G&L Club Part 5 - Page 33

sunbeast · #**641** 12-10-2012, 09:55 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by BadJazz

I am struggling mightily against canceling my order and re-ordering with the better code.

Maybe they will just refund it if you say something? I wish this deal was going on when I was looking for a Jazz again!

BadJazz · #**642** 12-11-2012, 05:14 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by sunbeast

Maybe they will just refund it if you say something? I wish this deal was going on when I was looking for a Jazz again!

I just got an email back from Colleen at Hello Music and they have refunded the difference, so I'm getting it shipped for $279.

Also, my roommate just bought the last one.

neontuna · #**643** 12-11-2012, 06:27 PM

How can I identify if the pups are the old US made pups or the new Gagon pups. Are the Gagon pups any good? Are they made in the US? Can I tell by the serial number? I don't have the bass yet & there are no stores near me that carries G&L. Thank you
Edit/Delete Message

Ancient Mariner · #**644** 12-13-2012, 08:54 AM

Long ago, after a particularly bad incident, I promised myself never to own any active bass which didn't have a passive option. This M2500 may be changing my mind (must resist .. must resist)...

metron · #**645** 12-13-2012, 09:29 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by funkmaster j

Bought in 1982, stolen in 1995. got it back last year. Bought it back from a guy on EBAY. Police wouldnt help out,statue of limitation laws. Dont care,its BACK !

No way congrats!! I would say its a keeper now. How did you know it was the same bass, serial# or visually?

**Chef** · #**646** 12-13-2012, 09:33 AM

Hey, congrats!

Quote:

Originally Posted by funkmaster j

Bought in 1982, stolen in 1995. got it back last year. Bought it back from a guy on EBAY. Police wouldnt help out,statue of limitation laws. Dont care,its BACK !

sratas · #**647** 12-13-2012, 09:49 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by neontuna

How can I identify if the pups are the old US made pups or the new Gagon pups. Are the Gagon pups any good? Are they made in the US? Can I tell by the serial number? I don't have the bass yet & there are no stores near me that carries G&L. Thank you
Edit/Delete Message

hi neon, maybe I will be one of the few that will answer you, not because I'm an expert but I have the feeling that the JBs are a little under-considered amongst G&L users. As you can see from my signature and my posts (see back in the thread pages) I own a G&L JB equipped with the Paul Gagon spec'd PUs. I have to admit that I have no clue how the standard jazz singlecoils do sound.
My jazz sounds very good but I have also a doubt that those Gagon pups are not so special as I was expecting. Better...if you desire a jazzbass tone full of warmth and mid-mids with just the right amount of low-lows and bite, they are surely right and, most of all, they seem to restitute the acoustic tone of the bass like in no other bass I have tried before, and this is quite surprising for me (usually solid body instrument are quite different sounding when amplified, compared with the tone you hear when playing unplugged). I'm planning to try the Nordstrand NJ4s, that i already had on a Mexican Fender and digged but found too modern. If i remember correctly the Nordies are much more wide sounding (more deep lows and grindy highs). I'm curious if the mellow acoustic tone of my bass, coming for sure from the exquisite wood choice (very light swamp ash and rosewood), could compliment nicely with the modern-ish tone of the Nordies...

neontuna · #**648** 12-13-2012, 11:22 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by sratas

hi neon, maybe I will be one of the few that will answer you, not because I'm an expert but I have the feeling that the JBs are a little under-considered amongst G&L users. As you can see from my signature and my posts (see back in the thread pages) I own a G&L JB equipped with the Paul Gagon spec'd PUs. I have to admit that I have no clue how the standard jazz singlecoils do sound.
My jazz sounds very good but I have also a doubt that those Gagon pups are not so special as I was expecting. Better...if you desire a jazzbass tone full of warmth and mid-mids with just the right amount of low-lows and bite, they are surely right and, most of all, they seem to restitute the acoustic tone of the bass like in no other bass I have tried before, and this is quite surprising for me (usually solid body instrument are quite different sounding when amplified, compared with the tone you hear when playing unplugged). I'm planning to try the Nordstrand NJ4s, that i already had on a Mexican Fender and digged but found too modern. If i remember correctly the Nordies are much more wide sounding (more deep lows and grindy highs). I'm curious if the mellow acoustic tone of my bass, coming for sure from the exquisite wood choice (very light swamp ash and rosewood), could compliment nicely with the modern-ish tone of the Nordies...

When I was looking at the Trib JB2 3 years ago ALL of the reviews & product descriptions at online retailers said US pups & parts sent to Indonesia for assembly. I posted in bassesbyleo.com but I'm getting the wrong information. They said that the Trib JB2 always had Gagon pups made by Cort overseas. There are a couple of moderators there that work for G&L on that site. I asked if one of the G&L people could clarify this issue but they won't. I've also noticed that the new Trib JB2's with the Gagon pups are now selling for around $449. The old ones with the US pups were always around $599. I have a bad feeling about my new Trib JB2, that it may be more cheaply made. I'm going to look it over when it comes today but I'm probably going to return it & buy an older used one with the US pups & parts.

This is the current description from zzounds.com. This is how they all used to be described.

The G&L Tribute Series JB2 4 String Bass is one of the original designs for which Leo Fender - G&L's founder, the inventor of the modern electric bass, is world renowned. This fine Double Cutaway instrument features a hard rock maple neck with vintage style Open Back Tuning Machines and a maple or rosewood fingerboard mounted to a Solid Ash body with a vintage finish. It comes equipped with 2 USA Made, G&L vintage single coil jazz type pickups controlled by separate Volume controls for each pickup and a single Tone control. Hardware includes a Patented G&L Saddle Lock Bridge with individually adjustable string height and intonation plus Set Screws to lock your intonation in for perfect pitch and maximum sustain. zZounds is an authorized dealer of G&L products.

danecho283 · #**649** 12-14-2012, 10:35 PM

Hey all, I want to join the club with my SB-1. The plate dates to 1984 but I have a few questions for you all. I went through every page of this thread but have not seen another one like it. I have had the bass over 15 years. This SB-1 has sunburst, black speckle hardware, smooth black pick guard and a rosewood fretboard, sickle type headstock. So, could this combo of parts be all original? Thanks for the info, let me know.

danecho283 · #**650** 12-14-2012, 10:38 PM

Is this appropriate for my 1984, thanks for any info.

danecho283 · #**651** 12-14-2012, 10:41 PM

When I bought it way back it had the bartolini pickups, I've never had the original ones but this thing has already sounded great.

sunbeast · #**652** 12-14-2012, 10:53 PM

I don't believe the sickle headstock was used that early, though it is very common for the serial numbers on earlier G&Ls to not follow the expected date pattern so it could still be original just with a funky serial (and likely from the mid to late 80s). It could also be a replacement neck on an earlier bass, though GG Jaguar whose opinion I trust claims the SB-1 bass with the common split-coil style P pickup like this one didn't begin production until 1985: http://www.ggjaguar.com/sb-1-85.htm . Previous to 1985, the SB-1 had a single coil pickup in the P position and a slab body (IIRC).

supakneegrow · #**653** 12-15-2012, 03:01 PM

I play a G&L SB-2 that I bought new in 1994. I love it. It's a bronco in terms of the power coming off the pickups. I've used it for such a wide variety of styles and sometimes I find I need to ride the knobs carefully. I understand a lot of people mod the pots to add a tone control, which could be interesting. Anyone have thoughts on that?

I broke the pick guard recently. The red one in these pics isn't the original (which was black). I have a new one I ordered from pickguards.us coming soon, will post when it arrives.

I put these "stove knob" looking knobs caps on in 2000, i thought they were cool looking.

Here's the head, cig burns from my crazier days lol. Part of its character.

I guess the things I've changed on it have made it less tradable/valuable, but I'd never think of letting it go anyway.

PluckyThump · #**654** 12-15-2012, 03:56 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by danecho283

Is this appropriate for my 1984, thanks for any info.

That looks like a '90s neck to me. The SB series basses had smooth headstocks up until the BBE era. If you take the neck off it will probably have a date stamp on it, as will the body.

**Chef** · #**655** 12-15-2012, 07:03 PM

Yes, 1984 was the change to pointy headstocks, except on the SB1/SB2 single coils.

Quote:

Originally Posted by danecho283

Is this appropriate for my 1984, thanks for any info.

mystic38 · #**656** 12-16-2012, 09:27 AM

Hi,

I have been lurking here for a while trying to figure out the G&L range.. I did not see any comparative reviews online and so have been wondering about the differences between the SB-2 and the JB-2?.. do they have the same neck? (1.5", 12" radius "medium C") are the tonal differences all about the neck pup?..

sorry for the naivity..

thx

sunbeast · #**657** 12-16-2012, 01:12 PM

The G&L website is of course a great and simple to find resource for specs...Yes they have the same stock neck specs (though you can custom order US basses with different necks). The bridge pickup of the SB-2 is not like a traditional J pickup, and is fairly thin sounding on its own- many past or current SB-2 owners including myself view the bridge pickup as more of a tone control for the P pickup, and would never favor the bridge pickup on its own (though some people do). The SB-2 also has no tone control in its stock format, only two volume controls, so you will find different tonal balances completely by using the volume controls (turning them down will tame the sound, adjusting the balance between them will scoop or favor the mids to different degrees). The JB-2 on the other hand is a pretty straight forward modern-ish J-bass. Not sure how the pickups they use on those sound these days, but in the past they were often explained as "extremely bright and aggressive" by some owners IIRC (I've never owned one, and only played one in passing). If I were personally looking at a US made G&L Jazz, I'd be looking at the JB (more traditional both in looks and tone).

sratas · #**658** 12-17-2012, 11:56 PM

I'll give you something to think about. yesterday I swapped the Pus in my G&L JB special edition 2012 JB with aftermarket units (Nordstrand NJ4), the curiosity was growing inside me and I could not resist.
The result, at first glance, is really something.
I want to tell you a thing...my G&L is a top of the line american product, and I payed a fat bill for it. The stock Paul Gagon spec'd PUs, wich sounded "particular" to my ear (not in a bad sense, they sound very detailed in the mids...) have a sticker attached to their lower face that says: "MADE IN JAPAN", I repeat this:

"MADE IN JAPAN"

....I must confess that it has been a delusion. I payed for a top notch american bass, and the so praised (by G&L) Pus are Japan-made...

is this a bad thing?, not necessarily quality-wise, but I was expecting two units assembled in the american factory, where they say Leo Fender this, Leo Fender that etc. The name of the american legend comes everywhere in the bass and the certificates, but they produce their top quality singlecoils abroad...

My bass has come home with some clear defects (see some posts above for a full review), and the quality of the craftsmanship is lower than I was expecting, but I never expected the Pus were not made in the american factory....
Shame to G&L, next time, for a little more dough, it will be a genuine Fender CS...
If only my bass came with a return policy...but it didn't. Shame to me, and my instinct...lesson learned

unclejane · #**659** 12-18-2012, 06:46 AM

I'd bet that Fender would have as many, if not more, foreign-made parts in it also. So I doubt you'd gain a whole lot in that respect.

As for defects, the MIA G&L's are hand-made in a lot more of their processes, such as the neck shape. Or they were back when I bought my late 90's L2K, anyway. Mine had a bit of a ski-jump in the fingerboard which I didn't really try to fix until a couple of years ago. My fix wasn't that great so now I have a "signature" fretless L2K of my very own....

I did, tho, have a very recent L2500 FL for a few months until it got stolen - I think it was built a bit better than my L2K, and the fingerboard was just fine on it.

If I didn't already have more basses than I needed, I'd be very intrigued by the M2000. An unlined version with a #8 neck would definitely be on my shopping list.

LS

sratas · #**660** 12-18-2012, 07:07 AM

to Uncle: "I think that hand-made for a lot of"...it's a bit vague.
The G&l is surely a sort of small factory, almost "boutique" maybe? I don't know, but I had more expectations in term of quality, hand-made or not.
For the sake of: I don't think that hand-made always means "better-made".
But, my G&L has a poorly cut nut, that at G&l should be carried by the PLEK machine, so, what to think? Are they using a bad-setted PLEK machine? sincerely, I don't know the answer.

Uncle...you say that Fender has maybe even more parts made abroad...maybe the lower line. I sincerely doubt that their custom shop instruments follow this rule. like their G&L counterparts, they share a common expectation for excellence. I paid 1750 Euros for my G&L JB (2305 US dollars), I was expecting much more quality and attention to detail for such a dough!