G&L ASAT Classic

Tele - Made in 2003 in the USA - butterscotch blonde w/ black single ply pickguard and locking schaller tuners, gun oiled gloss finish birds eye maple neck. All traditional set up as respects electronics/pickups. Has the original Tele neck - 7 1/2" radius and 5/8" nut

Classic Tele twang and spank on bridge pick-up and round on the mid setting and fat and warm on the bridge pick-up. Incredible amount of sustain. I play through a Fender Blues Jr with a Jensen c12n speaker which has all the tube warmth I need and really pairs nicely with this guitar for country, blues jazz, rock, alternative, hillbilly, etc...
Neck is plenty fast and quite comfortable for quick runs.

Finish is excellent, fretwork is excellent and the electronics a re pretty quiet so I'd give it an excellent rating as well. Set-up from the factory was quite low (just the way I like it) and almost spot on - a little fret buzzing on the low "e" - easily fixed. The body has one little indentation by the jack, but I think this is more a function of the piece of wood than the craftsmanship - nothing visible unless you hold the guitar upside down and REALLY look (which I did). The wood has beautiful grain, but the birdseye maple neck is not as pretty as some I've seen, but the feel and shape of the neck is excellent - no deadspots. The gun oiled gloss finish looks awesome and the gloss adds a sleek feel. Standard tuners came installed as the locking schallers came under seperate cover. G&L indciated they don't ususally put the locking tuners on this model as the intent is for this model to be like the orifinal Tele with non locking tuners. This is the same reason they use the single ply pickguard on this model. Pots and switches are all noise free.

This thing seems built to last. Many people gig with them and have for a number of years so I guess that speaks for itself. The hardware is all top notch.

G&L is notorious for poor customer support. I also have an LB 100 bass I bought 10 years ago and to get the next switched out when I bought it took almost six weeks - and I was living in the LA area at the time.
I ordered this guitar from the local dealer and when he called G&L they indicated they had one in stock ready to go - but it still took almost three weeks (only shipped 300 miles). Worth the wait, but I'd hate to see how long it takes if they had to build one from an order.

I feel bad for the poor souls who's reviews indicate they got a bad G&L - I've never seen one but I'm sure one or two exist. But for the money it's hard to do much better.
I chose it because of it's tone, playability and versatility ( I like country, blues, jazz, rock, alternative), and because it is the original (better actually) - the quality. It is pretty much fully equipped at this point, maybe add a strap lock.
I play electric bass (G&L LB 100) and acoustic guitar (martin om 28V) and the biggest obstacle is getting used to the smaller nut and increased sustain, but nothing a little practice won't cure.

I bought one of the 1st Classics 4 one reason only[I never buy new/have lots of vintage stuff]...the reason was I was convinced that nice light SWAMP ASH was becoming extinct and this thing had that feature.On the tacky side was the Mrs.Fender BS//give me a break......

1st week we all wondered if we could get those PUs from G&L and put them in ALL our guitars.....wow actually controling a tele with the knobs//turn the V from 7-10 and it worked!!By 2nd week we were wondering if we should lose the PUs and drop in a trad set......they were starting to grate//the thrill was gone/gone away for good[??]....such a lovely guitar but somehow it hardly ever got played in the years that passed.......

Looks great;real great.....been doing pro setups for decades//somehow never got this one to feel absolutely right.My old tele dials in in 5 minutes//its been 5 years.....but maybe I'm a quitter.....

Trying not to quit on the set up.....and stripped the allen socket on the truss rod nut today.....maybe I'm losing it......

I'm afraid I might get a nasty letter signed by Mrs.Fender[is she locked in a basement on the outskirts of LA or something??].I think if you play a tele its because you are not the kind of person that whats to fill out warranty cards and wine to the dealer or company;u probably own a screw driver and a hammer and you get sick in a Fender dealership when you look at the 37 different BS teles 4 way too much $ and a creepy,fake vibe to them all.[isn't that why you are looking at the G&Ls??]....stay with me.....

Playing 35 years.Started collecting teles in the 70's.Must have had close to 1000 pre 69 teles pass thru my hands[truth]made a lot of $ when the vintage outrage took off.....my keeper tele is a very light swamp ash 69 maple board that is,for reasons known only to god, one of the top 5 I've owned[had one Broadcaster that was the best GUITAR I have ever played but its fame became global and I was made an offer I couldn't refuse;even today the price paid was very generous,some people can recognize perfection AND afford it].Heres my dilema;the Classic SHOULD be great//selling means a huge loss[not my style;this is not a coke habit its a guitar and guitars appreciate in value in my little world]but the bottom line is that that redneck Mr.Peavey made a $200 tele[Peavey Reactor]that out telecasts just about anything;including the G&L needless to say.The joke is on all of us;well done Mr.Peavey;even if u lost money it was a cool thing to do.So the day the G&Ls get good resale its gone and if that day never comes I will probably take it out again once a year and see if I missed something or if all that beautiful wood has decided to start singing.If it was lost or stolen I would call my nice insurance guy and get another Peavey//all the current Fender stuff is a con......the Peaveys are so cheap you can give them away and set up a kid with talent and look like a hero.....but keep one 4 yourself 4 the days your wallet gets tele fever//works 4 me.PS I am truly happy for all the guys that love their Classics and I'm sure most of them have good reason.

Interesting Maple neck listed at the store as a #2, which is the standard neck for ASAT Classics with the 7" Radius, but I had an older ASAT Classic that had the standard neck and that one seemed much smaller. I like the smaller radius, but this neck, with it's very unique "V" shape has its own vibe. The body is natural swamp ash and the harware is ASAT Classic Standard stuff. Based on the original Telecaster. Jumbo frets, MFD Tele bride and Tele neck. Came with the standard G&L ABS hardshell case.

For what I use it for, it's perfect!

I've had an American Tele and an older ASAT Classic that I sold. The Classic I sold is what made me miss the ASAT. The older one was heavy and was the three bolt neck. I wasn't worried about the 3 bolt design, but it was quite a bit heavier and while the pickups were same, this guitar just seems to sound better. I definitely has a great acoustic resonance and one strike of the strings and you'll feel the neck sustaining long after you've strummed the strings. G&L puts a bass plate under both pickups unlike the standard Tele that just has a bass plate under the bridge. What you get is a much more proportionate neck to bridge output that gives you a great notch position (in between neck and bridge), and a much warmer sound than the standard Tele pickup. The MFDs are considered to be warmer, and while this is somewhat true, the pickups still retain great clarity and articulation. I find getting the classic Tele sounds for "chicken pickin" or old rock easy with the bridge pickup. And, while the neck pickup has a little more hair on its chest than the standard Tele neck, there is still enough smoothness for rythm and plenty of punch for lead. I've found even Jazz sounds decent on this guitar. Contrary to some reviews, I don't find the MFD pickups cold or sterile. In fact, they allow you to shape the sound with your amp rather than your guitar. You can also take advantage of the adjustable pole pieces on each pickup and adjust each individual string volume to your preference. This is one of the coolest things about the MFDs. Still, if you want to just raise the pickup, you can do that too.

This will definitely work for classic country, but can also be used for anything else. Maybe a bit bright for dark metal, but hey, you may strike onto something new........Overall, an extremely great sounding guitar.

Just awesome. This is my third G&L. I had a used ASAT Classic that I missed the day I sold it, and I also had a Comanche. Both of those guitars were very well made and really put Fender to shame with the price to quality ratio. This guitar feels great in my hands and everything about it is a joy to play. The frets were well dressed and ready to go and the action out of the box was near perfect. The pickups were even adjusted right. I can't ask for anything more than that. No sloppiness anywhere on this guitar. Great job from G&L!

I found a used G&L ASAT Classic that had been beat to you know what that is still cranking out the tunes in someone elses hands as we speak. This guitar is no exception to the quality and durability of these guitars. They do a nice job with their special truss rod design to ensure a pretty stable neck. Humidity and temperature can still irritate the neck a little, but that's usually the norm for most guitars.

I'd depend on this guitar as much as my other ones. The handmade aspect just seems to draw more attention to detail, and as a result, you are less likely to encounter glitches via switch and pickup failures when someone responsible for making it is standing overhead as opposed to it going down a conveyor belt in an assembly plant or being run under some computerized machine.

I've only ordered new saddles for my old ASAT Classic from the parts store on their website and it took a little longer than I would have liked, but it all turned out good. They are facing some growing pains with the sudden increase in demand as people are starting to figure out G&L knows how to make a damned good guitar. I suspect they'll be around to help if I need it down the road.

Playing 20 years and I currently own this ASAT Classic, an Ernie Ball Music Man Axis Super Sport with MM90s, a Heritage H-150 (Les Paul) with Duncan Antiquities, A Hamer Newport Pro, and I have an Ernie Ball Music Man Albert Lee on special order. I currently play through a Rivera Quianna (great amp), but I'm selling the amp due to its weight and my chronic back problems. I've settled for a Hot Rod Delux Limited Edition with the Alnico Jensen and Laquered Tweed. I've somewhat shifted my playing style and interests from jazz and blues to country twang and blues. Don't know exactly why, except Albert Lee and James Burton blow me away when I hear their licks on CDs. Plus, I believe I'm finally be-bopped out for the moment.

You know, at first I was wishing this guitar had the original #2 neck, but it's so unique, it's actually grown on me quite well. In addition, it's very different from other G&Ls of the same model and make giving it it's own individuality. I also like G&L's translucent colors, and while the natural is pretty, I love the white blonde or even trans. orange. However, this natural color has grown on me as well and now I like it just fine.

Lost or stolen, I'd quickly replace it with another if I could. As I've already said, this guitar has a few very unique features that make it all mine, but G&Ls quality and consistency is so good, I'd still go and buy one with the full confidence the next one would be just as good. In my quest to replace the ASAT Classic I sold, I looked at the Tele '52 Reissues, but even that one really didn't compair (in my opinion) to any of the ASATs I picked up. I still like Fender Teles, but I like the ASATs better. They just seem to be a little less bland than the standard Fender guitars and the handmade aspect gives every G&L its own personality that most Fenders just don't seem to have. They cost a few bucks more on average than the standard American Fenders, but they seem like quite a few bucks more when you're plugged in and playing one. Or even not plugged in and strumming it while sitting on your couch.

As I've already said, I love everything about this guitar. The tone, the feel and playability and the classic look. There is nothing I dislike, although the ash tray style bridge can take some getting used to as your hand becomes acquainted with the saddles and the corners of the metal bridge. My favorite feature is the vibe from this guitar.

I've already answered what I was looknig at. I thought my Axis Super Sport would serve as my Tele, but that guitar, in all its greatness, is its own animal with it's own vibe. I also love the Albert Lee that has a very twangy edge to its tone, but that still is more of a strat than a Tele. And as I transform to twang from be-bopp, the Telecaster has become one of my main guitars of choice for not only country, but just about everything. And, if you want the real thing, then you should just go out and get it instead of trying to substitute it. I had switched the MFDs in my old ASAT with Seymour Classic '54 Tele pickups, but switched them back only after about a week because I found the MFDs to be more versatile and every bit as twangy as the Seymours.

The only thing I wish it had was maybe a cover for the bridge, but that would look odd, and it won't allow you to string mute. It would be a hand saver though. Some folks complain about ASATs being too gentle in the guitar chord insert, but I'd much rater have a soft exit when unplugging over something that literally causes hardware to become loose because you have to pull so hard. Wrapping the chord around your strap before plugging in will solve this problem for you guys still having trouble.

I'd just like to encourage those of you intrigued by the G&L line to go and try one. Legacy, ASAT, ASAT Classic, Comanche, etc...They're all good and every one you play will feel totally different from the one before it. When you play a good guitar, the "f

Telecaster through and through. It might have more modern style pups but they rock. I've had two and played both for about four years now and they are both going strong. These are the real American made G&Ls. I'm disappointed in G&L importing the new ones from Taiwan. What a sell out, it will get them a bad name.

Great fat blues tones effortlessly through Tony Bruno's Cowtipper 35 and a 64 Vibroverb. These pups are more like the old broadcasters pickups only much hotter but with a similar tonal range. Very responsive for players with touch... I tend to be always heavy handed but that's my fault. In some clubs the single coils are noisy but do better than other single coils I've used over the years. I think pickers will like this guitar too the country Tele thing is right there.

I've already refretted my main GL Classic because over the four years, I haven't been able to put it down. Very set-up-able guitars, stable and very well made... the paint is nice and thin and the whole thing has a great lively feel to it.

Built to last a lifetime or two. No Problems.

There is one snag with these Classics... the neck pocket joint is all their own and you can't fit a std Tele neck in there so if anything terrible happens to the neck you will need to make some friends at G&L. Warmoth, for example are not going to help you out here.

Don't know, Don't care until I need a new neck, then we'll see.

I love it. I've yet to find myself hating it.

Brand new guitar with the standard tele features. 6 brass saddle bridge. Maple neck and board.

Great sound on the front and back. very tough sound on the back. I played through late 70's super reverb that has been "corrected". More versatile than I expected. Wide tone range. Better than my '67 sad to say , very quiet too. I was suprized. I Played it most of the night and was suprised that kept on for songs I would probably have switched for.

Really well done from finish to set-up. staight as an arrow neck. Had it set up with .011's and consistant action from top to bottom. Every thing felt and looked high quality. Nice job on the wood binding, tortise guard and ivory white finish. Nice tint on the neck.

Seems vey solid.

N/A

I have lots of guitars and amps. Vintage strats to new Les pauls and home made strats. Lots of great amps. I am blessed. This is one of the best guitars I've played. It's just done right all. The guys in the store love them and raved on. They weren't kidding. I gave this thing a good hard work out for about 4 hours.

I recently purchased a butterscotch blonde G&L ASAT Classic off Ebay. It's in great condition, has all of the original parts, ash body, 1 ply black pickguard, maple neck and fretboard with a terrific gun oil tint and glossy finish.

Most ASATs I have played have a terrific sound, but some how or another I got screwed over. G&L has terrific idea of adjustable pole pieces on the pickups, but I got screwed over with a crummy bridge pickup. First of all, the single coil pick howls/feeds back like a mofo. I mean, I know single pickups squeal (hence they made humbuckers) but no where near as bad as this!!! So, I took it to a shop had it waxed, and it squeals less (there must have been a loose wire that was wrapped). Now the low E string, no matter how low you adjust its volume with the pole pieces, over powers the rest of the strings with its fat, toneless sound. So I'm some what pissed, this guitar has potential to sound awesome, its just that I gotta drop another 60 bucks, after I already spent $40 waxing my pickup, to get a good pickup (look for this guitar on ebay soon!, ha)

The setup on this guitar was okay. I've read a lot of reviews dissing the setup, and maybe the dude before me set it up okay, but I still have to adjust the high E string. It has been slipping for some reason and I've been getting the sitar effect for sometime.

This guitar seems like its pretty reliable, and wont break down on you in the middle of your set or anything, but who knows...maybe your low E string could shit out and it would be all fat sounding???

N/A

I'm not knocking the G&Ls and I'm sure that most of them are terrific (from all of the ones I've played). I just think I got screwed over with the ebay thing, so my words of advice are play your guitar before you buy it from some guy you don't know. If it got stolen, i'd feel sorry for the dude that stole it, because he's gonna be dropping $150 to fix it up.

2003 model.

It sounds pretty good but nothing special. A little better than an American Standard Tele. Stays in tune. Pickups sound a bit harsh ..not a "vintage" sound.

Here is the big problem. I custom ordered this guitar. It took 6 months to get it and when I did I liked it but then I noticed that there was a major "dead spot" at the 11th fret. I sent it back for a warranty repair (more about G&L service/support below) and after 5 weeks I got it back with a new neck. G&L make the necks by hand and it's no suprise that the new neck feels totaly different. The buzz is gone but no the guitar is "neck heavy" and get this...the neck is slightly thicker around the 5th fret than it is by the 12th fret! No "taper" here. Strap it on and the neck wants to point south if you let go. It's a real drag. I really wanted it to work. This is my 3rd G&L and I have no given up. Those CIJ Teles are way better for less money. Custom Shop are nice but WAY overpriced IMO. CIJ or Real Vintage is the only way for me now.

G&L's service sucks. They seem very aloof and ready to "just get off the phone". I waited 3 weeks after sending them my guitar before calling to see how it was going and when I did they said they didn't know anything yet but I should have my guitar back in 2 weeks. I called back 2 weeks later and they said that they still didn't know what was going on with it but that it must need a new neck since they had had it for so long and that I could expect my guitar in another 5 to 6 weeks ...Again sounding bothered that I was asking! The thing is...how can they miss dead spots at the factory? Don't they have anybody play the things at all before they send 'em out? And also why just slap another neck on there? Why not just repair it? And they didn't even try to match the new neck at all...they just threw any neck on there.

It's sad because some G&L's are really nice. The key is you can't mail order these. You HAVE to hand pick them...and there are not many around to pick from...and when you do find them they are in some tacky swirl or sparkle finish with z coil pickups. All in all this is still a pretty good guitar but the fact that is is neck heavy and "bloated" in the middle of the neck...add to that my experience with G&L service...I am going to sell it. Lessons learned.

My Classic is a 1991. It was built in Fullerton, Ca. like all the USA models are I assume. 22 jumbo frets, metal pick guard, maple neck and beautiful orange burst finish. Two single coil tele pick ups that sound better than ANY single pole strat pick ups I've ever heard! This guitar is absolutely one of the finest made guitars I've ever owned- and I've owned dozens. It also came with a molded hardshell case.

I play everything from ZZ Top to Buddy Guy, and this guitar can handle everything in between. I play straight through a Hughes & Kettner ATTAX 80 with no other effects except a wah wah pedal. The sound can go from the the clearest cleans, to an awsome Jimmy Page, Jimi Hendrix style distortion and nail them both. The pick ups are just incredible if you ask me. The action and fit on the guitar are comfortable, although it took me a while to get used to a tele style bridge. I dare anyone to knock this baby out of tune. Quality from headstock to bridge.

Like I stated above, I do not have one single complaint about the action, workmanship, or feel of this guitar. It's absolutely beautiful!

Extremely dependable guitar. I've never dropped it, but I don't "baby" my guitars. No matter how aggressively I play, the guitar takes it without a problem. The finish is tough, and it almost dares you to knock it out of tune. I've never owned a non locking tremelo guitar that stayed in tune as well as this one does. G&L really outdid themselves with this one. I'd only keep a back up if I were playing a Pantera or Anthrax set. The Classic can pretty much handle everything in between- believe it or not!

Never neede to yet.

Been playing for 10 years. I also currently play a Les Paul Studio Lite, and a Peavey Wolfgang Special. I love em all, but I love this one the best. NO question, if this guitar were lost or stolen, I'd buy it's twin tomorrow. This baby is cool!

This was made in the USA out in sunny or smoggy southern California "with a big nasty redhead by my side." I do not know what year, but I think it was a 1996 model based on information from the seller or off the web. It has all the standard features. Two pick-ups, a rosewood neck of sufficient length to easily play a high d on the high e string, sperzel non-locking tuners, the G&L industrial strength bridge etc. The finish is unusual. It is black, but has a swirl or almost marble look to it. It's pretty cool. It also has a pearloid pick guard. Due to the unusual finish I believe that it is swamp wood.

I have never owned a Telecaster and although I always wanted one, I had played some that had a very thin tone and some that were great. Undaunted and with a little blind faith, I bought this off the internet from a guy in Cincinnati who was very helpful and did a good job packing it and sending it to me. Thank you Nick.

Anyway the features are all I expected since I knew what I was getting.

I had doubts about buying this without playing it first, but I got a good price and went ahead and did it.

It was a sound purchase (pun intended). The tone is fantastic. It can play the rock and roll, the blues, the jazz and the country with out much trouble. I have a GT-3 Boss Guitar Processor and it is the best sounding of my guitars in the most settings.

It is clean, but if you give it some overdrive or distortion it handles it with no problemo!!! If you like Mark Knopfler and the bassy, bluesy tone he gets on a lot of his solo stuff this guitar is for you. If you like Mark Knopfler and the "Once Upon a Time in the West" clean tone, this one is for you.

As the Beatles once said, "It's a clean machine." But it does even more.

I buy guitars for the sound and tone. This is a great one.

The action is slightly higher than what I'm used to, but that really is not a big issue, because it is still very playable and I can adjust that if and when I need to.

It is a used guitar so there were a few little mars in the finish, but no gouges or scratches. It looks pretty cool.

Controls were in good shape. If I ever got another one I would like a maple neck instead of rosewood, but that's not enough to dislike this one.

I think this guitar will last. It is not particulary heavy, but it feels very solid. The finish seems to be of a good quality and I don't expect it will wear off easily.

The strap buttons are very solid and appear to have been made by United States Steel.

Can not say, because I have had no reason to call G&L. I did visit their website and that was helpful in learning more about this model.

I've been playing for over 30 years. Like I said before, I always wanted a Telecaster guitar, but I'm glad I waited to get a G&L. It is great. If it were lost or stolen I would get another one.

The tone and neck are great on it. The neck feels solid and fits my hand very well.

I am very impressed with it, especially the TONE!!!

Probably a 2002 g&l asat classic, the refined version of the tele. I got the #2 maple neck with gun oil tint and glossy finish. All the other features as described below.

I play roots rock. I run the asat and some teles into: whammy pedal-->vox clyde wah-->fulltone deja'vibe2-->maxon tube screamer-->boss hyper fuzz or metal zone (depending what mood I'm in)-->korg multieffects thingee for chorus and delay--> fender hot rod deluexe or deville. Single coil pickups are noisy, but they sound great with effects or bypassed straight to the amp. Bright sound.

This is the best factory set-up I've encountered in 25-years or playing. There is no problem anywhere on this guy.

Will this guitar withstand live playing? Yes
Does the hardware seem like it will last? yes
Is the finish good enough to last, or does it seem thin and easy to wear off with lots of playing?: Fullerton Red (kind of an awful orange red but hey I got a deal) finish is pretty thick, but it doesn't seem to dampen the tone at all.

Are the strap buttons solid? Yes
Can you depend on it? Yes
Would you use it on a gig without a backup? I would never use any guitar without a backup, that would be silly.

Haven't tried to deal with them. I've heard from dealers they won't make an asat classic in a particular configuration I dream of, but I've never actually tried to place that order.

How long have you been playing? 25 years

What other gear do you own? tons of teles, effects as described above, fender amps, custom warmoth guitars with joe barden pickups.

Is there something you wish you had asked before buying this guitar? "How orange is fullerton red?".. it's homely but it plays and sounds great.

If it were stolen or lost, would you buy it again or get something else? I'll buy it again without it being stolen or lost! I'm-a-savin up for a Blues Boy.. this will have the gun oil tint #2 maple neck as well.

What do you love about it? it plays and sounds great
What do you hate? the god awful orangeness of "Fullerton Red"
What is your favorite feature? the neck

Did you compare it to other guitars? nah Which ones?

Why did you choose this one? pre-recession impulse buy. turned out to be a very good choice.

Anything you wish it had? perhaps a honeyburst finish? Maybe w/binding.

Anything else you'd like to share? ***PEACE IS PATRIOTIC!!***