Tuesday, May 1st, 2012

Judging a book by its cover…………

Shortly after I bought the ASAT special DLX, the SC-2 that i had ordered earlier in the year showed up. It is the blinged out Turquoise Metal Flake (on swamp ash) in my avatar, complete with locking tuners and the Saddle Lock bridge. I remember opening up the case for the first time and getting this big silly grin on my face….. It looked even better than i pictured it in my mind.







For the Limited Edition 2 discussion (which BTW where did everyone go?) I had a free moment and took some measurements of the ASAT and SC-2. In case you missed it here are the numbers..


At its widest point the ASAT measures 12 3/4" and the SC-2 was 12 1/16 ( 11/16's smaller )
At its narrowest point between the 2 pickups the ASAT measured 8 3/4 vs 8" for the SC-2 (3/4' smaller)
The most surprising stat is the upper fret access…. The ASAT and SC-2 are identical in every way. The radius and contour of the inside of the horn are the same, both measuring 2 1/4" across the 20th fret. The heel on both start just past the 16th fret - the same mount point as every other BBE era G&L i own.
The SC-2 actually measures 17 inches at its longest point vs 15 1/2 on the ASAT. (making the SC-2 an 1 1/2 longer)


At first glance i think the SC-2 gets a bum wrap for being a tiny toy guitar, but you can see by the numbers and the side by side pic, it holds its own against the ASAT. 3/4 of an inch is not much at all, something like a 6% difference. It would be interesting to compare those numbers to the original SC-2 to see how much bigger (if any) the SC-2 reissue is.

So on to the G&L question of the day….. Reissues. Do you like them or not? Would you like to see G&L do a specific reissue, for example an early 80's black broadcaster? or Do you ever think G&L will do a specific reissue? I know a lot of other companies promote the heck out of 59' this and 63' that i wonder if it would fly with a G&L. I may be tempted by a black broadcaster with black crinkle hardware!

Over the weekend i was on a jury panel for the students i teach at the college. It was the first time my schedule permitted me to partake in the panel, and boy i am glad i did. The students had a list of technical requirements they had to perform as well as play a couple of pieces, then myself along with the other instructors gave them a mark and some quick feedback. I have learned throughout my schooling to keep a very calm and open mind, but there certainly are times that you think you know what someone is going to sound like as soon as they open the case. Whether it be the beat up, falling apart Epiphone or the ratty punk t-shirt sometimes it is really hard not to judge the book by its cover. So on to the question… Are you guilty of judging someone on the gear they are playing?

I know that i always am on the other end, usually being judged I know that G.I.T caries a bit of a stigma (hello.... shredder) and there are usually a few guitar players checking out the band with this look on their face that screams "Do some guitar tricks you Monkey!" most of the time i just school them with tasty playing But, If we are being honest i think we all have done it a few times!! For me, as a general rule i really try hard not to.
The only guitar i took with me to GIT was a Steve Vai gem 77fp, There were 5-6 other guys who had the same guitar - i clearly remember thinking to myself "Boy i know what these guys are gonna sound like" Then i looked in the mirror! DOH! That was a pretty big eye opener for me. The next day i went an bought an Sunburst American Strat…. (too bad the internet and GbL wasn't around back then). As i have learned to be very tolerant and patient with guitar players, i know that there are a whole lot on the other end of the spectrum. In fact i am sure we have all encountered it just by playing G&L's!

Sorry for the rambling on, i could probably tell stories for days….Oh crap, lunch! Another sandwich today

Scott

i have certainly judged guitar players by the cover, but i do keep an open mind in case the playing doesn't match the image. and boy have i been very surprised at times. but it was hard not to judge the git guys who walk down on hollywood blvd and orange with their guitar around their neck, no case, trying to look cool. a lot of git guys came and started as freshmen at sc where i went to school. most in the studio program, some in the classical. a few of them even drove in their cars and still kept practicing while driving. not the most useful practice, they thought only the amount of practice mattered. good on you for buying the strat. most guys had charvels, ibanez, etc.

I have definitely judged the book by the cover. In fact, I enjoy it a great deal--provided I keep an open mind to find out if I am right or not! The best is when you are totally wrong about something and the player just kills in a way you don't expect!

When I was starting, a lot of the older players--not real successful guys I realize in retrospect with the benefit of perspective--indoctrinated me with a disdain for music education. How ridiculous is that? Now I realize guitar is like any thing else, the more you know, the more you can do, and the more you can learn! How much time did I waste trying to be some sort of 'hardcore' but really just being stupid?

Re-issues. I really don't go for reissues for a '59 this or '64.5 that. And the broadcaster kinda falls in that category, with me. Although I would really like to own a '85 someday! But I love that G&L brought the SC back, generally. I think the design changes they made make a lot of sense, and really preserve the uniqueness of the originals as well.

I like the concept currently being kicked around on the GBL II - and I think we should move the pickup ahead just a tich on the single pickup model....I'll post there soon as well. j

Still recovering from this mess.

I think most of us have a tendency to judge a bit by the cover, in fact first impressions often stick. I am open minded to the player and love to hear them. I see good players playing guitars I may not like but they are making the guitar sound good. The reality is that most of mine, I would not take to the average gig.

In my current state of mind I forgot to mention during the neck discussion yesterday, that American Guitar and Band has all the necks for g&Ls available (including basses) to feel, look at, or whatever. That is a real plus if you are exploring the possibility of a different neck profile.

Actually I am a fan of reissues. I find the Fender reissues to be some of the best Fenders I have seen. I like reissues with current electronics. The SC-2 that you have is one of the best I have seen. And thanks for the measurements Scott. Looks can be very deceiving and this is a classic case.

Back to the good looking cover, if a guitar doesn't pass the looks test it will not follow me home. I see a lot of art value in these critters.-- Darwin

Dig that finish! I don't have a problem with re-issues so long as the quality is there.

Thanks for the posts guys....

Louie - I can guarantee i was not one of those fools walking down Hollywood Blvd while playing guitar! I lived on the corner of Sycamore and Franklin, and had about a 5 min walk to school - most days i would pass by a fellow student playing their guitar on the way to class… It is funny to hear that it is still being done! All this reminiscing about SoCal makes me want to book a trip to the Golden State

SBNT - It is too bad you got some bad advice on music education. But you nailed it now! - The more you know, the more can do and learn - I may steal that line from you.

Darwin - Man, i hope you are feeling better soon.. That is really cool to hear that AG&B has all the neck profiles, they must be a really big G&L dealer… That or they have someone who is really passionate about G&L. I see the art value in these things too.. and i really can see and SC-2 with an f100 P/u done in Red Metal Flake hanging on your wall.

Will - Thanks for the complement and thanks for stopping by.

That's some deep blue finish Scott...
I can imagine opening the case for the first time, maybe G&L should have
some branded sunglasses taped to the case when a flake finish is ordered

I took a chance with my Mosrite , they look so opposite everything I have grown comfortable with
( Leo's and George's stylings). If I had stuck with my first impressions I wouldn't have known what all the hubbub was about.
I'll try and get some pics...it has a really cool green sparkle finish.

Elwood

It would be interesting to compare those numbers to the original SC-2 to see how much bigger (if any) the SC-2 reissue is.

ASAT Sandwich:


'82 SC-1, '86 ASAT, '82 SC-2

I wouldn't call the SCs "toy guitars", but they do absolutely feel a lot smaller and lighter than an ASAT when you A/B them. Here are the approximate dimensions for the SC-2:

Widest point: 11 15/16"

Waist (narrowest point): 7 5/8"

Length: 16 3/4" (I didn't measure the ASAT, but the SC-2 was at least 1 1/2" longer...it seemed closer to 2")

Thickness: 1 5/8" (about 1/16" thinner than the ASAT)

The horns seem to be the same as the re-issue's.

The waist was tought to call, as it is slightly offset. My 7 5/8" figure was straight across the body, not diagonally between the offsets (I hope that makes sense).

The SCs are longer than the ASAT, but there is a lot less mass to the body due to the narrower bouts and waist. I don't have an accurate scale, but my impression is that the SC-1 weighs about half as much as the ASAT, and the SC-2 is in between. All three instruments are maple. I need to pick up an accurate scale tomorrow.

Reissues: As you may have guessed, I like originals. I can't image G&L doing an accurate replica of a Leo-era instrument at this point (for example, with a skunk stripe or bi-cut neck and bridge serial number), but if a close approximation of the G-200 came out I would be all over it. The SC-2 was my dream guitar for about ten years, but I never saw or played an original before I found mine last fall. I did get one chance to play a reissue a couple of months before that, and have to say it didn't draw me in. It was definitely a nice guitar, but something about the way it felt just didn't grab me. If I had taken it home I probably would have fallen in love in a couple of days. Of course, I eagerly await the LE-2 coming to fruition, hopefully as an HG-1 reissue (or would it be the first issue?).

I always prejudge. I hate doing it, but it's a fact. I usually do it on the basis of age or trying to dress like they're in a music video, both of which build negative impressions. I've also always looked down on pointy guitars, but an impending NBD with an Interceptor (thanks again, Jon!) will make me change my tune.

Ken

Thanks for the posts guys....

Louie - I can guarantee i was not one of those fools walking down Hollywood Blvd while playing guitar! I lived on the corner of Sycamore and Franklin, and had about a 5 min walk to school - most days i would pass by a fellow student playing their guitar on the way to class… It is funny to hear that it is still being done! All this reminiscing about SoCal makes me want to book a trip to the Golden State

SBNT - It is too bad you got some bad advice on music education. But you nailed it now! - The more you know, the more can do and learn - I may steal that line from you.

Darwin - Man, i hope you are feeling better soon.. That is really cool to hear that AG&B has all the neck profiles, they must be a really big G&L dealer… That or they have someone who is really passionate about G&L. I see the art value in these things too.. and i really can see and SC-2 with an f100 P/u done in Red Metal Flake hanging on your wall.

Will - Thanks for the complement and thanks for stopping by.

i am not sure if it is still being done, i don't go down hollywood blvd and highland that often. but it sure was a common site when i lived there. if you come down here, definitely let me know. i know a few bad apples gave a bad name to all git grads. nowadays it doesn't hold the same status, or as many kids interested in attending as they did in the 80's-90's, in the golden age of mi. it's all what you take from it, i have met some phenomenal musicians who went there, and also a few that played nothing but sweeps and tapping. some of the local metalcore bands advertise looking for git guys as guitar players.

Elwood - I would love to see the pics of the Mosrite, and that is a great idea about the sunglasses - maybe some G&L branded sunglasses will be the icing on the cake for those on the fence with the Le2!

Ken - Thanks for doing up those measurements… It looks like the reissue is slightly larger. And handle that new bass with care, with all those sharp points and all!

Louie - The wife and I are planning to do a LA/vegas road trip in the near future. She would like to see SoCal, she has never been….Then we will drive out to Vegas (I have never been) for a few days. No date set, but it is in the works.

Elwood - I would love to see the pics of the Mosrite, and that is a great idea about the sunglasses - maybe some G&L branded sunglasses will be the icing on the cake for those on the fence with the Le2!

Ken - Thanks for doing up those measurements… It looks like the reissue is slightly larger. And handle that new bass with care, with all those sharp points and all!

Louie - The wife and I are planning to do a LA/vegas road trip in the near future. She would like to see SoCal, she has never been….Then we will drive out to Vegas (I have never been) for a few days. No date set, but it is in the works.

please let me know when you guys come. there may be a few new spots you are not aware of