Rick Towne's 1992-97 ASAT Classic "III"s

Rick Towne modified these lefty ASAT Classics by removing the stock neck pickup and adding two S-500 pickups, effectively creating ASAT Classic "III"'s in the process. (Well, sort of - the true ASAT Classic III was a limited-production model featuring three ASAT Classic pickups - see the Registry section on this site for more information about that model.) Rick says: "The one on the left is a '97 Thinline, the one on the right a '92; both have S-500 pickups added in the middle and neck positions. The '97 is currently getting the neck shaved down a bit to match the guitar on the right, a '92 Classic with a Glaser b/g benders, hence the Gotoh bridge. The S-500 pickups sound quite different in the guitars; the Thinline is much louder. Both guitars have locking Sperzels, 5 position switches, and push-pull on the tone to activate the neck pickup for the 7 combinations. Total cost for each one (excluding the benders, but including all of the aftermarket work which was done in '93 and '98) was less than $1000 (the Thinline was obtained in trade for a lefty Deering banjo from Southpaw Guitars)."