G&L ASAT Classic

Early 90's Asat Classic. I ordered this guitar from a my local music store who happens to be a G and L dealer, I was there when he called in the order to the factory. Alder body finished in a beautiful gold metallic which has since been discontinued (can you say collector value?), maple fingerboard with special order 12 inch radius ( I just can't get along with the 7 inch thing), tortoiseshell guard. Two MFD pickups, jumbo frets, tele ash tray style bridge. Non locking G and L tuners. G and L SKB case. I give an 8 for features because this is a nuts and bolts players guitar with only the essential tone producing tools, the 3 bolt tilt neck is a useful feature as far as I am concerned, as I have used it and it is very stable. I had a 75 Strat with Fender's lousy tilt neck and it would move if you really honked down on it while you were playing, but the Asat is solid as a rock.

Here is where it gets good, this axe sounds soo good. The bridge pickup gives you all the twang and bite you could ask for, with all that good midrange meat that your amp can chew on when you really dig into it.. The middle pickup position is a delight, Ricky sounding air and spank, I find myself going here a lot. And the neck p-u is no slouch, often overlooked on a Tele-style guitar, it is very useful for Hendrixy-SRV type bluesy stuff, sweet with hammered double stops on the middle strings up the neck. The tone control is very useful, and the volume control does a great job of maintaining good tone when you turn it down. I play this honey through a nice silverface Princeton Reverb with a Fulldrive 2 for some boost. I think my tone quest is solved, I can make sounds with this rig that I only used to dream about. I know that some find the ceramic mag pickups cold, but that is not my experience at all, I think this guitar is about as warm and funky as you could want. Maybe it ain't a 53 tele, but not much is. And I am sure that any good player can make it sound as good as anything out there.

A couple of minor beefs: the setup from the factory was useless, the strings were practically laying on the frets. A quick trip to my guitar tech fixed that, along with a set of 10's, which every guitar should have. As he was doing the setup of the saddles and the neck adjustments, he noticed that the neck was slightly misaligned. No problem, a quick tweak to the three bolt neck and it was fine. After the setup---mmmmm, gooood. As he was working on it, he said, "and this is a NICE guitar." This is coming from a guy who has built beautiful electric guitars from scratch and has repaired everything under the sun. I have noticed one other problem, the high E string has a weird raspy twang overtone, it is there both open and fretted, so I have no idea where it is coming from. It comes through the amp too, and is rather annoying, but I think it is something that can be fixed without too much problem, I am thinking a saddle problem.

This guitar is as solid as they come, end of story. I would definitely gig without a backup. The finish is as beautiful as it was when new, the hardware is very solid, and although the guitar is pleasantly light (that is why I ordered alder) it feels like a tank.

N/A, I never had to deal with them. Ten year limited warranty, which is good enough for me. What can go wrong with a guitar like this?

I would go into a week long period of mourning if something happened to my sweety. It is the perfect guitar for my style (R and B, progressive country, e.g. Lucinda Williams, Wilco, Delber McClinton, etc.) I have been playing for about 20 years, and I own a Hamer Sunburst (a sweet little guitar in its own right) and an Alvarez-Yairi acoustic. The Guitar Player tele shootout caused me to check out this axe and I never looked back, Fender didn't even enter the picture when I tried a G&L. As has been said here many times before, Custom Shop quality for a fraction of the price. The truly savvy buyer would look for one of these honeys used, cause for some stupid reason they don't hold their resale value very well. Oh well, just good news for some smart player with a few bucks to spend on the guitar of his or her dreams. And I could care less about the resale, because I would never think of parting with my G&L, unless I lost both of my arms in a sawmill accident!

2001, american,hand made telecaster type... which sounds so much better than a fender. 22 frets,solid top,one volume and one tone knob... 2 g&l single coil pickups. maple neck and fret, alder body,"premier" sunburst finish...the real leo fender tele. ash tray bridge,string thru body,g&l brand tuners,non locking,fat neck with medium jumbo frets,(maple)... includes deluxe g&l hardshell case.

awesome axe here.... suits a mod or a rocker or a mocker... anything really... i play hendrix, and beatles mainly, i throw a little zeppelin in there too.i use a peavey mark 3 half stack that sounds pretty good with it.... i wish i had a tube, but dont we all? but it has the fattest tone ever! its sweeeeeet!~ happy, because of the maple fretboard, andbest through a tube.it sounds ok distorted heavily, but easy blues distortion makes this tele shine. it sounds sweet clean though,and it has all the makings of a bad @$$ guitar

its hand made, so i warn a buyer online, or a mail orderer, that a neck or a body, might not be like you want... i picked up a legacy, with the most uncomfortable neck ever! but i looked and found a classic with a sweet.... everything. (the action is flawless)the pickups are like the fender, but the neck is a custom g&l magnetic pickup, unlike the tele, whatever those silver things are... but the bridge, is too... twangy i guess. im gonna get a lace or something.other than that, this guitar is awesome ... perfect in every aspect.

this little slut will take anything.... live playing, studio stuff... etc... it has everlasting hardware apparently... (we'll see) ...and a sweet sunburst finish, 3 tone. solid strap buttons, i can depend on this guitar ... i would definetely gig without a backup.

i havent had to deal with g&l ... and i hope i never have to. it has a 10 year limited warranty. and some crap about the life of leo fender, the maker of g&l , thats pretty useless

i have only played,just over a year, but i know what a good guitar sounds like...i would definetely get another one of these if it got stolen.compared to the fender telecaster,the tone from the g&l blows the tele away... maybe because they're made by 3 year old children in sweat shops in mexico... but as well as its little burrito brother,the american series teles get torched too. they are still machine made in america, but this time by more experienced mexicans.
if you want a sweet, hand made telecaster, g&l's are the way to go

same as everyone else have listed

Sounds excellent! Much better than the Fenders that I've played. Bright and punchy. The stock pickups could be better, but they are still ok. I don't understand why the resell on these guitars are so low! They are just as good and I think better than Any of the modern day Fenders.

Bought the guitar used. Only did some minor adjustments

Very solid guitar. Never have had any problems with it at all. It is also one of the most comfortable guitars I've played. Especially the neck.

Never had to contact G&L

I would definately but this guitar again. No question. I've been playing for about 7 years and I've played my share of high-end guitars. This one has quality written all over it! Do yourself a favor and buy a G&L instead of a Fender. Fender just produces far too many guitars anymore and their quality is not what it use to be. The Assat is excellent!

Mine is a 2000 model, with 22 frets. The body is swamp ash, with clear red finish, white binding on top and pearl pick guard. It has a maple neck, two of the smaller G&L MFD pickups, and traditional tele style bridge.

The sound is great but it is not quite a tele sound. I use it with a Traynor tube amp.

The fit and finish is flawless. I did lower the action a little bit, but only because I like the action to be very low.

It seems to be built tough. I can not answer the questions about playing out, I spend my weekends working on a racecar.

I think the warranty is 10 years. I have not had any problems.

I have been playing for 23 years. I also own 3 Strats '83, '84, and '95, a '95 Telecaster, and a '88 Asat. I hate the neck on this guitar and will never special order another G&L. I let this guitar sit and play all the others becuse of the uncomfortable neck. I wish G&L's resale was better so I could dump this piece of shit without losing my ass. I would buy another one as long as I could play and get the feel of it. G&L has too many neck options and being handmade their never the same. A CNC machine needs to brought in to make the necks, you can pick up three Fenders and they will all feel the same.

I own eight (yes 8) ASAT Classic Signature guitars. I have been aquiring them since 1990. I perform several times a week in church and professionally for many years. I see that there are some very intelligent guitar pickers on this page because they have chosen a very, very high quality guitar. I have played some of the newer models and have been very impressed by these as well. I like the signature guitars because I like knowing that Leo was around when my guitar was manufactured. Features? How about classic tele sound (on steroids) and better than vintage manufacturing? How about the highest quality bridges,pickups, tuners, frets, wood, etc. that I have ever seen on a plank wood guitar. I don't need four pickups, a whammy bar, active electronics and a electromodelling whirleegig...just a great guitar with great tone. This is it boys. THese guitars will go up in value over time, mark my word. I'll be buying one of those semi-hollow jobs some day also.

It only sounds bad, when I'm having a bad night. And it's not the tone that's bad, it's my playing... :) Great for everything except high gain. And as far as I'm concerned if you're using that much gain you need to be doing some more woodshedding and less shredding. This guitar speaks the truth that is coming out of your fingers. If your talent is mediocre, this guitar is not for you. Again most of the people that are buying this guitar are experienced, long-term guitarists. Or they are bright enough to buy a guitar that will last a lifetime, sound better with age and will retain its' value. (If you take care of the thing. I know this guy named Stu Pidasso that likes putting his cigs in the strings on the head stock. He also thinks that it is cool to "toss" the guitar to give it some "charachter." Stu bought a "beeootiful" ASAT Classic with his Dads' money and gave it "some charachter." He moved to Nashville on a whim to "Learn to play the guitar" To bad he left his beaten G&L Classic in a music store so I could see it every time I walk in. I would like to give him a piece of my mind. Oh well.) Moral is....Take care of these darn guitars 'cause there's not that many of them around!

Great workmanship. Especially on the older Signature ASAT Classics manufactured between 1989 and 1991. Some models made in late '92 and 93' aren't so good. It appears that the quality of the newest models are extremely high. However the necks are not made with the same precision and nut fit as the old ones. However, they seem to be great sounding and great players.The detailing on the neck doesn't seem to affect the guitar. I think there is less hand manufacturing on the newer necks.

I have never, ever had a single breakdown with this guitar. What could break down unless Mr. Pidasso (Stu) was the prior owner. I have had to clean the cord input with "Golden Shower". (Or some darn stuff.)

I purchased a "non-commemorative" guitar. (That is a guitar that was made of "Commemorative" parts but without the gold and the rose.) The guitar had screws coming from the saddles that were way too long and were cutting my hands. I sent a letter to G&L and they promptly sent me shorter ones.

I have played avidly since 1965. I perform several times a week at church and professionally. I own about 14 guitars, 8 of them G&L ASAT classic Signature models. I am on a lifetime quest to accumulate as many as my budget will afford. I believe that this is probably the finest overall guitar ever made for country, blues, classic rock, rockabilly and most other popular music styles. It won't do the "Eddie VH" thing very well,but I don't care. I would put this guitar against most big jazzbo's also. (Try using the neck pickup with the tone control down about two thirds...Sounds darn good to MY ear!) Another thing. Every one of the ASAT Classics I own has it's own unique charachter. My favorite one is not the fanciest one. It is 3 color sunburst with a maple neck. Pretty plain as far as guitars go. But when you get older, what guitars do YOU want in your collection? A bunch of Jacksons or Ibanez's with the "genuine FLOYD ROSE??? Heck no! You're going to want some Gibsons, Martins and some "REAL" Fenders. Here it is boys. (and ladies if there are any out there..:) ) By the way there isn't much better of a combination than an ASAT and a Deluxe Reverb. (Although a JTM 45 reissue sounds great as a "blues dog will hunt" amp.) Vox is cool too. I can't afford the stupidly expesive "boutique" stuff. I guess someday I'll break down and buy a Victoria or something, but till then....remember this.... "FENDER TUBE AMP!)

I own a '97 ASAT Classic. Standard Equipment. Beautiful BlueBurst finish. Solid as a rock, and I don't baby it. Holds tune well even with all the bending I do, and regardless of string gage.

I'm a country guy and it is the best sounding Tele I have. Live and in the Studio. I only wish it had a little more high end on the bridge pick-up. New Fenders don't even com close!! Thru VOX AC-30 and Fender Twin...WOW!!

It looked like a million bucks new out of the case, and still looks great today. I mess with my action a lot so I can't remember what it was like from the factory, doesn't matter much, I change it anyway.

I play live 10 to 12 hours a week (not counting practice and rehursal during the week) and use the ASAT 95% of the time. One of the tuners is getting a little sloppy, but it on the string that I bend the heck out of all night long. Only problem I've had is with the saddles. I was breaking strings on two of them and just flat wore them out. My hand is on the bridge so much, chicken picken, that the acid from my palm ate the saddles up. The finish still looks great I get comments all the time, I guess mine is pretty rare. I often bring a backup, but that is habbit, and usually it my B-bender, and I'm always upset when I pop a string and have to play the Fender. Now that I think about it, I did have the jack replaced when it was about 1 year old. The dealer took care of it.

Warranty is 10 years. Does not include normal wear and tear. Had trouble getting replacement saddles that I had to pay for anyway. The local rep was in the shop I bought it at and I talked to him, he said I was lucky that G&L didn't the whole guitar sent in just for new saddles. I can't do that it's my work horse! The warranty took care of the jack.

I've got 7 or 8 guitars (including 2 fenders) and my G&L is my favorite by far. I play the crap out of it and it's still going strong. Take it from a country guy who gigs every week, this guitar is more Fender than Fender. In fact, my next purchase will be a matching Legacy. Maybe G&L is now, but I wish they'd do a fat tele with a humbucker at the neck, maybe a B-Bender. Now were talking.

Bought used on consignment from Elderly Guitars (what great, helpful, knowledgeable folks!) in Michigan (I forget the website...www.elderlyguitars.com?). Had the original certificate with it, but after much discussion, we could only pin manufacture down to "early 90s."

-22 frets, better than 21, but I would have preferred 24
-typical Tele set up: 2 single-coil pickups (they look like standard G&L's, although one p-up doesn't have a cover and exposes some white cord/string wound around the outside)--p-ups have individually adjustable poles, which is very nice!--volume and tone knobs, 3-way selector, standard "ash-tray" Tele bridge with strings fed through the back of the guitar.
--Bolt-on maple neck (7.5" radius, according to the www.glguitars.com website) and maple fretboard--nicely sanded/smoothed with *no gloss*, which feels wonderful and makes *me* feel like there's something wrong/toy-like with glossed necks. The neck is bolted with only 3 screws, not 4, but probably more than sufficient.
--jumbo (medium?) frets, which are just great
-Transparent finish over tobacco burst (hint of red on the edges might suggest classic to some people), white pickguard...the ultimate in looks, to me, though I care far, far more about tone.
-Looks and sounds like an alder body, which is what I wanted (for jazz warmth), although swamp ash would have been a good warm alternative, I hear.
-came with Sperzel tuners, which are the cat's meow and stay in tune even better than the Sperzels I had installed on my Epi Sheraton II.

Overall, this is one of the best guitars I've ever laid my hands on. I only knock off a point on account of the combination of the frets, bolts on the neck, and the question of the bridge pickup cover, but maybe this was consequence of being used, and thus might differ from a new guitar.)

I play mostly jazz these days, but wanted a rock/blues guitar to salve my "get yer ya-yas out" moments (from Rush to the Stones to whatever...), and to back up my Epi Sheraton II archtop for jazz. (The G&L is considerably lighter, too!) That's why Teles are so damn versatile, and fit the bill nicely.

The rig I tested is as follows:

both this guitar run straight into a Carvin 212 Bel Air amp, and also processed in some combination: Morley Volume-->Nady CL-5000 compressor (channel 1)->Route 66 dist/comp-->Boss G-7 EQ-->{amp, then effects loop]-->Nady CL-5000 (expander/noise gate, channel 2]-->Lexicon MPX-100-->[effects return].

The sound? I love this guitar to death. Had been missing that single-coil sound for most of my guitar playing life (I'd had splittable buckers before, but those were crappy pickups on crappy guitars... :). Sure, single coils are moderately noisier (not in the middle, hum-canceling blend of the two pups), but these are no noisier than most, and don't even pick up steam in front of my computer monitor.

This G&L packs plenty of punch and great twang when you need it, distorts smoothly/well (not exactly a metal guitar, but I have no problem doing my Alex Lifeson knockoff :), and just has a huge "Play me!" vibe from across the room. The bass is happening and surprisingly full for a Tele, but if you really need more, insert a smidgen of EQ tweaks on your amp/pedal, and it'll even do "Back In Black"/"Shook Me All Night Long" with nothing to be ashamed of. Take that, Gibson freaks... :) (Of course, metal heads seeking something black and pointy with hot pickups wired into Marshall stacks should look elsewhere...)

Certainly, this guitar likes to do Rush's "Red Barchetta" or "Limelight," even as a Tele-style beast, and arpeggiates "Distant Early Warning" the way it's supposed to sound (albeit sans whammy). Back off the distortion, and the ASAT Classic grooves mightily while playing Stones, Little Feat, NRBQ, James Gang "Funk #49", or early, un-processed Grateful Dead. Even SRV strat styles like "Couldn't Stand The Weather" are quite attainable on this axe, and the same certainly goes for Yer Traditional Tele-manglers, Steve Cropper and Albert Collins. Even heavily processed, the ASAT Classic doesn't lose much personality and keeps a great tone.

Clean sounds are just great, with great acoustic airiness in the middle position--a touch of chorus (or not), and you're off to the races...I'm not sure you'd need or want a Fishman piezo bridge, but I'd be interested to hear how it turns out on an ASAT Classic. It's also full of warmth and clarity for jazz on the neck pickup. The tone pot will give you plenty of brightness, but I personally tend to roll it fairly far down for smooth warmth.

I'd correct what one person said below--the ASAT Classic will do great for jazz, but it will *not* mimic a 335, let alone non-neckthrough archtops. It can get somewhat "woody" sounding with some EQ tweaking on your amp and/or pedal, but nothing like the real hollow sound on a true archtop. (My Epi Sheraton, on which I just replaced the so-so Epi stock pickups with Seymour Duncan 59s, does that 335 thing far, far better). Still, I suspect Tele jazz players (Ed Bickert and Howard Roberts, to name two) would be satisfied in this department. I know I have had no qualms about taking it to play with my small jazz combo; our alto saxophonist gets a bit jealous when he sees this guitar.

I was A/B'ing the G&L against a Carvin TL60T (Wilkinson trem, S/S/S AP11 pickups, neck-through design), and the G&L won. The Carvin was a fine guitar, a bit more versatile considering the 3 pup setup, sustained a bit longer than the G&L and had perhaps a tad more clarity, but was just harsher and tinnier on the stock pickups which would have needed replacing. See my review on it, if the spirit mo

Setup was great. Required almost no tweaking of intonation, and certainly none on the truss. I tweaked pickup pole pieces a bit, one of which was a tad rusty. But hell, it was used. The action was noticeably moderately higher than the Carvin's (too) way-low setup, but I like that, and it suits any solidbody electric.

Teles are the ultimate plank, intended to outdo nuclear-defying cockroaches. Bolt-on necks are just great in case you have to dismantle it for the airlines' tender mercies. (You want more sustain than the thing's already got? Buy a pedal or a compressor...)
Everything just feels SOLID, G&L is doing some nice work on this...
Could easily handle a beating on a gig without a backup, but rather than tempt fate, get a backup.

Have never dealt with G&L directly. Elderly Guitars had great support over the phone, and as I recall, 2 or 3 days to try out the guitar--as they put it, you'll know within a few hours if you love or hate the guitar in sound or workmanship.

I've been playing just about 15 years now, much more seriously in the last four, because of getting into jazz. I honestly fail to see why people insist on paying for the Fender name and/or that of their favorite stars (based on old history, not the identical replication of models!), when G&L appears to be making virtually the same guitars with nicer workmanship, and far more dependability, especially in the tone department. Were this guitar lost or stolen, I presume I'd be in a nice hospital room with rubber walls and hopefully catatonic, because the alternative is the Big House and 25 years to life on account of the thief. Like I said, the Carvin TL60T is a fine guitar, but this particular G&L took the trophy when it came not just to price, but sound.

White-ish alder body maple neck tele-style beauty. Silky to the touch but not so much like a credit card as Les Pauls.
22 frets, although only about 20 can be reached easily enough.
Just a volume and tone control (which works) but then what more do you need? You buy this type of guitar for the tone - so why do you want to change it?

I don't really stretch the guitar as I play mostly blues & jazzy stuff. If you want to go more extreme you will need a stomp box. It has a somewhat bright sound (as expected), but also has a very rich rounded sound with both pickups on.
That indefinable but instantly recognisable tele sound is what I was after, and that's exactly what you get with this guitar.
I went to Manny's, NYC, to buy a Fender Tele and the salesman went along with me until I made my choice (an American Tele) then he said "before you go, try one of these G&L guitars". The ASAT Classic sounded more Fender than a Fender. As soon as I picked it up I knew it was a 'real' guitar compared to the poor setup and rough edges of the Fender. I was sold. I had heard very little about G&L but I didn't care - I was the one who was going to play it.
Now I recommend them to everybody - and my next guitar will probably be another G&L.

No need to get it home and send it out again for set up. It's had perfect intonation since the day I bought it.
Action is perfect compromise of playability and easy fingering and with no flaws whatsoever.

Although not subject to the rigours of regular live dates, it is clear the guitar is no wuss. It's kept in a busy room full of office equipment and other guitars and things and there is not a scratch after 18 months.
It's probably the only guitar most people would need on a date - just remember to buy it a pint!

No dealings with aftermarket service.

Playing guitar and bass for about 25 years off and on. Now I'm using a Fender Hotrod Deluxe which is ace for the tele sound.
Also using a Gibson Les Paul occasionally (but it doesn't get much of a look-in).
If I ever lost this guitar I would buy another - no question. The way it fits neatly into my hands and always sounds as if it's ready for business. It's difficult to put down.
If there was one thing that I occasionally miss is a little more sustain - but that's what strats are for, isn't it?

Very blue; very glossy, very beautiful wood grain. Tele-style, but trust me brothers and sisters, this is no tele. Two pick-ups, two knobs, but unlike most guitars, the tone knob really works.

Now dig this: I play folk music on electric guitar. No, really. And this guitar sounds beautiful. Full and rich and clear on the neck pick up, a little twangy on the bridge pick up. The guitar is more versatile than I am, because as I've mentioned above, the tone control really works. I use it with a Fender Princeton Chorus and an Electar 10 (with a Jensen CR8 speaker!).

I bought this for a low price at a local shop that doesn't put any effort into prep work or set-up. Anyway, I spent about a year very frustrated with this guitar, but then I let Tracy Longo at Guitar Tech Corner in Ventura, CA set it up, and WHOA NELLY! Once it was set up properly, the guitar melded with my hands and heart. I'm not a very good guitarist, but this guitar satisfies what I thought was a mythical quest: it makes me play better!

Very solid. Very tight. Inspires trust.

No experience, but the "guitars by leo" web site is pretty cool.

I've been playing for about 17 years, and as I've done well in business, I've owned a plethora of guitars and amps over the years. This one has made it into the pantheon of keepers with my 79 strat and my Martin and Gibson acoustics. Just bought a Heritage 150; my seventh Les Paul style guitar, and realized I should have ordered a G&L ASAT Junior. Maybe I still will. G&L guitars are not just a fantastic value, they're fantastic guitars.

USA Made. 24 fets. Solid ash body, string through design. Standard Tele controls, master volume, master tone, 3-way blade switch. Neck single pick-up, bridge single pick-up. Maple neck, rosewood fretboard, 7.25 radius. Very high gloss "blonde" transparent finish...exceptional looker! Tele-style bridge with six adjustable saddles, chrome tray. Hard shell case included. I needed a reliable back-up; so I traded 3 decent imports for this one...but don't be mistaken, I still made out here :)

I play exclusively blues and classic rock, sounds great through a Laney LC-50 tube using Tech-21 Comptortion and Voodoo Labs analog chorus. Does have the ole' single coil hum; but what are you gonna do? Extremely clear/ will shatter glass and cut through the mix without a doubt but this can be controlled with a little tweeking of the tone knob on the comptortion pedal. If you want a rock solid guitar with versatility yet predictability...this is the one.

This guitar has the 7.25 radius so it also has the ole' arc to the saddles which can take some getting used to, but otherwise the set-up out of the box was right on. The pick-ups have individually adjustable poles, which is an awesome plus which lifts this guitars' versatility above all others in the Tele-style. Good thinkin' Leo :) Neck pocket is as tight as can be, finished detail is immaculate...but you will pay for that.

Absolutely rock solid. Could beat the bass player in the head most of the night without concern for damage. I would use this as a primary without concern if I ever lost my current primary which is a Ric 650......also, I suppose you could beat the drummer too without much concern for the finish.

Great web site which addresses most imaginable concerns; including how to beat bass players/drummers in the head "properly" so as not to void the warranty.

I've been playing over 20 years. Currently use Rickenbacker 650 series guitar, Yamaha dg-100 solid state amp, Laney LC-50 tube amp, Tech-21 CompTortion pedal, VooDoo Labs Analog Chorus pedal. The G&L is comparable to the Rickenbacker in quality. Far better than any Fender; even better than Fender Custom Shop guitars but for about 1/2 the cost. Immaculate finish; extreme quality controls. If this guitar were stolen; I would beat the bass player/ Drummer in the head for not watching the stage while I was away getting another beer.

basic tele set up. love the tone control. great tuners i belive the body is alder. the fretborad is maple. came with a hard case. it came with stock pu's. i changed the bridge pick up with a s.duncan little 59. it sounds great. the features are basic but thats the great thing about this set up. vol, tone, 3 ways pu selector.

i play all types of music. but one thing for sure is i like chunk . so this is why i replaced the bridge pu with a s. duncan little 59. now i have a whole range of full chunky to crisp bright sound from this pu set up. dont get me wrong the stock pu's are great but i felt i needed a little more bulk. i am running it thru a marshall jcm 800 and a rp6 floor processor. over all this guitar sounds really great..

this guitar shines in this area. came set up great and in tune. now i have tweaked the action on this from really low to pretty high. i finaly got the action right for me and havent moved it since. the one thing i love is the intonation. it rarely goes out of tune and is in tune all the way up and down the neck.

this guitar is a rock ..i think it will out live me. i have had no problems playing this guitar live. and since im lazy i dont like backups. just more stuff to worrie about after the show.

havent had a chance to deal with them. no reason, thats a good thing. reflects well on the product.

i have been playing about 12 years. i have owned other quility guitars. including a prs, and steinburger among other "names" over all of the guitars i have owned this one has the best intonation. its a great guitar

I have an early nineties asat that i just love! the one piece hard rock maple and fingerboard perfectly fits my hand, and those jumbo frets are great for a positive feel. The pickups are great! you can adjust them precisely, so no matter what weird strings you use, you can get a nice, even response. the schaller tuners and bridge are terrific: the guitar never goes out of tune! however, i am planning on replaceing the steel saddles with brass ones, for tonal reasons. controls? this thing is a tele! master tone, volume, and pickup selector. the pots are great, nice and smooth, and the volume pot doesn't cut off high end as you turn down. the finish is "old school" laquer, which preserves tone over the years, and is easier to repair. the finish is perfect. simply stunning! and the neck joint is the best i've ever seen on a production guitar. no, i take that back. on ANY guitar. Exquisite! a work of art!

My favorite guitarists are john frusciante, syd barret and steve cropper. i can get all of their tones, or at least as close as mortals ever will. running this thing though my plethora of effects, which include a voodoo lab chorus, route 66 overdrive/ compressor, old ? wah, some type of big muff and my new baby, an ibanex ad-9, to my music man hd-130 head and 1x15 or 4x12 cab, i can get thick and searing, or sweet and subtle. manipulating the tone and volume controls only enhances this magnificent beast!

i got it used, but the action was perfect, not too low, but not too high, the neck was straight and true, the finish was smooth, and neck joint was tight. frets are smooth and perfect. woods are top quality, as are all the plastic and chrome parts. the pickups are better than anything i've ever come across. think an old tele with a lipstick/ strat neck pickup hybrid, but with more output. these are extrodinarily dymnamic, though, unlike many other high output pickups.

it's as steady as they come. a tele was the most durable guitar in the world for 40 years.then old leo (bless his soul) outdid himself tenfold...

fast, polite and fair. 10 year warranty.

i'm a composer, actually. 4 years of theory 9 on piano. i've never taken guitar lessons. however, i'm sure i can outplay someone out there... ok maybe not.

Bought used about 3 years ago. I think the guitar was made in late 80's,(has the "by Leo Fender" engraved in the bridge. Standard ASAT Classic setup. Original pu's. I like them better than any I've had before. With my Fender Tele +, I changed to S/D Antiquities, but I will not change these G&L PU's. No need, It'd be impossible to find any better. Jumbo frets are great for bending. Very well-made guitar. I gig every weekend and just don't use my Fender Tele+ anymore. I don't even take it as a backup. Tele-style bridge is great and guitar stays in tune very well. My guitar's finish is the transparent natural finish (blonde). I've tried Fender Custom Shop guitars that are not nearly as well made, nor sound as good as my G&L Asat Classic. I also own a Fender Am Std Strat, that I want to trade for a G&L strat.

I rate it a 9, rather than a 10, as a 10 is a perfect guitar, which I have never seen, but this is very close. I play country, chicken' picken, "Chet Atkins style, and blues ad they all sound great with the guitar. Play through an old Fender Twin Reverb with JBL's and a 72 Fender Vibrolux. Good meaty sounds, with lots of range. nothing is dislike about the guitar.

Bought the guitar used, but have not done anything to it, after I set it up the way I like it, except change strings. Very well made, with no defects, stays in tune. No noise, or loose parts. Finish is perfect. Almost Bird'seye maaple neck and body .

I depend on this guitar every weekend. I've been playing for about 40 years, and have owned many guitars, and this is my overall favorite. My other favorite is a Gretsch 6120, and it's a different guitar, altogether.

No contact with Cust. Ser

Would definitely buy one just like it as soon asI could, if something happened to this one. It's durable, good-lookin', and not too heavy. I did have my guitar rewired to get the "JD" 5-way switch set up that gives me several different tones, but still have the tele vintage sounds.

This is a '98 ASAT Classic, in a transparent blonde finish over an ash body. There is some birdseye and flame on the maple "V" neck. This is one of the finest American made guitars I've ever owned. One quick glance, and you'd think it's a Fender Tele, but the similarity stops at the body shape. This guitar is easily as good as those guitars coming out of the Fender Custom Shop. I was looking for a Tele, and had played almost 200 Fender Telecasters; none of them impressed me too much. When I picked this one up, I was floored.

I'm playing this through a Mesa Boogie Rocket44, and I was using it, for a time anyway, through a Fender Super (4X10). I vary the effects I use, but straight into the amp really gives me all the tone I need. It screams when I need it to, but I can also get that "twang".

This guitar is (almost) flawless. The only thing I don't like about it is the bridge. The strings come through the body, then go to the side (just a bit) until they pass over the saddle. I plan on putting Graph-Tec saddles on it, so that's to big an issue for me. As far as everything else, it's just about as close to perfect as you can get. The neck/body joint is nice and snug, and has a perfect fit. Did I say perfect? I mean it is PERFECT.

I've been playing the daylights out of this guitar for the past year, and it's as road ready as the day I bought it. There is nothing that would be considered "unreliable" about this guitar. I would, and have, used it without a backup.

I've dealt with G&L on a dealer basis, but I haven't had to deal with them on a customer level. Given that, I won't comment here.

I've been playing for over 23 years, and this is one of the finest guitars I've had the pleasure to own. If this were lost or stolen, I would DEFINITELY replace it. I'd replace it in a New York minute. When I pick this guitar up, I know I'm playing a solid, well built guitar. It just "feels" right. I chose this over a Fender, mainly due to the inconsistencies in quality and construction I was seeing in the Fenders. I could echo my comments made here about every G&L I've played. It's amazing that a guitar of this quality can be had for a price like this. I know there are those out there who will pay for a name on the headstock, but they're missing out. The other guitarist in my band, upon seeing the new guitar, asked me "Yeah, but who's playing one?", as if a pro endorsement was the mark of a great guitar. He later spent $650 on a Fender Tele, and it pales in comparison to my ASAT Classic.

This ASAT classic has a two piece swamp ash body that is so well matched you have to really search to find the seam. The finish is a honey burst with a pearl pickguard. The neck is a highly figured maple neck with a rosewood fretboard. It is definately custom shop quality! Has the standard tele pickup configuration with two G&L MFD. The bridge is a 6 saddle bridge and the strings paass through the body which(IMHO) makes the ASAT classic sound more like a tele than the Fenders do! My rating of an 8 is based on the quality of the instrument. It is still a basic tele style guitar just done well.

I play country and R&R and this guitar fits the bill! I am using it with either a '65 Fender deluxe reverb, '66 Fender Pro reverb, or '59 Bassman RI. It sounds great through all of them. For the country solos I just use the volume control on the guitar to step out front. It really cuts through the rest fo the band but the high end is ont too harsh as I have heard with some tele's. The neck MFD pickup is fuller and "throaty" and is more strat like than what you would find on a Fender tele. Some may not like that but for my style of playing it is perfect. For tele tones I preder the ASST over a Tom Anderson Hollw T that I own.

Fit and finish on this G&L is better than what one would find on a custom shop Fender. Believe me I know, I have owned them. Fender could take a lesson from the boyus at G&L on how to make a quality instrument. If you wnat better quality you would have to buy an Anderson and that would cost you twice the price of a G&L.

This is a quality guitar and a workhorse and will provide many years of problem free playing. I always gig with a backup just out of habit but many times the other guitar goes unplayed all night.

Never had any opportunity to call G&L for service.

I have been playing professionally and semi -professionally for 25 years and have been through many guitars and amps. I have hung on to this one for awhile so that says something right there about how I like the guitar. For a tele style guitar, you can't do better for the money. Alot of quality for the price. "Mucho Bang for the Buck!"

1998 Asat Classic made in the USA! Alder body with a maple neck and fingerboard. The neck is finished in gunoil. This gives it a very smooth easy to play feel. Also gives the maple a darker vintage look. This guitar has the basic tele shape. It also has the basic tele controls. One volume and one tone with a three way selector. Two single coil pickups. Stock G&L MFD pickups. Poly finish. non locking gotoh tuners. 1and 5/8 at the nut. Came with a hard shell molded case. Everything you really need in a tele guitar. I would prefer locking tuners, but it stays in tune fine, and they are an option from G&L. It also has a vneck profile. I love it.

This is a good sounding guitar. I play poprockalternative music in a Christian format. I don't really play any country with it, but it can get that sound. This guitar really rocks for a tele style guitar. Some people love the stock MFD's, but some people hate them. There usually are not many people inbetween. I am one of those few that are in the middle. They just don't sound 3d enough to me. I feel they can be a little to harsh. I don't play vintage music perse, but I love the sound of vintage pickups. I will eventually change these with some Rio Grande tall boys or Fralins. These pickups are good,I just prefer something else.

This guitar gets a perfect score in this catagory. It plays like butter. Super smooth. It came with a great setup. I did reset it for tens after I purchased, but that was no problem. I have a sunburst finish on mine. It is the best looking one I have seen. It is not to light and the middle and there is hardly any redish orange color. The grain of the alder body is great. People are stunned when they first see this guitar. I usually hate sunbursts, but this one was to good to pass up. Everything was perfect when I bought it.

I cannot see having any problems with this guitar. The build is first rate. I play it out live every week, and I play it at home almost every day. The poly finish is super durable. I never gig with one guitar, but I have never broken a string on this guitar. I use it and two other guitars almost every show.

Comes with a factory warranty of ten years. I have heard it is hard to speak with someone there, but they are quick to respond to their dealers.

This guitar is G&L's take on the traditional Tele it has an alder body finished in white with a slim maple neck with rosewood fingerboard. Pickups are two small G&L MFD units and the bridge is the traditional metal tray type tele bridge but with 6 saddles as opposed to two on a vintage tele. Controls are as per the standard tele. Machine heads are G&L branded schallers with tappered posts witch operate smoothly.

This guitar gives the classic tele tones but with lower noise. The pickups are higher output than the standard tele pickups so you can drive your amp a little harder. It sounds just as you would expect a good tele to sound.

The build quality is superb with probably on a par with a custom shop Fender and required no additional set up out of the box. It also comes with a 10 year warranty.

I think this guitar will stand up to life on the road no problem all the parts are high quality.

I've never had to deal with the company and presently in the UK there is no distributer for G&L, but I did have a query and a US dealer helped me out and said that G&L would look after any warranty issues as lomg as I have proof of purchase. It seems that G&L have a good reputation for looking after it's customers so I am basing my score on this.

I've been playing 20 years my other guitar is a PRS and the G&L easily matches it for performance and quality. I'd love another one if I could afford it.

You know what this guitar is about from the other reviews, mine is Left Handed AT NO ADDITIONAL CHARGE! The classic semi hollow comes with or without F hole, mine has the F hole. rosewood neck. Jumbo frets, and molded HSC.

This guitar is amazing! It has enough bite(in the bridge position) to make Jaws look like he needs dentures. Middle position rings like a Rick with a country feel, and the neck position is all ES335. I cannot say enough about the full spectrum of sounds this guitar is capable of.

This guitar came from California, durring one of the biggest heat waves in a long time, out of the case it was still in tune! Nothing needed to be adjusted. The bookmatched top is spectacular. Every detail was A+, I don't know when I've seen a more perfectly finished guitar. The rosewood neck is tight grained and deep in color. Fret dressing was dead on. Intonation also dead on.

If I had enough money to buy more than one guitar, I'd buy another G&L. I have to go to gig's without a backup, but I'm not worried, this guitar is built like a brick s#it house. And yet it's very light

Because my guitar is left handed I want to talk to the people at G&L to make sure they knew what I wanted. Everyone I spoke to was really nice, and they were great people to work with. Super support!

I bought my first electric guitart in 1971, I was 19 then. Ive been playing for thirty years, and never have I seen or played a finer guitar. Before I knew about G&L I thought I wanted anothe tele', but I also wanted a Rick, and a 335, now I've come as close as I can to having all three in one axe. This guitar is a thing of beauty to listen to, play and look at. Please try one of these guitars before you lay down your hard earned cash for a decal on a head stock. Buy a guitar built by people not a machine. Would buy this guitar if stolen, what do you think.

Left-handed swamp ash Telecaster-style body, nicely-grained and finished in a beautiful clear dark blue, with a pearloid pickguard. Slim C-shape (7.25 inch radius) maple neck (with a nice grain and a little birdseye, but not much) with a rosewood fretboard. Pickups are G&L Magnetic Field Design pickups that are the same size as classic Fender Tele pickups, only the neck pickup has individually adjustable polepieces like the bridge (not as attractive as a chrome Tele neck pickup, but sounds great). Classic ashtray Tele-style bridge with six brass saddles. Strings through body. Three way switch that feels nice and chunky. Volume and Tone that have decent tapers and feel really solid. The volume has a treble capacitor so that when you turn down the volume, all the high end isn't sucked out, which makes the volume control much more useful and better for controlling gain. Rectangular G*&L logo-ed SKB plastic case. Came with all the allen wrenches you need (4 of them: truss rod, saddle intonation adjustment, saddle height adjustment, and pickup pole pieces).

Beefed-up Classic Telecaster. With the exception of some jazz and metal, an ASAT Classic can cover every style of music. There's a LOT of tonal variation in this guitar. I play everything from rootsy rock and country to power pop, and this is THE guitar for my sound and playing. I play through a Vox AC15TB and a revolving cast of mostly vintage analog effects, and occasionally through a SF Super Reverb, and this guitar sounds incredible through both amps.
The ASAT Classic pickups sound more like a Tele than the ASAT Special pickups. Neck position is nice and full with good balance. The adjustable pole pieces allow you to tweak the output of each indivdual string. Neck gets a great bluesy tone with some distortion. Middle position is classic Tele jangle, full-throated and smooth. Sounds great clean or with distortion. A BIG sound, great for rhythm work. Bridge is classic Tele spank. Great for country when clean (steel guitar style double stops sound awesome), great for rock with some distortion. A little trebly sometimes, but that can be tamed with the tone control. The pickups are pretty high output (compared to vintage-style Tele pickups). They're also somewhat noisy, but that's the nature of single-coils.
The tone pot has a pretty decent taper though most of it's range is just before it basses out completely. Even when turned all the way bassy, it has a notched wah bassy tone that's tough to describe, but it's a much more usable tone that the mush you usually get at that point. The volume pot has a decent taper. The best feature of the volume control is that there's a capacitor that preserves the highs when you roll the volume down. So, you can really use the volume to control loudness and gain/distortion and not lose all the high end out of your tone. It's really versatile.

Simply put, custom shop quality from a production guitar. All the electronics have a beefy, mil-spec feel to them. The neck joint passes the Guitar Player business card test. The neck is beautiful and all the medium-jumbo frets were nicely finished. The clear blue finish is thick and beautiful and showcases the nicely grained swamp ash underneath. I didn't get it straight from the factory, so I don't know about factory setup. It's a multi-piece body, but I can't find the seam. Same goes for the neck, which G&L splits in two to install the trussrod. All the hardware seems totally bomb-proof, and all of it feels very solid and beefy, especially the pots and the 3-way switch. The string retainer is plastic, though, which seems cheap (and it's ugly), a strange little detail on a guitar that shows great attention to detail.

Seems REALLY solid, especially the hardware. Finish seems pretty tough, as I've bonked it good a couple of times and no dings resulted. The strap buttons were odd-looking but worked just fine. But, I always install straplocks, so that's not really an issue for me. I'd use it without a backup based on the guitar, but I always have a backup in case I break a string.

Ten year limited warranty to original owner. Company responded pretty quickly to my inquiry about a catalog before I bought one. G&Ls don't come with a manual, though. A small manual pointing out features and offering basics on setting the guitar up would be nice.

This is how Fender wished its Telecasters felt like! Leo went back and took his original solid-body electric guitar (the Esquire/Broadcaster/Telecaster line) and refined it even further in the ASAT. This guitar has it all: it's beautiful, sounds awesome, feels great. Honestly the nicest guitar I've ever owned, and nicer than most that I've played. Only my Rickenbacker 360 has this sort of feel of quality in the construction. It was no contest between this guitar and a Fender American Standard Telecaster, which is roughly the same street price.

I bought this guitar new in 1996. It is the lightest one I could find, and came w/ rosewood neck, body is the opaque silver w/ black hardware. 2 P-90ish looking pickups.

I play country/rock/blues in a couple of local bands, and this guitar has never failed to give me what I want. It sounds simply amazing! The string definition is even, and even when pumping high gain the notes stay well defined. It always keeps its own Tele charactor, which is a good thing. The notes just seem to "whip" out when I solo, so sez the bass player I play with.

The only beef I have w/ this instrument is the poor quality input jack. It started going south about a year ago, so my local thech replaced it with a more robust one- no problems since.

Hey- its a Telecaster! It takes gig after gig with ease, and I have no worrys playing without a backup. The finish is durable, I can depend on this baby no problem!

Never bothered to deal with them.

Been playing 20-something years, am a shameless gearhound, own lots of cool stuff, which I delight in playing out in the local bars. If this guitar was stolen, I would get another in a heart beat! The ONLY thing I wish I could change about would be to have a bit beefier neck on it.

1998 ASAT Classic, Burnt Orange Ash body (Tele style), maple birdseye neck, jumbo frets, ashtray bridge, 2 single coils and a 3 way selector, G&L tuners.
The finish is just beautiful. Transparent orange, great wood highlights!
Made in the USA!
This is the most well manufactured Tele style guitar I've ever seen! Head and shoulders above the Fender Am Std Tele, which I passed over in favor of this one.
I'm not going to give a number because the Classic has all the traditional Tele features that I bought it for.

Classic Tele sounds, as one would expect from Leo's "classic." Tele's are very versitile, and this one is no slacker. For a 2 pickup, 3 way selector, ou can get a nice range of sounds. The tone knob allows you to role off the treble to a nice warm sound from all selectors. Good for country, jazz, BLUES and Rock. I bought it for blues and rock. I would look elsewhere for metal, but you knew that.
The pickups are exceptional! Great clarity, warmth and the classic Tele sound that you like to hear. I'll give it a 10 because I wanted this sound and am not dissapointed in the least.

Out of the box, dead perfect! Had it shipped to me, and it was in tune on arrival. String action is right on for all 6.
The body finish is the nicest I've seen on a sub $1000 guitar.
I've looked carefully at all frets, joints, etc, and can't find a flaw!
The fretwork is amazing! Perfectly set, nicely rounded. No buzzes (of course not!).

I haven't had it long enough to rate.

10 year warranty.

I wanted to write this quick review for anyone who is thinking of buying a Tele style guitar. I own a Fender Lone Star Strat, and believe that the quality is fair for the $800 price tag. In fact, I thought the quality was as good as one could get for a sub $1000 guitar. Boy, was I wrong! G&L guitars have amazing quality and their prices are bargian-basement low. Made in the USA, my Classic is both art and history. This is the guitar that Leo Fender built and, unlike the modern Teles, a beautiful piece of artwork, both visually and musically. Having purchased this guitar, I know that I will never go back to Fender (even though I do love my Lone Star) because G&L has spoiled me. Now, for $700, I want to purchase custom shop quality instruments. You can't do that with Fender, but you can with G&L. If you haven't looked at G&L, do yourself a favor and try before you buy. You cannot buy a better Tele style guitar for less money, and perhaps not for any amount of money. I looked at Am Std Teles extensively before I purchased my G&L and Fender's Tele's just could not compete. Try purchasing a Fender with an Ash body, premier paint job and a birds eye maple neck and see what it will cost you. Then call up indoor storm and ask for their prices. It will blow you away.
I already have gas for my next G&L!

This guitar is a Telecaster with the added benefit of 40 yr's of experience built in. 2 pick-ups, a three position switch, a TONE knob, a volume knob. Very basic,very efficent.

I play in a classic rock band. We have to cover a lot of bases. Sometimes playing clean, sometimes playing distorted. This baby covers all of them with no problems. Excellent tones from both pick-ups, fat bluesy sounds at neck and dark twang at bridge. I love this guitar. I am presently using a Fender Princeton Chorus amp. (Great amp.) I also own and use a 66' Blackface Bassman with 2-15 cab. and various distortion pedals. I know tone and this guitar rocks. I have been playing for over 30 years. I'm an old man, thats why I love this guitar and amp combo it's light and effective. Owned this guitar for a year.

I haven't changed nothing but strings on it. I played several ASAT's in the store before I decided on this one. The only complaint I have with this guitar is the middle position of the pick-up switch. Maybe it's just dirt or something but I get a dirty switch noise, probably a blast of air would solve the problem. I gig regularly with this guitar with no back-up, only a set of strings.

I back-up my effects pedals, I take a back-up amp I take an extra set of strings. I trust God and this guitar to get me thur the gig. I'm not a pro, I play about 4 to 6 gigs a month.

If it got stolen or broke in half I would replace it with another one, maybe an ASAT Classic. Sometime in the future I'll probably buy a Gibson Les Paul just for that LP sound. This little G&L ASAT is gonna buy it for me. Thank you Leo.

The usual

Sound was fantastic once I put Alnico pickups in there (TX Specials). The Ceramic stock ones were to harsh and loud and shrill. This is why I only gave a 5 for features.
The guitar is awesome. Plays great, Perfect intonation, Stays in tune FOREVER! Much beter tone than a USA Fender Standard Tele. I prefer this over the asat because I think the bridge on a tele/asat classic is a major part of the tone. I also did not care for the asat "p90" type pickups. G and L has the guitar building thing down...but the pickups are a bit yukky to me.
I like the fact that you don't have to say "American made" because you know G and L makes no Imported guitars...no amps...no BS...just GREAT hand made guitars in The USA.
I am rating the sound low due to the pickups...but with the TX Specials I would give it an 8.
It is really killer sounding and bullet proof...a great gigging guitar...but an OLD Esquir or Tele just can't be beat...to me that is a "9" or "10" sound.

Great work from the dewds at G and L! Perfect neck pocket fit...again GREAT WOOD! Big fat Frets. I might prefer a slightly wider neck with less radius...This neck sucks for slide playing! But no big deal...got A guitars for that...Its called a Les Paul.

This is the BEST thing about this guitar! It is a breeze to tune...and hold true for EVER! You can POUND the strings too!

I dunno?

For the money it is great. The only downfalls are the the case (cheap skb plastic)...I want Tweed or Tolex dewds...And the pickups.
But in every other way this thing is the best out there today as far as new fender type guitars go. I think It is a Tie...G and L / Fender Custom Shop. But these are priced better. So a 10 is it.
You can blow more cash on a tweed case and pickups ($200) and still be under a grand and have one bad assed little combo!

Mine is a '96, all stock, 2pc ash body with maple neck, 22 frets and a "modern" profile, thru-the-body stringing, 6 saddle "box" bridge, vol, tone and conventional bridge-both-neck switch. The G&L pickups have large ceramic magnets and the obligatory copper shielding plates. Sealed G&L tuners. With hard case. 10 year warranty. It would rate a 10 but for the old "tilt-neck". As Teles go, it's a solid 9.

Sound is a 10, at least. I play country, blues, 60s r&r, using a Fender Stage 112 (hey relax, I'll have tubes by x-mas). In this idiom, I believe, it excels. I agree with GP in that the Classic is aggressive. That may be an understatement. The bridge pickup is typical Tele, but more muscular. Forget the metal thing as the bridge pickup doesn't seem to like distortion, which takes the "Tele" edge off the tone. Sounds non-descript, as such, to me. However, use a clean amp setting and a little compression and it will bite your ear off. The highs go right through you. Low notes and open strings clang like an old mission bell. Piercing highs and superb twang. Terrific. Put the boxes away and let your picking attack do the talking with this one. Conversely, the neck pickup loves a little OD and will do an excellent SRV knock-off. The neck pickup is not just an after-thought, as on some other Tele-types. This axe is all about tone.

Factory set up was OK. I use a hybrid set and had to tweak the truss rod a bit. Adjust pole pieces accordingly. I ordered my ASAT in Fullerton (aka Fiesta)red to match the custom color Tele on page 141 of the Gruhn Electric Guitar book. I even had a single-layer white guard fitted. It took 2+ weeks to arrive, but man, what a knock-out! The red has this "warmth" to it. Beautifully applied. Even my wife was impressed. The neck pocket fit is very tight, easily passing the notorious GP business card test. Playability is tops.

It'll probably outlast me by a very wide margin. I think the G&Ls are particularly well made. Great finish, feels very solid, sturdy, work- manlike. Only the tilt-neck (actually, its' reputation) makes me nervous. I've had 2 mid-70s Strats and both had alignment problems. However, G&Ls manufacturing quality appears to be light years ahead of CBS/Fender (oh, surprise). That, alone, may be enough to vindicate Leos' original design. I've had no problems with my 3-bolt. Dependable hardware. When Armageddon comes, we'll hide behind the ASAT. Gig w/o backup, sure.

...and its' close cousin, marketing, 4. I wrote the company to express my thanks and to ask why the tilt-neck, after the Fender debacle, and have yet to recieve a response. No where in their sales lit could I find mention of the return of the tilt-neck, yet they loudly trumpet every other technical feature. It's Leo this and Leo that. If the new tilt-neck is so great, then tell us about it, don't hide it. Anyway, I didn't expect Geo Fullerton to invite me over for dinner, but even a form letter would have been nice.

The guitar, itself, should rate a 10. Even the 3-bolt will, most likely, not be any trouble as the ASAT Classic seems especially well made. Manufacturing and engineering appear first-rate. Its' performance is tops. Just that customer service thing that bugs me. I compared the Classic to Fender USA products. IMHO, the Am Std Tele is not in the same league (tho it's some $300 less). The '52 RI was the Classics' closest competition and is a very cool guitar. It lost out because it has all of the '52s weaknesses as well as its' strengths, especially in the neck. The ASAT is much more playable. The Custom Shop models are great, but surely no better than the ASAT. They are, I think, grossly over-priced. A $2000 Telecaster??? C'mon. The Classic is a far better value, I think. In fact, I'm a bit put off by Fenders' all-consuming-corporate-mega-monster approach as of late. Check the G&L website. There are no t-shirts, ash trays, baseball caps, picks, market-saturating imports, or even amps. What you will find is that many of the tools, techniques and machinery, that Leo devised and built or aquired over the years, are still being used to make guitars, today. It feels good to know that your pickups were wound on a machine that CLF put together. I've been playing on and off for 35 years, and you bet I'd buy another ASAT Classic. Wish I could get 3 of 'em.

Natural Ash body, 2 "magnetic field" ceramic single-coil pickups with 1/4" magnets (look kind of like a P-90 and a tele pickup had a kid), 7.25" radius maple neck with rosewood fingerboard, 22 jumbo frets, saddle lock bridge, tortoise pickguard, typical tele knob layout. No bells or whistles, but works damn well. Features? Who needs 'em?

I use this guitar with either a '67 Blackface Bassman w/matching 2x12 cab or a blackface Deluxe Reverb. This is an excellent and complex sounding guitar with a substantial output. It is louder and colder sounding than a typical telecaster. This can be a virtue to a player that needs a bright and biting tone. You will have absolutely no problem cutting through a band with this thing. It is a beast.

As all G&Ls, take it to a trusted repair person or luthier and have it set up. I've had 4 of these guitars and not one of them was set up very well from the factory. When you do, you will have a guitar of comparible to better quality than the Fender Custom Shop guitars at a fraction of the price. They are also extremely durable. I can leave it in our trailer overnight during -15 degree weather, take it out and not have to tune it! This is my only guitar and I trust it with my life. Never doubt it for a second. Also, best Fender-type neck in the business!!!

As I stated above, it is an anvil!!!

I never needed a repair. I have, however, tried to order a custom guitar from them and it was like pulling teeth. They told me that they were a complete custom shop, but when I asked them to rout a Duncan '59 humbucker in the neck position, they told me 1: they were not equipped to perform such an operation and 2: It strayed too far from their product line. Grrrrr.

If you want a warm, buttery, singing tone--steer clear of the asat. If,however, you want the biggest Tele sound around with a more aggressive neck pickup, the asat is for you. If you want a guitar that cuts through horns, dense mixes, loud drummers, and most metal objects, the asat is for you. If you want a guitar built like an tank, then the asat is for you.