G&L Club Part 7

[NWB]

Terrible luck indeed. I have to ask, how often are you playing the 20th and 21st frets of the A and D strings? I realize the issue is getting an instrument without any problems, but realistically does this actually hinder your playing in anyway whatsoever? How often do you fret without plucking? Does it happen with hammer ons? Do you do a lot of tapping?

It just seems to me like what you want is a totally custom bass from a high end luthier and not a production instrument. Maybe I am off base though. I don't mean to offend btw, it just seems like a lot of hassle you have gone through for pretty miniscule issues.

I didn't catch it the first time around but what issues did you have with the electronics of a passive P?

FWIW, I happen to like very low action on my basses and my plek'd JB pretty much plays like a custom bass from a high-end luthier. For a production instrument, the US G&Ls can pretty well hold their own against whatever custom you want to compare them to.

 

[Turkeypills]

FWIW, I happen to like very low action on my basses and my plek'd JB pretty much plays like a custom bass from a high-end luthier. For a production instrument, the US G&Ls can pretty well hold their own against whatever custom you want to compare them to.

I agree completely. I like moderately low action for the most part but have always appreciated how low G&L's could go. I can also honestly say that I may have hit the mentioned frets once or twice in almost all of my noodling and never within the context of something taken seriously. Even though G&L gets astonishingly close, they still are not high end nor are they totally custom. I would not expect the situations mentioned to occur when you personally discuss details with a builder and pay several thousand.

 

[Arch58]

NBD - New L2K this week. Royal Metallic Purple, quartersawn #12 neck, the only thing missing is the K switch but that will be added soon. Really digging the finish on this bad boy.

 

[Stranger Danger]

NBD - New L2K this week. Royal Metallic Purple, quartersawn #12 neck, the only thing missing is the K switch but that will be added soon. Really digging the finish on this bad boy.

View attachment 527790 View attachment 527791

I was just watching the Royal Purple Bowl. Your bass has a bowl game bro

 

[fourstringdrums]

Terrible luck indeed. I have to ask, how often are you playing the 20th and 21st frets of the A and D strings? I realize the issue is getting an instrument without any problems, but realistically does this actually hinder your playing in anyway whatsoever? How often do you fret without plucking? Does it happen with hammer ons? Do you do a lot of tapping?

It just seems to me like what you want is a totally custom bass from a high end luthier and not a production instrument. Maybe I am off base though. I don't mean to offend btw, it just seems like a lot of hassle you have gone through for pretty miniscule issues.

I didn't catch it the first time around but what issues did you have with the electronics of a passive P?

It was happening right as you fretted the note, even EVERY so slightly. I've only experienced that in one other bass in the 25+ that I've owned in my life. I don't usually play up that high but it wasn't just that. I was getting some buzzing on the D string from the 12th fret up, if the neck was any straighter than it was, which is the opposite of what should have been happening. As it turns out, I not only had a few high frets toward the end of the neck, a fret around the 8th in the middle of the neck was higher than everything, causing most of the problems. To me it wasn't a minuscule issue when I paid for an instrument that had been PLEK'd but I received one with high frets. I could have sent it back, but then I would have been without a bass from a month or more. They've been finishing new instruments within a month or so lately but when it comes to warranty repair, they take forever. I don't personally think that someone has to go high end boutique when all they want is level fretwork.

The last LB-100 I had from them took 3 months to finish and arrived with a twisted neck. Not a minor problem. When I sent it back it took another 3.5 months to build a new neck. When I got the bass back then, the jack wasn't functioning and I was getting a high pitched buzz from the pickups. They rebuilt the bass and that only took 2 weeks, but by the time I got it I had been waiting 8.5 months. I was so unhappy with the experience that I couldn't enjoy the bass and I sold it.

 

[fourstringdrums]

The PLEK is only good until the weather changes. Instruments are made of wood and hence they expand, contract and move. PLEK is not going to prevent fret sprout at all. All it really assures is that the frets are level after its done for the moment, not forever.

How would fret leveling affect your warranty?

It's possible that the frets were level when I got them and with the wood expansion they moved a bit, but the bass was built in October and even being on the other side of the country, I've never had any bass that was only two months old and need a fret level due to changes in environment that soon. If that were the case, the neck was poorly made. But given that I've gotten a bad neck from G&L before, I'm more than willing to think that they just let that one slip.

A fret level shouldn't impact warranty, you're right. Because if down the line the neck warps or the truss rod gets maxed out, that has nothing to do with the frets. Besides I hardly think they'd be able to look at the frets now and say "These were leveled" They visually look exactly as they did when I brought it in.

 

[Stranger Danger]

It's possible that the frets were level when I got them and with the wood expansion they moved a bit, but the bass was built in October and even being on the other side of the country, I've never had any bass that was only two months old and need a fret level due to changes in environment that soon. If that were the case, the neck was poorly made. But given that I've gotten a bad neck from G&L before, I'm more than willing to think that they just let that one slip.

A fret level shouldn't impact warranty, you're right. Because if down the line the neck warps or the truss rod gets maxed out, that has nothing to do with the frets. Besides I hardly think they'd be able to look at the frets now and say "These were leveled" They visually look exactly as they did when I brought it in.

I have no idea about your specific case, I was mainly just commenting on PLEK in general. It's a cool thing but it isn't a fix all and it doesn't last forever. People tend to give it more credence I think than it deserves. A good fret level by a competent luthier will achieve the same result. IMO, ymmv, etc

 

[Stranger Danger]

This ships to me on Monday!!

 

[Glazenn]

It's possible that the frets were level when I got them and with the wood expansion they moved a bit, but the bass was built in October and even being on the other side of the country, I've never had any bass that was only two months old and need a fret level due to changes in environment that soon. If that were the case, the neck was poorly made. But given that I've gotten a bad neck from G&L before, I'm more than willing to think that they just let that one slip.

A fret level shouldn't impact warranty, you're right. Because if down the line the neck warps or the truss rod gets maxed out, that has nothing to do with the frets. Besides I hardly think they'd be able to look at the frets now and say "These were leveled" They visually look exactly as they did when I brought it in.

One would ask G&L the PLEK report for your bass, if hopefully they keep a copy, and see the details. There is a PLEK number on your bass build sheet with the name of the tech who did it.

(Sample for 6 string guitar)

 

[Iridescentone]

NBD - New L2K this week. Royal Metallic Purple, quartersawn #12 neck, the only thing missing is the K switch but that will be added soon. Really digging the finish on this bad boy.

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Beauty. Way cool. It's great that G&L brought back the Metallic Purple.

My early 90's Purple SB-1 with # 5 neck....wish I still had it.

 

[mpdd]

supposed to tour the factory in january, gotta check my vacation schedule

 

[bdgotoh]

If you guys get a chance to try out a G&L built with Empress Wood you should do it. I just picked this up recently and it's amazing. The sound, string balance, and sustain are just right and the B string sounds and feels great. Weight is only 8.3 lbs and it balances perfectly on a strap. It's my first L-2500 that actually sounds like a 5 string version of the L-2000.

 

[NE4TT]

ASAT Bass Prototype on Da Bay. No affiliation w/seller. Mo' pics and docs online.

Remember seeing this bass on the ol GbL Discussion.

Per the online documentation, the proto has an ASAT guitar body with a L2K neck.

Surprised they were of the opinion the pickups lacked "punch".

The neck PU oughta be a boomer! The bridge PU is approx where the early SB1/SB2/Lynx PU was located.

Pro'lly mo' twang with the PU slanted towards the G strang.

Jamie

 

[Glazenn]

ASAT Bass Prototype on Da Bay. No affiliation w/seller. Mo' pics and docs online.
Remember seeing this bass on the ol GbL Discussion.
Per the online documentation, the proto has an ASAT guitar body with a L2K neck.
Surprised they were of the opinion the pickups lacked "punch".
The neck PU oughta be a boomer! The bridge PU is approx where the early SB1/SB2/Lynx PU was located.
Pro'lly mo' twang with the PU slanted towards the G strang.
Jamie

The letter by Kenneth Hyatt explains that the tone and punch with this pickup combination, too far from the bridge, and by comparison to humbuckers, was not as good as expected, so that the model never went to the production line.

 

[Glazenn]

Hope G&L will take back the L5K some day soon...

 

[Turn Em Loose]

Incoming! Via Bass San Diego. On their Link Removed but according to them it's in "perfect condition". For the price I just could not muster the strength to resist. Warranty card can still be filled out. 2014 model. PLEKed. Only thing missing, IMO, is the K Switching. But that will come later.

Needless to say, I'm pretty psyched!!

 

[Fit4pain]

Incoming! Via Bass San Diego. On their Link Removed but according to them it's in "perfect condition". For the price I just could not muster the strength to resist. Warranty card can still be filled out. 2014 model. PLEKed. Only thing missing, IMO, is the K Switching. But that will come later.

Needless to say, I'm pretty psyched!!

Marry Christmas to you. Very nice, she's purdy

 

[Ender_rpm]

Incoming! Via Bass San Diego. On their Link Removed but according to them it's in "perfect condition". For the price I just could not muster the strength to resist. Warranty card can still be filled out. 2014 model. PLEKed. Only thing missing, IMO, is the K Switching. But that will come later.

Needless to say, I'm pretty psyched!!

That finish is gorgeous.

 

[Scott Sauna]

Here it is! My SB2 Tribute! I can't stop playing it!

 

[Unfinely Tuned]

Nice bass Scott, I was contemplating a white sb-2 with black guard and maple board when I built my USA Model. The SB-2 sounds awesome with some flats and using the jazz pup as a tone control.