BassesByLeo
Est. 2009

Hey, all,

I have an ASAT bass to be re-wired. The customer's complaint is that the tone control does not work well. Listening to the bass, indeed the tone control has almost no effect upon the tone.

The bass has two big humbuckers, which look like the 'buckers you see on a Musicman, with two volumes, one tone and no selector switch.

The body sorta looks like a Telecaster. There is no serial number, and I have not been able to find a wiring diagram, nor even a reference to this particular bass, anywhere.

Can anyone here point me to a proper wiring diagram for this bass?

Thanking you all in advance,

Mark

Welcome!

The ASAT and L-2000 share the same circuit. This is nothing like any MM bass, nor a Fender. It is a hybrid circuit with passive volume, bass, & treble controls. A controls diagram can be found here.



This ought to get you going. Click the image for a PDF suitable for printing. The parts are best sourced through the G&L online store, particularly the bass pot which is NOT a common part.

Ken...

Ken,

Thanks so much for the speedy reply! If I understood your post (and the wiring diagram) correctly, this bass is supposed to have a single volume control, and separate treble and bass controls?

Secondly, diagram-challenged as I am, I'm not seeing how I would extrapolate this diagram to apply to the bass in my shop, which has no switches at all. It is not clear to me, at this point, how I would connect the two pickups to the three pots.

Any suggestions?

Thanks again!

Mark

guitarmakermark wrote:Thanks so much for the speedy reply! If I understood your post (and the wiring diagram) correctly, this bass is supposed to have a single volume control, and separate treble and bass controls?

Sorry I'm not quite so quick this time. You caught me on a break at the day job.

That is correct. It's a passive V-T-B system. I had a hunch that linking the controls diagram might be a good thing for you.

Secondly, diagram-challenged as I am, I'm not seeing how I would extrapolate this diagram to apply to the bass in my shop, which has no switches at all. It is not clear to me, at this point, how I would connect the two pickups to the three pots.

No switches? Are there holes for switches? There should be three. See the pic below. The switches are those little things near each of the knobs.



If you have an unmodified ASAT bass, the cavity would look similar to this:



Got pics?

Full including headstock, body front, body back.

Is it possible that you have a parts bass with an ASAT neck?

If this is a heavily modified ASAT bass, you'll probably be MUCH better off contacting a G&L dealer and ordering a whole preamp assembly. This would include the switches, pots, and caps; all pre-wired. You'd need to be able to properly connect the pickups to the series/parallel switch, as well as connect the battery clip and jack. It's not a job for the uninitiated, but if you're adept with a small soldering iron and can read through the diagram (or get some help), you should be fine.

Ken...

Ken,

Absolutely, there are no switches, nor are there any holes (plugged, patched nor otherwise) in the body.

It is entirely possible this is indeed a parts bass with an ASAT neck. My customer bought the bass second-hand, so there is no way of truly knowing.

The control cavity contents are completely unlike the photo you posted, and the output jack is not the long panel-style jack, just an ordinary jack. Nor does the control cavity appear as large as the one in the photo you posted....I doubt there ever was a preamp in this bass....no room for such.

Here are 3 photos, worth 3,000 words......do you think this is a frankenbass, or an actual G & L?

Thanks, Ken!

Mark

Mark, I really hope your customer didn't buy that bass thinking that he got a G&L.

That is either a parts bass from the ground up or a very poorly done knock-off.

The body has an ASAT shape, but is clearly not G&L. The pickups are StingRay style Alnico, not G&L MFD. The electronics are something else entirely. The bridge is bent-steel Fender style, not the G&L Saddle Lock. The body color and wood seem odd and not nearly what G&L puts out; the imported Tribute line is way batter. The neck is not a G&L neck; as evidenced by the poorly shaped and mis-located hook, the poorly done and mis-located decal, the odd trussrod adjuster hole location, and the oddball tuners and retainer.

You might peruse the G&L website. You might also peruse our Obligatory Pictures thread. Both places will show what G&Ls look like and give you a feel for the history.

Somebody here may have gotten taken.

As to wiring it like a real ASAT, I don't know you'd be able to do it. You could, in theory, duplicate the G&L circuit if the pickups have four leads. If only two leads, which is what I suspect, you might be able to adapt the G&L circuit. Or you might try wiring it using a classic Jazz V-V-T circuit, which would be simple and passive and might even work. If the customer has his heart set on an active bass, you could drop in an Aguilar or similar preamp.

Sorry, Mark. It is what it is. There's nothing G&L there.

Ken...

Ken,

I truly appreciate your candid response, and of course, the correct information.

It appears the pups are four-lead, indeed, but no matter, it would make no sense, as you said, to attempt to emulate G & L circuitry in this bass. My customer agrees, he is opting for the V-V-T circuitry.

Thanks again, you have been of great help!

Mark

Glad to help, Sir.

Please let us know how it works out. Frankenbasses have their place, and a lot of them sound pretty darned good.

Ken...

Hey, Ken,

I will indeed let you know. I"m going to include a little bonus in the new wiring on this bass.....a push-pull switch on the tone pot, with which to link the pups in series.

The customer will enjoy that, methinks!

Thanks again,

Mark

Sounds like a nice added bonus.

How will you be wiring the individual pickups, series or parallel? Most humbuckers like these do one better than the other.

Also, seeing as how we are now in other-than-G&L territory (which is certainly OK), I'm going to move this thread over to The Others forum.

Ken...