Calling all enablers-1 or 2

[MJ Slaughter]

I have owned a USA Strat Deluxe for a few years, it's a very nice guitar but I have never bonded with it. After months of waffling I decided to sell it. So now that I have a buyer I'm trying to decide whether to buy one USA ASAT Special or a pair of Tributes. An ASAT Special and S-500. My current G&Ls are Legacy Tribute and USA Legacy Special. For some reason the G&Ls just appeal to me where the Fender doesn't. I actually like playing the Tribute Legacy more than my upper end Strat Deluxe. So now the hard part, trying to decide which would serve me better. Opinions welcomed.

[TMO]

A USA special would be nice, but I'd go with 2 Tributes.

The New ASAT Junior 2 Trib which looks amazing and has the essential p-90, tune-o-matic setup: it will out SG an SG. 12" radius and rosewood: spot on. It's the one place I feel like I can't go with the ASAT classic. Wish the headstock matched the body like on the USA's. Anyway, it's the sexiest looking HH (for the money) I've seen in awhile.

Next I'd go with an ASAT classic trib. Tobacco sunburst with the 2 mfd's. 9" radius, and rock maple- what a tele should be. If you like G&L and want to feel the essential Leo instrument, the classic is the way IMHO. James Burton, Don Rich- The sound of the MFD's through a Fender Twin: Braincandy.

[darwinohm]

You already have a Tribute Legacy and an American Legacy Special. Unless you are gigging a lot I would go with a semi hollow American Asat Special. A very fine guitar and generally light in weight. If you look around you can find some pretty good deals on used. The Specials really cook. I have found the American necks to be dressed better than the Tributes although is possible to get a very good Tribute, It is a luck of the draw in my opinion. The pleked models that I have are very well done and will play with very a low action. The best deal is to find a dealer that stocks a bunch and play them. -- Darwin

[NickHorne]

Another vote for getting a used USA Special.
If you stay cool, and get the one that wants to sit in your lap, you will get a real lot of guitar for your money!

[MJ Slaughter]

I can get impatient and picking up two Tributes would be easy to do since there are a lot around. If I can I think I'm going to try and find a nice used ASAT Special. Last week I let one slip away on Ebay, a 2013 mint condition. My bid was maybe $5 too low. Had I known better I would have paid a lot more.

[helle-man]

I'd get the 2 Tributes instead of 1 USA one.

[Philby]

I was in your position a few years back. The choice was a US ASAT Classic or a Tribute ASAT Classic and Tribute ASAT Special for the same price.

I went for the Tributes and have never regretted the decision. They are not 50% the guitar that the USA ASAT Classic was, more like 90+%.

I would recommend playing a few Tributes though. The quality control is probably not as tight as the US G&L's, so YOU are the final QC check!

[SamIV]

I really like my Tributes, but 2 of the three needed fret leveling. The only one which did not was a used S500 from Korea. My only American which has 7 1/2 in radius, I can set the lowest action on. Just a little FYI. I seem to like the 12" radius guitars better though. I don't own any more Fenders as well. With a little work though the Tributes play amazingly well and sound great.

[Elwood]

This:
http://www.ebay.com/itm/G-L-S-500-early ... 3cd6ec91a6

[Salmon]

Curious why are you narrowing this down to an ASAT Special?

My personal preference is the ASAT Classic over the ASAT Special.

It is hard to say "if I were you" because I would not shop for a Tribute. If I stumbled on one in person that I liked I might buy it but I would find it while shopping for a USA made G&L. I also prefer new guitars over used but I would consider a barely used USA in excellent condition. Closer to your situation I would recommend looking for the guy who has taken care of his guitar and is selling it because he doesn't play enough anymore. Seems like these guys are not out to generate as much money as they can. They just want to vacate the spot that has been occupied by a dormant object. I have seen some great deals.

[Fumble fingers]

Elwood , is that a metal PG on the S 500 ??? ... it's a hog to boot !!

[Elwood]

Elwood , is that a metal PG on the S 500 ??? ... it's a hog to boot !!

I think those are just the first options in the list that we can see, if you look at the finishes, it is listing other finishes.
That was a generic info sheet as opposed to a build certificate like they offer now.
I bet there is maple under that black.
Yes, metal pickguard. Isn't that black crinkle the bee's knees?

[KenC]

That's a great deal on an '82 S-500! Even without the case and case candy it would be a good deal. It is identical to mine (including the black finish), and mine is a 'hog. Those square-ended pickups are very powerful. Mine was my go-to for the past couple of days, and I had almost forgotten how good those pickups sound. They are a lot more direct than my 'Hawks.

Ken

[KenC]

Elwood , is that a metal PG on the S 500 ??? ... it's a hog to boot !!

If you like your Cavalier, you'd love this one. As I just mentioned in today's LR thread, my '82 S-500 was the guitar that made me start collecting. It is the perfect blues guitar IMO. Usually I stick with the 2 and 4 positions on a Strat type, but on my S-500 I like all of pickups individually just as much as the in-betweens.

A BIN price of $720 is an unreal deal for one of these in that condition, and with the OHSC. I think I paid that three years ago for mine, with a cheap aftermarket case. Even then, the store had the price marked down because they thought the metal pick guard and chrome knobs were mods.

If my hand wasn't sore from NGD bliss with an '82 SC-3, I'd be losing a battle with GAS right now...

Ken

[bloodied_fingers]

So now that I have a buyer I'm trying to decide whether to buy one USA ASAT Special or a pair of Tributes.

I would do one USA model, preferably used.

I own a legacy tribute and would not buy another Tribute.

[MJ Slaughter]

I've concluded that I don't need a Tribute S-500 and will search for a nice used USA ASAT Special. I have enough guitars and at this time would more appreciate the slightly more refined USA version. I was playing my Legacy Tribute today then switching to my USA version. The Tribute plays great but even without playing it the USA just feels so nice. Playing it has a more silky feel to it. Though if I could only have the Tributes I would still be very happy with that.

Thanks for all the feedback.

[Elwood]

Far from an ASAT special, but I bet this will come in at just under 600.
Can't beat the feel and fit of these early F-100's, it's just getting used to the controls ( or changing them as has been done more than once )

http://www.ebay.com/itm/G-L-F-100-Serie ... 3cd6f21e4a



I just notice that same seller has a ASAT special Deluxe with a BIN/Best Offer:



http://www.ebay.com/itm/G-L-ASAT-Specia ... 3cd6f0a83b

happy hunting !!

[MJ Slaughter]

Do you think $750 is fair for a late model ASAT Special with case in great condition? There would be tax and shipping on top of that.

[Elwood]

Do you think $750 is fair for a late model ASAT Special with case in great condition? There would be tax and shipping on top of that.

That sounds fair. There's always a deal out there in the future, but it's a matter of how long for for how much savings.
If you search ebay's completed listings for USA ASATs you'll get a reading for how the market is currently, that might help in your decision.
If it has the options you really like, I wouldn't hesitate...if not, I'd consider waiting and doing some soul searching.

hope that helps

[darwinohm]

MJ, the link that Elwood supplied to the Asat Special Deluxe looks to be a 2007-2009 build or possibly a bit older. It has the plastic string tree. My 2010's have the metal tree. It also has a natural top binding and a tummy cut. If you are looking at this I would contact the seller and find out what it weighs, the serial number (approximate), what neck, and body wood if known. It is not chambered as it has the tummy cut. It appears to have a satin finished neck. Today the Special Deluxe comes with a flamed maple cap standard. I would ask at least those questions before making an offer. A current model build would be about $1400 to 1500 new from a dealer. I did use the builder to build it.-- Darwin

[blargfromouterspace]

Far from an ASAT special, but I bet this will come in at just under 600.

http://www.ebay.com/itm/G-L-F-100-Serie ... 3cd6f21e4a

That has my name all over it. Thanks

[Salmon]

That is an elegant ASAT Special:

[KenC]

I think that ASAT is a good deal, especially with the binding and what looks to be an ebony board.

The F-100 is sweet. IME the MFD humbuckers sound much better in these 'hog bodies, compared to swamp ash. The grain in this body is really nice, and it looks like there could be some figure in the neck. If I didn't already have a hardtail version of this same guitar I'd be very tempted to BIN.

Ken

[MJ Slaughter]

I was going for the more traditional looking ASAT Special because of the pick guard but that black deluxe is sharp looking.

My ebay searches notified me of a couple G&L Tribute colors I haven't seen before in the current 2013 lineup. Green ASAT Special with maple neck http://www.ebay.com/itm/271295677785?ss ... 1423.l2649 and blue Comanche with maple neck http://www.ebay.com/itm/261304511189?ss ... 1423.l2649

Does G&L usually release new colors without updating their web site? I can't imagin that would be a Tribute custom order.

[Elwood]

Both those look nice,someone over there has the colors working well.
I like how there's "10 available" of the comanche


The JB tribute bass I got for a friend was nice for the price...but it didn't take long for him to notice
how much better the wood (specifically the neck) and feel was on my USA L-2000.

He has I think 5 medium quality basses now as he's got the BAS bug .
One (or two)quality Bass(es) would serve him better .

[darwinohm]

This has been an interesting thread and I am going to post my experiences. I think that anyone who plays with medium or higher action will be happy with the Tributes. I have owned two. Both had excellent finish and workmanship for the most part. The first one was a Korean model Asat Special, 2003 I believe. Very nice guitar and stunning to look at. It was Candy Apple Red. I like my action at .050 on the high E to about .055 to .060 on the low E. All of my American G&L are adjusted to that with no buzzing. I usually set the action with the relief at about .005. I could not get the action that low on my first Tribute. It buzzed. A fret dress would have most likely cured that. I did sell it after a couple of years to a friend who really wanted it.

My next experience was last spring when I picked up a like new, used, Asat Special, a 2010 built in Indonesia. It was a Butterscotch with a Tort pickguard. I actually picked this one up for Steve our lead player. It cleaned up and looked like new. When I tried it, the action was high and the neck alignment off. I offered the young fellow $250 and he took it, including a hard case. I did a complete setup, new strings, and it needed fret work. The nut was also marginal. I shimmed that and I leveled the frets that were giving the problems. I recall doing about 5 of them. It buzzed before I did the work on the frets. After leveling them this baby really played. Steve happens to like the Fender LSR nut and because this was a 9 in radius I decided to install the LSR. The nut was too wide overall but I filed the edges, polished and cut the groove in the neck for the LSR. After the nut installation this guitar played about as good as it gets. Steve has been using it for gigging and loves it. A side benefit for him is that it now has a bit wider string spacing at the nut which he especially liked. It has a stunning ash body to look at. So these is my experiences and I highly recommend Tributes but find that the ones I have have not had perfect necks like the Pleked American models that I have. They have needed some fret leveling and then have set up beautifully. The neck alignment still isn't perfect but acceptable and would require a bit of neck pocket work to correct. If you buy a Tribute, they are a fantastic buy, especially used and in my opinion they can be tweaked to play with the best. If you don't require very low action they are probably good to go as is and there may be a lot of them out there that are good to go from the factory. Both mine were purchased used. -- Darwin

[MJ Slaughter]

I am closing in on an ASAT Special I like but it's neck is slightly deeper than my current Legacy. My Legacy has a #1a neck which I like. An ASAT I'm considering has the #1 which is slightly deeper at the 1st fret but quite a lot more so at the 12th. Can anyone describe for me how much differently they will feel from one another?

[Salmon]

I am closing in on an ASAT Special I like but it's neck is slightly deeper than my current Legacy. My Legacy has a #1a neck which I like. An ASAT I'm considering has the #1 which is slightly deeper at the 1st fret but quite a lot more so at the 12th. Can anyone describe for me how much differently they will feel from one another?

Even within the same size there are variations. All of mine have been #1s but there is a #1 in a store I have played a couple of times that feels quite chunky. The fretboard is very good and fast it is just thicker in the back.

Your hand/finger size will factor into an assessment of a neck.

The #1a feels good to me but I find my hand fatiguing because it has to close up more. Think of it like sitting and not being able to stretch out your legs. This is based on only having played one guitar with the #1a. I liked it enough to buy the guitar. I passed only because I wanted a transparent finish and this was solid metallic. I have larger than average hands/fingers which could very well be a factor in the discomfort due to playing with the hand closed up more.

You might wonder why this fatiguing wasn't an absolute flag. My hands may even cramp at times. It isn't often and I don't source it to the guitar. The relatively shallow #1a was not as comfortable and I prefer a #1 but I wasn't put off by anything about it and would have bought the guitar.

One other thing, the #1a felt elegant while the specific chunky #1 mentioned earlier was less elegant. I appreciate the fine feel of a neck. I would give that #1a an extra point but I would not deduct any points from that #1 chunky for lacking elegance. All of my #1s feel elegant. So maybe this point is moot?

Much of what I am speaking of is too subjective. Sorry if I have not said anything useful.


EDIT: BTW, that black ASAT Special originally had a starting bid price around $600 and a Buy It Now price of $799. The seller recently changed it to Buy It Now at $759 or Make Offer. I liked the potential of getting it at $600 provided no one else was interested in bidding. Now it is more ambiguous.

[Craig]

I was going for the more traditional looking ASAT Special because of the pick guard but that black deluxe is sharp looking.

My ebay searches notified me of a couple G&L Tribute colors I haven't seen before in the current 2013 lineup. Green ASAT Special with maple neck http://www.ebay.com/itm/271295677785?ss ... 1423.l2649 and blue Comanche with maple neck http://www.ebay.com/itm/261304511189?ss ... 1423.l2649

Does G&L usually release new colors without updating their web site? I can't imagin that would be a Tribute custom order.

I checked with Dave McLaren on this.

Hi Craig,

Those two are special runs commissioned by the dealer. We won't be adding them to our site. Sorry I didn't give you a heads up about them. Actually I didn't even know about them until they showed up a week or two ago. Rob worked it out. Thanks, Craig.

Dave

[Note: Rob is the Sales VP]

Dave followed up with:

Hi Craig,

Now I see why the guys thought these are just new colors we added. His ebay listings don't say anything about them being a special run. Hell, I figured the guy would have pumped that up. Rob is going to suggest he perk that up. He bought 48 each of the green and blue guitars, so the guy should get on that to move 'em out.

Thanks again!

Dave

Hope this helps.

[MJ Slaughter]

Thanks Craig. Thats interesting.

I decided to get the dark tobacco burst with the #1 neck from Guitar Center since I can return it I can't adjust to the neck. Should be here Monday. Thanks for all the feedback and suggestions.

[Ray Barbee Music]

That blue Comanche is stunning. Wish it had a rosewood board.