G&L Club Part 7

[Relsom]

I also dislike the G&L G&G cases, but they did finally fix the tuning key issue on the latest G&Gs. My Kiloton 5 came with a 2022 dated G&G that did not have the issue. My older JB5 G&G does have the issue.

Noting the issue is not really with G&G it is with how G&L specified the case. I have a G&L Custom Creations G&G case that is form fitting and very nice.

I'm glad they got that right.
I was a early G&L fan. Bought one of, if not the first L2000e to come in to my city. Brand new, a 1981 Mahogany/Ebony, had it for a couple of decades, and don't recall it's case giving me a reason to dislike the brand as just about all of the ones I've had since. My current CLFR L2Ke lives in a Fender TSA moulded case.
I bought a L2K Tribute carved top fretless here on TB several years ago. I don't have the bass any more but kept the G&L gig bag that it came with. Up to that point, it was the nicest bag I ever owned. Not nearly a Mono or RB, but at least it has a neck cradle. Not too bad for a cheap bag TBH.

 

[TDR1138]

For me, it's not just the fit of the instrument in the case, though that is a part of it. But the hinges and latches don't feel as robust, there's a little flex to the case when it opens. You can tell a difference if you compare it with the 80s-era tolex cases.

 

[PhillipHolbrook]

I actually have an SB-2, an LB-100, and a (fretted) Kiloton. I'll start with a general remark: My Kiloton and SB-2 are Fullertons, but my LB-100 is a Tribute, and I find the Cort alnico pickups on Tribute basses to be a bit underwhelming. While the claim is they're wound to G&L specs overseas, does anyone actually check this?

On my Tribute LB-100, I swapped out the alnico split coil for an MFD split coil. This was an obvious improvement, but I found it worked best with an EMG BTC Control active 2-band EQ, no affiliation. (That is a tight fit, but the combination is unbelievable in both sound and versatility.)

On the SB-2, I don't care for the MFD split coil by itself. (Ref. above paragraph.) It is just too big and boomy for my taste and loses some of the MFD's midrange punch because of its location in the SB-2. It sounds indistinct to me. In my opinion, it needs to be paired with the single coil. (I realize this is a fairly unpopular opinion, but my mama always dressed me funny while I was growing up, so I've learned to live with unpopularity.) Also, If you are a player who relies on a tone control, the regular SB-2 ain't got one, so you'd need an SB-2T.

My Kiloton sounds wonderful. I plug it in, flip it into series, dial back the tone a very small amount, and I'm where I want to be. For a slightly lighter sound, I'll use single coil and dial the tone back just a slight amount more. I find parallel on the Kiloton to be bland, but I think it might sound good on the fretless version with some TI Jazz Flats.

These are my opinions only. And yes, I DO realize they are only important to me. However, I hope you find them helpful.

I have a US L2500 with the series/parallel switch, and the only time I use parallel at all is as a slap contour. It works great for that.

 

[scubaduba]

Anybody have a pine kiloton? Any pros or cons?

 

[MrB64]

My JB I bought in 2021 came with a gig bag that as far as I can tell is still current. Honestly, I'm not impressed with it. It has one big pocket and that's all, very minimalist, and not well padded to boot. There are definitely much nicer gig bags out there. I'm a G&L guy, but they definitely should do better there, especially with what they're charging for basses now. I ended up buying a hard shell case for my JB.

 

[RocketMusic]

I'm hoping mine had the case originally! and they include it when they send it back...

It did, and it should!

 

[jglunt]

I bought my 2018 Kiloton used in 2019 or 20. It came with the hard shell case and all the paperwork just like it was new. It also came with the original hardshell case. I also have a tweed Fender case that is about that same vintage, and the Fender case is not as good as the G&L case. So G&L is not the only company with cases that might not be considered "top shelf." For what it's worth, I used that G&L case to send my SB-2 to Fullerton for a new neck, and it came back with the case.

 

[Iridescentone]

Admittedly, I'd rather have received a good quality gig bag with my 2022 BTO than the "deluxe" tolex case it came with. That case doesn't impress me. Looks nice, but even my 90s-era case with two missing feet feels more well-built and sturdy.

I haven't seen the current bags, but haven't seen many positive comments about them. The bags that came with the Tributes circa 2003-2008 were good. I hope the current bags are at least as good, if not better.

Unless they're planning a new upgraded bag in lieu of the tolex hardcase, I think you may be disappointed. The old USA G&L bags were pretty robust, and worth every penny of the $55 they cost. A few months ago a G&L bag came with my new Trib Fallout, unexpectedly. It ain't all that great, tbh. Next to one of my old ones, it's clearly a less padded, lighter weight bag. Not complaining though, as it cost me nothing. If I'd bought a new USA G&L, and it came with that bag....

 

[Iridescentone]

I also dislike the G&L G&G cases, but they did finally fix the tuning key issue on the latest G&Gs. My Kiloton 5 came with a 2022 dated G&G that did not have the issue. My older JB5 G&G does have the issue.

Noting the issue is not really with G&G it is with how G&L specified the case. I have a G&L Custom Creations G&G case that is form fitting and very nice.

$0.02...

I get the attraction to tolex cases, it's traditional and nostalgic. Personally I've never liked them, and thought G&L's previous molded plastic cases were a better idea, better fit and much lighter. Instead of transitioning from the molded cases to tolex cases of questionable quality, I'd have rather seen them update the plastic cases to something more like the modern Fender plastic cases, or the top line Schecter molded case. Very nice, very solid, not heavy.

 

[ProbablyTooLoud]

Anybody have a pine kiloton? Any pros or cons?

I have a fretless pine Kiloton.
Heavier than my empress JBs, and feels about the same is my fretted alder Kiloton.
The wood does feel softer than empress and alder, but the warnings about dings and everything were overstated. Two years and no dings or divots.
Sound wise, seems darker - yeah that's way unscientific - than the Alder kilo, but that could be just a difference in strings - rounds on the fretted and pressurewounds on the pine fretless.
I dig it. A bit of heft, sorta soft, feels real comfy with that sleek body design.
I got it on reverb and these pics are from the original listing.

 

[lomo]

Anybody have a pine kiloton? Any pros or cons?

I've never played a KT, but I had a pine Fender J5....that sounded exactly like a similar era Alder J5, even when recorded solo.....but the pine grain and tint were prettier. It was not as soft as the 2 Empress basses I owned, or my monkeypod (Indian walnut) L2500, which is very soft.

 

[scubaduba]

With the gloss finishes on G&L basses how would the pine body basses feel softer? Wouldn't the gloss finish make them all feel the same? Or am I missing the point.

 

[lomo]

With the gloss finishes on G&L basses how would the pine body basses feel softer? Wouldn't the gloss finish make them all feel the same? Or am I missing the point.

IME with Empress and Monkeypod (but not pine)-they are so much softer that they ding/ dent more easily if bumped, and in the case of Empress.....I had to replace the strap button screws with longer ones that had a more aggressive/deep thread pattern so they wouldn't pull out.....even though the bass was a feather.

Edit: if they don't get smacked they don't feel or look any different.

 

[Relsom]

I've never played a KT, but I had a pine Fender J5....that sounded exactly like a similar era Alder J5, even when recorded solo.....but the pine grain and tint were prettier. It was not as soft as the 2 Empress basses I owned, or my monkeypod (Indian walnut) L2500, which is very soft.

I've played a couple of L1Ks with empress bodies. They balanced well but bordered on too light, if there ever was such a thing. I played a friends brand new Fender Pro II Jazz with the roasted pine body a couple of months ago. Against every preconception I had against pine, that bass was beautiful, nicely ambered tint and the grain was such that the individual pieces matched up really well. It looked like ash, and the owner even told me it was ash. I new better but didn't have the heart to tell him it was pine. It was right in the 8.5lb. range too, which is kind of a sweet spot for me. I'm just not a big fan of traditional Jazz basses.

 

[scubaduba]

Seems like people's perception of pine is what holds people back. I suppose that stigma that pine is not as desirable as the likes of Alder or Ash or Mahagony makes pine body instruments less desirable. But I agree I have seen some beautiful grain on pine body instruments. Resale of pine body instruments is probably not good... but that's only an issue if you sell an instrument.

 

[lomo]

I've played a couple of L1Ks with empress bodies. They balanced well but bordered on too light, if there ever was such a thing. I played a friends brand new Fender Pro II Jazz with the roasted pine body a couple of months ago. Against every preconception I had against pine, that bass was beautiful, nicely ambered tint and the grain was such that the individual pieces matched up really well. It looked like ash, and the owner even told me it was ash. I new better but didn't have the heart to tell him it was pine. It was right in the 8.5lb. range too, which is kind of a sweet spot for me.

That was my exact experience with the fender pine J5.

 

[ProbablyTooLoud]

With the gloss finishes on G&L basses how would the pine body basses feel softer? Wouldn't the gloss finish make them all feel the same? Or am I missing the point.

I have no idea how/what/why.
That's my subjective impression as compared to the three other G&Ls I own.
To me, empress feels light, hard, and possibly brittle.
Alder feels heavy like a regular electric guitar or bass, and the wood itself feels hard, but not with brittle impression I get from empress.
Pine feels a bit heavy, and, as I said, not as hard as the other two woods.

 

[PhillipHolbrook]

I'm hoping mine had the case originally! and they include it when they send it back...

I also dislike the G&L G&G cases, but they did finally fix the tuning key issue on the latest G&Gs. My Kiloton 5 came with a 2022 dated G&G that did not have the issue. My older JB5 G&G does have the issue.

Noting the issue is not really with G&G it is with how G&L specified the case. I have a G&L Custom Creations G&G case that is form fitting and very nice.

I got jipped out of the factory case when I bought my used L2500. They sent me a ragged plastic Roadrunner case, but I'm getting a Gator hybrid case/bag. And it will lighten my load, which I need considering that bass weighs 10 lbs.

 

[PhillipHolbrook]

The BTO Fallout I bought a couple months ago came with a gig bag. Total junk IMHO.

G&L themselves and the dealer I bought it from were of no help in the matter. Couldn't even buy one at an additional fee.

I had to buy an Epiphone HSC for the bass.

View attachment 5265246

That's exactly what happened to me except they sent a plastic piece of junk literally taped up in areas to cover holes.

 

[PhillipHolbrook]

Ash

Makes me so jealous. My US L2500 weighs in at 10 lbs.