FACTOIDS & TRIVIA
Skyhawks, especially those made after mid-1984, are generally warmer sounding than their S-500 counterparts. According to noted G&L collector/researcher Gabe Dellevigne, there are several reasons for this. The Skyhawk pickups have fewer turns of wire with lower gaussed magnets. The pickup location is different on the Skyhawk compared to the S-500, specifically the Skyhawk's bridge pickup is placed at a more acute angle. All except the earliest Skyhawks have a different circuit than the S-500 and a plastic pickguard instead of metal. All these differences add up to produce a different sounding guitar. The example shown here is from the third month of production after the name change from Nighthawk to Skyhawk. Its most notable feature is the S-500/Nighthawk circuit and its highly figured maple neck.
G&L SKYHAWK (March 1984)
Body: Solid; 3-piece ash
Finish: Black, polyester
Neck: 2-piece flame maple, bolt-on
Fingerboard: Ebony; pearloid dot markers
Number of Frets: 22
Pickguard: Black-white-black plastic laminate with black crinkle powder coated steel control plate
Bridge: G&L Dual Fulcrum Vibrato, chrome
Nut: Plastic
Tuners: G&L/Schaller, sealed, chrome
Pickups: Three, G&L Magnetic Field Design single coil with adjustable pole pieces
Controls: Master volume, treble, and bass, 5-way pickup selector
Scale Length: 25 1/2 inches
Neck Width at Nut: 1 5/8 inches
Body Width at Lower Bout: 12 7/8 inches
Body Depth: 1 5/8 inches
Weight: 8.8 lb.