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  #1  
Old 05-14-2008, 12:55 PM
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Join Date: Oct 2005
Location: Los Angeles
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L-2000 Signature?

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I'd like to find out more about the signature versions of the L-2000 that seem to have been available in 1991-1992...and perhaps some of y'all would, too!

By "Signature," I mean those versions that have Leo's signature on the upper horn, and sometimes on the headstock as well. (And perhaps sometimes on the headstock only?) Presumably use of the signature was halted by some sort of lawsuit threat by Fender, the Company.

From prior webcrawling, it looks like these continued to be released after Leo passed away in March, 1991, and that this more-or-less coincides with the transition to the BBE era. I've also read that early on in the BBE era there were some transitions - a revised pre-amp board stamped "1.0" (which I have seen on an L2K reported to be a 1993, but not on one of these "signature" models that is purportedly from 1991), going from a satin finish to more of a gloss on the neck, and tuning posts that are burnished rather than smooth. But I don't know whether these changes occurred within the run of Signature models, or have any real meaning in differentiating BBE from Leo-era instruments, or any other significance.

Did Leo actually sign these, or was the signature a replica that could be applied after his demise?

Was there supposed to be any other special mojo about these? Do they differ from prior or later L2Ks in any way other than what I've mentioned so far, or are the production differences over time so incremental as to not really mean anything?

I also understand that you can get data by taking the neck off of the body - but I'm kind of superstitious about disturbing that joint on an axe that plays well!

I should add that I recently got one of these in very good shape and I'm fascinated by the tonal quality, which compares favorably with most L2K's I've played or seen - a very deep full voice, lots of impact in the lower register without losing definition or going muddy, a nice woody sound through the middle, and a closer balance between the series and parallel settings than I've otherwise encountered. Is it just age, dumb luck, or were these Sig. models intended to be a cut above the crowd?
  #2  
Old 05-15-2008, 06:16 AM
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Join Date: Jun 2005
Location: Skylands
Quote:
Originally Posted by Joebone View Post
Did Leo actually sign these, or was the signature a replica that could be applied after his demise?
It's just a decal. Leo didn't sign them.

Quote:
Originally Posted by Joebone View Post
Was there supposed to be any other special mojo about these? Do they differ from prior or later L2Ks in any way other than what I've mentioned so far, or are the production differences over time so incremental as to not really mean anything?
Nothing special about them other than the decal on the upper horn of the body. They had the same features (and changes) as the non-signature basses.

Quote:
Originally Posted by Joebone View Post
Is it just age, dumb luck, or were these Sig. models intended to be a cut above the crowd?
Again, nothing special about them, you just happened to get a "good" one that suits your ears and hands.

GG
  #3  
Old 05-15-2008, 01:29 PM
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Join Date: Oct 2005
Location: Los Angeles
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Interesting. I do seem to have lucked out!
 


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