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Why aren't G&L basses more popular?

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#581
Root 5 said:
G&L basses aren't more popular for the simple reason that they don't have the right name written across the headstock. Period.
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Lakland and Sadowsky seem to be doing OK despite that "handicap" - I'm just sayin'...

For me, G&L doesn't "out Fender" Fender like Lakland and Sadowsky do - I've never cared for their headstock(minor point), most of their neck profiles are too chunky for my tastes(major point for me), and I prefer Fender and EBMM tones to most of those by G&L... I will admit that G&L has very good QC standards, IMO - across the board, *I* think they're more consistant than Fender, and almost on par with EBMM... BUT, *I* think that a good Fender is a better instrument than a good G&L... I've never played a G&L that I HAD to have, but can't say that about Fender, Sadowsky, or Lakland...

JMHO, and alot of it is purely subjective - but those are my reasons... As always, play what works for you, and don't waste time worrying about the gear choices of others...


- georgestrings
 
#583
I have had the passive G&L basses (USA JB, Tribute JB-2 and Tribute SB-2 x 2), now I have G&L GAS again. I played a Korina ASAT and loved the way it sounded. I mean I really loved it but the neck dive was horrendous. Which leads me to L-2000 GAS.

I don't really care if G&L's are popular or not. I like them the way they are.
 
#588
To my eye, they look BORING.

Every time I see a G&L, it's a natural finish on plain looking wood with a bunch of knobs and switches on the face. In short, it looks like somebody built it in their garage.

Compare that to Fenders and Stingrays that have muscle-car looks on top of a more manageable control scheme, and it's just no contest.
 
#589
georgestrings said:
I've never played a G&L that I HAD to have, but can't say that about Fender, Sadowsky, or Lakland...

- georgestrings
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I haven't played a Sadowsky or Lakland, but my experience with Fender and G&L is exactly the reverse of yours. In the mid 90s I spent almost a year looking for a bass after saving up the money to get just about anything I wanted. I played everything I could find in town and while there were some really good Fenders, none quite spoke to me. Then I picked up an L-2000 and I just had to have it. It's the only bass I've ever felt that way about.
 
#590
lakefx said:
I haven't played a Sadowsky or Lakland, but my experience with Fender and G&L is exactly the reverse of yours. In the mid 90s I spent almost a year looking for a bass after saving up the money to get just about anything I wanted. I played everything I could find in town and while there were some really good Fenders, none quite spoke to me. Then I picked up an L-2000 and I just had to have it. It's the only bass I've ever felt that way about.
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That's cool - whatever works for ya, bud... G&L makes a good instrument, no question about it...
 
#591
Red_Merkin said:
To my eye, they look BORING.

Every time I see a G&L, it's a natural finish on plain looking wood with a bunch of knobs and switches on the face. In short, it looks like somebody built it in their garage.

Compare that to Fenders and Stingrays that have muscle-car looks on top of a more manageable control scheme, and it's just no contest.
Click to expand...

Then I guess you haven't seen mine. I do own a plain wood Tribby but the other two USA are blueburst. Definitely NOT plain or looking like built in a garage!

And the very features Georgestrings hates (chunky neck, "eye poker headstock", etc.) are the very features that I LOVE about mine. I HATE that profile on my Fender JAzz neck. (love the precision profile, however). G&L workmanship has no problems. SX these are NOT. Fender in my experience will give you a MUCH greater chance of scoring a dud.

But I can understand the problem. Basses are played by musicians and among them there is this faction that just absolutely FREAKS when they see more than a volume control and tone control on a bass. All those switches on an L2X00? Who can understand what they do? And it's WORSE than that. Those tone controls are PASSIVE! They work strange. A person actually has to LEARN how to use them. Who wants that? And those pickups. Cripes, they can be SO aggressive. They sound nothing like a Fender. Who wants that? Who wants ANY of this folderol?

Well, me, of course. Because I love total choices. I LOVE that these basses can be as aggressive as I ask them to be. I absolutely LOVE the tone, the neck, the look, the feel... ALL of it EXCEPT the fact that I can't buy one with 6 strings that isn't a guitar.

So oddly "Leo's last bass" is nothing like his first bass which so many are still in love with. But personally I find it no less valid. So much so that I've actually wired a couple of my other basses with "Leo's last circuit" which is the wiring in G&L L2X00 basses...yes, all those knobs and switches. Personally I find a G&L as big a classic as the Jazz, the P-bass, and the Stingray... provided you don't suffer from knobophobia.

I'm sure it's no surprise to anyone that my G&Ls are my main 5er axes.
 
#592
I have two both L2500s, actives removed to give me full coil tapping control.
I have been playing G&L since 1986 had a L1000 a L2000 and now my 2 L 2500.
I have found nothing I like better.
and here they are
 

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#593
for me its two things... first, I don't like the post lawsuit headstock, and second, while I loved the tone of the L1000 & L2000s I've had were just way too hot of a signal to the point that I couldn't use it with any pedals or some preamps.
 
#595
Red_Merkin said:
To my eye, they look BORING.

Every time I see a G&L, it's a natural finish on plain looking wood with a bunch of knobs and switches on the face. In short, it looks like somebody built it in their garage.

Compare that to Fenders and Stingrays that have muscle-car looks on top of a more manageable control scheme, and it's just no contest.
Click to expand...

I kinda see what you're saying, but I think that you might not be seeing the nicest examples.


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