G&L Club Part 7

[Lucky Chuck]

Hey Chuck - I have a 2019 Fullerton JB. It is a "Medium C" neck per the build sheet. 9.5" radius. The "Modern C" necks are slimmer (7.5"?)

Hey, Colorado! Thanx, but I'm not talking about the radius. I meant how thick it is -- like, putting calipers with one jaw where your thumb goes and the other on the fretboard. I've gotten this sense that the JB is a little on the thick side -- maybe not as thick as those U shaped Jazz necks from (the 70's maybe?), but not slim. Didn't realize the JB was a 9.5 radius though either. That's maybe something else to keep in mind...

 

[Lucky Chuck]

Sorry, but I don't know the answer to that. I don't have any G&L JB basses and have never played one. The SB-2 I have is not as think as my Fender Jazz, if that helps.

Your SB2 is thinner than your Jazz. Hm-m-m-m-m, vay we inter westing...

Danke schein...

 

[Gravedigger Dav]

Hey Chuck - I have a 2019 Fullerton JB. It is a "Medium C" neck per the build sheet. 9.5" radius. The "Modern C" necks are slimmer (7.5"?)

I'm wondering if there is some confusion here. The radius of a neck has nothing to do with the thickness of the neck nor the width of the neck. It is only a measurement of the curve of the fretboard. The larger the number, the flatter the neck. The way it is measured is you put the fretboard in a circle and when the fretboard completely touches the circle, it is the measurement of that circle.
What is interesting is I have a 2012 Fender Precision Select that has a "compound" radius, It starts at 9.5" at the nut and when it reaches the end of the fretboard it is at 20". That is a great feature when you're playing high up on the neck.

 

[MrB64]

I'm wondering if there is some confusion here. The radius of a neck has nothing to do with the thickness of the neck nor the width of the neck. It is only a measurement of the curve of the fretboard. The larger the number, the flatter the neck. The way it is measured is you put the fretboard in a circle and when the fretboard completely touches the circle, it is the measurement of that circle.
What is interesting is I have a 2012 Fender Precision Select that has a "compound" radius, It starts at 9.5" at the nut and when it reaches the end of the fretboard it is at 20". That is a great feature when you're playing high up on the neck.

Thank you for that explanation.

 

[RL5]

I'm wondering if there is some confusion here. The radius of a neck has nothing to do with the thickness of the neck nor the width of the neck. It is only a measurement of the curve of the fretboard. The larger the number, the flatter the neck. The way it is measured is you put the fretboard in a circle and when the fretboard completely touches the circle, it is the measurement of that circle.
What is interesting is I have a 2012 Fender Precision Select that has a "compound" radius, It starts at 9.5" at the nut and when it reaches the end of the fretboard it is at 20". That is a great feature when you're playing high up on the neck.

Thank you for that explanation.

Yes, thank you for that explanation.

 

[bdgotoh]

A handful were made through @RocketMusic a number of years back, dubbed the "L-1005".
They pop up occasionally.
I believe @bdgotoh had a clear red one that's made it's rounds.

Yes, I actually had three of them, wonderful basses.

 

[Ricky Rioli]

I actually had three of them

Do you ever feel like you're G&L's Librarian?

 

[Glazenn]

A few more from the @RocketMusic batch (2014):

Audrey C.

Marc A.

Brian H.

 

[MrB64]

Do you ever feel like you're G&L's Librarian?

Or museum curator...

 

[Ricky Rioli]

Speaking of Rocket Music, this SB-2T has just appeared for sale — fairly light Swamp Ash, Ebony, quartersawn neck, 1⅝" nut

....which is making me even more itchy for my SB-1! Patience, Ricky my boy.....

I recently saw someone combining Himalayan Blue with tort, and it made me realise that that shade of blue is more delicate than it often seems in photos.

 

[dave64o]

A few more from the @RocketMusic batch (2014):

Audrey C.
View attachment 4715623

Marc A.
View attachment 4715624
View attachment 4715625

Brian H.
View attachment 4715626

View attachment 4715627

Yowza!

Love the quilted top and the cherry burst.

 

[BigBigGuy44]

I recently saw someone combining Himalayan Blue with tort, and it made me realise that that shade of blue is more delicate than it often seems in photos.

It's a tough color to photograph. In some pictures it looks muted like Fender's Daphne Blue but its actually pretty birght in person.

Here's a Himalayan Blue L-2000 by buddy had and the same color JB5 I had. I took the JB5 photo in a sunny room inside the case to best reflect the actual color. It took a while to get it right.

Link Removed

 

[Baker69]

I just found a wiring diagram, it looks like the black wire is from the bridge pickup and it does go to the position where I thought it went.

I soldered the black wire from the bridge pickup back on to the Series/Parallel switch and all is good! Everything works now as it should do and I've just spent about half an hour going through all the tone options, very impressive. I was looking forward to it being an active bass however I do like the sound you get in Passive mode.

I've dropped the string height down a bit to suit my liking, also I checked the intonation but it was bang on.

Hopefully tomorrow I'll give it a full work through and photo shoot!

 

[Baker69]

HAVE I BEEN MIS-SOLD MY G&L L2000 TRIBUTE BASS???!!!

Since I received my supposedly brand new L2000 Tribute yesterday I have kept looking the bass over, I think I posted earlier that I felt the bass may have been on display a long time in the dealer's store as the strings were a bit dull, however so far I have identified the following items of concern;

1. The chrome on the bridge is very slightly pitted in a couple of places (could be a manufacturing fault).

2. The saddles are dirty and the chrome is slightly discoloured?

3. The frets are dull and a few are slightly discoloured. As these are nickel shouldn't these be bright and shiny? There is no evidence of any fret wear however, but it may not have had much use?

4. The control panel on the rear of the bass still has the thin plastic film on but it is heavily marked and scored.

5. The strings are dull and not shiny and bright sounding like you get with a brand new bass.

6. This is a natural finish model, overall it looks great but below the pickups where you would play finger style there are some fine scratch marks visible if viewed at a certain angle. It could have been played a bit in the store I suppose but they don't usually mark that easy?

The back of the neck and headstock look new and if it is used it has not been played very much at all, the fingerboard looks un-marked but a bit dull looking, again it may have had very little use?

AND NOW FOR THE BIGGEST ISSUE!

7. I have just checked the Serial Number on the G & L Site, and if I have understood correctly Indonesian-made Tributes Serial Numbers start with MMYY. The Serial number on this "new" bass is 1010xxxxxx. According to this it was made in October 2010?

I have emailed the store and asked them to call me tomorrow for their comments, I have held back in asking for a refund yet as I want to hear what they say about the above items first.

Can anyone confirm that as I am correct with the Serial Number dating?

 

[lowfreqgeek]

Can anyone confirm that as I am correct with the Serial Number dating?

I can't confirm the SN dating, but I can tell you that my Indonesian Tribute Legacy (strat) has an SN starting 1304xxxxx, which would be just about right considering when I purchased it new in 2013. Anecdotal evidence, at best.

 

[Baker69]

I can't confirm the SN dating, but I can tell you that my Indonesian Tribute Legacy (strat) has an SN starting 1304xxxxx, which would be just about right considering when I purchased it new in 2013. Anecdotal evidence, at best.

Yes, that's how I understand it, the first 2 digits are the year and the next 2 digits are the month.

 

[jglunt]

HAVE I BEEN MIS-SOLD MY G&L L2000 TRIBUTE

I have just checked the Serial Number on the G & L Site, and if I have understood correctly Indonesian-made Tributes Serial Numbers start with MMYY. The Serial number on this "new" bass is 1010xxxxxx. According to this it was made in October 2010?

Can anyone confirm that as I am correct with the Serial Number dating?

Actually, the Tribute serial numbers are YYMMnnnn. (How many extra numbers depend on where it was made.) Of course, in your case, that makes no difference. However, it seems these serial numbers are merely approximations. I picked up both a Tribute JB-2 and a Tribute LB-100 from the G&L "Clearance Instruments" section of their online store. I bought both of them in 2021, yet the serial numbers of these "new B-stocks" both indicated they were built in 2019. Where were they for two years, or in your case, 12 years? Anyway, I'd say that your Tribute was either "old new-stock", used, or perhaps had a damaged neck replaced by the neck from an older bass with a damaged body. Those are just suppositions on my part, but I hope they help you. As for my two "new B-stocks," I love 'em both.

 

[Baker69]

Actually, the Tribute serial numbers are YYMMnnnn. (How many extra numbers depend on where it was made.) Of course, in your case, that makes no difference. However, it seems these serial numbers are merely approximations. I picked up both a Tribute JB-2 and a Tribute LB-100 from the G&L "Clearance Instruments" section of their online store. I bought both of them in 2021, yet the serial numbers of these "new B-stocks" both indicated they were built in 2019. Where were they for two years, or in your case, 12 years? Anyway, I'd say that your Tribute was either "old new-stock", used, or perhaps had a damaged neck replaced by the neck from an older bass with a damaged body. Those are just suppositions on my part, but I hope they help you. As for my two "new B-stocks," I love 'em both.

Yes, you are correct the first 2 digits are the year.

I would say that someone bought it new (possibly 2011 or thereafter) and kept it for a number of years but hardly played it in this time, which is why it looks in fairly good condition, and it may have been on sale at the store for a couple of years (these basses don't seem to sell very fast for some reason), the discolouration of the frets and the condition of the bridge give it away as it not being a brand new bass.

Here are screenshots of how it was advertised;

 

[OllyW]

Sorry, yes I have typed it the wrong way around, the first 2 digits are the year as you correctly say. In any case the bass has been mis-sold to me.

I would say that someone bought it new (possibly 2011 or thereafter) and kept it for a number of years but hardly played it in this time, which is why it looks in fairly good condition, and it may have been on sale at the store for a couple of years (these basses don't seem to sell very fast for some reason), the discolouration of the frets and the condition of the bridge give it away as it not being a brand new bass.

Here are screenshots of how it was advertised;

View attachment 4716334 View attachment 4716337

Not only is it 12 years old, it also cost more than a brand new one.

Buy the G&L Tribute L-2000 3 Tone Sunburst Rosewood Fingerboard Left Handed

 

[jglunt]

I would say that someone bought it new (possibly 2011 or thereafter) and kept it for a number of years but hardly played it in this time, which is why it looks in fairly good condition, and it may have been on sale at the store for a couple of years (these basses don't seem to sell very fast for some reason), the discolouration of the frets and the condition of the bridge give it away as it not being a brand new bass.

I would say you're right. The bass isn't new. It might be "used in like-new condition," and it certainly looks great, but it's not "new." I don't know how the currencies convert, but a new lefty L2000 here in the states lists around $800. Surprisingly, on Reverb there's a place selling a 'new' one for $539, which is less that the used ones listed, but he's in Florida. (I would certainly want a look at the serial number on that one!)

I'd suggest you check out sites there and see if the price you paid was fair or not for a used L2000. If it is and you like the bass, then you have no problem, but if you got overcharged for a used bass, jump on that seller. It could just be that the person listing the bass online forgot to change the status from "new" to "used" after doing the last listing and nobody caught it.