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NBD!: '92 G&L SB-1 :D

SidNitzerglobin

SidNitzerglobin

Feb 12, 2019
475
1,197
fROMOHIO
#1
I really wasn't looking for another bass, but I couldn't resist this one when I saw @TimBosby 's post on it being available & a couple short days later here it is :) :
mag5NCl.jpg

HO8Lbkv.jpg

I still haven't had a chance to get serious w/ it yet but the 1.5 hours or so I got in today on it between afternoon meetings leave me feeling very glad I went for it.

I'm particularly fond of the neck profile so far, it's a bit wider at the nut w/ a higher radius thickness to it than I would typically think would work for me, but it's feeling natural as can be here:
ePbgu86.jpg

The ergonomics seem phenomenal for me w/ a great balance & a belly/ribcage cut that just makes it disappear into my body playing it seated & a very comfortable forearm area. The neck seems to sit a tad bit further out than my other full scales, probably pretty close to the reach on the B-301, but still seems very manageable:
xBQC1xq.jpg

Very early for a true tone assessment but so far I love the split MFD in here. There's a great weight in the low mids through the frankenrig so far that seems pretty special. Best verbal desciption I can come up w/ at the moment is a warm punchiness, but focused enough that I think it stands a good chance of sitting nicely in a mix. Judging from the metering on the compressor it seems to be about even output to the JMJ Mustang, but definitely seems like it wants to rock a bit more w/ some nice growl to it when digging the right hand in moderately

I couldn't resist borrowing a couple of the CLF knobs I had on my Doheny to throw on here:
lPazpKq.jpg

It came set up just about perfect for me w/ some cool powdercoat black lollipop Hipshots that hook up w/ the bridge base & neckplate really well to me :
iJho8ge.jpg

About the only change I could see making to this one is strings if I discover a tonal annoyance when I get deep into it that I haven't yet, & I'm planning to cut a guard for it from bakelite to mostly complete the blackout treatment. The guard it came w/ is a truly impressive looking black abalone material but I think it might be even cooler looking to me w/ the matte black w/o the white outline of the guard.

Anyway, super jazzed w/ this one so far :D Thanks for taking a look!
 
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#3
SidNitzerglobin said:
I really wasn't looking for another bass, but I couldn't resist this one when I saw @TimBosby 's post on it being available & a couple short days later here it is :) :
View attachment 3882750
View attachment 3882751
I still haven't had a chance to get serious w/ it yet but the 1.5 hours or so I got in today on it between afternoon meetings leave me feeling very glad I went for it.

I'm particularly fond of the neck profile so far, it's a bit wider at the nut w/ a higher radius thickness to it than I would typically think would work for me, but it's feeling natural as can be here:
View attachment 3882752
The ergonomics seem phenomenal for me w/ a great balance & a belly/ribcage cut that just makes it disappear into my body playing it seated & a very comfortable forearm area. The neck seems to sit a tad bit further out than my other full scales, probably pretty close to the reach on the B-301, but still seems very manageable:
View attachment 3882753
Very early for a true tone assessment but so far I love the split MFD in here. There's a great weight in the low mids through the frankenrig so far that seems pretty special. Best verbal desciption I can come up w/ at the moment is a warm punchiness, but focused enough that I think it stands a good chance of sitting nicely in a mix. Judging from the metering on the compressor it seems to be about even output to the JMJ Mustang, but definitely seems like it wants to rock a bit more w/ some nice growl to it when digging the right hand in moderately

I couldn't resist borrowing a couple of the CLF knobs I had on my Doheny to throw on here:
View attachment 3882754
It came set up just about perfect for me w/ some cool powdercoat black lollipop Hipshots that hook up w/ the bridge base & neckplate really well to me :
View attachment 3882755
About the only change I could see making to this one is strings if I discover a tonal annoyance when I get deep into it that I haven't yet, & I'm planning to cut a guard for it from bakelite to mostly complete the blackout treatment. The guard it came w/ is a truly impressive looking black abalone material but I think it might be even cooler looking to me w/ the matte black w/o the white outline of the guard.

Anyway, super jazzed w/ this one so far :D Thanks for taking a look!
Click to expand...

Nice score there. Looks like the tuners were changed out for black Hipshot lollies, also. That guard looks great with the Emerald Blue finish, too. Those Chandler guards aren't cheap, so more bonus points.

I think you'll find the reach to first fret is ergo-friendly, and not at all like a Guild 301.

Grats. :thumbsup:
 
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#6
Iridescentone said:
Nice score there. Looks like the tuners were changed out for black Hipshot lollies, also. That guard looks great with the Emerald Blue finish, too. Those Chandler guards aren't cheap, so more bonus points.

I think you'll find the reach to first fret is ergo-friendly, and not at all like a Guild 301.

Grats. :thumbsup:
Click to expand...

Thanks!

I wasn't meaning the reach thing as a negative necessarily. I don't have issues w/ the B-301 or this one so far, I just notice that I'm using my wingspan more than w/ the Ric or the Jazz Bass on either.

Iridescentone said:
I'm just glad I didn't see the ad for that one. Not sure I could've resisted.
Click to expand...

I probably shouldn't have opened the thread when I saw it, but I'm awfully glad I did :)

TimBosby said:
Glad you dig it! The black abalone guard goes even better than I expected with the green. The CLF knobs definitely look cool. I mailed the other three this evening.
Click to expand...
Awesome man, thanks! For the knobs & for moving this one along to me :bassist:
 
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#15
Little update on this one:

1st as expected I've only fallen deeper in love w/ the sounds of this one through either of the amp setups I've plugged it into (even more so through the PF50T). I'm on the fence if I want to give a set of LaBella RX4NB .045-.100 out on here, but it would be mainly just for the slightly smaller 4th string & nice flexible feel of the whole set. Whatever machismo I possess says I should man up & leave these on here, but I think my joints are (for now) politely lobbying for the switch.

I also finished the rough cut of the outer perimeter of the bakelite guard this evening. Here it is sitting under the strings on top of the current guard w/ everything still loaded up on it:
wdoIAUF.jpg

Still need to sand the shape, cut the somewhat tricky pickup hole, & drill it, but I think it will wind up hitting the spot nicely for me once I get it finished up & take off the protective film. Hopefully I can get it mostly done on Saturday.
 
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#16
I foresee you opting to go back to the guard it came with, but I'm of course biased because it's the pickguard that would've made my bass look exactly as I'd want it to (with the G&L compromises of even having a pickguard to begin with and them only offering chrome hardware).

20191023_110342.jpg


And yes, if it was a right-handed bass and from a year where the pickguard would match, I'd have just offered to buy yours from you :)
 
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#17
Hehe, definitely feels like the prevailing wind around here is to put tort or something like it on anything, but it's all preference & all good (OffsetGuitars was the same way). Bakelite guards are kind of like my tort that way.

Don't get me wrong I like the abalone guard (& tort on the right instruments), I just think to my eye it takes focus away from the bass as a whole & that awesome mini flake in the finish. I also like the hookup in matte textures between the hardware & the guard w/ little accents of steel, nickel & chrome to break up/pop out of the sea of black.

I think the bakelite is 99.9% certainly the way for me so the black abalone one will likely be available once I have the replacement I'm happy w/ installed.
 
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#20
Little (but actually quite huge :) ) update to this one today, earlier in the week I finally took the plunge on a set of TI JF344 to put on here & they wound up arriving this afternoon:
OK1CUiv.jpg

I had some hemming & hawing about whether the action would wind up too low resistance/squishy for me when I'm not doing my best approximation of finesse playing & if it would wind up too dull tonally, but after very slight relief & saddle height tweaks I couldn't be more sure that my fears were entirely unfounded on both fronts. These seem like 1000% the right string for this bass for me :D I was super surprised to find the clarity & mid punch seem like marked improvements for me over the D'Addario rounds & it's full on goldilocks zone for easy fretting & bends vs. resistance to rattle/buzz when I'm extra exuberant in my fingering or popping w/ the right hand.

The only bit that wasn't perfect for this bass were the red silk wraps but that was easily remedied to my satisfaction w/ a Sharpie:
lkPJoQr.jpg
 
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