NGD: 2011 ASAT Deluxe prototype, pine body and neck

There are several threads that mentioned this and some others: viewtopic.php?f=12&t=40&p=39#p39, viewtopic.php?f=36&t=6275 and a bunch of info on the old web site (via wayback machine): http://web.archive.org/web/201509050541 ... /index.asp

It's a 2011 ASAT DELUXE with pine body, pine neck, rosewood fingerboard, and Duncan 59/JB humbuckers (not marked and I haven't pulled them to verify).




User yowhatsshakin has one of the sister builds, the hot one. The ugly sister needed some love too so I picked her up.

Edited to add: the web site says G&L pickups so I'm not sure which is correct; spec sheet or the web site. The bridge pickup does measure to be trembucker width. I'm not sure if G&L made any F spaced or trembucker style humbuckers. Anyone know? I guess when I restring it I'll put the pickups and check.

Yes, G&L does make a variety of Alnico Humbucker pickups, see:
List of pickups used in G&L guitars

Regarding the Build Specification sheets from the Prototype G&L guitars and basses, some of them are not completely accurate.
In your case, the pickups are G&L humbuckers, not the Seymour Duncan pickups as listed on the Build Specification sheet.
The detailed descriptions on G&L prototype instrument pages are true to the final prototype build.

When you get a chance, please update the G&L Registry entry for your guitar and indicate that you are the current owner.

Hope this helps.

Thanks Craig. I thought it may be the case that the build sheet was not as accurate as the write ups after reading Jos's write ups.

This thing is awesome. I almost feel bad about not throwing it in the case and putting it in storage. Almost.

The pickups are pretty full but could be slightly brighter, or scooped, for my taste. I think rather than fiddling with the electronics I will just use a Tumnus to give it a little extra treble.

I've never heard of using a softwood (pine) for a guitar neck before?

is that a typo?

I've never heard of using a softwood (pine) for a guitar neck before?

is that a typo?

Nope, here is the text:

Serial Number: CLF062947

Date Completed: October 17, 2011

Description: Gloss Black over Western Sugar Pine, shortened ASAT Classic bridge with radiused corners, #1 Western Sugar Pine neck with Rosewood fingerboard and Light Tint Gloss finish, 1-ply Black pickguard. G&L; pickups.

Special Features: We liked a few guitars we’d made with Western Sugar Pine bodies, so we thought we’d try using Western Sugar Pine for both the body and neck. This guitar also had R&D; value in that we used a shortened ASAT Classic bridge with radiused corners, reminiscent of a modded Telecaster Jeff Beck has, as well as twin G&L; exposed coil humbuckers. This guitar also has a Light Tint Gloss neck finish, for which the blend was not yet finalized at the time.

I believe they decided not to use Western Sugar Pine for necks.

The pine neck was one of the most intriguing things to me. I originally met up with the previous owner to buy a different guitar from him and had him bring this along to look at. I'm glad I was able to come up with the funds before someone else snagged it from Reverb.

I don't remember ever seeing a pine neck on any guitar. I wonder what factors contributed to them, or other manufacturers, not using it more. Perhaps finding enough pine without knots would be difficult. Perhaps the sap naturally in pine would be rough on sanders and tools too. Surely it has to be more available and sustainable than maple

It's nice and straight and the truss rod works fine. I'll see if it changes over time any more than maple or mahogany.

I wonder what factors contributed to them, or other manufacturers, not using it more.

Pine (being a softwood) is significantly more prone to various forms of physical and environmental stress. Consider the Janka Hardness scale for various woods. White pine has a hardness scale value of 420. To put that into perspective, Bird's eye Maple has a harness scale value of 1450.

A pine body might be more prone to dents and scratches, as would a pine neck - but a pine neck would be (statistically speaking) something like three times as likely to warp or twist as a maple neck of the same size.

That doesn't mean that every "pine" neck will eventually warp. It probably means that pine necks could negatively influence quality control standards to a degree that would discourage their use in guitar necks by many builders. But if a luthier finds a particularly aged and stout piece of clear pine to make a neck with - I wouldn't question it.

I also think because it has a Rosewood fretboard glued to the neck, that that will help stablized the neck.