Leo's last prototype?

Started by Dave W, June 09, 2024, 11:40:53 PM

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Dave W

G&L ASAT Prototype Bass

"One of the last instruments Leo was working on when he died in 1991. The body is still in-the-white with Leo's penciled outline of a pickguard"

Pilgrim

I see it still has the original Leo dust on it, too.
"A computer lets you make more mistakes faster than any other invention with the possible exceptions of handguns and tequila."

Rob

Quote from: Pilgrim on June 10, 2024, 10:34:50 AM
I see it still has the original Leo dust on it, too.
He was a Pixie.

Dave W


Alanko

I sometimes think Leo had no idea what made his best designs resonate with bassists.

I cleaned up and set up my buddy's Jazzmaster a few months ago. I know they have their fans, but I found it pointlessly over engineered and incapable of little more than a clunky, low sustain. I'm not sure what Leo was going for, beyond squeezing more tonal options from passive circuits and trying to make a floating trem.

ilan

#5
Quote from: Alanko on June 15, 2024, 02:48:23 AM
I'm not sure what Leo was going for, beyond squeezing more tonal options from passive circuits and trying to make a floating trem.

I think that's exactly what he was trying to do. And to design a body better suited for playing sitting down, which worked very well for the Jazz Bass.

My 6-string is a Tele, I also don't like the Jazzmaster's darker tone, But that's down to individual taste. The "dark circuit" was his understanding of jazz guitar tone, he probably wanted to approximate a jazz box, neck pickup, tone dialed back kind of sound.

There were times when some guitarists wanted as many knobs and switches. Even well into the 80s. I used to mod Strats with tons of switches, everybody wanted them back then.