NGD Savannah ASAT

[jeffmarshall67]

Stopped in at The Guitar Store and James had just got in some G&L boxes, and they were some good ones! 2 Savannah Collection Bluesboy 90's and 2 of the tribute ASAT Jrs. The one I liked best and really had a great figured matching "v" on the body followed me home, and as usual James treated me right. I played it until the girls came home today, and it really sounded great through a Miller and Bedrock amp. Great honk in the neck position and just loved it when the amps got turned up. The semi hollow design gives it a real warmth, and I don't know if it's the Okoume wood or not but it really isn't "ice picky" at all. Tonally, a very different animal than any other ASAT I own, and G&L really has done it up right with this one. Here's some pics:


the front:







the back:



The cool mirrored "V" pattern on the body in the sun:

[Fumble fingers]

that a beauty !! .... wood grain is sweet ...... everybody's been gone at my place for a week , got the amp cranking and don't have to put anything away for a week ...lol ..... now that I'm lonely , ebay is really killing me with gas

[KenC]

I love the finish and the look of the fretboard. What's the fretboard wood? Are the dots really lighter than the wood, or is that just the flash?

Ken

[KenC]

everybody's been gone at my place for a week , got the amp cranking and don't have to put anything away for a week ...lol ..... now that I'm lonely , ebay is really killing me with gas

Tell me about it! My wife is out of town for the week. I have a bass inbound for my son, and have been trying to reach a seller about another one. This wouldn't be happening if I didn't have so much time on my hands. My peak buying times have been during the summers or when I take vacation throughout the year.

Ken

[Elwood]

!!! that looks amazing !!!
Nice find , I like the idea of a tele with a P90...and from fullerton .
and that deep grain...wow

[jeffmarshall67]

Ken, the fingerboard is Pau Ferro like the ones on the korina collection. The dots are indeed white pearl, but the camera did exaggerate their shine a bit.

[yowhatsshakin]

Hey Jeff,

Congrats on that beauty! Might be time for me to drop by the store again ...

- Jos

[jeffmarshall67]

This one's twin is waiting for you Jos!

[darwinohm]

Jeff, this is an awesome guitar and is just what I was hoping for the old school sunburst. I am anxiously awaiting the arrival of my ASAT bass from this series. Is it light in weight as that was one of my concerns? You are the first one to have one as far as I know.-- Darwin

[jeffmarshall67]

Darwin, it is nice and light but not so light that it gets neck heavy. Just weighed it for you and it is 6.83 lbs. Is the bass semi hollow too?

[darwinohm]

Yep, this is good news as I am hoping for less than 9 lbs with the bass. -- Darwin

[Swamp ash]

Very, very nice. Much better looking than the Savannah pics on the GL website.

How is the high frequency response? You say it is warm, does it have pronounced highs or are these more compressed like a Gibson?

What's the low range like (same considerations as above).

What are your thoughts about pau ferro?

Thanks - again, it looks awesome. Congrats

[jeffmarshall67]

Swamp ash......I need to play it more before describing that stuff. I rocked it out today (more like taking it for a joyride) and it definitely kept a tele character sound. Just not ice picky. Will play it more the next couple days and then answer.

[Swamp ash]

Swamp ash......I need to play it more before describing that stuff. I rocked it out today (more like taking it for a joyride) and it definitely kept a tele character sound. Just not ice picky. Will play it more the next couple days and then answer.

Cool...
I am just very interested in this set up or something similar and you are in the know, right now.

It looks very nice, indeed and I am sure you're very happy!

I am going to make the move to a new axe soon, so I have many a-question. Please enjoy the test-drive and we look forward to new reports!

[jeffmarshall67]

and I forgot to answer, I really like the fingerboard. I have it on the korina jr also and truthfully it feels good. I don't really dig in like some players so I usually don't notice a fingerboard unless it has issues.

[Swamp ash]

Swamp ash......I need to play it more before describing that stuff. I rocked it out today (more like taking it for a joyride) and it definitely kept a tele character sound. Just not ice picky. Will play it more the next couple days and then answer.

Thanks - the fretboard info is helpful, too. I've heard it contributes to brightness as opposed to rosewood

[jeffmarshall67]

I just noticed the pics I put up really have the neck and fingerboard washed out in white....that's my non skilled camera shots. Pau Ferro is lighter than rosewood, but not to the extent of these pics. And the neck has a light tint gloss, it doesn't look like white chalk. The neck will definitely look good once a little worn and aged!

[jeffmarshall67]

Very, very nice. Much better looking than the Savannah pics on the GL website.

How is the high frequency response? You say it is warm, does it have pronounced highs or are these more compressed like a Gibson?

What's the low range like (same considerations as above).

What are your thoughts about pau ferro?

Thanks - again, it looks awesome. Congrats

I got to put it through the paces this afternoon, and am pretty floored. The bridge pickup is just a touch less sparkly than it normally sounds, I hear more mids in it than most tele sounding bridge settings. It can do that but you'd have to twist the tone of your amp up a notch. The neck pickup is the gem of this guitar. it really has a raw energy to it without being either too low or high. Notes are clear and the typical p90 grit seems smoothed out a bit on it. I would describe it as making the pickup sound like an "audiophile" pickup. Not boomy at all, very balanced and really really useable. Not squishyness or murkiness at all, yet it sounds nice and warm at the same time. I did my bad imitation of some stones riffs and it really did a good job of handling it. The real gem is the middle position. You can hear the difference between the 2 sounds at once, and it is by far the only guitar of this type where it is completely useable. I wanted to find some "cons" for this post but to tell you the truth I couldn't. Everything that I hate about a boomy hot rodded tele shape guitar is not present on this one.

It sounds so good I'm really wanting to try the Jr. version, to see how it sounds compared to a super or older jr. If the wood in the Savannah is making this much of a difference I'll be really impressed.

[Ahryn]

That is some yummy wood.

Mmhmmm.

Burst goodness

[NickHorne]

Pau ferro makes great fingerboards.
And the Bluesboy 90 is such a great idea.
G&Ls keep coming up with really good things, done really well.

[Swamp ash]

Very, very nice. Much better looking than the Savannah pics on the GL website.

How is the high frequency response? You say it is warm, does it have pronounced highs or are these more compressed like a Gibson?

What's the low range like (same considerations as above).

What are your thoughts about pau ferro?

Thanks - again, it looks awesome. Congrats

I got to put it through the paces this afternoon, and am pretty floored. The bridge pickup is just a touch less sparkly than it normally sounds, I hear more mids in it than most tele sounding bridge settings. It can do that but you'd have to twist the tone of your amp up a notch. The neck pickup is the gem of this guitar. it really has a raw energy to it without being either too low or high. Notes are clear and the typical p90 grit seems smoothed out a bit on it. I would describe it as making the pickup sound like an "audiophile" pickup. Not boomy at all, very balanced and really really useable. Not squishyness or murkiness at all, yet it sounds nice and warm at the same time. I did my bad imitation of some stones riffs and it really did a good job of handling it. The real gem is the middle position. You can hear the difference between the 2 sounds at once, and it is by far the only guitar of this type where it is completely useable. I wanted to find some "cons" for this post but to tell you the truth I couldn't. Everything that I hate about a boomy hot rodded tele shape guitar is not present on this one.

It sounds so good I'm really wanting to try the Jr. version, to see how it sounds compared to a super or older jr. If the wood in the Savannah is making this much of a difference I'll be really impressed.

That is simply wonderful! Those look fabulous and I am glad to hear they play and sound so well, too but that is not a surprise - we all know and love G&L.
I was vey interested in this Collection because of the Hollow body and wood choices, but I am shopping for an MFD w/saddlelock set-up and G&L just won't do it. I am a bit disappointed in their attitude pertaining to "menu-only" choices but life moves on.

Maybe I'll wait for the Savannah-Tribue models to be released

[jeffmarshall67]

Those look fabulous and I am glad to hear they play and sound so well, too but that is not a surprise - we all know and love G&L.
I was vey interested in this Collection because of the Hollow body and wood choices, but I am shopping for an MFD w/saddlelock set-up and G&L just won't do it. I am a bit disappointed in their attitude pertaining to "menu-only" choices but life moves on.

I hear you on that one, I have an ASAT in my head in a configuration that would just have them doing one less pickup route than a model that is currently available, and we asked 3 times but in the end G&L said it wasn't meant to be. I'm hoping for a G&L custom shop one day.

[Swamp ash]

Those look fabulous and I am glad to hear they play and sound so well, too but that is not a surprise - we all know and love G&L.
I was vey interested in this Collection because of the Hollow body and wood choices, but I am shopping for an MFD w/saddlelock set-up and G&L just won't do it. I am a bit disappointed in their attitude pertaining to "menu-only" choices but life moves on.

I hear you on that one, I have an ASAT in my head in a configuration that would just have them doing one less pickup route than a model that is currently available, and we asked 3 times but in the end G&L said it wasn't meant to be. I'm hoping for a G&L custom shop one day.

Ah, must be the Z2, born again! I agree with you - i envision this. I find a middle pickup to be in the way, most good things come in pairs, anyway.

[meursault]

that's a beauty !

[jeffmarshall67]

swamp, I was thinking more along this line....

[Swamp ash]

swamp, I was thinking more along this line....

Cool - an MFD esquire! I/m down with that - I suppose there is always body-filler, might not look as good as photo-shop though...

[jeffmarshall67]

I'd do it in a premium wood and burst probably. A nice big face of the guitar to look great. And a little more mass of the guitar for a good sound.

[jediguitarist]

+1 more for the grain. Nice ASAT

[blargfromouterspace]

Oh yeah! Really wish that this was the Solamente model. I'll take it in double-bound satin-frost black.

swamp, I was thinking more along this line....

[NickHorne]

I'd love for G&L to make that with just the hot Will Ray back Z-coil (might need a little Z-ring mounting arrangement).
The "Hellesquire"!
Twangdemonium. Fabulous. Humcancelling.
No 4 neck for mine, please.