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G&L Club Part 7

#34,001
Lammchop93 said:
View attachment 7534064

The more I look at this pic, I wonder if it is an early refinish. The 4 black dots in this neck pocket would be where 4 holes for a fender style neck would be. So if someone took a piece of wood to attach the body to use as a handle while painting, this is where the 4 holes would be if that board was previously used on a fender body.

If anyone wants to share pics of their early 80 neck pockets, I'd love to know!
Click to expand...

Okay, now this pic raises some questions in my mind. Is that an "RW" in the pocket? If so, I wonder if it denotes a rosewood fret board for that particular bass? I know that by '82 G&L made the change from ebony to rosewood for their default "dark wood" boards. And that there are always bleed-overs, and special orders. But yours is clearly dated early '81, which we'd expect to see an ebony board there. If the RW does in fact denote rosewood, then why would an early '81 need to be specifically marked for rosewood when ebony was the standard wood? Special order?

Or (and I'm not saying it is) is your board actually unstained ebony that shows more grain in it than usual? It's a fact that G&L didn't stain their ebony boards black like other manufacturers did. Many examples of G&L unstained ebony boards that are multi-colored brown, streaky chocolatey-looking figured ebony in the early years that were often mistaken for rosewood because of the color.

Granted, the grain on your board does look more like rosewood, but not extremely so, for rosewood (IMO). Ebony grain can vary from almost imperceptible, to much more noticeable. Again, not saying yours is ebony, but not excluding the possibility that it could be. Just sayin' ,curious minds...

Check this '81 L-1000 ebony grain...

1783814223318.jpeg


1783814267765.jpeg


Whereas this '81 ebony grain is super tight with very little grain showing at all (sorry no good pic at the moment).

1783814444096.jpeg
 
#34,002
Iridescentone said:
Okay, now this pic raises some questions in my mind. Is that an "RW" in the pocket? If so, I wonder if it denotes a rosewood fret board for that particular bass? I know that by '82 G&L made the change from ebony to rosewood for their default "dark wood" boards. And that there are always bleed-overs, and special orders. But yours is clearly dated early '81, which we'd expect to see an ebony board there. If the RW does in fact denote rosewood, then why would an early '81 need to be specifically marked for rosewood when ebony was the standard wood? Special order?

Or (and I'm not saying it is) is your board actually unstained ebony that shows more grain in it than usual? It's a fact that G&L didn't stain their ebony boards black like other manufacturers did. Many examples of G&L unstained ebony boards that are multi-colored brown, streaky chocolatey-looking figured ebony in the early years that were often mistaken for rosewood because of the color.

Granted, the grain on your board does look more like rosewood, but not extremely so, for rosewood (IMO). Ebony grain can vary from almost imperceptible, to much more noticeable. Again, not saying yours is ebony, but not excluding the possibility that it could be. Just sayin' ,curious minds...

Check this '81 L-1000 ebony grain...

View attachment 7534500

View attachment 7534501

Whereas this '81 ebony grain is super tight with very little grain showing at all (sorry no good pic at the moment).

View attachment 7534502
Click to expand...

I had done research on rosewood and I found a post somewhere that rosewood was a special order option in 80 and 81.

I hadn't even noticed it said RW in the pocket. I couldn't make sense of what it said, but I clearly see it now that you say it.
 
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#34,003
jglunt said:
That weight is outstanding, and the bass is beautiful! Unfortunately, my new Tribute JB is the heaviest bass I own, and I actually own a Peavey T-40. The JB weighs in at 10 lbs even. It makes me glad that, at 75 years old, I exclusively play very short gigs. No more 4.5 hour bar gigs for me. For an hour, I can take it, though if I knew it weighed that much, I probably wouldn't have bought it.
Click to expand...

I hear ya. I tore a hip flexor a few months ago. It's better now but I'm thinking there's permanent damage done, so does my ortho doc. Anyway, I can only play standing for maybe 30 minutes now. In a way it's good that I have no gigs on the horizon where I live now. I'd have to bail out like a pussy. Time to break out the stool, I guess? Aging is not for the faint hearted! :woot:
 
#34,005
Iridescentone said:
Too cool, good detective work!

See? This is the kind of unearthed metadata that solves mysteries for gear nerds!
Click to expand...
I am spending too much time wondering. Here is where my brain is going, but maybe I am overdramatizing it...

1. Bass appears to have been designated for a rosewood, which was a special order in this period
2. Bass was painted black over a clearcoat (maybe something they had to rush out the door and had to find a completed body to paint black)
- I am tempted to remove the pickup and see if there is any wright underneath
3. George Clinton's P-Funk band "all access" path sticker on the back of the bass


Makes me wonder if it was an artist order... looks like Jeff "Cherokee" Bunn was the bassist in 1992. Time to go see if I can find pics....
 
#34,006
Lammchop93 said:
I had done research on rosewood and I found a post somewhere that rosewood was a special order option in 80 and 81.

I hadn't even noticed it said RW in the pocket. I couldn't make sense of what it said, but I clearly see it now that you say it.
Click to expand...

I'll be taking pics of my black L-1000 neck pocket soon, probably. I lost a lotta pics when my hardrive went down a couple years ago. I want to document the "CL" initials in there that I've been told stand for "Clarence Leo" (I don't believe that it does). Anyway, we'll get to see if there are paint stick holes like yours.

Also, in the other '81 L-1000 pic I posted, not seeing any paint stick holes in that pocket. But it's CAR, which G&L was having difficulties with in the first two years, so there's that.
 
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#34,007
Lammchop93 said:
Next interesting bit of the L1K…

I noticed in the right light, there was a faded remnant of a sticker that had been removed at some point, but it had bled into the paint

It pretty clearly says "George Clinton P Funk All Stars 1992 Tour" and then "All Access" below that. Definitely looks like pass that was stuck on to the bass.

Might just have been a fan's pass, but the history of where this bass may have been is pretty fun to think about.
Click to expand...


There's probably plenty of photos from that tour, available online...
 
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#34,008
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#34,009
Lammchop93 said:
Next interesting bit of the L1K…

I noticed in the right light, there was a faded remnant of a sticker that had been removed at some point, but it had bled into the paint

It pretty clearly says "George Clinton P Funk All Stars 1992 Tour" and then "All Access" below that. Definitely looks like pass that was stuck on to the bass.

Might just have been a fan's pass, but the history of where this bass may have been is pretty fun to think about.
Click to expand...
Haha that's awesome! Years ago I bought a used Bernie Worrell CD and inside was a silver business card with Bernie's contact info in it! P-Funk relics FTW!
 
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#34,010
Just as G&L was ending I bought a Tribute L-2000, new. It arrived after a week in some courier facility in a package that had been kicked about. Not double boxed, and all the tuner bushings were slightly popped out. I didn't mind the P-width neck even though everything else I have is J.

However, I found the sound relatively dull without active on and treble boost engaged.

I had it for a week before returning it.

I'm still looking for the perfect bass to replace an assemblage of Squiers (which I like well enough) but I'm trying to thin the herd and find something versatile. Premier in my line up on the fretted side is a 1995 P Lyte - sounds good, a dream to play, and a 1984 Tokai Jazz with flats for old school. Neck pickup only.

Was I doing something wrong with the tone network? I'm tempted to give G&L another chance if I can find a decent one used. Any hints?
 
#34,011
-Asdfgh- said:
Just as G&L was ending I bought a Tribute L-2000, new. It arrived after a week in some courier facility in a package that had been kicked about. Not double boxed, and all the tuner bushings were slightly popped out. I didn't mind the P-width neck even though everything else I have is J.

However, I found the sound relatively dull without active on and treble boost engaged.

I had it for a week before returning it.

I'm still looking for the perfect bass to replace an assemblage of Squiers (which I like well enough) but I'm trying to thin the herd and find something versatile. Premier in my line up on the fretted side is a 1995 P Lyte - sounds good, a dream to play, and a 1984 Tokai Jazz with flats for old school. Neck pickup only.

Was I doing something wrong with the tone network? I'm tempted to give G&L another chance if I can find a decent one used. Any hints?
Click to expand...
Did you try changing stock strings?
Dull is not the word I'd ever use for L2K.
It can easily impersonate P, J (with a K/single coil mod), Stingray and even Wal.
Also, pickups are hot and sometimes overwhelm signal chain turning everything into growly mud. I run mine (I have 3) with volume at about 85% and treble/bass at around 65% as a base. This way signal is more manageable, but you can always roll down or boost as needed.
Sometimes I wonder how much more successful this bass would have been if they used center detent pots, running everything at 50% by default.
 
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#34,014
-Asdfgh- said:
Just as G&L was ending I bought a Tribute L-2000, new. It arrived after a week in some courier facility in a package that had been kicked about. Not double boxed, and all the tuner bushings were slightly popped out. I didn't mind the P-width neck even though everything else I have is J.

However, I found the sound relatively dull without active on and treble boost engaged.

I had it for a week before returning it.

I'm still looking for the perfect bass to replace an assemblage of Squiers (which I like well enough) but I'm trying to thin the herd and find something versatile. Premier in my line up on the fretted side is a 1995 P Lyte - sounds good, a dream to play, and a 1984 Tokai Jazz with flats for old school. Neck pickup only.

Was I doing something wrong with the tone network? I'm tempted to give G&L another chance if I can find a decent one used. Any hints?
Click to expand...
I've had several L2000s and dull isn't a description I'd use. I do run pretty hot strings on mine though but I like it that way. I'd swap strings. They absolutely sizzle with good rounds.
 
#34,015
I have bought 2 G&Ls recently and cheap and each one has a neck problem as follows:

1983 L2000 with a warped maple neck. I tried to reverse the warp by clamping which partially worked. So I clamped it in again and put in washers on the truss Rod for more adjustment. Kinda helped but in tightening the truss rod, the first fret developed a slight crack. It does need a new string nut which I knew from the start including the warp. Asking for opinions on whether to repair or just go for a new neck from Musikraft.

Next case is 2013 L2005 CLR maple rosewood neck. The truss rod broke while trying to loosen it …yes I said loosen, go figure. Is it worth repairing or just go for a Musikraft?

Both basses work and are in pretty good shape, so there is no loss there. Just asking for opinions and suggestions. Trying to find someone in New York that can handle truss Rod issues on G&L basses. Or just go for Musikraft necks?
 
#34,016
My opinion (which might not be worth the computer screen it's typed on) is that the 1983 neck has ski jump, and tightening a truss rod won't fix that. My 2008 SB-2 had that. I had G&L make me a new neck which was definitely the right move as bending and heat are almost always temporary fixes, IME.

The broken truss rod? I recommend a new neck for that one as well. Getting the neck taken apart and a new one installed will probably cost more than getting a new one unless you're experienced at such things and can do it yourself. As I said ... my opinion only, but that's what I'd do if they were mine.
 
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#34,017
jglunt said:
My opinion (which might not be worth the computer screen it's typed on) is that the 1983 neck has ski jump, and tightening a truss rod won't fix that. My 2008 SB-2 had that. I had G&L make me a new neck which was definitely the right move as bending and heat are almost always temporary fixes, IME.

The broken truss rod? I recommend a new neck for that one as well. Getting the neck taken apart and a new one installed will probably cost more than getting a new one unless you're experienced at such things and can do it yourself. As I said ... my opinion only, but that's what I'd do if they were mine.
Click to expand...
My thoughts as well…thx! Would love to have the decals replicated eventually.
 
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