The place to discuss, post photos, video, and audio of the G&L products (US instruments, stomp boxes, etc.) produced after 1991, including the amps & gear we use with them.
Hi - Looking for some advice... After playing guitar off and on for 30+ years (mainly focusing on classical and acoustic playing for the last decade or so), I'm looking for a new electric. Have never been much of a lead guitarist, but trying to change that
Last week, I picked up a used GE Smith Telecaster. Great guitar, but I'm not sure that the U-shaped neck is right for me. Sometimes I love it, other times I'm not so sure... It came with a 30-day return guarantee, so I'm taking advantage of that window to explore other options. Having an American-made Artist Series Fender really appeals to me, but I love what I've been reading about the G&Ls...
Anyway, I found a local store that has a couple of ASAT Classic Bluesboys in stock (one "honeyburst "swamp ash and the other "2-tone sunburst" pine), which I'm hoping to check out today. Also found a Black Ice edition of the Bluesboy online that really intrigues me -- especially love how the finish sounds like it looks/feels. Have exchanged emails about the Black Ice guitar and looks like it would be ~$300 less than the GE Smith (and come with a case, which the GE Smith didn't have). Not sure how much the others guitars will run...
Would love any advice y'all might have on the Bluesboy vs the GE Smith. Sounds like a 12" radius fingerboard and medium jumbo frets might be easier to play than a 7.25 radius fingerboard and vintage frets -- but honestly, those aren't things I've ever paid attention to before.
you know one G & L leads to another , they are like Lay's potato chips , you can't just have one ..... I'm sure you'll like the G & L's if you get one , I just ordered a new Legacy and picked up a used 1998 ASAT classic at the G & L dealer to make the "wait" for the new Legacy seem better , I don't even pick up my Fender strat anymore ... be sure to check out the G & L on-line guitar builder on this page
As far as the radius is concerned, I think the thinking is that the 7.25" fretboard radius makes it easier to play chords, while most other playing is easier on a flatter radius. I have a Tele with vintage frets and a rounder radius. I think I notice the difference a bit, but it's not really an issue. I do think I need to be more precise, however. If you're used to acoustic and classical guitars, the flatter radius will probably feel more familiar to you.
Echoing louis cyfer's question, are you interested in the Bluesboy because you want a humbucker in the neck?
At any rate, I'd take the GE Smith to the shop that sells G&Ls and see if I could sit down for a while and compare them and get a feel for the different necks.
Thanks - yeah, mainly need to get over to the local store to try some G&Ls out.
Regarding the Bluesboy, I just thought the humbucker would be a good option to have access to. Am I better off avoiding? Better to hit the ASAT Classic or Special?
Are you aware of G&L's neck options?
You should perhaps think about the possible benefits here. And they are uncommon.
After all your classic / steel acoustic time, you may have got used to a wider neck and perhaps a flatter board.
Now, G&L will do necks of not only 1 11/16" nut width but even 1 3/4" (like a fingerpicker's Martin). These both come with 12" radius boards, which are very acoustic-like and also bend-friendly.
Though do be aware that the default width for many stores' hanging-on-the-wall orders will tend to be 1 5/8" nut, which could be tight for you.
But if you like everything else about a G&L model, just order up one with your own size neck.
G&L neck's are also 1/16" wider at the butt end than Fenders, which gives plenty of room even with the wider nut options.
For me, at least, these options just beat everything else. And the whole G&L build ethic is high quality. Great designs and woods. The saddle-lock bridge is great, the upgrade trem's great, the t-type bridge is a fine improvement (and standard, so you can fit Callaham etc if you want to). Be aware that G&L's can be habit-forming.
I would also try both. I have both Asat Classics and Bluesboys. I think the Bluesboy is a good choice even if your only guitar. If I were only going to have a pair of Asats, I would get a Bluesboy and a Special.-- Darwin
That looks like a great store to have down the street.
As far as the type of ASATs, I don't think "better" is the right word, just different. It depends if you prefer the thicker, more midrange-focused sound of the humbucker at the neck. It looks like you'll be able to compare it to G&L's MFD and alnico pickups, as well, and they even have variety of body woods. With all that, it's probably best to not think too much of the details and just see which one(s) lead you to realize you forgot you were trying out guitars and have just been enjoying playing.
tbp0701 wrote:That looks like a great store to have down the street.
As far as the type of ASATs, I don't think "better" is the right word, just different. It depends if you prefer the thicker, more midrange-focused sound of the humbucker at the neck. It looks like you'll be able to compare it to G&L's MFD and alnico pickups, as well, and they even have variety of body woods. With all that, it's probably best to not think too much of the details and just see which one(s) lead you to realize you forgot you were trying out guitars and have just been enjoying playing.
the sound a the neck is already gonna be thicker, rounder, putting the humbucker there and the mfd in the bridge is a really bad imbalance. unless there is a specific reason for it, i think an asat classic or special is a much better choice.
tbp0701 wrote:That looks like a great store to have down the street.
As far as the type of ASATs, I don't think "better" is the right word, just different. It depends if you prefer the thicker, more midrange-focused sound of the humbucker at the neck. It looks like you'll be able to compare it to G&L's MFD and alnico pickups, as well, and they even have variety of body woods. With all that, it's probably best to not think too much of the details and just see which one(s) lead you to realize you forgot you were trying out guitars and have just been enjoying playing.
the sound a the neck is already gonna be thicker, rounder, putting the humbucker there and the mfd in the bridge is a really bad imbalance. unless there is a specific reason for it, i think an asat classic or special is a much better choice.
I love having the humbucker in the neck. Sure, they're not the best match but there's not a dud sound in my Bluesboy. I like having the biting bridge SC, doinky Gretsch-alik middle pos and fat warm neck sound. I find myself coming back to that guitar more than the others.
Shape of the neck is something thats entirely up to personal preference.
NickHorne wrote:Are you aware of G&L's neck options? You should perhaps think about the possible benefits here. And they are uncommon.
After all your classic / steel acoustic time, you may have got used to a wider neck and perhaps a flatter board.
Now, G&L will do necks of not only 1 11/16" nut width but even 1 3/4" (like a fingerpicker's Martin). These both come with 12" radius boards, which are very acoustic-like and also bend-friendly. Though do be aware that the default width for many stores' hanging-on-the-wall orders will tend to be 1 5/8" nut, which could be tight for you.
Got to try a bunch this afternoon, though I didn't have as much time as I would have liked. Really nice guitars; fit me much better than the GE Smith. Will probably be getting a Special or Classic, but haven't ruled out the Bluesboy. The guitar that felt best turned out to be the only one they had that was a 1 11/16" nut width -- neck #3, I think -- so that's one option I know I want. Really liked the satin finish too.
Great. In case you haven't seen it for the neck options, here's the link on G&L's site: http://www.glguitars.com/instruments/US ... guitar.asp . Out of curiosity, did you get time to compare an otherwise similar sold-body and semi-hollow?
As for the GE Smith, it didn't come with a case? Did the store just not have one? I haven't really kept up with Fender's offerings, and they change a lot.
tbp0701 wrote:Great. In case you haven't seen it for the neck options, here's the link on G&L's site: http://www.glguitars.com/instruments/US ... guitar.asp . Out of curiosity, did you get time to compare an otherwise similar sold-body and semi-hollow?
As for the GE Smith, it didn't come with a case? Did the store just not have one? I haven't really kept up with Fender's offerings, and they change a lot.
Thanks - no, didn't get to try a semi-hollow on that trip. Hopefully next time.
The GE Smith was used and priced without the case. Would usually come with Fender's vintage tweed case...
Found this video, basically thought as promotion video for the GE Smith Telecaster, but it just shows out his love to the Tele, which can be mapped to any T-Style guitar, including the ASAT. And if you want, the ASAT Special has the same type of feature: bridge and pickup separated, the pickup mounted directly to the wood.
Tim Buffalo Bros wrote:What kind of music do you play? It would be, in my mind, and indicator to what would be best in a pickup configuration, solid vs semi hollow, etc.
Regards,
TIm
Mainly blues and rock. Gritty, edgy sounds are important - but also want to be able to get nice clean tones too. I also like the simplicity of the 2 pickup configuration, though the Classic S that I tried Monday was pretty nice (had the #3 neck). Looking at the G&L site, the Classic Custom looks pretty interesting too. Not really narrowing things down, am I?
Picked up the GE Smith because it sounded like it might be better suited for blues and rock over the American Standard tele. Had been looking at the Baja tele for the same reason, but got distracted by the ASAT before trying one and determined the necks on both probably aren't right for me anyway.
Perhaps some ideas are coming into focus somewhat, after Buffalo Tim's prompt, your answer, and Louis' thoughts on neck pickups.
Your answer of Blues and Rock, plus edgy, might suggest single-coil, perhaps Strat-area sounds, and you mentioned enjoying the Classic S. But if you enjoy more fatness in your rock, then something else is in the room.
And it's here that Louis' thoughts on neck pups come in.
I completely understand his reasoning, that the neck pup position is warm enough already, so it should be clarified rather than warmed or, worse, blurred.
But something else is going on too. If we start off with almost open strings, then the neck pup sees a point around 1/4 of the way along, or quite warmly full of the strings' fundamental. As we play up the neck, this gets even warmer until, at the 12th fret, our pickup is looking at a point 1/2 way along the vibrating length, i.e. as strong in fundamental as it could ever get. This is a good thing, since the shorter, stiffer string length is vibrating in a less free, less harmonically sweet manner, and the warmer pickup perception helps to compensate for this and keep the character of the sound user-friendly.
But continuing up the fingerboard, this benign synergy begins to go negative; the shorter string sounds increasingly harsher and less sweet, and the pickup's perception stars to go into reverse until, at the very upper end of the fingerboard, it sees the string just as if it was another bridge pickup, since it's so near the end of the string's vibration. A brittle "tweet" can be the result, unless the top end is throttled back at guitar or amp.
And this, in my view at least, is where the case for warmer neck pickups originates. The pickups that are considered warmer in this way usually "see" a greater length of string than "brighter" pickups. The humbucker is the obvious example, and the P-90 also, though retaining more edgy, grindy qualities.
What happens, when playing up the fingerboard with these pickup types, is that their wider sensing "windows" become an ever-greater proporion of the string's shortened speaking length, and this sweetens their sound when the guitar is played high up the fingerboard.
I believe Louis is very pleased with his P-90 type in the humbucker position of his Bluesboy. Other options might include Fralin's "Unbucker", which has a more-heavily wound screw coil, and taps down to something meatier than the average humbucker, and does very useful things if tapped via a capacitor instead of a hard short.
There is now a Bluesboy-90, with a P-90 at the neck instead of a 'bucker. I am going to buy one. But I won't be using it for what you're after. However, the regular Bluesboy might be a great chassis for you if you're at all into into instrument DIY for your own fine-tuning. The P-90 version would allow most single-coils at the neck, but possibly not an actual humbucker, so perhaps not the horse for you given that very good P-90 types can be had in 'bucker format, like L.C's.
If you're not actually wanting to do any guitar DIY, then the Classic or Special will do great (though different) jobs for you, as mentioned by others here. I just meant to clarify that the 'bucker Bluesboy might be the way to go if you wanted to experiment with pups at all. I don't know whether the Bluesboy-90's P-90 neck rout would allow you to fit a humbucker if you wanted to; I suspect not. But conversely, there are several good 'bucker-shaped P-90 types, so no problem there.
And perhaps consider a non-Fender type pup at the neck if maximum sustain is a requirement; the "Gibson" types (including P-90) have low magnetic drag on the strings and this is more significant at the neck position.
Miles Smiles wrote: And if you want, the ASAT Special has the same type of feature: bridge and pickup separated, the pickup mounted directly to the wood.
the seth lover is low gain, but because of the position, it still overpowers the bridge mfd, because the string travel is much longer at that position, hence much more volume is produced. i agree that the middle position is very nice, but neither pup alone is very useful with the same amp setting. also, you have to put a superswitch in to isolate the tone control to the bridge pup only, it baffles me that it's not done at the factory.
LiquidSmoke wrote:I tried out a GE Smith and what I liked best about it was the fat U-shaped neck. If you like that, get a Bluesboy with a U-contour neck (#1c).
LiquidSmoke wrote:I tried out a GE Smith and what I liked best about it was the fat U-shaped neck. If you like that, get a Bluesboy with a U-contour neck (#1c).
louis cyfer wrote: but neither pup alone is very useful with the same amp setting.
I may have said something similar a while ago, but I disagree - and its all about style of playing. One of the main reasons I bother changing pickups for different songs is to get different sounds depending on the style/type of phrasing of what I'm playing. I find that I play more delicate (dare I say graceful ) lines using the neck pickup, and the extra girth and fatness of a HB works brilliantly for this sort of playing. I rarely change positions during songs, and never during solos. If this sounds like your style, then the Bluesboy will work with you. If not, then it will work against you!
I always thought this video demoing the Korina models offers and excellent insight in to the Bluesboy and results in me picking mine up 100% of the time after watching it! Talking about and playing the BB is at 2.20 with a very good comparative description at 7.20.
Thanks for everyone's help with all this. Ended up going with an ASAT Special -- just put in a custom order with Martin Music here in Memphis for one in clear red with black 3-ply pickguard, a #3 neck and ebony fretboard.
Gamalost wrote:Thanks for everyone's help with all this. Ended up going with an ASAT Special -- just put in a custom order with Martin Music here in Memphis for one in clear red with black 3-ply pickguard, a #3 neck and ebony fretboard.
Gamalost wrote:Thanks for everyone's help with all this. Ended up going with an ASAT Special -- just put in a custom order with Martin Music here in Memphis for one in clear red with black 3-ply pickguard, a #3 neck and ebony fretboard.
Let the Great Wait begin!
Matching headstock? That sounds like a dream guitar!
Gamalost wrote:Thanks for everyone's help with all this. Ended up going with an ASAT Special -- just put in a custom order with Martin Music here in Memphis for one in clear red with black 3-ply pickguard, a #3 neck and ebony fretboard.
Let the Great Wait begin!
Matching headstock? That sounds like a dream guitar!
Thanks - but didn't think of the matching headstock idea. Guess it'll just be natural, unless I call to change it. Would a natural headstock look odd on a red/black guitar? Maybe a black headstock would actually be better, picking up on the ebony fretboard right below it...
Gamalost wrote:Thanks for everyone's help with all this. Ended up going with an ASAT Special -- just put in a custom order with Martin Music here in Memphis for one in clear red with black 3-ply pickguard, a #3 neck and ebony fretboard.
Let the Great Wait begin!
Matching headstock? That sounds like a dream guitar!
Thanks - but didn't think of the matching headstock idea. Guess it'll just be natural, unless I call to change it. Would a natural headstock look odd on a red/black guitar? Maybe a black headstock would actually be better, picking up on the ebony fretboard right below it...
i think the matching headstock looks cheap, and it is an expensive option.
I agree on the "expensive" bit of the comment, especially as G&L's matching headstock is only paint (no veneer when the body is figured mpale). I actually like colour matching on dark (rosewood, ebony...) fretboards but black is in an interesting option with ebony. But in the end, this is jus t aesthetics and personal taste.
) lines using the neck pickup, and the extra girth and fatness of a HB works brilliantly for this sort of playing. I rarely change positions during songs, and never during solos. If this sounds like your style, then the Bluesboy will work with you. If not, then it will work against you! 
