NGD - Tribute Ascari GT-90

[guitar_ed]

Hi All,

Just my newest G&L today, the Ascari GT-90. The that MusiciansFriend had on their Stupid Deal of the Day. YeeHah.

So, it comes in 3 boxes total. The MF shipping box. The G&L shipping box. And the box that the guitar itself is actually in. The G&L shipping box was unopened. This has left a big mess of boxes in my garage.

First off, it's mighty pretty. And it was pretty munch in tune. First steps are changing strings and treating the fretboard. Standard stuff for me. Then I need to find the perfect strap for it. The right strap is important.

For those who pix, you will have to wait until Friday. Sorry.

edg

[Fumble fingers]

sweet , that was a killer deal !! .... I want to get a Ascari sometime later to replace my LP copy , I'll probably get the humbucker model

[darwinohm]

Great score Ed, I was thinking and checked again and they were sold out. Looking forward to the pics.-- Darwin

[Ray Barbee Music]

Got mine to. Looks just like the pictures. Haven't had time to do a complete setup but a fast pass at it shows very good factory fretwork, it should set up very nicely.

This is not a thin guitar, which is an impression you might get from pictures. The body tapers at the edges as it is an archtop, but in the middle it is quite thick. Standard S shape overall, but Nashville tunomatic and stop bar + set neck.

[guitar_ed]

And no pix today Technical difficulties.

Monday it should be.

edg

[JagInTheBag]

I grabbed one of these as well. Frets seemed pretty sweet out of the box. What do you plan on doing to yours?

[SamIV]

I don't know, I see nothing. No pictures of a new guitar here.

[guitar_ed]

Hi All,

I finally got some pix. This is a sweet playing guitar. The weight is nice, the neck feels nice. For the price it's a MUCH better deal than the Epi LP or SG jobbies. Set neck. Nice pickups. I am tempted to put a Bigsby on this puppy.

My only issue with this guitar is OCD related. It has a 3 piece body, which I don't care about. The problem is that the pieces are not symmetrical. This is not, by any means, a deal killer, but I would be happier if.....

Now the temptation is to get the HB version. I would swap out the pups for some SD JB and Jazz pups rather than the nondescript pups that G&L uses in the Tribute Ascari.

That would be a really sweet guitar.......



Later,

edg

[Boogie Bill]

Ed, if you do get an Ascari, you might want to think twice about the pickup replacement. Those pickups sound pretty darn good! I thought that they were really nice for a guitar in that price range. I think those are from Paul G. at G&L; if he's not careful, he gonna get a rep as a legit pickup guru. YMMV of course, but I thought they were keepers.

Bill

[Craig]

Ed, if you do get an Ascari, you might want to think twice about the pickup replacement. Those pickups sound pretty darn good! I thought that they were really nice for a guitar in that price range. I think those are from Paul G. at G&L; if he's not careful, he gonna get a rep as a legit pickup guru. YMMV of course, but I thought they were keepers.

Bill

Yes, those pickups are spec'd by Paul, as are all of the Alnico G&L pickups.

Check out this Bio on Paul Gagon.

[Ray Barbee Music]

I agree, the P-90s in that and the ASAT Jr. are outstanding, really some of the best I've heard. Hum cancelling in the middle, and nicely balanced winds in neck/bridge, unlike most others.

[Ray Barbee Music]

Finally had a chance to complete set up on mine tonight, been too busy working on other people's stuff.

I got lucky and the fretwork on mine is very, very good for factory hand work, about as good as you could reasonably ask. I re-seated and glued a few, which I expect to have to do on anything that comes across the ocean. Only a few minutes work and no major issue. If the USA LS I just ordered comes in that good, I'll be pleased. The Ascari set up beautifully with the high E at .035" 14th fret, sloping up to low E at .0575" 14th fret. I went with an 11-56 set as I wanted a very slinky feel and wasn't sure how low I could get it without doing a fret level. It would have been just fine and still slinky with 12-56.

Nice looking guitar, great sounding pickups, great factory fretwork, tone pros hardware, insanely good price. After set up it plays great. Couldn't ask for more.

[Lakeabilene]

I have one. Got it used for less than 300. It's perfect. Unsung hero guitar. The P-90s are better than on any of my Gibsons or Fenders. And the playing action is like on an american made Strat. Tone for days from the mahogany body. Stays in tune better than my guitars that have locking tuners. Amazing guitar and discontinued.