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G&L vs. Tribute necks question

steamthief

steamthief

Jan 25, 2006
5,509
2,630
Mentone Beach
#1
I played an ASAT a month or two ago with a #8 neck and it really felt good - width of a Jazz neck, but thicker and more substantial.

A couple of weeks ago I tried a Tribute SB-2, and the neck felt all wrong. Maybe a little narrower, although I thought it was also 1.5" wide at the nut, but really, uncomfortably thin.

Do the MIA #8 necks have different dimensions, thickness or depth-wise, as a Tribute Jazz-width neck?
 
#2
The USA G&Ls have different neck options that you can choose found here:

[Invalid or Expired Link Removed]

The #8 is 1.5" nut width with 12" radius.

The Tribbie SB2 is listed at 1.5" nut width and a 9" radius which isn't offered in any of the MIA options.
 
#9
I've owned both US made G&L 2000 and a tribby.

The neck on the Tribby was okay, but there was a bit of fret sloppyness - it really needed a proper dressing. As for the woodwork on the neck, it seemed fine - it was the fretwork & the nut (which seemed to be hang over the neck a bit...) that I seemed inadequate.

The US neck was nice and clean and felt great.

You *do* get what you pay for, sometimes.
 
#11
Ken Baker said:
I've seen them being built, both bi-cut and the current CNC necks. The trussrod changed with the move to CNC and it's a bit unconventional, but there is no composite reinforcement. Just steel.

Here's a piece on the new design trussrod that shows how it works without compressing the neck.

Ken...
Click to expand...

Wow! I held off getting another G&L because I though my 09 Fender American Standard had a mechanically superior neck because of the CF rods.

Come to think of it, my six bolt 1 11/16 nut L2000 never gave me any grief but I was leery of the 1 1/2 nut neck. I shouldn't have worried.
 
#12
I have an L-2500 Tribby and made this mistake of playing a fellow TBers L-2500 USA. I LOVE my Trib, but the neck on the USA model is like buttah!

Just ordered an L-2500 USA...Love my Trib though. Sounds FANTASTIC. Don't know if I'll keep it and set it up with different strings or sell it. I'll see how I like the USA model once I live with it awhile.
 
#13
steamthief said:
Thanks for sharing that, Ken! Do you find a #8 neck to be thicker than the Tribute 9" radius neck?
Click to expand...

Unknown, and I don't know that I'd put a lot of weight on the 9" radius on the Tribute.

Every #8 I've had my paws on has been excellent. #6s too. #5 & 7 don't work for me, but they're well done. The Tribs I've picked up lately have been 5 strings, so they don't count.

And the 5 strings DO have a 12" radius. Ran a little impromptu study here a couple years ago.

bhunt1 said:
I seem to recall from bassesbyleo that the Tribute radius is in fact 12" even though it is listed as 9" on the website - is that correct Mr. Baker?
Click to expand...

Mr. Baker? Am I in trouble any more than usual? :D

The Trib L-2500s are certainly 12". The 4 bangers I'm not sure about, but I'd bet on 12" there as well.

With all this talk of fingerboard radius on Tribs, why not measure?

You can get a set of gauges [Invalid or Expired Link Removed] Be sure to print them full scale (1"-1") then measure to your heart's content.

I may just run another straw pole on this over at BbL.

Ken...
 
#15
I knew that there was reinforcement in the USA necks, but did not realize that it was steel, as opposed to composite. I know that the Tribby's do not have such reinforcement, which was the point of my first post in this thread.

BTW, I seem to have forgotten my password to the Basses by Leo site, and have become too scarce there as a result.
 
#16
BigOldHarry said:
I've owned both US made G&L 2000 and a tribby.

The neck on the Tribby was okay, but there was a bit of fret sloppyness - it really needed a proper dressing. As for the woodwork on the neck, it seemed fine - it was the fretwork & the nut (which seemed to be hang over the neck a bit...) that I seemed inadequate.

The US neck was nice and clean and felt great.

You *do* get what you pay for, sometimes.
Click to expand...

I recently got a G&L L2500 Tribute... and I'm amazed. The first 5-string bass that feels right to me almost straight away, and in turn has allowed me to feel comfortable with my SUB5 too. The neck is chunky but it's a lovely thing, and no issues with frets or anywhere else in fact. Growl in spades. I'm smitten.
Can the US version really be that much better???
To me the L2500 Tribute I have is on a par with my 2002 EBMM Stingray, quality wise.

I can see myself owning an L2000 fretless in a not very distant future. The question is... Tribute or US version?
 
#17
plankspanker13 said:
I knew that there was reinforcement in the USA necks, but did not realize that it was steel, as opposed to composite. I know that the Tribby's do not have such reinforcement, which was the point of my first post in this thread.
Click to expand...

The only thing other that the base wood in a G&L neck - any G&L neck - is a trussrod. There is no additional strengthening or reinforcement. The only possible way that extra reinforcement might be installed would be if a luthier or other non-G&L entity made a new neck or (perhaps) line bored and installed rods of some kind. Sorry, but there is no record of this that I am aware of.

BTW, I seem to have forgotten my password to the Basses by Leo site, and have become too scarce there as a result.
Click to expand...

I can fix that for you. Contact me via email from the address you used for registration.

Thanks,

Ken...
 
#18
mcnach said:
Can the US version really be that much better???
Click to expand...

I think so.

To me the L2500 Tribute I have is on a par with my 2002 EBMM Stingray, quality wise.
Click to expand...

High praise indeed. EBMM 'Rays are very good basses.

I can see myself owning an L2000 fretless in a not very distant future. The question is... Tribute or US version?
Click to expand...

US. No fretless Tribs.

Ken...
 
#19
mcnach said:
I'm smitten.
Can the US version really be that much better???
Click to expand...

I hope so. My Tribby is so sweet, I want to see how much better the USA is.

I've played a lot of basses looking for "the one" that speaks to me. To date, the only bass I've played that makes me smile as much as my G&L is a Lakland 55-94 (which ain't a cheap bass!).

The range of tones you can get out of a G&L is amazing. It's like a crazy skitzo bass....multiple personalities. :)
 

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