G&L ASAT Tribute Classic Review and Fender Comparison??

[dirtytricks]

Hi,

I tried a G&L Tribute ASAT Classic a few days ago, the neck was amazing, really comfortable, great frets, cant fault the playing experience at all!

Tried the guitar through a Fender Deluxe Reverb and compared it against a Fender USA Standard, Fender Deluxe with S1 Switching and a Classic Player Tele.

I found the ASAT to be more responsive and generally sounded better to my ears on the day, the best 'other' guitar in the test was the USA Deluxe which came a very close second.......I liked the ASAT neck a little more due to the satin feel although the Deluxe was also very nice!

In terms of finish I found them to be relatively equal in that I felt the Deluxe finish was 'milky' and a little like a washed over finish (rubbish description but the best I could manage!) in Nitro with the ASAT being gloss and good quality.

The sound was the element of the test which surprised me the most, I was aware of the differences between the pickup styles before the test.....the ASAT sounded fuller, warmer and more useable to my ears on the day, with the USA Standard and Classic Player sounding very thin and difficult to use.

The Deluxe was fuller and warmer than its Fender counterparts and was slightly more complex in that it was a little more refined than that ASAT, however with a little tweaking I feel both could have achieved a good imitation of each other.

Off the back of this mini review I am seriously considering pulling the triger on the ASAT Tribute Classic, however the concerns I have are as follows:

1) Should I be concerned that the strings feeding through the body to the saddles did not seem to follow through in a straight line? I believe this is because the ferrules were not cut correctly and were misaligned.....

(If I was to order a tribute ASAT I would ask for a new one to be ordered in)

2) Are there any known issues with the quality of these guitars?

Just as a little disclaimer, Im not suggestion that these guitars are better thena current Fender production models across the board, just my opinion on the day for what I use'em for.....still love my Classic 50'!

Thanks

Andy

 

[6x47]

Indonesian made Tributes have workmanship issues.

Definitely try before buying.

 

[TeleTown]

dont know much about the overseas stuff, but both of my ASAT classic are tight & spot on. i gig with them as much as i do my fender customshops.>just about every wk end! good luck!!!

 

[huckdeuceman]

I own a asat classic ''tribute'' and love it! I find nothing wrong with the fit/finish, and the
hardwear and pickups are the same as the usa version! I also own a G&L asat classic usa and while it is a little better in quality, it also cost Twice the moneys!
But all in all, I would not trade my Tribute for any guitar at the same price range!

 

[EsquireOK]

2) Are there any known issues with the quality of these guitars?

Yes. They moved production from Cort Korea to Cort Indonesia, and quality went down along with the move. But get an older Korean one, and you've got one of the best inexpensive guitars ever made.

 

[arielcardona]

I own two G&L ASAT Classics: one is a Bluesboy Semihollow, made in USA, and the other is a Tribute. Besides one being semihollow while the other solid and the Bluesboy has a Seth Lover at the neck and the Tribute has two MFDs, the differences are, to put it nicely, really not that significant, but there are.

First, the switches are different. The USA's is better built than the Tribute's. The thing is that the difference in price between the American switch and the Indonesian switch is less than 5 bucks, so for less than gas money you can put an American switch in a Tribute.

The string tree of the American LOOKS and feels better than the one from the Tribute, but you may swap it for nothing.

The necks are different. The American is darker and possibly better, but the feel of both necks are about the same. The nut in the American is pure bone.

The volume and tone knobs in the American model have a better grip than the Tribute ones and are slightly bigger.

The jacks are different. The American doesn't have a plate and the Tribute does. The American is better, but as long as you treat the Tribute's right, there won't be much problem

The bridge plate is THE SAME on both the American and the Tribute, as well as the bridge pickups. Of course, the American Bluesboy has the almighty SD Seth Lover at the neck position, MY favorite PAF-style pickup, but I also LOVE the MFD's, so the Tribute gets a lot of play from me.

In terms of resale value or collection, the USA G&L's are the way to go; but as a player, the Tribute series are probably the best "bang for your buck" guitar of probably any electric guitar on the market.

 

[NEPATelecaster]

I own two G&L ASAT Classics: one is a Bluesboy Semihollow, made in USA, and the other is a Tribute. Besides one being semihollow while the other solid and the Bluesboy has a Seth Lover at the neck and the Tribute has two MFDs, the differences are, to put it nicely, really not that significant, but there are.

First, the switches are different. The USA's is better built than the Tribute's. The thing is that the difference in price between the American switch and the Indonesian switch is less than 5 bucks, so for less than gas money you can put an American switch in a Tribute.

The string tree of the American LOOKS and feels better than the one from the Tribute, but you may swap it for nothing.

The necks are different. The American is darker and possibly better, but the feel of both necks are about the same. The nut in the American is pure bone.

The volume and tone knobs in the American model have a better grip than the Tribute ones and are slightly bigger.

The jacks are different. The American doesn't have a plate and the Tribute does. The American is better, but as long as you treat the Tribute's right, there won't be much problem

The bridge plate is THE SAME on both the American and the Tribute, as well as the bridge pickups. Of course, the American Bluesboy has the almighty SD Seth Lover at the neck position, MY favorite PAF-style pickup, but I also LOVE the MFD's, so the Tribute gets a lot of play from me.

In terms of resale value or collection, the USA G&L's are the way to go; but as a player, the Tribute series are probably the best "bang for your buck" guitar of probably any electric guitar on the market.

yes...what he said...

 

[Phelonious Ponk]

I've played a few Tributes and owned one. Indonesian, FWIW. No problems. I think the Tributes and the PRS SEs are the best Asian guitar on the market. Squires, IMHO, are not in the same league.

P

 

[JD0x0]

Indonesian made Tributes have workmanship issues.

Definitely try before buying.

Mind if I ask what issues you've dealt with? I have two Indonesian made Tributes one of them had a issue, but both seem to be well made instruments.

 

[boris bubbanov]

Mind if I ask what issues you've dealt with? I have two Indonesian made Tributes one of them had a issue, but both seem to be well made instruments.

I can see a guy having seen mostly inferior ones, but I don't think the Tributes have any more workmanship issues than a Squier Standard would. They're made at the same plant, same people, same "protocols".

I see a lot of returns on these, because guys buy these Tributes when they get blown out and sometimes the guitar will need some triage. I've also seen some that seemed fine, given what they use. G + L North American sourced pickups in many models, bridges from the same source (sometimes lesser materials depending on model) but these are merged with the same pots and switches, jacks you might find on a Hello Kitty. Soft nut material, tuning machines I personally would just replace at once - not uniformly of "Keef Richards Durability Test" level materials.

Here's a rough litmus test of what a player is liable to find, when he plays a Tribute: IF he's played a lot of MIM Fenders and also a lot of Squiers and prefers the Squiers, he WILL like the Tribute enough to play one. IF he's played a lot of MIMs and Squiers and likes the MIMs better, he won't like the Tribute.

 

[Corgitodd]

I'd look for a used Korean tribute with an ash body.

 

[BigDaddyLH]

The rule for the pups in Tributes is: if the pickup in the MIA is made outside G&L (like the Seymour Duncan Seth Lover humbucker in the Bluesboy) you'll get a different pickup in the Tribute version (a G&L AS4255C alnico neck humbucker in the Tribute Bluesboy) but if it's an in-house pickup (like the jumbo MFD in the ASAT Special) it will be the same pickup in the Tribute version.

 

[tery]

I can see a guy having seen mostly inferior ones, but I don't think the Tributes have any more workmanship issues than a Squier Standard would. They're made at the same plant, same people, same "protocols".

I see a lot of returns on these, because guys buy these Tributes when they get blown out and sometimes the guitar will need some triage. I've also seen some that seemed fine, given what they use. G + L North American sourced pickups in many models, bridges from the same source (sometimes lesser materials depending on model) but these are merged with the same pots and switches, jacks you might find on a Hello Kitty. Soft nut material, tuning machines I personally would just replace at once - not uniformly of "Keef Richards Durability Test" level materials.

Here's a rough litmus test of what a player is liable to find, when he plays a Tribute: IF he's played a lot of MIM Fenders and also a lot of Squiers and prefers the Squiers, he WILL like the Tribute enough to play one. IF he's played a lot of MIMs and Squiers and likes the MIMs better, he won't like the Tribute.

Thanks for this post boris - A couple weeks ago I "almost" bought an ASAT Tribute Classic but I bought a Standard Tele instead for the reason that you stated .

 

[hemingway]

I am possibly pulling the trigger on a new Tribute Asat Deluxe in a week or so. So I'll post a review.

I'll be doing what lots of people (including me) don't like - buying online without playing first. But the deal is just ridiculous.

 

[StormJH1]

I've played a few Tributes and owned one. Indonesian, FWIW. No problems. I think the Tributes and the PRS SEs are the best Asian guitar on the market. Squires, IMHO, are not in the same league.

P

Squiers, generally speaking, would not be in the same league if you included in that tent all of the $119 Bullet Strats and Teles that really are not in the same class as a $500 G & L or PRS SE. The $379 Classic Vibe Squiers, which are Chinese-made, are generally excellent, and many prefer them over MIM Fender equivalents.

I just got a G & L Ascari (Indonesian). It does have a few cosmetic things where if I was nitpicking, I could get angry about it. Also, it has a push/pull pot for coil tapping that is a little cheap compared to other components on the guitar. But these things don't really impact playability or sound (for now), so it's not really a concern of mine.

The ASAT's I've held felt great. I think the PRS SE series is a decent comparison.

 

[Nubs]

I currently have a US Bluesboy, a US ASAT Alnico, & a Tribute ASAT Classic. All of these are fantastic in terms of build quality, sound, feel, weight, and tone. Personally I would take a tribute G&L over an MIM Fender any day. And, obviously I would take a US G&L over an MIA Fender also. For roughly the same price as a standard MIA Fender, you can get a custom built US G&L. Sure it takes longer to get, but it's worth it to me to have it designed & built to your exact specs.

 

[JD0x0]

I'll be doing what lots of people (including me) don't like - buying online without playing first. But the deal is just ridiculous.

I've done this with probably 4 or 5 guitars at this point, and they've all been fantastic instruments. 2 of them were Indonesian Tributes

 

[FenderBender10]

I currently have a US Bluesboy, a US ASAT Alnico, & a Tribute ASAT Classic. All of these are fantastic in terms of build quality, sound, feel, weight, and tone. Personally I would take a tribute G&L over an MIM Fender any day. And, obviously I would take a US G&L over an MIA Fender also. For roughly the same price as a standard MIA Fender, you can get a custom built US G&L. Sure it takes longer to get, but it's worth it to me to have it designed & built to your exact specs.

How do you like the 'bucker in your Bluesboy? I have a USA Bluesboy 90 and I find the p90 quite dark and kind of lifeless. I'm thinking of putting either a new p90, TV jones, or a humbucker. Otherwise it is just an amazing guitar. The neck is my favorite neck I've ever had.

 

[rze99]

Have posted variants of this many times: I have an ASAT Tribute Classic in natual finish ash and it is Indonesian made. I bought it on a whim because I wanted to try one. In short, it is exceptionally well made, good loooking, sounds great (the pups are USA made), feels well built and strong, plays great and rivals anything else I have including custom shop guitars for playability. The only thing I did was have the frets stoned as they were a little high for my tastes (not wrong or bad, or uneven, just my tastes). I also filed a little off the sides of the nut as they were not as smooth as I like, but not sharp.


I got it used too so it is a ******* load of guitar for very little outlay. Mine's a keeper.

 

[deytookerjaabs]

How do you like the 'bucker in your Bluesboy? I have a USA Bluesboy 90 and I find the p90 quite dark and kind of lifeless. I'm thinking of putting either a new p90, TV jones, or a humbucker. Otherwise it is just an amazing guitar. The neck is my favorite neck I've ever had.

I read this a lot, people saying the P90 or neck bucker from G&L is "Dark." I've bought a couple of the buckers used and they're anything but dark, had them in a semi hollow for a bit and preferred them over the burstbuckers I have.

I don't think it's the P90 or the Bucker that are dark..I've checked the wiring diagrams and it looks like the bluesboys and single coil classics use 250k pot for both pickups. That's probably the difference between the P90/Bucker and what you're used to hearing. Might need to come up with a push/pull configuration or some other neat trick to wake them up.