G&L Legacy HSS RMC USA Clear Blue on Swamp Ash

The G&L Legacy HSS RMC is G&L's take on versatile HSS pickup combination but with rear mounted controls. The result is a gorgeous display of the guitar's top, which in this case is Swamp Ash. It's the perfect guitar for those who like vintage single coil tones but also need a guitar that can really rock out. With its five-position switch and tapped G&L humbucker this guitar is a blues and funk machine with an edge for modern music.

This Custom USA G&L features:

• Clear Blue finish on Swamp Ash, 7.8 pounds
• Scraped Wood Binding 
• G&L Modern Classic hard-rock maple neck, 1-11/16" width at the nut
• Light tint satin neck finish
• 9.5" radius Rosewood fingerboard
• G&L Saddle Lock hardtail bridge
• (2) G&L Alnico Single Coil pickups
• (1) G&L AW4470B bridge pickup
• 5-way pickup switch
• Pull tone to split bridge pickup
• G&L passive treble and bass tone controls
• Includes G&L deluxe fitted Tolex Case

The RMC (Rear Mounted Controls) is not totally new at G&L and this model replaces the old Legacy Deluxe. The S-Type guitar never goes out of style, but G&L is not one to let tradition hold them back. Omitting the pickguard lets the wood grain take center stage giving it a sleek, purposeful look that is further enhanced by the scraped wood binding. We also opted for a hardtail bridge on this particular build. The saddle lock bridge gives the guitar a little more muscular tone and firmer bottom end, of course better tuning stability for those who really don't use a vibrato.

Compared to the standard Alder, the optional Swamp Ash body produces a slightly different character, with an extended top end and a more delicate midrange. The general effect is a little more sweetness to the top end, and if you like a slightly stringy, bouncy sound you'll be very happy with this guitar. It's not really brighter than Adler, but there is more "air" around the upper end and a touch softer attack.

The G&L flat-pole Alnico neck and middle pickups are wound to characterize the early 60's era pickups and have a resistance in the low 6K range. They are characterized by a strong percussive low end, a mild midrange scoop and a high end that is clean, but not glassy to the point of being shrill. They are on the mark for classic Strat® tones but also have enough midrange output to drive pedals for smoky blues or roots rock.

The G&L AW4470 pickup is the standard bridge humbucker in most G&L guitars. AW4470 = Alnico, 44 gauge wire, and 7000 turns. It is a nuanced improvement to the Seymour Duncan JB, which had been their go-to humbucker for many years. The sound is tight, with a strong upper midrange presence, and a percussive low end attack. The lighter midrange response of swamp ash also works very well with the G&L humbucker, moderating it's midrange bump and smoothing out he overall response. The ability to split the humbucker creates a perfectly legitimate single coil pickup that pairs great with the middle pickup, and produces crystal clear rhythm tones that have a sweet sparkle and ring.

It also bears mentioning that the G&L passive treble and bass controls have great tone shaping capability, especially as applied to the bridge pickup. The ability to roll off both bass and treble response is a unique feature, and rolling low end off the humbucker not only changes its clean tone, but also how it drives pedals. Effect pedals -- especially distortion -- are very midrange sensitive, and the passive bass and treble controls provide a lot of flexibility.

The HSS combination is popular for a very good reason: It satisfies the purist's desire for classic single coil spank and the modern rocker's instincts for something more meaty and aggressive. The G&L Legacy HSS nails checks those boxes, while also providing top-notch build quality and finish work. We are an authorized G&L Premier dealer located in Bellingham, Massachusetts, and this is a new guitar with all tags, tools, paperwork and certificates. We have over 25 G&L’s in stock at all times, and please feel free to browse our other listings, or contact us for information on a custom order.