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View Full Version : Ngd! 1986 asat

brianr0131
01-03-2011, 05:03 PM
I got it for $350 I think it's money well spent.

I know it's a bit of a Frankenstein. The Paint has been stripped and it's now just clear coated natural. Also, the Humbucker has been added in the strangest of positions.

I really like this guitar a lot. The Humbucker sounds great to me. I love the single coil sounds too. The 60 cycle hum kills me though LOL.

All in all I am extremely happy with this guitar. The neck is pretty comfortable for me not very thick at all. Sometimes with teles and strats I just can't get comfortable with the necks. I like my Classic Tribute I got a few months ago but this is night and day as far as the way it feels. It just feels more comfortable in my hands. And it is a lot more resonant when it's not plugged in. It really sounds great unplugged. That's the thing that sold me on it the most.

After taking her apart when I got home I found out she was routed. I knew it would have been though. How else would a HB be there? The job done on the routing would get a "C" from me if I was grading it. I have seen worse and a whole lot better before.

I was really surprised to see that the humbucker was a Gibson. I pulled out my multimeter and I am getting a reading around 7K ohms from it. Anyone know what kind of HB this would be? T Top? 490R? I know the 490R is more common but I thought they were more in the 9K or so range. Anyway I like the way the humbucker sounds. It doesn't have the "bite" that a bridge HB has but the sound is fat and warm. It's a very good rhythm pickup.

I changed the strings and cleaned it up a bit. Here's a few pics I snapped today.

http://img87.imageshack.us/img87/1007/p1020972v.jpg (http://img87.imageshack.us/i/p1020972v.jpg/)

http://img513.imageshack.us/img513/3463/p1020973d.jpg (http://img513.imageshack.us/i/p1020973d.jpg/)

http://img545.imageshack.us/img545/5343/p1020974g.jpg (http://img545.imageshack.us/i/p1020974g.jpg/)

http://img43.imageshack.us/img43/8249/p1020970r.jpg (http://img43.imageshack.us/i/p1020970r.jpg/)

http://img140.imageshack.us/img140/5518/p1020971v.jpg (http://img140.imageshack.us/i/p1020971v.jpg/)
SouthpawGuy
01-03-2011, 05:09 PM
Happy new ASAT day ! Great deal on that one, are you leaving the humbucker in it ? I find the same unplugged ring on my Specials, the saddle lock bridge really gives them great sustain. Congrats.
brianr0131
01-03-2011, 05:15 PM
Happy new ASAT day ! Great deal on that one, are you leaving the humbucker in it ? I find the same unplugged ring on my Specials, the saddle lock bridge really gives them great sustain. Congrats.

I am leaving it in for now. Maybe forever. I really like the way it sounds and I have to get used to single coil hum anyway. It's nice throwing it on the HB between songs etc while playing dirty.

Yea, the sustain got even better when I tightened the allen key for the saddle lock. It wasn't even tight when I first played it.
brianr0131
03-14-2011, 06:28 PM
Update.....

Got rid of the Humbucker. It just didn't sound "right" in there.

Got a new pickguard...It's getting there.....working on a headstock label

pic:

http://img191.imageshack.us/img191/1867/asat.jpg (http://img191.imageshack.us/i/asat.jpg/)
newb3fan
03-14-2011, 07:11 PM
That git was on Philly CL wasn't it???? It was looking at it in early Jan and never pulled the trigger. I talked to the guy a couple of times and it looked like at good deal at $350 even though it is a Frankenstein like you say. Does it sound and play sweet? I bet it does.
frankthomson
03-14-2011, 07:31 PM
yea he stole it from me....i was rite behind him...bastid!

and thats a beauty. big ol' knot, too. :aok

......bastid...ima find you.....
brianr0131
03-14-2011, 07:39 PM
yea he stole it from me....i was rite behind him...bastid!

and thats a beauty. big ol' knot, too. :aok

......bastid...ima find you.....

Funny....I went to G&L site looking for info on a HB ASAT and found your thread and pics. Small world. Huh? So, technically you were in front of me :bumpbump

Actually the kid selling it had a pregnant GF living with him and his parents and it was the GF's Dad's guitar. He had passed away about 10 years ago. They were really nice people. The parents to be were probably only 18 or 19. I wish them a lot of luck.

It plays amazing. I really like it a lot.
Mark C
03-14-2011, 07:40 PM
That's a lot of guitar for $350! Enjoy:)
brianr0131
03-14-2011, 07:41 PM
That git was on Philly CL wasn't it???? It was looking at it in early Jan and never pulled the trigger. I talked to the guy a couple of times and it looked like at good deal at $350 even though it is a Frankenstein like you say. Does it sound and play sweet? I bet it does.


Yes sir! I had it set up and it's a great playing guitar. I never felt a 7.25" radius that I liked this much. Action pretty low, strings feel nice and bends are no problem. Very happy!
brianr0131
03-14-2011, 07:44 PM
That's a lot of guitar for $350! Enjoy:)

Thanks Mark
corbeano
03-14-2011, 07:46 PM
That thing is awesome! Congrats
brianr0131
03-14-2011, 07:47 PM
That thing is awesome! Congrats

Honestly......would you have said that based on pics in first post?

just curious
Jet Age Eric
03-15-2011, 12:35 PM
That's a lot of guitar for $350! Enjoy:)

+1. Curious about how it resonates with that route (I bet I'd love it). :dude-E
larimar
03-15-2011, 12:48 PM
Great score. IIRC some of those early models have Leo's inspection sig' in the neck pocket.
amc
03-15-2011, 12:52 PM
Great score. IIRC some of those early models have Leo's inspection sig' in the neck pocket.

in the very early days of g&l, leo signed all the neck pockets.............
wideawake
03-15-2011, 01:06 PM
that thing looks great with the new pick guard on there.

side note: as somebody who doesn't know much about these things. that hole looks pretty deep where they dug out for that humbucker. does doing that effect the strength or sound of the guitar? my guess is probably not, but I don't know.
kev
03-15-2011, 01:29 PM
Honestly......would you have said that based on pics in first post?

just curious

Speaking for myself I'd say "YES"! It was kinda Steve Morse-ish. Congratulations on such a great score!

I'm no pickup expert, did you get an answer on the age of the Gibson humbucker? Based on what little I understand, with the stamped pat number in the baseplate that places it as mid-70's or younger.
brianr0131
03-15-2011, 05:41 PM
Great score. IIRC some of those early models have Leo's inspection sig' in the neck pocket.

Unfortunately the previous owner did several mods. He stripped all of the color from the body of the guitar. You can tell by the wood grain of the maple that it's not "natural" finish material as far as grain etc.

But in addition to that, he also stripped and refinished the neck as well. I have absolutely no idea why this would have been done. It drives me nuts. There are faint remnants of greenish ink in the neck pocket but no dates/signatures or anything. :bitch

Sounds amazing and thanks to local TGP member seanmcgov I have some good pics to help recreate the headstock waterslide. I put a 4 way switch in and added the pickguard I had to get custom made. So, the logo will be the icing on the cake. I'm really looking forward to finishing this up. Although, one day I may get the body painted.
brianr0131
03-15-2011, 05:45 PM
that thing looks great with the new pick guard on there.

side note: as somebody who doesn't know much about these things. that hole looks pretty deep where they dug out for that humbucker. does doing that effect the strength or sound of the guitar? my guess is probably not, but I don't know.

Strength, definitely not. Sound, possibly. I spoke to a luthier about it and he said forget about it. Cover it up and wipe it from your mind. He said the sound/resonance difference would be negligible at best.