Pickguard hole positions- Indicator of ASAT USA vs Tribute ?

Hello G&L members,

I recently bought a used G&L ASAT Classic guitar. Seller told me it's a USA model and he had changed the neck to a Comanche because he broke the original one. He added that he did not have a pickguard for it but all I would need to do is by an original pickguard and trim the area where it meets the neck so it fits. When I got my guitar I noticed that the hole positions drilled on my guitar for the pickguard were different than what was pictured on the G&L website for the USA ASAT Classic. Two of the drilled hole positions on my guitar were 3/8" away from the bridge plate while the ones pictured on the G&L website were at the edge of the bridge plate. Then I noticed that the drilled hole positions for the Tribute ASAT Classic looked more like the hole positons found on my guitar.

The guitar is a Tobacco sunburst and the bridge plate does say ASAT Classic. The back neck plate lthough does not say G&L; it's blank. On the G&L website the Tribute has a blank neck plate while the USA ASAT Classic has G&L written on it.

So my question is could it be that my guitar is an USA guitar with different pickguard hole positioning compared to what's shown on the current model shown on the G&L website ? Are the pickguard hole positions on my guitar a solid indicator of whether I have a USA ASAT Classic or not? If not, how else can I tell if my body is USA and not a Tribute? If I remove the neck will there be an ID on the body that can help me identify if I have a USA ASAT Classic or not?

If it ends up being a Tribute body vs a USA what are the differences? Will the USA body just have a better finish or will there be an acoustic difference?

How can I attach jpegs on this site so I can show you the drilled pickguard holes on my guitar ?

Best,
K

The neck pickup position is different between the USA and import model. On the Tribute the neck pickup is closer to the neck. I'm not sure it makes much difference in the tone. Take a close look at pictures and you should be able to see the difference in position. Then compare to your guitar. The pickups in the Tribute are the same as in the USA.

Dan

Dan hello,
Thank you for your reply!
The neck pickup is definitely closer on mine (more like Tribute)
The seller told me that the original neck broke so he replaced it with a G&L Comanche neck and this is why it is closer to the neck pickup. In fact, he said if I bought a original pickguard I would have to trim the neck area a bit on the pickguard for it to fit. I am not sure if all this was a pile of bull.
Yesterday, I was getting ready to order a pickguard when I noticed that the USA model ASAT Classic has holes for the pickguard on the edge of the bridge plate while the Tribute has those same two holes shifted by 3/8".
I want to upload some pictures to my post but I don't know how. Can you help?
Best,
Kev

Here are some pics:
http://www.guitarsbyleo.com/GALLERY2/main.php?g2_itemId=20237
http://www.guitarsbyleo.com/GALLERY2/main.php?g2_itemId=20240
http://www.guitarsbyleo.com/GALLERY2/main.php?g2_itemId=20244
http://www.guitarsbyleo.com/GALLERY2/main.php?g2_itemId=20242

I don't see how the neck would affect the distance from the neck pickup. Both are 25.5 inch scale with 22 frets.

I don't believe the USA bodies ever had the top route for the wire harness. Perhaps someone else knows for sure. I know no pick guard is an option on the USA version, so that route wouldn't be there.

Dan

Thanks Dan for your reply,

Yea when he told me that the distance between the neck and neck pickup had decreased because he changed the neck on the guitar that did not seem right to me.
I measured the distance and it's 3/32"
If someone can confirm whether the USA bodies every had the top route that would be great.

A few other things I noticed on my guitar which may or may not verify whether it's a USA or a Tribute:
1. The output jack has a 2-screw "football" jackplate
2. The three-way switch lever is round like the knobs (much smaller of course)

Thanks to all.

Just got home and took a quick measurement on my ASAT Classic S. The neck pickup is spaced down 1/2 inch from the edge of the fingerboard to top edge of the pickup. Or 3 inches from the top edge of the box bridge to the bottom edge of the neck pickup.

Dan

Hello G&L members,

I recently bought a used G&L ASAT Classic guitar. Seller told me it's a USA model and he had changed the neck to a Comanche because he broke the original one. He added that he did not have a pickguard for it but all I would need to do is by an original pickguard and trim the area where it meets the neck so it fits. When I got my guitar I noticed that the hole positions drilled on my guitar for the pickguard were different than what was pictured on the G&L website for the USA ASAT Classic. Two of the drilled hole positions on my guitar were 3/8" away from the bridge plate while the ones pictured on the G&L website were at the edge of the bridge plate. Then I noticed that the drilled hole positions for the Tribute ASAT Classic looked more like the hole positons found on my guitar.

The guitar is a Tobacco sunburst and the bridge plate does say ASAT Classic. The back neck plate lthough does not say G&L; it's blank. On the G&L website the Tribute has a blank neck plate while the USA ASAT Classic has G&L written on it.

So my question is could it be that my guitar is an USA guitar with different pickguard hole positioning compared to what's shown on the current model shown on the G&L website ? Are the pickguard hole positions on my guitar a solid indicator of whether I have a USA ASAT Classic or not? If not, how else can I tell if my body is USA and not a Tribute? If I remove the neck will there be an ID on the body that can help me identify if I have a USA ASAT Classic or not?

If it ends up being a Tribute body vs a USA what are the differences? Will the USA body just have a better finish or will there be an acoustic difference?

How can I attach jpegs on this site so I can show you the drilled pickguard holes on my guitar ?

Best,
K

Here are some pics:
http://www.guitarsbyleo.com/GALLERY2/main.php?g2_itemId=20237
http://www.guitarsbyleo.com/GALLERY2/main.php?g2_itemId=20240
http://www.guitarsbyleo.com/GALLERY2/main.php?g2_itemId=20244
http://www.guitarsbyleo.com/GALLERY2/main.php?g2_itemId=20242

Here are the two photos of your guitar (see: Tutorial: Posting photos):




The body is definitely a Tribute ASAT Classic, see: Neck pickup location of USA ASAT Classic vs Tribute.
The location of the neck pickup is the key indicator of a Tribute ASAT Classic body.
Also, see this post: Buyer Beware: Doctored Tribute Series models ....

I'd like to see some photos of the headstock (front and back), to see what the decals look like and the serial number on the back of the neck,
The neck could be off a USA Comanche or it could be off of a Tribute Series Comanche.

You hit all the indicators of a Tribute body, except one. Unscrew the control plate and look at the pots and pickup selector switch and then look at this page
on the G&L On-Line Store: Electronics. You should be able to clearly see whether the pots and selector switch are Tribute versions or USA versions.

In case you were not aware, the Tribute MFD pickups are the same ones used for the USA ASAT Classic and are built at the Fullerton factory.

Hope this helps.

Thanks Craig!

So you are saying that these features represent a Tribute body:
1. The neck pickup being closer to the neck
2. Having a top route for the wire harness
3. The holes on the body for the pickguard are 3/8" away from the edge of the bridge plate instead of being parallel to the edge of the bridgeplate.
Correct?

Here are a few other things I've noticed:
*The neck plate does not say G&L but I read that is not really an indicator of USA or not, because the early 4 bolt neck USA guitars had neck plates with no writing.
*The bridgeplate does say ASAT Classic

Here are some pictures of the front and back of the headstock and the electronics to see if you think anything else is non USA besides the body.

http://www.guitarsbyleo.com/GALLERY2/main.php?g2_itemId=20254
http://www.guitarsbyleo.com/GALLERY2/main.php?g2_itemId=20256
http://www.guitarsbyleo.com/GALLERY2/main.php?g2_itemId=20258
http://www.guitarsbyleo.com/GALLERY2/main.php?g2_itemId=20260
http://www.guitarsbyleo.com/GALLERY2/main.php?g2_itemId=20262

Thanks again!
Kev

I would guess screw holes are possible indicator. At least on the Fallout model thay haven't been consistent on the Tributes from a previous thread on here.

Both USA and Tribute bridge plate should say ASAT Classic.

I'm not sure about the output jack. USA models are changing to the two screw "football" plate style. I specifically ordered my ASAT Classic S with this output jack as they hadn't made the change yet. That was about a year ago. My Tribute ASAT Special Deluxe has a two screw football plate output jack, but I bought thay used and it could have been changed. The reason I say this is my Tribute JB-2 has the barrel type output jack which has normally been used on ASATs.

You definately have a Tribute body. USA necks and Tributes are not direct replacements. As I recall the heal on the USA neck is slightly wider so the body would have needed to be routed to fit the wider heal, so it makes sense the pickguard would need to be trimmed on the sides of the neck.

Dan

Thanks Craig!

So you are saying that these features represent a Tribute body:
1. The neck pickup being closer to the neck
2. Having a top route for the wire harness
3. The holes on the body for the pickguard are 3/8" away from the edge of the bridge plate instead of being parallel to the edge of the bridgeplate.
Correct?

Here are a few other things I've noticed:
*The neck plate does not say G&L but I read that is not really an indicator of USA or not, because the early 4 bolt neck USA guitars had neck plates with no writing.
*The bridgeplate does say ASAT Classic

Here are some pictures of the front and back of the headstock and the electronics to see if you think anything else is non USA besides the body.

http://www.guitarsbyleo.com/GALLERY2/main.php?g2_itemId=20254
http://www.guitarsbyleo.com/GALLERY2/main.php?g2_itemId=20256
http://www.guitarsbyleo.com/GALLERY2/main.php?g2_itemId=20258
http://www.guitarsbyleo.com/GALLERY2/main.php?g2_itemId=20260
http://www.guitarsbyleo.com/GALLERY2/main.php?g2_itemId=20262

Thanks again!
Kev

Yes, and your #1 point is the key factor.

Here are your photos in-line (for posting photos, see: Tutorial: Posting photos):






The electronics are those used in the Tribute Series.

The neck is from a USA made Comanche and is a Birdseye Maple neck. From the Serial number, I would estimate the build year of the neck is 2007 or 2008.
Serial number and headstock decals are the key factors in determining the build origin of the neck.
The tuners and string tree are not factory installed items, so previous owner had them changed.
Here is a post in our G&L Knowledgebase regarding installing USA necks on Tribute Series instruments: http://guitarsbyleo.com/FORUM/viewtopic.php?f=12&t=1506.

So, you have a Tribute Series ASAT Classic with a USA Comanche neck.

Hope this helps.

Thanks Dan and Craig!
How about the electronics? Tribute or USA? Can you tell by the pics?
Best,
Kev

Craig, Sorry I noticed that you had already responded about the electronics being Tribute.

Dan, As far as the width of the neck at the heel it measure 5.7mm (.224"or 7/32").
Is this consistent with USA necks and do you still think the body channel for the neck had to be widened to fit the new neck? What does your Tribute measure at the neck heel?

Best,
Kev

Hi Dan,
Disregard my note above. I meant to say cm not mm.

Dan, As far as the width of the neck at the heel it measure 5.7cm (2.244").
Is this consistent with USA necks and do you still think the body channel for the neck had to be widened to fit the new neck? What does your Tribute measure at the neck heel?

Best,
Kev

My Tribute is 2 3/16 while my USA is 2 1/4, so the USA is slightly larger. I'm the orginal owner of my USA and have made no modifications.

Dear Craig and Dan,
Thank you so very much for helping me verify that what I bought was a Tribute body and electronics.
After receiving the guitar I started questioning whether it was truly a USA body and electronics as the seller described.
I feel cheated by the seller because looking back at his emails it seems to me like he knew. I am taking steps to try to return the guitar and get a refund.
I will let you know if I am successful.
Thanks again and Happy 2017!
Kev

Hi Kev,

Best of luck with this. I hope you're able to sort things out with the seller to your satisfaction.

Ken

Thanks Ken for your kind words.

Originally the seller was asking for $800 for what he was advertising as a USA ASAT Classic with a birdseye Comanche neck. I offered him $675 and he accepted. It came with a HSC and a pickguard that I was supposedly going to be able to trim slightly where it meets the neck for it to fit.

Well we recently found out that my body and electronics were Tribute. The pickguard he sent me would never fit that body. So I would need to buy a tribute pickguard and trim that a bit or have a custom pickguard made.

I let the seller know that what he sold me was a Tribute body and electronics. I wasn't accusatory but instead I said it was probably an honest mistake. I asked for a full refund of $675 or $300 credit back. he gave me the $300.

Originally a used USA ASAT Classic with a USA birdseye neck, HSC and a pickguard at $675 was a killer deal.
Now a used ASAT Classic with Tribute body and electronics with a USA birdseye neck, HSC, and no pickguard for $375 is an average deal I think.

I just wanted to put it all behind me.

The Tribute body I don't think is that much of a practical disadvantage. The grain look nice and it has a nice finish. Of course, it will make a difference when and if I sell the guitar. The Tribute electronics are fine for now.
The neck, pickups, and tuners are nice. It looks, plays, and sounds nice. I am happy with outcome.

Thanks again for everyone's help!

Best,
Kev

Glad you were able to work out things with the seller.

Glad you were able to work out things with the seller.

+1

Glad you worked something out with the seller but it still leaves a bad smell in the air. You can find those "stupid deals of the day" and pick up a brand new tribute with no questions as to what it is, a warranty and all that comes with it for $375 or less. The only thing you wouldn't get is a hard case but I believe they come with at least a gig bag.

Not trying to be a downer or anything, I just like things to be what they are advertised as and not some mishmash of parts. If you had realized the issues at the point of sale and negotiated a lower price from the start, that's a different story. These sort of things always leave me thinking that both parties walked away unhappy. Which is never good.

Sorry man, just my thoughts...

Tom

FZTNT Hello,

Don't forget that besides the HSC I got a USA birdseye neck worth almost $300 new and some great Planet Waves locking tuners. Plus the guitar does not have a scratch or a nick. The most important parts of the guitar (neck,tuners,pickups) are what I expected.
I am happy with my purchase and having $300 in my pocket.

The seller is probably not happy realizing that he had a Tribute body and electronics all along or his deception did not work. If he tried to deceive me then he deserves not to be happy

So knowing what I know now and having a chance the play the guitar, If I had a choice between an all USA ASAT Classic at $675 vs my FrankenG&L for $375 I would pick mine

Tom Hi,
I forgot to mention the $375 included tax and delivery too.

Fair enough, because that's all that matters. If you are happy with the guitar, play it with gusto. As you described, he probably got the worse end of that deal and maybe didn't make a penny on the sale.

Enjoy, and again, welcome to the forum.

Tom

Thanks Tom!