He probably doesn't have any idea who the bass is for, so probably best that you have the dealer contact him.
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Jeez...sad, but I can't say I'm all that surprised to hear it.
Please don't get me started (too late!) on how many emails from me that went ignored during my MJ4 warranty neck replacement ordeal. Or that they didn't level the frets (the bass buzzed all the way up and down the neck when I got it back). Or cut the nut slots correctly, or even screw the serial number plate back onto the neck. I did all that work myself, fortunately I have the tools and skills. Or that because I lost my original bill of sale (which I've since found) he made me pay the shipping out to Fullerton as penalty, despite that I sent in my warranty card at time of purchase.* He said he thought that was "only fair".
On the upside, the turn around time for the neck job was 2-3 weeks, which was impressive considering how long others have had to wait for things. Still, I'd rather they had taken 6 months and done it right, instead.
*Do they just toss those warranty cards in the bin, or what?
Hi everyone, new G&L Kiloton 5 player here. Have been playing a Reverend Mercalli 5 and Sandberg VS4. When I saw a Kiloton 5 in the classifieds I couldn't pass on it, especially since I'd been looking for a bridge MM sound that wasn't a Stingray sound and was thumpier than the Mercalli.
1.75 medium C 5 neck, 12" radius. According to G&L, it starts just like a four at the neck and gets wider towards the heel. It's really comfortable to play, feels well-balanced on a strap, and easy to navigate. It's a little more slim than the Reverend Mercalli 5, which is 1.85mm but with same 12" radius.
1.75 medium C 5 neck, 12" radius. According to G&L, it starts just like a four at the neck and gets wider towards the heel. It's really comfortable to play, feels well-balanced on a strap, and easy to navigate. It's a little more slim than the Reverend Mercalli 5, which is 1.85mm but with same 12" radius.
Gold medal award winning observations to which we can also add non-working pots and pickups that failed prior to shipment, some loose tuning keys, along with my own experience of a truss rod nut that could not be engaged so that it could be adjusted.
Maybe they believe the dealer should be doing all of that but few actually do and even then a defective instrument would still need to be sent back for repair or replacement and G&L ends up with yet another unhappy buyer who posts about this in forums like this one.
They seem to operate on that age old principal of we don't take the time to do it right because we need to reserve so much more time for doing it over.
I had to get the volume pot and the jack input replaced by my local tech on my Option Order LB-100, as they were both noisy and crackling. Oh and I had to get it shielded as it was freaking noisy.
Never had to get all that done on any other basses.
At least now it's quiet as a mouse and the pots aren't noisy either.
other than that it's a great bass. Shame they can't step up their game and make them perfect out of the box. Especially for that money.
Never had to get all that done on any other basses.
At least now it's quiet as a mouse and the pots aren't noisy either.
other than that it's a great bass. Shame they can't step up their game and make them perfect out of the box. Especially for that money.
It is a real mystery why G&L doesn't endeavor to make their QC better, but the times I've dealt with Memo, he's always been a real gentleman.
Maybe I'm lucky.
I see so many issues posted here with G&L.
Perhaps it's because I bought mine from dealers and an individual, rather than option order.
I have a fretted and fretless kiloton and fretted and fretless jb. All Fullerton-made, no defects. I raised the pickups on the jbs, added relief on one of them - that's it. The kiltons were perfect upon arrival.
Am I lucky or do I just happen to see the post about issues and miss the "dang I love my G&L posts"?
I see so many issues posted here with G&L.
Perhaps it's because I bought mine from dealers and an individual, rather than option order.
I have a fretted and fretless kiloton and fretted and fretless jb. All Fullerton-made, no defects. I raised the pickups on the jbs, added relief on one of them - that's it. The kiltons were perfect upon arrival.
Am I lucky or do I just happen to see the post about issues and miss the "dang I love my G&L posts"?
We all belong to that same mystery club or so it seems. And like JimC pointed out so many times the worst of it comes on Option Order instruments that have a "build sheet" to go by while they're being produced. How can someone not follow that production order? I swear that if they were building homes with a few of them the front door would open into a bathroom instead of a foyer.
If 'getting it fixed' equates to 'never again buying G&L new', then yes.
I don't think so. Most of the Tributes seem to be fine as well save the usual percentage that somehow slipped by a final QC check. I believe there will always be less issues with those and the stock Fullerton Deluxe Series. More problems seem to come from the Option Order builds.
I hear the Mega Millions is up... maybe, a ticket or two, while the iron is still hot.
I contacted Memo once and he helped me out.
For those with bad experiences, consider the culture of the company. I'm willing to be he's a decent guy fighting a continual uphill battle.
In the Cheech video, you can see papers sitting loose on benches as they walk the shop and talk trash.
The heroes there are the painters. I've never seen anything less than perfect paint.
Perhaps it's our duty to supply the shop with clipboards, glasses, and someone who can read and pay attention for QC.
After all, with all the volume being produced at that shop, they are probably making tens of basses daily...
And I do find it disrespectful to keep bring up Mr. Fender's work shop. He stood for everything they CAN'T do like new innovative ideas, solid products, excellent QC (considering the volume) and not repeating the same mistake over and over. IMO
For those with bad experiences, consider the culture of the company. I'm willing to be he's a decent guy fighting a continual uphill battle.
In the Cheech video, you can see papers sitting loose on benches as they walk the shop and talk trash.
The heroes there are the painters. I've never seen anything less than perfect paint.
Perhaps it's our duty to supply the shop with clipboards, glasses, and someone who can read and pay attention for QC.
After all, with all the volume being produced at that shop, they are probably making tens of basses daily...
And I do find it disrespectful to keep bring up Mr. Fender's work shop. He stood for everything they CAN'T do like new innovative ideas, solid products, excellent QC (considering the volume) and not repeating the same mistake over and over. IMO
Haha, at least you have a solution. I have to admit that if I decide to get a US model I'd be far more temped to find one I liked in the aftermarket than to pay the going rate for a new build and then wait for 6 months or more hoping it shows up as expected.
Maybe I'm just not all that finicky about having 100% of what I'd like to have and for me the fact that a Tribute sounds and plays pretty much the same as a US version I'm good with cutting my costs back buying those or shopping used US models.
Agreed... but I did hear their knob installer found a new occupation...
... he's still working on that 'hero' thing.
Yup, trading on the name of Leo Fender while not seeming to care about true innovation and the consistent quality of the product being produced is kind of blasphemous especially when it's Davie whose often filming himself in Leo's workshop doing something meaningless.
And I also agree that G&Ls finishes are second to none and yet we buy them to play not just to look at. It's not all that much to demand consistent quality at both ends.
LMAO.....
I actually bought one of those ridiculously over priced knob pullers (not to be confused with a description of some of our old friends on another site somewhere) and it did allow me to remove those from my Kilo and ASAT without destroying the pots but it was still a challenge.
Knobs aside (see: genetics), my SB-2T (Spanish Copper Metallic) is getting the nod for our next gig, February 3rd. Plenty of practice, rehearsal time but zero gigs for it, so far.
Looking forward to playing it in a live setting, for sure.
Looking forward to playing it in a live setting, for sure.
I'd be curious to know the actual volume of basses G&L churns out every year/month/day but I genuinely doubt it's "tens a day". Their workshop looks small.
