G&L S-500 Guitars

The legendary Leo Fender was always on the pursuit for perfection. In his later years at G&L, Leo took some of his most iconic guitar shapes and refined them with cutting-edge electronics and hardware — aimed to provide players with increased versatility and a smoother, more comfortable playing feel. The S-500 guitar is perhaps the best example, as it comes equipped with many of G&L's signature Leo Fender-designed features!

G&L S-500 Electronics

The G&L S-500's electronics make it very sonically flexible. It's powered by a set of low-noise, high-output G&L 'Magnetic Field Design' (MFD) pickups — which possess a full and balanced sound that's far more modern than most conventional single-coils. Wound using ceramic magnets and designed to transfer the magnetic field to the top of the pickup (rather than the middle), they're incredibly responsive to your playing dynamics and simply sound great! Click here to find out more about G&L MFD pickups.

The 'PTB Tone System' (passive treble and bass) is a standard feature on the G&L S-500 guitar too, which essentially gives you two EQ controls that can separately decrease the high and low frequencies. On top of that, it also comes with an 'Expander' mini-toggle switch (on the affordable Tribute Series S-500, this is a push/pull knob instead) that further expands the instrument's sonic palette. This function adds two additional pickup selections — giving you the option to simultaneously select the bridge and neck pickups (like a Tele), or engage all three pickups at once to achieve an ever broader tone!

G&L S-500 Hardware

G&L's S-500 electric guitars sport the unique 'Dual-Fulcrum' vibrato — an influential bridge concept pioneered by Leo Fender. With two anchor points, this low-friction design provides a silky feel and even allows you to slightly raise the guitar's pitch.

For more information on G&L's history, innovations and instruments — check out our Ultimate Guide to G&L Guitars!