Quest for Keepers

[Cactus Jack]

Thanks for the link! My search for an ASAT isn't over...

[Cactus Jack]

Below are a few pics of the Comanche and F-100. As I've mentioned before a big part of this hobby for me is negotiating deals on guitars. I love it, but realize the vast majority of folks hate negotiating...similar to how many people hate public speaking. Most of this may be obvious, but I thought I'd explain a bit of my approach in how I secure the majority of my guitars.

The first point is Respect. You always need to respect the seller. As a seller, there is nothing worse than receiving a low ball offer. I hate this approach and think it's both disrespectful, and tasteless. When a buyer is clearly trying to exploit a seller the deal is dead. As a buyer, I obviously want to buy low, but I never want to exploit another person for my personal gain. We're dealing with guitars, not nuclear weapons for goodness sake...have fun and be kind.

The second point is Knowledge. On both the buy side and sell side, I try to know as much as possible about the item. Seems simple enough, but with G&Ls especially, you need to know neck profiles, materials, pickups, dates etc. It's shocking to me how many folks simply don't know what they have. Now, it's not my job to educate them, but back to point one, it is my job to be respectful and honest with what I know.

The third point is about mentality. Specifically, I will never say someones No for them. The Comanche and F-100 are good examples of this. In my opinion, both guitars were listed way too high. As a result, both had been sitting for months with no buyers in sight. Neither seller was accepting offers so I simply reached out and started a conversation. Rather than be scared off due to the high asking price, and assuming the seller would say No to any offer, I presented an offer and secured both guitars at a significant discount. Had I assumed they'd say No or said their No for them, I would have missed out on two potentially awesome guitars. The worst case is you are told No, which is no big deal. Guitars, in general, are a commodity and it makes zero sense to negotiate against yourself if there are no other buyers knocking on the door.

Last point, know your numbers. To successfully run an experiment like this you need to know the actual market value for the instruments. Not what you think they are worth, but what they are actually worth. Often times sellers have an emotional connection with their guitar and place significant intrinsic value on the item. As a buyer, the moment you pay for intrinsic value is the moment you lose margin on the sell side. The goal is simple, buy under market and sell above market. You can't buy and sell at market or fees and shipping will destroy you. You need fact-based targets on both sides of the deal. If the numbers don't work you simply walk away. There are a million fish in the sea, and the next catch is just around the corner.

Once this experiment is over I'll post my financial results and summary of transactions. I've learned a lot of lessons along the way, played a lot of cool guitars, am having an absolute blast talking with great people, negotiating exciting deals, this has been a lot of fun.

[Cactus Jack]

Getting excited for that Comanche. I just took a spin through the registry and only 5% of the registered Comanches have the saddle lock bridge. Between the flame top, painted headstock, and birds eye maple neck it appears this is a fairly unique build. It embodies a lot of characteristics I look for in a keeper...hoping it arrives as advertised.

I may have jumped the gun on the F-100. A good condition model just popped up locally, but with the black crinkle hardware. It's my understanding those are pretty darn rare. The internet is a blessing and a curse. There are endless options and choices. Back in the day you'd post an add in the paper, and on a good day you see a handful of guitars. It was soooo simple.

[Danley]

I may have jumped the gun on the F-100. A good condition model just popped up locally, but with the black crinkle hardware. It's my understanding those are pretty darn rare. The internet is a blessing and a curse. There are endless options and choices. Back in the day you'd post an add in the paper, and on a good day you see a handful of guitars. It was soooo simple.

I think I remember seeing the one you bought on whatever site it was posted to - I don't think you can call that one a loser at all with how great it looks It seems like matte black hardware is even more rare than crinkle at least based on a survey of guitars I've found online; I've only seen pics of maybe a couple other hardtails (beside mine) that have a matte bridge and plate.

[Cactus Jack]

I may have jumped the gun on the F-100. A good condition model just popped up locally, but with the black crinkle hardware. It's my understanding those are pretty darn rare. The internet is a blessing and a curse. There are endless options and choices. Back in the day you'd post an add in the paper, and on a good day you see a handful of guitars. It was soooo simple.

I think I remember seeing the one you bought on whatever site it was posted to - I don't think you can call that one a loser at all with how great it looks It seems like matte black hardware is even more rare than crinkle at least based on a survey of guitars I've found online; I've only seen pics of maybe a couple other hardtails (beside mine) that have a matte bridge and plate.

Is this what yours looks like? This one is for sale not far from me. Would it be worth the drive?

[Danley]

I mentioned (or maybe I didn't) that my particular F100 is my favorite, and one of the top two or three guitars I've ever played (next to an Ernie Ball Petrucci MM) - so I'm biased One thing I mentioned about the later models (with matte/crinkle plates) is they're more likely to have the treble knob wired to the bridge pickup, which probably makes some difference in tone; the pickup pole pieces are also different.

(The black knobs were painted at some point, not original - but the matte black plates are stock.)



What the hell, here's the rest - obviously not mint but...

[glvourot]

That Comanche looks great , I'm looking forward to your impressions. The F-100 looks good Danley , you did a great job on it .

[Cactus Jack]

Here is a very cool ASAT Classic S. I've struggled to bond with my previous ASATs, but this model has piqued my interest. I really appreciate the versatility of the guitar. Each of the 7 positions offers something unique. This guitar can do everything a standard ASAT can do, plus a bit of Straty stuff too. I've tried standard ASAT Classics, both MFD and Alnico, and a Bluesboy, and this by far my favorite configuration. A/Bing with the Bluesboy made me really appreciate the crispness of the MFDs. Compared to the Seth Lover, the MFD offered better response, string separation. The Seth Lover was way warmer, however I simply prefer open and clear vs warm and thick.

With that said, for me this specific guitar isn't a keeper. This is basically an off the rack model with none of the unique special features that I look for. However, the Shoreline Gold is pretty cool. From a distance it looks like a solid color, but up close you can see it has ultra fine metal flake that actually looks like sand. Really, this was an opportunistic purchase as I got an incredible deal and wanted to try the model out. She is off to a new home, but my next ASAT will definitely be an S...with rear contour...I really liked that aspect of the guitar.

[y2kc]

I recently lowered the pole's on my second body style sc-3 and I am in tele heaven. I also recently started using an attenuator and have tuned this guitar down a half step. The results have been shocking. Big thick lush tones at a neighborhood friendly setting. Remember my living room is 10 feet from a church so I have to be nice.
This sc-3 has a locking bridge and is doing the tele thing really well. My home rig right now is a converted 1955 ish RCA intercom - Full Tone - Bugera SP-1 - 2-12 cab. I have never messed with an attenuator before and I must say that it is allowing me to heat the amp up and get some great tone.

Pole adjustment does effect tone and you should experiment. You can always put them back where they were.

y2kc

[Cactus Jack]

My dad took one look at the bass and fell in LOVE. He's now the proud new owner of this awesome instrument. Actually, he doesn't know it yet. I just shipped it up to him as a surprise...with note stating that when he dies I get it back . I can't assess a bass as I've never owned one and can't play it, however from an craftsman standpoint this L-2000 was impressive. Flawless in all aspects, with one of the best flame tops I've ever come across. I did plug it into a FRFR speaker, don't have a bass amp, and I can confirm the tonal options on this bass are off the charts. I'd imagine in the right hands this thing would be a very powerful tool! One cool thing is I came across the 1998/1999 G&L add slick and it shows a very similar bass. Kind of cool to know G&L thought enough of the specs to put in the add material.

[Cactus Jack]

I've been thinking about a custom build. Does G&L offer a custom shop build configuration tool? I can't seem to find one. With all the options it seems like a no brainer, and a great way to spec up a guitar. If it exists please point me in the right direction.

[Craig]

I've been thinking about a custom build. Does G&L offer a custom shop build configuration tool? I can't seem to find one. With all the options it seems like a no brainer, and a great way to spec up a guitar. If it exists please point me in the right direction.

AFAIK, they have no plans to do a Custom Shop build configuration tool. For G&L Custom Shop orders, you must go through one of the G&L Custom Shop Dealers,
listed on the G&L Custom Shop website at http://glguitars.com/customshop/.
Here is the link to see the latest G&L Custom Shop Specifications and Options we have in the G&L Specifications and Options sub-forum: Jan. 1, 2019-present Custom Shop Specifications & Options.

Hope this helps.

[Cactus Jack]

I've been thinking about a custom build. Does G&L offer a custom shop build configuration tool? I can't seem to find one. With all the options it seems like a no brainer, and a great way to spec up a guitar. If it exists please point me in the right direction.

AFAIK, they have no plans to do a Custom Shop build configuration tool. For G&L Custom Shop orders, you must go through one of the G&L Custom Shop Dealers,
listed on the G&L Custom Shop website at http://glguitars.com/customshop/.
Here is the link to see the latest G&L Custom Shop Specifications and Options we have in the G&L Specifications and Options sub-forum: Jan. 1, 2019-present Custom Shop Specifications & Options.

Hope this helps.

Geez, what a huge miss. This is business 101...make it easy for people to find and buy your product. With all the custom options available there probably close to million unique combinations and G&L doesn't offer a simple tool to help support their premier dealers...let alone their customers buy their product. Simply confounding...

However, after doing some digging I did find a tool! It appears to be a custom made tool, runs on flash so may not work for everyone, and appears to be several years old. However, you can configure several models and actually see what your dream guitar may look like. It's not perfect, but if offers a ton of options and is exactly what I was looking for. Don't rely on it for pricing or final results, but pretty awesome to try different colors, pickguards, binding etc.

http://www.glguitarsgenerator.com/Guitar_index.html

[FZTNT]

they are too busy playing in their new "Fort" they call Leo's Lounge that they have no time for real business or attending to their customers needs. Buying up old guitars to play with instead of listening to what their customer's (ex in some cases) want to pay good money for.

Tom

[Danley]

they are too busy playing in their new "Fort" they call Leo's Lounge that they have no time for real business or attending to their customers needs. Buying up old guitars to play with instead of listening to what their customer's (ex in some cases) want to pay good money for.

Tom

There's a good point buried in there; but if Leo's lounge is open to the public and serves beer I view it as good PR (since I live a few blocks away.) I hope the buying of old guitars somehow contributes to those models eventually getting reissued.

[DanDoulogos]

they are too busy playing in their new "Fort" they call Leo's Lounge that they have no time for real business or attending to their customers needs. Buying up old guitars to play with instead of listening to what their customer's (ex in some cases) want to pay good money for.

Tom

This post made me chuckle Tom. No one has to wonder where you stand on the issue.

All mirth aside, G&L doesn't seem to understand the Internet yet. It's just another advertising platform to them. They are a manufacturing company whose sales department sells guitars to box stores, and not to people directly. I expect they will eventually be forced to shed this archaic mindset, but I'd prefer they were the innovators rather than the last ones called up to the big table.

When they start selling guitars to the public directly, the configuration tool will be a sales tool, and not just a plaything to see what my dream guitar would cost.

[Cactus Jack]

Comanche shootout coming up...then I'm really done with the experiment . This one has a bound ebony board, which is something I've really wanted to try out. The binding is something I've considered adding to a custom build, but wanted to try it out first. After checking this out I'll have basically tried out all custom options I'm interested in. I've never played a bound Strat style guitar before...should be interesting.




VS

[Cactus Jack]

NOOOO!!!! The F-100 arrived today, and the nut broke loose and the neck is twisted. Even with the nut positioned properly the E string is essentially off the fretboard. Honestly, I've never seen this happen before. Any ideas what's going on? I'm not touching the truss rod and will have free returns so it'll be going back. Here are a few pics:

[Danley]

If you had your heart set on keeping the guitar, I'd make an attempt at the following (...Though since you can return it I understand why you want to go that route; but before you do that I might try some of the below. Unless you're incredibly clumsy, you shouldn't be able to hurt things more. If not, this might be a sign to go pick up the guitar with the black plates But I do hope this one goes to a good home ultimately, shouldn't be a tough repair after all)

-Remove or loosen the neck and *gently* see if there's any play that would allow it to move from side to side. Though I doubt this is the case - it looks like the joint is pretty tight on that guitar, and on my own F100 the neck joint is so precise/tight the neck stays in without any screws, provided the strings are removed of course. Speaking of which - it actually is a standard G&L instruction (from the original booklet) to slightly loosen the screws of the neck with the strings on, to get the neck to align itself

-When you say the neck is twisted, are you referring to the misalignment of the strings or to an actual twist in the neck itself? Sometimes if the guitar was jostled and got 'stuck' twisted, you can (again gently) un-twist the neck. If it doesn't stick back in the flat position, it may be possible for a luthier to clamp and heat it flat again

-I'm curious to see how the strings would lay if the nut were fully re-seated, since in the above pics it still looks like the nut is off a few mm - correct? I'd possibly enlist a luthier to make a new nut out of a better material anyway

[Cactus Jack]

I just loosened the neck and there was zero movement. That sucker is in tight.

The neck is twisted like a cork screw. There's a big dip near the body on the low E string side then twists clockwise. I should've taken better pictures.

Anything else I should try?

I think I'll swing it by my tech and get his opinion and potential cost of the repair.

[Cactus Jack]

I took the guitar to my tech and he nearly fell over. Not because of the condition of the neck, but because how awesome the guitar is. He's been working on guitars for 20+ years and this is the first F-100 he's ever seen.

Regarding the neck he thinks it's no big deal. He's going to cut a new nut then reset the neck as needed. He said back in the day tolerances were all over the board, especially hand cut bodies, so if anything it may just need a shim. He actually thinks he'll get every realigned following Danley's suggestion. I tried it, but was apparently to much of a wuss to pull hard enough. He said this is super common and he sees it all the time. He was convinced this was a great find, and one of the better 37 year old guitars to come in the shop for a while. I left it with and will pick it up next week...hoping everything goes as well as he plans.

[Danley]

Glad to hear it's salvageable and that you're indeed getting the work put into it; it looks like a great guitar and from the tech's feedback sounds promising Hopefully you'll have one of the Comanches keeping you company in the meantime (and perhaps that other black-plate F100 - not to goad you into it )

[Cactus Jack]

OH MY! I LOVE the Comanche!!!

The guitars are setup differently, and sound completely different. The biggest difference is the pickup height. The Redburst pickups are much lower, and to my ear, sound much better. Both guitars are flawless and awesome.

One cool thing about the Redburst is it has the Classic Wide C with the 1 3/4" nut. That was a shock to me as they are hard to come by, and is my favorite G&L neck profile. The bound ebony fretboard is amazing too.

I definitely have a keeper here. I just need time to figure out which one it is. Here's a quick pic of the pair.

[john o]

i'd advise the redburst!

[WitSok]

Love that three tone Comanche! Redburst is pretty sweet too, but 3TSB is more my style. Playing with the pickup heights and pole pieces you can get some really sweet tones from MFDs. Let us know which one you decide to keep... I'm guessing the Redburst based on the neck...

Thanks for sharing your quest.

Cheers, Dan

[Cactus Jack]

I spent a few hours last night dialing in the setups. They are as close to identical as I can get with my skill set. To my ear they also sound darn near identical. The only difference between the guitars is fingerboard material, and I honestly can't hear a difference.

There are a few significant differences though. The Sunburst is a full 1.25 pounds lighter, and acoustically rings like a bell. It's extremely resonate...it's the type of guitar you feel while playing it. By comparison the Redburst has about half the acoustic tone and vibration. Still very present, but the Sunburst is kind of special. It's probably one of the most resonant guitars I've played in a long time.

About 15 years ago I was in a music shop and as I walked by a PRS I lightly strummed the strings. That guitar stopped me in my tracks as I barely touched it and it unleashed a wave of tone I wasn't expecting. I didn't buy it, and I kick myself everyday for letting that one slip away. The Sunburst didn't give me that experience, but it certainly grabbed my attention.

I prefer the aesthetics of the Sunburst, but the bound Classic W C neck on the Redburst is close to perfection. The Saddle Lock bridge and bound neck Wide neck are now two must haves on a future custom build. I'm not crazy crazy about the red, and much prefer the top of the Sunburst...but the neck...

It's going to be a tough decision. I need more play time.

[glvourot]

I would go for the TTB but I am biased ( it looks like my S-500 ) and it also sounds great unplugged. Tough decision no doubt.

[Tooslowhand]

I realize there is a bit of sacrilege associated with this statement, but you could swap the necks. It would mess up the serial number records and likely what is written in the neck pocket, but maybe you are OK with that.

[Danley]

The headstock are matched, so think swapping necks between them wouldn't be acceptable aesthetics to most; I prefer the regular burst, but do like the binding

[Tooslowhand]

Duh,,, I guess I didn't look close enough. Sorry for being an idiot

[Cactus Jack]

I decided I couldn't wrap up my Quest for Keepers without an ASAT Classic in the collection. As you've seen, I've tried my fair share but haven't found the keeper I'm looking for. Below is an ASAT Classic Alnico that I tried out. It's not a keeper, but it is a great guitar.

Compared to the MFD pickups, the Alnicos are much warmer. They provide the classic Tele experience with nice snappy twang and sparkle. This guitar came with a quatersawn neck, which was nice to check out. The grain pattern is unique, but it has zero impact on tone. If you're a gigging musician, which I am not, opting for a quartersawn neck may make sense due to the additional stability. Since I'm a home player the benefit is simply wasted on me. The color is Clear Orange over a Swamp Ash body. The orange body with the cream pickguard and cream natural wood binding made this guitar quite the looker. My daughter named this one Creamsicle. Ultimately, I decided orange isn't my thing, but I do think this combo looks very classy. At the end of the day, this ASAT didn't speak to me. It's an awesome guitar, but I just didn't bond with it. Of my keepers this one didn't have a feature or offered anything unique that really wowed me so off she went.

I've purchased two more ASATs to try out. I'm going to give an ASAT Classic one last try, and I've found a sweet ASAT Classic S which I think may be the one. We shall see. In the mean time here are a few pics of Creamsicle.

[Cactus Jack]

Been thinking about the incoming ASAT Classic S I have coming. I really like the Shoreline gold model I had. It was the best playing and most versatile ASAT I've played so far. The versatility is what I really enjoyed...pretty cool to get 7 tones out of a guitar that normally has 3. However, why stop at 7?

If this guitar is a Keeper I'm flirting with the idea of adding a second push/pull pot for series/parallel switching. Has anyone tried that on a Nashville style Tele? Who knows if I'd ever use all the tones, but at least if I wanted to they'd be available. Is there any downside?

[Tooslowhand]

I have a Telecaster that I rewired for parallel-series switching. It is a pretty common mod. I used a CTS tone pot with a push-pull switch. In standard position the blade switch works as expected, and the middle position has both pickups in parallel. When I pull on the tone pot the blade switch is bypassed and both pickups are wired in series. It makes a hotter/fatter tone, and I like the versatility, but it isn't a must have. A complication for a standard Tele neck pickup is that the cover has to be disconnected from the pickup return and grounded separately in order for it to work. Wasn't a big deal as I just ordered the pickups that way. Switching probably gets a bit trickier with a three pickup guitar depending on what you want it to do.

[Cactus Jack]

I forgot to add pics of the first S3 I had. This was actually a standard special that the previous own modified. They did a great job on the route (didn't take a picture) and also added an expander switch. This guitar was really cool except the neck was super thin, and the vintage finish on the neck was borderline orange. It actually reminded me of a cheap SX guitar I bought years ago...didn't look very good. The tone was awesome and sounded identical to my keeper S3. This guitar was originally from Wisconsin, sold to a guy in Alaska, made it's way Arizona, and I shipped her off to Australia. Crazy journey for an awesome guitar. While not a keeper I'm a big fan of Specials, and think the S3 is the ultimate example of the Jumbo MFDs.

[Cactus Jack]

In full transparency I have stepped outside the G&L world during this experiment... Finding a keeper is serious work so I had to see how the G&L's would stack up against the competition. Here are a few that I've run through during the last month: Gibson Explorer HP, Fender 52' AVRI, and a Fender Chris Shiflett Signature. Because we're guitar fans I'm adding pics, but the truth is they have all found new homes and confirmed/reinforced my love for G&Ls.

[Danley]

The AVRI Telecaster is tempting - my 'real' Telecaster is a '94 Fender-branded Mexican Squier Series (the others are a Tribute ASAT and a Mexican modified with Jazzmaster vibrato/pickups,) but I've been thinking of trading in all my import guitars for US equivalents; and yes, I'm still a Fender fan

So on the lookout for American Pro/Special Jazzmaster and Telecasters, and may sway myself toward an American Pro Mustang in copper if I happen across one. Still - I think most MFD-equipped G&Ls beat the equivalent Fenders in just about every aspect - there's just not a real G&L equivalent to a vintage-spec. Jazzmaster or Jaguar

Gibsons just don't do much for me- and having refinished a couple guitars now in nitro, the grain filling errors/orange peel on so many Gibsons I pick up off the rack makes me sad. I had a Les Paul a decade ago that caused me endless headaches repairing things that should have been correct from the factory. Not that they can't still sound great but doesn't endear them to me.

[john o]

my avri '52 tele is a great guitar and a personal favorite of mine in part because of the specifications of its construction, but also because it is now 22 years old and has seen a fair amount of playing time both downstairs and out and about, and it's one of those things that just keeps getting better with the passing of time, like many guitars. I just got offset Gotoh brass saddles to replace the ailing originals which are kind of rusting and the little saddle height screws don't work so well. I did rewire it to standard p'up switching years ago and changed out the pick guard and knobs to make it mine.

it's illogical, but some cosmetic features do matter when it comes to guitars. I have a nice '89 ASAT which gets regular attention and reps at blues jams, but i have been craving a fullerton red asat special with cream pickguard and p'up covers for some time now. i am beginning to see how i might do this for a reasonable price. stay tuned.

[Cactus Jack]

The '52 was a cool guitar. Best part was it weighed under 7 pounds. I had never played a 6 pound Tele before and it had a very cool vibe. However, the fit and finish on mine was subpar. The frets had overspray, and weren't finished very well. It really fell short of my G&L's...that shouldn't be the case for a guitar in that price range. It did sound sweet though. I just didn't like the neck and overall preferred the feel of the G&L profiles I've tried.

I personally struggle with Gibson. I want so badly to like them. A lot of my guitar idols play them, and I love that classic LP tone so I'm always on the lookout for LP's to try. In fact, I came across another Traditional here locally for so little money I couldn't pass it up. This one was a 2014 120th Anniversary model. This model came with a giant 50's baseball bat neck and awesome limited edition '59 pickups. This guitar gave my deluxe a run for its money. The '59 pickups were superb! They were warmer and more aggressive than the Thornbuckers and captured that LP tone. My problem with this guitar was it would not stay in tune. No matter what I tried it went out of tune in 15 minutes flat. I tried everything I know and since this is an experiment I didn't invest the time to take it to a luthier. I think I'm finally over my Gibson kick, however I will definitely hunt down a pair of those pickups. Chalk up another win for the ASAT Deluxe!

Obligatory pics below. Another nit with Gibson is the flame tops on these guitars are so inconsistent. Similar to the '52, for this kind of money a little more effort would be appreciated. I especially hate it when they mismatch the flame pattern altogether. One half looks flamey, while the other have is totally plain. Look at it from another angle and the flame flips. So stupid...match that flame up. I fully support buying USA, but when you can get an import that sounds 80% the same and looks 120% better it's really tough to justify buying Gibson. Just my rambling thoughts...

[Danley]

It's too easy to pick on Gibson and too difficult to figure out what they're doing. I picked up a Firebird Zero the other day; it felt like a Hollywood prop version of a guitar. Everything on it (electronics/hardware) was bottom-of-the-barrel and it felt like they actually mapped out how to turn a bare piece of wood into a body/neck with as few passes of any given tool as possible. It made the (cheaper) Epiphone on the wall next to it seem master built. I can't imagine who would subject themselves to one, just for the sake of 'buying American' when you consider it pretty much gives Gibson manufacturing a bad name. Then right after that I picked up a half dozen pricier Les Pauls, all with some glaring finish/playability issue... Disappointing.

Was a 'be careful what you wish for' moment, as far as ever thinking Fender/G&L should try to make a 'cheap' US guitar

[Cactus Jack]

I have some updates coming soon. The highlights are the Comanche battle is over, I finally found my ASAT (it's a bit unconventional), and I stumbled into a Les Paul pawn shop deal too good to pass up. The ASAT Deluxe has some competition...

Having found the ASAT I'm fairly confident the Quest for Keepers is officially over. I'll post my final thoughts, financial results for all the guitars I flipped, and of course a last round of pics. Stay tuned!

[lefty_major]

But what about a Legacy Special?

Did you ever try an S500 with the G&L MFDs vs the Lindy Fralin Blues Specials?

Thanks! Good stuff everyone is posting here!

[WitSok]

At the end of the day I've now tried 4 different ASATs, but have yet to find a keeper. For some reason I'm just not bonding with them like I hoped I would. I think the culprit is the neck pickup. I really like the bridge, but I'm just not falling in love with the neck. I think I'm going to track down an alnico version, or maybe a Bluesboy next. Another contributing factor is I've also picked up a Fender AVRI '52 Tele. The thing weighs 6lbs, while all the ASATs have been in the 8lb+ range. I never thought 2lbs would matter, but boy it's a different experience. With that said, the G&L build quality DESTROYS Fender. The fender has overspray on the frets...almost like the neck was fretted before the finish was fully dry. Really embarrassing for a flagship model. The G&L's have just been tighter, consistent, great necks and frets...the Fender no so much.

This has me thinking... Perhaps that keeper is ASAT Classic Custom with jumbo MFD neck pickup? Or could it be an ASAT Classic Custom Charles Christian... Hmmm Can't wait to find out!

Cheers,
Dan

[Cactus Jack]

Well...I'm not quite done. I decided to try out a Doheny. I have no intention of keeping this guitar because I don't like the neck profile or trem. However, it comes with pearl block inlays which is something I've considered for an inevitable custom build and wanted to see in person. The seller was motivated and jumped at my first offer so I'm basically getting paid to take it for a test drive. Hopefully everything checks out...we'll see.

[Danley]

Sounds like the F100 wasn’t a keeper - or is it still being worked on? I am curious to what you think about the Dual-Fulcrum, they really are miraculous as far as tuning goes - but I totally get preferring hardtail, I’d rather go that direction with a Doheny too.

[Cactus Jack]

Sounds like the F100 wasn’t a keeper - or is it still being worked on? I am curious to what you think about the Dual-Fulcrum, they really are miraculous as far as tuning goes - but I totally get preferring hardtail, I’d rather go that direction with a Doheny too.

I picked up the F-100 last night. Had a new bone nut installed and the twist in the neck has been completely corrected. One thing I noticed when I got home was the string spacing is perfect over the fretboard and across the neck humbucker. However, at the bridge the strings don't align properly over the pickup pole pieces. I then notice the bridge pickup on mine is actually larger that the neck...same width but a bit longer. Based on the bridge I don't see how the strings would ever align at they are perfectly spaced everywhere else. Seems weird to me but I wouldn't even know how to fix it.

Is yours like that? I'll get some pics up soon.

[Danley]

Sounds like the F100 wasn’t a keeper - or is it still being worked on? I am curious to what you think about the Dual-Fulcrum, they really are miraculous as far as tuning goes - but I totally get preferring hardtail, I’d rather go that direction with a Doheny too.

I picked up the F-100 last night. Had a new bone nut installed and the twist in the neck has been completely corrected. One thing I noticed when I got home was the string spacing is perfect over the fretboard and across the neck humbucker. However, at the bridge the strings don't align properly over the pickup pole pieces. I then notice the bridge pickup on mine is actually larger that the neck...same width but a bit longer. Based on the bridge I don't see how the strings would ever align at they are perfectly spaced everywhere else. Seems weird to me but I wouldn't even know how to fix it.

Is yours like that? I'll get some pics up soon.

The bridge pickup is absolutely wider-spaced than the neck. From the pics below, it looks like my bass strings are slightly offset from the polepieces, to a greater degree than the others. The neck and bridge aren't very far off from each other as far as string spacing, though. It looks like the strings are close to the edges of the fretboard, but in practice this doesn't bother me and I never noticed before taking the pic. If I wanted to, I could probably finagle things and straighten it out in a similar way as yours:

[Cactus Jack]

hard to really capture the spacing because slight changes in camera angle have a big impact on how it looks. Maybe it's the nut, maybe it's the bridge, maybe it's the neck angle, maybe it's the pickup. I'm going to try hard to not go OCD on it and just enjoy it, but let me know what you see.

[Danley]

Looks like your neck pickup spacing on the bass side is a bit off from where mine is - though it could be angles, or an illusion based on having higher action etc. Overall the theme seems to be (for both yours and mine,) the spacing gets tighter (by necessity, wider strings) toward the bass strings and things shift around more as a result compared to the polepieces - but your bridge pickup does seem off on the treble strings more than mine is - yet your trebles are better centered above the neck poles perhaps. Again though - I didn't even notice or care on my guitar since it didn't impact the sound/play characteristics, I'm pretty tolerant of spacing though.

[Cactus Jack]

KEEPER ALERT!!!

First, the battle of Comanches is over. Two Tone Sunburst for the win. After setting up the guitars and playing them they sounded identical. I honestly couldn't decide which to keep. I loved the Redburst for the custom shop quality, and the TTS for the vintage vibe. Both guitars were pristine, virtually unplayed and brand new. I was torn so I let the market decide for me. I offered up the Redburst at 60% ROI. I was going to list it for two weeks then pull it off. If it sold I'd make enough money to justify moving it. If it didn't sell I'd keep it and move the TTS. The Redburst sold within 1 week. In fact, the gentleman who bought my Bluesboy bought this one too as they both have the Classic Wide C neck. Knowing it went to a good home further confirmed my decision.

As for the Keeper...it's awesome. The Comanche has quickly become one of my favorite Strats. The pickups are dead silent, but super hot. I've had to lower them way down, especially the bridge. Similar to MFDs they drive my amps pretty hard so the volume, treble, and bass are actively used to nail the tone I'm after. As far as tone, the Comanche nails rock, blues, and cleans up nicely. My S-500 with Fralin Blues Specials is much better at country and the traditional Strat quack...the Comanche is really it's own unique beast. Side note. I had considered getting an ASAT Z-3. However, after spending some time with the Z coils I'm very glad I went the Comanche route. I'm no Will Ray so the treble & bass controls are almost essential for me to get the tones I'm after. I know Will Ray has a hotter bridge pickup...as a home player I couldn't imagine ever needing more output.

Second, I found my ASAT. It's a modded ASAT S. The previous owner swapped all the hardware for black components and added Dimarzio pickups. There is a Twang King in the neck, a Cruiser in the middle position, and a Chopper T in the bridge. I had never played Dimarzio pickups...had no idea what I was missing. These pickups have great drive, clean up wonderfully, can twang and rock, best of all they compliment each other beautifully. I've had several ASATs with MFD and Alnicos and none were keepers to me. These pickups made all the difference and provide everything I could ever want in a Tele. Two features which I especially enjoy about this ASAT: The flipped controls and the front and rear contours. The controls are freaking great...why haven't I done this before? So easy to do volume swells and the easy access to the tone is much appreciated. I would never have guessed something so simple could make such a big difference. Regarding the body contours I know a lot of people hate them on Teles. I've spent years in the traditionalist camp, but my goodness, the contours make the guitar so much more comfortable. This guitar came with all the original hardware, pickups, and paperwork. Best part...I got it for not much more than the cost of a new Tribute. Makes me love it even more!

Last for tonight...another ASAT Deluxe vs Les Paul battle. This was a 2017 Les Paul Standard that I scored from a local pawn shop. The pawn shop didn't know what they had and I scored it for significantly under Ebay sold prices. The story was they paid $650 for it and the sales lady wanted a quick commission. I happily obliged without even negotiating. This was the best Les Paul I've played and in many ways I actually liked it more than the ASAT. The fit and finish were great and it had a premium feel that honestly out classed the ASAT. BUT...I've found my personal holy grail pickups in the Thornbuckers and they sound perfect in the ASAT. I'm officially done with Gibson. I've tried an Explorer and 3 Les Pauls and the ASAT can't be beat. It is my unrivaled number 1. I do have a line on a PRS that I'm strongly considering making a run at. However, if it takes a $5,000 guitar to dethrone the ASAT it simply confirms how amazing the ASAT is. If the ASAT wins it says even more about this specific guitar. I simply love it.

The Quest for Keepers is NOT over. I have another ASAT with boutique pickups in route, and the Doheny. After these last two I think it's time for a custom build. I've tried most options I'm interested in and think it's time to design my one off guitar. Also, I simply love buying and selling guitars. I'm a 2-3 sales away from driving enough profit to completely pay for my Keepers. I'm probably two months away from fully funding a custom build. I'll post some custom build thoughts soon.

Sorry for the words...here are a few pics to make up for the excruciatingly long post:

[Cactus Jack]

Starting to think through option order builds. I'm pretty sure I have the neck nailed. Classic C, reverse headstock, color matched to body, white bound ebony fretboard with white block inlays. I also know I want a a saddle lock bridge if I so for an S shaped body.

The big question for me is do I go Legacy family or ASAT family? If Legacy I'll probably go HSS, and if ASAT probably another S. What I'd really like to try is HSH with S-500 wiring and parallel/series/tap toggle switches similar to the V12. If possible that would probably push me into the Custom Shop so I'd probably pass. I also haven't decided on colors, which is really hard to do since G&L doesn't offer a design. I'm leaning towards a flame top...possibly Cherry Burst. If I go flame top I'd want RMC to show off as much flame as possible.

If anyone has suggestions or options I should consider please let me know.