Description
The Fullerton Deluxe ASAT Classic Alnico takes G&L’s benchmark single-cutaway bolt-on and swaps in a pair of Alnico V single-coil pickups, chasing a warmer, fuller sound than the standard Magnetic Field Design set. Mounted in the classic boxed-steel bridge, the bridge pickup pushes out a meaty, cutting twang, while individual brass saddles – one of Leo’s own upgrades to the ASAT Classic – keep intonation dialed in with precision that older-style bridges can’t match. The Alnico V neck pickup adds real body and depth, and running both together opens up a jangly, harmonic-rich tone that’s hard to get tired of.
This particular pickup pairing wasn’t a quick R&D exercise. G&L’s Paul Gagon has been developing it for his personal guitars since the late 1970s, back when he was tasked with figuring out exactly what made early bolt-on guitars so special. That meant tracking down vintage examples, talking shop with pickup builders who’d been on the line since the 1950s, and comparing notes against his own engineering data. What he found was that vintage pickup specs were surprisingly inconsistent, and the tonal mismatch between bridge and neck positions was a recurring issue. Decades later, his refined Alnico V pairing addresses both problems, giving the ASAT Classic a more balanced, considered voice.
Like the G&L Legacy, this model blends old-school Leo Fender design cues with modern refinement – a guitar for players who want vintage attitude minus the vintage inconsistency.
- Butterscotch Blonde over Western Sugar Pine, black 1-ply pickguard, maple fingerboard
- Jet Black over Alder, white 1-ply pickguard, maple fingerboard
- Old School Tobacco over Swamp Ash, tortoise shell 3-ply pickguard, maple fingerboard
Built at G&L’s original Fullerton, California facility – the same site Leo Fender established in 1980, still known as the Birthplace of Bolt-on.
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