Why aren't G&L basses more popular?

[sunbeast]

Frankly, they're not very pretty or refined in appearance. In fact, they look downright primitive. Rough hewn. Like a throwback to a (much) earlier time in the bass guitar's history & development.

The bodies, generally, are not contoured at all - just a block of wood without any "tummy cuts" or forearm cuts. Not even rounded very much at the edges. They give new meaning to double bass players' use of the term "slab" to refer to electric bass guitar.

The headstocks aren't much better. They look somewhat "Fenderesque" in the own way, but that sharp notch along the lower edge (when worn/played horizontally) looks ragged and out of place.

Similarly the neck to body bolt joint looks almost as if it was slapped together. Again, no particular attention to detail, much less any artfulness or style. Just crude.

I reckon their main saving grace, as ever, is the sound. As long as they continue to sound great, a lot of players will continue to forgive the retrograde design.

For years, I just couldn't get past the look & feel of G&L bass guitars. But even I have recently reconsidered my ways, and may yet pick up an L-2500, probably sometime during 2013. We shall see...

MM

The only non-contoured or non-smooth-edged G&Ls I have ever seen over several years of picking up just about any G&L I come across have been either the early cheaper SB-1/SB-2 student models or the ASAT (which is understandable as it is a Telecaster inspired design). The headstock design is a matter of opinion- I'm not particularly fond of the lil tooth on the newer ones, but it has grown on me. I find the attention to detail as good or better than comparable Fenders, though if you are only perusing the used market you are more likely to see more duds with either company- the G&L finishes are a notch ahead in my experience. I have yet to own a G&L with a bad neck/body joint, so I wonder if you are referring to a bass with a non-original neck? I have seen a few of those in used stores. Unlike Fender, G&L necks are sometimes not as easily swappable fit-wise (though I have done it a few times with good results) and they don't offer aftermarket necks unless you send in the bass to have one custom built. Playability-wise and sound-wise I have found all my G&Ls to be at the top of the pile for my tastes with the exception of my old L-2500, though I have found few 5 strings I enjoyed the feel of for long.

 

[guymanndude1]

Sorry, it was an L1000. Still the only one that was light enough to be comfortable to me.

 

[Chef]

I've had...I dunno...more than 30 probably.
Very few were under 9lbs; most were 9.5, but, that's kinda my personal weight limit.
I've seen many that were heavier.

 

[Dbassmon]

Most people use Fenders because they have no imagination.

Jaco, John Paul Jones, Pino Paladino, Marcus Miller, Tony Franklin, Rodger Waters, Duck Dunn, Robbie Shakespeare, James Jamerson, Tim Bogart, or Barry Oakly, Monk Montgomery, Chuck Rainey, Verdine White, Reggie Hamilton, Victor Baily, John Deacon, Rocco Prestia, Geddy Lee, Larry Graham ... this is scratching the surface, this list is 500 miles long.

These are the guys without imagination?

 

[chadds]

Jaco, John Paul Jones, Pino Paladino, Marcus Miller, Tony Franklin, Rodger Waters, Duck Dunn, Robbie Shakespeare, James Jamerson, Tim Bogart, or Barry Oakly, Monk Montgomery, Chuck Rainey, Verdine White, Reggie Hamilton, Victor Baily, John Deacon, Rocco Prestia, Geddy Lee, Larry Graham ... this is scratching the surface, this list is 500 miles long.

These are the guys without imagination?

He's speaking to the folks who play what others play because they play them, not whether Fenders are good or those players have limited imagination. In fact in a way you may have proved his point. Sorry.

 

[Chef]

Well: I play some Fender stuff too.
Everyone knows my brain done give out long ago.

 

[Dbassmon]

He's speaking to the folks who play what others play because they play them, not whether Fenders are good or those players have limited imagination. In fact in a way you may have proved his point. Sorry.

Sorry? for what? The only thing this proves is many of the best bass players in music history have found their voices playing Fenders. Try and spin that anyway you want. It is incontrovertible! See, Chef is among them

 

[sunbeast]

I've owned a handful of Fenders over the years, and with the exception of a Jazz sound I like (and I have yet to play a G&L JB) I have found the Fender-esque tones I love far more easily with my G&Ls than I have ever have from a stock Fender, and thus far have yet to find a Fender that was so nice in feel that I would be willing to invest in modifying the pickups and other parts to get the sound I wanted.

When it was mentioned that people that play Fender have no imagination, I would guess it is in reference to the reality that people tend to be attracted to the sounds they have heard countless times rather than trying/having to carve out a niche with a different one (same goes with the heavy use of the Ampeg SVT in rock music). That applies more to players that have grown up with more options available, where most of that list above were players that grew up where Fender was one of the few reliable choices.

I find it incredibly hard to believe that someone who spent considerable time with a G&L would say that their basses lack a personality to their tone- they are definitely in the Fender camp tonewise to my ears in that they sound to me like what I generally have to EQ a Fender to sound like (generally on the aggressive and mid-heavy end of the spectrum, which fits me perfectly), but I have never picked up a Fender that sounded like a G&L straight outta the box. Also- despite the preamp, I don't find the L-Series basses to sound particularly "active" in the sense of a more modern tone which will throw people off comparing them to a MusicMan or the plethora of newer designed active instruments. I guess their new M-series basses are a response to the search for a more modern-friendly active G&L bass tone...

 

[GregC]

Most people use Fenders because they have no imagination. They see everyone else using them so they use one too. They also use the exact same tone as everyone else. That's what I call nondescript. You should be looking for your tone, not everyone else's.

This is an absurd, demeaning generalization. There are so many ways to get one's own sound beyond the bass itself.

 

[Iridescentone]

@Templar, assuming it's your bass; what's the story on that cherry burst L-2000? It looks like it has different knobs (perhaps stacked pots)? Great looking crappy slab of wood. lol

Just different knobs, no stacks. It was my bass, thanks.

 

[willsellout]

I think G&Ls are a combination of the two both in looks and sound. Every time I played them I thought they sounded great.

Most people use Fenders because they have no imagination. They see everyone else using them so they use one too. They also use the exact same tone as everyone else. That's what I call nondescript. You should be looking for your tone, not everyone else's.

Ironic coming from the company that reverse engineered a Wal pickup to sell as their own.

 

[RobJ]

Just different knobs, no stacks. It was my bass, thanks.

I appreciate the response. She's a beaut!

 

[smcd]

Jaco, John Paul Jones, Pino Paladino, Marcus Miller, Tony Franklin, Rodger Waters, Duck Dunn, Robbie Shakespeare, James Jamerson, Tim Bogart, or Barry Oakly, Monk Montgomery, Chuck Rainey, Verdine White, Reggie Hamilton, Victor Baily, John Deacon, Rocco Prestia, Geddy Lee, Larry Graham ... this is scratching the surface, this list is 500 miles long.

These are the guys without imagination?

Those are guys whose careers were at their peak 30+ years ago - when there were very few high quality choices other than Fender.

 

[Jazzdogg]

This is an absurd, demeaning generalization. There are so many ways to get one's own sound beyond the bass itself.

+1 Arrogant, incorrect, and condescending...

 

[Iridescentone]

I've had...I dunno...more than 30 probably.
Very few were under 9lbs; most were 9.5, but, that's kinda my personal weight limit.
I've seen many that were heavier.

I've had pretty good luck with G&L regarding weight, many well under 9lbs. A couple 10lb anchors (5500's, 2Ke's), and a few in the 8lb range. (weights taken on a postal scale)

 

[dougazbass]

I think that G and L just wants to stay the same sized company that it is now. Not all companies want to continue to grow. They really don't market well and you would think that after so many years they would have tried if they were intent on market growth. They have a nice little company making great guitars, maybe that is enough.
I own a BABP L2000 and a custom JB2 and enjoy them alot. I also own a Pedula and a Roscoe so I know what a quality instrument feels/plays like. I have had Fenders, I think they are fine but for me it's like... everyone has a fender, I want something different.
I have always been kind of suprised that otherwise creative bass players aren't quit so interested it different or more creative bass designs. Never have figuired out why that is. I guess they are just more focused on the music.

 

[georgestrings]

This is an absurd, demeaning generalization. There are so many ways to get one's own sound beyond the bass itself.

+1 Arrogant, incorrect, and condescending...

Agreed...


- georgestrings

 

[bassfootballguy]

This thread is full of absurd generalization, misinformation and outright fabrication. I feel like I have been reading speeches given from the floor of Congress. I saw less BS in the holding stalls at the rodeo.
I get that not everyone likes the same thing and actually love that. I have had a huge variety of instruments.
I settled on G&Ls not because a hero of mine held one on a stage somewhere, but because they're very well built, affordable and they have a strong tonality offering I can't get elsewhere.
Personally I kind of hope this misinformation persists because I will be able to keep getting great basses on the cheap on TB.
So, yeah, they're personality-less hunks of poorly made embarrassments to the legend that is Leo Fender. Come to your senses and get rid of these craptastic planks. Just PM me.

 

[sunbeast]

Personally I kind of hope this misinformation persists because I will be able to keep getting great basses on the cheap on TB.
So, yeah, they're personality-less hunks of poorly made embarrassments to the legend that is Leo Fender. Come to your senses and get rid of these craptastic planks. Just PM me.

+1. A little before the time I was first starting to take interest in them, you could pick up older US G&Ls for little more than the price of VM Squiers. Then all these firewood-worshippers had to come along on forums like this with all their baseless praise and drive the demand/price up to the level of obviously superior Mexican made Fenders. Then before you knew it they must have bribed someone to open a whole subforum all about G&L basses, filled with daily propaganda from inside agents, driving the price and demand for firewood up to nearly the level of an American made Fender! Certainly this voodoo can't last for long?!

 

[ksandvik]

Hmm... Not exactly.

Invalid Link Removed

Sorry I don't follow this thread but going back to my point that non American made G&L prices are a hard sell:

SB-2 non-MIA G&L , $600. A similar Indonesian made Squier is half this price. I tried one of those Indonesian made SB-2, they are nice, I didn't like the thin neck but anyway having a $300 difference did not make sense if you compare it with a let's say a Squire VM.

PS: The trick with gaining market share is to have a staggering price range from very cheap up to high end bass guitars to establish a brand. G&L does not have that. Fender has one, same with EBMM, Yamaha, Washburn. ESP, ....