G&L USA ASAT Special

[SouthpawGuy]

This one is a mid '00s G&L USA ASAT Special in red burst with natural wood binding, maple neck and fingerboard with gun oil tint finish.

The pickups are G&Ls own large rectangular MFDs which are loud and proud ! A lot of people think they are P90s but they are not. They are single coils with ceramic magnets, low string pull, low 60 cycle hum and high output. They can sound very much "in your face", with the ASAT Specials I run the volume and tone both at about 7.

The saddle lock bridge is also unique to G&L, all six of the saddles can be locked in place by a set screw when the intonation is set . The bridge is also recessed into the top of the guitar and contributes greatly to the sustain of the instrument.

The ASAT Special was previously known as the ASAT but when G&L introduced the ASAT Classic with regular single coil sized MFD pickups the name was changed to the ASAT Special. And it was of course designed by Leo Fender, which is always good !

I have this one maybe two years now, again I bought it used and had it imported from the US.

[DBabar]

Paul
60+ like this

Man you're killing me !

[SouthpawGuy]

Paul
60+ like this

Man you're killing me !

At the moment I have 20 G&Ls, seriously. I don't know how it happened ! And, in my humble opinion, they are all nice ones. I will upload photos and descriptions in the next few weeks.

I don't know if you've played a G&L ?

If you haven't then don't. They are $%^&* addictive !

[seb]

paul, what dbabar forgot to tell is that he has a little ( compared to you) collection : http://david-et-si.creamen.net/Galerie/ ... s/Guitares

i love the quality of G&L axes, but there 's something that i dislike on the shape of the headstock.

[DBabar]

@paul : never but I will one day, I will !

@seb : You know how shy I am

[SouthpawGuy]

paul, what dbabar forgot to tell is that he has a little ( compared to you) collection : http://david-et-si.creamen.net/Galerie/ ... s/Guitares

i love the quality of G&L axes, but there 's something that i dislike on the shape of the headstock.

You know what they say, beauty is in the eye of the beholder.

Before I bought my first G&L I thought the same. I thought the headstock was ugly, I thought the ASAT Special in particular was UGLY, now I have three of them. My first G&L was an ASAT Bluesboy semi hollow, when I first opened the case and picked it up it was holy shiiiiiiit ! I'm a long time Fender player, I still have quite a few of them but they don't get much attention since I discovered G&L. I never thought that would happen.

[chris30660]

20 G&L ?

I wish to test SSH cconfiguration or music man axis sport

[captain.bondage]

This one is my favorite G&L you've posted here !! Beautiful one !!

[SouthpawGuy]

paul, what dbabar forgot to tell is that he has a little ( compared to you) collection : http://david-et-si.creamen.net/Galerie/ ... s/Guitares

Yes some really nice guitars there. It's enough to give me GAS

[SouthpawGuy]

This one is my favorite G&L you've posted here !! Beautiful one !!

Thanks. I probably sound like a sales guy for G&L but if you have a chance to try one you will be surprised.

I don't know about France but G&L are not well distributed in Ireland or the UK. And as I'd never seen one personally I didn't give them a chance, until I picked up a few right handed Tribute models in a shop. They impressed me a lot, the Indonesian "import" models compared very well to US Fenders and were above the made in Mexico ones. Not knocking Fender, I'm a big fan, but Fender have mostly abandoned lefty players in the last few years so I have to look elsewhere.

[Viagra]

Glad to see that I am not the only G&L fan there.

Your asat is gorgeous

I am looking forward to discovering your 19 other G&L

I own two G&Ls (asat classic bluesboy and S-500). Will never sell them...

Distribution is awful in France and Belgium too. I always had to buy in US shops on the internet

[lefty-ty]

- How Much Do You Sell This Gorgeous Beauty ?

salut & banzaï

[SouthpawGuy]

Glad to see that I am not the only G&L fan there.

Your asat is gorgeous

I am looking forward to discovering your 19 other G&L

I own two G&Ls (asat classic bluesboy and S-500). Will never sell them...

Distribution is awful in France and Belgium too. I always had to buy in US shops on the internet

Hi, did you get that black S500 posted on the G&LDP ? Very nice. G&Ls, as I'm sure you know, are addictive. It's a shame that guys can't play them in shops but that's what the internet is for ! All of mine have been bought online without playing them first, a bit of a gamble but there is no alternative.

[Viagra]

Yes I did!
http://www.riffgauche.net/forum/viewtopic.php?f=1&t=6046

My first custom order with G&L... More than happy

Have you had a chance to try the Rampage?

[SouthpawGuy]

Yes I did!
http://www.riffgauche.net/forum/viewtopic.php?f=1&t=6046

My first custom order with G&L... More than happy

Have you had a chance to try the Rampage?

Very good !

I'm not sure the Rampage is available in lefty ? Plus it only has one pickup, I've never used a one pickup guitar so I'm not sure how I'd like it.

[lefty-ty]

- I think I Need a "Asat Special". I Need to Try these Pickups !
But I don't Like G&L necks : Very Thin at the Width, with often A 7,25" radius...
Otherwise, I Fell in Love with This Guitar. One Of Yours That I Prefer (But We don't seen the sixty ...).

salut & banzaï

[SouthpawGuy]

- I think I Need a "Asat Special". I Need to Try these Pickups !
But I don't Like G&L necks : Very Thin at the Width, with often A 7,25" radius...
Otherwise, I Fell in Love with This Guitar. One Of Yours That I Prefer (But We don't seen the sixty ...).

salut & banzaï

Older G&L necks up to the early to middle '00s were slim. For the last few years G&L have been making 10 different combinations of fretboard radius, nut width and neck profile. The smallest G&L neck these days is bigger than the older necks.

http://www.glguitars.com/instruments/US ... guitar.asp

The Legacy, S500, Comanche and Invader come with a 12" radius #1 neck by default

The ASATs come with a 7 1/2" radius #2 neck by default.

The ASAT Deluxes and Will Ray signature model have a 12" fingerboard.

*** all other combinations are possible by dealer or customer order ***

I have ten ASATS and the neck size and profile varies a lot, the biggest are on an '08 -'09 Bluesboy semi hollow which has a 12" radius board and a huge baseball bat size neck. Next is the ASAT Classic Custom with a very big neck, I don't know what radius is on that one. Smallest are the '90s ASAT III and Classic which are still about the same size as my Fenders from that time, two American Std Strats and a Tele.

The medium jumbo frets and neck profile on the ASATs make them feel a lot different to a Fender with a 7 1/2" radius board and vintage type frets. My ASAT Special Deluxe has a 7 1/2" radius board but if feels totally different to my '70s Strat with a small D shaped neck and small frets. The neck is larger than my '90s American Std Tele.

G&Ls are made to order, by the dealers or customer order, and lots of ASATs have a 12" radius #1 neck, most of Wolfe Guitars ASATs are ordered that way. Probably half of mine are 12" radius.

The neck size on my Legacys are more similar as they are usually a #1 neck with a 12" radius. Even then they do vary a bit as they are hand finished.

Some guys complain that G&Ls feel "stiff", they are shipped with 10-46 strings, as far as I know most Fenders still ship with 9-42 strings. If a player is used to a Tele / Strat with 9's then an ASAT / Legacy with 10's will of course feel different. These days I am used to 10's on G&L and Heritage guitars, if I pick up a Fender or any guitars with 9's it feels unusual for a few minutes.

[SouthpawGuy]

Forgot to mention ... I don't have pictures of all the guitars. Those I have none of I will try to take some.

Some are not worth taking pictures of, brown sunburst Am Std Strat and Tele. If you've seen one you've seen them all

[etiennao]

Just take a look at your G&L community, I have no word to say what i feel (especially in english... ), maybe totally crazy .

I wish I have still any chance to get a used lefty G&L before you definitively catch them all.
I preciously keep mine...

[SouthpawGuy]

Just take a look at your G&L community, I have no word to say what i feel (especially in english... ), maybe totally crazy .

I wish I have still any chance to get a used lefty G&L before you definitively catch them all.
I preciously keep mine...

Merci beaucoup

I think I've reached my quota of G&Ls. It turns out I actually have 22, even I was surprised when I counted them all

[bliss64]

Hi there ! I just found one ASAT Special in the South of France ! So glad to get it ! I love the sound, and after a full set up, it's a really good guitar to play.

I posted some photos on the "Belles guitare Gauchères" section. Can you confirm to me that it is a "G&L USA ASAT Special" ? It's from 1997. What's the difference between this one and the 96 ASAT Special ?

Thanks !

[SouthpawGuy]

Hi there ! I just found one ASAT Special in the South of France ! So glad to get it ! I love the sound, and after a full set up, it's a really good guitar to play.

I posted some photos on the "Belles guitare Gauchères" section. Can you confirm to me that it is a "G&L USA ASAT Special" ? It's from 1997. What's the difference between this one and the 96 ASAT Special ?

Thanks !

Hi and welcome ! The main difference between this one from the early '00s and the '96 one is the neck. My '96 and your '97 have a three bolt neck, this one, the red burst, has a four bolt neck. The '90s and earlier necks also tend to be slimmer. With the three bolt necks the serial number can be on the neck plate as yours is, with newer models it's on the headstock. The pickups may also be slightly hotter on the newer ones, I'm not sure about that though, that may have been the ASAT Classic models with the regular single coil sized MFDs.

[bliss64]

thanks a lot for all these details !