While Fender never applied the Tele® shape to their own bass line, G&L has offered this profile for many years, and in terms of balance, looks and comfort the ASAT Bass really nails it. This guitar features:
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Alder Body with front and back body contours (similar to a Legacy)
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Light vintage tint G&L #8 Maple Neck (1.5" width at the nut, 12" radius
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(2) Single G&L Magnetic Field Design (MFD) Humbucker pickups
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Volume, Treble and Bass controls
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Passive, Active, or Active with upper EQ boost, activated by lower mini-toggle
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Series/Parallel pickup mode (middle mini toggle)
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Three position pickup selector (upper toggle)
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Massive patented Saddle Lock Bridge ( a locking saddle screw on right side of bridge clamps the saddles together for better sustain)
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Lightweight Aluminum tuning pegs for better instrument balance
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Two strap buttons at the bottom of the guitar to select your own balance point
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Great playability courtesy of the G&L non-compression truss rod and Plek ® laser-guided fret finishing
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Deluxe fitted hardshell tolex case
At under 9 pounds, this guitar is comfortable and sits very nicely on the shoulder. We got this one with both front and rear body contours for a little extra comfort and a tad less overall weight. G&L thoughtfully provides two different strap button locations at the bottom of the guitar to allow the option of two different balance points. The classic Tobacco Sunburst finish and vintage tint maple neck gives this guitar a great old school vibe.
With such a wide range of control options, just about every class bass guitar sound resides somewhere inside the ASAT Bass. The MFD pickups provide a open, balanced frequency response that is easily shaped by the volume, bass and treble controls. The three position pickup selector allows quick access to sounds that sonically mimic a three position switch on a regular 6-string. Then neck is mellow with a round full bass, the bridge has a good bit of twang and treble response, and the combination is still warm but with more definition and string separation (very similar to a Jazz Bass). The series parallel switch shifts the overall character from a leaner JB-ish tone in parallel mode to a fuller mid-rich palette in series mode (Remember Jack Bruce and his Gibson EB bass?) Players who like to slap or really attack the strings will like the parallel mode, while those who prefer to lay down a big bottom end may opt for the series mode.
Lastly, all of the above options available in passive mode, active mode, or active with a high end EQ boost. The difference between active and passive is not dramatic, but active mode is a little crisper with a slightly quicker attack and more responsive tone controls. Neither is "better" and I found it was easy to dial in great sounds with either. More than anything else the selection of active or passive may come down to what type of amplifier you are using.
For gigging or studio work, the ASAT Bass offers head-turning looks, a vast array of tonal options, and for a Bass with active electronics, a very reasonable price.
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