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G&L Headstock

If a recent thread is any indication, you will be sent straight to the hottest corner of hell if you buy a bass with a removed serial number. In fact, according to many in that thread, it is illegal to buy, sell, or own any object with a removed serial number. And, they also asserted that if it was removed, it most certainly was stolen at some point so you will be sent to the hottest spot in the hottest corner of hell if you buy it.
I didn't buy into to that crap, but the vast majority of posters in that thread thought I was the devil himself because I would have bought the bass in question.
So gird your loins OP. If word gets out you'll be right in the hot seat with me.

Knowing that is worth a huge discount...

No results for "G&L L-1500 bass white stolen" from Google Images, even without 'stolen'.
And a white/maple L-1500 bass seems quite rare.
 
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Does the back of all G&L headstock's have the small dot in the middle? This is the back of an L-1500. Does this look right?

View attachment 695553

I saw that exact bass for sale. I emailed one of the guys (Steve I think) at the store asking about the nut width. He said his bandmate owned the bass, but sold it to the store Steve worked at because he had money problems. Steve, if I remember his name correctly, claims to know a lot about that instrument since his bandmate used it. For example he said there are two longish finish cracks on the top surface that are hard to see.

For what it's worth though, I wouldn't buy it simply because of the missing serial number. I noticed that too when I was eyeballing that bass. It's even more odd because it seems the last owner has an inside man at the store who may be in on something, or is just doing the last owner an ill-advised favor. One other theory is that this neck was a replacement, but I would have expected Steve to say something about that.

I'm not normally one to do the whole guilty before proven innocent thing, but I'd think a reputable store shouldn't be buying basses without serial numbers on them. The only legitimate reason I can see for removing serial numbers is if you are making a parts-bass and are trying to make sure your instrument isn't confused for a factory model. Otherwise you just are killing your resale value and inviting suspicion for no reason.

Then again "Never attribute to malice that which is adequately explained by stupidity."
 
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I saw that exact bass for sale. I emailed one of the guys (Steve I think) at the store asking about the nut width. He said his bandmate owned the bass, but sold it to the store Steve worked at because he had money problems. Steve, if I remember his name correctly, claims to know a lot about that instrument since his bandmate used it. For example he said there are two longish finish cracks on the top surface that are hard to see.

For what it's worth though, I wouldn't buy it simply because of the missing serial number. I noticed that too when I was eyeballing that bass. It's even more odd because it seems the last owner has an inside man at the store who may be in on something, or is just doing the last owner an ill-advised favor. One other theory is that this neck was a replacement, but I would have expected Steve to say something about that.

I'm not normally one to do the whole guilty before proven innocent thing, but I'd think a reputable store shouldn't be buying basses without serial numbers on them. The only legitimate reason I can see for removing serial numbers is if you are making a parts-bass and are trying to make sure your instrument isn't confused for a factory model. Otherwise you just are killing your resale value and inviting suspicion for no reason.

Then again "Never attribute to malice that which is adequately explained by stupidity."
Yep, Steve is his name. Same story about the band mate. He sent me a video of the bass in use. The owner(original owner according to Steve) had the thing loaded up with stickers. Played in a punk band. When I asked him why he would remove the serial number Steve said something about the guy not being flashy and liked being a minimalist?? That didn't really make sense to me. He sent me pics of the cracks, and they are pretty long. The bass isn't so appealing after seeing more pictures and not feeling comfortable about the serial number.
 
Strange they don't just use the tuner post holes to hang the bass for for spraying like everybody else.
It has nothing to do with finish.
I used to work at G&L.
These are pin holes for the steel router templates.
There are also 2 on the body for the same reason.
It is not walnut, rather maple dowels.
 
Yep, Steve is his name. Same story about the band mate. He sent me a video of the bass in use. The owner(original owner according to Steve) had the thing loaded up with stickers. Played in a punk band. When I asked him why he would remove the serial number Steve said something about the guy not being flashy and liked being a minimalist?? That didn't really make sense to me. He sent me pics of the cracks, and they are pretty long. The bass isn't so appealing after seeing more pictures and not feeling comfortable about the serial number.

That's even weirder! The serial number isn't flashy nor does it have moving parts.

Also, if he had stickers all over it, that's kinda flashy and not minimalist isn't it?

Yeah, I wouldn't buy that bass.
 
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