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G&L S-500 Emerald Green Rosewood

While the shape is instantly familiar, the G&L S-500 is not just another S-type guitar. Featuring their Magnetic Field Design pickups, the S-500 is a versatile combination of single coil clarity with the added power and punch for higher gain performance. Finished in Emerald Green with a nicely figured Rosewood fretboard, the G&L S-500 speaks rock...but with a vintage accent.

This USA G&L Fullerton Deluxe S-500 features the following:

  • Emerald Green finish on Alder, 8.4 pounds
  • Modern Classic neck profile, 9.5" radius
  • Satin finish neck with glossy headstock face
  • Indian Rosewood fretboard
  • Medium jumbo frets
  • G&L split and drilled tuners
  • Three-ply tortoiseshell pickguard
  • 3 G&L Magnetic Field Design pickups
  • Passive Volume, Treble and Bass controls
  • 5-way pickup switch
  • Mini toggle for neck + bridge pickup
  • G&L Dual Fulcrum Vibrato with plated brass saddles
  • Tolex hardshell case
The G&L S-500 is a departure from the traditional tones of a Legacy or typical Strat-type guitar. G&L designed the S-500 MFD pickups with an eye towards better balance and more usable tones in all positions. Built somewhat like a P-90 pickup, the G&L MFD pickups employ a fairly strong ceramic bar magnet with a low resistance coil. Typically these pickups only measure about 5K ohms, quite low for any pickup. They possess a stronger output than a traditional design single coil, but the low resistance results in a very even frequency response. Compared to the traditional ALNICO Legacy pickup, the S-500 pickups are less scooped and glassy, with a huskier tone that has a stronger midrange presence. This is really felt at the bridge, which is truly usable, and lacks the thin, brittle sound common to many guitars of this type.

This guitar will appeal to players who love the idea of a Legacy or Strat but need a fuller sound that is still single coil in nature. The fatter midrange and smooth high end of the MFD pickup is great for driving pedals and producing thick, complex distortion. It's not the scooped sound of a traditional vintage pickup, but in many ways it's a lot more useful in the context of a band. The highs do not get overly bright like a normal single coil, and these pickups combine a pleasing blend of thickness and clarity that is great for classic rock, prog-rock, and even hard rock. The position 2 and 4 "in-between" tones also are fat, punchy, and less anemic than traditional Alnico pickups. Players will be able to rock out these positions just as easily as with the neck or bridge. And the mini-toggle control allows the player to select the neck+bridge position for some twangy Tele style country picking.

G&L's Modern Classic neck profile with 9.5" radius provides a slim profile popular with many players, and a 1-11/16" nut width that reduces any possibility of string falloff on the high E string. Essentially a re-engineered version of G&L's Slim C profile, it's what many players have been asking for, and is a great combination a features for both chords and single note work.

They say that insanity is doing the same thing over and over and expecting a different result. The G&L S-500 breaks this cycle, and is the natural evolution of Leo Fender's timeless design, tailored to suit more modern styles of music without forgetting its heritage. The S-500 is a professional quality instrument for players who want to keep one foot in tradition, and one foot firmly planted in rock 'n roll.