Playing my SB-1 lately. I think the Okoume wood body works well with the Old School Tobbaco Sunburst.
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i've got a 2024 okume L2000 with a rw neck, might have been a sweetwater special edition
imo the tone is more useable than that of my old black mahogany black control plate L2000
Haven't posted in the G&L club in a long time!.... had to go digging for my #.... 112.... Anyway, here is my '87 SB1 I bought new back in '88. It has been serving string testing and breakin duty for the last several years..... I threw on a set of LaBella Olintos, and they are absolutely killer on it!.... so much so that it will go back into my rotation..... Thump machine! I threw on a bridge and knobs from a trashed L1000 (original parts bagged up and put away) in order to tame the '80's visual vibe it was exuding. Still one of the greatest neck profiles ever!
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My first real amp was an Ampeg BA115 v1. It was decent. Then I had a Peavey Mark IV with a 15-18" + 2x 10" cab that weighed more than I do. That one was decent, too.
Now-a-days I'm using an Ampeg BA210 v2. That was a rushed decision on my way to band practice the day before a show. lol. It does sound pretty good. Especially with the MJ-4.
Otherwise, I'm either running straight from 2x Tech21 NYC GED-2112 SansAmp racks or a Mod: Dwarf. Still configuring what amp & cab sims I like but, it's a fantastic OSHW / libre software everything effects box.
If I had to buy an amp for bass, it'd be from Genzler.
For 6-string cello guitar, it's going to be Ashdown Engineering: Head Of Doom.
Eventually, I'll be building a custom bass rig with active crossovers, subwoofers, and PA amps.
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A stereo (TRS) jack is used with most active preamps to disconnect the battery, to keep it from being drained when the bass is not plugged in. The L-2000 should have one from the factory, but mine did not, so the battery would drain even when the bass was in its case. All fixed now.
I concur. I have two fretted/fretless pairs of SB1's, but SB2's, most of them earlier ones, are my fave (several) without the added tone control, which I despise. The SB1's tone control sounds more linear and better than one added to an SB-2. Having two different pickups with very diverse outputs already loading the circuit, an added tone control changes that load, blend and dims the over all sound. I've experimented quite a bit on various years of SB2's (fretted and fretless) with the tone control in and out of the circuit. I find blending them as Leo intended is far superior and there are a fair amount of P bass tones in there. Even more if you detent the neck pickup and go from there. It does take work to discover them and for years I would pretty much just set it at the one I liked best. Sure, an SB2 can be quite bright depending on strings and whether you pick or finger. Mostly, I finger. I understand why some prefer the fast and easier method of using a tone control. To each their own. Here's my '89.
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This has been depressing me a bit lately. When I heard about this months ago, I thought it was just wild rumours. Then I thought they had simply decided to shut down the online store on their website to consumers. Last week I was daydreaming & planning custom builds. Even wrote a whole blog post about how I liked G&L and that people who are interested in Fenders (or Squires) should check out the good stuff.
Alas, they really are gone. What's worse is they were bought by FMIC / Servco Pacific. Some investment firm. Blech!
I was hoping if it were to come to this, they could've found a smaller company.
Maybe Schecter could have taken over. Their US shop only sells boring G&L imitations as it is -- the typical body shapes and such; no bat inlays or anything. Would've been a good upgrade for them.
Dean/Luna could use the extra pizzazz these days after their battle with Gibson that they won then lost >_>; Or, whichever other company.
I was hoping G&L would venture out and start offering 6+ string basses. Multiscale / fanned frets. More metal-looking body shapes. Or whatever else. Broaden their horizons and reach new audiences. They'd have to preface everything with how they're still offering the classics so people don't get their panties in a bunch. Who knows if it would've worked.
BBE Sound could've been used as the name for anything. They could've begun making outboard preamps, more effects pedals and rack gear. They could've done so much money. I bet even crowd funding preorders would've been possible. For some stuff at least.
The only problem I was aware of was that they couldn't keep up with the demand for BTO / custom shop instruments. To me, that sounds like they're doing pretty well and the only issue is they're stuck in a weird spot trying to get over a hurdle to be a bigger company.
G&L, Leo Fender’s last Orange County guitar company, has shut down
G&L Musical Instruments, which made guitars, basses and other gear on Fender Avenue in Fullerton since 1980, quietly closed down last month.www.ocregister.com
OC locals!!
Dumpsters full of pickups and bridges?!
Holy moly!!
Legendary Leo Fender-founded guitar brand G&L reportedly shutting down – with Fender acquiring its intellectual property
Over the past few weeks, reports have surfaced suggesting that G&L – the guitar company Leo Fender co-founded in 1979 – may be in the middle of a quiet but complete shutdown.guitar.com
Looks like MIRC , Reverb, and eBay will be awash in parts.
Fender & Reverb partners with MIRC for a Fender refurbishing “certified used” program.
Fender bought G&L’s IP and Leo’s name.
Damn man if I wasn’t in the middle of moving I’d go by and load a box truck with stuff!!
MIRC
7 Things You Need to Know About Refurbished Guitars from MIRC
And as I predicted: the mclarens have also seemingly closed down BBE also
Thankfully the Way Back Machine captured these! Thanks to whoever may have manually submitted the URLs recently and whoever has donated the project so we can keep information and culture.
Those, as indicated by the URL, are November & October of 2025 website captures. I checked briefly, at least some of the PDFs are available and some of the forum threads are!
Might I suggest people add to the TalkBass Wiki?
I'm usually all on board with DR Strings so you might want to check out their DDT's, or something with a roundcore and nickel. I find they have tonnes of low end. The flatwound Legends are pretty good too.
Call me crazy but, I think they have a bit more mid range. Easy enough to EQ that out and 10-31 band graphic or parametric EQs make the biggest differences. If you don't have a good compressor already, I could make some suggestions or just grab whatever's available on the used market.
My suggestion, based on the only ones I've ever played, is D'Addario tapewounds. They're dark and aggressive. Flatwounds underneath. You could probably make them less demonic sounding but, that's exactly what I was going for.
Another thing you might want. The Juggernaut by Attak Pik. Every time I've tried using one, I can only describe it as "thumpy" so, I've relegated it for use on my cello guitar. (modded a Fallout shortscale bass)
JUGGERNAUT Guitar Picks - Acoustik Attak
JUGGERNAUT guitar picks' step-down designed tip gives a big pick a medium gauge tone on guitar. Huge thumping power on bass. Additional benefits: Warmer, more subtle tone when played normally, but adds bite when you dig in. Produces a thicker darker tone on bass and acoustic More gentle attack...
attakpik.com
See above about Web Archives.I just tried it again. Nope ..... gone.
At this point there's no hope for a G&L comeback but it's interesting that their website is still up and running like nothing ever happened.
Yeah. That's the oddest thing. It's like they're trying to leave it as a relic of the past and pretend nothing ever happened. Maybe they're so short staffed or unable to pay a web admin to make any changes? Maybe it was in the agreement with FMIC that they're going to take over the webpage and continue everything once they've got debts settled and schematics in place to build "G&L by Fender" instruments.
Either way, it's become a pet peeve of mine when Y disappears without a word. It's disrespectful and disingenuous to their fan/user/customer base. The least they could've done would've been to put up a banner announcing the ceasing of operatings and shoot out one final newsletter.
One thing is for sure. I will never buy a FMIC made G&L.
- Aug 21, 2003
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I saw one listed on Sweetwater for $3,500 back in about 2020.
I wonder if they paid for the site in advance and it will stay up until it’s time for another payment. Then it’ll disappear.
I don’t think FMIC has anything to do with it or anything G&L, I seriously doubt they’ll put out any G&L models as Squiers or Tributes or anything. I think the brand is dead and buried, period.
Do you really think they're just gonna let those MFD pickups disappear forever?
I know DylanTalksTone has inspected them and knows how to make them but, I don't know how close he or any other company can get while being able to get around the patents.
I suspect it'll be a few years before we see them desecrate Leo's last works but, if they bought popular ideas that would make additions to their product lines. There's a market. I'm sure they're going to capitalize. I would hope smaller companies will take their shot at pickups with extra large magnets as well, even if they're not quite the same character.
I'm told the patents expired on the MFD pickups and weren't renewed, so you could start winding them in your basement and sell them.
