Well, Gentlemen, here she is . . . the last Tele I'll ever own - a 2005 G & L ASAT Classic. Her curvaceous body lovingly crafted from one of the finest, most gorgeously figured pieces of natural Swamp Ash that I've ever seen, perhaps from a tree down yonder a spell from the old Waters farm, where the bullfrogs croak their lonesome song, and the mojo is thick as the haze rollin' in from the backwoods stills. The stem on this beauty is all maple, with jumbo frets, and Schaller-style chrome tuners (that stay wonderfully in tune, even with my nasty penchant for wrangling!). The neck is lightly sealed, with a slimmer "C" style neck (not as chunky as the Fender models); smooth to the touch, fantastically finished. I look forward to watching this luscious maple beauty age and wear wonderfully as the years of playing pass under my fingertips. USA-made G & L Fullerton pick-ups provide the tone, which is a tad different in flavour than its Fender cousins. Yes indeed, the trademark Tele twang is there, but perhaps not as bright or glassy as one would expect it to be. But what she may give up in those timbres she more than makes up for with a sassy growl, and dirty grind reminescent of the no-nonsense grooves found on early Aerosmith and Black Crowes releases, with a dash of Keef just to keep things honest. As for styling cues, it speaks classic Fender, with some visual / tonal updates. A swirly tortoise-shell style pickguard enhances the unmistakable retro vibe, as does the pan-type bridge piece. Brass saddles keep things where they need to be, and a traditional string-through body takes full advantage of the incredibly resonant Swamp Ash body. Tone / volume controls, and the 3 pos. pickup switch are staples from yesteryear, and work flawlessly. G & L guitars are known for their fit & finish, and this little number came out of the box, got tuned, and was crunching through Brown Sugar without as much as blinking an eye. In my book, that's how it should work. I'll give Neal's Music (CA) some of that credit, though. Fabulous people, fantastic service, and most of all - awesome products.
So, was it love at first sight? Absolutely! I am soooo smitten! (*but could you tell?)