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G&L Club Part 7

#30,981
TDR1138 said:
I recall seeing a photo of one with the control plate only having two switches, omitting the active switch (and the little outcropping for it on the control plate). Don't recall if it was in an old print ad or promo or just a shot of a prototype. About as elusive as that L-2000 with the Saber pickup spacing.

Or it could just be the Mandela effect and one never existed. :wacky:
Click to expand...

I would not be surprised if there are some early L2000 out there. Certainly less common than the L2000E if they are out there though.

One of the early brochures I have has the L2000 with Sabre spacing and 4 toggle switches.
 
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#30,982
My L2K has a preamp and isn't an E. You can still see Fullerton Deluxe L2Ks on the Build to Order section of the website, I don't think they've told Greg O'Rocket Music what the price is yet, he hasn't posted it. I'm estimating $1899 which is what the BTO CLF Research L2K and the M2K go for.
 
#30,983
MrB64 said:
My L2K has a preamp and isn't an E. You can still see Fullerton Deluxe L2Ks on the Build to Order section of the website, I don't think they've told Greg O'Rocket Music what the price is yet, he hasn't posted it. I'm estimating $1899 which is what the BTO CLF Research L2K and the M2K go for.
Click to expand...

They stopped the E labeling in the 80s. Modern L2K are equivalent to the E series from the early 80s (basically; they did change the series parallel switch along the way to remove the treble bleed cap on series).
 
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#30,984
Hi all! I recently picked up a minty used Fullerton Deluxe LB-100 in Vintage Tobacco Burst with rosewood fretboard.
IMG_3431.jpeg


I don't know why I waited so long to get a P-bass, this is the quintessential bass tone I've been hearing in my head (and everywhere else) for all these years!

The action felt a bit too high when I received it, so I did a setup this morning. I adjusted the truss rode and saddles, and the action is now slightly lower, but still higher than I would like. The lower frets feel pretty good, which is why I think the saddles need to come down, but the G-string saddle is already as low as it will go. Does this mean a neck shim is needed to lower the action further? Have any of you had to do something similar for an LB-100?
 
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#30,985
EricOnTheBass said:
Hi all! I recently picked up a minty used Fullerton Deluxe LB-100 in Vintage Tobacco Burst with rosewood fretboard.
View attachment 5468534

I don't know why I waited so long to get a P-bass, this is the quintessential bass tone I've been hearing in my head (and everywhere else) for all these years!

The action felt a bit too high when I received it, so I did a setup this morning. I adjusted the truss rode and saddles, and the action is now slightly lower, but still higher than I would like. The lower frets feel pretty good, which is why I think the saddles need to come down, but the G-string saddle is already as low as it will go. Does this mean a neck shim is needed to lower the action further? Have any of you had to do something similar for an LB-100?
Click to expand...
I did not have to shim either of mine. They setup to a very low action. Great necks too!

Unfortunately, the odd specimen will need a shim.

Great looking bass, I hope you can get it to where you want the action to be.
 
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#30,986
EricOnTheBass said:
Hi all! I recently picked up a minty used Fullerton Deluxe LB-100 in Vintage Tobacco Burst with rosewood fretboard.
View attachment 5468534

I don't know why I waited so long to get a P-bass, this is the quintessential bass tone I've been hearing in my head (and everywhere else) for all these years!

The action felt a bit too high when I received it, so I did a setup this morning. I adjusted the truss rode and saddles, and the action is now slightly lower, but still higher than I would like. The lower frets feel pretty good, which is why I think the saddles need to come down, but the G-string saddle is already as low as it will go. Does this mean a neck shim is needed to lower the action further? Have any of you had to do something similar for an LB-100?
Click to expand...

What a horrible specimen of a bass! Send it to me at once for proper disposal!


Seriously, that thing is gorgeous, and I've had many a bass with a shim, including my older LB-100, so not something I'd balk at.
 
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#30,987
EricOnTheBass said:
Hi all! I recently picked up a minty used Fullerton Deluxe LB-100 in Vintage Tobacco Burst with rosewood fretboard.
View attachment 5468534

I don't know why I waited so long to get a P-bass, this is the quintessential bass tone I've been hearing in my head (and everywhere else) for all these years!

The action felt a bit too high when I received it, so I did a setup this morning. I adjusted the truss rode and saddles, and the action is now slightly lower, but still higher than I would like. The lower frets feel pretty good, which is why I think the saddles need to come down, but the G-string saddle is already as low as it will go. Does this mean a neck shim is needed to lower the action further? Have any of you had to do something similar for an LB-100?
Click to expand...
I've had to shim about 20-25% of the G&Ls that I have or had. After doing so, they played great.
 
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#30,989
EricOnTheBass said:
Ok sounds like it's not unheard of. I'll take it to a technician for that part. I don't want to try anything other than basic adjustments.
Click to expand...

Just dropped off my recently purchased (used) L2k at my tech to have it shimmed. The action was low, but not as low as I want it. After I get it back, I suspect I will want the action on my JB & Kiloton even lower as well. Don't know if that will require a shim for them, but I like really low action and if a shim is required to get them to where I want them, so be it.
 
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#30,990
RL5 said:
Just dropped off my recently purchased (used) L2k at my tech to have it shimmed. The action was low, but not as low as I want it. After I get it back, I suspect I will want the action on my JB & Kiloton even lower as well. Don't know if that will require a shim for them, but I like really low action and if a shim is required to get them to where I want them, so be it.
Click to expand...
I was given a word of caution about shimming a G&L neck, so I'll pass it on. While I have shimmed necks on G&L basses with no issues, I've been told to make sure not to over-tighten the neck bolts. Just tighten them enough to hold the neck snugly against the the body. This is especially true, I'm told, when it comes to the center bolts. Supposedly, this helps prevent "ski jumping." I'm not saying this is true. It's just something I've been told by some folks who are more knowledgeable about G&L basses than I am. I have followed this advice and have had no issues with the basses I've shimmed.
 
#30,991
jglunt said:
I was given a word of caution about shimming a G&L neck, so I'll pass it on. While I have shimmed necks on G&L basses with no issues, I've been told to make sure not to over-tighten the neck bolts. Just tighten them enough to hold the neck snugly against the the body. This is especially true, I'm told, when it comes to the center bolts. Supposedly, this helps prevent "ski jumping." I'm not saying this is true. It's just something I've been told by some folks who are more knowledgeable about G&L basses than I am. I have followed this advice and have had no issues with the basses I've shimmed.
Click to expand...

That's not just G&L, but goes for every bass. You want to place shim directly under the forward screws, to the front of the pocket. Tighten those down so they are compressing the shim. The other screws need to be tightened just snug, without putting any force onto the neck that would cause the gap created by the slight change in angle to compress, if that makes sense. This would be especially true for a 6-bolt neck where you have 4 bolts "floating", but still holds for any bolt-on configuration.

Shimming is no big deal, you just have to consider the whole geometric system, find the touch-points, and understand where to apply force and where to not apply force.
 
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#30,992
Interesting.
I have an M2500 I bought used on TB my luthier said has a slight ski jump. I'm wondering if I loosen the screws would the ski jump go away or what I would need to do to correct it.
I did talk to G&L. They recommend a new neck. That would be $700.00. I could see doing this if there isn't another way. This bass is really beautiful and sounds fantastic.
Thoughts and suggestions will be appreciated.
 
#30,993
Gravedigger Dav said:
Interesting.
I have an M2500 I bought used on TB my luthier said has a slight ski jump. I'm wondering if I loosen the screws would the ski jump go away or what I would need to do to correct it.
I did talk to G&L. They recommend a new neck. That would be $700.00. I could see doing this if there isn't another way. This bass is really beautiful and sounds fantastic.
Thoughts and suggestions will be appreciated.
Click to expand...

Minor ski jump can be addressed with a little fretwork - just knocking down the problem area a little. If that would take too much off the frets, you could remove the frets and level the fretboard at the end, and refret that section (much easier/cheaper on a rosewood fretboard than maple). Option 3 is heat treatment to straighten things out. Any of these would be a bit cheaper than $700, but they're all repairs that don't 100% address the root of the issue. Though they can also be viable repairs that never need work again.
 
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#30,999
#31,000
deepestend said:
Just resurfacing this link... I had been thinking about a new pickguard for my '85 SB-1 for a while but hadn't really pursued it. Randomly came across a pickguardian link on TB yesterday for exactly the model I have. Resharing it just in case it helps anyone: https://pickguardheaven.com/product/pg-6052-g-l-sb-1-bass-pre-1994/
Click to expand...
They make excellent pickguards for early G&Ls. My understanding is that they were the people who did the original pickguards for G&L. They can also make a few recent USA models like the Kiloton because its design hasn't changed. And if they don't have a template, you can send them your original PG and they'll make a template from it. They made mine for my 2018 Kiloton and my slightly customized one for my SB-2. They are a bit pricey, but very high quality IMO. And their variety is endless. (I have no affiliation with them.)
 
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