GAS hits again - ASAT Classic or Bluesboy?

[cider]

Hi all,
I'm a total newbie here! I only started to learn guitar recently, and thanks to lurking on this site I bought my first G&L, a Tribute Special in blueburst a few months ago. I love it dearly.

However, it's been at the shop for a setup, and because of family reasons the luthier hasn't been able to come in and give it back to me yet. I've been without my guitar for almost 2 weeks now and I'm starting to lose my mind, so naturally I started to look at gears (uh oh).

Now, I *know* that I want a butterscotch blonde and a 3-tone tobacco sunburst ASAT eventually, I'm just not sure what I'll get first. Since the Classic Tribute have the same US pickups as the US one, I think I'm going to save the eventual US purchase for the Bluesboy (because of the different pickups) and maybe satisfy my cravings with a Tribute Classic for now.

On the other hand, since my current guitar is already single coil, I'm not sure if I should get first a Bluesboy first for the humbucker, argh.

The closest guitar shop that carries G&L's is about an hour + away, and I don't have the luxury of going there to check them out in the near future, so I'm depending on your help to see which guitar I should opt for first, Classic Bluesboy.

Is the Classic THAT much different from my Special? Out of the Classic and Bluesboy, if you could only get one American-made, which one would it be?

Thank you all so much

[yowhatsshakin]

Hi cider,

Feel your pain buddy! Being without your guitar is no fun.

The Classic is quite a bit different than the Special. The wider aperture of the MFD pups on the Special give them a more balanced output where the highs are reduced. In other words, these pups have a fair amount of warmth to them. The Classic pups have substantially more highs because they were designed to be closer to Tele pups although still without the 'ice-pick' some Telecasters display. These pups have more 'twang' to them.

It would certainly be worth it to compare these 2 models yourself. I think you'll like the differences and will appreciate the strengths of both models.

- Jos

[Fumble fingers]

my next ASAT will be a Blues boy , something light , either made in Imperess or a hollow body with no sound hole , if that helps ??

[Craig]

my next ASAT will be a Blues boy , something light , either made in Imperess or a hollow body with no sound hole , if that helps ??

Actually I think you mean "Empress" wood, right?

[SouthpawGuy]

Only one ? Bluesboy.

[glvourot]

I recently bought a new practice amp and it just so happens that the shop sells G&L's ( both tribute and US ). I didn't dare touch the Fallout that I had been eyeing and that was hanging about 3 feet from my head. So I used a Tribute Bluesboy to try out the amp. I had never played or given a thought to any of the Tribute models before. Well, my mind has been changed. Superb built quality and feel. +10 for the Tribute Blueboy. They really shouldn't sell the Tributes along side the US models.

[jukie]

I started off looking for a Tribute Bluesboy in tobacco sunburst but can't find one to try. So I think I'm about to switch to a Tribute s-500 in the same burst. Different guitars but I think I'll be happy with either. Would like to find the Bluesboy to make sure.

[cider]

Hello everyone, thank you so much for your replies. I'm sorry I couldn't get back to you sooner.

@Jos: I'm planning a trip to the closest G&L dealer some time this weekend to play with the guitars. The local shop that used to carry G&L closed down before I even started to learn - I read about it recently and was bummer out. I don't have a vehicle and it takes an hour on public transit to make a 20 minutes car trip, which is why I don't have much opportunities to test things out that often. I have been listening to demo's of the Bluesboy and Classic on Youtube, and I must say I love the Bluesboy's sound. The Classic might be a bit too twangy and country for my ears.

@Tim: I'm mainly trying to play some Muse songs right now, so I know that effects matter a lot more than the specific guitar. My other favorite band is DCFC, and the guitarist plays a Bluesboy (hence my discovery of G&L in the first place).

So far, I'm definitely leaning towards the Bluesboy. I would get a Tribute in a heartbeat had it not been for the red tortoise pickguard. Really not a fan. One other thing is that my Special seems to have the same pickups as the USA Special, yet the Tribute and US Bluesboy have different humbuckers so I'm a bit worried I wouldn't get the real Bluesboy experience going for a Tribute. Any thoughts?

[jukie]

I started off looking for a Tribute Bluesboy in tobacco sunburst but can't find one to try. So I think I'm about to switch to a Tribute s-500 in the same burst. Different guitars but I think I'll be happy with either. Would like to find the Bluesboy to make sure.

WOO HOO. I just found a Tribute Bluesboy Semi-Hollow in tobacco burst. (Now there's a mouthful for you.) Love the sound, the feel, and the look so I pulled the trigger on it today. As it's a Christmas present, the better half has taken charge of it for the next month but that will just make the anticipation that much stronger.

[oldhatt]

I started off looking for a Tribute Bluesboy in tobacco sunburst but can't find one to try. So I think I'm about to switch to a Tribute s-500 in the same burst. Different guitars but I think I'll be happy with either. Would like to find the Bluesboy to make sure.

WOO HOO. I just found a Tribute Bluesboy Semi-Hollow in tobacco burst. (Now there's a mouthful for you.) Love the sound, the feel, and the look so I pulled the trigger on it today. As it's a Christmas present, the better half has taken charge of it for the next month but that will just make the anticipation that much stronger.

So you played it, loved it ..and now you can't have it back until christmas ?? .... I'd hold thanksgiving hostage until I got my ax back -LOL

cider: what did you decide ? Sounds like a US Bluesboy is in your future

Tim, I guess that was a darn good idea you had with that guitar - cheers

-best,
Mike

[cider]

Hey Mike, thanks for checking up! I still have not made up my mind yet. Last weekend I made a trip to the closest g&l dealer in the area, and to my disappointment they only had ONE tribute invader. :/ really wanted to try the bluesboy or the fallout, meh.

I got an LP studio for Christmas/ birthday because my tribute asat special had been so temperamental it was almost impossible to enjoy playing it. Next time I but a g&l instrument it will be American made and from somewhere I can try it out. I might be closer to dealers over Christmas break since I'll be in socal. We'll see