Leo-era ASAT pickguards

[KenC]

Here's one for the early G&L fans...

Last year I bought an '86 ASAT which came to me with chrome tuners, control plate and bridge and a black crinkle pickguard. It looked like factory installation to me, and as I pointed out in the NGD post the chrome control plates and bridges started showing up on ASAT IIIs within the next year. Black crinkle pickguards had already been used by G&L earlier in the decade, and chrome tuners were standard on most other models in '86. The consensus of replies was that those parts were probably added to this ASAT after-market in the early 90s, when the ASAT Special came out.

Last fall a G&LDP member (I forget who the luck #$#&* was) scored a Broadcaster from Guitar Center. It appeared all-original in the NGD photos, but it too had a black crinkle pickguard. IIRC, it was a late production Broadcaster from 1986.

Today this eBay listing for a Kahler-equipped '86 ASAT was posted in another thread: http://www.ebay.com/itm/G-L-ASAT-1986-B ... 27d1dfd697. Again, an otherwise stock-looking '86 ASAT with a black crinkle guard.

I can see one person being thrilled with the look of black crinkle and rushing to modify a (then) late-model ASAT. But three people doing it? Were prototypes of the black crinkle pickguards already on hand at the beginning of ASAT production, and sneaking out of the factory on a couple of guitars?

Any thoughts?

Ken

[Miles Smiles]

You just did a text copy of the shortened link, here is the right one.
http://www.ebay.com/itm/G-L-ASAT-1986-B ... 27d1dfd697

[KenC]

You just did a text copy of the shortened link, here is the right one.
http://www.ebay.com/itm/G-L-ASAT-1986-B ... 27d1dfd697

Thanks!