sc3 with 3 knobs?

[geoff douglas]

Hi all
Im a little confused about this SC-3 on gumtree, it has 3 knobs not 2. Is this instrument a bitsa, a special order, or did BBE era sc3's actualy have 3 pots and strat style jack ?
http://www.gumtree.com.au/s-ad/falcon/g ... 1061241480
cheers
G

[Sprinter 92]

G&L, did make a three knob SC-3 with a body mount jack. It was called a SC-3 Deluxe and was $100 higher than the regular SC-3. The SC-3 Deluxe first appears on the January 15, 1990 price list. They are uncommon and that is the second one I've seen. The other one I saw had metal F-100 style knobs.

[geoff douglas]

Thank you sprinter, i'm glad to hear its original. It says in the add that it has fender pickups, they do look like Alnico designs, could they be original G&L do you think, could it have been ordered with Alnico's.
cheers
G

[geoff douglas]

the fretboard is very dark too, could it be Ebony? I'm interested in this guitar but need to know what it really is first.
cheers
G

[geoff douglas]

I have called the seller and he has confirmed it is a ebony board. I have asked him to check the neck date for me but the issue is the pickups. Do G&L Alnico pickups have any identifiable labels on them?.
Thanks guys
G

[Sprinter 92]

The only G&L, Stratocaster style guitar to use Alnico pickups is the Legacy. The pickups in the SC-3 have been changed.

[geoff douglas]

Thanks Sprinter,
I'm not sure what to do now, its sort of special but not original, its difficult.
Cheers
G

[Fumble fingers]

you could probably switch the pick ups back out later or get some S 500 pups from the online store if you don't like how it sounds ....... but they are not MFD's for sure ...... make him a offer , leave your self some room to buy pups if needed , it still looks like a nice guitar

[geoff douglas]

Thanks Fumbles, thats a good idea.
I'm still sort of baffled though, this configuration IS basically a S-500 isnt it. Would it be wired the same as a S-500 do you think. Would the body have to be modded to fit the pickguard. I cant understand why you would buy a S-500 speced SC-3 and not a real S-500. The guy here in OZ bought it second hand but its the original buyers thoughts i wonder about. I will wait for the build date and ponder further.
Cheers
G

[yowhatsshakin]

Thanks Fumbles, thats a good idea.
I'm still sort of baffled though, this configuration IS basically a S-500 isnt it. Would it be wired the same as a S-500 do you think. Would the body have to be modded to fit the pickguard. I cant understand why you would buy a S-500 speced SC-3 and not a real S-500. The guy here in OZ bought it second hand but its the original buyers thoughts i wonder about. I will wait for the build date and ponder further.
Cheers
G

Geoff,

The S-500 also has MFD pickups easily recognizable by the adjustable pole pieces.. The pre-BBE S-500 pickups are very closely related to the pickups used in the SC-3 which were originally featured on the Nighthawk/Skyhawk model. To me this guitar looks almost like a (pre-1997 3-bolt) Legacy body with an SC-3 neck. The G&L CLF-100 Alnico pickups used for the Legacy still have the G&L logo on the top of the plastic cover on the bridge side. If these pickups are original, this logo should be easily discernible. Unfortunatey I cannot make out whether the logo is present from the provided pictures. The pickup covers on my 1984 SC-3 also have a smaller G&L logo on the top, but now on the neck side of the pickup, and a patent number on the top on the bridge side.

It is a somewhat weird contraption indeed.

Hope this helps,

- Jos

[Fumble fingers]

Jos ... does he need to see body dates as the next step to verify correct body ???...... I guess someone possibly could have installed the alnico's if the body dates goes with the SC3

[Craig]

Thanks Fumbles, thats a good idea.
I'm still sort of baffled though, this configuration IS basically a S-500 isnt it. Would it be wired the same as a S-500 do you think. Would the body have to be modded to fit the pickguard. I cant understand why you would buy a S-500 speced SC-3 and not a real S-500. The guy here in OZ bought it second hand but its the original buyers thoughts i wonder about. I will wait for the build date and ponder further.
Cheers
G

Geoff,

The S-500 also has MFD pickups easily recognizable by the adjustable pole pieces.. The pre-BBE S-500 pickups are very closely related to the pickups used in the SC-3 which were originally featured on the Nighthawk/Skyhawk model. To me this guitar looks almost like a (pre-1997 3-bolt) Legacy body with an SC-3 neck. The G&L CLF-100 Alnico pickups used for the Legacy still have the G&L logo on the top of the plastic cover on the bridge side. If these pickups are original, this logo should be easily discernible. Unfortunatey I cannot make out whether the logo is present from the provided pictures. The pickup covers on my 1984 SC-3 also have a smaller G&L logo on the top, but now on the neck side of the pickup, and a patent number on the top on the bridge side.

It is a somewhat weird contraption indeed.

Hope this helps,

- Jos

The seller does say it has Fender pickups, so it does not have CLF-100 nor SD single coil pickups used in the early Legacys. I would want to know the type and date of the pots. And I would also want to see the wiring under the pickguard. Was it rewired to Fender wiring when the Fender pickups were swapped in? I'd also would like to see the body without the pickguard. There should be individual pickup routes and not bathtub routed. If only the MFD pickups were changed, then I would consider it and negotiate it down at least $300 (USD) lower. That way you would be able to get a set of current S-500 pickups and have them rewound to Skyhawk specs. That would get it back to SC-3 specs for the price of the seller's asking price. And, you could offset some of the S-500 pickup cost by selling the current Fender pickups in it.

Just my $0.02.

[Craig]

G&L, did make a three knob SC-3 with a body mount jack. It was called a SC-3 Deluxe and was $100 higher than the regular SC-3. The SC-3 Deluxe first appears on the January 15, 1990 price list. They are uncommon and that is the second one I've seen. The other one I saw had metal F-100 style knobs.

Hey Sprinter 92, is this the other SC-3 Deluxe you saw?
That one is a 1991 and is a beauty and looks to be stock except for the metal string tree (and the F-100 style knobs).

[geoff douglas]

Thank you guys for your very helpful information, i'm lost without it.. It is a bit of a puzzle isnt it. I will ask for some under the pickguard pictures if hes willing when he replies with the dates.
Thanks again and have a great new year.
G

[Sprinter 92]

G&L, did make a three knob SC-3 with a body mount jack. It was called a SC-3 Deluxe and was $100 higher than the regular SC-3. The SC-3 Deluxe first appears on the January 15, 1990 price list. They are uncommon and that is the second one I've seen. The other one I saw had metal F-100 style knobs.

Hey Sprinter 92, is this the other SC-3 Deluxe you saw?
That one is a 1991 and is a beauty and looks to be stock except for the metal string tree (and the F-100 style knobs).

Yes, that is it.

[geoff douglas]

I have had no reply from the seller regarding the build date, I see its still listed though. Not meant to be i guess.
Cheers
G

[geoff douglas]

I have had no reply from the seller regarding the build date, I see its still listed though. Not meant to be i guess.
Cheers
G

[BrockLee]

I realize this is no help on this guitar, but in the future if one finds this thread after coming across another Sc3 with jack cup, if the finish looks original, ask the seller for a photo of the inside of the jack cup route. If there is no paint at all, it was added. I have added top jacks to several SC3's and 2 knob early 80's Stratocasters for people over the years.