Fender P vs G&L LB-100 vs EBMM Cutlass

[king_biscuit]

Cutlass. Hands down. I’ve had a lot of P basses, and none of them were as good as the Cutlass. It’s just an incredibly well-made instrument. They really nailed down the details on that thing, and it shows (and feels like) it. I unfortunately do not own one yet, but I’m stupid Cole to pulling the trigger. I’m trying to wait and see if they’ll come out with a 5 string version.

I will disclose though, that I played one in a GC here in Spokane where the nut was cut really high. It was annoying, and something I didn’t expect out of EBMM.

What did you find specifically that made the Cutlass better than say a really good Fender P?

 

[CapnSev]

What did you find specifically that made the Cutlass better than say a really good Fender P?

The little things mostly. It balances better than a P, the neck joint, the neck is to die for: both in finish and profile. I love the smaller frets they put on them, and the fretwork is great. The body contours are different than a P as well, they’re better thought out in where they are placed IMO. Even the little notch for your thumb on the pickup is great.

I like the sound more than your typical P as well; though I realize that is personal. It’s still a P bass in sound, but it is really even sounding. I like that. It doesn’t have those loud and soft areas that Ps tend to kind of randomly have. It loses some of that “hollow” midrange bark that a P has too. Then again, those are things that make a P a lot of what it is.

The sound differences aren’t drastic, but they’re there. The feel difference is much more noticeable, in a good way.

 

[king_biscuit]

It loses some of that “hollow” midrange bark that a P has too. Then again, those are things that make a P a lot of what it is.

That's been my experience with a lot of P copies too and it's why I typically prefer a Fender Precision over some of the copies. To quote a famous movie, I guess we really are all individuals

 

[citizenchris099]

No. But only because I'm a passive-bass only kinda player. I prefer my preamp to be outside my bass. ;-)

I felt the same way until I got my SB-2
The hunbuckers on that thing are hotter than some active basses I've played. I figure at this point why not try an active bass? Also those new Stingrays specials are so beautiful

 

[Haroldo]

I've owned a '66 P and a '98 L2500; I currently own a '17 Caprice and a '02 (I think) Skyline Glaub. Admittedly, these are not precisely (heh heh) the basses you are interested in. That being said.......

They all were/are very fine basses.

The '66 P is by definition the most P-esque. I don't know how the AVRIs stack up to the good ol' days (and in this instance, those days were very good, indeed).

The Glaub is a time machine in terms of feel. It has, as mentioned, a great old Fender-like neck. I found the stock Fralin to be too bassy, I have since replaced it with a Geezer and am much happier.

The Caprice is in terms of fit and finish the best of the lot (as is the neck - tho' the '66 P I remember as being heavenly and the Glaub likewise). And I like very much how it sounds.

The G & L is probably just too far away from P-Land to be of any use in this comparison, but it's here just for me to add to the G&L-is-good-stuff chorus.

I'd go with the Caprice, but I think that's a result of my shifting tastes over the years. A USA Lakland might be another avenue if you'd like something other than the Fender.

 

[UVCatastrophe]

I love my Cutlass, but it has a super bright tone. Maybe it's the maple board, but it's more likely the electronics. So, I suppose it depends on your tone preference.

I don't think you can lose with any of these basses.

 

[CapnSev]

I love my Cutlass, but it has a super bright tone. Maybe it's the maple board, but it's more likely the electronics. So, I suppose it depends on your tone preference.

I think the top end on the Cutlass is brighter, but not by a huge margin. I think it’s crisper and smoother than a typical P, but I think it’s smoother across the entire spectrum from bottom to top. One of the things I like a lot on the Cutlass is the useability of the tone control. It has a ton of range available o darken up the tone slowly, and never gets that “underwater” effect that tone controls can have sometimes.