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G&L S-500 CLF Research Mocha Electric w/ Gig Bag *Authorized Dealer*

G&L's S-500 gets the CLF treatment with this special run CLF S-500. The S-500 was launched in 1982 as the natural evolution of the Strat and it has remained a staple of the G&L family. Featuring the classic CLF appointments such as the CLF Research headstock, vintage style tuners, and those big chrome knobs, the CLF S-500 is a welcome addition to the family. What's more, the CLF Research S-500 features the new S-500 "Johnny's Special" pickup developed by G&L's John McLaren. 

This is a limited run CLF S-500 with fewer than 50 made. It is now out of production. Pricing reflects new 2024 Map Pricing


This G&L S-500 features:

  • Okoume body with Trans Mocha finish, 7.8 lbs
  • G&L Modern Classic neck, 1-11/16" nut width and 9.5" radius
  • CLF research headstock, with throwback S-500 logo
  • Vintage tint gloss maple neck
  • Maple fretboard, with synthetic Abalone dot markers
  • Bone nut
  • 3 ply black pickguard
  • 3 G&L Magnetic Field Design pickups - Johnny's Specials
  • Passive Volume, Treble and Bass controls
  • 5-way pickup switch
  • Machined CLF knobs
  • Mini toggle for neck + bridge pickup
  • G&L Dual Fulcrum Vibrato with plated brass saddles
  • Vintage Kluson style tuners
  • G&L deluxe gig bag
So what is Okoume? It's an African hardwood that is fairly lightweight, has a grain similar to mahogany, and is popular as a laminate for decorative woods and structural products. When used on acoustic guitars, it is said to have tonal properties similar to maple. On a solid body however it behaves a bit more like Mahogany. It's got a warmer, richer tone than an Alder or Swamp Ash, but thanks to the MFD pickups that doesn't mean "dull". The Okoume body gently rounds out the high end of the punchy MFD pickups and give more support to the low to midrange bass frequencies.

The G&L MFD pickups employ a fairly strong ceramic bar magnet with a low resistance coil. While the standard S-500 pickups are wound to about 5K ohms, the Johnny's specials are wound even lower, about 4.6K ohms. That and other structural design changes are aimed at adding more sparkle without losing the punch of the original S-500 MFD. Compared to a traditional Alnico pickup, the S-500 pickups are less glassy, with a huskier tone and a stronger midrange presence. To some they sound a little dark compared to an Alnico pickup. The Johnny Special S-500 reduces the midrange emphasis slightly and shifts it lower for a cleaner midrange and a little more "scoop". The character is more "traditional" with less of the mid-heavy tone of the original S-500, but it's still on the beefier side of the spectrum. Oddly enough for a guitar of this type, the bridge pickup really shines. It's got plenty of output, with a sweet top end that has plenty of clarity and not a hint of harshness. It will rock nicely, but handles cleans much better than resorting to an HSS pickup configuration.

If you are wondering "why play an S-500?" we'll give you a quick answer: For a lot of styles of music it just works better than a traditional Strat, especially in the context of a band. While it can't cop the glassy scooped tone of a great conventional Strat neck pickup, the S-500 outperforms just about everywhere else. The fatter midrange and smooth high end of the MFD pickup is great for driving pedals and creating thick, satisfying rock tones. 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 the borderline metal.

The position 2 and 4 "in-between" tones 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.

As with most G&L's these days the CLF S-500 comes with G&L's standard-issue neck profile, the Modern Classic. Slimmer like the old "Slim C" the Modern Classic has a 9.5" radius and a 1-11/16" nut width. The string spacing is the same as their 1-5/8" Classic C necks, and the extra width is there to help prevent string fall off. Players who like an American Fender neck will take to the Modern Classic. Don't be put off by the glossy finish. Some poly gloss necks can get a little tacky and grippy, but we sensed none of that with the S-500. 

The addition of the new design S-500 pickups makes the CLF S-500 guitar more than just a cosmetic upgrade. It's not just another Strat, and gives players a foothold in traditional single coil sound while offering the fuller tones and pedal performance that suits modern musical styles.