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G&L Club Part 7

Alright, picked up my L1500 this morning and I promised pics, so here goes:
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Sunburst, alder body (I think), lined fretless ebony board with side dots at the fret lines, 3-bolt neck with crinkle-paint finish, and it weighs less (mid 8lbs) than the Jazz Bass I traded for it. The shop did replace the nut because the original was broken on the G-side, and it's cut nice and low. It also came with a black G&L hard case with metal feet and black lining, but the key is no longer with it. I don't know what neck # this one has, but the nut is wider than my Jazz Bass, and the neck profile feels flatter. It's very comfy, and I prefer the wider neck. I did need to install a fresh 9v battery, and now, holy cow, she's an aggressive mo-fo! It's got a more aggressive attack than any of the 3 EBMM Stingray's I've owned, but it's controllable as long as I stay on top of it. I can dial back the bite a decent amount just with the on-board treble control, and in passive mode it's fairly tame, all things considered. It's definitey a sleeper among the rest of the G&L lineup from everything I've found, and I'm surprised that it doesn't get more attention. The serial # begins with B032, so it's a mid 90's model as best as I can tell without taking the neck off. Anyways, enjoy, because I know I am!
 
Alright, picked up my L1500 this morning and I promised pics, so here goes:
View attachment 1061743
View attachment 1061744
Sunburst, alder body (I think), lined fretless ebony board with side dots at the fret lines, 3-bolt neck with crinkle-paint finish, and it weighs less (mid 8lbs) than the Jazz Bass I traded for it. The shop did replace the nut because the original was broken on the G-side, and it's cut nice and low. It also came with a black G&L hard case with metal feet and black lining, but the key is no longer with it. I don't know what neck # this one has, but the nut is wider than my Jazz Bass, and the neck profile feels flatter. It's very comfy, and I prefer the wider neck. I did need to install a fresh 9v battery, and now, holy cow, she's an aggressive mo-fo! It's got a more aggressive attack than any of the 3 EBMM Stingray's I've owned, but it's controllable as long as I stay on top of it. I can dial back the bite a decent amount just with the on-board treble control, and in passive mode it's fairly tame, all things considered. It's definitey a sleeper among the rest of the G&L lineup from everything I've found, and I'm surprised that it doesn't get more attention. The serial # begins with B032, so it's a mid 90's model as best as I can tell without taking the neck off. Anyways, enjoy, because I know I am!
Congratulations! That's a great looking bass. How do you like the ebonol?
 
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that why I went down there; I was unsure of the volume/volume thing on the SB-2's.
the bass is very powerful and and bright; like everyone says SB's are. can be toned down to a useable level. being a fretless doesn't hamper this bass at all. there isn't a bad sound in it.
as with any PJ bass, the best sound is favoring one or the other-unless you like the scoop of both PU's.

The dual volumes work well I think once you get the design. If it's too bright then I'd recommend using warm flats before discarding that bass all together.

Basically the bridge pickup is supposed to provide a similar function as a tone knob. You turn it up for more brightness. However that configuration also has the mid-scoop available when you dime the bridge pickup so it's more flexible. The trick is to keep your bridge around 90% topped out unless you want a mid-scoop.

Think of it more like an additive process (add brightness up to a maximum) than a subtractive one (remove brightness down to a muddy one). It's a bass meant for the hi-fi sound with those MFDs so it makes sense I think.

Some people lower the volume of the neck pickup a little to get an additional slight treble cut.
 
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Congratulations! That's a great looking bass. How do you like the ebonol?
Thanks! The ebony seems fairly bright compared to rosewood-boarded fretless basses I've owned. If I hammer down on the string with the treble up I get a bit of clackiness, but rolling the treble off a bit while fretting a bit less aggressively takes it away. I've been playing it for a couple hours now, and I love it. The neck is really comfy, too. Wide and fairly flat profile.
 
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Ebonol sounds rather Fender-ish to me... whilst EBONY smells like good genuine MIA G&L.
Oooo I misread.

That ain't no ebonol! That's the real-deal ebony, which is my favorite fretless fingerboard without a doubt. I don't think G&L has ever used the fake stuff.
Good! I hold G&L to a significantly higher standard than Fender and would be disappointed if they did.
 
I would be quite disappointed, too. My unlined ebony fretless L2500 is my main fretless, and often my main player. Few other basses have ever felt so good!
I want myself a fretless G&L. I fooled around with a fretless parts P bass a few days back, but that thing was total crap. Ebonol board with a terrible sound. I never knew a P could suck. And I love that sort of bass.

Maybe an L-1000/SB-2, some day.
 
I want myself a fretless G&L. I fooled around with a fretless parts P bass a few days back, but that thing was total crap. Ebonol board with a terrible sound. I never knew a P could suck. And I love that sort of bass.

Maybe an L-1000/SB-2, some day.
I used to have an ebony boarded fretless SB-2 in Honeyburst. Wish I'd kept it.
 
Im dying to join this club and I want to start with a L2K. I have a few hundred saved so far. Im conflicted on whether to save some more and spend more time waiting for a good deal on used USA L2K or even buy a new custom one, or get a used tribby with the funds I have now and start getting familiar with a L2K. What to do???
 
Im dying to join this club and I want to start with a L2K. I have a few hundred saved so far. Im conflicted on whether to save some more and spend more time waiting for a good deal on used USA L2K or even buy a new custom one, or get a used tribby with the funds I have now and start getting familiar with a L2K. What to do???

My vote, for an L-2000, would be to find a good deal on a used US model.