My guitar collection - G&L
As stated on the “Interceptors” page, because Leo Fender disliked the X-body, Dale Hyatt continuously kept looking for an Interceptor shape and configuration appealing to players. During 1987 G&L built several guitars where certain elements of the 2nd X-body Interceptor were retained while changing others based on feedback from players and dealers alike. Here such a transitional prototype is shown. The slightly figured 2-piece soft maple body in a Red-over-Black color scheme has some interesting bevels and carves. The horns are of the same long variety as seen on the 2nd X-body Interceptor but the rear end is now rounded as later found on the 3rd style Interceptor with which it also shares its beveled edges found in places around its circumference with the other parts of the edges more rounded. However, unlike the 3rd style Interceptor, it still has a deep arm carve and a wide belly contour on the back, both finished in black to accentuate their presence. Instead of a Kahler unit typically found on the 2nd X-body Interceptor, this specimen has the Dual-Fulcrum Vibrato (DFV) bridge. The 3 Magnetic Field Design (MFD) Nighthawk/Skyhawk pickups each have their own on/off mini-toggle switch but surprisingly soldered into what is otherwise a Broadcaster wiring harness. The hard-rock maple neck has a 12” radius ebony fingerboard and a color matched sickle headstock with the G&L hook and script “by Leo Fender” decal. The closed Bowen tuning machines with tabs are a special feature on this guitar. These are holdovers from when G&L was considering which closed machines to use before settling on the Schaller brand. Check out the Interceptor Rarebird page in the Guitars by Leo (GbL) Registry for more information on the Interceptor in general.
Interceptor SSS Transitional Prototype
The story behind this guitar
Year:
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The hang tag I found in the original form fitted hardshell case shows this guitar once resided at Roy & Candy’s Music store in Tulsa, OK which was run by the Ferguson couple until closing its doors on August 31, 2007. Given these pictures in the GbL Gallery from November 2007, it looks like Rod Dean became its new owner. But I purchased it from Trever Scott who, at the urging of his friend and noted G&L researcher Gabe Dellevigne, had acquired several unique G&L models including this one. Note that the hang tag still shows the “original” price for this instrument. However, I paid a little more in our private transaction, as is to be expected for an Interceptor in general and a prototype in particular. It is interesting how Interceptors, whether it be a guitar or a bass, have become so desirable while originally hardly receiving any market acceptance. Gabe gave this very guitar a full inspection and setup before it got shipped. The original, but buzzing, Wilkinson roller nut, very much a 1987 feature on a 1984 neck, was replaced with a 1⅝” bone nut. So even though the entry in Dale’s original sales log has the neck marked as a pre-BBE #3 (‘3EB’), effectively is a #1 now. But what to make of the ‘F-100-1’ stamp on the butt? It explains the 12” ebony board but does it also imply the sickle headstock has been crafted out of the oversized F-100 paddle? Might well be. Nonetheless, with so much attention having been paid to this instrument it is no wonder it sounds fantastic: clear definition for each of the pups in isolation, lots of quack when the middle pickup is combined with either of the outside pups, and of course the unique combinations of the 2 outside or all 3 pickups together, now available for guitars with a 5-way pickup selector augmented with an expander switch.
The story behind this guitar
1987
G020406
MAY 8 1984, marked ‘OK’, ‘DH’
MAR 6 1987
