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 Breakfast Report Wednesday, July 30, 2014: 'CavASAT' 
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Joined: Tue Feb 09, 2010 8:00 am
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Location: Seattle
Post Breakfast Report Wednesday, July 30, 2014: 'CavASAT'
Hi gang,

Breakfast
Another nice day up here. Windows open, coffee in hand, sandwich before me. Life is good. Post this thing, take a shower, and off to work while listening to the CSNY 1974 box set. Why did it take 40 years for that set to be released? Amazing music and intensity! And they played for more than 3 hours! When does that happen nowadays? Here in Seattle you see people leave the room at 10pm, I suppose because the baby sitter needs to get home by 11. Oh well ...

G&L stuff
Time to display another unique guitar. This time it is the ASAT 'Cavalier' or 'CavASAT', the name I gave it because it combines pickups from both. I could have used 'ASAT Interceptor' but the Interceptor came in 3 different variations; only one of these had this type of pickup. 'Soit', so be it! The ASAT 'Cavalier' it is!

This guitar came through me through Jon Chakin (jonc on this forum), who bought it from Tim Page (Tim GuitarsOnTheWeb). Prior to Tim, this guitar was allegedly owned by John Paul Daniel, who played in Eddie Rabbit's Hare Trigger Band in the late '80s. There are 2 versions on how John Paul got the guitar. What both stories share is that he got it when the band visited the factory. In version 1 Dale Hyatt sold it to him; in version 2 Leo gave it to him. Either way, this guitar is quite special.

Jon provided me also with the page in the sales log. You can see that S/N G21821 was entered on 10-9-'87 as (part of?) invoice # 3944 with a #2 neck with maple board and is marked as 'proto':
Image

Here's what she looks like:
Image
ImageImage

One thing struck me right away when I picked her up: you could feel the grain of the ash body.
ImageImage

Since this was never a production model it only has a sealer and was never finished in the literal sense! Gives this guitar an incredible tactile feel very much similar as what you'd experience on the NENA and Black Ice Collection guitars. And since there is no finish, the birthmarks on the body are also visible:
ImageImage

The neck pickup is your 'run-of-the-mill' wide-bobbin MFD single-coil pickup (although most of us know 'run-of-the-mill' is quite the understatement ;-) )
ImageImage

The bridge pup though is a pickup you would find on the Cavalier is technically known as an HG-2R "Angled Offset" humbucker. And in true Leo fashion, this humbucker has a wide resonance curve retaining more highs than other buckers and an enormous amount of clarity. Incidentally, the bridge pickup is ever so slightly shorter than the bridge MFD pickup in an ASAT and it is also slightly less angled. This latter statement should also be true for their angle on the Cavalier, otherwise the strings would not pull straight over the pole pieces.

On top of that, this model also has unique electronics:
ImageImage

It may not be clear from the pics but the pickups are switched out-of-phase when combined using the 3-way pickup selector. I do not really have good words for what it sounds like. Magical? Soulful? Articulate? Guess one has to experience it in person. Otherwise, it is your standard single volume and tone control.

Here are the (pristine) neck pocket and neck heel with October 1, 1987, date stamp:
ImageImage

Neck, which is finished, plays great and this small blemish is of no consequence:
Image
and the headstock is what you'd expect for an '87 ASAT still with the rectangular string retainer
ImageImage

Hope you enjoyed the tour of another fine example out of Leo Fender's kitchen!

- Jos

Edit: Change title to use new nickname, update picture links after rename.


Last edited by yowhatsshakin on Tue Mar 27, 2018 6:28 pm, edited 2 times in total.



Wed Jul 30, 2014 7:12 am
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Post Re: Breakfast Report Wednesday, July 30, 2014: ASAT 'Cavalie
Jos, interesting guitar. The ash body is beautiful and the body seam seems to be off center a bit. Is it heavy? Thanks for posting another beauty from the Northwest Asat Museum! Interesting story of the previous ownership-- Darwin


Wed Jul 30, 2014 8:38 am
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Post Re: Breakfast Report Wednesday, July 30, 2014: ASAT 'Cavalie
Tim GuitarsOnTheWeb wrote:
Hi Jos:

Great breakfast report! I got that guitar from John Paul at the Arlington Texas Guitar Show held each October. (My favorite guitar show by the way as there were always lots of G&L's there!). When artists visited the G&L Factory Dale certainly was the lead man they dealt with. And of course, after touring the factory - meeting Leo was another highlight. So I can understand a player saying I got it from Dale and Leo! :) John Paul said it was in Leo's lab and Dale showed it to him. Leo said he could have, Dale wrote it up.

I can attest to this based on my own experience. I lived 4 blocks from G&L in Fullerton. When the first G&L Broadcaster advertisement broke, I called and asked about getting a piece of literature. At the time, George Fullerton is the one who answered the phone that day. When he learned I was close by he invited me over to the factory. Lo and Behold, in 10 minutes I'm holding a brand spanking new Broadcaster in my hands. Dale and George were the ones who greeted me. They put the guitar in my hands and wanted feedback. As I am playing, a grumpy old guy walks up to the doorway and leans against the door frame and listens to my comments (that was Leo!). They offered to sell me the guitar right there for $450 (which if memory serves was retail at the time). I was really close to pulling the trigger. But I had a new baby and decided to hang onto the cash (the sad part of being responsible, it was one of the first 10 - I think s/n 4 that I was playing and I had to walk away from it).

It was really cool the way G&L would roll out the carpet for artists, and surprising they did the same for a local customer. That's a great guitar you have and I always wondered if the lack of the sealer made for one of the reasons it sounded so good!

Regards,
Tim

Thanks for your input Tim! I was hoping you would chine in ... ;-)

- Jos


Wed Jul 30, 2014 8:53 am
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Post Re: Breakfast Report Wednesday, July 30, 2014: ASAT 'Cavalie
darwinohm wrote:
Jos, interesting guitar. The ash body is beautiful and the body seam seems to be off center a bit. Is it heavy? Thanks for posting another beauty from the Northwest Asat Museum! Interesting story of the previous ownership-- Darwin

Darwin,

The guitar does not feel heavy although I haven't put it on the scale. Wille do that this evening.

- Jos


Wed Jul 30, 2014 8:54 am
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Post Re: Breakfast Report Wednesday, July 30, 2014: ASAT 'Cavalie
great report and back story!


Wed Jul 30, 2014 9:06 am
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Post Re: Breakfast Report Wednesday, July 30, 2014: ASAT 'Cavalie
Great looking guitar and thanks again Tim for the back story.


Cheers,

Will


Wed Jul 30, 2014 9:37 am
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Post Re: Breakfast Report Wednesday, July 30, 2014: ASAT 'Cavalie
Hey Jos,

Great reports this week, swamped and no time send replies and kudos. I love the ASAT Cavalier ya got. That seems to be a cool combination of pups and I can only imagine the sound being better than the short lived ASAT HB the Buffalo Brothers had for a while and a bit more punch than other ASAT options. Would you recommend a Limited release with this set up, I might buy into that. :evilgrin:

Tim, you always seem to be at the right place at the right time. The responsible thing is what keeps you from collecting a stock pile.

Jos, the Solamente and ASAT 50 reports only got me back on the single pup, Esquire mind track again. Was going for one long time ago but I saved up enough money for the second pick up. ;) Your reports only make me want a Solamente and ASAT 50.

Will keep checking in and enjoying a peek into your collection and stories. :happy0065:

_________________
Cya,
Sam


Wed Jul 30, 2014 9:54 am
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Post Re: Breakfast Report Wednesday, July 30, 2014: ASAT 'Cavalie
great lunch report Jos !! ..... excellent contribution Tim !! ... I love reading and looking at this stuff


Wed Jul 30, 2014 12:21 pm
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Post Re: Breakfast Report Wednesday, July 30, 2014: ASAT 'Cavalie
HG-2R is one pickup I wish they'd never have discontinued. I would love to hear it in the out of phase setting. Thank you for being a good steward Jos. ~P


Thu Jul 31, 2014 10:42 pm
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Post Re: Breakfast Report Wednesday, July 30, 2014: ASAT 'Cavalie
Absolutely fantastic! Thank you for sharing.


Fri Aug 01, 2014 1:32 am
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Post Re: Breakfast Report Wednesday, July 30, 2014: ASAT 'Cavalie
ooo-la-la !
That sure is a sweet one. It seems a bit tragic that there aren't more out there .

I'm enjoying the reports this week ...gotta play catch-up a bit .
Thanks Jos, stay cool 8-)

elwood


Fri Aug 01, 2014 4:03 am
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Post Re: Breakfast Report Wednesday, July 30, 2014: ASAT 'Cavalie
I have the HG -2r pick ups on my Interceptor. Although I like them I find I have to tweak my amp to get it to sound as good as my other G&L 's


Fri Aug 01, 2014 3:28 pm
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Post Re: Breakfast Report Wednesday, July 30, 2014: ASAT 'Cavalie
Jon wrote me this morning, and his email contained a better nickname for this guitar. Hence it has been changed to 'CavASAT'. Shorter, snazzier, and still appropriate!!

- Jos


Last edited by yowhatsshakin on Tue Mar 27, 2018 6:29 pm, edited 1 time in total.



Sat Aug 02, 2014 6:31 am
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Post Re: Breakfast Report Wednesday, July 30, 2014: 'CavASAT'
One more pic showing how cool the grain looks under sealer only:
Image

- Jos


Sat Aug 02, 2014 7:11 am
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