G&L Club Part 7

[deepestend]

My SB-2 came stock with a gap like that, but on the other side of the jack. So maybe, paradoxically, you've made it more authentic by modding it! (The gap has never bothered me, but it probably should have been caught by QC.) I love that finish by the way. Looks fantastic.

If my '85 has the gap, this has been going on for a long time.

 

[Robert Booker]

What they published in 2013

View attachment 4945250

My Vintage Tint Gloss

Musta run out of tint eh?

 

[Robert Booker]

Now I'm wondering if I got the right one, in spite of what my spec sheet says. Mine is satin, though. I don't know if there's a difference in lightness between gloss and satin. Either way, I love my G&Ls. It's interesting how they seem to vary so widely.

No one, and I do mean no one, should be at all surprised by that anymore.

 

[deepestend]

No one, and I do mean no one, should be at all surprised my that anymore.

Educate me…are the new ones inconsistent?

 

[Robert Booker]

Educate me…are the new ones inconsistent?

New, old, and in between G&Ls inconsistencies are as legendary as Leo himself.

 

[deepestend]

New, old, and in between G&Ls inconsistencies are as legendary as Leo himself.

Why? Different factories?

 

[MrB64]

No one, and I do mean no one, should be at all surprised by that anymore.

I looked at my order sheet, and for neck finish it does say LTSN, which is Light Satin. I got what I ordered. They also say in Neck Finishes (under the photo of the three tints of gloss), "Note that the actual appearance may vary as each piece of maple is unique." As I said, I'm happy with how mine looks, and it plays great so I'm not complaining at all.

 

[Glazenn]

When I had access to the tools and my skills were up, I made a rear control cavity in my SB-1 and installed a side jack (pickguard kept cracking at the jack). That jack area has a gap on mine too. They really need to redesign that. It always cracks at the jack and if you wan to install a preamp there is barely enough room.

Same issue on my 1999 SB-2 in Clear Blue, shown below after I got an exact replacement from Pickguard Planet/Chandlers, as they were the official supplier to G&L, and this one never broke in 8 years.
No gap with the controls cavity.

 

[Robert Booker]

Why? Different factories?

There's only one place G&L builds it's own instruments and that's in Fullerton, CA. I believe the answer you're looking for can be found throughout this thread. Read on.

 

[Glazenn]

Good ol' time...

 

[Iridescentone]

'85 SB1... I think they went a little overboard with the yellow stain. Sure, it's old, but look at the overspray on the nut. That's the color they were going for.

And yes, I removed the bullet truss cover. Always thought that looked out of place on these basses.

View attachment 4945539

Or could it be that all the clear coat yellowed over the years, including the overspray on the nut?

It would take a miracle for any finish to not darken in 35 years.

Were G&L offering "tinted" neck finishes in 85? I could be wrong but I don't think they were. Cheers.

 

[/\/\3phist0]

Why? Different factories?

Hand made.

 

[/\/\3phist0]

Or could it be that all the clear coat yellowed over the years, including the overspray on the nut?

It would take a miracle for any finish to not darken in 35 years.
Were G&L offering "tinted" neck finishes in 85? I could be wrong but I don't think they were. Cheers.

Nope the good old nitro.

 

[TomB]

New, old, and in between G&Ls inconsistencies are as legendary as Leo himself.

What kind of inconsistencies are you referring to? Quality control, hardware choices, model changes, wiring design? For sure they've had and continue to have problems, but hey, that's been pretty consistent! …just curious about your meaning.

 

[Spidey2112]

Why? Different factories?

$5 says it depends on which way the winds blowing.

 

[deepestend]

Or could it be that all the clear coat yellowed over the years, including the overspray on the nut?

It would take a miracle for any finish to not darken in 35 years.

Were G&L offering "tinted" neck finishes in 85? I could be wrong but I don't think they were. Cheers.

All likely explanations as well! I'm pretty sure it's all nitro, but it's hard to tell. I got some solvent on the body at some point and it made the finish soft in a way consistent with nitro (and not poly). Neck finish feels a little thick and poly-ish, but wouldn't make sense for them to do a nitro body and poly neck. I knocked back the shine a little on the neck and conditioned it with wax and feed and it feels great.

 

[/\/\3phist0]

For a machine made bass, I think the variance is sloppy workmanship and poor management.

BBE definitely changed a lot of the processes, vs the Leo Era. Machine made is certainly part of the picture, but this is not cnc.

 

[/\/\3phist0]

'85 SB1... I think they went a little overboard with the yellow stain. Sure, it's old, but look at the overspray on the nut. That's the color they were going for.

And yes, I removed the bullet truss cover. Always thought that looked out of place on these basses.

View attachment 4945539

Hand sprayed, took a few extra coats to get a smooth finish, likely due to slightly rough sanding in a few areas. Hence a denser finish, darker color

 

[ahbass2500]

BBE definitely changed a lot of the processes, vs the Leo Era. Machine made is certainly part of the picture, but this is not cnc.

G&L started using CNC for some work in 2005. A post on the Gear Page includes text from a letter sent to dealers.
G&L goes CNC

 

[Jim C]

I'm not sure who makes the necks or bodies but I would think any major manufacturer would have to use CNC for cost savings.
Even a small, custom builder like Marco has transferred his cut and sanded shapes to CNC and the same with the bodies. Once you perfect your design, it's the only logical way to make more that are identical.