Well, I made the trade, and as expected, it's a great playing guitar. However, it's in rough shape. The worst problem is, the bridge pickup is some horrible aftermarket humbucker that I would pull out even if it was wired properly and otherwise working, which it's not. So, that's got to go. The rest of the electronics are noisy, but I can probably take care of that. The good news here is, I know my way around working on guitars OK, I've got a multimeter and soldering gun and I'll be able to get it all together in time.
So, that humbucker has to go. The bridge is pretty corroded, and if I could find a way to replace it I'd do so, but I don't know how easy they are to find other than G&L's $100 asking price. I'd probably replace the pickguard too, same situation.
A lot of what I don't know is G&L specific. I need a new back plate for the tremolo system, will any Strat sized plate work? How about with pickup covers, they look the same, but are they?
What sort of shielding does a G&L guitar typically have, should I plan on doing that while I'm at it?
I'll pull the neck and everything soon, to get at the date, but does anyone have a rough estimate or any advice on that matter? I know the three bolt necks are earlier.
This is a wonderful guitar, though. I know that G&L makes great products, and this doesn't disappoint, even in the condition it's in. Here's some pictures... Wow the Cat likes this guitar, and she usually doesn't like guitars much.





I guess my main first problem is the pickup. Should I get a G&L replacement, or should I look into something else? Do most aftermarket pickups fit G&L guitars no problem? It looks like they would... looks can deceive. Thanks all!