G&L ASAT Classic Semi-hollow

Early 2000 Ash, transparent orange. No f-hole. Creme white top binding and pearloid pickguard. Switched out stock p/ups (which were very good) to Rio Grande Tallboys (which are slightly better/different with less output). Graphite nut. Everything else is standard.

Used through a M/B Reverb Rocket and a POD. Play mostly original stuff for fun with friends. Primary style is country/folk/gospel/rock'n roll/blues. This guitar has a depth and richness of character like a classic instrument.On neck, bridge or middle position this guitar sounds lush, deep and beautiful. It plays wonderfully, and I find myself playing above my skill level(inspired) often. Not a perfect instrument, but an excellent instrument for slightly under $1000.

Only substantial flaw is the cord jack cuts off occassionally. I have heard of this complaint with G&L's before- you'd think they'd remedy the problem @ the factory. I have not contacted them about this as it seldom occurs and I'm not playing out anywhere at this time.

Appears to be a solid, well made guitar minus the jack.

10 year warranty

I spent over one year looking/saving for a Tele. I would say you would be hard pressed to find a better made, better sounding Tele style guitar for less than $1000.

2,ooo hollow body tele w. 2 single coils, 1 vol., 1 tone, matchbox bridge, copper saddles, 3 way switch, gun oiled satin finish neck, ash body, sunburst finish.

I play blues and its great. I did alot of comparing and this thing creates an amazing tone palate with my amp, a Tech 21 Trademark 60. The real beauty of it, in my view is the hollow body sound, especially in the neck (warm, deep, woody) and the changes you get when you roll back the volume and tone knobs. It cleans up and warms up very nicely, giving you a wide variety of tone possibilities. The Trademark 60 also adds to it by giving you a Fender and Marshall channel. The bridge does crunch well, while the middle is bright and bell like with clear highs and warm lows. And the neck, as I said, is deep and warm and overdrives just a bit when you push it. Its sweet. I'm still getting use to the matchbox bridge, and it does feed back if I'm not careful with it. But those are minor problems compared to the bright, articulate, woody sound it gives me.

My only problem was with the neck. After about a week, I discovered that the neck was indented along the high E string edge at about the fourth to eigth frets. My high E kept slipping off the edge of the neck, and my guitar tech. spotted the problem immediately. The good news is that I sent it back to G&L and they replaced the neck and got it back to me in 19 days. Problem solved. Now it plays as great as it looks. I'm very happy with this instrument despite the inconvenience of being without it for awhile. Hell, I had to go back to playing a strat and I realized what a totally superior instrument this is. I couldn't wait to get it back. Everything else is top drawer.

It seems built to last. I have no worries about it. Yes, I do gig without a backup most of the time, though I shouldn't. So far, no problems.

I sent it in and got it back in less than 3 weeks. During that time I talked to them by phone several times. They were on the spot and did the job right without any hassles.

I've been playing a long time, off and on. Blues and rock the past few years. I run the G&L straight into the Trademark 60 (which has its own boost, channel switching, effects loop, fender and marshall channels, etc.) with a cry baby wah and an eq in the effects loop to shape the marshall channel with some added highs. I get alot of variety with a minimum of tweeking, mostly just footswitching and using the guitar's volume and tone knobs. I'm very happy with this set up.

Year 2000, USA made, Natural/Satin finish. Ash body, chambered (no f-hole). Rosewood neck, 12" radius, soft V.

Standard Telecaster wiring, with the ASAT Classic pickups. Non-locking tuners. Came with a hard shell case.

I give it an 8 because an ASAT is about as plain an electric guitar as you can buy. Half the reason for buying it is that it HAS no features.

I bought it for a blues gig. It sounds great there, and also sounds great for my pseudo-jazz playing.

I use it with a Boss Blues Driver, through a variety of old Fender amps.

It's a great Tele sound.

The guitar is very well made, and it is certainly beautiful. The neck fit is snug. The pickguard was a bit misaligned.

I've had to drop about $300 in fret work for it, though (NYC prices)--the guitar frets out all over the place. When I bought it, I noticed this but thought I'd be able to fix it with a setup. No dice. The guitar plays very well, but even after a fret grind by a good luthier there are three spots on the neck (9th fret, 14th fret, 16th fret) that choke out all the way across.

The finish is beautifully done.

Once I get the fret problem worked out, I've got little doubt this guitar will be superb. No backups needed--I change strings before a gig, and don't usually break them.

If I can't fix the neck, I'll ask them for a replacement. I hope they're decent people.

The guitar sounds great, looks great, and hopefully will play great in another week. I compared it to about a dozen Fender Telecasters (which is what I originally set out to buy) and there was no comparison. A friends MIM Tele, however, doesn't fret out anywhere.

The dealer was not much help, but I knew that going in. "Caveat emptor" is the order of the day with the stores on 48th Street.

I wish I'd bought the damned thing from Indoor Storm. They'd have made sure it was right before it was shipped.

1999 ASAT Classic Semi-hollow w/single F-hole, made in the USA, bookmatched ash body, honeyburst finish, soft v-neck, 12" radius maple neck (some birdseye), rosewood fretboard, medium jumbo frets, two pickups, tortoise pickguard, one tone, one volume, pup selector switch, brass 6-saddle ashtray bridge, locking tuners, basic Tele configuration. Custom ordered through Indoor Storm who employs knowlegable people who understand the value and quality offered by G&L.

You can get everything from country twang, blues and classic rock to woody jazz tones. The bridge pup gives you a hot Tele tone, blend the two and you can get some great rock and blues tones, the neck pup is good for either blues or jazz. The pups are really hot and you can get a lot of variety for a two pickup guitar. The single coils are relatively quiet. The brass saddles and string through body design give fairly good sustain.

This is one area where G&L should be proud of their work and my rating of "10" is accurate. Anyone who's ever owned a G&L (I've owned two, the ASAT and a Fullerton), will tell you how well these guitars are made. I had it set up for 10's by the store where it was purchased but they didn't have to do much. The pups were adjusted properly and the intonation was right on. The ash top, back and sides are loaded with grain and bookmatched perfectly. The honeyburst finish is just incredible. The satin finish neck is smooth and easy to play. Fret were dressed as well as any Custom Shop guitar. All hardware appears to be first rate. The neck pocket fits perfectly...I've never seen one that fits this well. It's relatively light which is great for long sessions.

G&L guitars all seem to be built to last a lifetime. My ASAT is no exception. Would I gig without a backup...no, because anything can happen. Is it built well enough to gig without a backup? It's built better than most I've seen or played. G&L uses large strap buttons but I replaced them with strap locks as I always do.

Thankfully, I've never had to deal with G&L which says a lot for their build quality. My ASAT was custom ordered from Indoor Storm and G&L selected the finest ash for the body and everything was exactly as ordered so I don't have any doubts about their committment to the buyers. It came with a 10 year warranty.

I've been playing for over 30 years and I've had many guitars but none that matches the quality of the ASAT. Leo Fender built a great guitar (Tele) then he and George Fullerton improved on the design and quality with the ASAT. It sounds great through a Class "A" tube amp. I sold my G&L Fullerton to buy this one because I wanted the woody, semi-hollow sound and even though the Fullerton was a real stunner, the ASAT is better for my style of play. I have various other guitars, amps and basses but, this one is my favorite. If it were stolen I'd definitely order another one without hesitation.