While many of my G&Ls have been great, and I still have three of them, I'm with @Ricky Rioli regarding QC. I don't think they're necessarily better than MIA Fenders in this respect; however, when you get a good one, it will be better than the vast majority of Fenders. The finishes are better, they can often set up with lower action, and they are rock solid structurally. My MIA Fenders are outstanding, but the good G&Ls are a step up, and I don't think Fender makes anything that can touch my M-2500.
Here's my G&L history (all USA):
L-1500 built to order through local dealer, 2006. Unfortunately, G&L got a bat batch of truss rods, so the neck needed to be replaced under warranty. Then it arrived with the wrong neck, so another wait ensued. When I finally got it with the correct neck, it turned out to be the best-playing bass I've ever owned. The preamp also received a local radio station, which was amusing, and for awhile I slipped a segment of a rubber band under the truss rod nut so it wouldn't rattle against the headstock. Great bass eventually, but not the greatest QC.
SB-2, bought new from G&L dealer in NC, 2007. Fantastic instrument, but it's very difficult to get a wrench into the truss rod nut, and there's a small but noticeable gap between the pickguard and body near the output jack. The latter doesn't bother me at all, but it's not the best QC.
JB, built to order through local dealer, 2010, and it is absolutely perfect. I got lucky with a quartersawn neck, which later became an option with an upcharge. Just an outstanding instrument that became my favorite four-string stage bass, especially with Lace Sensor Man o' War pickups.
M-2500, bought new from G&L dealer in AZ, 2014. Perfect, and a phenomenal instrument in every way.
Comanche guitar, built to order through local dealer, 2015. Also perfect.
JB-5, bought used in 2019. This one had issues, but since I was the third owner, I don't know whether the factory was responsible for all of them. It wouldn't set up with low action, and needed a shim. Some frets were too low or too high. It didn't hold a setup very well. But the factory WAS responsible for using a case that was too short, which caused the G string tuner to bump into the end of the case, which in turn caused that tuner to rattle. I quickly bought a replacement on G&L's site.
I thought one of the previous owners had used the wrong case, but later learned (here on TB) that several JB-5s shipped in these cases. Apparently G&L expected folks to turn the tuner so the paddle wouldn't hit the end of the case---ridiculous. I think they simply used cases designed for 3+2 headstocks with other basses, and it didn't work. This was all a shame, because the bass sounded great, looked fantastic, and had a very comfortable neck. (Luckily, I found a perfectly fitting used case at GC for $35 and sold the G&L case for $50, so at least I fixed that issue.) It didn't last long.
Legacy HSS guitar, built to order through Rocket Music, 2022. Simply gorgeous guitar that plays and sounds great, but it came with improper wiring, i.e., when split the bridge pickup wasn't hum-canceling when paired with the middle pickup. I just paid my local shop to fix it.
So, that's only three out of seven (43%) that were absolutely perfect, though the SB-2 has always been functionally perfect. Even placing the SB-2 in the win column, that's not a fantastic success rate (57%).
But I would still buy another. (Especially if they made a freaking five-string P-bass already! Jeez.) They offer features I prefer, like 12" radius fretboards and lightweight empress bodies, and when you buy new through a good dealer like Rocket Music you have a measure of protection from the QC problems.
Here's my G&L history (all USA):
L-1500 built to order through local dealer, 2006. Unfortunately, G&L got a bat batch of truss rods, so the neck needed to be replaced under warranty. Then it arrived with the wrong neck, so another wait ensued. When I finally got it with the correct neck, it turned out to be the best-playing bass I've ever owned. The preamp also received a local radio station, which was amusing, and for awhile I slipped a segment of a rubber band under the truss rod nut so it wouldn't rattle against the headstock. Great bass eventually, but not the greatest QC.
SB-2, bought new from G&L dealer in NC, 2007. Fantastic instrument, but it's very difficult to get a wrench into the truss rod nut, and there's a small but noticeable gap between the pickguard and body near the output jack. The latter doesn't bother me at all, but it's not the best QC.
JB, built to order through local dealer, 2010, and it is absolutely perfect. I got lucky with a quartersawn neck, which later became an option with an upcharge. Just an outstanding instrument that became my favorite four-string stage bass, especially with Lace Sensor Man o' War pickups.
M-2500, bought new from G&L dealer in AZ, 2014. Perfect, and a phenomenal instrument in every way.
Comanche guitar, built to order through local dealer, 2015. Also perfect.
JB-5, bought used in 2019. This one had issues, but since I was the third owner, I don't know whether the factory was responsible for all of them. It wouldn't set up with low action, and needed a shim. Some frets were too low or too high. It didn't hold a setup very well. But the factory WAS responsible for using a case that was too short, which caused the G string tuner to bump into the end of the case, which in turn caused that tuner to rattle. I quickly bought a replacement on G&L's site.
I thought one of the previous owners had used the wrong case, but later learned (here on TB) that several JB-5s shipped in these cases. Apparently G&L expected folks to turn the tuner so the paddle wouldn't hit the end of the case---ridiculous. I think they simply used cases designed for 3+2 headstocks with other basses, and it didn't work. This was all a shame, because the bass sounded great, looked fantastic, and had a very comfortable neck. (Luckily, I found a perfectly fitting used case at GC for $35 and sold the G&L case for $50, so at least I fixed that issue.) It didn't last long.
Legacy HSS guitar, built to order through Rocket Music, 2022. Simply gorgeous guitar that plays and sounds great, but it came with improper wiring, i.e., when split the bridge pickup wasn't hum-canceling when paired with the middle pickup. I just paid my local shop to fix it.
So, that's only three out of seven (43%) that were absolutely perfect, though the SB-2 has always been functionally perfect. Even placing the SB-2 in the win column, that's not a fantastic success rate (57%).
But I would still buy another. (Especially if they made a freaking five-string P-bass already! Jeez.) They offer features I prefer, like 12" radius fretboards and lightweight empress bodies, and when you buy new through a good dealer like Rocket Music you have a measure of protection from the QC problems.
