Product: G&L ASAT Special Semi-Hollow
Price Paid: US $1100
Submitted
02/24/2001
at
05:17am
by
Den
Email: dcalasincal at yahoo<dot>com
Features
:
9
This guitar is a "Hybrid Tele" with a stop tail, large rectangular MFD pups very HOT, satin finish maple neck with rosewood board. Beautiful Tobacco burst finish with excellent matching grain ash, vintage creme colored pickguard. Sperzel non-locking tuners. G&L's one case fits all "hardshell"
Oh yeah...HANDMADE in beutiful FULLERTON CALIFORNIA my the real Fender folks.
Features? It's a tele with controls that really allow you to dial in a variety of tones from country to blues to jazz. The large rectangular pups are High output and HOT. The semi-hollow 'F' hole allow this tele to be as versitile as a tele can be. Warm sound and looks to match
Sound
:
9
Sound is where this baby shines. Through a Vibrolux "custom shop", the hummm or buzz is a bit much (for me) at higher volumes...say 4 or higher. Backing off the ASAT's volume and treble knobs helped reduce the buzz to a tolerable level. I know humm with single coils is part of the territory. I live in an apt. and keep the volume levels down. Playing through a POD w/phones was surprisingly quiet, even with the 'noise gate' in off position.
Likes: Richest fullest sound that rival my ES-335 with '59 PAF Humbuckuing pups
Dislikes: The buzz...that could be because of my apt's outlets and hot pups
Action, Fit, & Finish
:
9
Set up is perfect
Finish is perfect, properly bookmatched top tobacco burst finish on top, top only wood binding. Only disappointment is a black back and sides, but it shows off the wood binding well.
Through the saddle stringing (stop tail) makes the sustain and action better or I should say BEST.
Reliability/Durability
:
10
Don't really know but what could go wrong with a simple, tried and true design from Leo Fender. I baby my guitars this one could be gigged without a back-up. SOLID in every area here.
Customer Support
:
10
It's new, G&L do stand behind their product better than most, if not all manufacturers. Local G&L dealer, "Bananas @ Large" are great to deal with. I'll plug them cause they are musicians that want you to really enjoy your guitar. If they say G&L are tops to deal with I would agree.
Overall Rating
:
10
Been picking for nearly 40 years and am still a student. I do know sound and quality. Looking to consolidate my guitar collection as I play blues, want to start with jazz, and have the rock & roll heart. Also comparing the G&L 'Comanche', but the pups are not as hot and alive. Comanche has greater versatility but less 'character'. This guitar has the main ingredients: Great sound, fast neck and low action, beautiful looks. I like em quieter, but it's the quietist single-coil, high output pup I have come across. Got to give it a 10 for what it has; and what it doesn't have.
