Early Thursday Lunch Report - 3/29/12

[KenC]

We're almost done with another week.

Lunch: I still haven't done the roast beef sandwich I was planning on Monday. Yesterday I just wasn't hungry enough, and went with a smaller one (chicken breast with hummus and roasted red peppers). Today will be roast beast.

G&L Topic of the Day:

Continuing the trip down G&L memory lane, today we stop at the ASAT. As everybody probably knows, the ASAT came about when George Fullerton and Dale Hyatt noticed Telecaster players gravitating toward the SC-2's pickups but not liking the body shape (which was a Strat-style by 1985). The ASAT originally debuted as the Broadcaster, which was pretty much identical to the later ASATs and ASAT Specials with black finish, black plastic pickguard, black crinkle trim, black tuners and a color-matched headstock. I wish I had porn of my own to post, but I doubt I will ever get my hands on a Broadcaster in my price range. Leo Fender signed the neck pocket on every one of them, until production was halted under threat of a lawsuit from Fender. The next month (April 1986) production resumed, but with a new decal and no color-matched headstock. These early ASATs tended to be maple up through sometime in '87, when ash became the norm. Here is some gratuitous porn of my ASAT, which has neck and body dates from May '86:



This particular ASAT is maple with a 12" ebony board, and somehow ended up with a crinkle pickguard and chrome trim and tuners. These appear to be original, so I'm guessing this guitar was a test platform for those changes which took place the following year. I was a bit disappointed at first that they weren't "period correct" for an '86, but I have grown to appreciate this combination. It seems a little bit more "uptown" than all black.

In '87 or '88 the ASAT received a facelift, but it was entirely cosmetic, i.e., crinkle pickguards, chrome trim and tuners, and a new decal. Other cosmetic updates and name changes happened every couple of years, but the body, pickups and circuit are essentially unchanged after 26 years. For those who haven't played an ASAT yet, try to get your hands on one. This is a model that George, Leo and Dale Hyatt nailed on the first try! There have been quite a few variants on the ASAT concept over the years, but interestingly most of them have either continued in production since their inception or been brought back after a while.

What do you think the best variant on the ASAT concept has been? PLEASE INCLUDE PICTURES IF YOU HAVE THEM!!! Other than cosmetic changes, can you think of a variant that hasn't been made but should be?

Non-G&L Topic of the Day:
Cables - do they matter to you? Have you found anything in the realm of guitar cables that you swear by? Are boutique cables worth the cost, or do you just go with whatever is hanging on the wall? Any suggestions for this frequently overlooked part of the signal chain?

Ken

[gitman001]

Hey Ken,

Thanks for another early report, It's been easy to check in before my day actually starts.

G&L

I have 5 variations on the ASAT:


From L to R
25th Anniversary ASAT, tobacco burst ASAT Special, S/H Honeyburst Bluesboy, Vintage White Special DLX, S/H Candy Apple Red Special.

I'm not sure if a can pick the best variant, they certainly are all in the same ballpark tone wise. I do know that all the variants that are currently offered are a major source of GAS
A stander classic or classic custom could always find a home with me! oh i almost for got a Z-3.... i've got some saving to do....

Cables

I usually just grab what is on the shelf at the local shop, usually the mid price stuff, i have a hard time paying more than 30 bucks for a 10-15 foot cable - I don't want to be worried about a crazy expensive cable on stage that i am afraid to step on or that i need to treat with kid gloves after the show. Not to mention the number of times they are pulled on by students plugging and unplugging between lessons.

Scott

[darwinohm]

Ken, great info on the early G&L stuff. Again, just a quick check in. I have been cooking meals for company for a couple of days but all the kids want is Hot Pockets and Hot Dogs. I just returned from the store with supplies. They don't like normal food! That means lunch could be more of the same.

I have variations of ASATs and Strat types but will have more time until tomorrow to post pics.

Cables are something that people often buy the lowest price available. It has been time and time again I have seen cheap mic cables fail. I will buy only good ones or make my own, On the instruments I only use wireless.-- Darwin

[yowhatsshakin]

What do you think the best variant on the ASAT concept has been? PLEASE INCLUDE PICTURES IF YOU HAVE THEM!!! Other than cosmetic changes, can you think of a variant that hasn't been made but should be?

I will just list some interesting specimen among the 29 ASAT's in my collection.

My best Broadcaster, wonderful taper on the volume pot:

Absolutely best sounding large MFD is the Centennial model. Pups are hand wound (again), aluminum pickguard, and actually not a lot of output. But boy does it sound sweet:

Contrast that with the loudest large MFD ASAT, the Super. The humbuckers just drive your preamp stage into delicious clip at the touch of the volume pot:

Just for completeness, the absolute loudest ASAT is the 25th Anniversary (see Scott's picture above). But it has buckers you know ... My fave ASAT is my first ASAT Classic. The guitar never stops to amaze me:


Lets finish with some interesting concepts.
The pre-BBE ASAT III with a HG-2 bucker in the bridge. There aren't that many of those around, but a great sounding pup (hint):

BTW, any pre-BBE ASAT III that I have played sounds wonderful and better than the ASAT Classic III and ASAT Classic S in my collection. The best sounding 3 pup model is the Trinity of which I have the one originally built for Bob Page:

The ASAT HB, aka the inverse Bluesboy. Very good sounding guitar of which I do not know why they stopped production:

The ASAT '50 and ASAT Z-2, both designed by Tim 'BuffaloBros' Page:

Is there one I would like to see them do? As far as I can judge, they don't need me to come up with interesting ideas. They have been releasing limited runs with different body woods like zebrawood, pine, walnut, etc. Their pups are pretty close to perfect for me so I'm not really looking for anything different in that department. But then again, I was pleasantly surprised when they did the Korina Junior II with P-90 pups. They sound absolutely great. So maybe a semi-hollow ASAT with TV-Jones pups (and Bigsby perchance) to make a jingle-jangle tone machine ...

As far as cables go, for the last 15 years I have exclusively been using Monster Cables and usually the ProLink 1000 series. I just like them and am content. They are not as good in the effect patch cable department. The 8" cables are rather sturdy and inflexible (and not available in the ProlInk series). I might transition to something else there. Especially when using a lot of chained effects pedal, your tone is going to be as good as the weakest link. So to pay some attention to what kind of cables you are using does pay off. And of course there is the 21' tone sucker if you don't use wireless systems. If you still hook up to your amp by cable, that is where the extra money for a high quality cable goes a long way Your tone dials on your amp can only attenuate what's in the signal; they cannot re-add something that was lost along the way.

- Jos

[louis cyfer]

i used to buy cheap, then mid range cables until i realized what a difference they make. i use george l's for patch cables on my board exclusively, and use colossal cables as my main cables. like a blamket has been lifted off of my sound. capacitance s a big deal with high impedance signals like guitar. the colossal cables are indestructible. and won't get knotted up, and retain their straight shape, won't start remembering the rolled up shape.

[westsideduck]

I'm a Strat style guy through and through and it took me a very long time to try an ASAT, I always thought Tele style guitars were for country music only and I'm not big on country music, what I do play in that venue is on acoustic. About five or six years ago I found a mid 90's 3 bolt ASAT for a decent price so I tried it and sold it about three months later, I've played those big single coils in the SC_2 and didn't bond with them either. here's a pic.



Last year I gave the ASAT another try, this time a clascic, the price was right, $850. which I thought was a good price for a signature model, and I am fond of any guitar with a nice burst. I love this guitar and can't believe what a rocker it is! I still miss the belly and forearm cuts but I'll live with it in return for the great tone, It's not near as bright as I imagened it would be.

1991 ASAT Clasic



My next ASAT will be a Blues Boy but I'll have to make it myself because I refuse to own any G&L with a four bolt neck, yeah I know that sounds stupid to some of you but that's the way it is, I'm looking for an early clasic that I will route out and install an old Gibson PAF that I have been saving for a project.

I make my own cables, I have a rool of Belden cable and a stash of vintage NOS switchcraft jacks and I have no problem with these true 1/4 " jacks in my ASAT

Gary

[Ahryn]

I am loving all this ASAT porn and Yowhatshakin seems to have nearly every combination imaginable

I gravitated to the ASAT sound because in video samples that I had heard it was the closest to the sound I was after and oh boy is that a nice sound!

For cables I ordered a Mogami cable from lavacable.com, it might not be the best but it is better than what is readily available at my local music store (mostly house brands and pretty nasty plugs) and the price was nice, G&H plugs too.

[Kit]

I've been wanting an ASAT for quite a while just to see if the big mfds are all they are cracked up to be. The closest I got is my LE which is an S500 with an ASAT disguise. I would love to see the Trinity added to the ASAT line.



From the old board I found out about Bayou Cables and order a couple from Butch, and they are great, great cables. The last few years I occasionally check the Bayou website and found that Butch could not find time to build custom cables since he had to take a regular job due to the economy. Today I checked the website again and it looks like he sells a selection of cables built by him, just not custom ordered like I was able to do a few years back.

Kit

[bassman]

I don't own an ASAT. I have rarely played one.
I like the design variations but I think that Leo was dragged screaming into producing clones of his original instruments. You can see where he was going with the original MusicMan and G&L guitar and bass designs.
They were not re-hashed Fenders. They were original and they remain unique in what they sound and feel like.

The reality is that the original Fender designs are so prevalent that they are ingrained in most player's minds. Guitarists instinctively know how a Strat or Tele work so why not use that to promote G&L pickup designs?
The bass pickups are still misunder stood by most bass players. They can do more than what most expect.

[blargfromouterspace]

I love ASATs. Favourite model? Too hard to say. My favourite guitar that I own is my '97 Classic, which you've all seen before but here's a picture anyway - you can never have too many pictures of blondes



It's been through a bunch of pickup changes since I've had it. For a while it had just the one pickup in it, then two, then one again, then different ones, but it's been in it's present state for a while now. It plays really nicely, is very resonant and lightweight too.

And my most recent addition, G&L number 4. I was stoked to finally get a Special after wanting one for such a long time. Got this one at a VERY good price. I'm still getting used to this one. After 4 years playing Classics exclusively, the different bridge feels very foreign. There's no doubt that the SLB is a fantastic piece of hardware.



The ASAT variant that hasn't been made is one with a saddle lock bridge with the pickups from a classic. LE-2 perhaps?

As for cables, I buy good ones. I'd never spend the extra money for gold connectors or any of that sort of rubbish, but cheap ones die without warning and often. By the time you've replaced them you might as well have paid the bit extra for good ones - buy cheap, buy twice! I got some cables when I was in Singapore last year that have been excellent - Neutrik jacks and Klotz cable assembled in the little shop. They were half the price of actual Klotz branded ones in packages. Bargain. I have one of the DiMarzio cables with that 'memory wrapping' that I've used at just about every gig I've ever played, going on 7 years and it has required no maintenance. The memory wrapping itself it a PITA.

[JagInTheBag]

My favorite ASAT:


WilRay by ShowYourAuto!com, on Flickr

So much so, when I bought it, I didn't see an ASAT or a Tele variant. I saw a Z-3!

Cords- not fussy, but then again I don't play our professionally either.

[darwinohm]

Things have settled down, here are my Asats.
Top, L to R. Classic S, Special, 30th Classic
Bottom L to R. Classic Blinger, Z-3 SLB, Z-3 Bigsby-Coolest ever!-- Darwin

[Elwood]

Things have settled down, here are my Asats.
Top, L to R. Classic S, Special, 30th Classic
Bottom L to R. Classic Blinger, Z-3 SLB, Z-3 Bigsby-Coolest ever!-- Darwin

I had to fix the Timage tags (800 W,480 H is what I came up with),
you have such gorgeous G&Ls ,but it was hard to look at the stretched version : )

I still have a couple ASAT's , I regret selling my '90 Classic, someday I'll give another one a home.

Here's my poor mans broadcaster with some Barts ( sorry about the small pic) ,they have a nice PAF tone to them,
a bit compressed in the upper end. The guitar came with them...it wouldn't have been my first choice
(that would have been to leave those MFDs where they belong ) but she is still alot of fun to play.



...and my '86 ASAT that looks like it served as a coffee table at one point-








I spent $100 on a Zaolla 15 ft cable...I had the same reaction that louis describes with having a blanket lifted off the sound. Warren Hayes uses long cheap cables on stage for his wah pedal to attenuate some of the sizzle. I imagine my crybaby might be a tad more responsive since the pickup coil is part of the wah circut (no buffer ) and I have the Zaolla first ,then the wah....

I'm looking forward to exploring other brands...and I need to recable the racks/boards with George L's or similar .

A good cable, an ASAT , my Swart , and some old 12" JBLs ----> eargasm : )

[darwinohm]

Elwood, thanks for noticing that. This is the first time I have had a problem with sizing but I had used the zoom on the camera. Your 86 classic is one of the best relics I have seen. Thanks again Elwood-- Darwin

[KenC]

OK, I almost pulled the plug on this topic when I saw how little action yesterday's Strat-type discussion had. I guess we collectively tend more toward the ASATs. I always preferred Strat-types, until I played my first ASAT last April. Since then, four out of five guitars I've bought had large MFDs. Honestly, I only bought the fifth (my Nighthawk) because it was a rarebird and the price was too low to pass up. I just missed a Z-3 a couple of months ago, and am being tormented by a sparkle blue Z-3 hanging in my local Guitar Center.

The level of ASAT porn posted here today exceeded my wildest LR dreams! There are some seriously impressive ASAT collections around here.

Jos: I'm going to PM you with a question about the ASAT III bridge pickup if you don't mind.

Gary: We've been discussing the idea of asking for the HG pickup (a large MFD-sized humbucker) to be recreated for the LE II. If that happens, it may become possible to add humbuckers to ASAT Specials without any additional routing.

Elwood: The finish on your "coffee table" ASAT is like a little black dress - it shows enough of what's underneath to get your attention, and covers enough to spark the imagination. I'm feeling very GASsy right now...

Ken