The G&L ASAT Special is a guitar that looks great with their pickguard delete option, showing off even more of that golden brown Old School Tobacco finish Featuring Leo Fender's signature Magnetic Field Design (MFD) pickups, the ASAT special delivers full frequency response and a bouncy, touch sensitive attack that is reminiscent of a vintage pickup but with greater output even response, and excellent pedal performance. The ASAT Special has the vintage character that purists crave, but modern flexibility that makes it a unique instrument in its own right.
This custom ordered G&L ASAT Special features:
- Alder body, Old School Tobacco finish, 7.2 pounds
- Front and rear body contours
- Original Leo Spec. 1.625" body depth
- Satin finish Modern Classic' neck, 9.5" radius, 1-11/16" nut width
- Rosewood fretboard
- Medium Jumbo Jescar frets
- G&L split and drilled tuners
- (2) G&L Large MFD pickups
- G&L Saddle Lock Bridge (set screw on the side locks the saddles together for better sustain)
- Volume and Tone Control, 3-way switch
- Plek® Laser Guided fret finishing
- G&L deluxe tolex hardshell case
- Made in the USA
The G&L large MFD (magnetic field design) is one of Leo Fender's signature developments at G&L. Often called a soapbar pickup, it's quite different than the traditional P-90 soapbar. Utilizing a low resistance coil and strong ceramic magnet, the MFD has the touch sensitivity, dynamics and slightly scooped midrange of great vintage single coils, but with much greater tonal flexibility and output. The neck pickup has a glassy quality that is clean and articulate with a nice slightly hollow Strat tone on the upper frets. But it's broad frequency response and strong low end makes it very versatile, and it can easily mimic a rounder Tele or even a Jazzmaster-ish vibe (or in this case a Doheny?). Roll off the tone control, and it takes on a warmer character, while still retaining upper and low end definition. There is a lot of usable range with the MFD pickup, so be sure to use those volume and tone controls to sample all the possibilities.
The bridge pickup has plenty of jangle and twang without being too sharp, and is great for clean, crisp rhythm playing. It's very much like a traditional Tele® pickup...even more so than the ASAT Classic ashtray bridge. But it has a top end sweetness that many Tele pickups lack. While not voiced for hard rock, the bridge has plenty of output, and a with a good pedal produces a sparkly crunch that is great for roots music or a little Tom Petty. There is a lot of high end content on tap, so rolling off the tone control a bit yields a thicker, warmer sounding tone. MFD pickups are quite often their best when not wide open. Both pickups together create that familiar twang and cluck that you'd expect, and with great clarity. Pickers will love this position, and so will rhythm guitarists and fans of California rock like the Byrds and Eagles.
The neck on this guitar is the standard Modern Classic which blends a slightly wider nut width with G&L's Slim C profile, and a 9.5" radius fretboard. The wider nut reduces the chance of string falloff, and the slimmer profile and 9.5" radius keeps the extra width from feeling cumbersome. If you are a fan of the typical American Fender Professional neck, you'll bond quickly with the Modern Classic.
Often overshadowed by the more traditional looking ASAT Classic, the G&L ASAT Special has its own unique vibe that provides a catalogue of classic single coil tones with the fidelity and output that modern players expect. Combined with G&L's exceptional build quality, fit and finish and you have a unique USA value with custom shop looks and feel.
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