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G&L Club Part 7

#23,981
OllyW said:
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
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If you do a search for a Lefty L2000 Tribute (in the U.K. anyway), apart from the one that I bought everywhere else is saying this bass is "now discontinued", "no longer available" or "you can no longer order this item". GuitarGuitar have a number of 3 Tone Sunburst Lefties in stock but after they've gone that seems to be it stock wise in the U.K.

I wanted the Natural finish model which has a swamp ash body as opposed to the poplar bodies on the 3TS models. I imagine the swamp ash may give a nicer sound over the poplar wood bodies? Also, I'm not really into Sunburst finishes that much.

I do like the bass, it sounds great and plays really well, if they were to offer me some cash back to keep it I might go for that but I can't see them doing it, however if they do have the bass back and re-sell they are going to have to lower the price anyway?
 
#23,982
jglunt said:
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.
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There is one on sale on flea bay here in the U.K. for £420, which is a fairly decent price for a used one. In fact I nearly went for it a couple of weeks back, but I missed the auction end and I assume it sold but it has just been re-listed.

Incidentally, one thing I noticed while looking at the Tributes a moment ago was that the brand new Tributes only have 4 screws holding the neck on the body yet the older ones (including the one I have) have 6 screws.
 
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#23,984
Here in the states, a reputable retailer would probably sell it as an "open box," and the price would be slightly reduced. At the very least, I'd tell them your suspicions and ask them why it has a serial number from 2010. On the other hand, if the "new" status in the listing was just an honest mistake, maybe they'll drop the price. Especially if you remind them of that other store that is selling new ones for less. Time for a little figurative arm-twisting, I'd say.

I purchased a bass a couple years ago that was listed as "used." The price was reasonable, but not great. When I received the bass, I discovered that the electronics in the bass had been radically refurbished (by a company that specializes in that), and that is wasn't the standard version of that bass at all. The bass was not represented to me as such. I was ready to send it back immediately, then I plugged it in. It sounds and plays wonderfully. I'd probably never get anything close to my money back if I sold it, but it's become one of my favorite basses, so I play it all the time.
 
#23,985
Baker69 said:
Incidentally, one thing I noticed while looking at the Tributes a moment ago was that the brand new Tributes only have 4 screws holding the neck on the body yet the older ones (including the one I have) have 6 screws.
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Really? I know some of the Tributes have had only 4-bolt necks for years...maybe since they began making them. Like the Kiloton, the JB, and the SB-2. I don't know if that's changed recently, but as late as last year's models had 4-bolt necks. But the L2000 Tribute, according to this picture from Sweetwater (with whom I have no affiliation) still has a 6-bolt neck. Maybe it changed on the very newest of the new?
G&L Tribute L-2000 Bass Guitar - 3-tone Sunburst
 
#23,986
jglunt said:
Really? I know some of the Tributes have had only 4-bolt necks for years...maybe since they began making them. Like the Kiloton, the JB, and the SB-2. I don't know if that's changed recently, but as late as last year's models had 4-bolt necks. But the L2000 Tribute, according to this picture from Sweetwater (with whom I have no affiliation) still has a 6-bolt neck. Maybe it changed on the very newest of the new?
G&L Tribute L-2000 Bass Guitar - 3-tone Sunburst
Click to expand...

Sorry my fault, it's not a brilliant photo and there are 2 screws inside the black area of the sunburst finish which I couldn't see!
 
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#23,987
It may be in your best interest to call (or email) the seller and politely let them know why you are not entirely happy with the L-2000. Ask them what your options or for a partial refund to cover the labor cost of making it "new" as presented. Figure out ahead of time what you would be happy with and throw it out there. It never hurts to ask. Most stores are reasonable and will give you something, which is usually always cheaper than paying to ship the thing back and deal with trying to resell it.
 
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#23,989
I'm a bit ashamed at how long it took me to spot the joke in the name "Sublime Green" :confused:

GetImage.ashx
 
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#23,990
Well I got to speak with the manager at the store who I bought the L2000 Tribute from, and he was adamant that it is a brand new bass and he recalls buying it in as new. They have had it a while, but not years he assured me.

He was unable to explain why the bass has the 2010 build serial number on it, that is a mystery.

They are quite willing to have the bass back and give me a full refund if that is what I would like to do, however as he concurred these basses have now been discontinued so I'm going to struggle finding another one.

I said that I'd have a think about it over the weekend, at the moment though I'm tempted to keep it as I do really like the bass. Any thoughts guys?
 
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#23,991
If the bass meets all your criteria, feels, sounds, and looks good and/or satisfactory, and you were happy with the price, then I say keep it despite the few issues you had with it.

Maybe don't buy from that retailer again, though.

[Edit] I see that it's a natural Ash Lefty. I'm inclined to think that it is not likely you'll find another one like it for a better price. That's a pretty rare bass as it is.
 
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#23,992
Baker69 said:
Well I got to speak with the manager at the store who I bought the L2000 Tribute from, and he was adamant that it is a brand new bass and he recalls buying it in as new. They have had it a while, but not years he assured me.

He was unable to explain why the bass has the 2010 build serial number on it, that is a mystery.

They are quite willing to have the bass back and give me a full refund if that is what I would like to do, however as he concurred these basses have now been discontinued so I'm going to struggle finding another one.

I said that I'd have a think about it over the weekend, at the moment though I'm tempted to keep it as I do really like the bass. Any thoughts guys?
Click to expand...

Really depends on the price paid. It IS a 2010, not a new one (or even relatively new, like a 2019 or newer). If you can find a newer one, even used, at a better price, I'd return it.
 
#23,993
Gravedigger Dav said:
If you like jazz necks, you will love an SB-2 neck. I have an American J and the SB-2 neck is better.
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I love my Kiloton neck, which is the same body/neck. Debating whether I want a US Kiloton or SB-2.
 
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#23,995
Baker69 said:
Well I got to speak with the manager at the store who I bought the L2000 Tribute from, and he was adamant that it is a brand new bass and he recalls buying it in as new. They have had it a while, but not years he assured me.

He was unable to explain why the bass has the 2010 build serial number on it, that is a mystery.

They are quite willing to have the bass back and give me a full refund if that is what I would like to do, however as he concurred these basses have now been discontinued so I'm going to struggle finding another one.

I said that I'd have a think about it over the weekend, at the moment though I'm tempted to keep it as I do really like the bass. Any thoughts guys?
Click to expand...
I would think about reasons you don't want to keep it and decide whether that overpowers your desire to keep it.
 
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#23,997
NOLA Bass said:
I love my Kiloton neck, which is the same body/neck. Debating whether I want a US Kiloton or SB-2.
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I have both, and both are MIA. I personally prefer my Kiloton. I've always preferred the simplicity of a bass with a master volume. And it sounds great, IMO, which I realize only matters to me. Sometimes the SB-2 (or any dual volume bass) drives me crazy with the issue that if I decide to increase or decrease volume at the bass, I'm also changing the tone. It restricts me to adjusting either volume or tone at the amp, which isn't always convenient.
 
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#23,998
Gravedigger Dav said:
I tried a Kiloton and sent it back. I couldn't get enough low end out of it.
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I get a bunch of low end from my Kiloton, especially in series. (Once again, that's my opinion which matters only to me. Your results might vary.) And though I haven't tried it, can't you bump the low end a bit by adjusting the pole pieces of the neck side of the pickup closer to the strings?
 
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#23,999
The Kiloton is an interesting beast. If you sit in a room playing bass, it will never win as the best one. Put it in the right band setting though, and it kills. I was in a pop cover band recently (project fell apart, but enough rehearsals and a recording to tell the difference), and the Kiloton was the best bass for the gig. That is up against a Sadowsky PJ, Dingwall, Fender US Geddy Lee, and a P bass. The Kiloton sat just perfectly in the mix. Never too much, but made most of the basses sound thin in comparison.
 
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