My guitar collection - G&L
My first ASAT III HSS, only much later joined by the ASAT III HSS w/DFV with the same pickup configuration: G&L proprietary Magnetic Field Design (MFD) S-500 pickups in the neck and middle positions, the more common variant also found on my my pre-BBE ASAT III w/maple board, and a GHB pickup, more colloquially known as a HG-2 humbucker, in the bridge. Otherwise, this guitar may seem quite ordinary when its specs are considered. A 2-piece swamp ash body in black finish, white enameled aluminum pickguard, hard-rock maple neck with 7½” maple fingerboard, black pearloid markers, and a 1⅝” nut. Pretty standard for an ASAT built around 1990. But beyond the GHB bridge humbucker, there are some additional interesting touches on this instrument. First, the Leo Fender signature decal found on the upper bass bout was an available option on any model starting in 1988. These guitars are collectively referred to as Signature models. And second, all its hardware, i.e. the Locktight (Saddle-Lock) bridge, control panel, knurled knobs, and Sperzel Locking tuning machines, even the pole pieces, are all gold plated! So this ASAT III turns out to be a rare bird among the Rarebirds found in the Guitars by Leo (GbL) Registry, being only one of 6 or so proper ASAT III HSS guitars listed.
ASAT III SIGNATURE HSS
The story behind this guitar
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After the rare ASAT ’50 and pristine Broadcaster w/maple board, the third instrument I purchased from Gary Maki, who in turn got it from Andrew Campbell, a musician who tested instruments for G&L. And as described above, this is another rarity. The 5-, 3-, and 4-position on the pickup selector are what you expect: nice warm tones from either the neck or middle pickup with some added quack when combining both, respectively. Just the bridge pickup in the 1-position is exactly as described by Greg Gagliano in association with an ASAT III HSS on his ggjaguar.com website: slightly more output than a single-coil MFD while being brighter than a standard humbucker. Nice sound. But the weirdest is the 2-position on this guitar. Combining the bridge humbucker with the middle pickup is like kicking in an almost floored wah pedal. A sound I have never heard on any guitar unless you would use some filter type effects pedal. Very interesting and intriguing; 1970s funk straight from the guitar!
The story behind this guitar
1991
G028953
APR 10 1991
APR 12 1990
