G&L Club Part 7

[Ricky Rioli]

I think I'll be reversing the pickup on my SB-1 fairly soon. The way I play this bass, playing across the strings all the time, not interested in thunderous lows etc, would suit a reverse P.

I recall seeing a lefty SB-2 on here which had a reversed P. Blue, iirc.

Given the lemon of a neck, I don't need to worry about destroying value

 

[Ricky Rioli]

Realised something interesting this weekend. I've just bought a cheap Yamaha TRBX PJ. It has a 1 + 9/16" nut, so a little more narrow than my G&Ls which are both 1 + 5/8".

However, the strings are further apart. From center of the E to the center of the G on the Yamaha is 1 + 19/64", with little distance to the edge of the fretboard. On my G&Ls the distance is just 1 + 12/64" on one, and 1 + 13/64" on the other, with masses of space between the string and the fretboard edge.

 

[ShawnG]

Realised something interesting this weekend. I've just bought a cheap Yamaha TRBX PJ. It has a 1 + 9/16" nut, so a little more narrow than my G&Ls which are both 1 + 5/8".

However, the strings are further apart. From center of the E to the center of the G on the Yamaha is 1 + 19/64", with little distance to the edge of the fretboard. On my G&Ls the distance is just 1 + 12/64" on one, and 1 + 13/64" on the other, with masses of space between the string and the fretboard edge.

I've got a Sadowsky with a 1 1/2" neck and the strings at the nut are very close to the width of the stings on my 1 5/8" necks (it uses a 20mm bridge). It's by far my favorite 1 1/2 necked instrument, easier for me to navigate near the nut.
Funny how these things are less standard than you'd think they'd be!!

 

[jglunt]

I think I'll be reversing the pickup on my SB-1 fairly soon. The way I play this bass, playing across the strings all the time, not interested in thunderous lows etc, would suit a reverse P.

I recall seeing a lefty SB-2 on here which had a reversed P. Blue, iirc.

Given the lemon of a neck, I don't need to worry about destroying value

I've always preferred a reverse P pickup, and it's easy enough to do. Back in the late '80s, I rebuilt an Ibanez Roadstar pawn-shop-find bass into a PJ using a reverse P. It had no pickguard, so I rebuilt the entire top and refinished it. It ended up sounding great and looking...well...OK. With the SB-1, all it would take is a new pickguard and a little bit of routing that would be hidden by the pickguard.

 

[Ricky Rioli]

I think I'll be reversing the pickup on my SB-1 fairly soon.

Finally found a nice clear bass cover played on a reverse P that makes a similar kind of sound to an MFD split



I'll definitely be getting on with this. Just need to find a helpful pg maker.

 

[JPJ]

Looks like the G&L Custom Shop has been doing some really interesting finishing work and limited runs for countries outside of the U.S. lately. I've been an ASAT guitar owner since the early/mid '90s, but have never been able to pull the trigger on a bass....yet. I know that they've recently brought in some new resources to manage the business and have been doing some interesting projects with YouTubers (Phil McKnight, for one).

For those who have been more involved that me over the years, are you seeing new trends, progress, and excitement around the brand, or is it the same-ole', same-ole' as far as you're concerned? Personally, I'm more interested in G&L that I've been in years, if not ever.

 

[ahbass2500]

Looks like the G&L Custom Shop has been doing some really interesting finishing work and limited runs for countries outside of the U.S. lately. I've been an ASAT guitar owner since the early/mid '90s, but have never been able to pull the trigger on a bass....yet. I know that they've recently brought in some new resources to manage the business and have been doing some interesting projects with YouTubers (Phil McKnight, for one).

For those who have been more involved that me over the years, are you seeing new trends, progress, and excitement around the brand, or is it the same-ole', same-ole' as far as you're concerned? Personally, I'm more interested in G&L that I've been in years, if not ever.

The brand has been growing for years. There are pros/cons to that. On the pro side, the custom shop is getting larger and brand recognition is going up. On the cons side, turnaround times for repairs has grown extensively and accuracy of build/quality control issues seem to pop up more in the thread than they used to. It is not clear if this is an increased rate of issues or just more issues due to more instruments rolling out.

 

[TDR1138]

Question for the hive mind…

My 2022 SB-2 is finished in an opaque finish (ruby red metallic). From certain angles, I can see the wood grain pattern in the finish. You probably would not notice it under any normal conditions or if you weren't looking for it.

And before anyone asks, I cannot capture it with a camera in a way to get it to show on a photo. I tried, but no luck.

The gloss finish is perfectly smooth, but I'm wondering if there is a concern with the color coat. Again, it's only visible at certain angles and when the light hits it right. You have to be looking for it.

Both my '93 LB-100 and '93 Legacy have solid finishes (Belair green and black, respectively), and I can see the seam of the body if I look at it right, but not the normal grain pattern. So this just seems odd to me.

I'm just watching it for now, seeing if it changes, but in the back of my mind, I'm debating making a dreaded warranty claim…

 

[Iridescentone]

Question for the hive mind…

My 2022 SB-2 is finished in an opaque finish (ruby red metallic). From certain angles, I can see the wood grain pattern in the finish. You probably would not notice it under any normal conditions or if you weren't looking for it.

And before anyone asks, I cannot capture it with a camera in a way to get it to show on a photo. I tried, but no luck.

The gloss finish is perfectly smooth, but I'm wondering if there is a concern with the color coat. Again, it's only visible at certain angles and when the light hits it right. You have to be looking for it.

Both my '93 LB-100 and '93 Legacy have solid finishes (Belair green and black, respectively), and I can see the seam of the body if I look at it right, but not the normal grain pattern. So this just seems odd to me.

I'm just watching it for now, seeing if it changes, but in the back of my mind, I'm debating making a dreaded warranty claim…

Do you mean the wood grain is lifting up through the finish coat texturally? Or that you can look right through the paint, down to the actual wood, as if maybe not enough finish paint was applied?

 

[TDR1138]

Do you mean the wood grain is lifting up through the finish coat texturally? Or that you can look right through the paint, down to the actual wood, as if maybe not enough finish paint was applied?

It's almost like the color coat is sinking into the grain so that there are tiny wrinkles or depressions in the red layer.

Texturally, for the most part, it's smooth as glass. I can only BARELY feel it where the tummy cut is.

 

[Iridescentone]

It's almost like the color coat is sinking into the grain so that there are tiny wrinkles or depressions in the red layer.

Texturally, for the most part, it's smooth as glass. I can only BARELY feel it where the tummy cut is.

Gotcha. Sorta like the "open pore" finishes we see a lot these days, only not intentional, and to only a small degree?

Someone correct me but I think the open pore finishes are just a cost-savings thing to bypass the pore filling step? Is it possible G&L skimped a little on the pore filling step, and now it's finally showing? Ash body?

 

[TDR1138]

Gotcha. Sorta like the "open pore" finishes we see a lot these days, only not intentional, and to only a small degree?

Someone correct me but I think the open pore finishes are just a cost-savings thing to bypass the pore filling step? Is it possible G&L skimped a little on the pore filling step, and now it's finally showing? Ash body?

Kinda what I'm thinking. Like it wasn't prepped well enough or that the wood wasn't dried enough or something and the color coat is reflecting that.

Alder body, btw.

 

[metron]

It's almost like the color coat is sinking into the grain so that there are tiny wrinkles or depressions in the red layer.

Texturally, for the most part, it's smooth as glass. I can only BARELY feel it where the tummy cut is.

That happens to all my basses. I always assumed it was a small amount of natural shrinkage due to the arid climate in CO. Once they settle in it seems to stay that way. No real consequence as far as I can tell.

 

[LowEndOperative]

I suppose I get to experience G&L service for myself first-hand...the story is, on 7/4 I purchased a Kiloton 5, a great instrument. Monday I took it to my setup tech in SE Michigan and waited for a call-back saying the Kiloton was setup properly. Instead, Wednesday rolls around and my tech calls me and says that as he was adjusting the neck relief, the truss rod broke at the weld, in his words, "sheared right off". It felt like a Battan Death March driving the 40 miles to pick up the wounded Kiloton. The tech called G&L and inquired about a new neck but was told the bass had to get shipped to Fullerton CA because G&L has to fashion at least the neck heel to fit squarely in the neck pocket.

Got the bass back and later called G&L service and finally after many "mailbox full" messages, reached Memo Romero...I requested an RMA via email that I might get a reply soon enough to ship the bass out by today, but two days later, here it sits, no RMA as of yet. It's amazing that once I had this neck issue, I "magically" found all sorts of G&L owners with neck problems, and at Guitars By Leo, I'm reading of 22 to 28 weeks lead time for a neck. Yikes!

And to top it off, the other bass in my rotation, a Ric 4003, recently suffered damage and is being refinished at a shop 120 miles away. I had to pull a Jazz Bass out of the Classifieds here and I imagine I will probably be using it for awhile. Thanks for enduring my rant.

As of yesterday there's an 8 week wait for a replacement neck…but my Ric is finished and in my possession, that'll tide me over well enough.

 

[TDR1138]

That happens to all my basses. I always assumed it was a small amount of natural shrinkage due to the arid climate in CO. Once they settle in it seems to stay that way. No real consequence as far as I can tell.

I'm going to watch it and see if it changes. I'm 30 minutes from the factory, so it's not getting any crazy climate changes. Like I said, I've noticed joint seams through opaque paint on some other basses, but not the actual patterns in the wood grain. Maybe I'm used to stuff that's glooped on thicker?

 

[Glazenn]

Pristine G&L M-2500 RW-HB for sale on Reverb (no affiliation).
I wonder why one cannot see any serial number on the headstock... nor elsewhere...

 

[ahbass2500]

Pristine G&L M-2500 RW-HB for sale on Reverb.
I wonder why one cannot see any serial number on the headstock... or elsewhere...

Strange. Does not really look like it ever had a serial number on it. Maybe that is a replacement neck? Parts bass using parts from the G&L webstore?

 

[Glazenn]

Strange. Does not really look like it ever had a serial number on it. Maybe that is a replacement neck? Parts bass using parts from the G&L webstore?

Thank you.
Might well be the truth !
However, on a G&L webstore discounted neck, the logo and model number would not have been so nicely printed... nor even there...

I'm going to get mine next week, hopefully

 

[jglunt]

Strange. Does not really look like it ever had a serial number on it. Maybe that is a replacement neck? Parts bass using parts from the G&L webstore?

When I had G&L replace the neck on my '08 SB-2, they put the same serial number on the back of the headstock as the original had. However, your point about it having a clearance neck from the G&L webstore is a good one. The flip side of that is, how did a clearance M2500 neck suddenly appear? The M2500 has to be the least ordered BTO bass that G&L offers. They seem to actively avoid publicizing the M2x00 basses. They're not even listed with the others when you hover over the bass button on the home page of the website. You have to go to the actual BTO page to find one listed. So how did they happen to have a spare M2500 neck laying around? I messaged the seller asking about it.

 

[ahbass2500]

When I had G&L replace the neck on my '08 SB-2, they put the same serial number on the back of the headstock as the original had. However, your point about it having a clearance neck from the G&L webstore is a good one. The flip side of that is, how did a clearance M2500 neck suddenly appear? The M2500 has to be the least ordered BTO bass that G&L offers. They seem to actively avoid publicizing the M2x00 basses. They're not even listed with the others when you hover over the bass button on the home page of the website. You have to go to the actual BTO page to find one listed. So how did they happen to have a spare M2500 neck laying around? I messaged the seller asking about it.

It is a Tribute not a US one. I had a similar experience with serial number being printed on the replacement neck when my Kilo 5 had the neck replaced.