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G&L'ers......

P

Psychicpet

Mar 13, 2004
1,541
8
Disclosures
Friend and Endorsee of Larry
#1
ok, all you G&L nuts! :smug:

gimme a good argument as to why you love the basses you love.


a good friend of mine Rep's G&L and keeps taunting me with pics and talk of G&L but I've never owned one and am a lover of my Bongo....


but... right at this moment I gotta say I'd absolutely cross the street for a Fullerton Red maple fingerboarded 1505 (and 1500):hiding:

so... any convincing on crossing the line would be appreciated :p
 
#4
I play L-2500s (one fretted, one fretless). They have great feel, good build quality, and the "cut through" factor is the best of any bass I have ever played(that includes several much more expensive pieces).

The L-2000/2500 are called "the Swiss Army knife of basses" and I find that to be true. I can quickly dial in any sort of tone that I want. You can get good approximations of P's, J's, 'rays, Rick's, Wals, etc. (but I doubt that I could pull off a convincing Hofner sound) ;) NO, it will not sound 100% like any of those that I mentioned, but will do ALL of them with a high degree of accuracy while having its own G&L character. It's hard to find another bass that has such a high level of versatility.

For about a year and a half, I was playing a Fender American Deluxe Jazz V as my primary instrument. While I liked the sound of the bass by itself, I always found it getting lost when playing with my band. I sold the Fender and went on a shopping quest for a new primary bass. I went in with a self-imposed spending limit of $2500. The instruments I "auditioned" included:

Lakland
Sadowsky Metro series
Fender
Mike Lull
Warwick
Music Man
G&L

After spending nearly a month playing these brands at local dealers, I kept finding that the instrument which was really speaking to me was the L-2500. It then became a question of finding the one that I wanted in terms of finish, etc. Another month of scouring numerous G&L dealers and I found this one:

1317785586_8ca97a5b8b_o.png


This bass was part of the Summer NAMM display that the G&L folks did. The NAMM instruments were then sold to Nitro Tone, a Boston area G&L dealer. I was able to get them to a price that I thought was reasonable and bought this bass in late August. It is one of the best feeling basses I have ever played and has killer tone(s). I never get lost in the mix anymore. With both pickups on, the B string makes furniture fly across the room.

Go somewhere that you can play a G&L. I really suggest that you try one of the double-humbucker models(L-2000,ASAT, or L-2500). Make sure that you spend enough time to get a feel for what the controls really do. Remember, the tone controls are cut-only, and try the various switch settings. You will find a lot of familiar tones as well as some that you wouldn't expect from a bass.

You might find a G&L to be a perfect companion to your Bongo....or, at the risk of sacrilege, a perfect replacement for it.
 
#5
lug said:
I read on the interwebs somewhere that Bongos and G&L's share a mad, passionate love for one another. Do you WANT your Bongo to be lonely?
Click to expand...


Why do I feel so queasy after that? The same kind of queasy I get while watching Dude, Where's My Car... the part where they are pulled up next to Fabio, and wind up smooching in an unholy fashion.


barf.... :D

I have a Tribute L-2000, and it is one of my favorite basses ever. It's good enough that I can't imagine why the American models could get any better, although I'm sure they are. They are awesome basses with a great solid sound and feel. And, once you get the hang of the electronics, you almost have to try to find sounds that are bad.
 
#6
My path to G&L is somewhat like Jimtoonz's. I played Fenders almost exclusively for awhile, and wanted something different, some indefinable "more." I played loads of basses, including several he mentioned, and most left me cold because I just can't get into the modern active thing. The Fender clones didn't offer anything beyond my Fenders. Then I played an L-2000, and found full-range tones with modern definition and an aggressive edge, but some vintage texture and vibe as well. I knew I wanted a G&L, and landed on the L-1500 for its unique punchy tone and single pickup simplicity.

Really, it comes down to the MFD pickups. G&L's are well made and play great, but the same is true of U.S. Fenders, Music Man, Lakland Skyline, Warwick, etc. None of those, however, have the tone and power of MFD pickups. You WILL be able to cut through, and will never suffer from that "low boom/high click" nonsense I've heard from several modern active systems. There's nothing like MFD's, whether it's the humbuckers in L-series basses, or the split-coil in the SB-2.

I also think G&L has the best finishes in the business. And the ability to special order different neck sizes and fretboard radii is unique for a non-boutique bass (other than Valenti I guess).
 
#7
Thanks guys. Well, i guess there'll definitely be a booth I'll be spending some extra time @ come NAMM :smug:

I am thinking of getting away from a dual 'bucker styled bass but if the MFDs + the G&L electronics are close to what you guys are letting on about then quite possibly an L-2505 could be the ticket....

thanks again and please do keep the stories coming, it's always cool to see other's perspectives.


pd
 
#8
soz for the late answer, but g&l's are well known for being firewood, the MFD sucks, the active passive electrics are bad, the switchcraft jack sucks, the finish is poor and overall they are the pits, because of this there are several people on this site who willingly take them of your hands....please give generously, especially as christmas approaches.;)
 
#12
Jimtoonz said:
I play L-2500s (one fretted, one fretless). They have great feel, good build quality, and the "cut through" factor is the best of any bass I have ever played(that includes several much more expensive pieces).

The L-2000/2500 are called "the Swiss Army knife of basses" and I find that to be true. I can quickly dial in any sort of tone that I want. You can get good approximations of P's, J's, 'rays, Rick's, Wals, etc. (but I doubt that I could pull off a convincing Hofner sound) ;) NO, it will not sound 100% like any of those that I mentioned, but will do ALL of them with a high degree of accuracy while having its own G&L character. It's hard to find another bass that has such a high level of versatility.

For about a year and a half, I was playing a Fender American Deluxe Jazz V as my primary instrument. While I liked the sound of the bass by itself, I always found it getting lost when playing with my band. I sold the Fender and went on a shopping quest for a new primary bass. I went in with a self-imposed spending limit of $2500. The instruments I "auditioned" included:

Lakland
Sadowsky Metro series
Fender
Mike Lull
Warwick
Music Man
G&L

After spending nearly a month playing these brands at local dealers, I kept finding that the instrument which was really speaking to me was the L-2500. It then became a question of finding the one that I wanted in terms of finish, etc. Another month of scouring numerous G&L dealers and I found this one:

1317785586_8ca97a5b8b_o.png


This bass was part of the Summer NAMM display that the G&L folks did. The NAMM instruments were then sold to Nitro Tone, a Boston area G&L dealer. I was able to get them to a price that I thought was reasonable and bought this bass in late August. It is one of the best feeling basses I have ever played and has killer tone(s). I never get lost in the mix anymore. With both pickups on, the B string makes furniture fly across the room.

Go somewhere that you can play a G&L. I really suggest that you try one of the double-humbucker models(L-2000,ASAT, or L-2500). Make sure that you spend enough time to get a feel for what the controls really do. Remember, the tone controls are cut-only, and try the various switch settings. You will find a lot of familiar tones as well as some that you wouldn't expect from a bass.

You might find a G&L to be a perfect companion to your Bongo....or, at the risk of sacrilege, a perfect replacement for it.
Click to expand...


+1000!
 
#13
nig said:
soz for the late answer, but g&l's are well known for being firewood, the MFD sucks, the active passive electrics are bad, the switchcraft jack sucks, the finish is poor and overall they are the pits, because of this there are several people on this site who willingly take them of your hands....please give generously, especially as christmas approaches.;)
Click to expand...

Aah, brit humour :D
Shame, they probably took what you said seriously....
:bassist:
 
#15
nig said:
@ el_jimbob, yes I have a confession I own 14 g&l's so I must lurv them, by the way are you a kentish man or a man of kent, as I do believe there is a difference, good to see a uk bassist.:eek:
Click to expand...

Hehe, i wasn't aware there was a difference. I'm a man of Gravesend, as that is where i reside. Working my butt off in a tiny guitar shop for shite money :D
Pleased to meet you....

*edit* you on Basschat? I'm on there, too....
 
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