ASAT Tele... what do you think?

Webfoot · January 26th, 2008, 12:57 AM

I was looking for amps and was handed an ASAT tele (something like a special). The amp I was playing was great (a small Victoria). But what was a big surprise was the ASAT tele. Currently I play an american standard tele.I though the ASAT felt better and sounded better than my tele (and I tried a lot of teles). The ASAT had a more comfortable neck, higher frets (which I like) and the pickups were very full bodied and seem to complement each other better.

Granted the ASATs may be a bit funky looking, but at half the price... I think they were pretty amazing.

Robert(og) · January 26th, 2008, 01:03 AM

for sure!
i had an asat that i gave to my girlfriend for christmas,
the neck on mine is super thing but very comfy, and the frets are a medium jumbo.
i can honestly say that is the only guitar that i like to have both pickups on at the same time.
the only thing that i did not like about it was the bridge style, im not a hardtail person, but the bridge is VERY solid, and well designed.
you can get them all day long from 200.00-500.00 used.
i got mine for 250.00 originally, its priced as a nice student guitar but worthy of a main guitar for a serious musician.

bendecaster · January 26th, 2008, 01:16 AM

I like 'em! A little different than a Fender Tele, but very nice!

chabby · January 26th, 2008, 01:39 AM

Seems like More folks are finding this out every day. I did about 3 weeks ago and the ASAT I have is the best Tele I have ever played. They have substantially more balls than a tele though.

mad dog · January 26th, 2008, 08:23 AM

I've only tried the ASAT Special a couple times, but have heard one live. That's one guitar that sounds a little edgy to me by itself. But on stage, in a loud mix, what a fine sound. The ASAT Classic has long been a favorite. Mine was purchased new in '94. At that time it felt far better than anything comparably priced from Fender. Truth is, it's a different animal. Mainly due to the pickups. Not better or worse, just different enough that I'd still like to get a fender tele.

chabby · January 26th, 2008, 12:08 PM

Yeah I agree - it's not true enough to the Tele tradition to satisfy the need for a Fender Tele for sure. If I could have only 1 guitar though, I would take the ASAT over the Tele unless the Tele was some collectable vintage.

No, I will stay on the look out for a decent vintage tele. What would be interesting is to swap pick ups out between the two and see which sounds better. Construction on the G&L is first rate.

freshmattyp · January 26th, 2008, 12:18 PM

I have a tribute ASAT Special, to my ears the pickups have a Jaguar sound. Very useable in a lot of styles.

chabby · January 26th, 2008, 12:51 PM

Its got a very big resonant low end response like a tele on steroids. Its an awesome rhythm guitar and adds serious meat to chording. It's enough of a difference compared to a Fender that if you are looking for the very specific Tele twang, you may not be satisfied. But as stated above, a very wonderful instrument that will add color in a big way to your tonal palette. Very versatile guitar. Kind of a hybrid in itself, not strat, not Tele but somewhere between a Gibson and fender in it's ability to do alot of stuff.

I was amazed last night in that it did the Santana sound very well and credibly.

boris bubbanov · January 26th, 2008, 01:03 PM

The ASAT Special, which has the most in common IMHO with the seminal G + L Broadcaster, has the bigger MFD pickups and the hardtail bridge where the saddles lock together. More so than the smaller pups in the ASAT Classic, these pups lend themselves to a wide variety of music, reaching way beyond a typical Tele IMHO.
The Korean or Indonesian 'Tribute' Robert (og) has depicted has the very same pickups as the US G + L guitars; the pickups alone are worth half of what Robert paid (nice price!).
My main beef with the Special is aesthetics. I just like the more Tele like look of the ASAT Classic, even though I know in many ways the Special is better.

I have 2 US ASAT Classics against no Tributes, but I've never had a shot at one for $ 250, that would come home.

Bubbanov

yegbert · January 26th, 2008, 01:21 PM

I have never owned an ASAT but the aesthetics of the headstock and the Classic body have grown on me, and the aesthetics of the Special and Z-3 are probably not far behind.

I've only played a couple of Classics and Specials in one visit to a store. That store is Classic Axe in Gainesville, VA; if you're in this area and interested in G&Ls, they are worth checking out, they had plenty of G&Ls there when I went and the lady running the place was very helpful.

I liked the playing feel of all their ASATs I played. The range of tones of the Classics seem more classic Tele-like and memorable than those of the Specials, since a classic Tele tone was what I had in my head that day.

I don't have GAS for an ASAT, but I think they are nice enough guitars I'm open to the idea of owning one.

Attached are a couple of pics I borrowed from an ebay auction of an ASAT Classic in Blueburst. I think this is a nice looking one all around, and that angle on the headstock does a good job of showing its character.

singlecoilheaven · January 26th, 2008, 01:35 PM

A few months ago I had the pleasure of meeting our very own AndyR at a three band gig in Rockdale, Tx. Andy pulled an ASAT Special out to show me, it's what he had brought to play that night. So I reached into my case, and pulled out my ASAT Special, and the conversation ensued. Of course, I think Andy could make a cigar box sound good, but it made me happy about my decision to buy one. Incidentally, the third band on stage that night had one tele-style giutar, and it was also a G&L, an ASAT Z3 if I remember correctly.
The ASAT Special has been my number one since the day I got it.

freshmattyp · January 26th, 2008, 01:39 PM

Mine was $275 out the door new. I caught the shop owner the day before he was heading to NAMM, and he was in the mood to move inventory.

January 26th, 2008, 12:57 AM	#1 (permalink)
Webfoot TDPRI Member Join Date: Jan 2007 Location: Oregon Posts: 74	ASAT Tele... what do you think? I was looking for amps and was handed an ASAT tele (something like a special). The amp I was playing was great (a small Victoria). But what was a big surprise was the ASAT tele. Currently I play an american standard tele.I though the ASAT felt better and sounded better than my tele (and I tried a lot of teles). The ASAT had a more comfortable neck, higher frets (which I like) and the pickups were very full bodied and seem to complement each other better. Granted the ASATs may be a bit funky looking, but at half the price... I think they were pretty amazing.

January 26th, 2008, 01:16 AM	#3 (permalink)
bendecaster Tele-Holic Join Date: Aug 2007 Location: maine Posts: 915	I like 'em! A little different than a Fender Tele, but very nice! __________________ The Demented 7th

January 26th, 2008, 01:35 PM	#11 (permalink)
singlecoilheaven Tele-Meister Join Date: Nov 2005 Location: Bryan, TX Posts: 130	A few months ago I had the pleasure of meeting our very own AndyR at a three band gig in Rockdale, Tx. Andy pulled an ASAT Special out to show me, it's what he had brought to play that night. So I reached into my case, and pulled out my ASAT Special, and the conversation ensued. Of course, I think Andy could make a cigar box sound good, but it made me happy about my decision to buy one. Incidentally, the third band on stage that night had one tele-style giutar, and it was also a G&L, an ASAT Z3 if I remember correctly. The ASAT Special has been my number one since the day I got it. __________________ There are only three chords in that song, and you just missed two of them. http://www.texasknightsband.com

January 26th, 2008, 01:03 AM	#2 (permalink)
Robert(og) Tele-Meister Join Date: Jan 2008 Location: crawfordsville In. Age: 22 Posts: 128	for sure! i had an asat that i gave to my girlfriend for christmas, the neck on mine is super thing but very comfy, and the frets are a medium jumbo. i can honestly say that is the only guitar that i like to have both pickups on at the same time. the only thing that i did not like about it was the bridge style, im not a hardtail person, but the bridge is VERY solid, and well designed. you can get them all day long from 200.00-500.00 used. i got mine for 250.00 originally, its priced as a nice student guitar but worthy of a main guitar for a serious musician.

January 26th, 2008, 01:39 AM	#4 (permalink)
chabby Tele-Afflicted Join Date: Jan 2004 Location: Seattle, WA Posts: 1,259	Seems like More folks are finding this out every day. I did about 3 weeks ago and the ASAT I have is the best Tele I have ever played. They have substantially more balls than a tele though.

January 26th, 2008, 08:23 AM	#5 (permalink)
mad dog Tele-Holic Join Date: Jun 2005 Posts: 734	I've only tried the ASAT Special a couple times, but have heard one live. That's one guitar that sounds a little edgy to me by itself. But on stage, in a loud mix, what a fine sound. The ASAT Classic has long been a favorite. Mine was purchased new in '94. At that time it felt far better than anything comparably priced from Fender. Truth is, it's a different animal. Mainly due to the pickups. Not better or worse, just different enough that I'd still like to get a fender tele.

January 26th, 2008, 12:08 PM	#6 (permalink)
chabby Tele-Afflicted Join Date: Jan 2004 Location: Seattle, WA Posts: 1,259	Yeah I agree - it's not true enough to the Tele tradition to satisfy the need for a Fender Tele for sure. If I could have only 1 guitar though, I would take the ASAT over the Tele unless the Tele was some collectable vintage. No, I will stay on the look out for a decent vintage tele. What would be interesting is to swap pick ups out between the two and see which sounds better. Construction on the G&L is first rate.

January 26th, 2008, 12:18 PM	#7 (permalink)
freshmattyp Tele-Holic Join Date: Aug 2005 Location: Kansas City Age: 42 Posts: 928 18 Photos	I have a tribute ASAT Special, to my ears the pickups have a Jaguar sound. Very useable in a lot of styles.

January 26th, 2008, 12:51 PM	#8 (permalink)
chabby Tele-Afflicted Join Date: Jan 2004 Location: Seattle, WA Posts: 1,259	Its got a very big resonant low end response like a tele on steroids. Its an awesome rhythm guitar and adds serious meat to chording. It's enough of a difference compared to a Fender that if you are looking for the very specific Tele twang, you may not be satisfied. But as stated above, a very wonderful instrument that will add color in a big way to your tonal palette. Very versatile guitar. Kind of a hybrid in itself, not strat, not Tele but somewhere between a Gibson and fender in it's ability to do alot of stuff. I was amazed last night in that it did the Santana sound very well and credibly.

January 26th, 2008, 01:03 PM	#9 (permalink)
boris bubbanov Poster Extraordinaire Join Date: Feb 2007 Location: New Orleans, LA + in the past Posts: 7,641	The ASAT Special, which has the most in common IMHO with the seminal G + L Broadcaster, has the bigger MFD pickups and the hardtail bridge where the saddles lock together. More so than the smaller pups in the ASAT Classic, these pups lend themselves to a wide variety of music, reaching way beyond a typical Tele IMHO. The Korean or Indonesian 'Tribute' Robert (og) has depicted has the very same pickups as the US G + L guitars; the pickups alone are worth half of what Robert paid (nice price!). My main beef with the Special is aesthetics. I just like the more Tele like look of the ASAT Classic, even though I know in many ways the Special is better. I have 2 US ASAT Classics against no Tributes, but I've never had a shot at one for $ 250, that would come home. Bubbanov

January 26th, 2008, 01:39 PM	#12 (permalink)
freshmattyp Tele-Holic Join Date: Aug 2005 Location: Kansas City Age: 42 Posts: 928 18 Photos	Mine was $275 out the door new. I caught the shop owner the day before he was heading to NAMM, and he was in the mood to move inventory.