NBD - G&L, and short rant

[Mike Vee]

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.

View attachment 5382243

Yep, 100% this. The country is going down the toilet really, really fast. Every time I order from a restaurant something is wrong. They are frequently completely unapologetic. No customer service anywhere you go. Just dumb employees with a blank look on their face. Like you said, driving in a whole 'nother level the last 3-4 years. And if you say anything to anyone on the road, you could easily be shot. I won't even get into the MASSIVE uptick in drugs, violent crime and graffiti in my one very nice neighborhood. Cops are passive and do nothing. Everyone is suffering, we need change.

 

[Nedmundo]

Congrats! I love my G&L USA JB. I'm more attached to my Fender J, but the G&L is better overall, and yours looks like a fantastic example of the breed. I love the finish and painted headstock.

G&L has had some QC issues in recent years. Most of the seven USA G&L instruments I've bought have been perfect, including my JB, but my most recent, a Legacy HSS guitar from early 2022, had incorrect wiring for the humbucker. Specifically, when in single coil mode, the wrong coil was active. I also had a 2017(?) JB-5, which I bought used in 2019, that had some serious neck/fret issues, some of which could probably be attributed to the factory. But like all my others, these were beautifully finished. And the JB-5 sounded great.

The intonation screws are sometimes a little too short on some instruments. This issue goes back a long way. On my 2006/7 L-1500, I installed slightly longer hex-key screws, which were much better. But I haven't had the issue on any of the other four G&L basses I've owned. Seems to be luck of the draw.

Over in the G&L club thread, someone posted an article about the new person hired to run G&L's Custom Shop, and he's also shaping up the build-to-order production. I'm very happy about this.

 

[bootstrap]

Over in the G&L club thread, someone posted an article about the new person hired to run G&L's Custom Shop, and he's also shaping up the build-to-order production. I'm very happy about this.

Didn't they say the same thing when Dave Brown was brought on a few years ago? Based on my experience with the Custom Shop under his leadership he didn't unscrew much.

 

[MingusBass]

When I was at Sweetwater a handful of years ago, G&L was not a vendor yet but really wanted Sweetwater to sell their instruments. The distributor offered sales people a killer deal on US instruments built to spec. I ordered a JB in Spanish Copper with some other fun options, and from the time I ordered to getting the bass it was about three weeks. That bass arrived with a defective neck pickup, but to their testament, they paid to have my bass sent to them overnight and back to me overnight. Thankfully second time was a charm but I know for a fact that there were some other issues with some of the other sales people’s instruments that were also ordered in the same batch. The worst mistake was they put the wrong frets in a guy’s guitar. He wanted stainless steel and they installed standard frets. Again, they fixed the issue but if they were trying to impress us, it kinda backfired. That being said, Sweetwater became a G&L dealer eventually.

 

[blr2]

Yet another account of not good G&L QC. It's getting symptomatic.

 

[slagheap]

Yep, 100% this. The country is going down the toilet really, really fast. Every time I order from a restaurant something is wrong. They are frequently completely unapologetic. No customer service anywhere you go. Just dumb employees with a blank look on their face. Like you said, driving in a whole 'nother level the last 3-4 years. And if you say anything to anyone on the road, you could easily be shot. I won't even get into the MASSIVE uptick in drugs, violent crime and graffiti in my one very nice neighborhood. Cops are passive and do nothing. Everyone is suffering, we need change.

Maybe it's me but I'm unable to discern for sure whether these two posts are ultra-dry sarcasm, or the dubious dividends of too much TV. I'm tempted to quote some Frank Zappa but the moderator would yank it.

 

[skycruiser]

Maybe it's me but I'm unable to discern for sure whether these two posts are ultra-dry sarcasm, or the dubious dividends of too much TV. I'm tempted to quote some Frank Zappa but the moderator would yank it.

Not sarcasm. Maybe he should just leave LA. It's pretty much known worldwide as the mecca for extremely shallow and egocentric jerks so not sure why he complains.

 

[FearNoEvil65]

I like G&L don't get me wrong, their bass styles and colors are great. That being said, my BTO L-2000 the first neck warped after a few months, went back for a neck replacement. A few weeks ago I tried to adjust the truss rod on the new neck for the first time and with almost no pressure the nut broke off the truss rod, holy cow.
The 2nd neck had a few issues but I was willing to let it go, but now the bass is back at G&L for the 3rd neck to be fitted. Lets hope 3rd times the charm, fingers crossed but not my toes I don't need any bad luck!
Congrats and good luck with your G&L, I'd be careful adjusting the truss if it ever needs it especially tightening it. I've read some actually bend the neck and then turn the truss nut with pressure applied so the rod isn't doing the straightening, if that's what you're trying to do. If any of my G&L's need truss rod tightening going forward, I'll probably do it that way.

 

[murphy]

I've read some actually bend the neck and then turn the truss nut with pressure applied so the rod isn't doing the straightening,

That is exactly how I do my Trussrod adjustments.

Think I read that here

 

[Mike Vee]

Not sarcasm. Maybe he should just leave LA. It's pretty much known worldwide as the mecca for extremely shallow and egocentric jerks so not sure why he complains.

Nah I guess I'm just really delusional. America is surely in a Golden age.

 

[tvbop]

fret sprout is normal

Really? Back in the day there was no such thing.. and to be honest in all the Squires Ive had Ive never experienced it. 'Fret Sprout'..which maybe some people have suffered is a direct consequence of using poorly dried wood or even just bad wood. Proper seasoned wood never moves that much....

 

[jeff62]

Really? Back in the day there was no such thing.. and to be honest in all the Squires Ive had Ive never experienced it. 'Fret Sprout'..which maybe some people have suffered is a direct consequence of using poorly dried wood or even just bad wood. Proper seasoned wood never moves that much....

Yes, fret sprout is normal. It may not happen all the time, but if you live in an extreme environment it is not unusual by any definition, even for seasoned wood (i'm sure that all manufacturers double check that their wood is seasoned correctly... #sarcasm). And I'm more than old enough to qualify for "back in the day" to have experienced this, at least if you consider eligible for social security to be old enough.

 

[Martin Lowend]

Man you guys are reassuring!!!! Lmao…. Just placed an order for a BTO L-2000, this will be my 3rd us made G&L, 95’ ( got stolen) and 97’ first batch with the 6 bolt neck, what are they doing different in the building process? USA G&L’s are almost impossible to come by in Canada, can’t try before you buy anymore …. Used to be a shop in Montreal back in the 90’s that would keep a good stock on hand… to address the fret sprouting issues, only instruments I haven’t had to fix are my Canadian built Dingwall and Rickenbacker, ( fret ends are cut short of the edge and fingerboard binding) les paul and Taylor 812, a good way to avoid this is by keeping your instruments in the case when not being played and also have a humidity controlled room in your home where you keep your instruments, but all my Fenders and G&L ( just went over my 97’ couple days ago actually!) have had the fret ends addressed, one thing they are doing right, keeping the fret tangs across the fingerboard!!! Unlike those exports where they cut the tang and fill… you get a way better feeling neck when filing the edges with the tangs! 100%!!! ( removing the fret tang allows more of a cutting surface to the fret end… think of it like a chisel when they sprout and are always “scratchy” feeling) I am disappointed that G&L no longer puts their USA instruments in a hard shell case, to me anyways, opening up the case to see the G&L was part of the experience… and the smell of the bass in its case when open lol

 

[blr2]

Really? Back in the day there was no such thing.. and to be honest in all the Squires Ive had Ive never experienced it. 'Fret Sprout'..which maybe some people have suffered is a direct consequence of using poorly dried wood or even just bad wood. Proper seasoned wood never moves that much....

That's my impression as well. IMO, if the instrument was made with a properly seasoned woods, and the fret ends were finished properly, changes in humidity don't cause sharp fret ends. My older instruments ('89 and '99) are the proof.

 

[FearNoEvil65]

Man you guys are reassuring!!!! Lmao…. Just placed an order for a BTO L-2000, this will be my 3rd us made G&L, 95’ ( got stolen) and 97’ first batch with the 6 bolt neck, what are they doing different in the building process? USA G&L’s are almost impossible to come by in Canada, can’t try before you buy anymore …. Used to be a shop in Montreal back in the 90’s that would keep a good stock on hand… to address the fret sprouting issues, only instruments I haven’t had to fix are my Canadian built Dingwall and Rickenbacker, ( fret ends are cut short of the edge and fingerboard binding) les paul and Taylor 812, a good way to avoid this is by keeping your instruments in the case when not being played and also have a humidity controlled room in your home where you keep your instruments, but all my Fenders and G&L ( just went over my 97’ couple days ago actually!) have had the fret ends addressed, one thing they are doing right, keeping the fret tangs across the fingerboard!!! Unlike those exports where they cut the tang and fill… you get a way better feeling neck when filing the edges with the tangs! 100%!!! ( removing the fret tang allows more of a cutting surface to the fret end… think of it like a chisel when they sprout and are always “scratchy” feeling) I am disappointed that G&L no longer puts their USA instruments in a hard shell case, to me anyways, opening up the case to see the G&L was part of the experience… and the smell of the bass in its case when open lol

What options did you order for you L-2000 may I ask? I like mine a lot if the could get the neck right but the majority seem to be good so lets hope yours is %100 from the get go.

 

[Martin Lowend]

What options did you order for you L-2000 may I ask? I like mine a lot if the could get the neck right but the majority seem to be good so lets hope yours is %100 from the get go.

I got:
Alder body
Flat sawn neck
Ebony fingerboard
Vintage frets
1 5/8 nut
9 1/5 radius
Andromeda finish/ paint to match headstock model delete

 

[Martin Lowend]

Interesting enough…. Just checked out the specs for the neck and it’s the exact same as my 2010 American deluxe Pbass which is a fantastic neck! Only complaint is that fender sprays finish after the fret work is done…. the finish peels off at the fret ends leaving a scratchy feel no matter what you do unless you completely sand off the fingerboard edge….. stupid manufacturing process if you ask me…

 

[FearNoEvil65]

Interesting enough…. Just checked out the specs for the neck and it’s the exact same as my 2010 American deluxe Pbass which is a fantastic neck! Only complaint is that fender sprays finish after the fret work is done…. the finish peels off at the fret ends leaving a scratchy feel no matter what you do unless you completely sand off the fingerboard edge….. stupid manufacturing process if you ask me…

I think the L-2000 with the 1 5/8 nut, 9 1/2inch radius is a very comfortable neck. Interestingly I have an SB-1 with the same exact specs for the neck but it's considerably thicker front to back than the L-2000.
I'm just hoping to get a good neck this time around on my L-2000, I miss having it here!

 

[Martin Lowend]

I think the L-2000 with the 1 5/8 nut, 9 1/2inch radius is a very comfortable neck. Interestingly I have an SB-1 with the same exact specs for the neck but it's considerably thicker front to back than the L-2000.
I'm just hoping to get a good neck this time around on my L-2000, I miss having it here!

my 97’ has a pretty beefy neck, wide 1 3/4 nut, just feels like a beast lol my 95’ was exact same but with rosewood fingerboard. Even though the necks are beefy they set up very well

 

[Swerve]

I’m sure I’ve talked about it here before but a few years back I ordered a brand new LB-100 and it had so many issues all I could do was laugh. Sent that sucker right back and haven’t considered G&L since.