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G&L L200 Disappointed

#41
smcd said:
PLEK machine vs. random guy in TX....PLEK machine vs. random guy in TX.... I'm.... I can't choose!!!

No, you weren't "suggesting" that a PLEK machine messed things up. You were stating as a FACT that a PLEK machine messed things up:

The likelihood that the OP got a brand new bass with a "twisted neck", sent it back to G&L, got the neck replaced and received another bum neck is beyond the limits of believability. Particularly since both times it went through a PLEK machine AND G&L QC. Could a PLEK machine AND G&L QC let a twisted neck go through? I guess... maybe. Could it happen twice? Not flaming likely.
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That's where you and I differ. I put no faith in PLEK machines. I was never blown away by any PLEK'd bass I played and I will take a good tech over a machines any day of the week.

My choices by what you are saying are:

1. Believe that the OP is lying about everything.
2. Assume the OP is not lying but doesn't know a good setup and thus thought the setup was horrible but it was perfect.
3. Assume the OP is not lying and the setup was horrible but the tech took him for a ride and told him it was worse than it was so that he could get money out of him.

I don't think it's unlikley that G&L sent out a bad neck got it back in and instead of putting on a new neck just treated it like a bad setup and threw it into the PLEK to take care of and sent it back to him. Knowing from other threads that G&L has a wait time on necks it seems convenient that they got it in and back to him so quickly.

But we all know what assuming does and neither you or I know the OP or the tech. And neither of us have held the bass or seen photos. My point is that I would not call people scoundrels or liars based on a PLEK machine not sending out poorly set up basses.
 
#42
Lo-E said:
I'm just curious, oneillj,

Have you spoken to somebody at G&L and explained the whole situation?
I've only had a few interactions with G&L, but when I did I had no trouble getting somebody on the phone and they were always very helpful.

Maybe you've already explored this route, but I would get on the phone with them, patiently explain everything that's happened and ask what they suggest your next step should be.
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+10000
 
#43
Johnny Alien said:
A PLEK machine is still a machine. If there IS a twist in the neck or other issue it will compensate for that by doing the only thing it knows how to do and that's level the frets and adjust the nut. The fact that a PLEK machine messed it up is probably a sign that it was a problem neck in some way.
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Except, Johnny, this is the 2nd neck on his new bass. He already sent it back to G&L for a neck the 1st time. The tech still can't get it setup right.

I have had a Plek done on my Wal during a fret job. And I was told it does check for true even before frets are laid in. I especially asked because I have an old Fender that needs frets, and it's up to the tech and customer to decide if the board needs leveling before proceeding with laying frets.
 
#44
Caca de Kick said:
Except, Johnny, this is the 2nd neck on his new bass. He already sent it back to G&L for a neck the 1st time. The tech still can't get it setup right.

I have had a Plek done on my Wal during a fret job. And I was told it does check for true even before frets are laid in. I especially asked because I have an old Fender that needs frets, and it's up to the tech and customer to decide if the board needs leveling before proceeding with laying frets.
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He never said the tech saw it the first time. I am not saying he didn't see it I am just saying the OP never mentioned it. Anything I can do is assume. Someone in the lineup is doing a hack job. I would not be surprised if G&L just ran the first neck through the PLEK and then send it back. All the tech did was cut a new nut and do a fret level. It's not like he refretted the whole thing.

Edited to add: If this was Fender there would be less people assuming that the tech was in the wrong.
 
#45
Regardless of whether or not a PLEK machine does these things, you guys are not addressing what the OP should do next. What you guys are addressing is who the blame should be pointed at which is sort of an interesting excercise, I guess, but doesn't really fix anything. Until the OP tells his whole story to G&L, the rest is immaterial. Once they suggest a next step - IF they suggest a next step at all - the OP can then decide whether or not to appoint blame and/or seek retribution. Dig?
 
#46
Lo-E said:
Regardless of whether or not a PLEK machine does these things, you guys are not addressing what the OP should do next. What you guys are addressing is who the blame should be pointed at which is sort of an interesting excercise, I guess, but doesn't really fix anything. Until the OP tells his whole story to G&L, the rest is immaterial. Once they suggest a next step - IF they suggest a next step at all - the OP can then decide whether or not to appoint blame and/or seek retribution. Dig?
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Dig!! Well put, man, well put.

Until the OP chimes back in about any contact with, or response from G&L directly, this is literally just an exercise in finger pointing.

I'll be really curious to find out if the OP does contact them and what the response is.
 
#47
Johnny Alien said:
I don't think it's unlikley that G&L sent out a bad neck got it back in and instead of putting on a new neck just treated it like a bad setup and threw it into the PLEK to take care of and sent it back to him. Knowing from other threads that G&L has a wait time on necks it seems convenient that they got it in and back to him so quickly.

But we all know what assuming does and neither you or I know the OP or the tech. And neither of us have held the bass or seen photos. My point is that I would not call people scoundrels or liars based on a PLEK machine not sending out poorly set up basses.
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Speaking of assumptions, let's not forget that you said it was a "FACT" that the PLEK machine in this case is at fault. That aside, the OP's story doesn't add up.

The point of a PLEK machine is to deliver a near-perfect setup, which it does. I've searched for evidence of PLEK machines delivering poor results, but haven't found anything. Perhaps you can link me to the sites where people complain about poor PLEK results?

And what about G&L has led you to believe that they'd send out a bass with a bad neck, receive it back, put the bass WITH THE SAME NECK back in the SAME PLEK machine, and send that bass back to the same customer?? This I can assure you is complete fantasy on your part. Yet you pose this fantasy as likely? Based on what?? It's guys like you that spread unfounded rumors that lead people to believe G&L has neck problems when they have nothing of the kind.
 
#48
smcd said:
Speaking of assumptions, let's not forget that you said it was a "FACT" that the PLEK machine in this case is at fault. That aside, the OP's story doesn't add up.
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I honestly am a little unsure why you are coming off so aggressively towards me. When I made that comment I actually wasn't trying to address this issue but saying in a hypothetical if a PLEK messed up a neck it would be because of a neck issue. I admit it reads horrible and I didn't come across at all like I wanted to.

smcd said:
The point of a PLEK machine is to deliver a near-perfect setup, which it does. I've searched for evidence of PLEK machines delivering poor results, but haven't found anything. Perhaps you can link me to the sites where people complain about poor PLEK results?
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What I am saying is that a PLEK machine is designed to address frets and nuts NOT neck issues or fretboard issues. You can take a neck that needs to have the fretboard planed and put it in a PLEK and it will address the frets so that the neck plays better but it can do nothing about the underlying issue. Same thing with a warped neck. You can put it in the PLEK but all the PLEK can do is try to level the frets to adjust for the twist. I am nto saying people have overwhelming issues with it I just said that a PLEK is not designed to address neck issues only work around them if they are there.

smcd said:
And what about G&L has led you to believe that they'd send out a bass with a bad neck, receive it back, put the bass WITH THE SAME NECK back in the SAME PLEK machine, and send that bass back to the same customer?? This I can assure you is complete fantasy on your part. Yet you pose this fantasy as likely? Based on what?? It's guys like you that spread unfounded rumors that lead people to believe G&L has neck problems when they have nothing of the kind.
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I don't have any impressions that G&L would or would not do this. They are a company and lots of times things happen even with companies with good reputations. I like Lakland alot but if someone told me they got two bad necks from them I wouldn't jump into calling them a liar. Every company can have issues. I am sorry if I offended you or if you are somehow affiliated with G&L but trust me I am not any reason that there are rumors of bad necks. This is the first time I have posted about the subject. But you assuming that G&L is perfect and incapable of having any issues is just as unrealistic. Just saying....
 
#49
Johnny Alien said:
I honestly am a little unsure why you are coming off so aggressively towards me. ...........
But you assuming that G&L is perfect and incapable of having any issues is just as unrealistic. Just saying....
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I don't think I'm being aggressive. And I'm not saying that G&L is perfect. But the OP's story doesn't add up. And to create a scenario that G&L sent out a PLEK'd and QC'd bass with a bad neck, received the bass as return with a quality problem, re-installed the same bass on the very same PLEK machine without any parts changes, ran the PLEK process again, re-inspected the bass knowing the previous quality problem, and then returned the bass with that problem left unsolved is a stretch. To say the least.

Now, imagine I'm Mr. Rogers saying this - There's already one guy in this thread balking at buying a G&L because he's heard of widespread neck problems. And with you creating imaginary scenarios, it spreads this unsubstantiated rumor. In the period of one week on this site, there have been 2 threads complaining about G&L. This one and this one. Both of them dubious at best. But people searching for input aren't going to see crackpots/cranks/difficult customers. They're going to see "G&L NECK PROBLEMS!" Compared to Fender, G&L is a small company, and this kind of thing can be a problem for them.
 
#52
Ah, somebody remembered that other thread. I have doubts about this - why would G&L get a return and send it out without checking if the neck was within specs? Some of the answers given here suggest they PLEK'ed it and threw it in a box to be shipped back without so much as a look.
 
#54
Spiritfield said:
I think it's probably perception. I've owned 37 different G&L basses (plus more than a few G&L guitars). I've had neck issues with precisely 1 of them. It was a used 5 string L-5000 from around 1993. It had "ski jump" in the neck probably introduced by a former owner who didn't understand how to set up the bass using the precision tilt feature. I have never had any neck issue with a new G&L product, and the one's I've owned that were built after G&L bought their PLEK machine have been universally fantastic.

That's been my experience, fwiw.
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I'm with Spiritfield, I've probably owned 25 G&L basses, and the only one that had issues with the neck was an old L2K that someone had buggered up by misusing the microtilt. In my 40 years of playing, G&L's have some of the nicest necks out there.
 
#55
Yeah, I cant remember how many G&L basses I've owned since 1980, but it's a lot. Never had a bad neck.

Only one abused L-1000 had a nasty ski jump when I got it. I couldn't get it out to save my life. It needed new frets badly, so I shipped it off to Michael Dolan for a refret. When it came back the ski jump was gone, and he did not plane the board.

IOW, the neck was not bad, it just needed adjustment by an expert (which I am not).

You hear stories about bad G&L necks now and then, and sometimes it must be true, but honestly, how many times is simply a lack of maintenance or user error? Makes ya wonder...
 
#56
Never had a bad neck with all my G&Ls (USA and Tribute)
This brand is I think one, if not the one, of the most reliable brand i know...
I can't say much to Fender and Musicman, and it surprised me that i don't see more thread like this about some Fender...
I say that because i had neck issues with 60% of my Fender basses, and i know how to adjust a truss, you can trust me.
With G&L? nope. L-2000s are super easy to set up.
G&L and people who works at G&L needs some respect and success,because they deserve, so a thread like that doesn't need to exist IMO.
I think it's just some bullsh*t from a bad tech wanker or a not very honest OP...
 
#57
Nightvision said:
I say that because i had neck issues with 60% of my Fender basses, and i know how to adjust a truss, you can trust me.
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This is exactly what I was taking about earlier. This feeling that one company that makes factory line instruments just like Fender and Musicman is somehow infallible is just weird. I get taken to task for saying that it's entirely possible the OP is not lying and did experience some bad necks but things like this fly by and are easy to stomach. I have had TONS of Fenders in my time and they were all rock solid. So should I assume that you are lying and that Fender (based on my experience) is almost perfect? Of course not. And your claim that there are so many Fender neck issues that 60% of your stock was afflicted is even more extreme than the OP's issue.

As for Tributes they come from the same Cort run Indo factory as a few other popular brands and I know that every one of those brands has a few duds coming from that factory.
 
#58
I think it's likely the bass had some setup issues - or even a bad neck... but 2 bad necks? And 99% of issues can be solved by a competent tech - so my concern here is not that the OP is lying - but that he was not steered straight by his tech as to the severity of the issue and the likely fixes for a bad nut slot or high action.
 
#60
I think it's possible to get two consecutive bad necks from G&L. Possible, but unlikely. They've certainly had some QC issues over the years.

The real problem here seems to be that the OP took the bass to a "tech", and may have voided the warranty in the process. Unfortunate mistake IMO. Maybe G&L can show some good will and honor the warranty despite a little "outside interference".

Good luck.
 

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