Wonder What Happened Here ???

Interesting discovery the other day when taking the neck off an ASAT I own...








Anyone want to venture a guess ??? I suss'd out what's in the neck pocket but would love to know its history!

A bit more info - refin'd natural '89 ASAT... Neck and body dates are stamped 1989, pots date codes are '89 as well. Th neck has period correct neck appointments - i.e. white G&L logo with 'by Leo Fender' at the tip of the headstock along with black tuners... Black crinkle control plate and saddle lock bridge on the maple body. Bought the guitar off eBay 2 years ago and it came with a single ply black Chandler p/g with 2 Strat sized EMG Select pickups.

The neck plate S/N - G025839 - just entered into the Registry as there was no previous entry…

Cheers,
KF

Hey KF,

Possibly a repurposed Broadcaster body, with the Black finish stripped off. That 'stain' in your neck pocket has an eerily similar size as of one of the Leo signed stickers glued in the pocket of that model. Maybe you can still find some black paint in a crevasse somewhere.

- Jos

Isn't that black paint chips near the pocket corners? It's a cool guitar. -- Darwin

Yes, that looks like black paint in the corners. The '83 SB-1 that came to me stripped and the refinished '82 L-1K I have for a restoration project both had the same kind of traces of their original black finishes.

I can't see where the '89 date stamp is in the pocket. But wouldn't a repurposed BC body still have an '85 or '86 body stamp? It doesn't look like the pocket has been messed with at all.

Ken

can't see where the '89 date stamp is in the pocket. But wouldn't a repurposed BC body still have an '85 or '86 body stamp? It doesn't look like the pocket has been messed with at all.

I can't see the date stamp either. But to answer your question Ken, no the pocket of a BC would not have a date stamp on the wood. Rather, the sticker signed by Leo would have a 'Date:' line below the 'Serial #:' line.


- Jos

Wow - you guys are good. Nice detective work!

When I first saw it I thought the same thing as Jos regarding the size of the imprint/stain… btw, there's actually paper there… then like Darwin mentioned there's black paint in the corners as well as the tilt adjust mechanism. And being its a maple body, it could have been indeed a Broadcaster…. a day or so later I notice some markings on the paper residue that seems vaguely familiar so I GOOGLE' G&L Broadcaster to see what the inspection sticker looks like and there's the same marking - remnants of the rectangular frame… SO then I checked the pot dates… saw that there is in fact a body stamp - but as Ken points out, its barely visible and really hard to make out… BUt, it clearly shows a 9 after the 8 in the year… And I wondered why it would be stamped at a later date again like Ken mentions but one more check to the BC neck pocket image and just like Jos stated - nope, Broadcasters didn't have em!

So, it does seem its was a repurposed Broadcaster body… but still kinda strange to think they'd ship one out like that… I thought perhaps it was a factory 2nd or and employee guitar… A few more things - it has the early selector switch mounting screws but is missing both the copper ground plate in the control cavity and the tilt adjust set screw…. this along with the funky shielded braided wire going to the output jack makes me think it was an employee guitar or was an left over body that some folks cannibalised at some point - and took the neck, and parts from an '89 ASAT and assembled it…. But the stamped date of 1989 on the neck pocket would rule this out…

Anyway, below are more photos - Btw, I swapped out the crap EMG select pu's and installed a set of '87 MFD's that sound Fab! The p/g is the customised powdered alum one that I used to have on my burnt '90 ASAT SIg. One last thing, the rosewood or ??? of the fingerboard is very light in colour and seems to dry out very frequently… It was that way when I bought it so I used quite a bit o lemon oil but it didn't take long to dry out… I recently rubbed the fingerboard down with Fast Fret which I believe is just mineral oil and it revived it but already has partial dried out. Doesn't bother me or affect the playability but its a bit curious...

Anyway - thanks guys for chiming in!














Cheers,
KF

Interesting discovery the other day when taking the neck off an ASAT I own...


Anyone want to venture a guess ??? I suss'd out what's in the neck pocket but would love to know its history!

A bit more info - refin'd natural '89 ASAT... Neck and body dates are stamped 1989, pots date codes are '89 as well. Th neck has period correct neck appointments - i.e. white G&L logo with 'by Leo Fender' at the tip of the headstock along with black tuners... Black crinkle control plate and saddle lock bridge on the maple body. Bought the guitar off eBay 2 years ago and it came with a single ply black Chandler p/g with 2 Strat sized EMG Select pickups.

The neck plate S/N - G025839 - just entered into the Registry as there was no previous entry…

Cheers,
KF

G025839 is listed as a black Asat completed on 9-21-89.
The recessed output jack suggests an earlier body.
That is the remnant of a Broadcaster sticker. How it got there is anyone's guess.

HLG

That is an example of Leo era operations and it reflects the waste not-want not approach Leo and company had to building guitars. Leo was the man. It is a fun piece of G&L history. If it was mine I would keep it just like it is and enjoy.

Thanks for posting the pictures.

y2kc

One last thing, the rosewood or ??? of the fingerboard is very light in colour and seems to dry out very frequently… It was that way when I bought it so I used quite a bit o lemon oil but it didn't take long to dry out… I recently rubbed the fingerboard down with Fast Fret which I believe is just mineral oil and it revived it but already has partial dried out. Doesn't bother me or affect the playability but its a bit curious...

FWIW, I use food-grade walnut oil (sold as a salad dressing) on all of my rosewood and ebony boards. I give the board a good cleaning first with isopropyl alcohol and a toothbrush is there's any finger gunk, let that dry, and then wipe on a VERY thick coat of walnut oil. As soon as it starts to soak in anywhere, I put another thick coat on that part of the board. I keep doing that for as long as oil will still soak in; 15-20 minutes is about average. When it's not soaking in anymore, I wipe the excess off and then buff the board with a clean cloth. I have about 15 guitars and basses that get this treatment, and I don't think I've had to repeat the process within four years on any of them.

Ken

Fwiw I use a highly thinned dose of Dura-Seal. It is an professional grade oil based penetrating sealer we use in the hardwood flooring industry. A little dab will do ya. Kids don't try this at home!

Ken, I have a sc-3 identical to yours pictured. I can't believe the great sounds it produces.

good day,

y2kc

Cheers for the info HLG - very cool to know… Didn't catch the recessed output jack - good eye. My guess is like y2kc points out and Jos originally stated its in fact an repurposed Broadcaster body… Btw, its a bit hefty weight-wise but man does it sound good… Spankin' Tele tones +… nice lively and bright. I dig ash but maple's a hard wood to beat sonically - esp paired with the large MFDs… Leo was the man - definitely.
LOL - Casey re your interceptor comments - Leo would agree Glad you dug the pics.

Hey Ken, thanks for the tip on the walnut oil, will give it a go.

Cheers,
KF

KF,

You have three of the coolest Asat's I have seen and I am still kicking myself about a certain one.


take care and enjoy those beauties,

y2kc