G & L ASAT and Bluesboy

[JBryantfan]

I have wanted to try a G & L ASAT Classic and /or a Bluesboy, all Fullerton made as I will
buy one assuming they sound and feel good. There is a store near me that only stocks
the Tribute versions of these. Will trying a Tribute give a fair approximation of what the
American ones sound and feel like?. Are they simply a lesser version but sound and feel
will be similar or perhaps they are absolutely different guitars?

 

[TelePickler]

Last I knew (a few years ago), tribute models have the same pickups as the Fullerton models, so sound should be quite similar assuming that still holds true.

 

[Krab]

The Tributes have American pickups in them. The tributes are old school slab bodies while the USA made ones have belly cuts

 

[brookdalebill]

The Tributes are not nearly as nice as the real thing, IMO.
They’re heavy, and the fret work is so-so.
The MIA guitars are consistently great, IMO.

 

[GGardner]

Will trying a Tribute give a fair approximation of what the American ones sound and feel like?

In terms of how they "feel," my Tribute neck is really thin. Don't know if MIA ASATs are that thin. By the way, there's a beautiful MIA for sale by @James824 in the TDPRI classifieds. In terms of sound--I love my pickups. I was told they are the same as the MIA pickups. But mine (2003) is really old--it might be one of the first generation Tributes. I don't know if the same-pickup thing still holds true.

G&L ASAT Classic (Fullerton Deluxe USA)

FOR SALE BY ORIGINAL OWNER 2021 G&L ASAT -Fullerton Deluxe ASAT Classic Purchased new in July 2021 (June 2021 Build date) from authorized G&L Dealer Nonsmoking home, never gigged, no mods and has not left my home since purchased. Features include: * Made in USA (Fender Ave, Fullerton...

www.tdpri.com

 

[Sax-son]

I owned a G&L ASAT Special for a few years and although I thought it was a cool guitar in its own right, there were things I didn't like about it. I really wanted to like it, but the neck profile was way too thin for my hands, and it was hard to get the truss rod adjustment just right. I didn't care for the large frets either. The quality was really good, but the playability was just not there for me. Perhaps in the hands of a different player it would have been ok, but not for me. I ended up trading it for some drums.

 

[bigben55]

I own 2 USA G&Ls and 2 Tributes that I've upgraded. The electronics on Tributes are decent, but better is better. I put emerson Pro CTS pots, cloth wire, orange drop caps, better switches(ive used Fender, Oak Grigsby, All parts and Gibson) and Pure Tone jacks. Some Tributes have the same USA pickups, some don't. Older Bluesboys had SD Seth Lover neck himbuckers, the newer ones use G&L humbuckers. The Musicians Friend/GC alnico ASAT Classic pickups are definitely cheaper than USA

The body and woodwork on Tributes is decent, but not as consistent as USA. As in, some are much better, lighter than others. The fretwire is inconsistent as well. Ive worn some Tribute frets FAST, others not. But to answer the OPs question, playing a Tribute will get the overall feel down. If you like a Tribute, you'll probably LOVE a USA.

 

[Krab]

The Musicians Friend/GC alnico ASAT Classic pickups are definitely cheaper than USA

You can tell these because it is a satin neck and they are cheaper. From what I have read and have been told and have seen, the $600+ ones have the USA pups and other hardware like the legacy and S500 have the full size blocks.

 

[runstendt]

The Tributes are a nice guitar. The thing to watch for as far as the necks go is that G&L makes their guitars to order, and you can choose the neck profile that you want, as well as just about everything else. So, you can get one from Fullerton with a similar feel to a Tribute, or get one with a totally different feel. It’s definitely worth looking into, and for what it’s worth I love my Bluesboy.

 

[Medeltids]

I have wanted to try a G & L ASAT Classic and /or a Bluesboy, all Fullerton made as I will
buy one assuming they sound and feel good. There is a store near me that only stocks
the Tribute versions of these. Will trying a Tribute give a fair approximation of what the
American ones sound and feel like?. Are they simply a lesser version but sound and feel
will be similar or perhaps they are absolutely different guitars?

I have a tribute Bluesboy (made in Indonesia). Great guitar but I did replace the neck pickup with a gretsch filtertron. I haven’t played a made in USA G&L but I’m not sure the extra cost would be of merit. My import is really well made. As someone mentioned, maybe neck profile and such of the homegrown version can be more customized to your liking.

 

[Beachbum]

I have a tribute Bluesboy (made in Indonesia). Great guitar but I did replace the neck pickup with a gretsch filtertron. I haven’t played a made in USA G&L but I’m not sure the extra cost would be of merit. My import is really well made. As someone mentioned, maybe neck profile and such of the homegrown version can be more customized to your liking.

Agreed. What you get with the American made versions be they G&L or Fender over the ones that those companies sub contract to offshore makers given the price differences isn't all that much and in most cases can easily be upgraded to be equal to or even better than the U.S.A. models.

I paid $450 for my Indonesian Blues boy, upgraded the electronics, pick ups (Seth Lover/Jerry Donahue), nut, bridge, polished the frets and gave it a good set up. It's as good as any Tele I've ever played and I saved myself about $800 to boot.

 

[Tall-Fir]

Here’s my G&L Bluesboy. Made in USA. Just a great guitar. Ash body, Seth Lover neck pickup, custom color.
Admittedly though, I don’t have the skill, nor would I want to change electronics, pickups, do a fret dressing, etc. I am quite able to do a straightforward set up my guitars though. I love this guitar, and I love the 4 other G&L Classics that I have. Made in Fullerton G&L Classics are very high quality rigs.

 

[Blues Twanger]

The neck finish and feel of my Fullerton-made G&Ls are the best of any guitars I own. That is a major difference from the Tribute series because a lot of hand-finishing goes into the Fullerton guitars and it is a major source of pride for the company and in my opinion results in fantastic guitars.

 

[twangjeff]

Maybe Tribute models have improved over the years? I used to teach in a guitar store that sold them, and I would have students bringing them into lessons and I always thought they were really poorly made. Bad finishing and fretwork, non-existent factory set up.

USA pickups, but the G&L pickups are nothing incredible.

I would always recommend a Squier Classic Vibe over the Tribute.

That being said, I really like USA G&Ls and own 3 including the ASAT Classic in my pic here, an ASAT Classic Bluesboy and a Legacy HH. You can find awesome deals on used USA G&L guitars if you look. I'd say that they are a step above USA Fender and a step below a Custom Shop Fender/ Suhr or comparable. BUT you can buy them all day for $1k. Throw some Fralins in there and you are ready to cook.

 

[jvin248]

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Search the used market. Like any brand not the big two and a half, the price drop from new to used is a big hit.

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[Tall-Fir]

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Search the used market. Like any brand not the big two and a half, the price drop from new to used is a big hit.

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Very true. If one chooses to purchase a G&L, make sure you like the idea of owning and sticking with what you purchase. They don’t seem to be all that popular on the used market.