George Fullerton and Leo Fender founded G&L in 1979 to further expand Leo's innovations in electric instruments. Many view G&L as the pinnacle of Leo's designs. Constructed in Fullerton, California , the G&L line offers the full extension of Leo's designs, made with modern-day attention to detail and precision.
The S-500 debuted in 1982, and it is the evolution of the classic Strat template with a number of and reengineered features. The two most notable innovations are the Dual-Fulcrum vibrato and the Magnetic Field Design single-coil pickups, each designed by Leo himself. The MFD pickups deliver bright and sparkly top end balanced by robust bottom end. There's still plenty of mid-range punch, too, and they're hotter with a wider dynamic range.
This 1997 G&L S-500 is a great example of the '90s specs, featuring the original three-bolt neck joint. Relative to earlier iterations, the body contours were designed to improve comfort, especially around the cutaways which also opens up access into the upper register. We love the three-tone sunburst—classic, but refined.
True to G&L's reputation, this S-500 excels from a playability/sound perspective—it is a well-engineered tool that can handle anything you throw at it. It has a 1-5/8" nut, Medium Jumbo frets, and a 12"-radius Rosewood fingerboard. It plays like a dream all the way up to the 22nd fret. The pickups sound excellent, and with an additional switch to activate the bridge in positions 4 and 5, there's a ton of versatility on tap.
This 1997 G&L S-500 shows some minor signs of play wear, but it's in excellent cosmetic condition. It has no history of repairs or issues, and the setup is exactly where you want it to be. It includes its original Tremolo arm, and the previous owner installed a FreeLok tremolo locking system (adjustment tools and instructions are included). It is also set up for Schaller strap locks, and it includes a nice leather strap already rigged up for the strap locks.