I can only speak for myself but it wouldn't have any impact on my decision.
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If I remember correctly, G&L only started doing fairly recently. So if you bought the bass 10 years ago, chances are it didn't come with one. How old is it?Thanks, guys. As I was starting to do some research to determine how to price it, that seemed to be something that was part of most G&L sales I saw. So I figured it was worth asking about. I appreciate the input!
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FAQs | G&L Musical Instruments
www.glguitars.com
"G&L instruments produced since mid-2010 are shipped with a Custom Build Specifications sheet which includes the date the instrument was completed."
Do you have the COA?
When I bought my '96 new, it didn't have the COA in the case - must have went missing somewhere. Luckily, I noticed that G&L was offering replacement COA's for about $35. I got it in around '20 or '21…took me long enough…
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Thanks, guys. As I was starting to do some research to determine how to price it, that seemed to be something that was part of most G&L sales I saw. So I figured it was worth asking about. I appreciate the input!
It was worth asking about. A complete suite of factory case candy goodies is an extra enticement for some buyers. There has to be some value to that. I have no clue how to calculate it, though. lol
I have a nice G&L, and a COA was quite irrelevant. I don't think it matters a bit.
My pleasure!
I'm not sure what year it is, I think the seller mentioned it in the messages we were trading. He had neck issues at one point and sent it back to G&L for a new neck, but asked them for a markerless maple fretboard rather than the original rosewood and added a matching headstock. And, since it was back at the factory, he also had them add the K-mod (replaced the series/parallel switch with a series/single/parallel switch).
Also, that's an older picture. I replaced the black knobs with G&L chrome knobs to give it a more consistent look.
Odd story about G&L. Back around 2002 I went on an insane (don't ask) OCD trip re their newly introduced JB-2. Finally, I thought....a proper G&L jazz bass with a normal pair of s/c pickups! And sans the contour body shape, to boot. Great! Got a couple used ebay ones right away at sweet prices due to the infamous "spring ping" issue. The ping noise was really bad with those microphonic JB-2 singles, so folks were dumping their JB-2's for cheap (unbeknownst to them that the fix was easy, and free).
Then one day I see a bunch of brand new G&L basses and guitars listed on ebay, all from the same seller. All the guitars and basses were priced the same, $800. All of them had sweet factory upgrades, mostly figured maple tops. All were brand new, came with full factory warranties, molded cases, and paperwork as seen in the pic below. Seller (Robert something) only accepted USPS money orders as payment, to be mailed to a P.O. Box in Fullerton, CA. So I grab the Redburst one. Loved it.
The next week, I had to grab another JB-2 from this seller. This Tobaccoburst one below, same price. It arrived missing its COA. Contact the seller who says he must have forgotten it. He mails me a blank COA form for me to fill in the serial # myself. That pretty much confirmed what I suspected was going on with all these new fancy G&L's on ebay. This Robert dude must have been a G&L employee charged with the task of dumping some upgraded guitars at wholesale prices "out the back door" for whatever reason. I might have grabbed another one the next week, but they were all sold by then. That particular seller was never to be seen on ebay again.
The Redburst...
The Tobaccoburst...
Then one day I see a bunch of brand new G&L basses and guitars listed on ebay, all from the same seller. All the guitars and basses were priced the same, $800. All of them had sweet factory upgrades, mostly figured maple tops. All were brand new, came with full factory warranties, molded cases, and paperwork as seen in the pic below. Seller (Robert something) only accepted USPS money orders as payment, to be mailed to a P.O. Box in Fullerton, CA. So I grab the Redburst one. Loved it.
The next week, I had to grab another JB-2 from this seller. This Tobaccoburst one below, same price. It arrived missing its COA. Contact the seller who says he must have forgotten it. He mails me a blank COA form for me to fill in the serial # myself. That pretty much confirmed what I suspected was going on with all these new fancy G&L's on ebay. This Robert dude must have been a G&L employee charged with the task of dumping some upgraded guitars at wholesale prices "out the back door" for whatever reason. I might have grabbed another one the next week, but they were all sold by then. That particular seller was never to be seen on ebay again.
The Redburst...
The Tobaccoburst...
That redburst is spectacular!
(and so was that price!)
Wow, hard to say which I like better. I love the Tobacco Burst because ... Tobacco Burst! But the binding on the red burst is a not-to-common feature that I always go gaga for.
I'm being a bit lazy and not researching this properly ….can anyone tell me when the recent poor quality issues were happening?
I've had several GL basses from 2015-2018,plus a bass from 2001. (All of which have been great).
I've read their qc got terrible, or that they were using shoddy trussrods, but can't recall the timeline.
(Full Disclosure, I'm looking online at a bass made Mid April in 2022.)
I've had several GL basses from 2015-2018,plus a bass from 2001. (All of which have been great).
I've read their qc got terrible, or that they were using shoddy trussrods, but can't recall the timeline.
(Full Disclosure, I'm looking online at a bass made Mid April in 2022.)
I know from personal experience that they experienced truss rod issues around 2006, don't know how wide the window. I do know they fixed them at the time.
Pretty sure the truss rod issues weren't resolved until later 2023.
I have a SB-2T from early 2022 and, while the truss rod isn't broken, it doesn't do much when adjusting it. That said, it's a very stable neck and has stayed straight with a few different string types and gauges.
Edit to add that I am in Southern California where I don't need to do much weather related adjustments.
I also had to take it back to G&L for some shoddy fretwork. Two of the frets were cut shorter than the width of the fretboard and had to be replaced. But with the frets fixed, it's a great bass and I play it all the time.
I've had 2 kilotons and 2 jbs made between 2017 and 2021 with no build or qc issues at all, really responding to Woody here.
My SB-1's first duff neck was July 2022, its equally duff replacement was April 2024.
In between those two, in Jan 2023 they produced an absolute marvel for my LB-100.
In between those two, in Jan 2023 they produced an absolute marvel for my LB-100.
Thanks, All, for your input.
I really don't know if I even want another bass, but I'm curious…..
I really don't know if I even want another bass, but I'm curious…..
I don't think they ever resolved the root cause of the dual action truss welds breaking. In my mind, any instrument from when they implememted it in 2013 through the end is susceptible. Then there is the 2006 thing where they introduced a new non compression truss design that was bad on rollout. They were changing a lot of little things in the 2000s.
For these reasons, I only browse 80s or 90s instruments as they seem the least likely to have issues.
For these reasons, I only browse 80s or 90s instruments as they seem the least likely to have issues.
