It's at home since a week, I bought it on a french classifieds site. It's my second G&L (I've got a Superhawk since years), I think I'm screwed
It's now on the registry, I think it's from 1991, I will dismount the neck next week.
Congrats on the ASAT. Looks very nice. Definitely looks early 90’s to me. Looks like the black finish is removed from the control plate and the top of the vol and tone controls? Kinda looks cool i think.
Looks like it is missing the truss rod bullet, so maybe the rod is broken. Nuts aren't cut symmetrically from high to low E, so that can create an optical image of a twist. I think it will take further review to determine if it is actually twisted. A good luthier should be able to repair / replace the rod. Not sure about twisting. There was a video by Dan Erlewine on StewMac where he showed removing and replacing a stripped / broken truss rod on a vintage guitar. Your ASAT is beautiful and I would spend to time to find an excellent luthier to see what can be done.
Tooslowhand wrote:Looks like it is missing the truss rod bullet, so maybe the rod is broken. Nuts aren't cut symmetrically from high to low E, so that can create an optical image of a twist. I think it will take further review to determine if it is actually twisted. A good luthier should be able to repair / replace the rod. Not sure about twisting. There was a video by Dan Erlewine on StewMac where he showed removing and replacing a stripped / broken truss rod on a vintage guitar. Your ASAT is beautiful and I would spend to time to find an excellent luthier to see what can be done.
The bullet is there but it looks stripped, as in more a round hole than hexagonal. That will certainly need some professional attention. And I would agree the neck is ever so slightly twisted.
My 3-bolt ASAT has a big chrome thing sticking out of the top of the neck. There doesn't appear to be one on this guitar which is why I made the comment. I guess the earlier black crinkle ones were different.
I paid the guitar a reasonable price but for an impeccable state, with a luthier's bill to justify a setting less than a year ago... So the luthier is a dumb and he did not see anything, or the seller hid me this little detail...
The guitar is playable, but I'm very disappointed, I spent all my money to buy it...
It's a nice guitar. If you have had it for a while and been playing and enjoying it, that is most important. I could very well be wrong about the truss rod, and if the neck has a slight twist but you don't notice it when playing it then maybe it is not a big problem. I would take it back to the luthier you used, describe your concerns and see what they say. Or look for another luthier to give an opinion.
I saw the luthier yesterday, it's not horrible, he will change the nut, plan the frets and it should roll...
The trussrod was completely blocked (I think that's why the hole was more cylindrical than hexagonal, someone had to force...), he fixed this by heating it with an iron weld (heat often unlocks stuff !).
I would not have to change the neck...