New CLF Research Skyhawk!!

A friend claims to have received a text this week from G&L announcing a CLF Research Skyhawk! Can't find any info at G&L's Facebook page, here... Then he sent me this video link from PitBull amps: https://www.facebook.com/pitbullaudiocom/videos/1826478664098506/

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Holy Cow!

The Dealer Preview email went out yesterday.

I see you found the You Tube video on G&L's channel.

Stay tuned for the official announcement coming soon ...

Sweet! And this is just coming when I am thinking about an S-500 built order. Hmmm. So the S-500 is basically a Skyhawk with different body shape? The Skyhawk is smaller, isnt it? From what was told in the video, electronic and pickup-wise its the same? Will there be a Tribute version?

It may be a good friend for my SuperHawk !

What a beaut. Nice demo video as well. Definitely wouldn't have guessed this would be the first guitar out of CLF, but nice choice nonetheless

The best part - they're 95% of the way to reissuing the Cavalier

My thgought exactly! They bought a vintage Skyhawk>>>reissued. They bought a vintage Cavalier>>> (hanging on the wall in the video...)

They are really moving in the right direction by doing these guitars. Looking forward to the re re -issue SC-2.

Looks like it has the black crinkle control plate too! Nice!!!

'nut said ...

Surprising.
I didn’t get the sense Skyhawks were super desirable; they seem to linger on the used market.
Love mine though.
Sickle headstock?

Yes and WOW! The orginal bodies and control plates are freakin' awesome.

I think this was a logical first step for guitars as the electronic side was already available. Now the hardware is available for the others ... Cavalier! Old school S-500.... Just need to develop the pickups now.

Must resist or get the family to appreciate the beauty of these works of art. No one pats an eye if you buy another peice of art for the wall, but a guitar... Dad ypu have too many already. If old school SC-2 reappears, guess the family will just have to get over it!

CLF Research so hot, me want!

Cheers, Dan

Beautiful !! Will this be a limited run or a regular model ?

Surprising.
I didn’t get the sense Skyhawks were super desirable; they seem to linger on the used market.
Love mine though.
Sickle headstock?

My thoughts on reissuing the Skyhawk first:

-It was easy; they already had the Superhawk body template, and the modern S500 pickups; really they just needed to mock up the control plate and decal to do this. S500s of that era had different pickups

-The market has more familiarity with (modern) S500 style MFDs vs. say F100 or Cavalier pickups, and the Skyhawk was their most Strat-like/conventional model until the Legacy, so this is a good intro model for someone accustomed to G&L without wanting something totally off the wall yet, like a G200

-(I hope) because it will translate nicely into doing a Cavalier eventually, S500s use different plates etc.

I love my SC3 (late style, basically a Skyhawk minus a knob) but the early style (of both guitars) is more attractive

Last edited by Danley on Thu Jul 19, 2018 3:39 pm, edited 1 time in total.

GOD I've been lusting after those offset cavalier pups for YEARS. SO CLOSE!!!

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Glad to see this happen. Have a friend with one and he has sworn by it for years.

YES!!!!!!

I absolutely love and adore my '88 Skyhawk's tones (next generation style from this one). I am curious about what pickups they are using in this reissue---that seems to be the whole ballgame, IMHO.

I absolutely love and adore my '88 Skyhawk's tones (next generation style from this one). I am curious about what pickups they are using in this reissue---that seems to be the whole ballgame, IMHO.

In the video it's saying MFDs like S-500. I wonder if that's true, if they mean "the same as" or different windings/resistance etc. It sounds great, though. I like the blue one, I'd buy it right away...

I'm not very familiar with the Skyhawk model. Other that a slightly different body shape and pickguard / control panel setup this seems to be pretty close to an S-500, no? Why would one get one over the other?

I'm not very familiar with the Skyhawk model. Other that a slightly different body shape and pickguard / control panel setup this seems to be pretty close to an S-500, no? Why would one get one over the other?

A bit of nostalgia - wanting to have a guitar that has the original Leo-era shape instead of the current "standard" Stratocaster shape (and you haven't turned up a clean original one). This is for the people who miss the original shapes or who just want something that is a bit of the history of the company.

I'm not very familiar with the Skyhawk model. Other that a slightly different body shape and pickguard / control panel setup this seems to be pretty close to an S-500, no? Why would one get one over the other?

A bit of nostalgia - wanting to have a guitar that has the original Leo-era shape instead of the current "standard" Stratocaster shape (and you haven't turned up a clean original one). This is for the people who miss the original shapes or who just want something that is a bit of the history of the company.

Thanks for the info.

All these models evolved over time (S-500, Nighthawk/Skyhawk, and SC-3). Originally, the S-500 and Nighthawk/Skyhawk shared the same body style as seen in the CLF Research above. These were considered the "professional" instrument. The pickups were different between the S-500 and Nighthawk/Skyhawk as well as the positions. Both had MFD pickups, but had different specification and covers. S-500 had a unique bridge pickup that was longer due to the greater angle and still have pole pieces line up with the stings. The covers had square ends. The Skyhawk and SC-3 shared the same pickups. All the pickups were same length with the bridge being at a traditional strat angle. S-500 and Nighthawk/Skyhawk had PTB controls. The expander switch might have only been available on the S-500. SC-3 had simpler controls master volume and tone. Some call the SC-3 a "student" model while other refer to it as a "budget professional" model. Eventually due to market requests the S-500 and Skyhawk (Nighthawk went away due to naming dispute) moved to a more traditional strat shape. At the same time the pickups on the S-500 changed to the "drop in" style used on Skyhawk and SC-3. I believe there were slight circuit differences between the S-500 and Skyhawk as well that affected the tone.

I may have got some of this wrong, but others more knowledgeable than me can certainly clarify. So nostalgia is certainly and appeal, but digging back further there was more that separated these model other than aesthetics. Personally, I really dig these old school aesthetics. I think it reinforces the message that these guitars are not some other Strat knock-off (which we know they are not)!

Cheers, Dan

The expander switch might have only been available on the S-500.

My S-500 built in 1985, doesn't have that switch. That new CLF-style Skyhawk seems to have a pickguard made of plastic, while my S-500s is made of coated metal, same as the control plate is.

By the "Strat Era" I think the things that made SC3s 'budget' were single ply pickguards, lack of a knob (no ptb), pickguard jack location & fewer wood/neck/finish/bridge options. Toward the end things like roller nut & locking tuners/trem lock switch were equipped on and off based on what I see online. The 'pickguard' SC3s used the Skyhawk body, not the 'student-sized' body. I love my later SC3 but the Mustang bodies are my favorite...

What I'm curious to see/know is whether there was a transitional S500 that also used the Skyhawk/late SC3 body style, or if they jumped straight to the BBE style.

Some links to get a bit of the history from ggjaguar's website:

S-500 1982 - S-500 introduced
http://www.ggjaguar.com/s-500m.htm

S-500 1984 - Reduced size headstock bi-cut neck
http://www.ggjaguar.com/84s-500.htm

S-500 1989 - It is noted on this page that the switch to strat type body started 1988 though original bodies could be special order through 1991
http://www.ggjaguar.com/89s-500.htm

S-500 Signature 1991 - Strat style body and expander switch
http://www.ggjaguar.com/91s500sg.htm


Nighthawk 1983 - similar to S-500 with different pickup specification and positions
http://www.ggjaguar.com/91s500sg.htm

Skyhawk 1984 - further circuit changes to further differentiate from the S-500
http://www.ggjaguar.com/84skyhawk.htm

Skyhawk 1987
http://www.ggjaguar.com/87skyhawk.htm

Skyhawk 1989 - Strat style body and pickguard, sickle headstock
http://www.ggjaguar.com/89skyhwk.htm

Skyhawk Signature 1991
http://www.ggjaguar.com/91shsig.htm


SC-3 1983 - First year, Mustang style body
http://www.ggjaguar.com/sc-3-83.htm

SC-3 1984 - smaller Strat style body
http://www.ggjaguar.com/84sc-3.htm

SC-3 1987 - smaller strat body of 1984, painted neck and headstock. pickups same as skyhawk
http://www.ggjaguar.com/sc-3-87.htm

SC-3 1988 - Skyhawk body, pickguard added, changed to S-500 pickups around 1990,
http://www.ggjaguar.com/sc-3vb.htm

SC-3 1990 - near end of production
http://www.ggjaguar.com/sc-3-90.htm

More good info from yowhatsshakin:

http://yowhatsshakin.com/yowhatsshakin/G%26L.html

Other than the pickguard I don’t understand why they are calling later Skyhawks a Strat body....seems quite different to me.

Not a perfect analogy; but then again early SC bodies aren't really that close to Mustangs either.

Haven't seen any word about this guitar from G&L on Facebook or their website.

There is one listed for sale on Reverb, eBay, etc. from the same dealer:
https://reverb.com/item/14093804-g-l-clf-research-skyhawk-usa-2018-natural-ash-electric-guitar-w-case

Sure looks great!

I may have missed it, but is it possible to order CLF models via the classical dealer way? If so, what the options? I havent seen any annoucement of the G&L page and the guitarbuilder doesnt have them IIRC.

I may have missed it, but is it possible to order CLF models via the classical dealer way? If so, what the options? I havent seen any annoucement of the G&L page and the guitarbuilder doesnt have them IIRC.

No, you have not missed it, because the official announcement has not yet been made. Only the Dealer Preview announcement was emailed on July 17th.
That email does have the four set options (finish, body wood and fretboard wood). I have not received the okay to post photos and specs, yet. As mentioned,
one G&L Dealer already has a CLF Research Skyhawk in Natural Ash over Swamp Ash with a Maple fretboard listed on Reverb. So, you might contact any G&L dealer to see if they can give
you more details on this CLF Research Skyhawk.

I will be adding this new model to the current G&L U.S. Specifications and Options post in the G&L Knowledgebase forum as soon as it is officially announced.
You will find the first two CLF Research basses (CLF Research L-1000 and CLF Research L-2000) listed in that post.
Any G&L Dealer should be able to order CLF Research models for you.

Stay tuned for more.

Thanks Craig, really appreciate this!

The email went out this morning to those on the G&L mailing list and the page is up on their website: http://glguitars.com/product/clf-research-skyhawk/
Only thing is yu cannot browse to it yet from the home page.

- Jos

Recently posted on G&L's facebook page:

Elegantly Eighties: The new CLF Research Skyhawk brings back the best of 1980s CLF style.

Like the original G&L Skyhawk™ of 1984, it starts with George Fullerton's evolved double cutaway with a hint of offset, a slim waist and generous curves.
This very comfortable body is complemented by his arched pickguard shape, his most most pleasing iteration of the form.

The experience heightens with the tactile delight of those beautiful CLF knobs shimmering from an authentic CLF powder coated control plate.
A 3/16" diameter stainless steel CLF vibrato arm continues the period look and feel. And of course, there's the legendary tone of those
MFD single coil pickups shared with the modern S-500. Unlike the Skyhawks of the 1980s, the CLF Research Skyhawk leaves no tones behind,
thanks to the addition of the S-500's mini-toggle expander with colored cap.

Thin urethane finishes are:

• Clear Blue/swamp ash/maple
• Natural Ash/swamp ash/maple
• Old School Tobacco Sunburst/okoume/Caribbean rosewood
• Pharaoh Gold Firemist/alder/Caribbean rosewood

Learn more about The CLF Research Skyhawk and see the Live! At Leo's demo with JB Eckl:

http://glguitars.com/product/clf-research-skyhawk/

Update: Now the CLF Research Skyhawk is also part of the index and its page is reachable from the main page.

- Jos

Love it love it love it! I will defnitely order the blue one. Started to count my money...

Any chance that the swamp ash body will be a light one or can be selected when my dealer orders from overseas?

What neck are they using on the new one?
I see quite a number of used ones for sale right now.
Does the rerelease mean declining value of the vintage ones? Not that I plan on selling....they don’t have much monetary value anyhow .

What neck are they using on the new one?

Classic C with 12" radius.

NEW! CLF Research Skyhawk™ [Added 8/06/2018]
Thin urethane finish choices are:
-Clear Blue over swamp ash, maple fingerboard
-Natural Ash, maple fingerboard
-Old School Tobacco Sunburst over okoume, Caribbean rosewood fingerboard
-Pharaoh Gold Firemist over alder, Caribbean rosewood fingerboard
Pickups: Leo Fender†-designed G&L MFD™ single coils
Body wood: swamp ash for Clear Blue and Natural Ash, okoume for Old School Tobacco, alder for Pharaoh Gold Firemist
Neck wood: Hard-Rock Maple with Maple or Caribbean Rosewood fingerboard
Neck profile: Classic C
Radius: 12”
Nut: 100% natural bone
Frets: 22 medium jumbo, nickel, Plek dressed
Tuning keys: 12:1 ratio, sealed-back
Bridge: Leo Fender-designed G&L Dual-Fulcrum™ vibrato with forged brass saddles
Controls: 5-position pickup selector, volume, treble, bass (PTB™ system), mini-toggle switch enabling additional pickup combinations of neck+bridge or all three pickups together.
Case: deluxe Tolex hardshell
No Options Available

Reference post: January 25, 2018-present G&L U.S. Specifications & Options

Hope this helps.

The new ones will be more expensive than the old ones that can be found on eBay/Reverb. If anything it gives an excuse for values to get dragged up due to the additional interest.

"Here's a new G&L for $2k - But wait! You can get the original for $1k!"

*Snickers everyone who grabbed one for $600

*Snickers everyone who grabbed one for $600

+1
+2
...

Wow! This is great! From a personal point of view, I have always 'felt' that the Skyhawk was the best 'sounding' G&L in the various recordings I have heard. From what I understand the early Skyhawks used a 'softer' wind than the S500 did. In listening to recordings of Skyhawks from back in the day along side period correct S500's the Skyhawk just has a little more depth or soul that really appeals to me. I am really happy to see this model reintroduced, this may keep me from trolling Ebay and Reverb etc. drooling over Skyhawks that do not fit in to my budget right now, just because that ever present clock in the back of my head saying, 'This may be the last time you see one of these". All I am hoping is that they are replicating those old pickups! if it is using S500 pups.............Well I have an S500.

They used a 1984 Skyhawk as a template. What they did reproduce:

1. Body shape
2. Individual pickup routs instead of bath tub rout
3. Original pickup position which, especially for the bridge pickup, leads to a different angle compared to the S-500.
4. 2-part pickguard with plastic part around pups, including extra mounting screw at the DFV, and black powder-coated control panel.
5. 3/16" vibrato arm and socket on DFV
6. Larger headstock shape
7. U-shaped string retainer.

As far as I can judge, the modern day elements, not found on the originals, are:

1. S-500 pickups currently used in that model.
2. S-500 wiring harness including expander switch.
3. F-100 style knobs instead of knurled knobs.
4. Dual-Action truss rod neck instead of Bi-Cut neck
5. 4-point neck attachment instead of 3-point attachment with micro-tilt

- Jos

What neck are they using on the new one?

Classic C with 12" radius.

NEW! CLF Research Skyhawk™ [Added 8/06/2018]
Thin urethane finish choices are:
-Clear Blue over swamp ash, maple fingerboard
-Natural Ash, maple fingerboard
-Old School Tobacco Sunburst over okoume, Caribbean rosewood fingerboard
-Pharaoh Gold Firemist over alder, Caribbean rosewood fingerboard
Pickups: Leo Fender†-designed G&L MFD™ single coils
Body wood: swamp ash for Clear Blue and Natural Ash, okoume for Old School Tobacco, alder for Pharaoh Gold Firemist
Neck wood: Hard-Rock Maple with Maple or Caribbean Rosewood fingerboard
Neck profile: Classic C
Radius: 12”
Nut: 100% natural bone
Frets: 22 medium jumbo, nickel, Plek dressed
Tuning keys: 12:1 ratio, sealed-back
Bridge: Leo Fender-designed G&L Dual-Fulcrum™ vibrato with forged brass saddles
Controls: 5-position pickup selector, volume, treble, bass (PTB™ system), mini-toggle switch enabling additional pickup combinations of neck+bridge or all three pickups together.
Case: deluxe Tolex hardshell
No Options Available

Reference post: January 25, 2018-present G&L U.S. Specifications & Options

Hope this helps.

Thanks.
Did most of the old Skyhawks have that neck? I only have direct experience with two Skyhawks and they both seemed to have slimmer necks but still with the 1 5/8s nut width.
I like the classic c neck but my Skyhawk neck is probably my favorite of all my guitars.

What neck are they using on the new one?

Classic C with 12" radius.

NEW! CLF Research Skyhawk™ [Added 8/06/2018]
Thin urethane finish choices are:
-Clear Blue over swamp ash, maple fingerboard
-Natural Ash, maple fingerboard
-Old School Tobacco Sunburst over okoume, Caribbean rosewood fingerboard
-Pharaoh Gold Firemist over alder, Caribbean rosewood fingerboard
Pickups: Leo Fender†-designed G&L MFD™ single coils
Body wood: swamp ash for Clear Blue and Natural Ash, okoume for Old School Tobacco, alder for Pharaoh Gold Firemist
Neck wood: Hard-Rock Maple with Maple or Caribbean Rosewood fingerboard
Neck profile: Classic C
Radius: 12”
Nut: 100% natural bone
Frets: 22 medium jumbo, nickel, Plek dressed
Tuning keys: 12:1 ratio, sealed-back
Bridge: Leo Fender-designed G&L Dual-Fulcrum™ vibrato with forged brass saddles
Controls: 5-position pickup selector, volume, treble, bass (PTB™ system), mini-toggle switch enabling additional pickup combinations of neck+bridge or all three pickups together.
Case: deluxe Tolex hardshell
No Options Available

Reference post: January 25, 2018-present G&L U.S. Specifications & Options

Hope this helps.

Thanks.
Did most of the old Skyhawks have that neck? I only have direct experience with two Skyhawks and they both seemed to have slimmer necks but still with the 1 5/8s nut width.
I like the classic c neck but my Skyhawk neck is probably my favorite of all my guitars.

The original necks were #2 (1 5/8 inch nut width, 2 13/64 inch butt width, 7.5-inch radius).
By 1988 they were available with the #2 and #3 (1 3/4 inch nut width, 2 13/64 inch butt width, 12-inch radius) necks.

They used a 1984 Skyhawk as a template. What they did reproduce:

1. Body shape
2. Individual pickup routs instead of bath tub rout
3. Original pickup position which, especially for the bridge pickup, leads to a different angle compared to the S-500.
4. 2-part pickguard with plastic part around pups, including extra mounting screw at the DFV, and black powder-coated control panel.
5. 3/16" vibrato arm and socket on DFV
6. Larger headstock shape
7. U-shaped string retainer.

As far as I can judge, the modern day elements, not found on the originals, are:

1. S-500 pickups currently used in that model.
2. S-500 wiring harness including expander switch.
3. F-100 style knobs instead of knurled knobs.
4. Dual-Action truss rod neck instead of Bi-Cut neck
5. 4-point neck attachment instead of 3-point attachment with micro-tilt

- Jos

Some additional items to add to the modern day elements:

1. Frets are Medium Jumbo (original frets were Flat Wide)
2. Nut is 100% natural bone not plastic
3. Plek'd neck
4. Classic C (#1) neck profile with 12" radius
5. Body woods Alder and Okoume
6. Fretboard wood type Carribean Rosewood
7. Thin Urethane body and neck finish
8. Pharaoh Gold Firemist and Old School Tobacco Sunburst body colors.

I wish the blue was available with a rosewood fretboard.

Why don't they offer the same options and color choices as the other G&L USA guitars. Is this meant to be like a "Fullerton Standard"?

Why don't they offer the same options and color choices as the other G&L USA guitars. Is this meant to be like a "Fullerton Standard"?

Just have a G&L deaker order on for you. I'm sure, within reason, they can make it to spec. They're pretty lenient as long as it doesn't require any costly disruptions to the assembly process.

Perhaps. It seemed odd to me that they listed four color schemes that it comes in when they don't do that for any other of their U.S. made guitars other than the Fullerton Standard series.