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G&L Club Part 7

#12,981
lildrgn said:
What about fret buzz? On the E string, all the way up I get fret buzz. Not as bad on the other 3 strings. I've also lowered the pickup a bit and it seems to still have that effect. I have yet to try the string trick...
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I had a similar issue on 2 different G&L's. On both instruments and 2 different model GHS strings, loosening the strings until the barrels were ~1/2" out the back of the bridge and letting the barrels turn until they seated into the bridge resolved the issue.
The G&L bridge is the only one that I know of that holds the barrels from rotating as you tighten the strings. It's something to be aware of but certainly not a faital flaw given the tonal and sustain value this bridge brings to G&L instruments.
 
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#12,982
My latest purchase - a used USA 90's G&L L2000. Also is a picture of my main basses below. I will have to take a new updated family picture of my main basses since my latest G&L purchase. Can i have a number? Thanks. Bronze
G&L L2000.jpg
G&L L2000-2.jpg
collection.jpg
 
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#12,983
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#12,984
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#12,986
jmlee said:
Easy, @lildrgn. The pickup is too close to the strings. What you're hearing is magnetic interference with the string motion. Fret the strings near the end of the fingerboard and then gradually lower the pickup height until the "chorusing" disappears. You can lower the pickup further to reduce output or tame some of the treble response, but where the chorus disappears is maximum height.

This isn't string twisting. That would produce a deadening of the tone and loss of sustain. It's rarely an issue with roundwounds but can be troublesome with flats. In any case that effect is heard all along the fretboard and is usually isolated to individual strings, say E and A.
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Based on my experience It could be either one of those things. Its not difficult to rule anyone of these potential issues out. Its well documented so its not like we're pulling it out of thin air.
 
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#12,987
oldskoolskatedad said:
Last week I took delivery of an '81 L2KE that I purchased off Ebay. It was shipped via FedEx from Illinois on 1/26 and arrived here in Wisconsin on 1/31, during the wonderful polar vortex we were enjoying. I decided I would play it safe and brought the unopened box down to my unheated basement (48 deg). The next day I take the case out of the box but do not open it, infrared thermometer reads 48 deg surface temp. I decide to leave it in the basement until Saturday. Saturday morning I take it upstairs where its 67 deg and let it acclimate some more unopened as I was going to be gone for the weekend.

(...)

Unfortunately my overzealous acclimation process had not prevented an abundance of finish checks from occurring, most likely during the shipping process.
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I think nobody mentioned the possibility of moisture ingress in the acclimation process. Since the checking disappeared, I believe your delivered bass was dry enough but since it was placed in the basement, the air there might contain enough absolute moisture in that the top of the wood would absorb it and just plain swell, exposing the hidden finish checking. When you brought it upstairs, the heated, dry environment had the mosure expelled from the top coat and the checks shrunk back to become invisible.
 
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#12,988
BassAgent said:
I am in! Got this at a local pawn shop.
View attachment 3313927
Full story here
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So I am surprised and and little bit scared now. The stickers came off fine (mostly):
dEsndX7.jpg

But the neck is still concaved and the truss rod seems to be at its end. I think I'm going to have to bring it to a luthier now, or does anyone have a magic trick? I've heard about loosening the truss rod, pulling the neck straight and then tightening it again, just like the old one-way truss rods used to work. Any magic here?
 
#12,989
rust_preacher said:
I think nobody mentioned the possibility of moisture ingress in the acclimation process. Since the checking disappeared, I believe your delivered bass was dry enough but since it was placed in the basement, the air there might contain enough absolute moisture in that the top of the wood would absorb it and just plain swell, exposing the hidden finish checking. When you brought it upstairs, the heated, dry environment had the mosure expelled from the top coat and the checks shrunk back to become invisible.
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Interesting theory, but the checks are temperature sensitive. I can literally wipe them away with my hand but they return when the surface cools. We keep a dehumidifier in the basement and it hasn't run in months and there are six of us in our household so the humidity is higher in the living space with all breathing, baths & showers, cooking as well as hydronic baseboard heat vs forced air.
 
#12,990
BassAgent said:
But the neck is still concaved and the truss rod seems to be at its end. I think I'm going to have to bring it to a luthier now, or does anyone have a magic trick? I've heard about loosening the truss rod, pulling the neck straight and then tightening it again, just like the old one-way truss rods used to work. Any magic here?
Click to expand...
First I would try adding another washer under the truss rod nut, often this is enough to gain enough adjustment to straighten the neck. You might meed to do a bit of filing to make the washer fit.

The problem is caused because the pressure the adjusting nut applies to a very small area of wood sometimes causes the wood to compress.
 
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#12,991
I meant ABSOLUTE humidity, not RELATIVE. In cold air, at the same relative humidity, there is actually more water in the air. And nitrocellulose is known to swell in moisture. Especially if the bass was COLD when brought in - moisture could condense from the air onto the cold surface.
 
#12,992
rust_preacher said:
I meant ABSOLUTE humidity, not RELATIVE. In cold air, at the same relative humidity, there is actually more water in the air. And nitrocellulose is known to swell in moisture. Especially if the bass was COLD when brought in - moisture could condense from the air onto the cold surface.
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Not sure what more I could have done, left it in the very dry and cool basement, so dry that the dehumidifier hasn't kicked on in quite some time, for 24 hours. Took case out of shipping box and left unopened in the basement for another 24 hours. Then brought it into the house and left unopened for 48 more hours. I can only believe that the checks were already there when it came off the FedEx truck. And it really doesn't matter as I am head over heels for this bass.
 
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#12,993
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#12,996
svtbass said:
Incoming. 1 1/2" nut and rosewood board. Eye-gouger headstock and same year (1992) as my fretted one. Still looking for a ebony fretless SB2 and with the skinny neck on this I couldn't resist. I'm not a sunburst fan but the metal wrinkle finish pickguard and matching bridge is my fave SB combination.

View attachment 3320294
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I've never seen a bridge and pick guard like this. LOVE IT!! Very nice
 
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#12,997
svtbass said:
Incoming. 1 1/2" nut and rosewood board. Eye-gouger headstock and same year (1992) as my fretted one. Still looking for a ebony fretless SB2 and with the skinny neck on this I couldn't resist. I'm not a sunburst fan but the metal wrinkle finish pickguard and matching bridge is my fave SB combination.

View attachment 3320294
Click to expand...

Not a fretless guy but can appreciate a BEAUTIFUL NECK. WOW.
 
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#12,998
svtbass said:
Incoming. 1 1/2" nut and rosewood board. Eye-gouger headstock and same year (1992) as my fretted one. Still looking for a ebony fretless SB2 and with the skinny neck on this I couldn't resist. I'm not a sunburst fan but the metal wrinkle finish pickguard and matching bridge is my fave SB combination.

View attachment 3320294
Click to expand...

What @lildrgn said. If I saw that live, I'd try it and if it was even remotely fun, I'd lay down my cc for that. If I hated/never used it, I'd send it to my impoverished bro the pro bass player just to do whatever he wanted with it. Lovely! One of the nicest non Fender bursts I've ever seen, and the black is great on top of it.
 
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#13,000
Seems like it would sell. Not sure why they do not offer it. Particularly with the recent CLF Research/vintage look focus.

If they did the black hardware again, I would have ordered a custom JB5 to match my L5000 instead of buying a used one. I would want them to do the metal pick guards as an option too if they did the black bridges.
 
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