standard asst classic single coil vs bluesboy help please.

[unclefreaky]

Hi. I am considering buying a USA asst as I have already a have an Asat tribute Bluesboy that I like very much but want to upgrade to a USA Asat and also want the 12 inch radius fretboard.

My problem is that I can't decide between the Bluesboy with the neck hum bucker or the standard single coil MFD neck pickup. Here in the UK G&L guitars are pretty scarce so I can't just pop into a store and compare guitars.

I like my Tribute Bluesboy but I do find the neck Humbucker a bit dark and dull sounding compared to the MFD single coil in the bridge which I love. Although I must admit that together they sound great.

I guess my question is how does the Seth Lover Humbucker in the USA Bluesboy compare to the Paul Gagon Humbucker in the Tribute Bluesboy does it have more clarity and top end sparkle for instance and also how do both of them compare to the MFD single coil in the neck position. It is really the clean sound I am interested in as sparkly cleans are my thing. Can you get a warm jazz tone out of the MFD single coil and do they have good bass also.

If there is anyone out there with both that can give me a good comparison I would really appreciate it.

[Salmon]

Sorry I have no experience with the Bluesboy however the Classic SC MFD is capable of getting jazzy tones. You just dial back the tone to a degree. The MFD's are sparkly and clear pickups especially in combination neck with the bridge. If you have a chance you should try the large MFD's of the ASAT Special. They are bigger sounding from top end to bottom. However a lot of what you describe as a target can be achieved in the amp you choose relying on clarity and sparkle from the guitar then added bass from the amp.

[blargfromouterspace]

Sorry I have no experience with the Bluesboy however the Classic SC MFD is capable of getting jazzy tones. You just dial back the tone to a degree.

+1. The neck MFD has a good amount of bass, probably as much as a vintage-type humbucker.
If it's sparkle you want then a single coil is definitely the way to go. The Seth Lover pickup in the USA Bluesboy is thicker and warmer than the MFD.

[SamIV]

I am not a big fan of any neck humbuckers or singles for that matter. Rarely do I use the neck pickup. The exception is in my ASAT Classic. There is just something special to me about it. And the bridge and neck pickup together clean, well, I have never liked a better combination of pickups together. Same feeling about the pickups in my ASAT Special Deluxe, the the larger MFD pickups. Was not much of a fan of singles till I played a G&L. Unfortunate you cant get out and try one.

[Sprinter 92]

I have an Asat Classic and a Bluesboy. The neck pickup in the Classic is a great pickup! The Seth Lover in the Blueboy isn't that great by itself, but it works well when used with the MFD bridge pickup. If I could only have one of the two guitars, I'd keep the Asat Classic! I feel that the Asat Classic is the best guitar G&L offers.

[fianoman]

If you have a chance you should try the large MFD's of the ASAT Special. They are bigger sounding from top end to bottom.

I have never had a tele-type guitar but yesterday I was looking as Nick Jaffe's demo of the Tribute ASAT Special on the G&L site and have to say, I am seriously jonesing for one. Those large MFD's are sweet sounding and versatile. I assume the that USA models have the same or better pups.

[teleburst]

I had one Bluesboy that I custom ordered, and though it was a beautiful guitar, I did not care at all for the Seth Lover in the neck. It sounded very dull, dark, and "soft" for me. A Seymour Duncan Phat Cat replaced it, and sounded much better.

Having several ASAT Classics with the MFD singles, if find them much more musical. The neck single is actually quite muscular, and as someone else mentioned, is probably every bit the same output as a vintage humbucker. What it has over the Seth Lover is clarity, presence, and punch. Overall, just much more dynamic.

[unclefreaky]

Brilliant .Thanks for all the replies I am definitely leaning towards the single coils as it sounds like the USA Bluesboy is going to be similar to my Tribute as far as the neck pickup is concerned.

My question now is are the two single coil pickups going to get me anywhere near as many different sound combinations as the one single coil combined with the neck hum bucker. What are the two single coils like combined in the middle position is it very distinct from either of the pickups alone.

Thanks again for all the great advice so far.

[teleburst]

Well, you're technically not gaining or losing any more sound combinations with one over the other. The only difference regarding the middle position of one over the other is that the Bluesboy will be a touch warmer and softer, and the Classic with the singles will have a little more spank and clarity while still being punchy. I'd say you're well covered with your tribute Bluesboy, and a USA built one won't be much different sounding. I vote for the Classic with singles!

[Fumble fingers]

I agree , no point in getting two blues boy's to have the same sound ..... I vote to get a Classic too

[NickHorne]

+1
And remember the tone control on MFD G&Ls does really useful things; if you've been used to leaving it wide open on, say, Fenders, do use it more.
The Classic pickups are lovely. The neck can be clear and sweet but also bluesy too. Quite a magic pickup for me. And neck with tone backed off a bit will make you forget about wanting any foggy humbuckers!

[teleburst]

Yep - the tone control on an ASAT allows you to cover tremendous ground, and that goes for all 3 pickup positions. I've never played another electric that offered so many extremely useful tones.

[unclefreaky]

Fantastic I am totally convinced that the classic with single coils is the way to go for me now.

I do like my Bluesboy but I think for me it is sometimes hard to go from the the really great lively clean sound of the bridge single coil to the really dark and rather boring sounding Humbucker but at the same time I do want to be able to get a nice warm smooth jazzy tone out of my neck pickup at times and from what you have all advised it does sound like I will achieve that with the MFD single coil with the tone rolled off so that is exactly what I was hoping to hear.

I can start shopping for the right guitar now so thanks again to everybody for the advice.

[teleburst]

Then it's the singles that I think you're wanting to hear, because that neck pickup is anything but boring. It's of course darker than the bridge MFD, but no where near as dark as the Seth on a Bluesboy. I've always thought that the MFD's on a Classic were closer related to a P-90 (but much quieter!) than the true singles of a Telecaster, and that's what makes them so versatile imho. Powerful and sparkly, yet with that tone rolled back just a bit, it warms up nicely and still retains that 3-D sound.

[unclefreaky]

Hi. Before I make a final decision can anyone tell me how the large size MFD neck pickup compares to the standard MFD single coil in the neck position. Is it called the classic custom guitar that has a normal single coil in the bridge and the large size MFD in the neck position. It seems that people compare it to a P90 does that mean it's a bit more midrangey and better for overdrive rather than nice cleans like a standard single coil.

Again it is the clean sound I am interested in.

[GeorgeB]

I can only comment on overwound large MFD's (ASAT Super) vs. classic MFD's (S-500). The small MFD's already have plenty of volume and bass/midrange compared to a standard Tele or Strat neck pup but the Super's custom big MFD's are from another planet, really. Loud and fat, yet still enough of that SC sparkle, clarity and a vividness many humbuckers seem to lack... they are really different than anything else, in my limited experience. Standard large MFD's appear to be right in between from what I remember when I bought the ASAT Super and compared it with with a Special and an S-500 (Tributes).

[NickHorne]

You are right about the spec of the Asat Classic Custom , but it has been discontinued.
There is now an Asat Classic 90 with a P-90 at the neck instead, but that will be a somewhat different, bluesier animal, although G&L's P-90s are clear and nice.

The Classic's regular neck pickup will be (in my estimation):
What a Tele neck pup ought to have been all along;
More Strat-like, and jazz / blues capable.
It reminds me of a Fralin Tele Blues Special but sweeter and clearer (until you wind the tone back, when it will be jazzier).
The both-pups switch position responds to tone control very sweetly.

Before you jump, have you considered replacing the Seth in your Bluesboy with a Fralin "Unbucker'? Any decent tech can wire this so as to give you humbuck / single - coil options really easily, the single - coil (should be wired to be the hotter, screw, coil; not the slug) sounds proper and the humbucker's sound is itself much less mushy.

[unclefreaky]

Hi. Thanks again for all the replies.

Actually i am not a massive fan of the neck on my tribute blues boy otherwise I would just go down the changing pickups route as suggested. I find the neck just ok and really I prefer a 12 inch radius fretboard which is partly why I am looking at the USA made asats.

I have read that the necks on the USA guitars are really nice and also i fancy trying a Pleked guitar.

I am pretty sure now that a standard semi hollow asat with single coils is what I am going to go for but I wish they were more common in the UK as importing anything from America is really pricey because of the import taxes etc.

[Sprinter 92]

I am pretty sure now that a standard semi hollow asat with single coils is what I am going to go for but I wish they were more common in the UK as importing anything from America is really pricey because of the import taxes etc.

Great choice! I love my Asat Classic semi-hollow.

[unclefreaky]

That looks fantastic exactly what I had in mind .

I think they look great in Natural or honey or perhaps clear orange where you can really see the grain of the swamp ash showing through.

[Craig]

That looks fantastic exactly what I had in mind .

I think they look great in Natural or honey or perhaps clear orange where you can really see the grain of the swamp ash showing through.

You might also consider this new finish color, Vintage Natural.

.

It's on my finish color short list.

[NickHorne]

I think the Tributes are fantastic value, and quite an achievement.
But I do agree that I prefer the USA necks, by quite some margin (probably not too surprisingly).

"Vintage Natural" looks really NICE! It goes on my shortlist too, along with Orange, Blonde and Lemondrop.
Sprinter's semi looks very pretty too!

[Salmon]

Vintage Natural doesn't show up in the finishes section.

It looks like Butterscotch Blonde in the pictures but I suspect that it is not semi-transparent like either of the blondes.

VN



BB

[Craig]

Vintage Natural doesn't show up in the finishes section.

Yes I know, and it's been on my list of discussion topics to discuss with Dave at NAMM later this week. BTW, there was an email about this new finish which was sent
to all G&L dealers last October and that's where I got the link to that page.

[NickHorne]

I love it.
It looks like the halfway house between Lemondrop and Honey that I'd always wished for.

Whilst on the subject of clear finishes (a G&L thing, for sure) I shall continue to hope for clear gloss turqoise, not too dark.... some day....