G&L ASAT Classic

2003 Translucent natural finish of ash with an all maple neck and fingerboard. This neck is supposedly the 7.5" radius, but it feels a little fatter than that. This neck also has a V-carve really giving a nice palm-filling feel. Two MFD smaller single-coil pickups in the traditional Telecaster configuration. Ash-tray bridge with the older style saddles, jumbo frets and std. G&L tuners with the slotted groove making re-stringing easier than other tuners. String-through body design like the original Teles. In addition, the cream-colored pickguard is a very nice touch combined with the natural ash finish making this ASAT Classic very attractive indeed. I had an ASAT Classic before in swamp ash and that guitar was much heavier than this one. Nice and light with a killer neck and an even better sound (see below).

It's hard to rate the "features" category. I mean, if you are compairing it to a classic telecaster, it's perfect. If you are compairing features to a modern digital-plug-in w/piezo electronics and a design that looks more like bagpipes rather than an electric guitar, then I don't know what to tell you. So, for simple purposes, the features on this guitar are fantastic and I couldn't be happier! Locking tuners might be cool, but then that would take away the vintage vibe of this wonderful guitar.

It's funny. The first ASAT Classic I had took me a while to get used to the new pickups. I loved the feel from the very start, but it wasn't the pickups sounded bad. They sounded a bit different. Thinking I wanted more of a traditional Telecaster sound, I swapped out the MFDs with Duncan Real '54s. It took me less than two weeks to remove the duncans and put the MFDs back in. In case you don't know what MFDs are, it's G&Ls Magnetic Field Design Pickups. They use ceramic magnets instead of alnico, which yeild a higher output with less wraps of wire. This allows more clarity and punch without muddying up the sound. In addition, both pickups sport a base plate underneath rather than just the bridge pickup of standard telecasters. Base response is improved and your neck pu is now much more useable for leads than std. tele neck pups. If that's not enough, you can adjust each pole piece to your liking. What a concept! You can set the pole pieces to your string gauge, string height and fretboard radius giving you a multiple array of sounds.

What I also realized is the bridge pickup is bright and hot and very articulate. You can get all of the old tele sounds, as well as hot blues leads and rock and roll chime. The tone and volume controls are very responsive, so by turning the tone back, you can get nice jazzy sounds in the neck pup and your volume control is great for going from rhythm to lead without having to adjust anything on your amp. I liked the sound of my old ASAT Classic, but I love the sound and feel of my new one better. I don't know what it was.....Whether it is the ligter, more resonant body of the new ASAT or it's G&L's propensity to involve more hand-making techniques over the use of CNC machines, this guitar sounds absolutely amazing. This is a very versatile and great sounding guitar, and I have no problem going from vintage tones to a more modern vibe with this guitar.

I haven't met a G&L I didn't like....To plagerize Will Rogers a little bit.....It's true though. Consistency, flawless construction and a meticulous attention to detail have been my experiences with G&L. For those of you who see it otherwise, I question whether you are playing a real G&L? You may have bought it used or got an axe that fell off the freight truck and got knocked around. Because, the more G&Ls I pickup up and play, the more I am convinced these have got to be among the best guitars for the money period. Looking inside the pickup cavities or any other places that aren't immediately visible, you will see excellent fit and finish in even the smallest corners that some manufacturers don't care about. Coming from the factory, you'll also see 10's on guitars rather than 9s, sparring the cost and time of a set-up prior to taking it home. I see a lot of pride and attention to detail with new G&Ls and while I do not work for G&L or have any affiliation with them other than being a believer in their product, I cannot say enough good things about the quality of these guitars.

Have bought used G&Ls and have bought several new ones, and they all have been well-built and reliable. G&L uses high-quality pots, switches and hardware assuring the player a long life from the guitar. I have heard stories about a less-than-stellar input jack, and my used Classic did have some problems with shorting, but I think it was because the previous user had switched out a pot and his/her soldering techniques were the source of the problem. I rather like the easy-input jack as I don't have to yank too hard on my guitar cable to take it out. You keep pulling too hard on your expensive guitar cable and you'll end up shorting it out. You can easily wrap your cable around your strap and solve any worries about your plug coming out unintended.

The 10-year warranty is plenty for me. PRS offers 2-years, Ernie Ball offers 1-year, and my conviction is if they are well-built, any warranty is fine with me. If you don't have problems withing the first 90-days of use, you most likely won't run into problems. With cheap switches or other cheapie parts, that's a different story, but as long as reputable companies insist on using the best components money can buy, you should never have a problem. If you are going to throw your guitar around on-stage and leave it subject to humidity and extreme temperature, then you deserve to have your guitar play and sound like shit. Take care of these babies and they most certainly will take care of you for as long as you want.

I did have a problem with getting email responses back from original parts I ordered for my used ASAT Classic. However, the parts arrived and I got over it. I think their website is helpful and I like the user forums, as well as the sound clips. I won't comment as I've never had any warranty issues, but I think the best companies offer the best customer support and will kiss the ass of any customer regardless of the expense of what they are inquiring about. And that includes quickly responding to a simple question about a tone control pot and bridge saddles.

As I said above, a 10-year warranty and I've never had to exact on any G&L I've owned. Usually the best companies offer the best and longest running warranties, and G&L is no exception.

I've spilled my guts in about every other colum for comments, so I will try not to be redundant. I've been playing a long time and seem to enjoy playing guitar more and more every day. I love and appreciate different guitars and it's easy for me to become impulsive and spend more than I have to spend when I play a great guitar. I try and justify my spending habits by being single and happy I'm buying guitars and not diapers or being manipulated into spending money on bullshit for some woman.

Up until a couple of years ago, I had heard of G&L but never understood just how good these guitars are. I dismissed them as a Fender knock-off with poor resale. What I discovered by actually playing these guitars are they make Fenders seem very average at best, and I've found them to have a proportionate resale compaired to fenders. In fact, the best compliment G&L has is to set up a distributorship who also sells Fenders. I challenge you to really A/B a Fender and a G&L of similar style and features and see for yourself. I tried getting a strat with a rosewood neck as I have a legacy with an all maple neck because the strats were less expensive than a legacy with an ash-body and rosewood neck by about $400.00. I couldn't justify the $829.00 on a strat, but could easily cough up $1,200.00 for the legacy. In my opinion, the legacy is $400.00 better than the strat. The same goes for the ASAT Classics, as well as any other G&L product. My next investment is an ASAT Semi-hollow. By the way, that guitar is being made as we speak on my request. While in a conversation of my dream guitar, Chris, from Corner Music, said.."let's make that happen." He took some notes as to what I wanted, made a call to G&L, and viola! My guitar will be here in a few months....Talk about cool. On top of that, the price tag will be well below a Fender Custom shop, and even less than a mass-produced Gibson or Paul Reed Smith.

I know I've gotten off the path from the ASAT Classic I am reviewing, but quality breeds quality. The G&L line is simply amazing. Their prices have gone up, but are still a very good deal considering the skyrocketing costs of some other manufactuers. By the way, I am not by any means knocking Fender. I have Fender amps and used to own a few Fender guitars. I just think, for my money, I'd rather put it to a more custom-made guitar that wipes the floor with any mass-produced guitar on the market. There are some Fenders I like, but they are well above the cost of a comperable G&L model. In addition, I don't like them as much as the G&Ls. Other strat and tele protypes are in the same boat. Great guitars, but a lot more expensive than their G&L counterparts with a lot less vibe. Two G&Ls do not sound alike. The proof is the two ASAT Classics I own with the same woods and pickups used. Also the two legacy guitars have the same alnico handwound pickups, but sound completely different and even feel unique to one another in my hands. Plus they are all beautiful guitars. Resonance, sustain vibe and mojo are what I get from this ASAT Classic. I encourage you to check out G&Ls if you haven't already. You might be pleasantly surprised.

Late 90's. Beefy maple neck with satin finish, big frets, flatish neck radius (12?). Feels great. Ash body, Mary Kay blonde (beautiful!). Tele features. Bridge is 6 indivudual saddles, but the long pole kind, and I thought rattled, even after tweaking. Swapped it out, quite favorably, for an American standard style bridge. Tuners are a thoughtful variation of the old Kluson type where the cut string is inserted into the hole on top, and they draw the string down to the base of the tuner to get the best string angle. Case provides excellent protection.

It's versatile, and you can cover more (heavier) styles than with most Tele's. G&L magnetic soundfield design pick-ups are quite ballsy, between a good broadcaster tone and a P-90. All the way up, you could substitute this guitar for a Junior. You can twang, but not like you can on a good Tele. Neck pickup is strong too, but you can get a Jimmy Bryant tone too. In my opinion, the black neck pickup is quite ugly. Good funk sound in between. Don't expect it to sound just like a tele.

Except for the bridge, guitar is very well made and very nicely finished. No problems here.

Very sturdy and dependable. Some people gripe about the input jack. I've never had a problem with a good cord, and I always tuck the cord under the strap. Good guitar to gig with for its versatility, as you can cover styles from Buck Owens to Led Zep.

Don't need it, I always tweak or fix my own guitars, but I've had no problems in the 4 years I've had it.

Playing 30 years. Many teles, strats, les pauls over the years. Certainly much better than my old '77 tele custom. Totally different from my '74 twang machine tele w/ Duncans. I play it through black face and silver face fenders. Sounds best when rocking through Maxon 808. Find one cheap on e-bay (below 5 bills) and I think you'll enjoy it. I'd probably buy a Legacy if it were lost or stolen.

My guitar is a mid 90's ASAT...3 bolt neck...Nice beefy frets...Maple neck on a swamp ash body...Standard tele like features...I'm giving it a 10 not because it has some geeky features , but because it's exactly what a tele should be...

Tele on steroids...but in a good way...With a tube amp it's exactly what Leo intended...Yeah, it's a bit noisy...What would you expect? For blues and rock it can't be beat...I bought it for country at which it excels...If you are interested in one of these guitars you know what you're after and you won't be disappointed...Classic...

Bought it used, but everything works the way intended

Tank like...As good as it gets

The only comparison I have is the 78 tele I owned a while back which was very nice, but in no way comparable...This thing is by far superior...I bought a mexican tele and dropped some Bardens in it ...It's got a big tele sound, but this thing makes it sound anemic, which I never expected...It's nicely balanced...The tone control is actually usable...A ton of sounds are available and they're all good...An all round tone monster for a really good price...If every guitar was as good as this one, the world would be a better place...I own seven or eight guitars from a 60's gibson melody maker to a really superior Heritage les paul and this is my current favorite...But a Legacy is on the way...

This awesome guitar seems to be a newer one made in the last few years.

I bought this guitar used from a guy who bought it new and never learned to play.

It's the blonde over Ash body which is absolutely gorgeous with Rosewood board and some light flaming on the maple neck. BTW this is a nice light weight guitar..

First I want to say that I LOVE the neck profile..been lookin for a vintage style Tele for a long time..this neck starts out fairly normal and gets slightly thicker and wider as you slide up toward the body..Perfect!

When I first received this guitar the set up needed some normal adjustment. I intonated it and set the action to my taste and played it for a while. I noticed that the pickups sounded a bit harsh, so I adjusted them down some and the harshness went away.

Next I played with the individual adjustments on the pups to mimick the stagering poles that older Fender style guitars have and volia! The tone!!!

Came with OHSC which is OK but I prefer the older wood ones over the newer plastic style.

I rate this category high. The features, fit and finish are nicer than my more expensive USA '62 RI. Although I love both guitars I end up playing this one more.

I like the Tone of this guitar A LOT!

It's like a Tele on steroids in a good way. The pickups are stronger and have much more string definition and clarity than my Fenders.

It sounds great like a tele should. The neck pups shines for all kinds of music especially blues and country.

The bridge pup is pure twang & high energy! I love the fat sound of this pup for older rock, country and blues it's killer! One complaint though, when you play with real high gain (hard rock, metal, which it isn't made for) the pup squeals and is microphonic.

I've isolated this problem in two areas. 1.)Too tight a fit on the pup to the bridge assembly and 2.) It's not potted enough for the higher gain situation.

All things considered this is a stellar sounding guitar and very versitile.

Also this guitar has a great tone control set up. You can actually use the tone & volume controls for lots of different tone. The volume actually turns down with out wimping out the tone or cutting the high end off. The Tone control actually is Usefull...cudo's to G&L!!

It'd be a 10 for thi category if not for the bridge pup squeal.

Action was typical factory medium, not bad. A bit of adjustment to taste and it is now awesome.

Pups needed quite a bit of adjustment and playing around to ellicit the beautiful tone..it's there you just have to work with it a bit.

The Finish is flawless. This guitar is put together right. I think G&L puts out a superior product..no doubt about it.

One cavat on the bridge and control plate..the previous owner bought this guitar in Hawaii and live on the beach for a while, there is some slight oxidation/pitting on this part of the hardware..could be from previous owners use..can't really tell.

This is a super solid guitar I can't imagine any problems with it.

Never contacted them.

Been playing for 34 years and have owned a ton of equipment.

I bought this guitar because I had previously played the ASAT with the big soapbar pups and liked it..when I went back to purchase, it was sold/gone..dang..

If lost/stolen I'd look for another these are great guitars and sleepers in the Market Place..lots of people sell them without getting them dialed in.

Find one, dial it in and enjoy the pinacle of Tele design.

U. S. made tele syle. Swamp ash body in honeyburst.

Sound is a matter of taste. This has tele sound with more ump to it.

This is where this guitar really shines. I bought this guitar used in at Todd's Music Express in Metaire, La. They could have sold this for new. Not a blemmish on it anywhere. I give it to G&L, the finish is among the best i.ve seen. The neck makes it so easy to play.

Solid.

Don't know and don't expect to need them.

Been playing about fifteen years.I was looking at American Teles in other shops, but kept finding things wrong with them, excessive buzzing, pickguards mounted hooked, etc. Depressing. Stopped in Todd's and they show me G&L's Tribute Line. Impressive. Return a week later to order the color I wanted and found they had this used U S ASAT for about what a Tribute cost. Bought it and will not regret it.

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.

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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???

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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!!***

The reason I bought this G&L Asat Classic [hereto referred to as ?it?, ?the thing?, ?pig?, and ?piece of sh_t?] was because the body was an extremely lightweight & resonant piece of ash. The thing weighed in at 6.8 pounds [and it was not one of those ridiculous hollowed models]. Furthermore, the neck was made from beautiful bird?s eye maple.
How the hell can you screw up a Tele-style guitar built from wood like that? Continue reading for the answer.

I tried it through a VHT Pitbull 45, Budda Twinmaster, Mesa Boogie Rocket 440 (another piece of sh_t), and ?59 Bassman Reissue. Not one of them could extract the punch, spank, or twang you expect from Tele?s.
In short, the thing reproduced the sh_tty tone of those mid-seventies, dead-wood, so damn heavy they?ll put you in traction, Fenders. But hey, if the only song you know and ever intend to play is ?Hotel California?, than this pig would be for you!
I blame those asinine MFD pickups. These MF?ers are way overpowered for a Tele and kill any articulation you may posses. I considered swapping them out for Lindy Fralin?s or John Suhr?s but abandoned the whole effort for a Terry C. McInturff. (Good decision!)

This was supposedly a ?Premier? finish? an attempt at Blond Transparent. After getting the thing into some decent light, I discovered that the finish appeared? ?swirled? or ?pooled? or ?drippy?. Have you ever attempted to re-finish wood without completely removing the previous finish? Bingo!
Now the following really pissed me off. The neck shifted around in the socket causing a loud ?creak? every time I bended the strings. Now I consider string bending somewhat important to my style of playing, so this was a real problem for me. (Don?t be an idiot and mutter to yourself ?tighten the bolts!? It?s not that simple; the world doesn?t turn that way.).

Reference the above ?neck socket? anecdote.

Dear G&L,
Stop making Leo Fender?s widow tarnish her good name by signing you stupid ?Certificates of Authenticity?.

I?ve read that the name ?Asat? was borrowed from a surface-to-air missile. One should have been used to blow this pig back to hell!
My fault? I expected something exceptional from a production guitar. But if you?re used to playing Fenders? current offerings [or similar garbage], you?ll love G&L?s. They?re a step up.
On a positive note, the dealer?s tech could not correct the ?neck shift? problem, and was compelled to take the piece of sh_t back after my return policy had expired. I feel sorry for whomever they foisted if off on next.

Mine was purchased new in '95 or '96. Has a maple fingerboard, plus the fatter frets used by G&L at that time (don't know about recently. Uses a plastic stringtree, and has really nice tuning posts and machines. Maybe the nicest, best designed ones I've ever seen. Otherwise, if you've ever played a tele, this is basically the same thing.

I gave this category a 6, because the guitar is not feature rich.

This guitar is so good, it put my '61 strat back in the closet. I had a Japanese-made Fender tele for years. Well made, but lousy pickups. It got me thinking hard about teles. Got to play a '62 tele deluxe for two minutes, which really connected me to what this tele design is all about. But how to afford such a thing? Didn't know much about G&L, but found this axe in a great store on Carmine Street in NYC.

It blew me away. 700 bucks new. At the time the new Fender Teles were more. They sounded and felt inferior to this. The sound is (of course) tele-like, but distinctly different. It's a bit hotter and darker than the Fender tele; the sound is wider somehow. Hard to explain the difference, but the changes make this an even more versatile instrument on stage than the tele itself. The treble position is very useable. Roll off the tone knob, back off the volume a bit and kick up the amp volume. The sound fattens up and gets wide. It kills! By contrast, I can't get it quite sharp enough to match Roy Buchanans icepick tone. The neck position sounds so good I didn't even use the other settings for at least a year. Wherever you set it, this guitar sounds huge at stage volume.

I play through a '67 deluxe reverb, and thank god (and Leo) everytime I plug in. There's no better guitar/amp match-up. Put the amp on 4, and there's an overdrive edge to the sound, particulary on the middle pickup or the bridge settings with volume and tone rolled off. It's beautiful.

BTW: This is the only guitar I've ever played that's equally good at regular playing and slide tunings. Tune it up to Emajor, switch to the neck pickup and stand back. This thing has a slide sound to die for, much better to my ears than the strat.

You should see the grain in the maple fingerboard, and the very subtle greenish hint in the white/tan body finish. This is a very plain, very attractive instrument. As always, the factory setup didn't do it. It was a little hard to play out of the box. The frets needed dressing. After the first winter, the neck has shrunk just a bit, while of course the frets did not. Took it to Sadowsky; he did a simple set up, cleaned up the edges and the action. That turned a really good guitar into a great one.

Everything about this guitar is top-quality and heavy duty. It looks and feels very solid. The tuning pegs and strap keys in particular are custom-quality. Everything about this guitar says high priced, which it was not.

No need for support here.

I've played guitar for 35 years. Until this G&L, the only guitar I couldn't live without was my vintage, beat-to-hell strat. The G&L has the sound I want. If you mess with volume and tone just right, you hear how close the early, single-coil les pauls were sonically to the 50's teles. Both basically just planks with two pickups. Leo Fender actually did himself one better with the ASAT classic. The updates are subtle, and functionally very logical. If you're considering a Fender Telecaster, do yourself a favor. Find one of these and do the A/B test.

Mine is a 1996 Classic Custom, with a Cherryburst flame ash top with pseudo (no spray) binding and a back scoop. Presumably an alder back, though I've never checked it. Otherwise as per usual. Rosewood board, I guess 12" radius. Cool pearloid pickguard.

I haven't made any changes yet, but have a Fender 4 way switch ready to drop in (which will give 2 pickups series as well as the standard parallel). Might try the brass saddles and or 3 saddle bridge at some point, but there's nothing to be dissatisfied with at this time...

I have tried about half a dozen ASAT Classics, though no other ones of this spec. This particular guitar is 50% better than any other speciment of the breed I have tried - it was love at first twang.

Great sound from both pickups. This guitar has a huge acoustic "sprang" - I've never played a solid with so much acoustic vibrancy. The tone control is wonderfully flexible and responsive and gives everything from in-the-closet jazz wuffle to full tilt rockabilly screech without needing to touch the amp. (Which for me is a Rivera 30-12). You can also get fabulous blues tone with a little tweaking here and there - perfect for mid 60s Clapton or Green, believe it or don't.

I bought mine new but shop soiled. It must have had a hard life - there were a couple of quarter inch chunks out of the back.

Also, I could never get the neck and action quite right - in the end I had to have the frets removed and the fingerboard shaved to get a kink out. Because of the other problems at the time of purchase, I shouldn't blame G&L for this, but it has cost me an extra chunk of money that I wouldn't have spend on a less magical guitar.

See above - but otherwise would depend on it absolutely. Have only broken one string in 3 years of hard playing (on an old set at rehearsal, going for a 5 semitone full neck width throttle on the high E).

It does insist on top quality leads for solid contact - I'm using a diMarzio which is fine; lesser leads have crackled.

No rep in Australia.

I've been playing 35 years and presently own a Legacy Special and a Larrivee OM3R.

This ASAT is the best guitar I have ever owned, and as good as any I have ever played. It gives total sonic satisfaction, looks sensational, and is a source of solace in times of need.

Despite it being relatively expensive (at the time) and requiring a premature refret, I cannot imagine ever trading it at any price, and it makes other makers' premium offerings look ridiculously overpriced.

Understanding serial numbers are not my strong point, but I believe this model is a 1993. With the wear on the body and neck, I should be pretty close. This is your standard Fender Tele-like guitar, but with a 3-bolt neck, maple fretboard, 22 jumbo frets made in California USA. The finish is a translucent red on a heavy swamp ash body and the pickup configuration is like the telecaster and not the soap bar style with the ash-tray bridge pickup and smaller neck pickup. 1 volume, 1 tone and 3-way switch. The neck is a 7" radius and seems a little narrower than my American Tele, but not too narrow. It came with a pretty beat up hard case.

I bought an American Tele that was absolutely beautiful. It was see-through white blonde and was in perfect cosmetic shape....The pickups were fine too. I had a problem with the neck, however, and never felt comfortable with the overall feel....I was browsing in a local music store looking for a semi-hollow guitar, when I noticed this one, picked it up, and never looked back.

A 9 for having the nice finish and jumbo frets......10 is perfect, and I think too many people get too biased with their guitars, so a near perfect is what I'll give her.

I really liked the sound of my tele. I had no complaints. I just didn't like the feel. With the G&L, you still get the twangy, gritty bridge pickup, but with much more punch. Not just noisy volume, but a much warmer, fuller sound without being a humbucker. The same goes for the neck pickup. Similar to the tele, but not really. These pickups carry a lot more volume to both the neck and bride without sounding muddy or noisy. According to G&L, it's the magnets with the adjustable pole pieces that are responsible for this. The sound is very satisfying, which at first, if you are expecting it to replace your tele, you may be a little confused. But, once you play with them a while, you will realize that not only does this replace a tele, but also can be used for a variety of other styles the tele just couldnt cover. I thought the Tele in the neck was a little brighter, but I have to say, these ASAT pickups compete (as far as volume goes) with a Robin Avalon with Rio Grande Humbuckers in them.

Another important factor (at least for me) is how the guitar plays unplugged. Very alive and balanced. Not too many people on here comment on that. If you are reading this review, and others, you are probably a consious shopper wanting to make the best decision for your money. If this is the case, you should ALWAYS see how your guitar will play right off the rack. Pickups can do a lot for a guitar, but remember, the PUs are just amplifying the sound of the woods and the vibrations they are picking up. And this G&L, along with other G&Ls I've played have a very strong resonance to them and sound great without amplification.

A nice sound with more variety than a standard Telecaster, with more unplugged sustain and natural brightness than it's predecessor.

For a used guitar, that really looks like it was appreicated and used by its former owner, I was very impressed. Aestetically, it had some nicks and the knobs were abit loose, some wires were loose and the input jack a little worn, but in my opinion, these are all suggestions of a guitar that was used over and over again. And I get the feeling it was not because it was this person's only guitar, but because of it's special feel when you pick it up. The Jumbo frets are nice too, along with just an overall terrific balance. About the only thing I had to get used to was the ash-tray style bridge and saddles. Where the Telecaster has smooth saddles, the ASAT uses the older style that have the adjustable knobs on top of the saddle rather than flush. I will play with my hand over the saddle a lot, and I had to get used to not doing that as much as before. A minor detail and nothing that affects this great guitar.

Well, I mentioned this guitar was used, and it appeared it was used quite a bit. This guitar seemed to have passed with flying colors, and looks like it will hold up for as long as needed, providing adequate care it taken of it. G&L has been known for quality, and this guitar does not seem to be an exception to that theory. A solid guitar with quality parts.

I've never had to use them, nor have I really had to use any guitar manufacturers warrany department with top-notch guitars. I really can't rate this, but with their website and growing number of fans along with their already large quantity of happy G&L customers, I would assume their customer support to be great.

I've been playing for around 20 years. I've owed many different guitars and sold a lot of them and have since built up my collection again. I have the same Am. Strat, a Robin Avalon, a Gibson ES-135, and now the G&L ASAT Classic. I've owned a les paul, a 335, an L-5, a PRS CE-22 a Guild Bluesbird and a Fender Telecaster, which all have very special sounds and feels about them. However, since I am far from being rich, I try and keep one type of guitar for a particular style of sound(semi-hollow, solid body humbucker, strat and tele) with some wishful hopes of adding to my collection and further expanding my tonal diversity.

I would have kept my telecaster had the neck not been messed up, and for what it's worth, I probably could have had it fixed, but after 4 trips to the set up shop, I grew impatient. I sold and shipped off a beautiful tele, but in turn, I got a very well-made fine-playing guitar that rivals the tele in every aspect, but also adds more tonal variation from just one guitar.

I see many people reviewing Fender and Gibson styled guitars bash these companies along with other established companies, and I don't think that's very deserving. Fender and Gibson have made many people famous and are standards by which all other manufacturers are compared. I can't think of any other companies that cater to such a wide range of musicians from an experience and budget standpoint. In addition, the Les Paul and Fender Stratocaster are cultural icons in american music. I don't care what anyone else says about that, it's the truth.

BUT, and this is a big BUT, many companies have done their homework. And their assignment was to not just mimick, but improve what had been working with electric guitars. And I think G&L is one of those companies. Especially since Leo Fender set out to improve upon his own design, this in essence, is what he did. He improved upon the American Standard Instruments he helped make famous. I've always been told by many Nashville musicians, the G&L was a Fender custom shop at American standard prices. While I do not disagree with this, I have made my own conclusion. The G&L is a G&L. A well-made instrument with competative pricing considering companies like Anderson, Zion and others improving upon the design and tonal perfomances of the strat and tele while also improving upon their retail prices (and not to the good of the public).

Along with the Fender and Gibson names, comes resale. As you may or may not know, the resale market on quality american made guitars that are not Gibson or Fender can be brutal for a person paying retail for their guitar and then trying to sell it. Fortunately, word gets around, manufactures get greedy and mature people loose their concern for the name on the headstock and start paying closer attention to what plays and sounds better. I've had a couple of Heritage guitars that I lost my tail end on when I re-sold them, and, in turn, have picked up some good guitars taking advantage of their less than stellar resale values. The G&L kind of fits in that niche, but around Nashville, they are too well known for their quality and sound and command a pretty fair resale value. I got, pretty much, an even trade on my Tele for my ASAT, and in the long run, I think I got much more guitar with the G&L.

Why did I say all of this. Because, if you are thinking about a tele-style guitar, there is nothing wrong with a genuine fender telecaster. However, if you are thinking about a G&L and can get one for the same price as an american standard fender, then you stand the chance of getting much more guitar for your money.

Mid '90-s opaque white finish, ash body, maple neck, six-saddle bridge, two traditional Tele size stock p/u's, three way switch. Just what you'd expect in a vintage-style Tele setup. I'm giving it a '10' for having just the needed features and not a lot of useless bells & whistles

I owned this for close to a year only being about 70% satisfied with the sound. When I looked around at the more recent models, I noticed they had six brass saddles instead of the steel ones that were on mine. I ordered a set of the brass saddles, installed them, and that has made all the difference. Now it's my favorite Tele, Yes, I have gone to music stores and played the much sought after vintage ones, and this compares, if not surpasses, those. I thought I would try different pickups and installed a set of Lindy Fralins and Bardens and I actually think the stock G&L p/u's sounded better in this particular guitar. I may feel like experimenting somewhere down the road, but it's nice to not feel a sense of urgency about it, because once I swapped the saddles this thing really sounds great.

All the workmanship looks really good, but since I bought it used and it was REALLY badly set up and needed fret work, so I'm leaving this blank

Seems nice and solid to me, like a professional instrument should

Beyond ordering the saddles (which arrived in 2 days), I haven't used them

A really nice version of a vintage Tele, IMHO a superior guitar in terms of playability, tone and workmanship to anything currently made by Fender, including the '52 Reissue and the Nocaster. The pickups were a real surprise, they really do a nice job of getting those Tele tones with a slightly fatter presence.

This is a standard model rosewood neck telecaster. Two single coil G&L pickups, 6 saddle bridge. The bridge uses the modern style saddles. 3-way switch and a volume and tone control. This is not the current model, but from around 93-94. The neck is more like a strat neck than a tele neck, which is what made me want it. Ash body finished in a transparent green.

It sounds like a tele. The spank, bite and guts are all here.

I had to remove a GR-pickup and generally clean up the guitar. I bought it used. Except for a few nicks it is in solid shape. I did adjust the neck and bridge and everything is great.

This guitar is built like a tank. A very solid design and execution.

If you get parts from the web page, that is fast. However, They don't seem to answer their email. Haven't called.

This is a great take on a tele. I really like the neck, since I don't get along with a standard tele neck. I'd probably buy another one for that tele thing if I needed it.

i believe it is a 90, 91 or at the latest a 92 model (s/n 0034452), i bought it used from the original owner about 6-7 yrs ago... he was (still is) a G&L Legacy/s-500 freak and was not using this g'tar at all. lucky for me he needed some money and the rest is history.

solid ash, 2 big fat ASAP p/u's with the fat poles, black w/white pick guard, blonde (maple) neck, tel-style, G&L saddle lock bridge, 7.5 radius 22 frets, hard case, strap locks, G&L tuners (weird tuners)... thats all.

tone, tone, tone... neck p/u = fat blues or classic rock power comp chord. bridge p/u = clean country picking or drive it hard for cut through wicked sustained leads. blend the 2 and you have arpeggio clean capability or meaty clean ryhthms.

this is my final solid body... i need to look no further.

this guitar was set up very well by the owner (who owns a great guitar shop). but i switched to D'Addario EXL110W (.010-.046's w/wound G string), so i had a luthier/friend reset the p/u's, file the nut, etc to accomodate. this is the ticket for this type of guitar which i condider a utility guitar that needs to cover a lot of ground.

this is a "utility" guitar. made like a tool to make a living with. it is not a complicated tempermental delicate mamby-pamby guitar. it is dependable. you set it up how you want it and forget it... it will stay in place because the hardware is simple and high quality. i don't have a back-up or would even condiser needing one.

never checked.

been playing since i was 8 yrs old. i am now 46 yrs old. most people condiser me an excellent player, but i feel i am just middle of the road, and have not yet arrived. i own too much gear to list, but as far as g'tars go i am down to 3... this one, a 10 year old Ovation Custom Legend, and a 21 year old Yairi dreadnault (original owner of both). i don't even want to discuss the thought of it getting stolen (but i would try to find another like this one). I love the durability, simplicity, yet addictive playability of this guitar. it is even fun to play unplugged (sounds good too). i don't hate anything, but i don't like the G&L tuners. they keep in tune just fine, but i can't get used to how the strings set in place. once you get them wound its no problem. i might replace those with Spertzel locker's one day. i have owned other solid bodies and knew i wanted to settle down with a tele style... i just did not like the fenders. thank God Leo still lives on through these G&L's. as a review below brought up... i wonder how a fishman bridge would sound, but i would be hard pressed to get rid of the G&L saddle lock (its too awesome). i keep thinking about having it painted the ol mellow yellow like the 50's teles (the black is cool too). but i use it too much to let it go for any length of time.

made in USA 2001,22 frets 7.5" radis rosewood neck two piece alder body finished in 3-tone sunburst (very well i might add)the normal
Tele spec two single coil pickups one volume and one tone control.
The neck is a D-shape and drops in between modern and vintage.Finish
in a pale satin vac or rubbed oil.

I play country/blues/rockabilly and a bit of jazz and i mean a bit.This guitar will do all of the styles i play no problem is not a heavy rock axe as the pickups will feedback and not in a nice way.For
clean and crunch tones it's awesome,the pickups do sound pretty damn
good for stock pickups,i have always changed my pickups for the real thing like JOE BARDEN'S or CHRIS KINMANS they sound awesome with no
hum.These pickups are a lot bigger and warmer sounding than Fender
guitars i've tried.And there a good output as well.(Well done G&L Guitars)see if you can get rid of the hum.I'm giving this a 10 because they are stock pickups and you can't put the best and keep the retail price of the guitar the same.The tone pot is very good it work right away so you can get a good jazz sound or the classic british woman tone (blues breaker)

Well hard to say it came with 9-42 gauge strings and they suck big time so i change them after about mmmmmmmmmm 10 seconds and put some
10-46 the different between these to gauges is unreal.The frets are jumbo and they make the action feel high at first and then you realize
the higher the fret the higher the string is of the fret board.Once you are used to it they are so much better and easier to bend strings
and do hammer on's and pull off's.

No problem at the moment and can't see any happening

Haven't needed any

The guitar sounds and plays awesome and i mean awesome,if your a Tele
player you will love them,they have all the tone with a bigger and round sound an a classic Fender and more sounds an a reissue the finish is top draw well mine is anyway.A great guitar at a good price.

I might up grade the pickups to Joe Barden's to cut the hum and get
that Danny Gatton tone.Joe's pickups are just the best.

Mine a '93 cherry sunburst. It has George Fullerton's initials penciled in the neck pocket.
The body is solid alder, and the neck is standard maple with maple fretboard. Frets are "medium", which is larger than on any of my other guitars. Fretboard radius is said to be 7 1/2 but if feels flatter the one on my Fender 50s reissue. The VERY satin finish doesn't look like much but it sure plays nice.

Everything is stock, including the 2 G&L ceramic single-coil ASAT pickups with adjustable polepieces.

It's a Tele. Do you want/need?

The sound is darker and punchier than most Fenders I've played. It lacks the icepick-in-the-eardrum capability of a vintage or vintage-style Fender, which may be good.

It's pretty hard to get a bad tone from this guitar, especially through a decent tube amp. I alternate between a Fender Blues Junior and a Super Reverb. A little reverb, compression, and slapback echo and I'm in heaven.

Body finish is excellent. Neck pocket is a little loose, though.

The original owner used 09s, so I pulled on the truss rod a bit to accomodate 10s. The action is terrific.

One niggle I've had about 90s G&LS is that as the neck ages and dries out (I live in Colorado), the fret ends start grabbing your fingers. This is easily corrected.

I like the reverse taper on the tuner posts that locks the string in better and "dresses" it down automatically.

You could use it to hammer nails, but I wouldn't recommend it.

A cool feature is the extra-large flange on the strap buttons. Takes longer to strap up, but you've got to do something really stupid to drop this thing.

No need to test this, but I've heard from those that know that G&L service is top-notch.

If you want/need a pro-level Tele, and you can have only one, and you want to play it and not fuss over it, this is the one to have. It does the country, swing, and Keith Richards things equally well.

I've got a hot rod Tele that I've fussed over (Japanese reissue neck, Duncan lead pickup, and Warmoth ash body) that is really special (to me). I wouldn't recommend going this route as a plan, though.

Yeah, I picked up another one. One that I used to own. I knew I could probably get it back some day. Listen tele guys:ASAT Classic rules. The guy that preceeded this review has the right idea....Fender makes more guitars in one year than G&L does in 10. Try to buy a 1990 ASAT Classic signature guitar now. I saw on ebay for $1900.00 and one in the Vintage guitar for $999.00. (I may buy that one!) Other than those , they are becoming scarce. They are dissapearing and will continue to get more rare until you can't afford to buy them. The same thing will eventually happen to the post 93 models. If Eric Johnson played a tele, it would be one of these. (maybe he owns something else, heck I don't know. But I do know this: This is a real Fender guitar, designed by Leo, produced by Leo and Leo said that "these are the best guitars I have ever made!" Nuff said.

These are extremely versatile guitars with amazing pure, clean guitar vibe. If you turn the treble knob down slightly it sounds just like a Custom-Shop Nocaster. I know. I have one. It plays 10 times better than the no-caster. (What kind of neck did the guy in one of the previous reviews want? A neck manufactured by a CNC machine? DUHHH?? I bet he put a Floyd Rose on it also.He also said it didn't sound very "tele-like??" and that he played it through a Traynor. I am sure it is not the Traynors' fault! Learn to play like a tele player and you'll appreciate the tones on this guitar.

What is the big deal about factory set-up? I set my action fairly high. Any player worth his salt is going to change the factory set-up!
Very high quality workmanship for a non-custom guitar. I dare you to find better for less than twice the price. No problems with the knobs or switches. They should last a lifetime too.

I have played my number one for over 12 years and it barely shows any wear at all. It has one ding due to my carelessness with a dropped screwdriver.

NA

I have played a lot for the past 35 years. In the 1970's you couldn't buy a good new guitar! The best quality in guitars has been over the last 10 years. Gibson is better (by far), Fender is better too. But G&L is the guitar I choose to play. I have been this excited ever since my first one back in 1989.