G&L TELECASTER Shoutout : SPECIAL VS CLASSIC !!!! (G&L ASAT)

Hi, I'm Nikk Giggs, I play guitar and sing in the French Blues Rock Band, Midnight Burst.
Here's a comparison video of 2 G&L ASAT : Special vs Classic.
- The Special is a G&L Deluxe Fullerton Asat Special. It has jumbo MFD pickups. The strings are quite new.
- The Classic is a G&L Asat Classic Tribute (made in Indonesia). It has regular single coils MFD pickups. The strings are 3 months old and the guitar is heavier (as heavy as a Les Paul).
The difference is huge !! I couldn't believe that the tone of the jumbo MFD were brighter that the regular MFD ! The Classic is more mid focused.
The guitar was lent by the french music shop Backline & Piano.
00:00 ASAT Classic - Bridge pickup
00:16 ASAT Special - Bridge pickup
00:26 ASAT Classic - Neck pickup
00:55 ASAT Special - Neck pickup
01:24 ASAT Classic - Both pickups
01:36 ASAT Special - Both pickups
01:45 ASAT Classic - Vox tone
02:04 ASAT Special - Vox tone
02:23 ASAT Classic - Marshall tone
02:49 ASAT Special - Marshall tone
Gear :
Guitar : G&L Deluxe Fullerton Asat Special / G&L Asat Classic Tribute
Amp tone : Strymon Iridium
My band, MIDNIGHT BURST
Facebook : / midnightburstband
Instagram : / midnightburst69
Shop : teespring.com/fr/stores/midni...
Spotify : open.spotify.com/artist/7EVTu...
#telecaster #telecastershoutout #gandlguitars

[@sEaNoYeAh]

This was exactly what I needed. I can see the guys in the know were right when they said don't compare Jumbo MFDs to P90s, they're drastically more like Jazzmaster pickups, while Classic MFDs are like very hot Tele pickups, ironically more akin to P90s. Both are excellent, but the Classic I now see is more to my tastes. Although I also see why I read that some country guys prefer the Special, despite the more radical looks you can get a glassy hi-fi tone out of it that just works for that kind of music.

[@MidnightBurst]

I completely agree with you !

[@markfulton6985]

This is the exact comparison I was in search of!!! Well Done & Thank-you very much!!!

[@MidnightBurst]

You're welcome. And I'm glad it was helpful !

[@gingerAV]

just the demo i was looking for. thank you so much!!

[@MidnightBurst]

Cool ! I'm glad you found it !!! So, which one do you prefer ?

[@gingerAV]

@@MidnightBurst for my money, i *think* i'd have to say the asat classic. only because i think the special sounds halfway between a strat and a tele and, since i already have a strat, i'm really looking for a tele tone. something that can push an amp harder than my strat but also have a smooth neck pickup. i finally tried a special in-store today and really dug it, but i think the classic is gonna be the thing i need, haha.

[@eduardoprieto5267]

Yup me too, asat.

[@yuriherreraburstein2255]

So useful ! Thanks !

[@MidnightBurst]

You're welcome. I'm glad it can be usefull.

[@eduardoprieto5267]

Great comparison. God bless n rock on baby.

[@MidnightBurst]

Thanks a lot !!

[@bobbyadamson2333]

Awesome demo I’m trying to decide between these two. Ideally I’d have both though haha thanks!

[@MidnightBurst]

Ahah the same old song ! We always need (want?) Both !!

[@keenedgedesigns]

Great demo.

[@MidnightBurst]

Thanks a lot !!

[@sacklemaster]

What I love about G&L is they make sounds you cannot get from another manufacturer. The Special is kinda out there in its own world and begging to be turned into somebody’s signature tone. I bet a Tube Screamer would sound killer with those jumbo MFD pickups.

[@MidnightBurst]

Ah yes, a TS would work pretty good or a Fuzz Face

[@guyincognito320]

The Comanche also I'd say the same thing. It's an underplayed guitar. The Z-coils are a work of genius. With the bass/treble knobs you can nail a Strat, Tele, and even a Les Paul sort of sound.

[@FrazySting]

Interesting how the Special sounds more mellow but seems to cut through better with gain.

[@MidnightBurst]

Yes. I was quite surprised by this test. The classic is more midrange and the special has much more highs, almost like a strat

[@cmpoole]

Wow! Classic wins by a mile for me. Sounds awesome. Really want to get my hands on some G&Ls, I hear the tone controls are quite different.

[@MidnightBurst]

👍👍👍

[@zankproductions4172]

I like the special. I had one in the 90’s and I just bought a 95 that arrives in a few days.

[@MidnightBurst]

Wow really cool ! The special is a really great and versatile guitar. I never played an "old" g&l, it must a really cool !

[@nealixd.3011]

Hopefully your '95 worked out. I still have my 1990s three bolt G&L ASAT USA Special, wonderful guitar. You can see it in my thumbnail. Right handed, but looks left-handed, since I shot the selfie in my dresser mirror, ha.

[@renatopaffetti211]

GRAZIE=THANKS

[@MidnightBurst]

You're welcome !!

[@TheLowest]

I completely love the way the special sounds, it's so clean and balanced with it's EQ. I feel like the classic could get muddy pretty quickly in comparison

[@MidnightBurst]

Yes the classic gets a bit more muddy, it's darker too.

[@MrMoneyHelper]

This is the first time hearing a comparison between ASAT and Classic G&L pickups. I prefer the Classic pickups. I would prefer the latest design bridge with the Classic pickups.

[@MidnightBurst]

Me too I prefer the classic tone. And mine is just a tribute. I'd love to own a US classic !!

[@mistreated]

Great demo! I already have the Fullerton Classic and was on the fence about adding a a Special. While I like it, it’s not for me. Many thanks.

[@MidnightBurst]

You're welcome ! I'm happy that my video helped you decide. 😁😁

[@stephenwelch8803]

Very nice! Was deciding between the classic and special. Special has a nice clean sound, but almost too clean for me. I could see why Leo made it though because it really does a great job rocking out, kind of like a humbucker guitar. But that is also why I like the Classic because it isn't as dirty as the telecaster either. Nice middle ground.

[@MidnightBurst]

Thanks. So which one did you choose ?

[@stephenwelch8154]

@@MidnightBurst Actually your video got me looking into more G&L guitars and I found one called a Skyhawk, an HH guitar. It is a G&L made humbucker with coil splitting. So now I am trying to decide which direction. They all sound really good! Thanks again for the great video!

[@ColocasiaCorm]

great demo. i think they're different enough to have both. the classic is too dark to replace a tele, so you could have classic, special, and a tele too and i don't think you'd have that much overlap.

[@MidnightBurst]

Ahahaha it's always the same answer, we neee them all !!!!

[@anth1225]

I could hear the Fender "quack" in the Special but I'm trying to find that classic tele twang. Could the special achieve that? I couildn't tell from the demo

[@MidnightBurst]

The G&L classics are more mid focused than a vintage Fender Tele. That's why I like them more. I have made more videos on this channel with the classic. And for me, the Special sounded more like a Fender Strat than a regular Tele.

[@miggymystic]

The Special is so open and articulate and a little glassy.

[@MidnightBurst]

Yes, exactly. For me the special is too glassy. I prefer the classic. Depends on the taste !!

[@richardwhitehead4684]

Remarkable how different they sound

[@MidnightBurst]

Yes. I didn't expect that much difference !

[@EricMakingWaves]

I don't know what that lick is at 2:23, but I love it. I'm stealing it!

[@MidnightBurst]

Oh thanks man ! It's the main riff of one of our songs. We use it as a concert opening !

[@MidnightBurst]

here it is played with the full band : kzbin.info/www/bejne/h5-Zh6h-o5t8o9U

[@EricMakingWaves]

@@MidnightBurst you guys sound amazing. That harp player is sick. I grew up on blues rock just like this.

[@MidnightBurst]

Thanks so much !! He's really good, we love him !!

[@wladdaimpala88]

Preferred the more "hifi" sound of the Special. Even with distortion you really hear the strings.

[@MidnightBurst]

Wow you might be the only one here that preferred the special !

[@fivepiece]

Has anyone tried wiring the pickups on the Special in series rather than parallel? If so, how did it sound? How did the gain on the amp respond?

[@MidnightBurst]

I never really liked the parallel sound. Except once on a vintage Silvertone. Do you use this tone ??

[@fivepiece]

@@MidnightBurst I do, depending on the circumstances and the pickups in question. But for a T-style guitar, I would like to add Series as a high-octane fourth option on a guitar with only two single coils.

[@MidnightBurst]

@@fivepiece It could add another flavor. Check out this demo of french luthier guitar. It's his version of the Tele, and it has the parallel and series wiring. kzbin.info/www/bejne/lZ-rip5tdruFeMk

[@fivepiece]

@@MidnightBurst that's the difference I would expect to hear in Series vs. Parallel. Thanks!

[@MidnightBurst]

@@fivepiece You're welcome :)

[@therealjamesbaker9138]

From your video it appears that the jumbo pickups on the Special actually have less output and are more Telecaster-like, where the smaller pickups on the Classic are if anything veering towards a Les Paul-type of sound.

[@MidnightBurst]

What I heared is that the classic is really a mis focused tele close to a les paul indeed. But I thought the special was more like a strat.

[@nealixd.3011]

Don't be fooled, use the tone control to cut some of the highs as needed, and your amp to boost output, the ASAT Special is a very versatile guitar. Too many folks leave the tone control wide out and never explore it, and often do the same with their amps. That Special is the cat's meow for covering a wide range of tones in a very simple format.

[@SO-bp2uc]

@@nealixd.3011 the special has a very wide frequency range. It’s like a blank canvas waiting to be shaped. I imagine many people don’t bond with the guitar for the very reason you describe and also because they don’t eq the low end to get their preferred tone.

[@aurtofall7284]

I've just bought my tribute classic and it's really awesome for 650$ (higher prices than in US). After comparison to fennder player tele and another japanese tele I've bougth it due to punchiness and clarity, it's so strange for me now to listen to compsrisons and see thst they are darker than classic alnico pickups and these jumbos, I've thought that they are more like p90s

[@MidnightBurst]

So you own one like mine. The jumbos are like p90s at all. That was what I thought too.

[@Prajnana]

I was shocked at the difference! Assuming both guitar's volume controls were dimed, did you adjust the amp for reasonably equal recording volume? The Special seemed like it needed to be boosted compared to the Classic. Speculating, but wondering if the Special has lower output pickups? I listened with a pair of recording headphones, and, IMO, the bridge PU on the Special is (sadly) thin and anemic. In comparison, it's neck is nicely balanced. But overall, the Classic seems to have more "balls" (if I dare say so), and is probably a lot more inspiring to play. Nice comparison; what was that your conclusion?

[@MidnightBurst]

I was shocked too and a bit disappointed to be honest. I thought the special would sound like p90s or like a fat single coils. But no, it sounds like a strat... I prefer my classic even if it's a tribute.

[@ewetoo]

@@MidnightBurstDon't forget that we perceive bass as having more loudness, you could tell with the Marshall tone that the Special thrived on that midrange push. I was more surprised at how bassy the classic was, I was expecting a lot more chicken-picky range from it.

[@charles3200]

I think the ASAT classic sounds better. Great comparison! Which one do you prefer?

[@MidnightBurst]

Thanks a lot Charles ! The classic is mine... so I'm not sure I can be fair. But I prefer the more medium tone of the classic. I don't like guitars that have a lot of high end.

[@charles3200]

@@MidnightBurst I agree. The Special to me didn't sound as balanced as the Classic. I always heard it as lacking something.

[@MidnightBurst]

@@charles3200 I think it would sound better if the pickups were P90s...

[@gangpardos3833]

they both sound great but that jumbo mfd in the bridge cant be beat

[@MidnightBurst]

The special sounds a bit like a strat on steroids

[@ronbzoom8531]

Ain't she Special!

[@MidnightBurst]

Héhé

[@yobanyhernandez125]

Funny how the classic sounded thicker than the special. I play metal with the special, makes me wonder if I should use the classic instead.

[@MidnightBurst]

I was surprised too ! You should definitely try the classic, it more medium focused. I really like it

[@yobanyhernandez125]

@@MidnightBurst would be cool if you ever did these 2 guitars compared to a tele with the “Seymour Duncan quarter pound” pickups. I heard those are really unique. (The pole pieces are thick )

[@MidnightBurst]

@@yobanyhernandez125 you mean the seymour duncan humbucker that has the size of a single coil ?

[@yobanyhernandez125]

@@MidnightBurst nope , it’s called the “quarter pound” it’s a true single coil designed to handle high gain.

[@MidnightBurst]

@@yobanyhernandez125 ah ok. I didn't know it. I'll check it out !

[@cliffirddelbridge2810]

ASAT a little quieter, but I like it better

[@MidnightBurst]

Actually they're both asat. That's the name of the g&l telecaster. So you mean the classic ?

[@cliffirddelbridge2810]

@@MidnightBurst that's more of an oops.

[@sometimesdimneverthin8901]

Smaller sounds bigger

[@MidnightBurst]

Yes. And that surprised me !

[@dandelionboy7820]

I don't think this is a very good comparison, friend. I'm not trying to be mean seeing that you did put work into this. You probably didn't know that while the tributes ARE indeed made in Indonesia and DO have the same pickups as the American models--unless you get the hand wound versions--the electronics of each instrument ARE different being that the American/custom shop guitars have better electronics. With that being said I feel I didn't have an accurate basis to compare these. If you dropped an Emerson kit in the tribute (bout $100) and did the comparison again then we'd be cooking with a more fair comparison. I think g&l may even sell electronic kits for their guitars as well. Good methodology and I appreciate no talking in the vid

[@MidnightBurst]

Thanks for your comment. I know the comparison is not good. I just borrowed the special to try and demo it. And I was so surprised by its tone that I decided to make this video as well with my own g&l. I've compared indonesian and american asat, the indonesians tend to be a bit darker. (Among differences in dynamics) The special is a radically different beast, almost like a strat to my ears. I didn't know the electronics were different. I'll get in touch with my local store to see if I can upgrade it. Thanks for the info !

[@dandelionboy7820]

Also when you upgrade them make another vid, please. I'd love to see it

[@MidnightBurst]

@@dandelionboy7820 If the special is still available in the shop I borrowed, I will !!

[@yobanyhernandez125]

@@MidnightBurstI think you should ignore this guy. An electrical kit won’t make a tonal difference unless they are no loads / treble bleed pots. Good job mate

[@MidnightBurst]

@@yobanyhernandez125 Ok thanks, I completely forgort my electricity class !! 😅😅

[@rustyesguerra-lz2nq]

special wins for me.

[@MidnightBurst]

Classic for me

[@leehenderson8132]

Please think about changing the headstock shape..PLEASE ITS SOO UGLY.

[@MidnightBurst]

🤣🤣 do you prefer the fender tele headstock ?

[@prestonwoods8197]

don't understand people complaining about headstock shape

[@MidnightBurst]

@@prestonwoods8197 Me neither, G&L and Fender headstocks are really close (and I think the G&L headstock are prettier)

[@taoxie258]

@@MidnightBurst couldn’t agree more. G&L headstock got some nice decent vibe.

[@cliffirddelbridge2810]

Say wha???

[@vovagreen7414]

спасибо...бро...классная демка!!! ХОЧУ СПЕШИАЛ!!!🙂🙂🙂 это потому...что просто телекастер у меня есть....

[@MidnightBurst]

ahah, thanks !!

[@vovagreen7414]

💚@@MidnightBurst