Details about Fender destroying G&L

[CamJazzBass]

Fender is probably the biggest name in the world in the musical instruments sector. Doesn't surprise me that there are continually threads full of people crapping on them. That is what happens when you are on top. Damn Yankees syndrome.

 

[DrBnz]

You're stoned..... that's all stoner tales...... and business is business. G&L did stupid stuff and went bankrupt. Thats all there is to that. Nobody buys out a building just to destroy it.

 

[gln1955]

Really ? the G&L leaders did not expect it would end like that ? SWR, Genz Benz should have make them think about it: don't try to sell anything Fender already sells: G&L should knew it was coming when they started to make Jazz Bass and Precision clones. For the amps, they knew Genz Benz and SWR were better, so before releasing new Rumble and Bassman stuff, they bought and killed those 2. Ampeg has been very lucky to be bought by Yamaha.

Jackson, EVH, Presonus, Gretsch, that's totally different: not the same designs, not the same area of expertise (like Presonus with their home studio focused gears and apps).

What exactly did Fender do to kill G&L? Fender was not responsible for their poor marketing and general mismanagement of the business. There are plenty of other companies making FSO's that are doing just fine. G&L had good ideas and was making marketable products but couldn't get out of their own way. Not because of Fender.

 

[Pep]

you really going to double down on the idea that Fender has changed nothing about it's designs or tech in 70 years ?
If you're not aware of the things they have done differently over that period of time, then the real truth here is that you are not aware.

So, if you really are just not aware of the evolution of Fender designs and tech over 70 years, a simple web search will help you with that.

best of luck!

First of all, mismanagement killed G&L, not Fender. I'm not saying Fender didn't finish off the legacy or destroy history. We may never know the real truth.

@pfschim, please calm down. This is a discussion amongst fellow members and if people are wanting to vent, let them do so even if the info is somewhat inaccurate. Perhaps some of them have had bad products or dealings with Fender and this is an opportunity to release those inner frustrations.
I have those feelings towards the Gibson brand (not Mesa), and will never own another Gilson, Tobias, Epiphone, Kramer, Steinberger bass.

 

[LanciaY10]

What exactly did Fender do to kill G&L? Fender was not responsible for their poor marketing and general mismanagement of the business. There are plenty of other companies making FSO's that are doing just fine. G&L had good ideas and was making marketable products but couldn't get out of their own way. Not because of Fender.

When you buy the intellectual properties of a company, you buy ALL the company, ALL their patents, means it's game over.

 

[gln1955]

When you buy the intellectual properties of a company, you buy ALL the company, ALL their patents, means it's game over.

It was already game over at that point. They sold the IP, specifically anything related to Leo, to help pay off debtors. Just like they sold any useable machinery and parts to other companies. Personally, I don't get paying millions for Leo's NIL, but Fender thinks they know what they're doing.

 

[Pep]

I find it funny when someone won't buy a Fender because of stuff like this, but own an iPhone, buy from Amazon, Walmart or any corporate retailer, use anything that uses gasoline….but Fender is the devil! lol

What???

 

[LanciaY10]

well, to say "there is virtually no reason to buy any Fender product at this point" is not an objective observation. It's an opinion, and kind of a negative one.

To say, "They make the same 70 year old design with the same technology at 2026 prices", while not even really true, is also just an opinion, both a negative and an incorrect one .... there clearly have been changes to Fender designs and tech in 70 years ... so hyperbolically negative.

And all of this in an ill informed post that is clearly hating on Fender for something that's not even true.

Again, if YOU think there is no reason to buy a Fender product, all good, I have no dog in this hunt, but your opinion does come off as negative (hating on) Fender. There is plenty of that here on TB and I honestly don't get it.

Like something other than Fender ?, the world is your oyster, go out and play it.

Fender won't care

They've been creative in the 80's and 90's with their signature basses, Stuart Hamm ones, Victor Bailey, Marcus Miller, and the best of all the Roscoe Beck with Bill Lawrence pickups + innovative passive circuitry.

Then they ditched the Stu Hamm, The Roscoe Beck, the Vic Bailey, and finally the Marcus Miller. Bill Lawrence (RIP) could not make anymore his famous Roscoe Beck pickups for anyone, patented by Fender. When they made the Dimension basses or the Mononeon I hoped they would bring back the RB double jazz pickups a la Bill Lawrence, but... nope.

What we get instead are a gazillion of signature basses that are mainly the same: Blue DeTiger and Mononeon--> same jazz bass, MIM for both. Only the colors and the ... sock... change. And of course Adam Clayton has his, as U2 is in the FMIC board, how many signature basses from how many different brands does he have now ?

 

[BassicJazzy]

Fender is probably the biggest name in the world in the musical instruments sector. Doesn't surprise me that there are continually threads full of people crapping on them. That is what happens when you are on top. Damn Yankees syndrome.

Yeah, I tend to agree with you. They made a beautiful instrument, easy to play, solid and versatile. Issue seems to be the cost of the current line, plus of course lack of options. All I know is that of my 6 basses, which include Sire, Ibanez, and Sadowsky, the Fender Jazz Plus is still the Alpha of my pack. Just something about it. Easy to play, sounds great passive, beautiful neck and finishing. Classic good looks.

 

[mpdd]

it's attention to detail the big picture and the small stuff it's what keeps things going along

replacing my beloved 85 L2K became a major priority when they went out of business

my new to me clf L2000 has orange peel on the back of the headstock
that's stuff you just don't do, that's something that anybody can see and multiple people should check for

now when i'm at the shop at work, i get to fine tune a bass that sold for between 2000 and 2600 when new

it sounds amazing and plays great, but i'm kind of bothered by it

 

[lowfreqgeek]

Oh, the humanity!

Yawn.

G&L destroyed themselves. Fender picked up a few pieces they felt were of value to them. Big deal. They had no obligation to prop up G&L after they failed. Stupid narrative.

 

[GretschWretch]

Rabble rabble, hearsay, rabble rabble, misrepresentation of facts and reality, rabble rabble, Russian nesting dolls of PC qualifications, rabble rabble performative outrage, rabble rabble, call t tear down the system that gave you the damn electricity and electric bass and the liberty to play it loud in the first place, gave you everything you covet, rabble rabble,… and on, and on.

Are you speaking for the rabble or to the rabble?

 

[SoonerBill]

It was already game over at that point. They sold the IP, specifically anything related to Leo, to help pay off debtors. Just like they sold any useable machinery and parts to other companies. Personally, I don't get paying millions for Leo's NIL, but Fender thinks they know what they're doing.

Exactly. By the time Fender aquired the IP G&L was already finished.

 

[Plectrum72]

They say each side has its own story and the truth is somewhere in the middle. However, the middle is bad enough to not want to support the Fender corporate machine. ANY amount of disrespect to the lineage of a name and history they use for profit is unscrupulous.

There are way too many FSO's on the market with better fit and finish than the equal offering from Fender to waste money in support of an empty name with little respect for its own history.

"They" are often wrong. I've found in most cases the truth is closer to one side of the story than it is to the middle of both stories. Usually because the party who will look the worst in the light of the truth will often tell half-truths, lies of ommision, and/or bald-faced lies to manipulate the story in their favor (sometimes both parties do this if everyone is going to end up looking like poopie). It's rare both sides tell the full truth to the best of their ability. Everybody's got something to hide except me and my monkey. Perhaps I'm just jaded.

 

[Matt Liebenau]

Are you speaking for the rabble or to the rabble?

About the rabble?

 

[winegamd]

"They" are often wrong. I've found in most cases the truth is closer to one side of the story than it is to the middle of both stories. Usually because the party who will look the worst in the light of the truth will often tell half-truths, lies of ommision, and/or bald-faced lies to manipulate the story in their favor (sometimes both parties do this if everyone is going to end up looking like poopie). It's rare both sides tell the full truth to the best of their ability. Everybody's got something to hide except me and my monkey. Perhaps I'm just jaded.

In this case, it would be even less probable for me to spend any money with fender. You can buy a Lull for less than a Fender custom shop, and not much more than a production USA Fender. Having a licensed faux scroll headstock with Fender on it is just not worth it, bordering on a bad investment (unless vintage, but even then).

 

[GretschWretch]

With seventy-five years of making basses it is all too easy to buy a Fender without buying from Fender. If you are having second thoughts about buying from FMIC there are scads of options on the used market. Just give your dough to some Joe Schmo.

 

[buldog5151bass]

Citation? Some proof, other than vague third-hand anonymous statements from some "former rep"?

 

[pfschim]

First of all, mismanagement killed G&L, not Fender. I'm not saying Fender didn't finish off the legacy or destroy history. We may never know the real truth.

@pfschim, please calm down. This is a discussion amongst fellow members and if people are wanting to vent, let them do so even if the info is somewhat inaccurate. Perhaps some of them have had bad products or dealings with Fender and this is an opportunity to release those inner frustrations.
I have those feelings towards the Gibson brand (not Mesa), and will never own another Gilson, Tobias, Epiphone, Kramer, Steinberger bass.

hey @Pep, first off, I am completely calm about all of this and feel as if I have been pretty respectful and measured in my replies to all. Second, if you want to be a moderator, please apply to that role, but I do not need you to moderate my responses in these threads. I generally do not roll like this, but some of the responses in this thread, including the OP's, are not "somewhat innacurate" they are pretty much totally inaccurate, and I kind of get tired of that.

but I'm done

 

[pfschim]

I completely agree with you, but, to be fair, some models of basses and guitars are largely the same as they were decades ago. They're almost certainly better-built now, but much of the designs, tech, and components are essentially the same, like slab-bodied Telecasters with those primitive three-saddle bridges. And that's exactly what many musicians want, so it's more feature than bug.

But then you have instruments like my 2025 American Ultra II HSS Strat (GC exclusive edition), which looks and (mostly) sounds like a Strat, but is a thoroughly modern guitar with numerous design and technical differences relative to a traditional Strat. These include noiseless pickups, hot bridge humbucker, locking tuners, a compound radius fretboard, quartersawn roasted maple neck, sculpted neck heel, Luminlay side dots, modern bridge, S-1 switch, and an "Ultra Boost" active volume boost (similar to the Alembic "blaster" Jerry Garcia used).

It's an amazing instrument, and the QC is flawless--unlike my previous HSS S-type guitar, which was a . . . wait for it. . . . G&L Legacy. It was excellent, but had a couple of issues, including incorrect wiring from the factory.

I love G&L. I've owned seven of them, and I still have two, which are phenomenal, perfectly-built instruments. I was totally bummed about their demise, but Fender is not responsible for it.

yeah man, I was simply responding to a post that said that Fender had changed nothing on their design and tech for 70 years. Now, people may not care for the changes that Fender has made over that time, or they may find other builders more to their liking, and I would agree that Fender has not made huge changes to the fundamental design of Precisions and Jazz basses, but to say there have been no changes over seven decades is kind of a silly thing to say, because its easy to check and see that there have been any number of changes over that time period.

thanks!