G&L Club Part 7

[Ricky Rioli]

Love my l-1000 s750s, I have 2 and both are actually 9lbs or less. I think one is 8.75. Snatched it up as soon as I saw that.

Greg has a basswood L-1000 series 750 for sale that's listed as 8.6 lbs

G&L L-1000 Series 750 Turquoise / Caribbean Rosewood

Description The new L-1000 Series 750 is the latest G&L five string bass featuring 19mm string spacing at the bridge, just like Leo Fender’s four-string basses. Series 750 refers to an SAE measurement of “three-quarter-inch” string spacing: 3/4″ = 0.750″ = 19.03mm = nineteen millimeters. L-1000...

www.rocketmusicshop.com

He also has a purple empress CLF Research L-1000 that's 7.3 lb

 

[/\/\3phist0]

Out of curiosity, what are considered G&L's golden years?

I'll be avidly watching these developments, as a fond L-2000 owner and someone who has always appreciated G&L's role in the bass ecosystem as an unassuming maker of practical and well-designed instruments. The suddenness of this is very concerning, and my heart goes out to the folks whose jobs are on the line.

For many the early 80's through early 90's are the most desired era.

The surviving numbers are low, and they were handmade with care, hand wound pickups, with well aged wood, (much was warehoused from pre CBS era) and was the supply of wood that was used to build the pre Ernie Ball Stingrays , which are highly desirable.

Quarter sawn necks, dense dark rosewood fretboards, nitro finishes.

 

[/\/\3phist0]

View attachment 7327871

John Cruz (luthier) - Wikipedia

en.m.wikipedia.org

 

[axxtion]

I went by G&L today as I had to get some material from my buddy's machine shop across the parking lot from G&L. Only a couple of cars in their parking lot.

 

[axxtion]

I went by G&L today as I had to get some material from my buddy's machine shop across the parking lot from G&L. Only a couple of cars in their parking lot.View attachment 7328305

 

[Ricky Rioli]

Not pictured: the vans belonging to the guys doing the office renovations

 

[Lucky Chuck]

Oh, that's right ... they're closed for "office renovations." This is not good.

 

[/\/\3phist0]

Oh, that's right ... they're closed for "office renovations." This is not good.

More likely removing the office name tags for the McLaren siblings.

 

[Wood and Wire]

Not pictured: the vans belonging to the guys doing the office renovations

Oh, that's right ... they're closed for "office renovations." This is not good.

Yeah, that's the exact same cover story GAK had in their window, when word had already got out that they were going out of business.

R.I.P.


I guess "renovations" is the new industry standard euphemism.

 

[rogerbmiller]

The Fender thing can go either way. I personally don't think there is a huge market for G and L instruments. I almost never see pros playing them or working musicians gigging them.

If that's the case then the best scenario is Fender keeps the line alive to honor their mutual Founder's legacy. More likely though, models that don't sell will be cut and it will be down to the flagship models only.

Worst case scenario, things go the way of some of Fenders other buried brands but I cannot imagine they would buy and bury a company already on the brink.

So my bet is a streamline offering and some Of the more obscure models get dropped.

 

[CrimsonGhost]

It would be really weird if fender bought g&l they will probably just start pumping out $1500+ Mexican g&l's and milk the whole Leo Fender thing. It would be kind of weird but if they bought the IP and shelved it as people may feel it was a slap in the face to Leo fender. Marketing wise they are really so much alike in many ways its just an odd fit in their portfolio business wise. It would definetly hurt the identity, some people just don't want to buy another fender.

 

[Pep]

View attachment 7328306

Any possibility you check that again on Monday?

 

[axxtion]

Any possibility you check that again on Monday?

Yeah, I can check again on Monday. I was there both yesterday and today with only a couple of cars in the parking lot. My buddy's business is directly across the parking lot. He is the one that told me Fender has bought them, but I cannot confirm it.

 

[Hawk620]

More likely removing the office name tags for the McLaren siblings.

That might be a good start.

I still believe that in the right hands with deeper pockets G&L is still a viable brand. But I also feel whoever owns it may be faced with a choice of how best to operate it profitably. It's tough to see how if they remain in that facility as broken up as it is that they can effectively produce the number of different models they currently offer unless much of it goes back to BTO status with BTO pricing.

Or they get an infusion of capital, move to a new facility, hire better production management, and a firm to help build the brand to a more recognizable and popular status. I think there's still a niche they can fill but players need to be aware of how G&L product differs from Fender and what kind of value they offer in comparison. That seems to be how they got off the ground to begin with.

 

[BruceG68]

It would be really weird if fender bought g&l they will probably just start pumping out $1500+ Mexican g&l's and milk the whole Leo Fender thing. It would be kind of weird but if they bought the IP and shelved it as people may feel it was a slap in the face to Leo fender. Marketing wise they are really so much alike in many ways its just an odd fit in their portfolio business wise. It would definetly hurt the identity, some people just don't want to buy another fender.

I'm one of those that don't want to buy another Fender as my last Precision I bought was bad right from the factory (trussrod) and when I then went to a G+L Fullerton Deluxe JB what a difference.I would never go back to Fender.But to each their own.

 

[TomB]

Back in the '80's and 90's G&L got their product into lots of small shops; not in Fender shops (which were not everyone back then), and not in large quantities, but they were visible and playable, American-made, high quality (mostly) and very price-competitive.

They did find a niche among touring country artists, at least initially.

Their numbers were never large, but their quality seemed to wake up an awareness of head-to-head competition over at the Fender shop, who slowly upped their game over the same period. I expect they were also an inspiration for the Sadowskys and Laklands et al who realized there was a place for upgraded Fender designs, and there still is.

As someone who has owned and played maybe a dozen G&L's since 1981 (one left now), watching its slow decline, and reading about it here, makes me sad. I do hope future ownership finds a place for them in today's market.

 

[80jazz]

It's tough to see how if they remain in that facility as broken up as it is that they can effectively produce the number of different models they currently offer unless much of it goes back to BTO status with BTO pricing.

This is what I suspect happens.

 

[Danny C]

I'm sad yet glad I still have one. This was special ordered by someone that never picked it up. The body is empress so it's extremely light weight.

 

[/\/\3phist0]

Mongrel:
85 reverse sickle head
Mated with a modern LB 100 body
The Prototype MFD split coil.

 

[PNC7]

Where G&L has shined for me personally is the basses/pickups that you won't find in the Fender line (Kiloton, Fallout, etc). Maybe there's some opportunity to focus on those if they were bought out.