G&L Invader Graphite Metallic w/Floyd Rose

This custom order G&L Invader features:

• Alder body with Graphite Metallic finish, 8.2 pounds
• Scraped wood binding
• G&L Invader neck, 1-11/16" wide at the nut, 9.5" radius
• .770 depth first fret, .830 depth at the 12th fret
• Clear satin maple neck with Rosewood fretboard
• Floyd Rose USA Vibrato with locking nut
• G&L Split and Drilled tuners
• (2) G&L blade pickups
• (1) G&L AS4368C bridge pickup
• 5-way pickup switch
• push-pull tone to split bridge pickup
• Volume and Tone controls
• Includes G&L hardshell case

One of G&L's lesser known models, the G&L Invader is their "Super Strat" incarnation featuring a more aggressive no-pickguard look, flexible HSS format and genuine Floyd Rose locking vibrato. The neck profile is their "Slim Invader" shape which is aimed squarely at the intended genre of this instrument, but instead of an ultra flat neck it comes with G&L's standard 9.5" radius. While often guitars of this ilk with have a flatter fretboard radius, it feels right at home with fast riffs, bends, and chugging chords. 

On this particular build we opted for G&L's Dual Blade pickups. These pickups add the benefit of low-noise operation while producing a warmer fuller tone than the traditional Alnico single coils. The output is also a couple notches higher, and digging in a little we were able to get a hint of natural tube grit out of our test rig. The neck and middle pickups emulate the single coil style quite nicely, but with a slightly rounded high end and a fuller midrange and bass. That classic glassy sound is less pronounced, but in exchange you get a pickup with more punch and less tendency to get overly bright at higher volumes. Overdriven sounds are smoother and fuller with plenty of complexity. Compared to conventional high output single coil pickups, the G&L Dual Blade design provides added beef with better fidelity and less midrange muddiness. 

In the bridge we have the AW4368C, wound with 43 gauge wire for 6800 turns. This model measures around 13.5k resistance which puts it a notch under the Seymour Duncan JB, and it's also wound differently than it's open coil brother the AW4470. We lean towards the covered AW4368C for its more restrained midrange kick, and treble response that is clear but not icy or metallic. It's got plenty of oomph to drive pedals and gain channels, but its evenly balanced response provides a more linear "crunch" that is tight, defined, and devoid of spiky or harsh peaks. It also turns down well, revealing additional layers of detail and nuance. While you can pull the tone control to split the pickup, we prefer to roll down the volume a bit for a leaner, less mid-forward tone.

The Floyd Rose vibrato and locking nut do exactly what they are supposed to: Produce dramatic swoops and wails while staying completely in tune. It's quite a massive piece of gear -- and maybe not as chimey as the G&L Dual Fulcrum bridge -- but it's fully adjustable and does things standard bridges can't. Even if you don't have a penchant for dive-bomb dramatics, it has the added benefit of extreme stability even with constant use.

While targeted at the hard rock minded, there is really nothing you can't do with the Invader. The tastefully voiced pickups and slim profile neck adapt well to many playing styles, and with the gain potential of pedals and modeling amps, there is no limit to amount of mayhem you can create. As super versatile cover band guitar that can go from SRV to EVH, the Invader is worth consideration.