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G&L Fullerton Deluxe Skyhawk HH Old School Tobacco Swamp Ash
The Fullerton Deluxe Skyhawk HH gives fans of the G&L CLF Research series the "CLF vibe" at an attractive price point. The Fullerton Deluxe Skyhawk has all classic cues like the original 80's control plate, early head stock, but with their 'Modern Classic' neck profile, satin finish neck, and G&L gig bag. With one foot in the past and another in the future, the Skyhawk HH has something to offer players of all stripes.
This USA-made G&L Skyhawk HH features (Photos are of the actual guitar):
- Old School Tobacco Finish on Swamp Ash, 8.2 pounds
- 'Modern Classic' profile (1-11/16" width at the nut), 9.5" radius
- .820" depth at first fret, .870" depth at 12th fret
- Satin Vintage Tint maple neck
- Caribbean Rosewood fretboard
- '84 chrome control plate w/ 3-ply black guard
- G&L AS4255C Neck Pickup
- G&L AW4368C Bridge Pickup
- Passive Volume, Treble and Bass controls
- Push/Pull tone for coil split
- 3-way pickup switch
- G&L Dual Fulcrum Vibrato bridge
- G&L Split and Drilled tuners
- Deluxe G&L gig bag
The original Skyhawk was reintroduced as part of the CLF Research line, and is a cool concept that offers a window to G&L's past without compromising modern day build consistency. The Skyhawk is Leo's evolution of the Stratocaster® shape, and you can also see how this influence carried over to his other project, Music Man (now Ernie Ball). It's comfortable and balanced, and in a sea of Strats it stands out without looking radical . To provide better availability at an attractive price point, G&L has expanded their Fullerton Deluxe line -- which offer premium appointments and classic finishes at a special savings -- to include the Skyhawk. And much to our delight, they decided to bring out an HH version. In 2020 they have held the price from 2019 but switched over to a nice gig bag instead of hard case, and to our delight dropped the gloss finish neck in favor of tinted satin.
As with many G&L guitars, the Skyhawk has their passive bass and treble controls, and these work particularly well with the HH pickup arrangement. It's rare that you'd ever need to roll off the treble on a humbucker neck pickup, but rolling off the bass response opens lots of possibilities. The ability to tailor both bass and treble response gives this guitar a greater sonic vocabulary, and depending on settings you can go from chunk to funk.
In addition to the unique aesthetic, the Skyhawk offers a pair of smooth-sounding covered humbuckers. The model numbers of the G&L pickups are code for how they are made. So the AS4255C neck pickup has an Alnico magnet, is wound with 42 gauge wire for 5500 turns, and is chrome covered. Compared to its open coil sibling, the tone is a little smoother and warmer, but retains plenty of attack and wound spring response. It's an old school vibe with ample low end response, and by using the passive bass control it's easy to lean out the pickup for lighter tones with more snap and jangle.
In the bridge we have the AW4368C, wound with 43 gauge wire for 6800 turns. These typically measure around 13.5k resistance which is less than their open coil AW4470 pickup that's standard on most G&L's. The slightly lower output and chrome cover still provides plenty of output, with but with more restrained midrange emphasis and a smoother top end. The Swamp Ash body leans out the midrange a tad, and adds nice top end complexity, and there are many tonal shades to explore via the passive treble and bass controls. There's plenty of gas in the tank to drive pedals, and higher gain tones are tight and crunchy, with a high end sizzle that avoids being too sharp or metallic.
The neck on this guitar is the standard Modern Classic decked out with a handsome Caribbean Rosewood (Chechen) fretboard. The color is a little lighter than most Rosewood, and it reminds us of Pau Ferro. It's dense, tight grained, very smooth, and most importantly a sustainable wood. The Modern Classic profile blends a slightly wider nut width with G&L's Slim C profile, and a 9.5" radius fretboard. The wider nut reduces the chance of string falloff, and the slimmer profile and 9.5" radius keeps the extra width from feeling cumbersome.
The G&L Dual-Fulcrum vibrato system is another evolutionary improvement carried over to the Skyhawk. Unlike traditional designs -- and rather than relying on a few wood screws -- it uses two knife-edge studs mounted in giant brass body anchors to act as pivot points for the bridge. This type of floating mechanism allows the player to bend notes upward or downward with complete confidence that the guitar will stay securely in tune.
Players who are not "Les Paul" people will dig the Skyhawk HH: It provides the sonic benefits of dual-coil pickups but with the clarity, dynamics and playing feel that Leo Fender fans refuse to compromise on. The tone is Classic Rock, Pop, and even Funk, but suffice to say the tone controls and floating bridge provide a lot of leeway to cover a plethora of styles. And personally we love the early G&L aesthetic (and you can work on the wiring without taking the strings off). Kudos to G&L for continuing to honor the legacy of Leo Fender in imaginative ways.