Birdseye maple neck/fingerboard for Tribute L 2000

tommy gilstrap · #1 10-09-2008, 02:31 PM

I just purchased a G&L Tribute L 2000 with a rosewood fingerboard and would like to replace the neck with a birdseye/birdseye. Could one or more of you fine G&L owners steer me in the right direction? Thanks, Tommy G.

Ken Baker · #2 10-12-2008, 07:29 PM

I don't know where you could go to get bird's eye on bird's eye, but it would probably be a private luthier.

Consider this:

G&L discontinued bird's eye maple necks on basses a few years ago due to strength issues. They only offer it on guitars at this time, and with only a 90 day warranty. Click here to view their Options page. You can get bird's eye fingerboards, and they are beautiful.

The reason is that figured maple - not just bird's eye, but quilt & (to a much lesser extent) flamed as well - is not as strong as straight-grained maple. Bird's eye and quilt are by far the weakest of the three, and the more figuring in the wood the weaker it is. A bird's eye neck on a bass really needs strengthening in addition to the trussrod just to have half a chance at survival. Flamed maple is usually quite strong, and you'll many times see a lot of flame in some necks - sometimes to the point of tiger figuring.

Ken...

loendmaestro · #3 10-12-2008, 10:49 PM

I say avoid the BEM G&L necks at all costs. I had to get one on my ASAT replaced under warranty. I've been playing bass for over 20 years & have never seen a neck move, warp & twist as bad as that one. Pretty to look at, virtually unplayable. G&L did me right with a new "regular" maple neck, though it took 5 months to get it back.

One of my guitards has a G&L Comanche with a BEM neck & he's had problems as well.

There's a reason they changed policy as I suspect they were overwhelmed with warranty repair work.

tommy gilstrap · #4 10-13-2008, 11:24 AM

Thanks for the info, guys. I owned a USA G&L L 2000 Cherryburst with BEM neck and fingerboard that never had any problems but I used light strings (40/60/75/95) and had it for less than a year. It makes sense that figured woods would have less strength than straight grain, looks like my search has changed from BEM to plain maple. Thanks again, TommyG.