G&L Family Picture and Parts Guitar Lunch Report 12-6-13

Yesterday’s replies may lead to a few new pedals, thanks for all replies. A Minifooger is on my radar now thanks to KenC.

Well I am still in Dallas, so when you see the news reports of snow and ice I am looking at it out the window. Soon to be a plane window I hope!
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What’s for lunch? Who knows, could be plane food or hopefully will make it back for home cookin'!

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G&L Topic

Family picture day, and that is G&L guitar family pictures! I have a few pictures of my ASAT’s that are labeled “Family pictures” for fun that I will share and ask you all to share your pictures of your collection or specific model shots. Those with one, consider you’re an only child G&L family.

My ASAT Family includes
ASAT Z2 WR (parts guitar), Z3 SH, Custom with DF, Deluxe with many pup mods, JR, Broadcaster, Classic Signature, Classic Custom, ASAT JD (from BBE era parts) and a 88’ ASAT. Trying to catch up with Jos.

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From an early age the ASAT body style grabbed my attention, and I consider the guitar body as a tool to be changed along the way.

Do you have a favorite body style that you stick?

Parts guitars, are another subject, I love the fact you can piece together about any design you want and G&L parts are available evry now and then. (the web person mentioned recently as an excdeption) I have changed pups in a few G&L’s, added switches and changed some hardware but they are still essentially G&L’s to me.

Here's a close up of a tribby that I changed the neck to a Legacy style, added two custom overwound Z coils and this week put on a Hipshot B Bender. Still needs more strings but very excited about this project!

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Here's a close up of original tribby with Legacy neck attached

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Non-G&L Topic
Let’s use our imagination a bit with this one and think of potential playing partners. Tell us who you would like to play guitar with, players who have died, current performer and a GLDP member you think would be fun to jam with.

Dead player choice for me is Jerry Garcia, pun obviously intended but Jerry is one of my all time faves and he could cover a ton of tone beyond noodling jams.

Current performer would be hard to choose just one but Eric Johnson would be right up there. Maybe he could design the Eric Johnson G&L signature model.

The GLDP member would be Jos, so I could get my hands on that fantastic ASAT collection.

BONUS CHOICE would be Will Ray since he is both a current performer and a GLDP member! He could show me how to get the most out of my new Hipshot.

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Thanks to all for a fun week and I look forward to the next Lunch Reporter who read mine and thought, “why not talk about _________ or I remember when ________happened ” come on jump in, especially those who have not been a Lunch Reporter.

Sam

Hope the weather holds out long enough for you to make it home today.

A couple of quick notes to catch up on the past couple of days reports.

Reissues: I hear that YES Close to The Edge was just released in a DVD 5.1 surround sound uber deluxe package. Since Close to Edge is one of my all time fav records I guess I'll have to pick it up. Or maybe Santa will overlook my many transgressions from this year and still put me on the "nice" list and it will show up under my tree Christmas morning.

pedals: really not much of a pedal guy. Other than an overdrive pedal and occasional chorus I don't use much. Well, now that I think about it that's really not true. Since most of my playing these days is basement bound plugged into a `puter I'm often plugged into a POD XT.


Deceased player would have to be Hendrix. Then afterwards we could both set our guitars on fire.

Current player is tough. Maybe Nels Cline from Wilco. Cuz so often I hear him play a riff and wonder how is he getting that sound.

G&L member might be Darwin. Using your logic he's got a boat load of fine looking G&L's to try out.

Jeff

You have a lovely family, Sam! And the Z-2 is a great idea, should be a production guitar (although I guess it's just a pickguard away from a Z-3).

I totally agree with you, that the Asat shape works best for me. It's structurally solid, it's comfortable, it contributes to good sound, and I just plain like how it looks; its history of being a regular guitar with a bit cut out and then the upper part tweaked as well, is good honest design and a likeable, functional style. Plus you can put B-benders and things on it 'cos it's flat, robust etc. I really like it (as long as it's a G&L one, for me). I find the general shape quite pretty.

Fantastic question regarding jam partners.
Must absolutely agree about Jerry Garcia for a departed music-mate.
But for me very seriously also:
Clarence White
Big Jim Sullivan
Chet Atkins
J Hendrix

Living:
Bill Frisell
Jerry Douglas
Jerry Donahue
Brad Paisley

And you said it regarding our own GLDP guys, it has to be:
Darwin
and
Will Ray.

Good luck with your weather!!

Body type- I used to hate S-type guitars, now I like my legacy better than my LP except for the neck shape. Still not a huge fan of t-style but I can appreciate them. I definitely like ASAT's better than FMIC Teles (somewhat ironically I can't stand the Fender(tm) headstocks on telecasters). You have a cool collection.

Parts- I'm currently putting together a list for a partscaster I want to build. It will be my first/only and I'll make it probably from Mighty Mite body/neck or a FMIC body and MM neck. I don't want it to be a big investment, I just want to experiment with a vintage tremolo and compound radius neck.

I did just notice a legacy nearby on CL that has gold hardware, which I'm tempted to buy just for the hardware alone. Trouble is I hate the rest of the guitar and don't want to be stuck with it.

Players:
The tough thing about picking one great deceased player is the list of great, deceased players always grows... Some obvious ones to consider: Jimi, SRV, Duane Allman, Tedesco

But I might like to go into the way back machine and say someone like Django Reinhardt, Robert Johnson or Bill Broonzy. It would be cool to jam with someone from a time so far removed from ours.

The choice of a living guitarist could be just as long: Derek Trucks, EVH, Dick Dale, Chuck berry, Tommy Emmanuel, Doyle Dykes, Gilmore, Dan Auerbach, Rory Block...

If pressed, I'd probably say either Clapton or Emmanuel. It would be tough for me to choose between either.

As for someone from this board? Probably anyone. If I get travel expenses paid then somebody who lives in the tropics or maybe Australia? Then I could rotate seasonally... LOL

thanks for a great week of LR.

Yes you do have a lovely family Sam! Thanks for the fun week and I hope that you get out of that airport! That was the thing that I hated most about traveling for work, airport delays. Minnesota looks pretty good compared to where you are, we are finally above zero and sunny. I had a good sandwich today, no soup.

Nice family, the bound Z is awesome and your WR build is no slouch either. I was a Strat type guy until I decided to put a Bigsby on My American Deluxe Tele. It was the perfect guitar until I saw an Asat. I saw my Z-3 with the Bigsby a few years back and sold the Fender Tele to buy it. I have never looked back. I am not posting the family but a couple that I think are interesting looking. The Z-3



and a Spalted Bluesboy. Most of them were Alder bodies and this happens to have an Ash. Here it is.




I will include the Gadow as it has custom flames.



I do have a parts Fender which is all American Deluxe with Lace Sensor Chrome Domes. I am curious as to why you put a Legacy neck on the Asat. I suspect the neck was bad and the Legacy was available. That is what is nice about G&L, they are interchangeable. The pink Lady restoration was a fun project and I have a project ready to go first thing in the spring. Parts rigs are fun.

I have spent hours watching Chet and Paul Yandel on utube. Some of these old players were awesome, including Jerry Reed. When I had medium speed internet last winter I watched the Hellecasters and was really entertained. I had known about JJ from his Desert Rose days but this was my introduction to Will. He is a pro and very talented. It would be fun to play bass behind him but I would probably need Ken and Jamie as backup. As for the forum members I would be happy to jam with all of you and I would be the bass player. We could cover aq lot of music with this bunch! Most of you are a better guitarist than I am.

I would love to look at all of Jos Asats. It would take a couple of days. There are several here who have very nice groups of G&Ls, especially older ones. I hope that most of you post your pictures today. We love to look at all of them. Thanks again Sam for the fun week. Who is next? -- Darwin

I, too, like the ASAT for resonance, sustain and comfort, especially sitting down. I also like my S-500 carve and the conventional PRS carve for overall comfort. Biggest discovery later in life was playing guitars that were lighter in weight.

I posted about the on-line store the other day, but that actually turned out well. I found a confirmation-of-order email, responded to it, and Jose is going to send me the correct part. They use a fulfillment company, so I only did that as a last resort, but it worked.

I have all kinds of parts projects, several of which have involved G&L's. I love doing this stuff. Fender-based guitars are naturally good platforms for boutique electronics, and while I like G&L electronics, I do swap pickups in and out. As I said yesterday, G&L's also lend themselves to really dialing in tube amps for perfect tone. I see you have several nice amps in addition to your fine guitars.

Alive: Clapton, Benson
Dead: Harrison, Atkins

Good job this week!

Bodies - I too am a fan of the ASAT/tele shape. I remember the first time I played one and just loved the sound and feel, much more bashable than the strat I had been playing. I didn't get one for years after that first time, but now have enough of them. The most comfortable guitar I've ever played was my SC2, which I recently traded away for a fantastic amp.

Parts guitars - I recently refinished a parts guitar I built a while ago. It used to be shell pink, so I stripped it back and redid it in a light brown natural stain with a very thin coat of poly over the top. I stuck different pickups in it too - thats an S500 middle pickup in the neck, one of the best sounding neck pickups I've used


You always manage to learn a lot from playing with others, and I'd love to play with Cesar Rosas and David Hidalgo from Los Lobos. They're both great guitarists and singers and know how to work an audience. I'd like a lesson or two from Jim Campilongo to see how he makes those sounds with just a guitar and an amp. Dead guys? Jerry Reed and Albert Collins

Howdy Sam,

Strangly enough I find myself home this afternoon, getting ready for the company X-mas party. I'll start with your second question first, so here are some people I would love to jam with:
- Pat Metheny, although I would <you know what> in my pants being afraid of playing crummy …
- Bill Frisell
- John Mayer
- Keith Richards
and for GbL members definitely Darwin and Jamie.

And thanks for picking me! When you find yourself in my neck of the woods, you're welcome to drop by. To whet your appetite, here's the current menu of 43 ASATs:



My ASAT Solamente is not part of a group pic yet, so here it is by its onesie:



- Jos

Thank you all for helping me get through the week and providing many new ideas and many GAS inducing pictures. Some fantastic player we want to jam with for sure.

From today's report feedback

Jeff – I was unaware of the new Yes output. The prog fan in me will quickly add this to my Christmas list as well. Nels Cline is one of those underrated players, or maybe just unknown, that pulls off some sweet riffs. Here he is on Wilco’s Impossible Germany.

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Nick – the one thing keeping it from a Z3 is these are actually custom over wound pups that are a bit darker but still have Z coil quality. Got these from a fellow GLDP member. Oh yeah, it is a Z3 pick guard with a local shop sticker covering middle hole. 

Bloodied – you can find parts on the web and build a patscaster fairly cheap but it may take some time. Try trading parts and pieces you can get rid of, that has worked for me. Love the way back machine.

Darwin – our local shop is a Gadow dealer and I am tempted every time I go in. Ryan Gadow does a nice neck on those guitars and the P90 versions have a great tone. I would like to try his Nashville model that has tele characters. Ah, the Legacy neck, wWell it was the first tribby replacement I found but when I learned the Indonesion Legacy tribs come with a 12” radius neck I was all over because I prefer it to the 9” radius on ASAT trib. Kind of reminds me of the #1 neck on my Z3.

Ldavaz – glad the online deal got squared away. Speaking of lighter guitars, my Z3 and ASAT JR are both no f hole semi hollows and I appreciate lighter guitars more these days. I learned years ago that Albert Collins and his trademark tele was a semi hollow no hole. Thanks for the amp complement. There is a 70’s Vibro Champ hidden under the table at right end as well.

Blarg – SWEET parts guitar and I will track down a S500 middle pup for next project, or just upgrade on a 62 tele reissue I may make changes to.

Jos – I now have a new background for my computer screen, as well as ammunition to use the next time I get resistance of a new ASAT purchase, thank you very much!

TGIF and remember to support your local musicians this weekend!

Thanks Sam for an entertaining week.
I'll be playing catch up this weekend, I just didn't make time this week to organize words and pictures
into something intelligible .

Keep those fingers warm,
elwood