Are G&L fretless basses usually.... awesome?

[bpabon]

I'm wondering if this situation is expected...
(I'm a novice and have not played many basses.)
Last year I tried a cheap (as in Glarry) fretless and I liked it.
My kiloton is fretted and last month I stumbled across a fretless CLF L-1500 at a pawnshop. It's been played a lot so without much ceremony I put some fresh Fender tapewounds and plugged it in.
OMG, it kinda freaked me out because it feels like someone else is playing.
My kiloton is fine, I pluck a string and I get a nice sound.
The L-1500, I pluck a string and my teeth, chest and knees seem to find their resonant frequencies. Is this thing haunted or am I just discovering what a "pro" level bass is supposed to sound like?

BTW, it's not because due to fretless because when I play the glarry my fingers can't feel the pitch. On the CLF the string feels like a gag buzzer when my finger lands too sharp or flat.

LMK if this is normal or if I should consult an exorcist.

 

[murphy]

Great post!
That was fun to read...and makes me question how good my basses must not be?...Wow!

 

[DanAdams]

I've found that the setup is most important, then the neck shape profile in my hands and strap button locations that determine where a bass hangs on my body. none of those things are an indication of cost.
People often do not believe that it is worth the time to do a setup, or even put new strings on a cheap instrument, therefore they can get a bad rep.
I've got plenty of expensive basses and cheap basses. When equal effort is put into the setup, the differences often aren't too great.

 

[Ric Vice]

I owned a original G&L L 1000 that I didn’t connect with as a fretted bass. I purchased a OEM fretless neck directly from G&L. Once it was in place the bass really opened up the quality of the neck and ebony fingerboard was excellent and comfortable.

 

[Cleezmo]

I have a USA L-2500 fretless, and it is far better (as in, more responsive, more articulate, fuller range, more growl, more mwah, more sustain, etc.) than the prior two fretless basses I owned before it, which were MIM and MIJ jazz basses, which were good, but not nearly as good as the G&L. It's a beast, in a good way. The only negative about it is that it's 10lbs, but I never play it for full sets, so all good.

 

[ProbablyTooLoud]

Dunno, but love my g&l fretless jb.

 

[BassicJazzy]

I never played a Glarry, but to play fretless you need to be able to clearly hear the notes you are producing. A moderate or premium grade G&L fretless is going to be far easier to play in tune than a bottom-level budget fretless, because of the definition and clarity. You also should be able to get a much better set-up out of the G&L. Clarity + low set-up = Wow factor.

 

[sawzalot]

Fretless basses are a different animal. You either have good one that sings or a dead one that only makes sound. Sounds like you found a good one.

 

[bpabon]

I owned a original G&L L 1000 that I didn’t connect with as a fretted bass. I purchased a OEM fretless neck directly from G&L. Once it was in place the bass really opened up the quality of the neck and ebony fingerboard was excellent and comfortable.

... that might be what is happening. This fingerboard is ebony and the surface is really flat and even, like glass, but not as hard.
The Glarry fingerboard looks like wood, with a perceptible grain.
I suppose since G&L made instruments for people who played bass for a living they knew what they were doing.

 

[Ric Vice]

... that might be what is happening. This fingerboard is ebony and the surface is really flat and even, like glass, but not as hard.
The Glarry fingerboard looks like wood, with a perceptible grain.
I suppose since G&L made instruments for people who played bass for a living they knew what they were doing.

Hard to say, I did a lot of upgrades to that particular bass, replacing the original pickup with a Bartolini MM Replacement that they customized to work with the G&L. I've never been comfortable with the larger frets that are pretty much standard on most basses. So, before I replaced the fretted neck with the fretless, I had it re-fretted with smaller frets, that didn't make much of a difference. The Fretless neck did.

 

[Wyvern]

G&L's are super ergonomic and often very well made.

Sometimes a guitar clicks with you- be it $500 or $5000, sometimes an example happens to be extremely good.

If you can afford something that sits right with you buy it! If you own something that you can't jive with, sell it.

 

[Cappuccina]

Didn't shop around, but I ended up with this '93 L-1000-FL by chance. The color, the tone, the passive circuit—it’s perfect in every way.

 

[Music Man Dan]

View attachment 7493195Didn't shop around, but I ended up with this '93 L-1000-FL by chance. The color, the tone, the passive circuit—it’s perfect in every way.

Very nice pre-Ernie Ball Music Man Sabre bass! I have the exact same one. It’s the precursor to Leo Fender’s L2000 bass at G&L and it’s amazing how similar the two basses are.

As for the OP that started this thread, I have a G&L L2000 fretless bass that I bought new in the mid-90’s. That bass felt, and sounded, like magic the minute I started playing it. I still own it and the magic is still there. Congrats on finding yours!

 

[Jugghaid]

Yes. This one definitely is.

 

[JohnnyChatter]

So there’s a few things to consider. Most the time if you set up an okay bass you can make it feel like a much more expensive instrument. That being said comparing a G&L to a Glarry is a big gap in quality. I may be mistaken but I think the L1500 is active. Was the Glarry active?

I say if you feel the instrument that much and it talks to you, you should go and buy it. Sometimes a specific hunk of wood speaks to you. No two basses are the same in any manufacturer. I let a few real players get away and regret selling them or not buying them.

 

[bpabon]

So there’s a few things to consider. Most the time if you set up an okay bass you can make it feel like a much more expensive instrument. That being said comparing a G&L to a Glarry is a big gap in quality. I may be mistaken but I think the L1500 is active. Was the Glarry active?

Oh the gap is huge, and I don't mean to disparage the ($80, passive) Glarry. In fact, it was my gateway to fretless. I just wasn't prepared for this L-1500 (a non-famous model) to be as resonant. In terms of the active... even when it's unplugged it feels like a pipe organ. The first three harmonics sho up with a few of their friends in tow.

I say if you feel the instrument that much and it talks to you, you should go and buy it. Sometimes a specific hunk of wood speaks to you. No two basses are the same in any manufacturer. I let a few real players get away and regret selling them or not buying them.

This was a fluke, an eBay pawnshop find that was poorly described so I took a chance. Also because I wanted to order a fretless Kiloton last year a few weeks before...the end.

Thanks for all the great feedback. I honestly wasn't sure if I was imagining things or if this was just another milestone on the journey. The bottom line seems to be that some basses behave this way and it might happen to me again.

 

[RicoTheBassMan]

Yes. This one definitely is.

View attachment 7493295
View attachment 7493297

Holy crap!!!!!

 

[Lo-E]

I’m not sure I would say they’re ALL incredible but G&L instruments were really good for most of the company’s history and their fretless basses tend to be really nice.

I have an ‘85 L2000 fretless that I like a lot, although it’s pretty heavy.

 

[bpabon]

I'm wondering if this situation is expected...
(I'm a novice and have not played many basses.)

Just to clarify for folks who might scan the post too quickly. I'm not making a general observation about G&L weight, ergonomics, esthetics in general or fretless L-1500s in particular.
I just bought a used bass online, pulled it out of the case and was not prepared for the sound. Wondering if this has happened to other people, I figured I would ask the experts and have a little fun with it, to make it entertaining.
Thank you for all the great comments and even the occasional GAS-inducing images <cough> @Jugghaid </cough>

 

[ProbablyTooLoud]

Just to clarify for folks who might scan the post too quickly. I'm not making a general observation about G&L weight, ergonomics, esthetics in general or fretless L-1500s in particular.
I just bought a used bass online, pulled it out of the case and was not prepared for the sound. Wondering if this has happened to other people, I figured I would ask the experts and have a little fun with it, to make it entertaining.
Thank you for all the great comments and even the occasional GAS-inducing images <cough> @Jugghaid </cough>

I actually sold this and then bought it back from the guy I sold it to, another TBer.