I paid $580 each for Tribute LB-100 and Tribute JB. Only negative with these basses is the weight. LB is 10 pounds, 4 ounces and JB is a beast at 12 pounds!
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NBD - G&L, and short rant
- Thread starter aero58
- Start date
I paid $580 each for Tribute LB-100 and Tribute JB. Only negative with these basses is the weight. LB is 10 pounds, 4 ounces and JB is a beast at 12 pounds!
Really doesn't sound like quality control issues to be concerned about. The frets were likely fine before they left the factory -- fret sprout is normal, and a bad pot is luck of the draw that is very rare. G&L stepped up on the pot and case. And you can't blame the factory for a set of strings that require intonation adjustment out of norm on your other bass -- many of us have had to source a longer intonation screw at some point in our lives.
Nice new bass - enjoy it!
Nice new bass - enjoy it!
Beautiful bass. Congrats. Sorry about the pot. Pots are sourced and can fail or be damaged and it’s equally likely it functioned 100% when checked. It’s also possible you’re experiencing fret sprout, very common. Sounds like they and your dealer are making it perfect for you.
Leo took his patented Advanced Headstock Painting Technology with him when he sold his first guitar company. You made nice choices.
Leo took his patented Advanced Headstock Painting Technology with him when he sold his first guitar company. You made nice choices.
Original poster: Love the bass!!
My reply to above post:
Hate to say this, but you are correct. I admit that occasionally the Indo QC lacks, But some are perfect, never need adjusting, sound good, Seen it 1st hand. Expensive bass owners will deny it all day.
Ah, but the classic discussion regarding Squier/Fender, Tribute/domestic G+L, or this case from the Ernie Ball side of the field:
Sure, the REAL one is better, but . . . . is it THREE times better as they hope the price suggests?
Sure, the REAL one is better, but . . . . is it THREE times better as they hope the price suggests?
Fret sprout happens. Living in the dry desert of New Mexico, some of my basses required fret-end cleanup yearly for 10-15 years before they finally quit shrinking enough to feel the fret-ends during the dry months. I have some VERY nice basses that were perfect when they left the builder and still required annual clean up. It's just the way of life here in the desert.
I've never purchased the real boutique stuff like Ken Smith, MTD, etc but every bass I have ever bought from $300 to $2300 has had QC issues of various forms and variety beyond a simple setup. Sorry to hear about the stuff with yours. At this point, I feel like if I ever find or receive a bass with no QC issues at all, I will promptly meet my doppelganger and die.
Agreed. All three of my maple board basses are $x,xxx instruments and all three had fret sprout within a year of purchase due to how wildly the climate in Portland fluctuates nowadays. C'est la vie. I'm glad they were able to make things right for you in the end.
Yep pretty much. Some people will say the opposite but I think they are just more forgiving.
My last brand new G&L also had issues. One tuner installed slightly crooked, finish flaws, and some weird indentations in the body under the finish that couldn't be explained. I doubt I'd order another new one.
QC for many, many American products as well as restaurants and services is currently not very good!
Many American workers are under paid, inflation is eroding the standard of living, jobs are plentiful and many frequently jump jobs thus causing poor quality because of lack of experience..........blah, blah, blah. There is also a bad attitude thing evident with many of us. It is very manifest in the way people drive a car now. Aggressive, rude, dangerous and selfish.
In trying to adapt to the current mood and lower quality, I've greatly lowered my expectations for just about everything. I expect D- but sometimes am happily surprised to get C- results.
Sorry about your G&L issues but all in all, seems like you made out OK. Free gig bag and and extra pot.
Many American workers are under paid, inflation is eroding the standard of living, jobs are plentiful and many frequently jump jobs thus causing poor quality because of lack of experience..........blah, blah, blah. There is also a bad attitude thing evident with many of us. It is very manifest in the way people drive a car now. Aggressive, rude, dangerous and selfish.
In trying to adapt to the current mood and lower quality, I've greatly lowered my expectations for just about everything. I expect D- but sometimes am happily surprised to get C- results.
Sorry about your G&L issues but all in all, seems like you made out OK. Free gig bag and and extra pot.
Sorry to hear of the issues but good that they are sorting it out. Some already know that G&L QC has been an issue for years. Pre covid. My first BTO return was in 2018 - the maple neck had weird blue stains under the finish and significant spots buffed down to bare wood.
I hear there is a new person there helping improve their floor processes. Thats good news. Hopefully they take another look at the truss rod design too. Way to many stories of broken rods at the nut weld.
I hear there is a new person there helping improve their floor processes. Thats good news. Hopefully they take another look at the truss rod design too. Way to many stories of broken rods at the nut weld.
The fret sprout issue isn’t a big deal to me right now as I do realize that transport from the west coast to the east coast, in winter, is likely the culprit - it was more of a quibble than a complaint…And I am grateful that my local store/dealer and G&L made everything right…BTW, I am totally diggin’ the turquoise color with maple fret board combo - like I previously mentioned, the paint job is absolutely perfect! I wish I could capture in a photo just how awesome it is - that alone made this worth every penny to me. 
Glad everything is in order. I'd choose a JB over a Fender Jazz bass any day of the week.
You might consider GHS black tapewounds...they look good with maple and they sound incredible.
By the way, that really looks good with the black background...I do it all the time.
Never cared for J`s too much. Always pretty much played P`s or PJ`s. Then I purchased a G&L Tribute JB. I`m not giving up on my P`s, but I believe the Tribute JB is one of the sweetest basses I ever played, and with NO complaints on QC. Maybe I`m an exception, but IME should I ever get another case of the GAS, I`ll be looking hard at another G&L.
