G&L ASAT Special

'90 or '91 G&L ASAT (aka ASAT Special now). Made in the USA, 22 fret model with G&L's big single-coil MFD soapbar-style pickups. Maple varnished neck, Black Alder body, black string-through saddle-lok bridge, black metal pickguard with black G&L non-locking tuners. Neck radius 7 1/2" (190.5mm), width at nut 1 5/8" (41.3mm). Leo Fender signature in top corner of headstock. One tone & volume control, individual adjustable poles on pickups, 3 way switch. Full marks here: everything works, and works well!

I sometimes wish the switch were further back, as I occasionally touch it with my hand when strumming (never changed the position though), but I guess it stops me hitting the tone and volume pots. It would be nice if all of them could be moved back! Even so, it's standard layout for most Teles...

Ultimate Tele. Kind of like a really good '52 Tele, bit with more presence. Pickups are very powerful: bridge you can get your twang, or really push it for rock styles. The neck is very musical also... sounds slightly chorusy on clean sounds. Roll back on the tone to get nice blues & jazz tones that you won't beat with single-coils. Mid-position gives you a pleasant, subtle, strat-like quack that is very useable too.

Pickups are quieter than standard single coil - you always get a little hum with SC P/Us, but I was pleased that these appeared to be not so.

This guitar is definitely fuller than a normal Tele, but I think that is simply as the bass frequencies are more prominent, so the sound is more balanced by default. It's less 'ice-pick in ear' trebly. If, however, you do want that sound, just roll off the bass on your amp, or alter the height of the individual poles on the pickups.

If I went out and didn't know what I was going to be playing, i'd pick up this guitar. To be honest, it's first in my rack anyway, and whilst I might take something with humbuckers for jazz, ASATs and Telecasters are the best working-man's guitar you'll get, and the most versatile. Can turn it to anything you want, and you'll get an excellent sound out of it that no one would turn their nose up at!

Picked it up 2nd hand, so don't know about the factory setup. I always get my tech to set up my guitars how I like anyway... it was fine when I got it though.

Build quality is extremely high all-round.

I've used it live quite a bit, and it will take some abuse. Stays in tune extremely well. Strap buttons are better than standard. I've heard some concerns that G&L finishes chip easily, and whilst mine came (2nd hand) with a chip, i've not chipped or scratched it since i've had it, and it's had a few bumps.

I would gig without a backup. The string-through saddle-lok bridge makes it less likely i'd break strings, and I don't have a heavy hand anyway. Only have a couple of scratches in the pots - it's pushing 13 years old, and that will happen to anything. Can be got rid of by cleaning it out.

Never needed to call them.

I've been playing 9 years now, and have tried the budget choices (avoid them!), ES-335s, American Strats & Teles, Les Pauls (my other electric is a Les Paul), and i'm very happy with my ASAT. It can keep its own with the very best of guitars, and in most cases will be better than a good percentage of the electric guitars out there. Certainly it's much better than any of the modern Fender stuff.

I run it through an Orange AD30 valve amp - the two go extremely well together as it does with my effects pedal board. If it were nicked, i'd be very unhappy, and would definitely try to find another one 2nd hand. Money is tight for me, so I don't know if I would be able to get one new. I definitely wouldn't get a new Fender, even the American models. I might get a MIJ Tele, but i'd have to get the pickups rewound by Lindy Fralin... and the action on the ASAT is definitely better. Otherwise, i'd consider decent British makers like Gordon Smith, who do Tele-style guitars.

Anything else to share... yes, I believe that... "God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life." God bless!

Early 90's I think. Not sure. It has the 3 screw neck plate. It has one volume, one tone, three way switch and two "soapbar" style G&L high output single coils. It's made in the US. It's an Alder Body, Creme pearloid pickguard, 3 color sunburst finish, maple neck, Sperzel non-locking tuners. Included the G&L factory case.

This think is raunchy. It has a lot of punch. The pickups are hot and you can get a wide range of sounds from them. Roll the treble all the way up and it sounds like a Tele with extra bite. Roll the tone down and you get a nice fat bluesy sound. I'm using it with a Fender 65 Deluxe Reverb Reissue. I also use it with a Crate GFX 120T. The 65 Deluxe Reverb and the ASAT are made for each other. All the sound and variation I need.

I bought this guitar from a friend who is a collector. It had one small ding on the back and one small scratch by the input jack. Other than that it is a 9.5 out of 10. The finish is immaculate. It seems durable, but time will tell. Everything fits properly, controls are tight, and the neck is straight and true. Dead quiet electronics. The only problem is I will have to replace the nut. The guitar had 10's on it for years, and I switched it to 9's when I bought it. The 2nd string bottomed out in an open chord so I think the nut has just been worn. Not much of an investment to have fixed.

I have two other G&L's and they are fantastic. I see no reason why this one would be any different. The hardware is top shelf. It has the Saddle lock bridge on it so intonation and action adjustment are a snap. I would depend on it. It's made to be played. I would not worry about taking a backup guitar on gigs.

Haven't ever used them

I have been playing for over 45 years. In addition to the ASAT Special I also own a G&L Legacy Special, a G&L ASAT III, a Fender American Strat, A Gibson Les Paul and a Turser Hawk Electric 12 String. I like the fit, finish & tons of tone. The only problem is the above mentioned nut replacement. I don't have any dislikes on this guitar. I have played Fender Tele's for years, but this one outshines all the Fender Tele's I've played. If it were lost or stolen I would get another G&L ASAT or perhaps a G&L Z3. G&L is a fine quality guitar, and worth every cent I paid for it.

Mid- to late-90's ASAT Special with black swirl finish over alder body, bolt-on maple neck with maple fingerboard, two MFD single-coil pickups, saddle-lock bridge, etc.

Bright, twangy sound that works best for country, funk or ska, but will work well with everything. Among the quietest single-coil guitars I've ever played.

The saddle-lock bridge makes it easy to set any type of desired action. Likewise, the 3 screw design of the MFD pickups makes them easy to adjust, while their high output makes position almost unimportant. Neck pocket fit and fret work was top notch. The finish does chip easily.

Seems very solid, except for the finish chipping mentioned above.

N/A

I've played guitar for about 12 years. Other guitars I've owned include a Gibson LP and G&L Legacy.

1992 USA G&L Special. Mines Alder and a burst finish, with the large rectangular MFD pickups, which are amazing...but I will get to that. I have the rosewood neck, and G&L does 7.5" radius on most of their ASAT necks. This was a major beef of mine at first, because I like 9.5", and I like a little more nut width, too. Has a new Leo Fender designed brige that actually DOES help sustain, it seems. Also its very comfortable as well. Its all in all just a tele. Everything you need, nothing you don't. My minimalist nature has always been very satisfied with teles, so it gets a ten in features, especiallys since Leo found ways to improve his design without complicating it (strat).

The sound of the MFD's are just amazing. Really. I have owned lots of teles and strats before, as well as p90 guitars, and everyone was always lacking something. For me, these pickups take what I felt the tele was missing for my style and completed it. They are clear, yet dirty like a p90, and cut through so well. They sound so punchy and gutsy, even in the midrange, which is what I felt teles lacked. Surprising, this pickup is not noisy at all. I wouldnt even mind, I love noisy single coils, but this is not one of them, and it doesnt sacrifice the tone you get from a noisy pickup either. I play indie and noise rock, and orchestrated pop music. Mostly I just use a nice dirty blues sound through a deville for any style of music I play. Thats what radiohead, beulah, ash, menomena, beck, all of my favorite artists tend to do. its the classic guitar tone.

G&L is built at or above fender custom shop level. whether or not you like the guitar, you wont find anything technically wrong with it, Ive never seen a fender with as perfect QC. I said before I had a beef about the neck. Thats just because I am a one-piece maple neck kinda guy. I also like fender's wider and flatter neck, the G&L is more to vintage specs. But after playing it for a while, a guitar that is built this nice tends to make you forget about radius numbers and fretboard wood, I just feels like a really nice guitar.

we will see if this little company from Leo stands the test of time. It seems absolutely solid, and mine is going on 13 years old, and looks new.

These guys are nice, but focused on getting good guitars produced. They dont have time like fender to do wierd crap for you. When I called to get a "fender" specs tele neck made for my g&l, they told me that they only do 7.5" and 12" radius, and don't make different widths. I would have to have my luthier build me a neck, so I just keep this baby stock. They are nice guys, but busy and focused it seems.

Overall this is the best guitar ive owned. vibrant, resonany wood. the entire guitar resonates when you hit a note. The sustain is amazing when you are used to the plunky sound (a great sound, dont get me wrong) of a tele. The tone of this is somewhere between a tele and a p90, but bordering on sheer genious. It translates what is in my head and fingers more than any guitar I have owned to this date. I also have owoned a Rickenbacker 360, USA Fender tele, USA Fender Strat deluxe w/ lipsticks, Fender Jazzmaster, a Gibson SG (THAT didnt last long...), etc. I will never sell this guitar, unless I ripped the pickups out an threw them on a vintage tele. that would just be mean, though.

I have a pre-1997 Special (3-bolt neck), swamp ash body with a see-through candy apple red premier finish (remarkably light for an ash body), white 3-ply pick guard, black finish bridge and knobs, sperzel non-locking tuners, really BIG frets, maple fretboard and a nice flat profile neck,two MFD pickups, black MOP dot fretmarkers, what more do you need?.

I went in to the store check out a used Fender Tele Thinline and made the mistake of trying this guitar at the same time (the tele was half the price). There wasn't any comparison. I love the sound of P-90s and the pickups on the guitar tend more toward that sound than Fender single coils. I play mostly blues and classic rock so this guitar is perfect. But the neck pickup is warm enough that I think jazz would work perfectly. And who the heck cares about metal. Rolling the volume off doesn't alter the tone much (in terms of muddiness) and the tone know is actually useful (unlike many guitars I've tried). The pickups are quiet enough. At least my refrigerator isn't transmitted through the pickups when it kicks on (hey, it's happened). This thing sounds great.

Since I bought this used, I can't say anything about factory set-up. The guitar is in excellent shape for being over 7 years old. I had to tweak the truss rod a little, and the frets need to be crowned, but the neck is straight as an arrow and I can get away with really low action. The premier finish is really nice and the grain of both the neck and the body is nice. The construction is as good as any I've seen. I also like the style and placement of the bridge. It doesn't have sharp corners like a Fender Tele, so I can comfortable rest my hand on it, and it's located so that string damping is really easy.

So far so good. I would trust it without a backup, but I never go without a backup.

Never tried contacting G & L.

I've been playing long enough to be better than I actually am. I also have a couple of Reverends (love them too), Gibson ES-125, Harmony Bobcat and vintage Dano for slide, play everything through a 1966 Fender Princeton Reverb, Reverend Drivetrain, Maxon OD808 Overdrive. Now that I've actually tried a G & L (never even considered owning one), I'll probably replace this one if anything ever happened to it.

This is a 2000 ASAT Special made in Fullerton, CA. It has an alder body with the red swirl premium finish that is no long made. In fact, this is the very last one ever made! The dealer I bought it from called to special order this guitar for himself only to be told that no longer made the swirls. He begged and they said they would make just one more for him. It has the 12" radius 'V' neck, gun-oil tint with maple fret board. Two MFD pickups. Standard tuners. Came with molded G&L hardcase. Black 3 ply pickgaurd. It's a visually stunning guitar. The red swirl on the top, front curve almost makes a perfect rose illusion. Everything is top notch, top quality. I bought this off the dealer about a year after he bought it in 2001. It was barely used.

The sounds produced by the 2 MFD soapbar pickups is excellent. I truly feel this is the best G&L guitar made, definately the best ASAT. Very solid, great sustain, stays in tune. Very full, great tone. I play through an older model '59 Bassman RI and a Marshall Bluesbreaker II pedal and I'm able to do everything from SRV to Elton John to Linkin Park.

Action, fit and finish were supberb.

Guitar is very durable and reliable. It's the only guitar I gig with - I've never had to go to my backup. There is on minus on the durability and that is the finish. The swirly finishes chip VERY easily. I've got one small one I pretty sure came from the strap lock on my strap. I think this is why G&L stopped making the swirl but not positive.

Never had to deal with them.

I've only been playing guitar for around 4 years but I'm also 42 and played drums my whole life in bands. My kids now play with me in a band and my 10 year old son plays drums (he kinda grew up in my lap playing) so I had to move to the guitar. I went through quite a few guitars and amp set ups before I settled on the current equipment. I love Tele's and the ASAT's are the very best representation of that style guitar. If it were stolen I'd hunt down the prick who stole it and beat him with it but I would definately buy another, in fact I just bought a G&L ASAT Bluesboy off eBay but planning on selling on eBay for a profit! I love everthing about it, the way it looks, feels, plays and sounds. I especially love the 'V' shaped neck. I wish the finish was less prone to chipping. I probably wouldn't buy another swirl finish just because of that.

Cut and past this URL into your browser to see a picture of the ASAT Special and Bluesboy:

http://home.metrocast.net/~scottm/GGap/Img_0258.jpg

2003 solid body ASAT Special, made in Fullerton, CA. Two large MFD pickups, three-way pickup selector, non-locking tuners, maple fretboard with gun-oil tint, butterscotch body and black pickguard. It has a great vintage look. This was a special order from New York. I was told the guitar would take 12 weeks -- It arrived in 4. Came with case, tools, certificate, and 10 year warranty.

I should probably say that this will be a biased review since I've only had the guitar for 3 weeks.

I mainly play rock'n'roll. Influences are The Stones, Frank Black (of the Pixies), and Motorhead. This guitar is probably the nicest sounding guitar I've ever played.

I use the ASAT with a Peavey Classic 50 all tube amp and it sounds amazing. Pickups are completely quiet and the sustain is unbelievable.

One of the reasons why I bought this guitar is because of its range. Although it only has three pickup options, the guitar can go from a thick, rich sound in the neck position to a twangy, cutting tone in the bridge position. Each pickup has such a great range of tones.

The setup was flawless for this guitar. The action was set perfectly, the fretwork was immaculate, and the guitar just gives you the impression that it will withstand years of playing.

G&L's gun-oil tint on the neck is great. It gives the maple neck a vintage look, but I found that it also made the guitar easier to play.

As mentioned earlier, the body is butterscotch blonde. It's a simple color, but not one that I've seen often. What's nice about it is that the color is for the most part solid, but a hint of the wood comes through, which gives it a nice effect. It's one of G&L's "Premier" finishes.

Before I bought the G&L, I was considering a Gibson '61 SG Reissue. And while the neck is unreal on that guitar, I didn't get the impression it could withstand live playing/travelling, etc. I checked out the reviews on Harmony Central, and sure enough people were complaining about the '61's durability.

The G&L is like a rock. I've heard complaints in the past about the jack, but until it fails me, I'll ignore it. I plan on playing tons of gigs with this guitar (using strap locks) and I have no plans to have a backup. As far as the finish wearing off, that is no concern to me. If it does, it does. My main interest is that the guitar plays without fail.

never dealt/.

i've been playing for 10 years. My only other electric is a Vaccaro, and while I enjoy that guitar, the G&L is in a total different league. I probably wouldn't be able to buy another G&L if it were lost or stolen because of $$$.

This is a killer guitar and it destroys Fender teles. Pick one up and you can feel the difference. It has craftsmanship and durability, two things that are sorely missing in Fenders.

I believe this is a 2003, made in Fullerton, CA. The ASAT Special is Leo Fender's evolved Telecaster. When Leo owned Fender, he named the Telecaster after the Telstar satellite, and when he started G&L, he named the ASAT after the military abbreviation for Anti Satellite. A little history for you.

My ASAT Special has 22 frets on a Maple neck with Ebony fretboard, a solid Ash body with a Blonde (see thru white) finish, gold hardware, and standard Tele controls. The tailpiece is a G&L design fixed bridge and is not a string thru body or an ash tray like standard Tele's. This helps give the guitar fantastic sustain. The pickups are G&L Magnetic Field Design single coil pickups - really sweet sounding, and not the sterotypical twangy Tele sound.

G&L has 4 available neck types, with a 1-5/8" nut width, with 7-1/2" radius as standard. Mine has a 1-5/8" nut width, but is has a 12" radius fretboard - better for bending. All have a 25-1/2" scale length.

The features are what you'd expect on a tele, but the tailpiece is better than the old ashtray style. Comes with a case, wrenches and a G&L sticker. I don't know what to do with the sticker.

I play classic rock and blues, and this is tailor made for that type of music. I know it will do jazz and country.

I primarily play rhythm in a band, and never thought a Tele style guitar would be my main choice, but this really sounds fantastic. I play through a Fender Hot Rod Deluxe, and for the most part, I don't use any effects. I've got flange, distortion and chorus pedals and a Dunlop wah, but don't use them very much.

The pickups are fairly quiet for single coils. I do get a fair amount of hum when I stand close to my amp, but not to an annoying level.

The tones range from thin and twangy with the bridge pickup to full, rounded tones from the neck pickup. It's pretty darn versitile for a two pickup Telecaster type guitar. I think tone is too hard to explain, and is very subjective. You really need to play one, or go to www.glguitars.com and listen to some sound clips.

I haven't found anything I don't like about the tone from this guitar.

I bought the guitar from a dealer in California, so after shipping it across the country, I had a set-up done by a qualified luthier. We changed strings to 10-50's, made a few minor adjustments, and she was ready to go. No visible flaws, and a tight neck pocket.

I'm a bit put off by the plastic nut, and will eventually change that. The G&L Comanche I had came with a grapite nut, a nice step up from plastic. G&L ought to include a better nut for the price we pay.

I think this guitar is a tank - definitely higher quality than an American Fender Tele. The finish looks tough, and while the strap buttons seem to hang on to the strap tightly, I'd never play out without strap locks.

While this guitar seems very dependable, gigging without a backup is foolish.

G&L had great customer support. You can contact them by phone or email, and they are open to suggestions.

I heard of a guy that wanted to order a guitar with a neck that matched one of his existing guitars. The guy flew to California with the neck he wanted matched. G&L gave him a factory tour, let him pick out his neck and body wood, and will have their shop match the other neck. This wasn't some endorsee, it was a Joe Lunchbox like you and me. I don't know if any guitar company would go to that much trouble to make a customer happy.

I own a Fender Strat, Guild Bluesbird, Ibanez Artstar and Gibson Les Paul in addition to this G&L. I don't gig at this time, but record with a band.

If it were lost or stolen, I'd get another one. I really like the tone, and the only negative is that the guitar seems slightly neck heavy - but not to a bothersome degree.

I compared this to Fender Tele's and other G&L ASAT's. I chose this model for the pickups.

I am a real Fender fan, but after playing a few G&L's and learning about the company, this is the REAL Fender. Leo Fender started G&L with George Fullerton, and refined the Telecaster and Stratocaster. If you've never played one, you owe it to yourself to give a G&L a try. In fact, if you're in the market for a Strat - try a G&L Legacy. The pickups are amazing.

Made in 1997. It's a so called NOS guitar :-) I bought it from the former distributor in Holland. It's made of heavy ash and it has a maple fretboard and black hardware.
Anything else is the same as on any other Asat.
No tons of features but it's excactly what I need.

This guitar is NOT a Tele. The Asat has a sound of his own although it's a useull guitar for Country, Blues and Rockabilly....just like the Tele. The Asat sounds much better than a Tele i.m.h.o. but that's a matter of taste. I've also got a Fender 52RI Tele with Barden pickups.
The pickups can be a little noisy sometimes but I don't really care.

Action was ok but the guitar came with 009 strings which is not my piece of cake. I replaced them with 010's and made a little truss-rod adjustment. The guitar is very well made. The neckpocket is very tight and the finish is excellent.

Built like a tank...I don't expect it to break down.

Never dealt with them.

Excelllent guitar. My favorite axe for Country and Rockabilly.

My ASAT special is a swamp ash clear finish version (I guess you would call it a "blond"), with a maple neck and fret board (one piece). I purchased it new in March 2002, but I am pretty sure it is a 2001 model. There is a bridge and neck pick up, a three way switch, one volume and one tone control. The pickups are g&l designed single coil types, tuners are schaller non-locking,and the bridge is also G&L design. It's all really good quality stuff, the bridge assembly is particulary good, maybe the best I've ever see of it's type; large, chunky, and transfers really well. I wouldn't say this guitar is "loaded" with features, in fact it is about as minimalist as most guitars get. But what it lacks in quantity, it more than compensates for in quality. So I give it a 10, even though it doesn't have tons of features.

I am using a heavily modified (more like completly rebuilt) '68 bassman silver face (New input and out put stage. Now it is a guitar amp.), with 2-10" jensen speakers in a closed back cabnet (all home built). The guitar is very quiet, but I don't usually play really loud and when I do crank it up there is a degree of hum, but I think less than with most other single coil instruments I've tried.
The sound is very textured, reminicent of the best single coils, but with refinments of its own. I could listen to this thing played clean all day and never get listening fatigue. Having said that, I would say that although it is a sweet sound, it is also a distinct sound, regardless of control setting. That is not to say the ASAT does not produce a wide tonal variation, but in the best tradition of classic guitars, is distinctly its own tonally. So if you are looking for a camellion guitar, this is not it. But, the sound is suitable in lots of different types of music. I play Jazz, blues, fusion, and rock. It works. Maybe a little bright for heavy metal, but would be a real cracker for one of those super fast country picker guys. Incredible sustain too.

Attention to detail was impecable, and truly rare. My sense is that whoever built this guitar loved the thing. The action and feel of the neck is what sold me...it's really too fast and silky for a clumsy player like me, and I am enjoying growing into this guitar.

The only thing that bothers be in the category of durability is what would happen if the ASAT were to fall and land on the head stock. Body weight is sufficient to cause significant damage I am sure. This however, is hardly a design flaw, and the ASAT is of rugged build quality, just make sure you have a good strap, and don't rest it against the wall or an amp when not in use. Use a stand or case or disaster is immanent.

I have been playing for 25+ years, and decided that I have come to the point in my life where it can be determined that since (at least I am told) we only live once, I owed it to myself to own my dream guitar. I discided to break the bank, and by a cost no object guitar. I tried a dozen others, including Gibsons, Fenders, PRS, Music Man, most costing over $2000, at least 3 costing close to $3500. The humble ASAT at $1200 won out. The price was not a concideration in my purchase of the instrument. I have owned a couple of good guitars over in the past, including a 1980 Gibson SG Fire Brand, A Gibson RD standard, and an ovation viper. They are all respectable guitars of good quality, but the ASAT is simply the best I've played.
I would like to hear the ASAT with an expanded pick up configuration. Not that I have a problem with the present configuration, but I think G&L could squeeze even more out of this guitar with some creative schemes. I almost purchased a music man silouette instead of the ASAT because of the pick up scheme on the music man. I may purchase a new pick guard and mount a different set of pick ups in it, but this will mean routing, so I'm still not comfortable with the idea, but it is an option.