G&L Club Part 7

[TinIndian]

I am thinking if I get it I want to refinish it in the correct factory color if it can be determined. If I can't figure it out I'd still like it in a factory finish.

Thanks for all the help guys. I really do appreciate it!

 

[Glazenn]

As I understand it, he's interested specifically in finishes that were available in 1981 only.

I can read. All those are the colors that are actually found on 1981 G&L guitars and basses.

I would be interested in finishes up to 1982.

In 1982, add: Viking Blue, Butterscotch Blonde, Fullerton Red, Blue Flake, and Gold Flake.

 

[Iridescentone]

I can read. All those are the colors that are actually found on 1981 G&L guitars and basses.

That's news to me, care to share where you got this info?

Specifically interested to know your source about the following finishes that you've included in your list of available finishes for 1981:

> Burgundy
> 2-tone burst
> 3-tone burst
> Blonde

Also, are you suggesting that these additional finishes that you listed in your post were available in 1981, as well?

> Electric Blue
> Cobalt Blue
> Emerald Blue
> Lake Placid Blue

If anyone out there has an original 1981 G&L in any of the above finishes, please post a pic. I don't think any of those finishes were available in 1981, but I could be mistaken. I'm always eager to learn something new about vintage G&L's, and would love to see an actual example of one. Or even a G&L dealer catalog or brochure from '81 that lists them as optional finishes would be great. TIA

 

[Glazenn]

That's news to me, care to share where you got this info?

Specifically interested to know your source about the following finishes that you've included in your list of available finishes for 1981:

> Burgundy
> 2-tone burst
> 3-tone burst
> Blonde

Also, are you suggesting that these additional finishes that you listed in your post were available in 1981, as well?

> Electric Blue
> Cobalt Blue
> Emerald Blue
> Lake Placid Blue

If anyone out there has an original 1981 G&L in any of the above finishes, please post a pic. I don't think any of those finishes were available in 1981, but I could be mistaken. I'm always eager to learn something new about vintage G&L's, and would love to see an actual example of one. Or even a G&L dealer catalog or brochure from '81 that lists them as optional finishes would be great. TIA

All the G&L body colors mentioned above are documented in the G&L owners registry with instrument model, serial number, date on neck and/or body, fingerboard and body woods, useful comments/features (eg; 'fretless'). and even the owner's name or email address.
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You can filter by year and by instrument model if you wish.
I have assumed the registered instruments are all with their original color, but some colors being for one instrument only and not familiar to me, I am not sure they are actually named correctly (eg: "Electric Blue").
This list of colors is for all G&L guitars and basses manufactured in 1981 and 1982. So I assume these colors were available from a list or a catalog, and not restricted to some particular model(s).
If you filter for L2000 and/or L2000E, you may not find the full list of colors.
And for an even more complete list, you can filter for instruments with serial numbers between say B000500 and B012000 (approx. 1981-1982 range, B prefix for basses, showing 802 basses in total - G prefix is for guitars) instead of '1981 to 1982', as there are many instruments in the registry for which the neck or body dates are missing (actually the majority).
At the end, if you have doubts about a particular color, you can still email the owner of the instrument.

 

[TomB]

All the G&L body colors mentioned above are documented in the G&L owners registry with instrument model, serial number, date on neck and/or body, fingerboard and body woods, useful comments/features (eg; 'fretless'). and even the owner's name or email address.
[Invalid or Expired Link Removed]
You can filter by year and by instrument model if you wish.
I have assumed the registered instruments are all with their original color, but some colors being for one instrument only and not familiar to me, I am not sure they are actually named correctly (eg: "Electric Blue").
This list of colors is for all G&L guitars and basses manufactured in 1981 and 1982. So I assume these colors were available from a list or a catalog, and not restricted to some particular model(s).
If you filter for L2000 and/or L2000E, you may not find the full list of colors.
And for an even more complete list, you can filter for instruments with serial numbers between say B000500 and B012000 (approx. 1981-1982 range, B prefix for basses, showing 802 basses, G prefix for guitars) instead of '1981 to 1982', as there are many instruments in the registry for which the neck or body dates are missing (actually the majority).
At the end, if you have doubts about a particular color, you can still email the owner of the instrument.

I'm very surprised to hear all of this. I was watching G&L closely during '81, actually hoping for a more diverse range of colors, but was told "this is what there is" (clear plus 3 "transparent" color finishes. I guess I'd love to hear from anyone who has an '81 that's NOT clear, blue, red, or green. That would be cool, if true (even if it means I was misled way back when). My clear finish has aged nicely, BTW.

 

[Chef]

I've 1981's that were candy apple red, and tobacco burst.
I think I had 1980's in those two as well.
I think SB2JJ was 1983? It was white.

 

[Iridescentone]

All the colors mentioned above are documented in the G&L owners registry with instrument model, serial number, date on neck and/or body, etc. and even owners' email address.
[Invalid or Expired Link Removed]
You can filter by year and by instrument if you wish.
I have assumed the registered instruments are all with their original color, but some colors being for one instrument only and not familiar to me, I am not sure they are actually correctly named (eg: "Electric Blue").
This list of colors is for all G&L guitars and basses manufactured in 1981 and 1982. So I assume these colors were available from a list or a catalog, and not restricted to some model(s).
If you filter for L2000 and/or L2000E, you may not find the complete list.

Thanks. I've seen that registry before. I just now searched L-2000E/1981/All colors. The thing to remember about that info..... it's entered by individual owners, many of whom are likely to have entered wrong info by mistake. I suspect that the folks entering "2-tone burst" on mahogany body are actually looking at Tobacco Burst. The one "Silver Metallic" guy adds that it's in fact a refin.

First thing I noticed is that no one listed their bass as having a poplar body...but poplar is well established to have been one of the "white woods" commonly used in the early years. A couple owners listed their basses as having "alder" bodies, which are more likely actually poplar (or maybe even maple), as alder is well known to have not been used until around '84. One guy listed his hardware as black "textured" (aka black crinkle), which would not be correct for '81. Maybe he meant "black painted", which would be, especially for late '81, along with the occasional black and chrome "mixed" hardware.

Three were entered as "3-tone burst" over mahogany body. Dunno if they're mistaken, or if they really have them in that finish. But given the dubious nature of the registry in general, I'd have to see one to believe it.

Another guy lists his bass as "Blue Emerald (solid color)", but he also lists the body as "swamp ash". I don't know how he can ascertain that wood species without sending a sample to a laboratory for analysis.

Another guy lists his bass with the body as black with "maple cap/mahogany body". Huh?

IOW, people "say" things that are not necessarily factual.

OTOH, if GGJaguar stated any of these things I'd believe it, as he's done extensive research into vintage G&L guitars, including owning a vast array of G&L's for in-hand inspection.

 

[Glazenn]

I'm very surprised to hear all of this. I was watching G&L closely during '81, actually hoping for a more diverse range of colors, but was told "this is what there is" (clear plus 3 "transparent" color finishes. I guess I'd love to hear from anyone who has an '81 that's NOT clear, blue, red, or green. That would be cool, if true (even if it means I was misled way back when). My clear finish has aged nicely, BTW.

Google for 'G&L 1981' Images and see...

 

[Chef]

Thanks. I've seen that registry before. I just now searched L-2000E/1981/All colors. The thing to remember about that info..... it's entered by individual owners, many of whom are likely to have entered wrong info by mistake. I suspect that the folks entering "2-tone burst" on mahogany body are actually looking at Tobacco Burst. The one "Silver Metallic" guy adds that it's in fact a refin.

First thing I noticed is that no one listed their bass as having a poplar body...but poplar is well established to have been one of the "white woods" commonly used in the early years. A couple owners listed their basses as having "alder" bodies, which are more likely actually poplar (or maybe even maple), as alder is well known to have not been used until around '84. One guy listed his hardware as black "textured" (aka black crinkle), which would not be correct for '81. Maybe he meant "black painted", which would be, especially for late '81, along with the occasional black and chrome "mixed" hardware.

Three were entered as "3-tone burst" over mahogany body. Dunno if they're mistaken, or if they really have them in that finish. But given the dubious nature of the registry in general, I'd have to see one to believe it.

Another guy lists his bass as "Blue Emerald (solid color)", but he also lists the body as "swamp ash". I don't know how he can ascertain that wood species without sending a sample to a laboratory for analysis.

Another guy lists his bass with the body as black with "maple cap/mahogany body". Huh?

IOW, people "say" things that are not necessarily factual.

OTOH, if GGJaguar stated any of these things I'd believe it, as he's done extensive research into vintage G&L guitars, including owning a vast array of G&L's for in-hand inspection.

three tone burst/that vintage=no from what I've been
blue emerald over swamp ash is almost certainly transparent.
maple cap/mahogany body=no

 

[jfh2424]

I have to agree that the facts concerning the instruments in the registry are only as good as the the individuals who list them. Often people mean well but are not necessarily knowledgeable.

 

[Glazenn]

Thanks. I've seen that registry before. I just now searched L-2000E/1981/All colors. The thing to remember about that info..... it's entered by individual owners, many of whom are likely to have entered wrong info by mistake. I suspect that the folks entering "2-tone burst" on mahogany body are actually looking at Tobacco Burst. The one "Silver Metallic" guy adds that it's in fact a refin.

First thing I noticed is that no one listed their bass as having a poplar body...but poplar is well established to have been one of the "white woods" commonly used in the early years. A couple owners listed their basses as having "alder" bodies, which are more likely actually poplar (or maybe even maple), as alder is well known to have not been used until around '84. One guy listed his hardware as black "textured" (aka black crinkle), which would not be correct for '81. Maybe he meant "black painted", which would be, especially for late '81, along with the occasional black and chrome "mixed" hardware.

Three were entered as "3-tone burst" over mahogany body. Dunno if they're mistaken, or if they really have them in that finish. But given the dubious nature of the registry in general, I'd have to see one to believe it.

Another guy lists his bass as "Blue Emerald (solid color)", but he also lists the body as "swamp ash". I don't know how he can ascertain that wood species without sending a sample to a laboratory for analysis.

Another guy lists his bass with the body as black with "maple cap/mahogany body". Huh?

IOW, people "say" things that are not necessarily factual.

OTOH, if GGJaguar stated any of these things I'd believe it, as he's done extensive research into vintage G&L guitars, including owning a vast array of G&L's for in-hand inspection.

I agree, when filing their instrument in the registry, people just pick a color from a dropdown list and some can be wrong just by ignorance.

 

[Iridescentone]

three tone burst/that vintage=no from what I've been
blue emerald over swamp ash is almost certainly transparent.
maple cap/mahogany body=no

That's what I was thinking, I've seen a couple Clear Blue/ash ones that have discolored so badly that they look like "teal" more than anything, but the ash grain was still mostly visible.

Maybe Duke over at The Owl Farm will chime in with a pic of his pre-production 1980 Cherry Burst L-1000.

Also, I seem to recall someone on the Dudepit having an '81 L-2000E in Metallic Gold. Was it bdgotoh? Maybe he'll chime in too.

I had a lead on a supposedly all original '81 Gold Metallic L-1000. It was for sale at a shop in Austin, TX. I spoke with them on the phone about it, the dude sounded like he knew his stuff. He offered to send me pics, but I didn't bother as the bass was priced higher than what I was willing to pay for it. Plus, it was on consignment and the owner had the price set firmly, and non-negotiable. Fascinatingly (or not) the bass was said to have been bought new in '81 by the woman who had it on consignment. Looking back, maybe I should have forged ahead and bought the thing.

Disclaimer: I'm fully aware that all this is extremely geeky but I can't help it, sorry. lol

 

[Glazenn]

Is this 1981 L-1000 in 3 TSB likely refinished?

 

[Iridescentone]

I'm very surprised to hear all of this. I was watching G&L closely during '81, actually hoping for a more diverse range of colors, but was told "this is what there is" (clear plus 3 "transparent" color finishes. I guess I'd love to hear from anyone who has an '81 that's NOT clear, blue, red, or green. That would be cool, if true (even if it means I was misled way back when). My clear finish has aged nicely, BTW.

True dat, finish choices were pretty limited. CAR was on the finish list from the beginning though, and was still available in '81 for sure. Here's my '81.

 

[Iridescentone]

Is this 1981 L-1000 in 3 TSB likely refinished?

No, it does not look refin'd! Yikes, did you find a "grail"?

That's some hard evidence, my friend. I stand corrected if that is indeed an '81. Do you have a serial # ?

 

[Iridescentone]

Nevermind the serial #. I can see large hex poles in one of the close-up pics. That means 1980 or early 1981 if the pickup is original to the bass, and I don't see why it shouldn't be.

Amazing bass, wish it were mine.

 

[mpdd]

alright, gotta teach art history tonight and then head out to fullerton in the morning, i'll try to snap some pics, gonna bring the full frame nikon and the iphone 6s

 

[Glazenn]

No, it does not look refin'd! Yikes, did you find a "grail"?
That's some hard evidence, my friend. I stand corrected if that is indeed an '81. Do you have a serial # ?

Thank you Templar, I know you are an expert, and that you want facts.
I was misled with all those fancy inputs in the registry, that I wrongly trusted.
Anyway, once every suspect color has been screened, the registry is a good source for a reliable 1981 color chart.

The L1000 picture was just picked up from the Google search I mentioned above.
There is a 6 picture album of this bass when moving with the side arrows.
Also available here: Tripblue
The serial# is hidden (wouldn't it be stamped on the bridge, in front of the saddles?).
It looks like swamp ash to me.
Not in the registry (no owner named 'tripblue', 1981 3TSB L1000s are only 6, of which 5 are mahogany, and the 6th one has a rosewood FB).

 

[Iridescentone]

Thank you Templar, I know you are an expert, and that you want facts.
I was misled with all those fancy inputs in the registry, that I wrongly thought they were reliable.
Anyway, once every suspect color has been screened, this is a good source for a 'certified' list.
The picture was just picked up from the Google search I mentioned above.
There are 6 pictures of this bass when moving with the side arrows.
It looks like swamp ash to me.

Thanks but I'm not an expert, I just know a few odd facts from personal experience.

That G&L Registry would be more useful if pics of each bass were included.

The sunburst L-1000 is very interesting, in that it has large-hex pole pieces. The serial # might reveal something about that bass.

 

[Glazenn]

Hey, guys, have a look...

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Thanks bassesbyleo