G&L ASAT Special

I love the feel, I love the touch

The only problem is it often steals the blankets
in the middle of the night.
Makes up for it in a flash (if you know what I mean)

If simplicity is a cool thing in a guitar, then this guitar is
cool. It's all this guitar would ever need.

For me, it's all about the sound.

Sound is impossible to describe in words.

A big factor in the sound are the Magnetic Field Design pups

Words I use to describe the tone are Air, Wood, Full, Emotional
present, warm, smokey, and most definately Singing. This guitar is perfect for the person that likes to "sing" through their guitar playing.

I have built my whole rig around this one guitar.

G&L ASAT Special > BBE Benwah > Empress ParaEq w/Boost >
> Smart People Factory Greenline od > Hermida Zendrive2 od >
> Hardwire 8 second delay >> amp

> Fender Blues Deluxe RI stock

fx loop > Red Witch PentaVocal Tremolo > Lexicon MPX100 (hall verb) >
> BBE Sonic Stomp >> amp

I always leave the Sonic Stomp and the Lexicon on.
Everything else is hardwire true bypass so my signal is pretty clean.

I use GeorgeL right angle cable but am seriously thinking Lava cable.
Lava cable is the best I heard, trust me cable makes a big difference. GeorgeL is still very good so I'm not in a big rush.

All painstakenly built around that guitar. The rig kills.

Someday a Two Rock or?? but the Fender Blues Deluxe sounds great and I know how to get good tone. the Empress Para Eq can shape the tone in great ways, almost Two Rock.

Anyway, it's all just a stage for the G&L to sing.

yea, what else can be said.
maybe, ahh.

I dropped it, slung my case over my shoulder w/o zipping it up

it hit the ground and it took a dent
but I think it hurt me more than the guitar
still hurts

And then the car accident, it was in a hardshell case in the back of my Toyota pick up. When the car hit me the guitar flew out of the truck and 100 ft away, head over heal, case all banged with holes, I hobbled over there (I could care less about me or the truck)
opened the case and the guitar wasn't even out of tune.

They are great

replaced my maple neck for a rosewood, the turnaround time was less than 10 days.

This guitar keeps my guitar collection small because it just sounds better than the others.

I've taught for over twenty years now and in that time I sit across from PRS, Gibson, Other Teles, Strats, and even a $40,000 Linda Manzer archtop.
None sound better, The PRS may have sounded as nice but not nicer.

I'm not stupid, I know certain tones can only be got with certain set ups and that requires other guitars, I have those options, I just like the G&L the best, my personal prefrence.

22 Frets
2 Hi output single coils
Maple neck
Korean Made
Chrome hardware
Basswood Body
Pearl Pickguard
Tobacco Sunburst

When i first got it the pickups were waaaay too hot for me, luckly they were actually raised too high, so i screwed them down about a half and inch and after that the guitar sounded clean, loud, twangy and bright(on the bridge Pickup) and thick round and bluesy on the neck pickup, and loud as hell.

it has a hum too it, but thats what gives it its raw sound. you can beat the **** out of it and get so many different sounds if you mess with your amp. i play it through a Genz Benz black pearl 30. and i get a clean with a little hair, vintage sound. very very bright

i also play it through a vintage 65 fender bandmaster and i get the sound you hear in the old 45s

first thing i did when i got the guitar, as i do with all of them, is i got it set up. my guitar tech Chad is the best one out there at Chicago Guitar and Amplifier.

so after that the thing never goes out of tune and i never break a string. keep in mind i play 12's. its the most solid guitar i've ever played, i own a rickenbacker 360, a G&L Legacy Tribute, and a danelectro 63. and i have played countless amounts of American made Fender teles and those things suck compared to this.

solid as hell, you could kill someone with it.
heavy
hard
loud

22 Frets
2 Hi output single coils
Maple neck
Korean Made
Chrome hardware
Basswood Body
Pearl Pickguard
Tobacco Sunburst

When i first got it the pickups were waaaay too hot for me, luckly they were actually raised too high, so i screwed them down about a half and inch and after that the guitar sounded clean, loud, twangy and bright(on the bridge Pickup) and thick round and bluesy on the neck pickup, and loud as hell.

it has a hum too it, but thats what gives it its raw sound. you can beat the **** out of it and get so many different sounds if you mess with your amp. i play it through a Genz Benz black pearl 30. and i get a clean with a little hair, vintage sound. very very bright

i also play it through a vintage 65 fender bandmaster and i get the sound you hear in the old 45s

first thing i did when i got the guitar, as i do with all of them, is i got it set up. my guitar tech Chad is the best one out there at Chicago Guitar and Amplifier.

so after that the thing never goes out of tune and i never break a string. keep in mind i play 12's. its the most solid guitar i've ever played, i own a rickenbacker 360, a G&L Legacy Tribute, and a danelectro 63. and i have played countless amounts of American made Fender teles and those things suck compared to this.

solid as hell, you could kill someone with it.
heavy
hard
loud

Black swamp ash body, creme pick guard and pickups, gun oil tinted neck with dark rosewood fretboard, Wide neck (43 mm at nut), medium thick, jumbo frets, 2 large rectangular MFD-pickups (P90 look-a-like), Tele like switches. I believe it's 7 1/2 radius, no signs of fretting out when bending though...so I'm not sure.

Nice tone acoustically compared to my Fender Telecasters, no dead spots even with low action.

I love the large MFD pickups, they are very flexible. The can produce extremely bell clear tones and by working with the tone control you can go to rocky bluestone or to a more jazzier tone. I'm running through a Line6 Flextone or a Lehnert Rambler point-to-point tube amp.

The tone control really works, changes the character of the sound without spoiling the tone. You also can get Gretsch-like tones, with a Bigsby (which I don't have) you could play Setzer...

So it works great for country-twang, but also rock, pop, blues and some jazz. The pickups are not P90 of course, I believe they are far more flexible and also a bit colder sounding, even if you can get a P90-like tone.

The neck is big. A bit wider than normal, medium fat. Reminds me of the Brian May Red Special (had both Guild and Burns).

Iv'e been playing more than 25-years, owned lots of guitars. Currently have some teles, strats and a 335. This one is like a Tele+. Don't expect it to sound exactly like Telecaster, it has it's own voice. But it can be applied for all occasions where a telecaster sound is needed. Compared to my Tele 52' RI this one has a more outpout unplugged and plugged in. You can get the same twang (at least) as the 52' and is more flexible. But the Tele sounds like a tele (good) and the ASAT sounds like an ASAT

Earlier I owned a ASAT Tribute Semi Hollow. I traded that one for something else, but I really missed the sound so I found this one on new on Ebay for a nice price. Compared to the cheaper Tribute this one has a lot more MoJo, the neck is several levels better. The sound is similar though, it's the same pickups.

Fantastic maple neck, to bold single coils, made right here in Fullerton CA whats not to love.

Great twang, for blues, rock and country. But beware the hum. I got mine serviced with new 500k pots and additional grounding to clean up the background noise (only noticeable when you are really pushing it).

I love the action on this thing. Low and fast. Playing this makes my other guitars (G&L Legacy, Les PAul Copy) seem like a chore

This is my number one guitar. I did lose the screw on the output jack but thats the service techs fault not G&Ls

Never had to call

Fantastic guitar. Compared with my Legacy this thing is hands down the winner. Beautiful tone, great playability, and beatiful clear coat finish and pearloid pickuard

2 x G&L fullerton P90 pickups (beautiful!!!), Tele body with a hard tail. Maple neck and fret board, 3 way pickup switch, tone and volume knob (standard tele set up), mine is the blue sunburst, its an 06 issue.

Has all the features you would exect on a tele bu the P90's make this more than just a tele!!!!

Personally i fell in love with teles ages ago, i spent a long imte searching for the right one. My guitar teacher had a tribute serise G&L asat special which i used to play back in my bheap guitar days and i liked it alot. I loved the look/sound/feel/image of a telecaster. I of course played many teles in cluding mexicans, japs, american, i liked some of them but was still left wanting more. Of course custom shop fenders are beautiful and made that way but in between playing one i tried an american G&L asat special and fell in love. The neck is beautiful, one of the best mapes i have ever used seriously. None of the fenders exceot their custom shop stood up to the quality of the G&L americans.

The P90's add a bit more mids/bass to the well known and renoun tele sound. A bit more grunt but without loosing that twang/high pitched quality. I can still get beautiful twang sounds out of it as well as bluesy to rock sounds. The P90's make pub rock sound more full and almost pete townsendy (known for p90's).

It runs very quiet, of course this guitar is a light bodied tele so it cant ahndel high gain distortion that well and its not ment for that purpose. For rock/county/blues and a great all round pub rock and rock guitar i would highly recomend a G&L asat special because its the most grunty/rocky tele out on the market in my view.

I had to fiddle with the action when i got the guitar because it wasnt set up to my liking but apart from that its great. It was all to do with how i played and what i liked rather than the guitar being badly set up. The finish and build quality is great. The neck is smooth and fluent but it is not a slippery and twangy as some maple necks can be but i like that. The colour is amazing and looks beautiful. The case that came with it is great as well. I wish that is had a tremolo or bigsby option like the jap fender tele but apart from that no issues.

Its a tele, a solid peice of wood attached to a neck. I can see myself playing this guitar for years to come. The design and look is timeless and they are buil to last. And there is nothing like a few chips/scratherrs/battle scars to add character to the girl.

I have fallen in love with G&L, leo fender took his timeless guitars from fender and made them new and upgraded them so that a new generation and player could be happy. G&L price for quality on all of their guitars out does fender by a huge margin. Fenders only have the same quality of my G&L on their Custom Shop expensive Guitars. Looking at $5000AU compared to $3500 and i still would rather a G&L anydays.

Buy G&L true FENDER KILLERS!!!!

Two P-90 type Field Magnetic Hand wound and dipped Single Coil fat P/UPS. Birds Eye Maple with gun oil finish. Swamp ash body in red and black burst. 3 way tone switch. 3 tone pearl pick guard. sperzel tuners. all 100% USA Fullerton CALIFORNIA BABY! A Ripper!

USA Made Fullerton California . ASAT SPECIAL USA MODEL with coa Mrs Fender signed. Swamp Ash Body with beautiful swirling/worming in the wood front and back. red & black burst w- red as the primary color. Comes with the P-90 Field Magnetic Single Coil Pickups. G & L still hand winds their own p/ups and dips them in wax as well like the old days ! They sound wonderful and have a very round and special tone to them.
I have been a Les Paul and PRS for a long long time!. This is my first Telecaster.Vintage look with Gun oil tinted Birds Eye Maple Neck and Pearl pick guard upgrades. Vintage Fret wire with crowning. Initially the sound of the p/ups were the head turner here. THen I saw the guitar close up and noticed it is a first rate piece. Great for recording cutting to resonant rhythm and super tubey lead tones can be easily achieved with the right gear at hand! An excellent choice and change of pace from my mahognay-ebony-maple topped guitars at 10 to 13 pds a piece ! Light weight and super fast neck!

Action was relatively low and im going a touch lower . The vintage frets might require you to tweak the truss rod some but the factory setup is impressive right out of the box. I give this area a B+.Evrything else is tight and taught on the guitar . Sperzel tuning peg.upgrade. Nice finish with 0% flaws ! P/ups are dialed in just right from the factory or you can adjust the individual pole pieces under each relative string for it has an allen key inclusive for this procedure. Awesome !

So far no problems. Light weight in my hands. Seems really well built and meant to last. Ill be keeping this guitar probably for ever like my 71 Les paul and my 2001 PRS SInglecut Flametop Birds. I dont buy a lot of axes but when it happens its usually for keeps. I have three very distinct sounding guitars for live performance and studio to get the job done and some !

no opinion

Overall Id say the guitar if your looking for a single coil type with the ability to bite when needed or clean up and go twangline is the right choice. Nice crisp clean tones to dirty and punchy rhythm lines to singing and soaring lead play its all there for you. Not your typical fare with many single coil type git'z. I had bought the G & L Stratocaster USA model which was also nice. I found that being a Les Paul guy my whole life the Tele fit my hands better . The pickup positioning and especially the volume and tone knob placement and the fact there is no middle p/up for me to scrape my pick on and just the fact I didnt keep hitting the tone switch and kicking the guitar out of neck positiuon and into wither the middle p/yup or bridge p/up/ Seems a lot of Les Paul guys and similar have this issue with many strats because of the p/up switch and p/up placement. I love this guitar >!

It has the Sperzel tuners and 3 bolt neck with a pearl scratchplate and swirly blue paint finish - groovy baby! I think it's a 1993 model. Has those nice big single coil pick-ups. Nice old style frets I guess - not too chunky. Rosewood fretboard as a prefer. The neck is the typical Fenderish shape - I love the V contour on the Jerry Donahue Teles but this is quite comfortable and the flat finish slips smoothly across your hand. It has all the features I need so it gets a 10.

Sounds very big and bright - sometimes I think it has a Gretsch kind of sound where you can overdrive the amp alot but retain that clarity and depth - love it! I play lots of classic rock covers - Who, Beatles, Stones, Easybeats, etc. I use a Marshall JCM2000 40W 1x12 combo that just sings with this guitar driven anything over 5. I know it has a nice clean sound but I'm not really using it right now. I've recently started using a Boss DD3 with a short delay time which combined with this guitar gives a great, sooped up old style rockabilly effect.

I bought it used and the setup was fine, but I went to 10-52 gauge strings so it needed a little filing and neck adjustment. It's so light and just sits perfectly on your hip and in your hands. Yep, the pick-ups are noisy - especially with higher gain and volume. Who notices in a crowded bar at 10pm?

I think it's very simply and solidly constructed and I can't see any issues. It has a couple of sizeable chips in the unusual finish - a deep, electric, swirly blue which I wasn't sure about at first but it looks fantastic in photos. It was stolen at one point so I'd guess it got damaged then. Stays in tune really well. The vol-tone posts are an unusual (smaller) size so getting knobs to fit is a hassle.

No experience with this.

I've been playing since 1979. I also have a Hamer Special which is an equally great guitar - a bit more of the fat rock punch. If it was stolen I'd probably try something different - there are so many nice guitars! I love its sound, feel, looks, dependability and price, which was a total bargain for a guitar this good. I looked at Fender Teles and was playing a borrowed Jap Jerry Donahue, which is another fantastic guitar, at the time. The G&L was a bit unique and better value than a Fender. Probably lends itself better to overdriven rock sounds - a bit more versatile.

Solid 2-piece alder body, bi-cut 2-piece combo maple neck/fretboard, G&L saddle lock bridge, two MFD single coil pickups with adjustable pole pieces, master volume & tone, 3-way pickup selector, 3-ply pickguard, 1 5/8-inch neck width at nut.

The G&L MFD (magnetic field design) single coil pickups simply blow you away, with plenty of output and a wide variety of both clean adn dirty tones. Once I picked up this guitar, my American standard was history and went on the block the next day. This is definitely Leo Fender's new-and-improved Tele, no doubt. It's a little lighter than the Tele (about a 1/2 pound) but has 100-pounds more sound, with a full-range body that the Tele has never had since 1952. You want classic Tele twang, just select the bridge pickup and it's all yours for the taking. The ASAT MFDs supply a fuller sound on the neck and both positions, which are sounds the Tele simply can't deliver. I also have a 65 SG Special with P-90 soapbars and a 94 Hamer Les Paul Special with Duncan humbuckers, both of which have the balls of a 400-lb gorilla. This ASAT has the balls of a 375-lb gorilla, whereas the Tele has no balls, a castrated gorilla so to speak.

Once again, the G&L ASAT Special is "Fender done right." The fit and finish is considerably more precise than the Tele...neck pocket is a better match, pickup installation looks like someone from Cal Poly put them in, fretwork is the best on any guitar I've own (perfect install with no sharp edge) and the quality of the maple neck is first class, with flame and grains, complemented by a smooth satin finish that's easy to play. The action on the ASAT is also superior to my old American Tele.

This guitar is simplicity itself, with nothing to screw up, so a backup would not be necessary, just some extra strings and a second patch cord. I bought my 94 ASAT Special used in 2006 and it looks as if it was never played...absolutely pristine, so the black chrome finish on the metal and the black paint seem like they are holding up just fine. Neck is straight as a arrow. Man, this is a beautiful guitar.

I have four other G&L basses and customer support is one of this company's trademarks. Every time I call them, I get a warm hello and anything else that I need.

I've been playing professionally for 42 years, have a half dozen G&L, MusicMan and Fender basses, plus a 65 Gibson SG Special and a 94 Hamer (Les Paul) Special. This ASAT was the perfect bolt-on neck guitar to complete my stable and will proably get the most play, as the others are baseball card collectables that I play only a few times per year. The minute I got this G&L ASAT, that Fender USA Tele was history. Sure, a G&L ASAT costs a bunch new, but if you can score a clean one on the bay at half the price, go for it. I'm never selling this one and will let my kids fight over it when I'm gone, it's that good.

Two large G&L magnetic field design pickups, 7.5 radius G&L number 2 maple neck w/rosewood fretboard, Swamp ash w/tobacco burst finish. 3 way selector and volume tone knobs. Vintage sperzel non locking tuners. Very basic setup that works flawlessly.

When I first played this guitar I thought that only the clean rythym sounds would be usefull. Very clear solid punchy sound with my Boogie nomad set to the clean channel. Very high output but not to brash even with the bridge pickup by itself. It was a nice refreshing change from my LP that I had been using alot for Classic Rock and blues. In time I discovered that this was also a screamin guitar for the high overdrive channel. In short I fell in love with the sound of this guitar. I was enjoying the articulation of the bridge pickup at high gain settings for leads. A very tight sound rich with harmonics. I tend to use alot of suttle and not so suttle picking techniques to get different sounds out of a guitar and this guitar brought most of them out far more than most other guitars I had played in the last 25 years of serious playing. I found myself being more expressive than ever. Put it on the neck pickup and you have a great bluesy sound that you can be a bit more aggressive with.The Asat does not sound like a strat or a Paul or anything else, but that is what makes it so nice. Take it for what it is and play it accordingly. I have no problem with just palying this guitar all night even when Strats and Pauls are available, and they are.

I bought this guitar used set up with 10's but I prefer 9's. I usually bring my guitars to a local guitar builder for set up, but I just changed the strings lowered the action a bit and I was ready to go. I happen to be one who loves the 7.5 radius necks so this one was just so nice to play. I would say for me it rivals my Les Paul for playability. I like the way the telecasters are set up for volume control and pickup selectors. Close enough, but not in the way like a strat. I also am a little more comfortable with out a middle pickup to slam my pick against. Tobaco burst finish is flawless and beautiful. Lots of grain showing through. Maple neck is smooth and silky.

These G&L guitars are so solidly built. The quality for the price is unmatched. These are far supperior to the not so real fender production guitars. The bridge is outstanding with very little incidence of string brakes even though I tend to brake strings often.
I used to change strings before every gig to minimize this, but don't worry so much with this one. My only complaint is that it is a little tough to get the srings through the bridge. I have developed a lttle trick but it could be a little difficlult with the bad stage lighting you often get. It tunes easily and keeps it's tune very well despite my somewhat agressive attack. Tune it once play it all night with no problems, a rock solid gigging guitar to be sure

Have no Idea

I have been playing for over 25 years and just decided to pick this up for something different. I had heard some about G&L quality, but had not had a good chance to try them. Now I am a huge G&L fan. I have since purchased a G&L legacy HB and now only bring these two to gigs. I feel I can cover a lot of different styles with the Asat and it is just a joy to play. The ultimate question realy is: is it fun to play. If your a metal head probably not, everything else.... with out a doubt yes.

'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.

Made in california /controls are volume, tone and a three way selector (for two single coils) body is alder i think, but i`m shure that the neck is one piece maple with 22 frets
the reason why i love this guitar is it`s simplicity an the 7.5 inches fretboard > it`s just perfect

You can use this guitar for virtually anything (never tried extreme metal though) neck pickup sounds like a classic tele while on the other hand if you select the bridge pickup you`ll get a mixture between a strat and a ES-335 (i mean a good one)although i love every sound on this guitar i prefer the neck pickup for it`s bright but also fat and full sound
my current gear is : gl asat special, crybaby wahwah, boss os2 distortion and a small clone chorus, amp is a small vox

action was very well (bought it second hand)it really has that handmade-touch if you compare it to a standard usa-strat
but what i like best on this guitar is that it stays in tune for such along time you wouldnt believe it (once played three hours a day for two and a half weeks until i had problems with the g-string

it`s a tank it will withstand everything i use it for a very long time now and it preserved it`s nearly mint condition

never had to use it

i think i really found my guitar it suits my style and it defines my sound i would never exchange for another guitar but i would probably use others beside it. If it got stolen i would try to find the same again > but i think i wouldn`t find it for such a cheap price in such an excellent condition again

2001 model,made in Fullerton california,22 frets,solid one peice body.
1 volume/1 tone,3-way selector
two fairly hot p-90 type "magnetic field effect" pickups
body is made of swamp ash i beleive,neck is hard rock maple w/rosewood fretboard
deep blood red w/metal flake(9 coats,it's tough,stock finish),pearloid pickguard
imitation shallers
7.5 radius
rates a 10 because of it's simplicity...

the sound of this thing is why i'm writing this review...
i took this guitar to a sunday night "jam",a typical blues oriented jam club/bar...there were 5 or 6 strats(of wide varying quality),and one old late 60's? fender telecaster...the amps were fender twins...
this guitar absolutely smoked ALL of the other guitars in tone,sustain,tonal range,and just flat out burn,it just sounds BIGGER and FATTER,and this was without touching any settings on the amp(s)...it would have made Leo proud i'm sure...;)
i use this guitar for music whitch is a mix of improvisational blues/fusion/classic rock/metal,and it does them all very well,it is probablly one of the most versatile guitars i've ever heard.
if you like the Telecaster design and want something that's just a bit different than what everyone else has,check out one of these,the ASAT SPECIAL,it's one of the best models G&L makes...there nothing to dislike about the sound of this guitar.

action was a bit high,so i lowered it,this guitar is a very unforgiving guitar to play,in that you must have "good" "technique" to really play this thing,as well as be able to break beer bottle with your bare hands...i don't know why(an s-500 strat i have has the same attribute),but the string tension seems to be pretty tight at 440 tuning on this guitar,making playing fast legato,and hammer on/pull off playing brutal on the fingers(9/42 gauge),but i manage to wring it out of it anyway because the audience IS listening ;)
the finish is very thick,and very hard to nick or chip,industrial strength finish...the only thing i don't like about this guitar is the tuning keys,they arent "tight" they have a loose feel,much like those on sub $300 guitars-but they do seem to keep the guitar in tune most of the time pretty well,even with my severe 2 1/2 step bends.

the G&L ASAT special is built like a tank,really.
the bridge is massive you won't hurt much there.
i play this thing 2 or 3 times a week for an hour or two,then play it for 2 or 3 hours on the weekend gig thing,i basically expect this thing to outlast me.
the strap buttons are great,they have this knurled edge that grips whatever strap you are using,really eliminating the need for strap locks.
i can easily depend on this guitar provided i start with a fresh set of strings,i have never had a string break on this guitar(starting with a new set of course)...
i can easily gig without a backup with this guitar,did i mention because of it's excellent bridge design,it seems to be very economical on string life-they last for quite a while,i use DR strings. as a comparison i would never gig with my Les Paul without a backup because that thing eats strings in 3 hours...

never dealt with them

been playing since hearing Blizzard of Ozz in 1982,guess that makes it about 20 years...i own 2 Peavey Wolfgang guitars(one standard/one special)Gibson Jimmy Page Les Paul,G&L ASAT special,Peavey Transformer 212 combo,Peavey Special 212,Peavey Classic 30 tweed,BBE stinger pedal,Mesa Boogie V-twin pedal,an armada of BOSS fx,and my old italian Vox-846...
if it were lost or gone,i would get another one exactly like this one.
the one thing i love about this guitar is it's huge fat glassy TONE,it also has alot of twang there if that's what you want.
the one thing i hate about this guitar is that is wasnt free.
i compared this guitar to fender,fender,and fender,this guitar serve's up that fender sound in truckloads,something even a fender guitar can be hard pressed to do at times...
i wish this guitar had a middle pickup,also the 7.5 radius has a very round profile,sometimes this causes me to get a thumb-cramp,in contrast the Peavey Wolfgang guitars i have are '15 radius=very flat on the back of the neck,i like the flatter neck better,but the 7.5 radius i think makes it easier for vibrato,and pepole with smaller hands will like this neck as well,has an excellent taper,,,skinny down at the first few frets for easy chording,and tapers out to what is still a pretty skinny neck up at the 12th fret.
i mainly play the Wolfgang guitars i have,but this G&L ASAT special is one hell of a blues/classic rock guitar,for those styles of music i recommend this guitar 100%

You know the drill about most of this. Newer 4-bolt model. I don't have the year but I'd say 1999-2001. It has the two soapbar MFD pickups, a rosewood board. It has non-locking tuners, 7.5 radius, medium neck (neither thin nor basebal bat-like). It's honeyburst, with wood binding on the front and a pearl pickguard -- quite sharp-looking. I don't give numbers for the "features" category because it doesn't make sense to. I'm happy with the features.

I have a pretty specialized use for this guitar -- for me, it's set up to be a solidbody jazz guitar a la Ed Bickert. I have strung it with heavy GHS Boomers -- .012-.052. Using the neck pickup through a tube amp using only clean settings (in particular, a 1964 Supro 1696TN with a 15" Jensen), I am getting a beautiful jazz sound. I want particularly to note that it is the solidbody ASAT Special, and not the hollowbody (thinline) version, that works best for this application. I use a full-fledged archtop if I want a shimmering, airy jazz sound. But the solid ASAT provides its own unique jazz sound, as jazz players using teles have long known. The tone is warm and harmonically complex and there is also outstanding definition. I also like the rosewood board, which to my ear gives a slightly "woodier," smokier sound than maple. With both pickups selected, this guitar yields great blues sounds -- snappy and woody -- but I am using it mostly for the jazz sound.

I got it used and it need something of a setup -- some frets needed crowning and polishing, and the nut slots needed some cutting. Nothing major. Everything else is fine. Anyway, I bought it used.

How can I know? I'm sure it'll be fine. It's a solidbody. Never gig without a backup if you can help it.

Haven't dealt with them.

I'm very happy with this guitar. I have an ASAT Classic (with a maple board) that I use more for rock 'n' roll, blues, and country sounds, but which also has a good jazz sound on the neck pickup. I also play a 1968 Gibson ES-125 deep body with P-90s, and a DeArmond X-155. I play them through a BF Pro Reverb and the aforementioned Supro, which is quite a sleeper of an amp, by the way. I'm very happy I bought this ASAT Special. The main point everybody should be aware of is that a used ASAT is an unbelievable buy. To pay $500-600 for these instruments that are as little as a year or two old is a no-brainer.

I am not sure what year it was made as I bought it used off of eBay and have not removed the neck. I do know that it is a post '97 because it has a four bolt neck instead of the three bolt "micro tilt" found on older models. It is American made by hand in Fullerton, CA as all G&Ls are. It is a standard Tele shape, three peice ash body with a natural finish over swamp ash with a really nice grain. The neck is Hard Rock maple with a maple board, 22 medium Jumbo frets and a 7 1/2" neck radius. It has two large soap bar ceramic magnet Magnetic Field Design pickups which are a Leo Fender patent, a three way switch and two knobs, one volume and one tone. It also has Leo's patented Saddle lock hard tail bridge and schaller non-locking tuners. It came with a certificate of authenticity and a G&L SKB hard shell case.

Since I am still learning, I play a little bit of everything. It has a killer clean tone through my Marshall Lead 20 solid state amp. For distortion I plug it through my BOSS Metal Zone pedal and it wails. These MFD's are very versatile and can play everything from country to Blues.

The fit and finish on this guitar is excellent. The neck pocket is so tight you couldn't fit an onion peel in there. The wood is all high quaility and the finish is flawless. My one complaint is that the satin finish on the neck is a little thin on the edges of the finger board and has discolored a little. I really had to search to find something wrong with this one.

This guitar is solid. I don;t gig but if I did, this would be my guitar. The finish is durable and all the hardware is top noch. I think I will have this guitar for the rest of my life.

I have never had any problems but from what I hear, they are pretty good at working with you on problems that are their fault.

I have been playing for about 17 months now. This is my first "High end guitar and if it were lost or stolen I would definitly get another one. I love the idea that this is a "Real" Fender and the names George and Leo on the head stock represent a lot of history. I feel that these are the best "tele's" that one could buy.

EARLY 90'S AMERICAN MADE. P-90 STYLE PICKUPS, SOLID TELE-SHAPED BODY, BLACK WITH TOURTISE PICKGUARD.SCHALLER NON-LOCKING TUNERS. THIS CATAGORY IS HARD TO RATE SEEING THAT THIS IS JUST A GREAT BASIC GUITAR!

THIS GUITAR IS GREAT, I PLAY EMO-STYLE ROCK(FUGAZI,SUNNY DAY REAL ESTATE) AND PLAY THRU A JCM 900 4100 100 WATT HEAD AND JCM 800 1960B CAB, AND WHILE IN THE STUDIO I ALSO USE A 1972 FENDER TWIN I CUT IN HALF AND MADE INTO A HEAD THRU THE SAME CAB. ALWAYS RUN THRU A RAT DISTORTION PEDAL AND A SMALL CLONE CHORUS PEDAL.I USUALLY STAY ON THE BRIDGE PICKUP SETTING WITH BOTH KNOBS ALL THE WAY UP, BUT FLIP THE SWITCH TO NECK POSITIONS FOR THAT SWEET CLASSIC LEAD SOUND. hAVE NO BEEF EXCEPT FOR THE INPUT, IT IS NOISY AND A PAIN IN THE ASS TO FIX, THINKING OF GETTING SOMETHING DIFFERENT INSTALLED.

I PLAY REALLY SLACK WITH 11'S SO I HAD TO DROP DOWN THE ACTION WHEN I PURCHASED IT, OTHER THAN THAT IT CAME IN GREAT SHAPE

tHIS GUITAR TAKES ALL THE ABUSE I CAN GIVE, I TEND TO BREAK ALOT OF STRINGS AND THIS GUITAR HOLDS UP ALLOT BETTER THAN MY OTHERS(1965 FENDER MUSTANG, MID 80 EPIPHONE SG(W/GIBSON CLASSIC 57'S).WILL BE REPLACING THE TUNERS WITH LOCKING TUNERS BUT THIS GUITATR STAYS IN TUNE WELL ALREADY. MY BACKUP GUITARS ARE LISTED ABOVE BUT ARE ONLY USED IN EMERGENCY SITUATIONS THIS GUITAR HAS A SOUND ALL IT OWN AND IS VERY DURABLE. I AM LOOKING INTO PURCHASING ANOTHER.

HAVE HAD NO NEED TO CALL

AS STATED ABOVE I WILL BE AQUIRING OTHERS BUT PRICES HAVE GONE UP. THIS GUITAR SOUNDS GREAT, CAN TAKE A BEATING, AND PLAYS GREAT. IF YOU WANT A BASIC SET UP THAT YOU CAN TURN UP AND NOT WORRY ABOUT THIS IS THE GUITAR TO BUY