G&L Basses - Why no love?

[guy n. cognito]

Pretty much sums up my experience (I'd add noisy electronics as well -even after shielding all cavities-). Had an L1505 for a year while also owning my first Stingray5 and they're leagues apart. Same thing with a friend's L2500 I've thoroughly tested in several occasions (nowadays he plays a Stingray5 too). OTOH another friend has an ASAT guitar and it's the first thing I look around the house for when visiting him, plays and sounds amazing.

EDIT: according to G&L's website the JB5 model might have a neck closer to that of a Stingray5, might be a good starting point for future G&L creations aimed at us thin neck lovers.

I always struggled with the 1505. The neck was fantastic and the build quality was great, but the electronics were too brittle for my taste. I finally let mine go after years of trying to convince myself I loved the tone.

The JB5s are amazing. Mine have become my first call basses.

 

[Pbassmanca]

The L2K has become my favorite bass, my bandmates too. Extremely versatile with all the tones I can achieve from the electronics.
My Mesa Boogie Buster amp just loves the signal from the L2K, it's a lovely match.

#MesaBoogie!

 

[lug]

I worry about their kwality kontrol....look how they strung mine up!

 

[dave64o]

Looks like one of my old instructor's basses!

(he's a lefty who plays with the strings strung righty)

 

[GwenOnBass]

One view of the G&L headstock design I heard is: following Fender's complaints of the headstock appearing too close to the Fender design Leo added a "middle finger" that is the middle of the lower side. True or not, I do find it sufficiently amusing.

As for me, I like the G&Ls very much. I wouldn't kick one off stage for [your favorite metaphor]....

 

[68Goldfish]

I haven't read this whole thread but I LOVE my G&L basses! In fact I think I'll be posting a NBD thread in just a bit since I just got a new one!

 

[joebar]

I just took my M 2000 out to a rehearsal last night with a new band. I've owned it for seven months but this was my first opportunity to open it up. What an excellent bass- great preamp; very powerful and organic sounding. Basically a P bass with tone shaping. Smoother than a stingray as well.

 

[spiritbass]

I loved my Dark Starred Tribute JB-2 for a few years until I sold it (I love Dingwalls even more!)...

 

[joebar]

In Canada where i live, no one stocks US G&L basses. You can't play one and they rarely come up used. Who is going to custom order a guitar for 2-3K without ever playing one? Therein lies the problem. It seems to be a marketing problem.

 

[Bulltrout]

We have two shops in Edmonton that stock them.

 

[TomB]

This may already have been said, but distribution for G&L always seems scattershot to me. I'm pretty much in a bass shopper's nirvana here--we have Bass Club Chicago, Chicago Music Exchange has a great bass department, and Rock'n'Roll Vintage is a pretty cool store, too. All are within 30 minutes' drive for me. But none of them are G&L dealers. ...

I think that's more of a comment on the state of retail guitar sales in general than on G&L distribution. I bought my first L-1000 in spring of 1981 at a guitar store on Harlem Avenue near Diversey somewhere. ...long gone, as are so many others. As has been noted, their production is pretty small, though the Tribute line has expanded the reach. G&L's are easy to find on TB, and on the internet in general, but not so much at retail - anywhere.

 

[alaskaleftybass]

I think that's more of a comment on the state of retail guitar sales in general than on G&L distribution. I bought my first L-1000 in spring of 1981 at a guitar store on Harlem Avenue near Diversey somewhere. ...long gone, as are so many others. As has been noted, their production is pretty small, though the Tribute line has expanded the reach. G&L's are easy to find on TB, and on the internet in general, but not so much at retail - anywhere.

A couple stores recently announced massive closures of many of their brick and mortar stores. I remember in the late 70's through the 80's in Seattle when I lived there you could walk into a dozen small guitar bass amp shops. I could walk into Seattle Music and try out an Alembic bass then go down the street and try out a dozen different MusicMan basses at Guitar Center or Fremont Music. Now the small shops are gone-- Northwest Bass was a bass exclusive store. Now gone.

More and more everyone wants to browse online buy online and have FedEx drop it on their porch so they can pick it up in their slippers. There's no substitute for sitting in a store and playing a bass very personally and feeling it in your hands, hearing how it reacts to your fingers through a real amp.

Now back to your regular broadcasting....

 

[alaskaleftybass]

I worry about their kwality kontrol....look how they strung mine up!

Nice lefty bass!

 

[Fender_Bender]

In Canada where i live, no one stocks US G&L basses. You can't play one and they rarely come up used. Who is going to custom order a guitar for 2-3K without ever playing one? Therein lies the problem. It seems to be a marketing problem.

Me too. I've lived in the GTA or southwestern Ontario for 50+ of my years and G&L's are rare as hens teeth.

 

[bassbenj]

I think that's more of a comment on the state of retail guitar sales in general than on G&L distribution. I bought my first L-1000 in spring of 1981 at a guitar store on Harlem Avenue near Diversey somewhere. ...long gone, as are so many others. As has been noted, their production is pretty small, though the Tribute line has expanded the reach. G&L's are easy to find on TB, and on the internet in general, but not so much at retail - anywhere.

I think so. I bought my Tribute at the local mom and pop Guitar store when Tributes first came out...not so long ago! (I also bought my Alembic there although it was special ordered from the factory and different form ones in the store) Today that store is still there but last time I was in there they have gone from having things like Alembic and G&L sitting around retail with four or five used G&Ls on the wall to where walls are nearly bare with just entry level stuff hanging there. My Fretted USA G&L came from TB Classifieds and my (used) Fretless USA came from GC of all places. Things Ain't like they used to be.

 

[TKing16]

Fantastic collection!

Thanks! I am actually trying to get rid of a few of them to fund a Sadowsky.

 

[prowla]

Thanks! I am actually trying to get rid of a few of them to fund a Sadowsky.

Are people who own Sadowskys called Saddos?

 

[Showdown]

I've never understood why they get no love either. I bought my first one, an L1000, in 1982. I always had to explain to people that they were made by Leo Fender. Most hadn't heard of them at all. It got a little better after the internet came around, but not much. I regretfully sold that L1000 in '96, but later bought an '86 L2000 and a Japanese SB-2 that is killer.

Maybe someday they will get their due.

 

[Showdown]

I don't like the headstock or the giant pole pieces. I would much rather have a good P Bass.

I'm a P guy, have an MIA Fender, a Lakland, a Squier - plus a G&L SB-2. I can tell you that G&L makes great Ps. I'm auditioning for a band tonight and taking the SB-2, not the MIA Fender.

 

[Pbassmanca]

Me too. I've lived in the GTA or southwestern Ontario for 50+ of my years and G&L's are rare as hens teeth.

So true. My local Long and Mcquade (Oshawa) has a nice 4 string tribute natural Ash for $499 used right now, that sounds killer, but if a G&L comes through that store once a year, I am surprised.