My guitar collection - G&L
Whereas the 3rd style SC-3 on the previous page has a white pickguard, this SC-3 has a black pickguard on its contoured soft maple body. But what makes this SC-3 an SC-3 Deluxe is the presence of a more traditional hard-rock maple neck and headstock, i.e. with a transparent finish instead of a body matching color scheme. Like the previous guitar, it has a 7½” radius rosewood fingerboard although a maple board was also available. Ever since the January 15, 1990 price list the SC-3 Deluxe was listed for a mere $100 more. It has the usual a Dual-Fulcrum Vibrato and wiring harness (volume, tone, 5-position pickup selector) controlling the 3 Skyhawk Magnetic Field Design (MFD) pups. The headstock without the G&L hook has Sperzel Locking tuning machines. Although the SC-3 (Deluxe) was discontinued at the end of 1991 when BBE Sound, Inc. started running the place, there were still some built even in 1992 as demonstrated by this very, very late example on Greg Gagliano’s ggjaguar.com website which was built using an S-500 body and neck and hence does have the G&L hook.
SC-3 Deluxe
The story behind this guitar
Year:
Serial number:
Neck date:
Body date:
Strings:
Disclaimer: It is still a bit fuzzy to me what makes an SC-3 Deluxe a Deluxe. The differences are not as clearly defined as for e.g. a (2nd style) SB-1 versus an SB-1 Deluxe. But I believe this is a veritable SC-3 Deluxe. And look at it. You could put it next to the “Poor man’s Broadcaster” w/ebony board and appearances are an equally classy “all Black”, but for the fingerboard wood. The guitar was purchased in early-2020 on eBay. This SC-3 has a surprising amount of quack. Is this due to the presence of a 200pF treble bleed cap on the volume control again? Who knows? And more importantly, who cares? With “12199[0]” on the “price tag” sticker in the spring cavity and the date stamps provided above, it was completed less than 3 months before Leo passed away. And part of his great lasting legacy in producing these great sounding guitars.
The story behind this guitar
1991
G027397
JAN 9 1991
DEC 18 1990
