G&L ASAT Z-3

Year unknown. Made in California.
22 fret
One volume, one tone control w/heavy chrome knobs
Three G&L brand "Z-coil" pickups (passive single coil)
Alder body, rock maple neck w/satin finish
Rosewood fingerboard with dot inlays
Body finish is silver sparkle with mirrored pickguard
Bridge is a hard-tail G&L, strings load from end of bridge
Tuners are Schaller locking
Neck is rounded and substantial, frets are jumbo
Came with a hardshell plastic case

The "10" rating is not for the amount of features it has, but for having the right amount of features--this is the perfect cross between a tele and a strat while being better in quality than either.

I play many styles, including metal, country, punk, disco, rockabilly, jazz, lounge, and industrial. This guitar is great for most of what I do, though if you're looking for a creamy humbucker sound, you won't get it here.

Amp is a Mesa Boogie Mark I reissue usually set on "Tweed." My usual effects arsenal includes: Old MXR Dyna Comp, Teese RMC-1 wah, various distortions, various modulation effects. This guitar works exceptionally well with the Dyna Comp and the RMC-1 because the pickups have a bright single coil sound without the noise generally associated with strats and teles. I'm also playing it through a Boss VF-1 for direct recording into a PC--the great tones of this guitar come through well.

The three pickups provide a wide range of tones. If 1 is muddy and 10 is shriekingly bright, the tones on the Z3 range from 4 to 9. It's a good variety, covering most strat and tele sounds. The tele "twang" is not quite as twangy, but the Z3 makes up for this by getting some warmer tones--not quite Les Paul territory, but on the border.

I know what this guitar was capable of before I bought it, and I'm very happy with it. I've got guitars with humbuckers, now I have one with single coils, but without the hum.

I bought this guitar used, so I can't comment on the factory set up. But if I assume that at most, the intonation was adjusted, it's an excellent job. The neck has 4 bolts and is tight, though I can fit a single sheet of paper in the top (like that's a big deal, right?).

The finish is amazing. There's a picture of it on the G&L site here:
http://www.glguitars.com/instruments/ASAT-Z3/ASAT-Z3.html
There's tons of finish on top of the glitter, so even though it looks rough, it's very smooth.

The detailling is flawless--the nut, the frets, all the electronics have been installed with great care. Nothing rattles and everything is as it should be. This is a top-notch instrument.

I have no worries about this guitar keeping up in a bar band. It's solid throughout.

I've replaced the strap buttons with a DiMarzio Cliplock strap, but I've done that to all my guitars for over 15 years.

I do not gig without a backup. The only guitar I trust not to get trashed in a dive bar is my Steinberger GL.

I have not had to deal with G&L.

I've been playing for 21 years and have played or owned all the classic guitars and many, many others. My current keepers are a custom Ernie Ball Silhouette, an old Steinberger GL, and the Z3.

If this guitar were stolen or lost I would definitely get another. It's the ultimate single coil guitar.

I love the range of tones, the quality of the workmanship, and that butt-ugly finish.

Compared to the current crop of Fenders, this is a superior machine in every way. I compare its quality to Ernie Ball guitars, which I consider to be the best production guitars available.

If you're looking for a great rock or country guitar, try out a Z3.

I can't believe I got this for as little as I did.

I bought my Asat Z3 in 1999. G&L guitars are made in California. It has 3 "split" single coil pickups (for hum cancelling). This guitar has a nice curly maple top. The bridge is G&L's solid (read "heavy") bridge.

My first love is the blues. That is why I bought this guitar. It sounds very clear but also "heavy". The G&L magnetic field pickups have their own unique sound and it suits my personal taste. It also works for classic rock and country.

The fit and finish are excellent. I did have the action reset to my personal taste as I do with any guitar I own.

I haven't used this one a whole lot. But I've owned an Asat before and the old one was indestructable.

Never had a problem with this one or my previous G&L.

I really like the sound and feel of this instrument. It wasn't cheap, but it still costs less than a custom shop Fender.

2000 model, USA (hand-made), 22 med-jumbo frets, Solid Ash, Natural finish, 5-way selector switch, Three G&L Z-Coil noiseless single coil pickups, 25.5 in. Thick Maple neck and fretboard with satin finish, Tele-style body, G&L saddle-lock bridge, Schaller Locking Tuners, G&L hardshell SKB type case.

I bought the guitar for country twang first and for blues/classic rock second. It does both quite admirably. I am using the guitar with a Mesa Boogie DC-5, 66 Fender Blackface Princeton Reverb, and a Johnson J-Station through computer for recording or through a 120 watt tube amplifier into 2x12 cab.
The guitar is dead quiet. The Z-coils are humbucking, but sound like single coils. VERY BRIGHT with the Ash body and Maple fretboard which is exacly what I was looking for with this guitar. The tone control is very effective at mellowing out the sound or taking it to twang city. The neck pickup is very mellow considering the wood characteristics. Best positions are 1 or 2 for country twang, and 4 or 5 for blues/classic rock. No surprises there.
I like the quiet pickups. Even quieter than my Les Paul with humbuckers. The only dislike would be a slight lack of high end harmonics.

The Z3 came with a very low action. Some buzzing, especially with the B and low E strings. The low E was set up too low. The original 9's (SIT)sounded good but were changed to D'Addario 10s and I set up the action to eliminate the buzzing. Great now.
The pickups were adjusted very well. There was just a little string warble but adjusting the neck pickup took care of that.
The guitar body is two piece Ash and you have to get within inches to even see the joint. Great character in the wood and a great gloss finish. Absolutely beautiful.
The neck joint is as tight as I have seen. Cannot fit a thin piece of paper in it at ANY point. As close to a set neck as I have seen in a bolt on. I am actually afraid to take the neck off. It is so tight that getting the neck out could harm the finish on the body.
Everything else on the guitar is perfect. G&L makes one of the best hand-made guitars period, especially at their price-point.

This guitar will be played and enjoyed long after I am just a memory. This is the 50s and 60s Fenders of TODAY. Rock solid, built to last by caring professionals, BY HAND!!!
You could gig without a backup, but I always have 2 or 3 guitars for the varied music I play. I will take this Z3, a G&L Legacy (ash/rosewood), and a Les Paul. That will cover anything I want to play.

10 year warranty. I am a member of the guitarsbyleo.com G&L appreciation site. From being there for about a year, my opinion is that G&L stands behind their products, PERIOD!!! No worries there.

I have been playing guitar for 34 years, electric and acoustic. This guitar is exactly what I was looking for.
If it was lost of stolen, I would not buy this model again. I would probably opt for an ASAT Classic for that true twang.
You have to A/B this guitar agains teles to understand the difference. This guitar is exceptional, as have been all G&Ls I have played.

Semi-hollow, with the strange looking Z shaped pickups. Kind of a Telecaster style. Locking tuners, all of the regular G&L stuff

I just bought it last weekend. Its my first real electric guitar. So far, jamming at home, the guitar is amazing. With the three pickups, and 5 way switch, it goes from really bright, to really full. I'm playing it through a Fender Princeton Chorus, which has a lot of features also-stero chorus, overdrive, which really gives a lot of options.

Not being an expert on set up, I'm really satisfied anyway. It's easy to play and looks great.

Again, it less than a week old. Other reviews have been generally good, and I do not anticipate any problems.

No reason to yet. It does come with a ten year warranty.

I've been playing for thirty years, almost exclusively acoustic. I own a 1975 Guild D-40SB which I will never get rid of. I should have asked a little more about the hardware-the locking tuners, the adjustable bridge, etc. I played a Rickenbacker 12 string, and a Fender American Standard Strat in the store. I wanted a 12 string, but decided that it was too limiting. As compared to the Strat, even though it was twice the price, it is more than twice the guitar.