Tell Me About The G&L S-500! (2024)

The S-500 is the Least Stratty of all the "S" types that Fullerton makes, with only a Legacy HH competing with it. The order IMO from most Stratt to least, is the George Fullerton model, usual SSS Legacy, the Comanche, the Legacy HH (Special) and finally the S-500. You can increase the distance from a Strat by ordering the Saddle Lock toploading hardtail bridge on these, as well.

The reason is mostly the (S sized) MFD pickups. They're just ballsier, more of an Outdoor Voice guitar. Only G + L pickup more audacious is the large MFD on the ASAT Special. With a typical Strat single coil, you see Fender S people using "10" on both volume and tone controls. With an S-500, you gotta dial back.

If you need Strat tones, go Legacy. The 500s are more p90-like but they can get into hum range. Check this vid.

Here's another S-500 demo video. I've had a Tribute for a few years. It gets close enough to Strat tones for my needs, and has additional versatility.

Boris Bubbanov said:

The S-500 is the Least Stratty of all the "S" types that Fullerton makes, with only a Legacy HH competing with it. The order IMO from most Stratt to least, is the George Fullerton model, usual SSS Legacy, the Comanche, the Legacy HH (Special) and finally the S-500. You can increase the distance from a Strat by ordering the Saddle Lock toploading hardtail bridge on these, as well.

The reason is mostly the (S sized) MFD pickups. They're just ballsier, more of an Outdoor Voice guitar. Only G + L pickup more audacious is the large MFD on the ASAT Special. With a typical Strat single coil, you see Fender S people using "10" on both volume and tone controls. With an S-500, you gotta dial back.

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Good description.

As you likely know, there are typical Stratty tones in an S-500 by dialing in the tone controls, particularly dialing back the bass. Not an exact copy of a vintage Strat but serviceable.

I'm not a huge fan of the S-500 pickups among all the G&Ls I know & love, but they have their place. In my case (I bought mine new ~1998, nice chunky neck and only $800 new then (!)) I swapped in a set of Joe Barden (early-mid 90s) pickups and that guitar is now a total monster. Not archetypal Stratty though it has some of that voice, too, but a wider tone palette than the stock ceramic MFDs for my taste.

S500s have a .0022uf cap to ground off the signal which reduces high end significantly. If you want them more stratty, use a smaller cap, put a resistor in front of the cap, or remove it entirely.

Contrary to internet wisdom where people aren't aware of that cap, MFDs are actually bright AF, hence why that cap is there to start with. Removing it or adjusting as I noted above opens up the sound significantly.

Same applies to the Comanche, which is actually the least stratty. 500k vol pot plus remove that cap opens it up nicely.

I've had both an S-500 and a Legacy, and had a strong preference for the Legacy sound because of the alnico magnet pickups (S-500 pickups are ceramic magnet, MFD type). It's not about the output. I always choose alnico magnet pickups and speakers just by listening.

What I did really love about both the Legacy and S-500 was the PTB system with bass and treble roll off knobs. Way more useful than a single treble roll off knob (tone knob which most guitars have).

Corrigan said:

I recently came across an older, early 2000's S-500. I'd like to hardtail this. How is this done with a Saddle Lock toploading hardtail bridge? Do the mounting holes line up?
Thanks!

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I don't believe it can be done outside of filling in the trem cavities, removing the posts and filling them, then routing it for the Saddle Lock bridge. The Saddle Lock has extension on the bottom of it that goes into a little cavity routed in the top of the guitar, and I don't believe it lines up with the hole for the tremolo block - I believe it would be at least partially forward of where the hole for the tremolo would be located.