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.
I like the feel of a tele body but sometimes want the sound of a strat. Also have become fond of my G&L's and need a reason to order an American custom. I know it has a typical strat pickup system, but the body is obviously different. I have tried Nashville's and they do not sound like a strat. They sound good, but you also lose the neck and bridge pickups together without special switching installed. Anyone have one or experience one? Also, it does not have to be a semi-hollow, this happened to be the first picture I found.
Can't speak for that particular model but I do have an ASAT III, which I think has the same pickups ( S500 MFDs). The neck does sound like a souped up strat, the bridge like a tele on steroids. The in between positions not typically found on ASATs are useful.
SamIV wrote: Also have become fond of my G&L's and need a reason to order an American custom. I know it has a typical strat pickup system, but the body is obviously different. I have tried Nashville's and they do not sound like a strat. They sound good, but you also lose the neck and bridge pickups together without special switching installed. Anyone have one or experience one? Also, it does not have to be a semi-hollow, this happened to be the first picture I found.
Since you are looking to order a new G&L ASAT with 3 pickups, you have these choices:
I would look at the Z-3/WR models as they give you the option (aftermarket) to build an ASAT III with S-500 pickups and a new pickguard (or any 3 single coil pickups of your choice), because the body is bathtub routed:
I like the feel of a tele body but sometimes want the sound of a strat. Also have become fond of my G&L's and need a reason to order an American custom. I know it has a typical strat pickup system, but the body is obviously different. I have tried Nashville's and they do not sound like a strat. They sound good, but you also lose the neck and bridge pickups together without special switching installed. Anyone have one or experience one? Also, it does not have to be a semi-hollow, this happened to be the first picture I found.
Sam,
The guitar in this picture is the GbL Limited Edition. It was designed by members of this discussion board in the late 90s. Only 25 were built. It is extremely rare for one of them to come up for sale.
My main question is, do these sound like a strat. I have owned a Nashville Tele and it did not sound like a strat, only a bit of an imitator. Thanks for letting me know they are rare. Guess it would have to be an aftermarket mod as mentioned by Craig. Still would like to know if they come anywhere near the sound of a strat. Really like positions 2 and four on a strat but not so much playing them. I do appreciate the replies.
SamIV wrote:My main question is, do these sound like a strat. I have owned a Nashville Tele and it did not sound like a strat, only a bit of an imitator. Thanks for letting me know they are rare. Guess it would have to be an aftermarket mod as mentioned by Craig. Still would like to know if they come anywhere near the sound of a strat. Really like positions 2 and four on a strat but not so much playing them. I do appreciate the replies.
SamIV,
I own both the model in your picture as well as various other 3 pickup ASATs. And simply stated, none of them sound like a Strat. Doesn't mean there isn't any quack in positions 2 and 4, because there is (more so on an Leo-era ASAT III I would claim) but it is still distinct from a Strat mostly for reasons stated by SouthpawGuy as for how the bridge and neck pups sound.
In the end, if you want a guitar that sounds like a Strat you have 2 choices: go the emulation way (think Variax) or .... wait for it .... buy a Strat (or Legacy for that matter).
SamIV wrote:My main question is, do these sound like a strat. I have owned a Nashville Tele and it did not sound like a strat, only a bit of an imitator. Thanks for letting me know they are rare. Guess it would have to be an aftermarket mod as mentioned by Craig. Still would like to know if they come anywhere near the sound of a strat. Really like positions 2 and four on a strat but not so much playing them. I do appreciate the replies.
The S-500 pickups combined with the standard ASAT electronics makes the ASAT III unique -- it doesn't sound exactly like an S-500 or an ASAT, yet its tonal qualities are outstanding.
If Will Ray should read this, maybe he can give some insight to how the Z-3 and his WR Signature compares to a strat soundwise. Hey Will, care to comment?
Perhaps this can let you make up your own mind whether it sounds like a Strat. I own one of the LEs and have made at least one home recording with it. Here's my version of Sleepwalk with lead part played on position 4 on neck and middle pickups:
Kit wrote:Perhaps this can let you make up your own mind whether it sounds like a Strat. I own one of the LEs and have made at least one home recording with it. Here's my version of Sleepwalk with lead part played on position 4 on neck and middle pickups:
Note that I did not use a Fender amp; actually it is not even an amp. It is a J-Station modeller on the Vox AC15 setting.
Kit
kit, how often do you practice super slow with a metronome? you have the basics down, but you are having some technical difficulties when you speed up. the timing falls apart, you start hurrying up. my guess it's picking technique and synching the left and right hand. it would be an easy fix with proper practice.
Guess I better get used to a strat again. My brother has a Legacy that I need to get over and try. He is the one who moved me over to the G&L side. Thanks for all the replies for a newbie here.
To rewind to Craig's first reply, you could put any pickups you fancy into a Z-3, since it has an all-purpose rout. You would just to need to choose pups and have a suitable pickguard made up (try Chandler / Pickguardheaven).
There can hardly be any doubt that if you fitted some self-respecting Strat-type units in there, the guitar would then sound very much the same as a hard-tail Strat, especially if the G&L is solid. I can't imagine honestly being able to tell one from the other. The construction, woods and weight would be extremely close to exactly the same. I actually think I would prefer that to a Strat any day, for the woods, quality and options of G&L.
S500 pups, while great, are not Strat units.
The "most" you refer to are describing MFD-type pups, whether S-500 (Asat 3), Asat Special, Asat Classic, or Z-3 / Comanche.
These are not Strat-sounding pickups. They are fine pickups, but not strats.
Legacy single-coils are strat-sounding, or you could fit Fralin, D Allen etc etc into a Z-3 body (it has the rout for it), and then you would definitely be hearing strat sounds. Would just need a suitable guard to mount them in.
Perhaps there's been some confusion, because of the example guitar being (basically) an Asat III, which has S-500 pickups. These are "strat" in general shape only, not sound.
+1 on the Asat body shape preference!
NickHorne wrote:The "most" you refer to are describing MFD-type pups, whether S-500 (Asat 3), Asat Special, Asat Classic, or Z-3 / Comanche.
These are not Strat-sounding pickups. They are fine pickups, but not strats.
Nick,
You bring up an excellent point. I just created a spreadsheet today with the pickups used in all of my G&L's and although there are some that have CLF-100 pups somewhere (most notably the 3 pickup ASAT Classic Alnico), there is not a single ASAT model that has a complete set of CLF-100's. Like you, I wonder how that would sound ...
I have a spare tele body, pickups, and neck at home that I will try this on first to see how I like the sound. Just going to get a pick guard made, do a little routing, and put a stop tail bridge on. Will be a while before I get this done though. Thanks again for all the replies.
You need the trem for the Strat sound. And MFDs won't do it either, nor will Z-coils. The PTB circuit doesn't help either.
You can come close though, will some of these things. First you must define the Strat sound you are talking about. There are so many variations out there now that all make distinctly different sounds, and many don't sound like classic vintage Strats.
If you want the vintage Strat sound, you need a guitar built like one. Your options might be limited to getting an ASAT with a DF trem, and CLF-100 pickups. Then wire it like a Strat. What's not to like about the Strat body style? Maybe a Legacy with binding and no tummy cut might feel more like an ASAT body on you.
Not all Strats have floating trems, and if it's set up for down-bends only, as lots of us do, then I doubt whether the structure of the guitar would behave noticeably differently from a G&L with a saddle-lock bridge.
If we're comparing with a hard-tail strat, then I believe the G&L's sustain will be better.
And I meant fitting a Z-3 Asat with strat pickups, not MFDs.
Then you would have a very similar structure and mass, ash / alder // maple / rosewood to taste, with a bridge that will give a comparable performance to a trem strat with the trem hard to the body, and better than a hard-tail.
It will just have a tele shape, and a great bridge. What's not to like?
If we must have the floating trem effect, then Z-3's can be had with trems too.
If a used Z-3 comes up here in England, at a good price, I think I might try this myself; it would be a better quality axe than pretty much any Fender I expect to see. And I just feel good with the shape, too. T-bodies are nice.
I bought a Godin Session guitar because it felt more like a tele than a strat. It has the Strat body but very little tummy tuck and a flat top. Then I found a couple of G&L's and now I don't play the Godin because I like the feel of the G&L's best. Matter of fact, I rarely play any of my other guitars now. I am more interested in a traditional strat sound in the 2nd and 4th position. Also had a Nashville style tele and it sort had a bit of quack. By the way thecajunboy, where are you from. I am a coonass from Houma.
