ASAT Z-3 Bridge Pickup Options

Hello,

First post. I think........ I tried before and it didn't seem to go through.

Anyway, I have a post 92 USA ASAT Z-3 along with a couple Tribute models I've modded extensively. In this Z-3, the neck position sounds great. Positions 2, 3, and 4 are quite usable, though number 4 isn't the best. The bridge pickup sound is about useless. It's light years away from the richness of Fralins I'm used to in most of my the other gigging axes. And please, no "suggestions" on making this bridge Z-3 work. I'm a pro player and you just simply cannot EQ, height adjust, tone pot adjust, pedal, or re-cap your way out of this level of tone suck. Overdriven, this pickup is lacking in all respects and even clean it lacks sweetness.

So, I really like the guitar neck, hardware, and fit and finish. But I do need a good bridge pickup. The axe has a swimming pool route so pickup options are wide open.

Is there anyone out there who can make a pickguard with an H-H configuration that will no doubt fit a post 92 USA ASAT Z-3? I'll drop a Fralin Big Single in the neck and Fralin High Output humbucker in the bridge (with push pull tap) and boom, problem solved. My main band and other axes are setup for Eb tuning. I need this guitar in my side bands that tune to E standard several times in the next few months and don't want to go through stripping and taking the pickguard off for tracing if I don't have to.

Is there anyone out there who can slam dunk get me H-H pickguard that will fit this USA ASAT Z-3 without needing the old guard or a trace?

Thanks,

Chris

Hello,

First post. I think........ I tried before and it didn't seem to go through.

Anyway, I have a post 92 USA ASAT Z-3 along with a couple Tribute models I've modded extensively. In this Z-3, the neck position sounds great. Positions 2, 3, and 4 are quite usable, though number 4 isn't the best. The bridge pickup sound is about useless. It's light years away from the richness of Fralins I'm used to in most of my the other gigging axes. And please, no "suggestions" on making this bridge Z-3 work. I'm a pro player and you just simply cannot EQ, height adjust, tone pot adjust, pedal, or re-cap your way out of this level of tone suck. Overdriven, this pickup is lacking in all respects and even clean it lacks sweetness.

So, I really like the guitar neck, hardware, and fit and finish. But I do need a good bridge pickup. The axe has a swimming pool route so pickup options are wide open.

Is there anyone out there who can make a pickguard with an H-H configuration that will no doubt fit a post 92 USA ASAT Z-3? I'll drop a Fralin Big Single in the neck and Fralin High Output humbucker in the bridge (with push pull tap) and boom, problem solved. My main band and other axes are setup for Eb tuning. I need this guitar in my side bands that tune to E standard several times in the next few months and don't want to go through stripping and taking the pickguard off for tracing if I don't have to.

Is there anyone out there who can slam dunk get me H-H pickguard that will fit this USA ASAT Z-3 without needing the old guard or a trace?

Thanks,

Chris

Check out this post: New Will Ray Z-coil pickup in my Z3.
G&L has the Will Ray pickup on sale in their On-Line Store: https://g-l-online-store.myshopify.com/collections/pickups/products/mfd-will-ray-z-coil-bridge-pickup.

Just my $0.02.

howdy redbird69, welcome.
i've never seen an HH asat guard, but some custom ones probably exist.
asat special is routed for the p-90-ish sized large coil mfd p'ups and the rear one is angled.
would need to do some work on one of those to make fit.
the HH ASAT (deluxe) doesn't have a pickguard.

you may want to call these guys http://pickguards.us/pricegandl.html
or, these guys https://www.pickguardplanet.com/gl-pickguards/
and see what they have lying around, or better ideas. good luck.

I would try the Will Ray pickup first. Chandler www.pickguardheaven.com used to make the pickguards for G&L, and still have the patterns to make replacements. You could contact them and ask if they would produce an ASAT Z-3 guard with holes for two humbuckers. You would probably have to tell them the location you wanted the pickups placed.

I don't know where they got the pickguard for it, but for a while my local Guitar Center (Overland Park, KS) had a blue sparkle Z-3 with Duncan P-Rail pickups in it - which are kind of like a P90 with half of a single-coil-sized humbucker melted onto it so it's roughly normal humbucker sized. I never wound up playing it, and supposedly they had the original Z-coils with it.

Pickguard Heaven did one for me a while back that worked out well. ASAT with tribby humbucker in the neck.

Foggy memory but. I recall you will need either a tracing of the outline with holes and deception of where you want new pickup holes or drawing. Sending your guard with drawings on it or specific description. Best course is to just start commununication with a vendor and see what they can do.

So I went ahead and got a Will Ray since they were on sale. That definitely improved things some. Turns out all the stock pickups were the exact same resistance value. I don't understand that - all modern Strat style guitars should have at least a marginally hotter bridge Pup in my opinion. It does explain why the stock bridge was so weak. I like to set amps up for 3 Pup guitars just on the edge of distortion, but still basically clean on the front 4 positions. This gives great versatility and tone for blues, country, and softer rock. Then, when you kick it down to the hotter bridge position, you get good crunch. This was impossible with the stock bridge pickup. That crunch just wasn't there.

The Will Ray does produce the desired crunch. However, though it's hot, it is still thin sounding on leads. That may just be a function of the maple top body and maple fretboard. I will have to try to mitigate this with my Tone Job pedal (which BTW is a fantastic EQ shaping device). Unfortunately this means I won't be able to set it up for optimum tone sweetening and leave it on all the time as I do with my other guitars. Rather, I'll just have to use it to tame the highs and increase the mids and bass when I kick the selector down to the bridge for rock soloing. The alternative is just to solo on the middle or front Pups, and reserve the bridge for crunch rhythm.

Final analysis on the Will Ray - it's an improvement, but it's certainly no Fralin Humbucker as far as rich midrange goes. At least I didn't have to hack up my pick guard or spend $70 on a custom one. And the Will Ray on sale was 2/5s of the price of a new Fralin.