Mon Nov 08, 2010 10:19 am
[From a post on the G&LDP:Answers by GPD on April 26, 2007 in response to this post:
G&L Rampage Specifications posted by John B. on April 26, 2007]
: What are the specifications of the G&L Rampage, Neck, body etc.
I assume you are talking about a pre-BBE built Rampage as BBE built around 100 Rampages in the 90's
which look kinda like the old Rampage model but really are very different on many levels.
The 1984 through 1991 Rampage model could be ordered with any of G&L's then 5 neck options.
The vast majority have either a #4 (1.75" nut width with 25" radius) or the #3 (1.75" nut width 12" radius).
I've seen a few with #1 necks (1.625" nut width 12" radius) and I even ran across one with a
#2 neck (1.625" nut width 7.5" radius). The 1 through 4 necks of the pre-BBE era all had a 2.203" heel
width which is narrower than what BBE uses today. In addition to the 1-4's I've actually seen three that
came with the mega rare #5 neck which has the same spec's as the #4 though the fingerboard extends
beyond either side of the heel and is 2.328" wide at the top of the fingerboard though the heel width is
still 2.203"...a clever idea for consistency sake.
You should keep in mind that all production Rampage guitars came through with an "oiled" neck meaning
the backside maple was treated with a finish made by a company called Birchwood Casey. The headstock
got painted or was left natural and got a clearcoat but the back of the neck was tinted amber hue with an
awesome bare wood feeling to it due to the oiled finish. I have seen a couple of Rampage's that had a
gloss poly finish from the factory but these were both special orders.
No Rampage was ever built with a fretted maple neck. The 84-87's all have ebony fingerboards whereas
the 88'-91's all have rosewood fingerboards. There are probably a few late 87's out there with rosewood
on them which is when G&L switched from ebony to rosewood.
On the pre-BBE Rampage's, the body wood is either northwestern maple (soft maple) or poplar only. I've
seen examples of both with most being fashioned from maple. I have never seen a Rampage with an ash
body or any other wood for that matter. Pre-BBE G&L never used alder. Most all of the BBE era Rampages
I've run across have alder bodies though I did once see a clear green over ash employee guitar a
while back.
The bridge on 99% of them is a period correct Kahler flatmount...could be chrome or black-chrome.
By 87' it could be ordered with the Leo Fender Fine-tuner vibrato which is a killer bridge. Just about all
of them have a very crude looking behind the nut string locking device called the "Guitar-Tech Locking
Nut" which was a Leo Fender invention...not one of his better one's I might add.
A few snuck out without the locking contraption if they had Sperzel tuners on them...Sperzels became
an option in 1987 on all G&L's.
Pickup is a Schaller PAF copy...not particularly hot either...gets a bad rap that it doesn't deserve. There
is a single CTS USA carbon composition 250K volume pot on board which is mounted to a brass plated
steel plate that is rear-loaded to the body. The control plate is black wrinkle powder coated steel which
matches the steel 3-bolt neck plate. The neck joint uses the same "Precision-Tilt" mechanism that all
pre-BBE and some BBE G&L guitars employ. George Fullerton came up with this back in 1969 after he
had left Fender and was awarded a patent for it. It is identical to what Leo and George used at
CLF-MusicMan and it carried over to G&L.
The single volume knob was knurled aluminum and either chrome or black-chrome plated.
Colors varied over the years though solid hues are mostly what you'll find in either Rampage Red,
White, Black, Yellow or Hot Pink. I have seen a couple that left the factory with a natural finish over a
maple body. There are a some in metallic purple and a handful that have factory applied air-brushed
graphics.
All pre-BBE Rampages were shipped from the factory in a high quality USA built G&G rectangular
plywood/tolex case. The same basic case used for most of their Strat shaped models of the era.
These guitars will not fit in a standard Strat or Tele case.
BBE killed off the model after they assumed control of the factory and then built some models they
called the Rampage for Jerry Cantrell and then offered a limited edition of the same guitar in the late 90's.
That's about it...hope this helps.
Gabe