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G&L has a new Jazz Bass

#84
People fall all over themselves to get Jazz clones so G&L is offering one with a sweet array of colors and options.

Can you get a Fender or Lakland J clone with a fretted or fretless ebony board?

The JB doesn't move me one bit but the bass buying public seems to eat up J clones. Pure marketing thing.

As far as the bridge goes many of the GLeeks feel it is the best bass bridge out there but I can tell you that if you are a bridge picker there isn't a more comfortable one to lay your hand on.

Jim
 
#85
Meh, other than the head stock and finish options it looks like my jazz bass. I have'nt played one of these, but its the same body wood, similar pup's. IIRC the Fenders also have alnico pups. So I'm guessing the tone isn't that much different than a Fenders.
 
#87
hover said:
I fail to see how this does anything but cheapen my opinion of them. The old JB bass was as close as I would have liked them to get in their offerings to a nod to that era, as was the asat, mainly because of the body style, but gave them that one as no one else was making a tele-style bass...but this? This is just a step backwards from Leo's original vision for G&L.

Innovative no longer, methinks. There is nothing novel about this take on the jazz bass. Nothing. Not in this day and age. It's like admitting defeat.
Even if they had done it pickguard-less with one MFD and a J coil at the neck I'd STILL feel the same way, due to Lakland. I dunno, I guess that makes me a G&L purist, but so be it.
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I would share your disappointment (probably not on a soul crushing level though) if for example they dumped the L2000 and made this a flagship bass but it's just another offering. They haven't taken any steps backward and I wouldn't say they have sold out either. They offered a traditional P over 20 years ago, a Stingray style for many years, and a J style for about 10 years.

I love the G&L basses I have and a lot of the reason is their uniqueness. However I also want a traditional j bass in my arsenal. They know lots of people do. Why force someone like myself who gives the company a lot of attention to look somewhere else when I want a traditional j bass? I think it's a smart move on their part. I am a perfect example of their target customer and I already want one.
 
#94
metron said:
I think they are just trying to appeal to those who like the traditional jazz design. They even have a curved neck heel. Never seen another G&L with that.
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Yeah, I could see that. However, they kept the kick-butt G&L bridge instead of replacing it with something more "vintage"-like. So why not go with a 6-bolt neck as well? No one can see it from behind so it will still look old school. Oh well, still wouldn't kick it out of bed!
 
#96
dgce said:
Yeah, I could see that. However, they kept the kick-butt G&L bridge instead of replacing it with something more "vintage"-like. So why not go with a 6-bolt neck as well? No one can see it from behind so it will still look old school. Oh well, still wouldn't kick it out of bed!
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True. I don't think it makes a difference anyway re: 4 vs 6 bolts. Never know though there may be some purists who think it can never be a jazz bass with extra neck bolts. :o :D

So has anyone seen or tried one out?
 
#97
The more I look at it the less disappointed I am, but unless it's a better deal than a Fender or Lakland I'll probably pass on it. If it plays better, that's a different story, but honestly it would be hard for me not to buy a G&L that WASN'T an ASAT or L2000.
 
#98
SoonerMatt said:
The more I look at it the less disappointed I am, but unless it's a better deal than a Fender or Lakland I'll probably pass on it.
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Well, I know "better deal" is a relative term, but when you consider that you can custom order a US-made G&L for about the same price as a stock MIA Fender (with far fewer available finishes, let alone other options like binding, matching headstock, birdseye or flame maple, etc.) and that a Skyline model will set you back nearly as much, I think an argument can be made that G&L is one of, if not the best, value for the money going right now.

And that's to say nothing of the fact that G&L bodies are now CNC routed to ridiculous tolerances, their necks are now PLEK'd and rolled, their finishes are (IMO) some of the best out there and you get the famous G&L saddle-lock bridge, which for my money blows away any of the OEM or aftermarket competition (and saves you the trouble and expense of upgrading to a Gotoh or Badass or whatever) ... well, you make the call.

My only wish, like many other G&L devotees, is that these came equipped with MFD pickups. But aside from that, if I were in the market for a Jazz at the moment I know what I'd be looking saving up for.

You know what they say about opinions though. YMMV, etc.
 
#100
GAS is building. :help: How about one of these in vintage white with a tort guard and a bound GOT rosewood neck with flamed maple. :bassist:

G&L really needs to add a cosmetic build thing to their website like what EBMM has. That would be great for seeing all the options that are available.
 

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