nooooob...

hi there !

fell in love of an '93 asat classic almost a year ago, i found a little sister for her last week... weird funny looking '92 special...

Welcome, nice Asats!-- Darwin

hi there !

fell in love of an '93 asat classic almost a year ago, i found a little sister for her last week... weird funny looking '92 special...

Welcome!



Oh, and that "weird funny looking '92 special' is an ASAT (not an ASAT Special) [from a 1992 G&L Catalog in our Gallery]:

the worst part is that i searched the catalog in the gallery and didn't found it...

anyway... thanx a lot for that information ! i was there was something special about that non-special asat !

so the only difference is the body wood : elder ! interesting !

Welcome! Those are gorgeous ASATs.

so the only difference is the body wood : elder ! interesting !

The difference was the finish on the metal trim. They were called "ASAT" if the tuners, pickguard, bridge and controls were black, and "ASAT Special" if those parts were chrome. The guitars were identical in all other respects, including the headstock decals. In the mid-90s swamp ash became standard for clear finishes and the black hardware went away. After that they were all called ASAT Specials.

Ken

Welcome "noooooob...." Ha!

Beautiful pair of ASATs you have there. Have not seen too many in white of that vintage, for some reason.

As you've probably discovered, the pickups on those two are quite different - as are the bridges.

Though I have experience With ASATs and ASAT Specials, I've never owned nor played a Classic.

That said, I was just wondering how you'd compare the two insofar as which one you select to play what kind of music.

Again, glad you found this place. - ed

As you've probably discovered, the pickups on those two are quite different - as are the bridges.

In "Guitars by George and Leo", George Fullerton wrote that the ASAT Classic bridge was an exact replica of the '52 Tele bridge, made from his original drawing. The only difference was drilling it for six saddles instead of three (and I guess stamping "G&L" instead of "Fender"). Considering how many other hardtail bridge designs came and went in that time, it's nice to see that the original concept could still hold up against the SaddleLock.

Ken

Indeed, Ken. I think George's timeless design is an integral part of getting the quintessential "Tele" sound of an instrument. I honestly don't think this is possible with the SaddleLock, though I have tried. Still, I prefer the SaddleLock for sustain and right hand comfort. - ed

Noob, you have an awesome pair. Do ever play out in a black suit with a white tie ?
That would catch my eye if I was passing by and you were on a stage somewhere.


Ed, One thing I've learned recently....backing off the volume a bit to maybe 80-85% helps get that tele sound.

If your amp doesn't have any compression in the highs...adding a compressor will help also.
If you don't have a compressor on hand try dialing out the treble a bit on your guitar to get rid of the icepick tone
and add a little treble on the amp with a touch of reverb.
I'm still a noob at getting some sounds, I was surprised when I could get a good tele sound from my homemade ax
(no boxed bridge).
The old JBL 12's really helped get that classic sound too, they seem to compress in the right places.

Last edited by Elwood on Wed Feb 20, 2013 8:37 pm, edited 1 time in total.

Fantastic looking pair! I love the look of the Special!

I love your ASAT. It matches my Legacy

Welcome "noooooob...." Ha!

Beautiful pair of ASATs you have there. Have not seen too many in white of that vintage, for some reason.

As you've probably discovered, the pickups on those two are quite different - as are the bridges.

Though I have experience With ASATs and ASAT Specials, I've never owned nor played a Classic.

That said, I was just wondering how you'd compare the two insofar as which one you select to play what kind of music.

Again, glad you found this place. - ed

hey ! thanx !

well, as you said, there are some big differences between the two appart the pups : bridge, string-through, wood ash/alder (and not Elder as i said here above )

the main difference regarding the pups is that the asat ones are a bit hotter, higher output... the asat sound a little bit less clear and brilliant than the classic... i have the asat since only a week, so it's my little fav now... you know, honeymoon !

the way i will choose between the two will more depend on my mood than the style i play !

but i'm still experimenting with the asat... this is only the first impression... i'll be able to figure it out more precisely in a few months...

Noob, you have an awesome pair. Do ever play out in a black suit with a white tie ?
That would catch my eye if I was passing by and you were on a stage somewhere.

no but most of the times, i wear a black shirt with white printing or a white one with black printing !


thanx everyone !

Very nice ASATs, welcome noooooob....

i learned here above that my asat's body seems to be alder...

even if the '92 catalog says that the classic is ash as standard, i read on this forum that classics have alder as standard as well since '93...

how can i be sure ?

no one ?

You need to take the neck off so you can see bare body wood to identify. - ed

i learned here above that my asat's body seems to be alder...

even if the '92 catalog says that the classic is ash as standard, i read on this forum that classics have alder as standard as well since '93...

how can i be sure ?

Like Ed said, you'd have to remove the neck and check the pocket. It can be difficult sometimes to tell ash from alder even on a full unfinished board, so telling from the pocket can be especially tricky. A couple of high-resolution photos catching all surfaces of the pocket would be helpful.

Ken

well... i'm not very at ease about doing it by myself... think i'll wait the next visit to the luthier...