. I will arrange my travel in October to see at least one of these shows. Tix will be purchased for sure!!

Thanks for the heads up

[Darth Weller]

Cho and Sam, Thanks for the heads up on Weller. Just looked, he comes to the Lincoln Theater on Oct 7th, about the same time of the year and the same venue I saw him on the Heavy Soul tour at.

Just head's upped one of my old friends I went with, back then he and his crew did the whole Mods on scooters thing to the show, Soul Survivor''s Scoootwer Club, so this is going to be a coming out for a lot of us who've been home bodies for too long.


Damn! Playing in a band again, going to see Dweezil this summer, Sturgill Simpson in Sept and now Weller is comming!