G&L Tribute ASAT Deluxe Carved Top - pickups, any experience?

[marcello252]

Hi,
I bought this guitar, mahogany body with maple top, bolt on, 25 1/4 scale, fixed G&L bridge, double humbucker.

it sports two G&L alnico V HB, more or less 14K 43awg at the bridge, 8 K 42awg and the neck, both chrome covered (designed by Paul Galgon according to the specs).

It's really nice, easy to play, light, full of sustain, unplugged it show a balanced sound slighlty shifted to the upper register, it has a perceived lower volume than other guitars I have (strat, JM, tele...) but the vibe is really pleasant.

Plugged the HBs fit ok with the guitar, although they seems a bit too 'plain', but I don't know if this perceived lack of real 'life' in tone is just another case of psychoacoustic phenomenon due to my G.A.S. or is it real (yet).

does anyone have this guitar and/or tried different pickups in it?

What combination would you put in it for a classic rock sound?

thank you

 

[Leon Of Late]

Re: G&L Tribute ASAT Deluxe Carved Top - pickups, any experience?

I wasn't sure exactly what your guitar was, so I looked it up. Sharp looking guitar.

There are several humbucker sets or separate bridge/neck combos that should do classic rock in your guitar. For a very accurate PAF tone, the Seth Lovers or the Antiquity set would work great. For a slightly crisper sound, tighter lows and highs, less mids, the 59' set. For something with just a little more than the 59', the Whole Lotta Humbuckers.

There is also always the very first hot rodded humbucker set, designed specifically for a Tele that Jeff Beck was playing.... which turned into the JB/Jazz set.

A lot of it comes down to the magnet type when looking for "your" definition of classic rock tones. A2 magnets tend to have rounder, squishier lows, rounder softer highs and more present mids. A5 magnets have tighter, crisper bass response, crisper and more bite in the highs and more scooped mids.

 

[Funkfingers]

Re: G&L Tribute ASAT Deluxe Carved Top - pickups, any experience?

I have tried the G&L Ascari GT. (This has similar Paul Gagon designed covered humbuckers.) Like your ASAT, the flamed maple is only a veneer. Thus, the guitar body is mostly some SE Asian cousin of mahogany.

No points for guessing what the specs of the G&L humbuckers are based on. However, this knowledge does give some clues as to how to change their sounds. Leon has already suggested magnet swapping. I'd opt for A4 in the neck/Rhythm position pickup and UOA5 in the bridge/Treble. Leaving the covers off might introduce a tad more clarity.

It might be worth investigating where the Tribute Series bridge is manufactured. Changing the saddle material might bring some improvement.

 

[elelpe]

Re: G&L Tribute ASAT Deluxe Carved Top - pickups, any experience?

Thus, the guitar body is mostly some SE Asian cousin of mahogany.

Genuine Mahogany is widely available in SE Asia. It has been successfully grown and harvested in plantations since restriction imposed on South American mahogany two decades ago. And it's cheap, mostly being distributed to furniture industries or imported. Guitar factories use whatever wood they can get for building low to mid level guitars though. I have stripped off painted agathis guitar (Squier) only to found that it's sungkai that has very similar look like ash. Or the spec says mahogany yet in fact it's jeunjing/albasia (found it on Ibanez S and ... American made Gibson LP, lol!). You might get the real wood spec of a guitar, or not.

No points for guessing what the specs of the wood used either, especially if it's fully painted. I'd suggest to OP to evaluate what the lacks of current pickups sounding in the guitar and decide what he wants.

 

[Nostalgic Distortion]

Re: G&L Tribute ASAT Deluxe Carved Top - pickups, any experience?

View attachment 71398

I've got tons of experience!!! LOL, it would literally be easier for me to list the Duncan humbuckers I haven't tried than to list what I have...

I just put a Pegasus in the bridge of mine but for the stuff your looking to get out of it I'd recommend a TB-16 Custom/Hybrid for the bridge and a SH-1 59N in the neck. That's what I had in mine for the past several months & by far my favorite set out of, I lost count! They'll be going back in once I'm done with "The Great Pickup Swap", but for now the Pegasus & Jazz combo is quite pleasing! Not only are the TB-16/SH-1 59N set great for Classic & Heavy Rock but they're just as good for playing Jazz, Thrash Metal, Country, Exc.?

They make a very versatile set in that fiddle & the coil tapping gives you a ton more options! The guitars themselves are probably one of the best "bangs for your buck" guitars on the market right now. The one I have cost me $300 & it blows my $1,200 USA Strat out of the water as far as playability goes and even in tone!!! The stock puppies are awesome and as far as quality of tone they are probably just as good as Duncan's but they are a little bit hot for my taste....

 

[marcello252]

Re: G&L Tribute ASAT Deluxe Carved Top - pickups, any experience?

thank you everybody!

LOL, it would literally be easier for me to list the Duncan humbuckers I haven't tried than to list what I have...

have you ever tried A2 pickups? because I was looking for quieter pickups, to get a level closer to others guitar I have (strats and JM) so I was thinking about Seth, APH, Ants, PG, something like that, and they're all A". I had a 59 in a mahogany guitar sometime ago but it seems a bit boomy

 

[trevorus]

Re: G&L Tribute ASAT Deluxe Carved Top - pickups, any experience?

I have the exact same guitar, and came to the same conclusion about the stock pickups. Very plain, no real voice of their own. I did a full electronics upgrade with a set of Duncan Phat Cats, and new CTS pots, wiring, switch, jack. It's top of the pile now, for sure!

 

[Myaccount876]

Re: G&L Tribute ASAT Deluxe Carved Top - pickups, any experience?

I have the cherry sunburst model. I swapped the pickups after a day - they were too boring. The electronics are worth overhauling. I've had a PGb/Jazzn in it for a while now. Sounds and feels good, so I play it a lot.

 

[marcello252]

Re: G&L Tribute ASAT Deluxe Carved Top - pickups, any experience?

I have the cherry sunburst model. I swapped the pickups after a day - they were too boring. The electronics are worth overhauling. I've had a PGb/Jazzn in it for a while now. Sounds and feels good, so I play it a lot.

that's cool.
How does the PGb sounds compared to the original one? Is the Jazz less dull and boomy than the original?
thank you very much

 

[marcello252]

Re: G&L Tribute ASAT Deluxe Carved Top - pickups, any experience?

I did a full electronics upgrade with a set of Duncan Phat Cats

Nice. Phat cats were another option I was thinking about. how could you describe the sound change? I suppose it's now treblier but much more dynamic.

 

[marcello252]

Re: G&L Tribute ASAT Deluxe Carved Top - pickups, any experience?

There is also always the very first hot rodded humbucker set, designed specifically for a Tele that Jeff Beck was playing.... which turned into the JB/Jazz set.

with the JB I have a love/hate relationship: I had the JB for ten years in my strat, it was cool back in early 90s, even Cobain had one in his mustang, but during the years I've found out I've really never liked that mid high peak. It was long before the magnet swap trend, so I tried it in other guitars (I put a SSL1 set in that strat I'm really proud of), and mmmh, not really my piec of cake anymore. It was particularly bad in a mahogany SG I had. This G&L has a similar wood so I'm not sure it could suit my taste.
I've never tried the Jazz instead.

thank you

 

[Nostalgic Distortion]

Re: G&L Tribute ASAT Deluxe Carved Top - pickups, any experience?

thank you everybody!



have you ever tried A2 pickups? because I was looking for quieter pickups, to get a level closer to others guitar I have (strats and JM) so I was thinking about Seth, APH, Ants, PG, something like that, and they're all A". I had a 59 in a mahogany guitar sometime ago but it seems a bit boomy

I had a Pearly Gates set in it for a bit but I move them to another guitar. The move had absolutely nothing to do with the sound, they were great in that guitar! It was a color thing, otherwise they'd still be in there & I would have never tried the TB-16/SH-1 that I recommend. I had a set of APH's in it as well, I'm not a huge fan of them but they sounded pretty good in the Mahogany body as well. Personally I like something that has a bit more bite in the bridge....

 

[Nostalgic Distortion]

Re: G&L Tribute ASAT Deluxe Carved Top - pickups, any experience?

with the JB I have a love/hate relationship: I had the JB for ten years in my strat, it was cool back in early 90s, even Cobain had one in his mustang, but during the years I've found out I've really never liked that mid high peak. It was long before the magnet swap trend, so I tried it in other guitars (I put a SSL1 set in that strat I'm really proud of), and mmmh, not really my piec of cake anymore. It was particularly bad in a mahogany SG I had. This G&L has a similar wood so I'm not sure it could suit my taste.
I've never tried the Jazz instead.

thank you

Lol, I just have a hate/hate relationship with them!!! I use to think that they were exactly the puppies for me because Cobain used them & if it wasn't for him and some of the other music of that genre I don't know that I would have ever started playing? Fast forward 10-20 years & I can't stand them in anything!!! The high peak or mid spike can be quelled by a 250K pot but it's still quite present. I'm definitely more of a 59 or 59 family guy for sure!!!

 

[Funkfingers]

Re: G&L Tribute ASAT Deluxe Carved Top - pickups, any experience?

TV Jones now offers his 'Tron style pickups in regular, Gibson-sized metal housings. The Classic N and Classic Plus would cover a lot of ground. I have a Classic Plus in my mahogany-bodied, Warmoth self-build La Cabronista Telecaster Especial.

 

[trevorus]

Re: G&L Tribute ASAT Deluxe Carved Top - pickups, any experience?

Nice. Phat cats were another option I was thinking about. how could you describe the sound change? I suppose it's now treblier but much more dynamic.

I'll have to look, but the control pots make a big difference on the clarity. Basically, yes, much better dynamics, single coil bit with some heft in the big coils.

 

[Myaccount876]

Re: G&L Tribute ASAT Deluxe Carved Top - pickups, any experience?

that's cool.
How does the PGb sounds compared to the original one? Is the Jazz less dull and boomy than the original?
thank you very much

The PGb is brighter, more of a medium output, lots of definition in the high end, and a bit snappy/twangy for a humbucker. Really great if you want a humbucker that goes slightly into Telecaster territory.

The Jazz neck is the opposite of boomy. Pretty clear and bright, low output neck pickup. Can sound bell like on leads.

 

[marcello252]

Re: G&L Tribute ASAT Deluxe Carved Top - pickups, any experience?

TV Jones now offers his 'Tron style pickups in regular, Gibson-sized metal housings. The Classic N and Classic Plus would cover a lot of ground. I have a Classic Plus in my mahogany-bodied, Warmoth self-build La Cabronista Telecaster Especial.

wow, I imagine they could be similar to wide range in terms of highs, janglier. Do they work well overdriven?
thx

 

[Boogie Bill]

Re: G&L Tribute ASAT Deluxe Carved Top - pickups, any experience?

My understanding is that the stock pickups were designed along the lines of a 59n/TB-4.

FYI, a friend installed Seths in his Ascari and is really happy with them.

Bill

 

[marcello252]

Re: G&L Tribute ASAT Deluxe Carved Top - pickups, any experience?

Ok, I pulled the trigger and I got an APH1 set with a A2 at the bridge and an A3 at the neck (many thanks Pepe).

...WOW.. it's the same guitar as character but I think this set is its perfect fit.

It's musical, dynamic, balanced and I can get beautiful cleans in every position.
With gain it has a singing voice that cuts through the band mix. I tried to crank the gain, even if it's not what I bought it for, and with the bridge pup it could easily fly on VH territory too.

With splitted coils: in bridge position is a bit too weak for my taste; in central position it has an awesome (I said 'awesome') Jaguar/jazzmaster vibe; in neck position it seems a plain telecaster neck, just a bit lower in volume, but it's indistinguishable tone wise.

Last but not least, the guitar is much more beautiful now, without the original chrome covers

Thumbs up.

 

[bigben55]

Re: G&L Tribute ASAT Deluxe Carved Top - pickups, any experience?

I have the exact same guitar, and came to the same conclusion about the stock pickups. Very plain, no real voice of their own. I did a full electronics upgrade with a set of Duncan Phat Cats, and new CTS pots, wiring, switch, jack. It's top of the pile now, for sure!

Just got this guitar, gonna upgrade it all as well. What pots, caps, switch, Jack did you use? CTS 500K short shafts audio taper? Still undecided on the pickups