1987 G&L (USA) SC-3 Electric Guitar

US-made G&Ls are always a treat. This guitar - despite it being somewhere between Dakota red and fire engine red -- has warmed my heart and hands in its own way. It sounds like a Strat and then some and has a neck like a '60s one as well. The body shape belongs more to the Mustang family tree and the lack of a pickguard, the painted neck, and the powder-coated-flat-black control plate makes me think of the interiors of '80s sports cars. At the same time, the dang thing twangs rather than screams, so it's one of those confusing illusions -- are you wearing a cowboy hat or spandex? We may never know...

I just had to give this guy a quick setup and minor adjustments and it was ready to roll. The frets have very low miles on them and it plays perfectly. I don't know why G&L pickups have the "special sauce" but they're interesting things -- they sound Stratty but definitely have a bit of Jaguar growl and chomp at the neck and middle positions. You can also dig into these pickups as hard as you like and they don't tend to get compressed-sounding. They're clean and chimey.

Repairs included: setup, cleaning, adjustments.

Body wood: unsure (it's painted)

Bridge: 2-point Strat-style

Fretboard: rosewood (with ebonized stain)

Neck wood: maple

Pickups: 3x G&L S-500 models

Action height at 12th fret: 1/16" overall
String gauges: 46w-10

Neck shape: slim C

Board radius: ~7.5"

Truss rod: adjustable

Neck relief: straight

Fret style: medium-lower

Scale length: 25 1/2"

Nut width: 1 5/8"

Body width: 12"

Body depth: 1 5/8"

Weight: 8 lbs 3 oz

Condition notes: the finish shows lacquer-check throughout in a good way. There's a little bit of usewear/playwear throughout the finish but mostly this guitar is  clean, clean, clean for its age. It's completely original inside and out, too.