Would not be opposed to seeing that. A private equity firm is simply a thing, a financial mechanism. There could be positives like needed capital, much better PR, pulse on what players like and want, direct feedback from what SW hears about basses in general, better management, new ideas, etc, off the top of my head. As with anything there are potential downsides, but those seem fewer and more emotional than actual/factual. Any negatives would be as true for anyone buying them. They could ruin the name and company, but that would be a stupid financial path. The goal of such firms is to make money (like all of is), and to do that you have to have a good produce and one people know about. G&L has always been something of a secret in the bass and guitar world for some reason. Initially I seem more positives than negatives. (From a long time G&L owner.)
Enjoy the benefits of a premium membership!
Upgrade Account
-
TalkBass has been independent since 1998. Add your voice.
Create a free account to reply to discussions, view embedded media, and browse with fewer display ads.
Join free Log in
Want zero display ads or expanded classifieds tools? Compare plans.
G&L. Wouldn't you love...
- Thread starter bdplaid
- Start date
I don't get people saying G&L is a secret brand. In my world, which spans the US East Coast, it's a well known and respected brand. I've known bass players snd guitarists alike who play them.
You don't need to convince most of the people posting here how great G&L is; a lot of us are very happy with the brand.
But here's the thing. Rock is PACKED with musicians who don't play G&L products. Music stores are festooned with FSOs and GSOs, not G&LSOs. In November, when parents are spending $149.99 on a starter bass or guitar kit, it's a Squier or an Epiphone... not a G&L.
It's well known, yes. It's respected, yes. But in a world where the first tier in stringed instruments is Fender, Gibson, and maybe Gretsch and the second tier is Schechter, PRS, and Yamaha, with the third tier being Dean or whatever, it's hard for me (who loves G&L and owns several) to figure out quite where G&L fits in.
I'll put it this way. I'm saddened that they've crashed out. But I'm not all that surprised.
I might be wrong but as I understand Harley Benton is an in house brand (of Thomann) rather that a stand alone manufacturer, Thomann use the brand name for guitars made in several location and several independent from each other factories.
There is nothing to say any of these factories would be incapable of producing similar quality work to G&L but then the brand would have to be bought by Thomann, Whether they'd be willing to rebrand G&L to "G&L (By Harley Benton)" I don't think would fly with hardcore G&L fans and I doubt would happen as Thomann seem far more content as being "box shifters" rather than high end guitar manufacturers. Either way it wouldn't be good for Cali as production would ultimately move to the East anyways. But who knows, stranger things have happened.
I wonder how much the BTO service was a cost to G&L? Some of the options were an additional cost. Did they not charge enough? Actually, I'd have paid more for mine, but not Fender Custom Shop prices. I'm one of those guys who thinks basses can only get good to a point, and anything over $2500 is wanking off money. Make the neck and frets perfect, and there will be many happy bass players out there.
I got this for just under $2K. I think that's a steal.
I got this for just under $2K. I think that's a steal.
Carvin disintegrated after they split instruments & electronics. Kiesel has done modestly well in a difficult market sector. I had a Kiesel bass in my stable & it was a quality bass but the short scale headless thing just wasnt for me.
Still have a Carvin B4 and its a solid bass.
Would be nice to see the brand do resurrection but not holding my breath.
Always wanted to pick up an SB-2 but I guess its the used market now.
I agree Gibsons auto-tune idea was a huge flop.
I remember when the Zoot Suit SG came out & I almost bought one. Now I wish I had. Look them up on Reverb. Not there often but collectors are paying insane money for them.
First it would have to be what G+L might be worth as a business for sale on the market, not to mention how sewed up was Mr. Fender's and other employees Intellectual Property be worth, and was it a part of the business or owned by Mr. Fender or someone else? In short, is there anything compelling enough in the G+L business that is compelling enough for a new investor to buy and make a go out of as a revived, stand alone business?
I'm not sure there is.
I'm not sure there is.
It wasn't just a bad idea. It was a bad idea that Gibbo hyped, overhyped, and double-overhyped, before doubling down and triple-overhyping. They seemed congenitally incapable of admitting they'd been mistaken in putting them out to market, which seems to be baked into Gibson's corporate DNA. They often fail to admit they were wrong until the market has long since moved on.
Lol. They're more than welcome to my share, then.
Ugly execution of a bad idea, with added overhype to match.
G&L's former Custom Shop Masterbuilder wrote that Fender seems most likely to buy parts of the IP and those parts are all 'Leo Fender' related naming rights (including his signature) and the pickups.
Good. That's about what I reckoned. A world without MFD pickups is no way to live.
I think that when Gibson got rid of Henry J and Mr. Berryman that things started improving. That doesn’t mean they make 100% correct decisions but they’re getting better.
Do you actually think Fender is going to build and use MFD pickups? Dream on. Fender is only interested in relieving itself of a competitor. Fender is itself owned by a private equity firm and that's how it functions: They buy up and then shutter the competition, and buy some companies and retain or sell off what they don't want. Fender is no one’s friend but Fender.
Just replying to a post, man. I'm not pretending I've got the insider knowledge you seem to have.
Enjoy your evening.
What I would love is to get my 2000$ bass back!
Sent in for warranty, was told to ship it to them so they could do warranty work and then radio silence.
Don’t know what to do
Sent in for warranty, was told to ship it to them so they could do warranty work and then radio silence.
Don’t know what to do
That's terrible. I think if it were me, I'd reach out to one of the YouTube guitar guys in an attempt to contact the owners. Phil McKnight on Know Your Gear sounds like he might know the McLarens.
Alternatively, I think I'd reach out here on TB and Facebook.
Best of luck solving this horrible problem.
I've not personally seen any drop in customer service, yet. In the last 2 or 3 years I've been able to return an amp without the new box and a few gigs on it, they overnighted me a bass to replace a G&L with a cracked fretboard without me sending the first one back (told them I needed the box), and several other things. I buy a lot of stuff from them, and never had an issue. Things ship immediately instead of waiting a couple days like other places. Everything arrives in working order. Ordered a used bass from GC a couple months ago and it arrived with a string tree falling off and several other issues, for comparison.
