New G&L 2500 (USA) warranty and dead spot
 

i just bought a new G&L l-2500 (U.S.A Model) from a retail store online and it came with the certificate of authenticity and warranty registration. I didn't notice that i had to register for the warranty and i never filled it out. it has been about 2 weeks since i got the bass from fedex and it says on the slip that i was supposed to return the registration within 10 days of purchase. can i still send it in?

also it came with a really bad dead spot on the 7th fret does this warranty cover this kind of problem or am i just screwed?

You might want to try these little clamp-on weights for the headstock. This shifts the neck resonance slightly downward so it may fall just between two frets, on a quartertone actually. I used to use these clamps on my L2K also because it helped tighten up the open E string.

On my fretless L2500, with its quartersawn neck, there is a weak spot on the G string 6th and 7th position, but all my other basses are problematic in this region, too. This is clearly nothing specific to G&L.
I happen to get away from dead spot issues by using drop tunings.

Option 1) Fill out the warranty card and send it, or better yet, make sure you can't do it online on the G&L website. Try doing a quickie setup on it if you're onthe crowd that can. It may eliminate the dead spot.

Option 2) Return it and order one from a price-matching brick and mortar store. Most places allow you to return it for a refund on the spot of you don't like it.

Putting a weight on the headstocks NOT AN OPTION IMO. It's a USA G&L that you paid a LOT for, and I'd return it before I resorted to a headstock weight. Yes if it was a used instrument or lower-to-mid-grade bass, but not a MIA G&L. No.

i can return this if i is send it out monday, but i got this bass brand new at 900$ including shipping. i was hoping this is something G&L would be able to fix so i can take advantage of the deal i got from this store. i cant register my warranty online, but i want to know if this warranty cover what ever it is that needs to be done to fix their product.

I hate to be negative, but dead spots do happen even on the best of basses. I'd return that bass immediately if at all possible. Getting the factory to "fix" a dead spot is iffy at best. They seem to come from a certain bad luck combination of neck and body wood. I've got an SX that has a dead spot and all the usual things were tried by me and the ONLY one that worked was playing the bass with it's headstock jammed into a wall! Well, that and switching it to a different fretless neck (original was fretted) which I did. Even that has a very slight dead spot in the same place so it's really a combo of neck and body that add up to a dead spot.

So my bottom line is that the factory won't or even can't really fix it. Changing the neck may work or it may only help. It's all about luck, and my experience is that if your luck ran out, just spin the wheel again with a totally different bass. Sorry.

I don't think a manufacturer is going to cover natural variation in the wood. If it's not up to your specification you should just send it back.

Not sure I ever owned a wooden bass without a dead spot.

Wolf notes would bother me enough to return a bass, tho.

I just rechecked with my tribute L2K that truss rod adjustment can have quite an influence on dead spot behaviour, too. Tightened up, a bit flatter than a "regular concave", and with moderate string action sustain has seemed to gain throughout and the typical dead spot on the G string seemed to spread out wider but having less severe kill.

Finally, I think most any wooden bass will need some playing time to settle down, tonally. I remember my Fender J fretless had some real trouble regions on the neck when brand new but after a substantial break-in time (say, 200 hrs or so) it started to shine and settled to its "trademark" sound all over the board. OK, fretless is different but it still fits the general picture.

My L2K is right in the middle of break-in (after 1/2 year of heavy usage) starting to become fatter and less piercing while the (almost) new L1500 has yet to go through it all.... it sounds good already, but real finesse is still somewhat lacking. Same for the L2500 fretless.

Some L2500 users installed the (non-destructive) bridge bolt-down mod to help keep it tightly secured on the body when strung through the bridge, compared to the stock (and recommended) through-the-body stringing. Over at bassesbyleo dot com you'll find info on that, additional to a search here.

Hope this helps and gives some food for thought about returning your bass.

I would simply send it back and ask for a replacement...if no replacement is available then get your cash back and start again.

1) Please tell us what retailer you bought a brand new USA L-2500 for $900 - we'd love to know.

2) You should never have to fill out a registration card for the warranty to be valid. That is what your receipt is for.

The law states you do not have to fill out said card to have a warranty.
Send it back though.
Order another if you wish.
If they keep sending it back to you adjusted you may find that it's just reduced. They may state they have done what they could so you have to keep it. I'm not saying G&L service is like that but other companies sure are. Let them take the time to solve it. They might just remove all the hardware and toss the thing. It can be an unfortunate combination of parts but not your problem.

I used to have a G&L ASAT with a nasty deadspot on the 7th fret of the G string. I now have a JB-2 that's perfect, no hint of a deadspot that I can hear.

If I was you I would return it ASAP to the retailer and try again with a new one, even if you can't get the same great deal.

There are strategies to improve deadspots, but I don't believe there's any guaranteed tried-and-true way to fix them. Better to move on, IMO.

i checked their website and their terms and conditions say that i need to notify them within seven days to return the bass and ship it within 30 days of purchase. so i might not be able to return it if i had to call them 7 days after purchase. i will see monday when they open ill give them a call.

so i gave my bass a new setup yesterday and checked the bass again today. the sustain is better but the drop is still somewhat noticeable on 7th and 8th fret. it is definitely not as bad as a wolf note though. would replacing the neck with a mose graphite neck solve the problem. considering the money i saved on the bass it would almost even out right?

also would i be able to sell this neck?

I think a grapite neck would solve the problem. They are so stiff that if they have any dead spots they are well out of range of needed notes. I would think that would be one killer bass! (Think Zon, Modulus, etc.)

As for selling the old neck, I would think that this same neck on a different body may or may not have dead spots. The only way to tell would be to actually install it. But I'd warn the new buyer of the problem and maybe have some way to return it if doesn't work out just to be fair.