G&L Club Part 7

[dave64o]

Here are a couple examples from the archive section of my old website. It's a dark blue that isn't overly dark, and there is some subtle metallic sparkle in there in the right light. The flake is small, like an Ice Blue Metallic or a Lake Placid Blue Metallic but with a darker blue hue.

Wow, those pickguards gives the color two TOTALLY different looks!

 

[dwellers]

I noticed the Fullerton Deluxe Kiloton has a 1 5/8" nut width. Is that correct? I thought standard K's had 1.5", at least the BTO still is. And I thought the BTO SB-1s were 1 5/8" and the SB-2 was 1.5". Looks like both are 1 5/8" now. Ch-ch-changes?

 

[RocketMusic]

I noticed the Fullerton Deluxe Kiloton has a 1 5/8" nut width. Is that correct? I thought standard K's had 1.5", at least the BTO still is. And I thought the BTO SB-1s were 1 5/8" and the SB-2 was 1.5". Looks like both are 1 5/8" now. Ch-ch-changes?

My understanding is that the JB and the ASAT Bass are the only BTO models now that have the 1.5" nut width; everything else is 1 5/8".

I'm not sure if the G&L website agrees with that yet, but that's what I've been told.

 

[RL5]

My understanding is that the JB and the ASAT Bass are the only BTO models now that have the 1.5" nut width; everything else is 1 5/8".

I'm not sure if the G&L website agrees with that yet, but that's what I've been told.

So the only way to get a L-2000 with a 1.5" nut is to go the Custom Shop route? That makes my decision easy. I need to find a used one that I like.

 

[ahbass2500]

Here are a couple examples from the archive section of my old website. It's a dark blue that isn't overly dark, and there is some subtle metallic sparkle in there in the right light. The flake is small, like an Ice Blue Metallic or a Lake Placid Blue Metallic but with a darker blue hue.

Looks exactly like Fender's Midnight Blue. I had several friends with Midnight Blue MIM Jazz Basses in the Early 2000s.

 

[RocketMusic]

So the only way to get a L-2000 with a 1.5" nut is to go the Custom Shop route? That makes my decision easy. I need to find a used one that I like.

Sadly, that is correct.

Maybe some polite emails or posts to their facebook page expressing disappointment with the current state of affairs regarding BTO neck options would help them to consider a change in policy? I know I'm personally hearing a lot of disappointment, frustration, "I guess they don't want my business" sort of stuff. I've expressed that to my G&L guy a few times, but I'm just one voice. And I'm not going to keep repeating myself, he knows how I feel.

 

[Ricky Rioli]

So the only way to get a L-2000 with a 1.5" nut is to go the Custom Shop route?

Upfront have two L–2000 with 1½" nuts in stock, one Cherryburst, one Tangerine Metallic

 

[TheKillersFan]

27440537[/URL], member: 102306"]Sadly, that is correct.

Maybe some polite emails or posts to their facebook page expressing disappointment with the current state of affairs regarding BTO neck options would help them to consider a change in policy? I know I'm personally hearing a lot of disappointment, frustration, "I guess they don't want my business" sort of stuff. I've expressed that to my G&L guy a few times, but I'm just one voice. And I'm not going to keep repeating myself, he knows how I feel.

Maybe I'll have to do this. I could realistically have seen myself ordering a few BTO basses over the next few years (I can't stop thinking of different color combinations!), but going the custom shop route would just be too expensive for that. I'm going to have to stick to buying used most likely now

 

[TDR1138]

You would have to think that they did some sort of analysis about "we only get x% of orders with this neck profile" before making the decision to do away with them. Do the math to know how much they'd be impacting or reducing potential sales. I mean, I'd expect that from a company of that size. No guarantee that it was done, though. The decision could have been made while DM was futzing around with his latest social media post about creating another something that never was.

 

[Nedmundo]

Maybe I'll have to do this. I could realistically have seen myself ordering a few BTO basses over the next few years (I can't stop thinking of different color combinations!), but going the custom shop route would just be too expensive for that. I'm going to have to stick to buying used most likely now

I would have considered a BTO JB-5, but without a 12" radius fretboard as an option, it was off the table, and I think the Custom Shop would have been too expensive for me. So, last December, I bought a Sandberg California TT-5 Superlight instead, for about the price of a BTO JB-5.

For new basses and guitars, I had bought nothing but G&L USA for almost 15 years, and the only non-G&L was a used MIM Fender J, which I quickly sold. Honestly, it felt a little strange to buy something other than G&L, but when I started with G&L it felt strange to buy something other than Fender. So it goes.

I don't have plans for any new basses (or guitars), but without the neck options for BTO instruments, I probably would not go with G&L.

 

[jfh2424]

I think they simply thought everything would be easier if they did mainly 5/8 necks, instead of fooling around with a bunch of different widths and radii. Which it probably is.

I just hope that they are screwing up less orders. You know, they make amazing products. They really do. But building something according to specs seems like a real challenge. Maybe with less sales, they can concentrate on getting the orders right. Financially, it's probably a good idea to do what they are doing. Less sales probably means less screwups which means not having to redo stuff. And redoing stuff really digs into profits.

Unfortunately it means that if you want something really built to your specs, it's prohibitive for a lot of people.

I'm not too worried about the brand. They can always go back if they've made a pricing mistake. In the history of capitalism, they wouldn't be the first to do this.

 

[FearNoEvil65]

I was watching this bass for a while but couldn't afford it and it sold through American Guitar Boutique. L-2000, Graphite Metallic, it had a 1.5 nut, 9.5 radius and quarter-sawn neck and SCM. Ebony board and was like 9lbs. Matching headstock, I won't buy any more basses without. Would have been a nice addition to the stable, wonder if any TalkBass member bought it?

 

[Iridescentone]

Yeah I won't be able to try them.
I have a G&L JB and was thinking of a backup/extra.
It's sorta idle speculation and not really GAS.
Half of me is a "you can only play one at a time" type and I already have too many (for me).
But this thing is sweet: For Sale/Trade - 2015 USA Lakland 44 Dual J Classic - PRICE DROP & UPDATED TRADES

I'd have to take the USA Lakland over a G&L JB, even if the JB was brand new. I like my G&L's but I've never thought of them as being in quite the same league as a USA Lakland.

That LPB one seems like a pretty sweet deal at that price, kinda surprised it's still there. If memory serves, $1600 sounds like a pre-covid, pre-hyper-inflation price? Things must be moving extra slow in the classifieds these days!

 

[TDR1138]

I realize that a few of my posts in this thread might come across as snarky or bitter. I will say that I absolutely love my 5 G&Ls and still do support the brand.

Some of my frustration is with the pricing. That's not unique to G&L, but I'm really glad I ordered my BTO SB-2T when I did, because it would be out of reach now. I do appreciate the influx of more Fullerton Standards to keep the brand somewhat in reach, though by and large I really don't get excited by the color options. But that's not also unique to G&L either. There's a lot out in the market place right now that I see that I don't care for.

I do think the limiting of the BTO options, particularly with the neck profiles, is a bit extreme, though. They had 4 profiles for their 4-strings in the 90s, and that seemed to work well for them. Two widths, two radiuses. That was always one of the selling points with G&L to me, and honestly a big part of the reason I went BTO on my SB-2T instead of looking at used or preexisting inventory.

I guess a bit of my frustration is that it seems like DM is so busy with his projects and social media efforts that he doesn't have any control over what's going on. So the fix? Limit what's going on so that he can still have his play time? I'm sure he's involved in the day to day more than it appears, but still, I don't always think that the solution is to oversimplify things.

 

[ProbablyTooLoud]

I'd have to take the USA Lakland over a G&L JB, even if the JB was brand new. I like my G&L's but I've never thought of them as being in quite the same league as a USA Lakland.

That LPB one seems like a pretty sweet deal at that price, kinda surprised it's still there. If memory serves, $1600 sounds like a pre-covid, pre-hyper-inflation price? Things must be moving extra slow in the classifieds these days!

Yeah that's why I'm curious.
It's a great deal.
And the one decent vid/review of that model makes the bass sound great.
Thanks for your pov.

 

[Jugghaid]

That is a really good price.

 

[Ricky Rioli]

My latest daft daydream for a L-2000: turn one into a Jazz. As in two single-coil pickups.

So for each pickup there's a switch offering front coil/back coil. VVT knobs.

Third switch is series/parallel.

Strung with flats.

 

[jglunt]

My latest daft daydream for a L-2000: turn one into a Jazz. As in two single-coil pickups.

So for each pickup there's a switch offering front coil/back coil. VVT knobs.

Third switch is series/parallel.

Strung with flats.

Not sure I'm getting this. Would it still be playable as a normal L2000? Or would the pickups work strictly in single coil with the only option being which coil was in use? (Plus series/parallel and active/passive?)

I'd like to wire an L2000 with a separate switch for each pickup for single coil option. That way it could be played with both singles, or either pickup could be singled individually while the other is still in humbucker mode. Of course, that adds two switches to the three already there, giving it about as many switches as a 747. And five switches has to really confuse us bass players...we're only used to counting "1, and 2, and 3, and 4."

 

[MrB64]

I can count past 4......

 

[jglunt]

I can count past 4......

My hero!