• TalkBass has been independent since 1998. Add your voice.
    Create a free account to reply to discussions, view embedded media, and browse with fewer display ads.
    Join freeLog in
    Want zero display ads or expanded classifieds tools? Compare plans.

NBD: A Hellish Journey to a Heavenly Bass

Hello there!

This isn't exactly a NBD since I received it in late March, but for one reason or another I haven't had as much time to play as I would have liked.

Well anyways, I've wanted a G&L ASAT bass since my high school days when I saw Matt Goddard of Chiodos using a semi-hollow ASAT bass in cherryburst. A telecaster-shaped bass with an f-hole and an exotic headstock (I actually like the G&L headstock)? Yes please!

Last year I had jumped at the chance at buying a used ASAT bass from Guitar Center because they were selling it for a little over $600. As documented in this older thread, the bass was in awful shape and I decided to return it and go the option order route. When selecting my options I drew a lot of inspiration from the Manson CW-1 bass, which Matt Bellamy of Muse had designed for Chris Wolstenholme. The big difference was that I also added block inlays.

After placing my order in March of 2021, during which I was quoted a lead time of 3-4 months, I found myself waiting for 7 months without any word. When I finally heard back, I was told that the bass had been damaged in transit and that G&L would have to replace the body, but that they would expedite that for me. 5 months later, it finally arrived and boy is it beautiful:

83FE7660-692E-4973-9281-3A7C922AF1F1.jpeg

00A9415A-26AA-4A51-A4FC-EEF87DAA55D0.jpeg

846B45B9-DE8D-43F2-920D-C19932A4214D.jpeg


At this point my only qualm with the bass is that it does suffer from neck dive. The strap that I normally use with all my basses is apparently not thick/wide enough to prevent it fully, so I'll usually put on my thickest strap and it'll take care of any neck dive.

Problems aside with G&L's black box method of providing updates to customers, which was very frustrating, this is a fantastic instrument and I loved it enough that I just placed an order for an LB-100 in shell pink. And so the waiting game begins again..
 

Attachments

  • D5A3F2B3-935B-4A7D-9EAC-45181D9AC220.jpeg
    D5A3F2B3-935B-4A7D-9EAC-45181D9AC220.jpeg
    1.5 MB · Views: 58
Last edited:
I fell in love with those ASAT basses since seeing Jason Black of Hot Water Music rocking one through a Mesa rig. It sounded superb (as he always does).

G&L is rather cost prohibitive for me in the UK, although oddly the Tribute series are *way* better value than a MIM Fender or Squier, so I'll eventually go that route. Wish they did the ASAT as a Tribute!
 
Beautiful bass! The neck dive isn't surprising, though, given where the neck-side strap pin is located.
Definitely. I didn't learn about about the importance of where the neck-side is located until after I had ordered the bass. The shop I ordered it through had a Kiloton in stock and I considered asking for that one instead for that reason
 
Definitely. I didn't learn about about the importance of where the neck-side is located until after I had ordered the bass. The shop I ordered it through had a Kiloton in stock and I considered asking for that one instead for that reason
I have a couple basses that tend to neckdive. With those, a solution while playing is to use the upper part of the body as an armrest for my right arm -- that tends to hold the bass right in place without any input from my left hand & arm. However, on my basses, that part of the bass extends out a bit, giving me leverage. (One of the basses is a Thunderbird, and the other has a similar rearward extension.) Yours doesn't have that, so mine is a solution that may not work for you.
 
Hello there!

This isn't exactly a NBD since I received it in late March, but for one reason or another I haven't had as much time to play as I would have liked.

Well anyways, I've wanted a G&L ASAT bass since my high school days when I saw Matt Goddard of Chiodos using a semi-hollow ASAT bass in cherryburst. A telecaster-shaped bass with an f-hole and an exotic headstock (I actually like the G&L headstock)? Yes please!

Last year I had jumped at the chance at buying a used ASAT bass from Guitar Center because they were selling it for a little over $600. As documented in this older thread, the bass was in awful shape and I decided to return it and go the option order route. When selecting my options I drew a lot of inspiration from the Manson CW-1 bass, which Matt Bellamy of Muse had designed for Chris Wolstenholme. The big difference was that I also added block inlays.

After placing my order in March of 2021, during which I was quoted a lead time of 3-4 months, I found myself waiting for 7 months without any word. When I finally heard back, I was told that the bass had been damaged in transit and that G&L would have to replace the body, but that they would expedite that for me. 5 months later, it finally arrived and boy is it beautiful:

View attachment 4706472
View attachment 4706471
View attachment 4706473

At this point my only qualm with the bass is that it does suffer from neck dive. The strap that I normally use with all my basses is apparently not thick/wide enough to prevent it fully, so I'll usually put on my thickest strap and it'll take care of any neck dive.

Problems aside with G&L's black box method of providing updates to customers, which was very frustrating, this is a fantastic instrument and I loved it enough that I just placed an order for an LB-100 in shell pink. And so the waiting game begins again..

Sometimes it the best things in life are well with the wait. Congrats.
 
I love a black bass and I'm glad you enjoy it.... but I'm not surprised that it dives more than Greg Luganis. I actually thought it was a lefty from the first photo. Yeah, I didn't look very closely.
 
Last edited:
In transit? I never would have guessed any courier, especially these days, would return a damaged parcel back to the shipper, due to damage.

Beautiful bass, though! Glad everything worked out!
Thank you!

the courier didn't return the package to G&L, the shop did after they saw the damage (it was apparently bad enough that the hardshell case was also damaged.
 
Absolutely beautiful bass and you'll appreciate it even more the longer you play it. If you use a wide (3 inch or more) strap, that will minimize the neck dive. I've owned several G&L basses, but never an ASAT. My friends who have all reported neck dive issues, but it wouldn't bother me. Are you certain that those big, fat inlays aren't adding to the problem? (Just kinking — enjoy)
 
  • Like
Reactions: TheKillersFan
Absolutely beautiful bass and you'll appreciate it even more the longer you play it. If you use a wide (3 inch or more) strap, that will minimize the neck dive. I've owned several G&L basses, but never an ASAT. My friends who have all reported neck dive issues, but it wouldn't bother me. Are you certain that those big, fat inlays aren't adding to the problem? (Just kinking — enjoy)

the neck dive isn't bad enough to bother me, but I could never give up block inlays! 7 of my 9 basses have them and the LB-100 I ordered will have them too :)