Geronimo – The one that started it all. An offset alder bodied double cut. Featuring the O.G. pickups, (Original Geronimo), Swope’s original humbucking design – full voiced with a wonderful clarity. A 5-way switch allows for a very versatile tone pallet. Positions 2 and 4 combine one coil from each pickup, one position is in parallel mode for a hum-free single coil-ish vibe, the other position is in series, offering a third humbucker option in a two pickup guitar. A rotary “Funk Bump” switch also adds a filter to the middle position (both pickups on) giving the player the option of adding a little quack to his cleans, makes the dirty sounds rip nicely, too. Read more here: Guitar Player Magazine – Player’s Pick Award
MG – Ash slab bodied single cut. Featuring Swope’s MG pickup set. These are broadly inspired by the overall California sound of the fifties and sixties. The bridge pickup offers lots of shimmer and spank while the neck pickup has the nice warm sound of a breeze blowing somewhere between the surf and the roadhouse. A simple 3-way switch with master volume and master tone is augmented by a push/pull tone pot. Pull up on that knob and the two pickups are combined in series mode, adding a creamy humbucker to the mix while completely bypassing the 3-way switch.
GTO – Same platform as the MG but on an alder body with comfy contours. Features Swope’s GTO pickups. These pickups are lap steel inspired and have a bit more output and fuller mid-range than the MGs but still retain that famous Swope clarity. As the name implies, the GTO is the “muscle car” in the Swope line-up. Wiring is the same as the MG, complete with the push/pull series humbucker switch. Car enthusiasts may also call this “The Goat” or “The Judge!
Guitar Player Magazine Editor’s Pick Award
