My only gripe is that they don't have cool names for the bass. Fender Precision, or Musicman Stingray sounds a million times better than G&L SB-2/ L-2000.
Enjoy the benefits of a premium membership!
Upgrade Account
-
TalkBass has been independent since 1998. Add your voice.
Create a free account to reply to discussions, view embedded media, and browse with fewer display ads.
Join free Log in
Want zero display ads or expanded classifieds tools? Compare plans.
Why aren't G&L basses more popular?
- Thread starter Zerstorte Zelle
- Start date
- Status
Anybody who thinks this is 'ugly', or that it can't get an 'identifiable sound' is nuts...or smoking crack...or smoking nuts....or something crazy.
Played one just like this today. Man, I love those G&L JBs more than anything other jazz bass. Superb instruments!
This. I hate the G&L headstock, to the point where I've never even considered *test playing* one of their basses. It's something I imagine I'll eventually get past, because in the end it's all about the sound. But given the state of my paychecks, I'm not really in the market for excess unless it's absolutely PERFECT in my mind's eye.
g&l's are excellent basses but i think it's a looks thing. they do get some play from pro bassists, though. i believe the dillinger escape plan bassist uses them. mike merritt from the conan o'brien show uses an sb-1 when he needs a p/flats sound. i just don't think they hit the mark lookswise...sort of a plain jane look. the asat looks really cool, but i think the rest of them look like an old guy designed them 
A lot of people seem to share this hate for the headstock and I must admit that it kept me for a long time to even show interest in the company :scowl: Whatyagonnado? People want to be proud of what they buy.
But that also reminds me of the ESP/LTD "cockstock" story. It was hated and mocked for so long ESP/LTD decided to change it and guess what? Not so many years after everyone miss it and go custom shop or buy used to have one to the point its become kind of a trend and "cool" to have one...[Invalid or Expired Link Removed]
I bet if G&L change their headstock in less than 2 years people are gonna cry to have it back.
g&l's are excellent basses but i think it's a looks thing. they do get some play from pro bassists, though. i believe the dillinger escape plan bassist uses them. mike merritt from the conan o'brien show uses an sb-1 when he needs a p/flats sound. i just don't think they hit the mark lookswise...sort of a plain jane look. the asat looks really cool, but i think the rest of them look like an old guy designed them
They do look pretty plain-jane. The L2000 is particularly bland looking, it's basically like a P bass with no pickguard and a pair of humbuckers. Even the bridge looks kind of utilitarian and ho-hum.
I've never minded the headstock tho.
But for a Fender category bass, you can't do any better than the L2000. As I've said before, it's basically (in fact literally!) what you'd get if you took your old Precision to LF himself and asked him to fix all the broken crap that's always on the original Fenders. My L2000 is even well balanced - that may be a fluke since I fortunately scored a swamp ash body on my 90's model that weighs a ton, but it sits perfectly in any position I want on the strap.
You can coax a really good Precision sound out of it too by running the neck PU only in single coil mode. Everything else is a kind of unique sound tho it takes some work to get something that sits good in a mix.
And if you need a Jazz bass, I don't see how you can do better than the JB....
Finally, you can order G&L's with unlined fretless boards. This is impossible, to my knowledge, with original Fenders. There you have to either go custom shop or to the artist models like the Tony Franklin or the Steve Bailey 6. But if you just want a jazz bass or a precision with an unlined board, you're screwed.
And the G&L is better anyway for about the same price, so it's a win-win....
LS
I'm not a fan of the 5 string headstock, but I don't think that would stop me buying one if I liked how it played and sounded. The 4 string headstock looks great though I think, and the ASAT is a fine looking thing. I'd love to try one out some time but I don't think I've ever seen one in a music store in the UK? There's gotta be some kicking about London somewhere...
g&l's are excellent basses but i think it's a looks thing. they do get some play from pro bassists, though. i believe the dillinger escape plan bassist uses them. mike merritt from the conan o'brien show uses an sb-1 when he needs a p/flats sound. i just don't think they hit the mark lookswise...sort of a plain jane look. the asat looks really cool, but i think the rest of them look like an old guy designed them
I don't know about that. It's hard to beat this one for looks. Totally up MY alley, anyway.
Attachments
They do seem to have a mix of Fender and MusicMan in them as well.
I think the Leo Fender fans appreciate them more than anyone else. Respect out to Leo
I think the Leo Fender fans appreciate them more than anyone else. Respect out to Leo
Chef
In Memoriam
wow...really...just....wow.
never seen a piece of wood like that.
never seen a piece of wood like that.
Yep, really bland.
Chef
In Memoriam
My take on why G&L aren't more popular:
1) they've never marketed well
2) they're different. that whole L2000/2500 control layout, despite it's simplicity, looks oddball and complicated, so, it's offputting to people who have never picked one up, or are too closed minded to accept that different can work. Really well.
3) They're not P or J clones, which is also inherently offputting to a lot of people.
Even Leo said they're the best basses he ever made, and the L1000 and L2000 are clear evolutionary steps forward from Precision and Stingray.
I like them. I use them, and have since 1981.
BBE seems more or less intent on slogging along, not doing much else new, innovative or even evolutionary, despite a lot of direct feedback from the Gleek contingent.
Too bad.
1) they've never marketed well
2) they're different. that whole L2000/2500 control layout, despite it's simplicity, looks oddball and complicated, so, it's offputting to people who have never picked one up, or are too closed minded to accept that different can work. Really well.
3) They're not P or J clones, which is also inherently offputting to a lot of people.
Even Leo said they're the best basses he ever made, and the L1000 and L2000 are clear evolutionary steps forward from Precision and Stingray.
I like them. I use them, and have since 1981.
BBE seems more or less intent on slogging along, not doing much else new, innovative or even evolutionary, despite a lot of direct feedback from the Gleek contingent.
Too bad.
I actually think the headstock is kind of cool. As simple as the design is, I feel like it's one of those things where a it's a small secret bass player club. Like you're at a gig and you see a bassist with a G&L and you guys lock eyes and you just know 
.
.
If I wasn't lusting bad enough for one of these after reading a few comments like this I'm ravenous!
Really wanna try one of these but no stocking G&L dealers around these parts.A buddy of mine has a older SB-1 and it out P-bass's most P basses I've heard! (Did I write that confusing enough?)
I love mine.
Though I did change the pickups and electronics.
Here it is with the new knobs I installed after I got done changing the electronics. The first picture has my Shuttle 9.0 knobs on it just to see how it would look.
Though I did change the pickups and electronics.
Here it is with the new knobs I installed after I got done changing the electronics. The first picture has my Shuttle 9.0 knobs on it just to see how it would look.
- Status
