any ideas what this is? year, body wood? no dates in pocket

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Salmon
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Re: any ideas what this is? year, body wood? no dates in poc

Post by Salmon »

The wood is ash.

The year would be prior to 1998 being a 3-bolt neck: http://guitarsbyleo.com/FORUM/viewtopic.php?f=12&t=20

Determining the year of a G&L: http://guitarsbyleo.com/FORUM/viewtopic.php?f=12&t=19
busterfykes
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Joined: Thu Nov 28, 2013 1:10 pm

Re: any ideas what this is? year, body wood? no dates in poc

Post by busterfykes »

Salmon wrote:The wood is ash.

The year would be prior to 1998 being a 3-bolt neck: http://guitarsbyleo.com/FORUM/viewtopic.php?f=12&t=20

Determining the year of a G&L: http://guitarsbyleo.com/FORUM/viewtopic.php?f=12&t=19
Thanks, Yea, I realized that it's 1997 or older. tried narrowing it down, with the decal type, and position of the string tree, and that just confused me more.
I've just never seen ash, with that type of grain.
doesn't really matter, don't know what the color is either.
But, I love her, just the same...
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suave eddie
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Re: any ideas what this is? year, body wood? no dates in poc

Post by suave eddie »

busterfykes wrote:
Salmon wrote:The wood is ash.

The year would be prior to 1998 being a 3-bolt neck: http://guitarsbyleo.com/FORUM/viewtopic.php?f=12&t=20

Determining the year of a G&L: http://guitarsbyleo.com/FORUM/viewtopic.php?f=12&t=19
Thanks, Yea, I realized that it's 1997 or older. tried narrowing it down, with the decal type, and position of the string tree, and that just confused me more.
I've just never seen ash, with that type of grain.
doesn't really matter, don't know what the color is either.
But, I love her, just the same...
It does look like ash--just not the most remarkable grained specimen. As for the color, it looks like it may be a Honeyburst.
Have you been able to narrow down the age by serial number? Also, someone here probably knows better than me--I'm not sure when the black hardware was discontinued--bridge, etc.

It looks to be in great shape for its age--I assume you acquired it used?
busterfykes
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Re: any ideas what this is? year, body wood? no dates in poc

Post by busterfykes »

suave eddie wrote:
busterfykes wrote:
Salmon wrote:The wood is ash.

The year would be prior to 1998 being a 3-bolt neck: http://guitarsbyleo.com/FORUM/viewtopic.php?f=12&t=20

Determining the year of a G&L: http://guitarsbyleo.com/FORUM/viewtopic.php?f=12&t=19
Thanks, Yea, I realized that it's 1997 or older. tried narrowing it down, with the decal type, and position of the string tree, and that just confused me more.
I've just never seen ash, with that type of grain.
doesn't really matter, don't know what the color is either.
But, I love her, just the same...
It does look like ash--just not the most remarkable grained specimen. As for the color, it looks like it may be a Honeyburst.
Have you been able to narrow down the age by serial number? Also, someone here probably knows better than me--I'm not sure when the black hardware was discontinued--bridge, etc.

It looks to be in great shape for its age--I assume you acquired it used?
yes, just got her. had been in a case, under a pool table, for the last 12 years. strung with 12-52 strings, huge bow in the neck, action of about 1/4", but i somehow knew it would still set up nicely, and it did.. and rings like a grand piano, putting all of my other guitars to shame. yea, honey, but not really any burst. I thought that it might be maple.
Salmon
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Joined: Tue Jun 18, 2013 12:45 pm

Re: any ideas what this is? year, body wood? no dates in poc

Post by Salmon »

suave eddie wrote:It does look like ash--just not the most remarkable grained specimen.
I think the blurry picture is disguising the beautiful grain. If so, from what I think is there it would be a preferred sample of ash (preferred to me at least because I like the fatter patterns as opposed to the more linear patterns in ash). On the other hand could it be American Tilla/Basswood? Did G&L use it on ASAT's like it did on S500's? Initially I thought ash but after looking at a lot of pictures of guitar woods it could be ash, alder or basswood. The raw wood samples seem to display more diversity within the type increasing their similarity to one another than finished guitars display. To me it is easier to recognize the wood and the traits seem more consistent looking at finished guitars. Ash tends to offer some sharper lines though so I'll just say this is definitely wood.

I sharpened these pictures:

Image
Image
Last edited by Salmon on Thu Nov 28, 2013 5:22 pm, edited 1 time in total.
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suave eddie
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Re: any ideas what this is? year, body wood? no dates in poc

Post by suave eddie »

busterfykes wrote:
suave eddie wrote:
busterfykes wrote:
Salmon wrote:The wood is ash.

The year would be prior to 1998 being a 3-bolt neck: http://guitarsbyleo.com/FORUM/viewtopic.php?f=12&t=20

Determining the year of a G&L: http://guitarsbyleo.com/FORUM/viewtopic.php?f=12&t=19
Thanks, Yea, I realized that it's 1997 or older. tried narrowing it down, with the decal type, and position of the string tree, and that just confused me more.
I've just never seen ash, with that type of grain.
doesn't really matter, don't know what the color is either.
But, I love her, just the same...
It does look like ash--just not the most remarkable grained specimen. As for the color, it looks like it may be a Honeyburst.
Have you been able to narrow down the age by serial number? Also, someone here probably knows better than me--I'm not sure when the black hardware was discontinued--bridge, etc.

It looks to be in great shape for its age--I assume you acquired it used?
yes, just got her. had been in a case, under a pool table, for the last 12 years. strung with 12-52 strings, huge bow in the neck, action of about 1/4", but i somehow knew it would still set up nicely, and it did.. and rings like a grand piano, putting all of my other guitars to shame. yea, honey, but not really any burst. I thought that it might be maple.
It may be the lighting, or an illusion, but the edges look darker to me--like a subtle burst finish.

If Fred is watching this, he could probably tell for sure what wood and what finish it is.
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Craig
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Re: any ideas what this is? year, body wood? no dates in poc

Post by Craig »

First let's see all the photos at once:

Image
Image
Image
Image
Image

For future reference, see Tutorial: Posting photos.

The model is an "ASAT" and I would guess that the build year is 1996 or 1997.

See this page from the 1996-1997 G&L Catalog (located in our Gallery), and note that there is an error in model name labelling for the ASAT
and the ASAT Special. They are switched so, the labelled "ASAT Special" is really an "ASAT" and your guitar looks just like it, except for the body finish and
fretboard:

Image

Looking at your photos, the first one looks like it has the Honeyburst finish, whereas, the other body photos look like it has the Cherryburst finish.
The wood grain on the body looks like Alder to me and if the body color is Cherryburst, Alder would be the default body wood for that finish. If the
color is Honeyburst the default body wood would be Swamp Ash. However, note that special orders could be made, so that an Alder body could have
been requested with a Honeyburst finish. Which photo(s) represent the actual color the best? Do you have a photo of the neck pocket, as this would show
the raw wood color? Alder would be somewhat tan/brown and Swamp Ash would be whiter.

Just my $0.02.

:ugeek:
--Craig [co-webmaster of guitarsbyleo.com, since Oct. 16, 2000]
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busterfykes
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Joined: Thu Nov 28, 2013 1:10 pm

Re: any ideas what this is? year, body wood? no dates in poc

Post by busterfykes »

thanks, so much. I'll go with honeyburst, because there's not red in the color, in real life. and I'll go with, it's definitely some kind of wood, and i guess, not maple, as I thought.
i just know that i love her, a lot.. :D