Anyone seen a pickup like this?

[Agent P]

I just pickup up this Invader from a local music shop. It's absolutely mint with OHSC, all the case candy and the COA. I've contacted G&L to see if they had more info. They resounded with this.

The Invader was completed 10/18/05, swamp ash body, neck is a nut width of 1-11/16”, 12” radius. The pickups in the pic are not stock, those are after market pickups, we never used zebra pickups on this model. The Invader was stocked with Seymour Duncan TB4 in the bridge, and neck-59. If you have any further questions please email me back, have a great day.

This, of course, prompted my to pull the pickups and see what they were (The screws felt like they had never been removed). Each pickup simply had an "F" stamped into the baseplate and had "10//2005" printed on the back. Nothing else. I looked in the control cavity for signs of replacement and everything looked untouched. Based on that, the date on the pickup and knowing the guitar was finished on 10/18/2005, I'm leaning that these came from the factory but I thought I'd ask y'all.

Did G&L ever put out a pickup like this? Did they do custom winding? Have you maybe seen something that looks like this in any other guitar?

Any help would be appreciated.

Andy

[Craig]

I just pickup up this Invader from a local music shop. It's absolutely mint with OHSC, all the case candy and the COA. I've contacted G&L to see if they had more info. They resounded with this.

The Invader was completed 10/18/05, swamp ash body, neck is a nut width of 1-11/16”, 12” radius. The pickups in the pic are not stock, those are after market pickups, we never used zebra pickups on this model. The Invader was stocked with Seymour Duncan TB4 in the bridge, and neck-59. If you have any further questions please email me back, have a great day.

This, of course, prompted my to pull the pickups and see what they were (The screws felt like they had never been removed). Each pickup simply had an "F" stamped into the baseplate and had "10//2005" printed on the back. Nothing else. I looked in the control cavity for signs of replacement and everything looked untouched. Based on that, the date on the pickup and knowing the guitar was finished on 10/18/2005, I'm leaning that these came from the factory but I thought I'd ask y'all.

Did G&L ever put out a pickup like this? Did they do custom winding? Have you maybe seen something that looks like this in any other guitar?

Any help would be appreciated.

Andy

Yes, those G&L Alnico Humbucker pickups were used in the Invader XL Standard-Fullerton Standard Series which were in production from 2006-2008.
See: USA Budget Models around 2007 ish?
Production List of G&L Instruments (USA)
List of pickups used in G&L guitars

I have only seen the Invader XL Standard model in Blueburst and White finishes. We have a total of 8 registered in our G&L Registry.
Please do add yours to our G&L Registry. Yours has the Natural Gloss finish.

Hope this helps.

[Agent P]

Hi Craig. Thanks for the quick response! I've already added this to the registry.

So, do you think this is a Fullerton Standard series? I understand that the options were pretty standard and they came with a gig bag. This is a non-standard color, a two-piece body, birdseye maple neck, has the coil tap switch and the G&G hardshell case.

Some additional info...

Bridge pickup cavity says "248105" and has a small "X" below it.
Neck pickup cavity says "NAT RW #3 NECK"
The handwritten hand tag has the serial, "FB", "248105" and "#3"

If it is a Fullerton Standard, what would it have sold for new and what would have been a good price for me to pay in this condition? Do people think less of them?
Is it possible that this is a regular Invader XL with pickups from the 2006 line due to the late 2005 build date? And if so, what would it have sold for and what should I have paid?

I love the guitar either way but want to be sure I didn't screw myself, nor have gathered the wrong research and accidentally lied to my wife...

I have so many questions... I'll be happy to provide any pics or info I can to be sure. Thanks for sharing your knowledge.

Andy

[Craig]

Hi Craig. Thanks for the quick response! I've already added this to the registry.

So, do you think this is a Fullerton Standard series? I understand that the options were pretty standard and they came with a gig bag. This is a non-standard color, a two-piece body, birdseye maple neck, has the coil tap switch and the G&G hardshell case.

Some additional info...

Bridge pickup cavity says "248105" and has a small "X" below it.
Neck pickup cavity says "NAT RW #3 NECK"
The handwritten hand tag has the serial, "FB", "248105" and "#3"

If it is a Fullerton Standard, what would it have sold for new and what would have been a good price for me to pay in this condition? Do people think less of them?
Is it possible that this is a regular Invader XL with pickups from the 2006 line due to the late 2005 build date? And if so, what would it have sold for and what should I have paid?

I love the guitar either way but want to be sure I didn't screw myself, nor have gathered the wrong research and accidentally lied to my wife...

I have so many questions... I'll be happy to provide any pics or info I can to be sure. Thanks for sharing your knowledge.

Andy

Since your guitar has the #3 neck and the mini-toggle switch for coil splitting, I think its the standard production Invader XL and not from of the Fullerton Standard series.

The questions left to be answered are:
1. Are the pickups G&L built pickups?
2. Were they installed at the factory?
3. Did a dealer request these pickups to replace the stock SD?
4. Or was this a prototype/testbed guitar built to try out these G&L pickups in preparation for the Fullerton Standard Invader XL?

I have sent an email to one of my contacts at G&L with a couple of your photos, those questions and the serial number.

I will follow up as soon as I hear back.

Stay tuned.

[Agent P]

Wow, that's totally cool of you. I'm anxious to see what you can find out. Thanks.

Andy

[Agent P]

Just checking in. Heard anything?

[Craig]

Just checking in. Heard anything?

Nope, I sent another email.

Stay tuned.

[Agent P]

Been a while, thought I'd check in again to see of you've heard anything. Thanks!


Andy

[Craig]

Been a while, thought I'd check in again to see of you've heard anything. Thanks!


Andy

I just sent an email to another contact at the factory. As soon as I hear back from Spencer, I will post his reply.
Note that Monday is a US holiday so he probably will not see my email until Tuesday at the earliest.

Stay tuned.