G&L USA CLF Research S-500 Electric Guitar in Tobacco Sunburst
A tribute to G&L's earliest version of their modern, evolved S-type — featuring innovative MFD pickups, PTB Tone System & Dual-Fulcrum trem! Gig bag included.
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Want to Click and Collect or try items at our Guildford Store?
The store is open 10am - 6pm Monday to Saturday and 11am - 5pm Sunday and bank holidays.
The stock information shows the quantity of units that are available to purchase at the Guildford store and the quantity of units that are available at our off-site Guildford warehouse. These stock levels are updated in real time.
Our Click and Collect service is available at our Guildford store from 10am - 6pm Monday to Saturday, and 11am - 5pm on Sunday. You can either choose click and collect as your delivery option online or, during store opening hours, call our sales team at 01483 456777 to place a 10% deposit.
If you have placed your order online, you will receive a confirmation email of your order and a separate follow-up text or email to confirm when your item is ready for collection.
Please do not come to the store before you have received the follow-up message, as your order may not yet be ready at the store.
If the only available stock is in our off-site warehouse it can be brought to the store location for you to try - you just need to contact the store within opening hours. Please note any requests received after 3.30pm will not arrive at the store until the following morning.
Please be aware that, unless you have paid a deposit to reserve the item, it will continue to be free, both online and in-store, for another customer to buy. Therefore we would advise you to place a 10% deposit by either using the on-line click and collect service or calling us 01483 456777.
SKU: S500-CLF-TSB-RW
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Product Description
For decades, guitarists have turned to the G&L S-500 for a classic design with added versatility and a bold sound thanks to its MFD ('Magnetic Field Design') pickups, 'PTB Tone System' (passive treble/bass controls) and expander switch. These enhancements give the S-500 levels of grit, energy and sophistication that other similar guitars just can't reach.
CLF Research S-500
G&L's CLF Research S-500 pauses to consider the history unfolding on Fender Avenue in the late 1970s. It's a sort of retro-futurist dream, imagining Leo Fender's late '70s 'Magnetic Field Design' pickup technology and 'Dual-Fulcrum' vibrato system packaged on a model that could have predated the earliest G&L guitars produced in 1980.
For the journey back in time, John R. McLaren has substantially modified the pickups from the current production S-500 spec, including the coil bobbin aperture, length of pole pieces, wire turns and more. John sought to create a softer, sparklier sound without losing the sense of smoothness and strength expected from an S-500.
Dave McLaren's #Project1979s500 is the prototype for this model, with its development shared with followers of the CLF Research pages on Instagram and Facebook. Interaction with the fans inspired Dave to draw together functional and styling elements prepared at CLF Research in the late '70s and early '80s, including a crinkle powder-coated aluminium pickguard and beautiful machined CLF knobs. Even the headstock is based on the original G&L design, modified to fit Kluson tuners and sporting a '70s-flavored "go faster" logo.
Key Features
- Okoume Body — A popular tonewood often likened to Mahogany for its warm and sustain-rich sound; giving the S-500 some extra sonic depth.
- Bolt-On Construction — Produces a snappy note response for an immediate playing experience.
- 'Modern Classic' Neck Profile — A fairly slim shape with a mild taper from 0.820" at 1st fret to 0.870" at the 12th fret.
- Medium Jumbo Frets — Offer a controllable feel for wide vibrato and pitch-perfect string bends.
- G&L MFD Single-Coil Pickups — A unique, Leo Fender concept considered a marked improvement over the traditional single-coil. This design transfers the magnetic field to the top of the pickup rather than the middle and features a ceramic magnet; yielding more output, greater balance and less noise!
- PTB Tone System — Gives you two master tone controls, one that decreases the treble like a typical tone knob, and one that decreases the low-end. It's like having a built-in, passive 2-band EQ!
- Expander Mini-Toggle Switch — Adds two additional pickup selections when used in conjunction with the 5-position switch; enabling combinations of the neck and bridge single-coils for a T-style configuration, or all three pickups together!
- Dual-Fulcrum Tremolo — Another Leo Fender innovation! This two-pivot, low-friction design provides a smooth and "silky" feel that allows you to bend notes up as well as down. The hardened steel bridge plate pivots on knife-edge bolts which are set into massive brass inserts anchored into the body; yielding brilliant sustain and resonance.
- G&L Deluxe Gig Bag — Included is a sturdy, lightweight and water-resistant soft case that sports a pair of shoulder straps for convenient travel.
Specifications
Body
- Body Shape: S-500
- Body Wood: Okoume
Neck
- Neck Wood: Hard Rock Maple
- Neck Profile: G&L Modern Classic
- Neck Finish: Vintage Tint Gloss
- Neck Joint: Bolt-On
- Scale Length: 25.5"
- Fingerboard Wood: Caribbean Rosewood
- Fingerboard Radius: 9.5"
- Fret Size: Medium Jumbo, Nickel
- Number of Frets: 22
- Inlays: White Dots
- Nut Material: 100% Natural Bone
- Nut Width: 1.6875"
Hardware
- Bridge: Leo Fender-Designed G&L Dual-Fulcrum Vibrato with Forged Brass Saddles
- Tuners: Kluson Vintage
- Hardware Finish: Chrome
Electronics
- Pickups: Leo Fender-Designed G&L MFD Single-Coils
- Controls: Volume, Treble, Bass, 5-Position Pickup Selector Switch, Mini-Toggle Expander Switch
Miscellaneous
- Case/Gig Bag: G&L Deluxe Gig Bag (Included)