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G&L Basses

SJLee

SJLee

Nov 7, 2007
9,375
27,713
#1
For those interested in G&L basses and their resale value, has anyone wondered why G&L's have never caught on in popularity and increased in price over the years? In some ways this is great because G&L's are in my opinion some of the best made, most underrated instruments on the market. Thoughts, opinions...

Thanks,
Stephen
1982 G&L L-1000
 
#2
They are great instruments and they get a lot of love around here (especially in the G&L forum). For whatever reason they just haven't attained mass popularity. As such, their resale value isn't great.

This is rather nice, however, if you are looking for a used G&L. :bassist:
 
#3
True story. I found an early 80's G&L bass in a junk shop in Milwaukee for $20.00, about 12-13 years ago. It was thrashed and the body and neck had been refinished, no G&L logo on the headstock, and they didn't know it was at one time an expensive bass. I can't remember what model it was, but it had a black crinkle painted three bolt neck plate. I repainted it and probably traded it away for next to nothing. Wish I had that one back, especially now that I play bass.
 
#4
Sadly, a lot of this falls at the feet of the G&L marketing department. For whatever reason, they have not done a good job of "telling their story". I play G&Ls and very often I hear "I have seen those, but I never knew what they were.".

Most people who actually look at and play a G&L end up liking them. They have a great sound, a quality build and nice finish. All in all, I find them one of the best values in their segment of the market.
 
#5
The points you make are even more poiniant for us in the u.k. G&L...whats that then ? I have had people in bars and clubs come up to me and remark on the fantastic bass sound ( g&l and gk) then say...so who makes them basses then? On the odd occasion there is a g&l geek about but few and far between. still every dog has its day and I believe george and leo's basses will be recognised as great instruments in the end, meanwhile I play them coz I love them...class.:)
 
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#6
You're right about the poor marketing of G&L basses. Their ads in Bass Player magazine are typically pretty bad - out of focus pictures, etc.

The sound is incredibly aggressive - my brother likened the sound to "punching someone in the head". Perhaps it isnt for everyone.
 
#8
G&...Who?...What...?
They're prolly no good.
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#10
The marketing is dreadful. For basses that are as versatile and beautiful as G&Ls are to be as poorly known is outrageous.

Plus, the complexity of switching on the L-2000 and L-2500 I think scares some off. Instead of a pickup selector switch, how about a pan pot? That sort of thing.
 
#12
sneha1965 said:
For those interested in G&L basses and their resale value, has anyone wondered why G&L's have never caught on in popularity and increased in price over the years? In some ways this is great because G&L's are in my opinion some of the best made, most underrated instruments on the market. Thoughts, opinions...

Thanks,
Stephen
Click to expand...

I have never seen one for sale in NE Ohio. I think their marketing/distribution could use some work. I guess what I'm saying is if they worked out a deal with Guitar Center or Sam Ash, they would quickly gain a bigger following, given that anyone who plays one is going to know exactly what the deal is and will subsequently buy one, or beg mom for cash to buy one. I sure would have.

It's how bass is supposed to sound. I've only ever seen ONE other bass player with one live, a JB-2, and I talked to him and he said he got it from zZounds or something.
 
#15
I think part of it is, ironically, for folks coming from a Fender mindset tone and controls-wise, when you grab an L2000 or L2500, unless you know how to get around on the electronics, it's not an intuitive plug-and-play sounding axe.
Many players will immediately try and get it to sound like a P or J, and while those sounds are in there(to some degree--in their own HUGE way), it takes some serious finessing. It's the MFDs--they are their own beast. I know lots of G&L'rs like to run their MFD basses full throttle, but I could never get that to work--it was always just big to the point of unclear. But with just a little boost here and there, it can be an awesome, solid sound . . .
 
#17
I'll second that- the tri-tone eq is not really intuitive, and the MFD's are so powerful they can overwhelm.
But once you get dialed in to what a G&L can do, it's pretty spectacular. They lay right in the mix; Leo outdid himself with these basses.
Their build is extraordinary, every detail is first-class-electronics, wood, components, finish- As good as anything; better than most!
As far as the low key under-the-radar marketing and promotion, I personally dig it. G&L/BBE keeps it small and hand-built, not massively produced, and the line (to a lot of G&L fans chagrin) has remained pretty static. That's OK with me, I like it that way. Keeps quality standards high.

To the OP's original question---
All that probably keeps resale low, not a lot of "sizzle" with these basses, just a rock-solid player's bass built to the highest standards!! That's a good thing, especially if you're looking to buy used- I've seen some very low prices listed.

OR---you can always order new from the Factory, and put
together some finishes and options to your liking, such as I did with my ASAT. One of my favorite instruments, always a pelasure for me to play.
 
#19
TOP TEN REASONS G&Ls AREN'T MORE POPULAR

(donning flame-retardant suit)

  1. Lack of a Unique, Original Design – a Rick is instantly recognizable from across the room, as is a P, a Jazz, a Stingray, a Steinberger, a Thunderbird, a Wal, a Status, a Hofner, a Burns, a Mosrite, a Danelectro, a Spector, a Corvette, etc, etc. When I see a G&L from a distance, my first thought is "what is that... a Carvin..? A G&L..? A Washburn..? A Dean? A Stingray without a pickguard? A... ???" G&L's most instantly-recognizable, distinctive body style is the ASAT... a TELECASTER GUITAR COPY! All of the other G&Ls lack a unique style – they're just kinda... there. To my eye, they're just, well... generic. And dare I say it..? Carvin-y. :hiding:
  2. Brand Recognition – I think it would have been of great help to G&L if they had chosen one headstock shape, and stuck with it. Brand recognition matters (and I'm sorry, but that pointy little doohickey on the headstock is so blatantly the quickest, laziest, least-inspired way to get around copyright infringement – MusicMan did the Fender headstock copyright-dodge better.... Lakland did it better... Sadowsky did it better... cripes, RONDO/SX did it better!).

  3. Weight – All the G&Ls I played (many years ago) were absolute boat anchors – maybe they've changed (?), but bad impressions (and back pains) last a long time.

  4. Too Complex – Most basses (at least the ones that sell in the zillions of units) have Volume/Tone or Volume/Volume/Tone. Even the classic active Stingray established itself with only three knobs. Start putting mini-toggle switches on a bass, and people get confused and intimidated – it's sad, but true – even a cursory glance at the forum reveals this. Give 'em a Jaguar, they start clamoring for schematics! :rolleyes: Want to scare your average bassist? Show him a mini-toggle switch!

  5. No "trademark" Sound – Read any of the threads here, people want "P-Bass thump", "J honk", "Rick clang", "Warwick growl". When was the last time you heard someone ask for a "G&L sound"? IS there even a "G&L sound"? Which leads us to...

  6. Too Versatile – What people don't seem to want is true versatility. Don't believe me? Do a forum search for Wal basses, like I did last night – all you'll read are a bunch of complaints from people who couldn't instantly "dial in their tone". :rolleyes: From what I've witnessed, 99% of bassists don't want to have to experiment to get a sound that suits them (aka: P, J, 'Ray).

  7. Unorthodox Colors – If G&L offered more traditional colors (Candy Apple Red, Lake Placid Blue), I have no doubt they'd sell more instruments. People like tradition.

  8. Lack of B&M Vendors – I like to try a bass out before I buy it. There aren't enough G&Ls in STORES.

  9. Lack of Celebrity "star" Players – no Jaco, no Entwistle, no Geddy. Granted, this is a really STUPID reason, but no one can deny it's veracity – no McCartney = no Hofner. People buy what their idols play. If Flea/Claypool/Fieldy started using G&Ls exclusively, G&Ls would start flying off the shelves.

  10. Carrots.
Anyway, these are my honest thoughts – no offense intended to the faithful. And I'm no hater, either – I'd really like to try an L-2500 (the headstock doohickey looks much better on a 3+2, IMO).

I'd probably have bought one, had I been able to actually try one first.
 
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