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Goodbye G&L
- Thread starter fourstringbliss
- Start date
How poor was the product at the end, really? The Fallout Bass was a pretty late addition and is pretty widely renowned as a solid choice in the short scale space. The Tribute series in general had a reputation for quality for the price that persisted until the end. I think they were actually quite competitive with Fender on the price to quality aspect.
I personally think it was the marketing where they failed. They could have abandoned the headstock that so many people said was ugly years ago. They could have come out with more cool P and J bass colorways, but they stayed super conservative. In general, they really struggled to be perceived as cool as Fender, especially for the last 10-15 years.
I'm surprised that no one has acquired the company and made the necessary changes to make it profitable.
Fender has acquired the name but not the factory apparently. The future may not look so gloomy depending on what they want to do with the brand if anything. At the very least, the intellectual property rights to Leo's name is safely back at Fender. I wouldn't be surprised to see them revive some G&L models in the future. What is REALLY sad however is Leo's office, tools, everything in there has basically been thrown in the trash or discarded like useless clutter from some pictures I've seen. It's literal history and no one thought to preserve this stuff after they closed?!? I don't get it at all.
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I would legit probbably order one if not for thier bass headstock options on their J model... They make incredible looking (and from what ive heard playing) instruments, but i dont like the pointy headstock on a J style bass and i dont like whatever that is as the alternative that comes stock with the P and J and more classic styled models.
I just bought a mint 2016 USA LB-100.
It’s great.
Super well built and plays so well.
Figured I’d grab a piece of the G&L history before it goes away.
It’s great.
Super well built and plays so well.
Figured I’d grab a piece of the G&L history before it goes away.
Normally I’d be in sync with you there, but the brand itself wasn’t generating enough buzz even when they were around
. It sounds to me like they are worth more now for parts than as instruments.
I like the can opener head stock. Sire is pretty awful
Hada handful of G&L basses over the years. The USA ones were really nice
Hada handful of G&L basses over the years. The USA ones were really nice
Yeah, very good point! You sure got me there. I guess Sire will go bankrupt next!
Is sire an unpopular headstock shape?! I don't find anythign particularily offensive about it, nor do i frequently (or ever) see anyone complain about it. Its not my favourite but its fine, if anything i don't like that all the basses say Marcus Miller on the headstock but thats something i personally dislike on any instrument thats a signature instrument let alone a whole line, but that doesn't really have to do with the shape.
G&L it was pretty well known that the headstock shape was a huge downside for many people... My local dealer who used to carry them made a podcast after the announcement they were bankrupt and were saying that they were a nightmare to get off the shelf.. and this is a guy who actually sold me one when i was a teen because he showed me how flexible it was with the pre-amp.. and i was like.. well.. but its ugly.. and he sold me on, its not the headstock you are playing - i still sold it years later. It sounds like most of the customers for them was effort for them to convince people to look past the looks and they were happy to drop them as a dealer, ive heard similar stories from other dealers carrying them.
There's other factors as well with them being known to be super heavy... but this isn't just nonsense these were pretty unanimously known "issues" with the brand lol.
I've owned probably 9 different L2XXX basses over the past twenty years and they've always found a different home. I keep thinking I'm going to get another one and keep not doing it.
See, to my eyes it’s very bland and bulbous looking. But I liked the hooky headstocks, especially the ones
that were more like the slimmer Tele shape.
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Over the last decade I’ve heard a few people say the quality was better in the 80s, but my personal experience wasn’t that at all.
In the early 90s, I owned a poorly made 80s gl (don’t remember the model name, but it had noisy j type pickups, and crinkled black hardware).
Terrible bass with multiple neck issues, sold it rather quickly when I couldn’t get the issues resolved.
My experience with it, and the prevailing negative opinions about GL products I was getting from dealers and guitar techs,
kept me from even considering another one until about 2018, when I was looking for a J bass alternative without the oblong body,
and bought a used JB2 online from GC.
It turned out to be a 2001 model, in pristine condition. I was so impressed I bought a 2013 lb-100, another beautifully well made instrument. I liked it, but have never been much of a P bass guy, and traded it for a 2015 L1k, again a fantastically well made and finished piece.
My last purchase was a Kiloton, made around the same time (2017, maybe). Couldn’t have asked for any better quality,
and I wish now I’d kept it, but I was hoping to replace it with one that had a wider neck. (Should’ve waited till I found one,
).
It’s only been in maybe the last 5-7 years that I’ve read reports of increasingly bad qc issues, which really put the kibosh on buying a new kiloton. (even less attractive now with no warranty).
I still have my 2 which I really enjoy, but still jonesing for a Kton, or maybe a l-1500.
In the early 90s, I owned a poorly made 80s gl (don’t remember the model name, but it had noisy j type pickups, and crinkled black hardware).
Terrible bass with multiple neck issues, sold it rather quickly when I couldn’t get the issues resolved.
My experience with it, and the prevailing negative opinions about GL products I was getting from dealers and guitar techs,
kept me from even considering another one until about 2018, when I was looking for a J bass alternative without the oblong body,
and bought a used JB2 online from GC.
It turned out to be a 2001 model, in pristine condition. I was so impressed I bought a 2013 lb-100, another beautifully well made instrument. I liked it, but have never been much of a P bass guy, and traded it for a 2015 L1k, again a fantastically well made and finished piece.
My last purchase was a Kiloton, made around the same time (2017, maybe). Couldn’t have asked for any better quality,
and I wish now I’d kept it, but I was hoping to replace it with one that had a wider neck. (Should’ve waited till I found one,
).It’s only been in maybe the last 5-7 years that I’ve read reports of increasingly bad qc issues, which really put the kibosh on buying a new kiloton. (even less attractive now with no warranty).
I still have my 2 which I really enjoy, but still jonesing for a Kton, or maybe a l-1500.
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