S300 Pics

[kev01]

These are the pictures I promised earlier, sorry to take so long to get them up. This guitar will be up for sale soon in my friends store when he decides he can finally part with it. I wish I could afford it.

As you can see the guitar appears to be in un-played condition as no pick scratches can be seen, and the plastic is still on the pickguard.

[Elwood]

Yowsa!!
That's going to fetch a pretty price.
Hopefully the new owner will come here and share the S300 goodness

[kev01]

I am not sure what it will even go for. I looked at the last two that sold and almost fell over. I wish it could go in my collection but it is out of my price range. If anyone is interested in it let me know and I will pass it on. The condition is unbelievable, the more I look at it the more amazed I become that it has slipped through the cracks all these years.

[Thumbs]

Cool to see another S-300! I still have the one that was Dale Hyatt's. I have a copy of the production log. What SN# is it? Curious about the Leo decal on the headstock? Mine does not have that, in fact I've never seen that decal on anything but the upper bout on a G&L guitar. Other sold recently? Anybody got some numbers? No, I'm not going to sell mine. It's a keeper!

Tell your friend I'm interested in his guitar! Thanks!

Here are some pics of mine. Mine also came with a clear pickguard, which is on it now.

[zapcosongs]

I'm a moron. What sort of money are we talking. How many were made?

WOW!

- ed

[jonc]

Definitely cool to see a rarebird like the S300, but I have to say that from the cloud plate on the G-200, to the plate on MM Sting Ray guitar, and even the control plate on the S-300, they are some ugly looking designs. That said, I wouldn't mind having one of each.

[Thumbs]

Have to agree, the design of the control plates leaves something to be desired. Rumor has it that there were maybe 10 total, 4 guitars are likely due to the production log. I have the one page mine is listed on, there may be more. The only other one that came up for sale or even a sighting was a parts guitar (it was the general opinion of this board at the time), that it was a parts guitar made by a former employee of G&L. Rumor also has it that maybe they (the other ones) went to Europe. All I know is that mine was once owned by Dale Hyatt. For you newbies Dale was a partner with Leo in the G&L Musical Sales Company vs Leo and George Fullerton as partners in G&L Musical Mfg. Co. They split the companies and functions that way at Fender back in the day.

[louis cyfer]

when someone leaves the plastic on the pg that long, taking it off without messing up the pg is practically impossible. it actually fuses to the plastic leaving nasty marks. by leaving it on, he has devalued the guitar considerably, unless able to find some fool who doesn't know better.

[zapcosongs]

I'm still interested in learning how such a thing might be valued, especially with so few sales of similar examples... - ed

[kev01]

I have removed plastic from guards that old with no problem if the right chemical is used and the time taken.

[yowhatsshakin]

I'm still interested in learning how such a thing might be valued, especially with so few sales of similar examples... - ed

Couldn't find anything in the Blue Book. Dang ....

- Jos

[kev01]

The vintage dealers I work with say it is what the market will allow. They say it is hard to put a value on such a rare guitar but they said it would not be cheap.
looked up the last two that sold and could not believe my eyes. 40 to 50k but that was before the economy crashed. There is a collector from LA going to look at in the next week or so. I know he has more vintage Fenders than I can keep track of as I have worked on over 50 of them and he says that is just the Burst collection and the solid colors are next. WOW !!!! must be nice.

[Thumbs]

May I ask where you saw those $$$ for 2 sold? When I got mine there was one on eBay asking $60k (determined it to be a parts guitar by this board; it never sold on eBay). If your numbers hold true, and I have no reason to doubt you, then this is the best investment I ever made! How much would you guess my S-300 would be worth with the production log page , OHSC and previously owned by a founder of G&L? It passed from Dale Hyatt to another collector, then to me.

Where is this one located? I'm interested in buying it! You can reach me off-line: wayne@tone-guard.com

[Craig]

The vintage dealers I work with say it is what the market will allow. They say it is hard to put a value on such a rare guitar but they said it would not be cheap.
looked up the last two that sold and could not believe my eyes. 40 to 50k but that was before the economy crashed. There is a collector from LA going to look at in the next week or so. I know he has more vintage Fenders than I can keep track of as I have worked on over 50 of them and he says that is just the Burst collection and the solid colors are next. WOW !!!! must be nice.

You might check this source: Zachary Fjestads' Blue Book of Electric Guitars 13th edition.
The G&L section was recently updated with help from some knowledgeable G&L historians.
I don't have a copy, so I don't know if the S-300 prototype is listed.

Please do register this S-300 Prototype in our G&L Registry.
This would be the third one in the Registry.

Hope this helps.

[Muleya]

when someone leaves the plastic on the pg that long, taking it off without messing up the pg is practically impossible. it actually fuses to the plastic leaving nasty marks. by leaving it on, he has devalued the guitar considerably, unless able to find some fool who doesn't know better.

I purchased a guitar that was about 10 years old that was virtually unplayed with the plastic still on the pickguard and it came of just fine, so I wouldn't necessarily sweat that being the case.

[westsideduck]

The story I heard on the 300s is about 5 in the log book, only one known in the states and Thumbs is the proud owner of that documented guitar. The others went off to a trade show in Germany sometime in the early 80s, by the way, there are a lot of nice and rare pieces that a major German distributor bought in the early 80s, The one that was on the Bay was a faker and it's not a hard guitar to parts together if you know what you're doing. I'd also love to know how these guitars came back to the states or if there ae more then 5 in the books but my info is from a reliable source. 50 to 60 k???? yeah they are rare but it's just an uglier S-500 with a hard tail, sorry Thumbs, it would look a lot nicer with a custom made black metal guard to match the control plate. Oh and that leo sticker is definatly an add on over the finish, whats up with that?

gary

[darwinohm]

Me thinks the Duck has sniffed something out here!-- Darwin

[zapcosongs]

I don't even pretend to know anything about these things. What is truly unique about this model, the circuit? Are the only truly legitimate ones the ones in the log book, or were some genuine ones built that weren't properly documented there for some reason? - ed

[Craig]

50 to 60 k???? yeah they are rare but it's just an uglier S-500 with a hard tail, sorry Thumbs, it would look a lot nicer with a custom made black metal guard to match the control plate. Oh and that leo sticker is definatly an add on over the finish, whats up with that?

gary

I was under the impression that these prototypes had an active circuit and the toggle switch was to switch between active and passive.
Are you saying that the toggle was the expander switch? As you know, the early versions of the S-500 did not have this switch.
Perhaps Thumbs will be able to tell us what that toggle switch actually does.

+1 on the black metal pickguard, like this T-400 Prototype.

[kev01]

G&L said Leo had racks of guitars in his office lots of protos and after his passing thing just vanished. My best guess and theirs is an employee got this guitar and yes the Leo sticker was added after the finish. G&L said these decals ended up everywhere toolboxes etc. Remember I am just cleaning it up I am not the seller I would not remove the sticker or plastic unless I was asked to do so. We were hoping by leaving it just as found someone from the factory might remember it.

[yowhatsshakin]

You might check this source: Zachary Fjestads' Blue Book of Electric Guitars 13th edition.
The G&L section was recently updated with help from some knowledgeable G&L historians.
I don't have a copy, so I don't know if the S-300 prototype is listed.

I have a subscription to the Bluebook and the S-300 in absent in the section on G&L electrics.

- Jos

[zapcosongs]

Well, there are pictures, so it must exist, no? - ed

[kev01]

This guitar is now for sale. [contact info removed by Admin].
I want it but I don't think taking a second on the house would go over well with the wife.

[Craig]

This guitar is now for sale. [contact info removed by Admin].
I want it but I don't think taking a second on the house would go over well with the wife.

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