NGD G&L ASAT Classic Tribute in Emerald Green - added some voicing mods

[WalATX]

Got a G&L ASAT Classic Tribute recently. Neat guitar -- satin neck, decent weight, belly cut, and the edges of the fingerboard are rolled in a little. Nice details compared to the MIM Fender Tele HH I have.

I bought one of these unplayed based on comparison videos on YouTube. I have previously found telecasters to be pretty bright, and I'm sensitive to treble, so I have owned and sold a couple... the G&L ASAT Classics with the MFD pickups seemed a little beefier on demos.

However, I found this guitar to be quite bright (as in hi-fi -- lots of sizzle up top) in a way that I didn't expect. Also the output is very high. So I set about to test a couple mods to bring the output down a bit and reduce some of that crispy sizzle up top.

Edit to add, first FIRST I removed the 200pF treble bleed cap from the volume pot. This guitar doesn't need a treble bleed in my opinion, it is plenty bright already.

First, I soldered in a 240k resistor across the outer lugs of the volume pot. I tried 1M and 500k as well, and settled on 240k. Then, I soldered a 250pF capacitor from the input lug of the tone pot to ground to bleed off some of the super high end sizzle.

These mods worked great for me; this guitar now sits well with my Les Paul and Gretsch Jet without having to adjust the amp to suit it.

This guitar plays really nice, and the color is unique and stands out. A keeper for sure.

 

[Killing Floor]

Looks hot and makes sense to dial it in.

 

[kuch]

HNGD! Nice Asat!

 

[badscrew_projects]

Looking great too

 

[brookdalebill]

Cool!

 

[Burlington Dave]

Got a G&L ASAT Classic Tribute recently. Neat guitar -- satin neck, decent weight, belly cut, and the edges of the fingerboard are rolled in a little. Nice details compared to the MIM Fender Tele HH I have.

I bought one of these unplayed based on comparison videos on YouTube. I have previously found telecasters to be pretty bright, and I'm sensitive to treble, so I have owned and sold a couple... the G&L ASAT Classics with the MFD pickups seemed a little beefier on demos.

However, I found this guitar to be quite bright (as in hi-fi -- lots of sizzle up top) in a way that I didn't expect. Also the output is very high. So I set about to test a couple mods to bring the output down a bit and reduce some of that crispy sizzle up top.

Edit to add, first FIRST I removed the 200pF treble bleed cap from the volume pot. This guitar doesn't need a treble bleed in my opinion, it is plenty bright already.

First, I soldered in a 240k resistor across the outer lugs of the volume pot. I tried 1M and 500k as well, and settled on 240k. Then, I soldered a 250pF capacitor from the input lug of the tone pot to ground to bleed off some of the super high end sizzle.

These mods worked great for me; this guitar now sits well with my Les Paul and Gretsch Jet without having to adjust the amp to suit it.

This guitar plays really nice, and the color is unique and stands out. A keeper for sure.

Reminds me of my 88 American Standard in Gun Metal Blue.

 

[WalATX]

Reminds me of my 88 American Standard in Gun Metal Blue.

That’s a real slick guitar. I don’t see the deeper blues and blue-greens in stores as much. I can only assume they don’t sell as well as other colors but I really like them.

 

[JDB2]

Nice. I love my ASAT Classic. Yes, it’s bright. I almost always roll the tone back 25-50% and volume back a little for regular playing. It’s nice to have a little “boost” available when needed. And I almost always play in the neck pickup, where that extra sizzle is part of what makes the guitar amazing.

 

[WalATX]

Nice. I love my ASAT Classic. Yes, it’s bright. I almost always roll the tone back 25-50% and volume back a little for regular playing. It’s nice to have a little “boost” available when needed. And I almost always play in the neck pickup, where that extra sizzle is part of what makes the guitar amazing.

Use the tone knob?!? What!

I may undo my mods, or at least that “sizzle bleed” cap to ground I put in.

I do love the throaty twang I’m getting from it.

 

[Burlington Dave]

That’s a real slick guitar. I don’t see the deeper blues and blue-greens in stores as much. I can only assume they don’t sell as well as other colors but I really like them.

Thank you. I bought it in 1990 from a pawn shop in Toronto, Ontario. My first electric and still a favourite.

 

[noahl]

Did you lower the pickups and fuddle with the pole pieces first?

 

[GGardner]

Are you loving the neck MFD pickup?

 

[WalATX]

Did you lower the pickups and fuddle with the pole pieces first?

Yes, the neck pup was screwed directly to the body and so was about as low as it could go. I play on a Deluxe Reverb and this guitar is much brighter than all my other guitars.

Are you loving the neck MFD pickup?

View attachment 1077727

Nice! Yeah, I dig the sound. Like a Tele with a bit more brass to it.

 

[Burlington Dave]

Did you lower the pickups and fuddle with the pole pieces first?

The original pickups died a while back. These are Tonerider pickups.

 

[Wallaby]

Cool guitar, thanks for posting!

It's really satisfying when they get dialed in just the way you like them.

 

[WalATX]

FIRST I removed the 200pF treble bleed cap from the volume pot. This guitar doesn't need a treble bleed in my opinion, it is plenty bright already.

I soldered in a 240k resistor across the outer lugs of the volume pot. I tried 1M and 500k as well, and settled on 240k. Then, I soldered a 250pF capacitor from the input lug of the tone pot to ground to bleed off some of the super high end sizzle.

Edited: I removed the resistor to ground on the volume pot (now just a normal 250k) and upped the treble bleed-to-ground to a 500pF.