Sonic differences between the ASAT deluxe and the Legacy 2HB

[jwebsmall]

Can anyone comment on the differences in tone between the
ASAT deluxe and Legacy 2HB.

Using the 60-30-10 rule for determining tone (60% pickups, 30% body, 10% neck)
since they both come with the same pickups and same neck do they sound
close to 70% the same. My guess is they don't owing to the differences in the
bridge, body shape and wood.

Can you get a twang out of the Legacy 2HB with coils split?

Thanks in advance.

[blargfromouterspace]

I think it's time to pull the trigger on a G&L, jwebs, any G&L. If you're anything like the rest of us around here you wont stop at one!

That rule does ignore the bridge, which certainly changes the feel of an instrument. IMO body shape makes no difference in a solid bodied electric guitar - if you put ASAT hardware and pickups into a Legacy with the same body/neck woods it'll sound the same.

[SouthpawGuy]

I have an ASAT Deluxe semi and a Legacy 2HB. Same pickups in both. Not really a fair comparison as the ASAT is semi hollow. Plus the body woods are different and the ASAT has a maple board and the Legacy has rosewood. Then as mentioned the ASAT has a saddle lock bridge, major sustain !

The Legacy nails that '80s metal tone, easily. I've always thought the JB in the bridge of the ASAT Deluxe was an odd match, a JB isn't exactly subtle ! So I was thinking of experimenting with some different pickups in it. Of course when I played it for a while I then didn't want to change the pickups at all. Just don't expect an ASAT Deluxe to sound like a Les Paul or a Tele, or an ASAT Classic for that matter. So .......

I got another ASAT Deluxe, this time a solid body, and it's going to get some new pickups. Most likely Duncan P-Rails with triple shot mounting rings. I have those in a couple of other guitars already, they can go from big fat humbucker to thin cutting single coil to biting P90 tones. They should sound excellent in the ASAT.

[jwebsmall]

I bought a USA G&L legacy in June and
a tribute G&L SC-2 bass in July.

I'm thinking now about a tribute ASAT deluxe
- something I can leave out of the gig bag
and not fuss when it gets banged up or
take to open mic. I'm thinking a tribute
is less likely to get stolen than a USA G&L.

[Boogie Bill]

I don't think there's a huge difference in tone between the Legacy 2HB and the ASAT Deluxe. You do get the vibrato and the PTB controls and the better ergonomics in the Legacy.

My AD has a thick rock and roll tone from the bridge TB-4, but it is NOT a Les Paul. The coils split gives usable tones, but again, it won't twang like a tele.

And I would suggest going for a USA made guitar. The Tributes are good, but the USA guitars are better. You'll be more motivated to take good care of it, too; and not knock it around or keep it in places where it will get stolen.

Bill

[arablue]

i had a similar quandary. ive been itching to buy a us made asat special, but most of my experience with tele-style guitars has been alder/rosewood. am i unfairly limiting myself by looking for a similar instrument if pickups are responsible for most of the sound? is there a wide enough variance that potentially any guitar with any combination of woods would sound good to me?

[KenC]

Arablue,

From my perspective of owning several body/fretboard combinations with large MFDs (ASATs and an SC-2), the feel of the instrument in my hands and the choice of amplifiers seem to have more of an impact than the woods. It might be a lack of finesse on my part, or not playing through $2K+ amps, but my affinity for the guitar seems to be the most important factor in the way I handle it and the sound I get. FWIW, most of my playing these days is through an older Blues Jr. My music room is small, so the big amps live in the basement. Limited experimentation has led me to the conclusion that the large MFDs get a long really well with tube amps, but are a bit shrill with clean solid state amps.

I bought my first ASAT Special online from Guitar Center last spring. It didn't feel right in my hands (something about that particular guitar's neck profile), so I returned it on the spot and ordered a different one. That one turned out to be the most comfortable and best sounding guitar I've ever played, and I've added a couple to the collection since then. Each one has a different resonance and feel in my hands, but they all sound wonderful.

FWIW, if you don't have a dealer nearby you might consider ordering a used instrument from a vendor that will accept returns and see if it's the one. I have no affiliation with Guitar Center and generally avoid their stores, but they have a wonderful return/exchange policy for used instruments and can be a good option for finding just the right ASAT if you don't have a local source. You could probably find other vendors who would handle returns without much fuss with a little bit of searching.

Ken C

[arablue]

thanks for the reply ken. that sounds like good advice, i appreciate the recommendation since im working on a budget and sometimes feel a little distant from some of the collectors on the forum. at least economically speaking, we all love g&l's!