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Why so many more StingRays/Sterlings than G&Ls?

jaywa

jaywa

May 5, 2008
7,702
283
Iowa City, IA
#1
How come the StingRays and Sterlings appear to be so much more popular than the G&L basses? Is it the quality of the instruments per se, or is it just that so many "name" bassists have played StingRays and Sterlings that they just sort of took off from a marketing perspective?

I ask because it seems like you hardly ever see a G&L bass for sale used, and not a lot of pro's seem to play them either (in public, at least).

Curious to hear anybody's thoughts or insights on this.
 
#2
Curious to see what people say about this. It's the same with G&L guitars, to an extent -- they are fantastic instruments, yet don't seem to have the same kind of popularity as MMs. In the case of G&L guitars, it might be that they make a lot of Fender clones, and the popularity of Fender clones is really something that people desire in more boutique builders.
 
#3
Stingrays have a signature sound and they have some more background history with musicians. G&L, not so much. They're great basses but the controls are too varied, most guys like a good sound right off the bat.

But the biggest factor is that G&L basses are just plain ugly.
 
#4
IMO it's not quality at all. I think G&L is in the same quality category as MM products. Most of it probably comes down to advertising as well as visibility with bigger name players. G&L just doesn't advertise that much and still relies on the old brick and mortal sales approach more than MM.
 
#5
When Leo started the MM company in the 70's, it was like 'the return of the king'. CBS had done some nasty things to Fender quality after Leo sold the company, and when the 'father of the electric bass' got back in the business of making basses, it really made news.

AND... the original 76 Stingray (if I have the year correct.. that's about when I bought mine, and it was a relatively new model at the time), it was the first 'active' bass that most of us had ever seen (the only other being the very expensive Alembics that were very expensive and very rare). It just blew everyone away at the time.

So, that combined into an 'earthshaking' product introduction, and the Stingray was used on many, many influential recordings. So, it became an instant classic, and maintains that status, along with the Ric, the J Bass and the P Bass today.

When Leo then left MM and started G&L, it was like 'ho hum', and I remember at the time not feeling that the G&L was in ANY way an improvement over the MM basses.

And finally, unlike virtually every other buyout that I'm familiar with, Ernie Ball did an absolutely FANTASTIC job at keeping the quality of the MM brand at a top notch level over the years.

IMO, and I guess since I am old enough to have experienced all of this first hand, IME!
 
#9
Don't know that G&L are just "plain ugly" but when I came back to playing after a decade hiatus of child rearing, MM's were all the buzz. They were affordable and very good quality (Made in California too), so I bought my Sterling (Sparkle blue - nice finish).

I would tend to agree that you only get one "return of the king" go around and that G&L doesn't have marquee players (yet?).

-richard
 
#12
I'd say it's mostly G&L the company. There're threads on this from time to time over on the G&L sponsored list. They just don't move very fast or very far when it comes to innovating the current lineup.

The other exasperating thing is availability - everyone and their dog is a dealer for musicman, but you'd think G&L was an exotic boutique or something distribution and dealer-wise.

Hell you can buy musicman basses at GC. But GC hates G&L, considering them unwanted competition for Fender (as if musicman isn't).

The MIA's are still only made at the G&L factory in CA and still mostly by hand. You can tell that's the case if you're a G&L owner, each one has its own character and it's clear they're hand made, i.e. neck profiles and stuff vary, etc.

I consider them both similar in quality in terms of construction, but the edge goes to G&L with the pickups. The musicman humbuckers are great but in the end they're no match for the MFD's which are probably the hottest bass PU's available.

My L2000 is my tactical nuclear weapon bass with more wool and power than anything else I've ever heard. My L2500 is probably next in line.

The ho-hum looks probably don't help G&L's popularity either.

BTW, I also have a G&L guitar, a legacy special, and that thing is simply the voice of the devil himself. I don't understand why the guitars aren't more popular either....

LS
 
#15
jaywa said:
I'm gonna say the lack of a pickguard has a lot to do with it. It's amazing how much that little piece of plastic adds "dimension" and individuality to the body. If you take the pickguard off a StingRay they're not that much to look at either, IMHO.
Click to expand...

I'll take the Stingray..better design and better sound, simpler, sexier.
 
#16
I found the G&L to be like that perfect girl who has everything except sex appeal. My G&L was pretty, reliable, faithful, sturdy, probably good with children and small dogs, but had no edge. The MM is knowing, vaguely nasty--threatening even; it was like when I first saw the Stones after my initial Beatle phase. The MM--the StingRay especially--has an in your face, look at me factor that is both intagible and fascinating.
 
#17
jaywa said:
I'm gonna say the lack of a pickguard has a lot to do with it. It's amazing how much that little piece of plastic adds "dimension" and individuality to the body. If you take the pickguard off a StingRay they're not that much to look at either, IMHO.
Click to expand...

That depends on how you look at things. "L" model G&L's have fantastic wood grains and super nice finishes. Some don't want pickguards covering nice wood.

If a buyer wants a pickguard, there's always the "SB" series.
 
#19
metron said:
IMO it's not quality at all. I think G&L is in the same quality category as MM products. Most of it probably comes down to advertising as well as visibility with bigger name players. G&L just doesn't advertise that much and still relies on the old brick and mortal sales approach more than MM.
Click to expand...

+1. Music Man has many, many more endorsers than G&L, so the MMs get more mainstream exposure.
 
#20
Honestly, I think it could be that MM basses came first, and that they seem to be much more widely available than G&Ls. Before the Tribute series, It was hard to find many G&Ls to play in stores but you could find MM basses everywhere. People will buy what is there and they can get there hands on.

I think both are very fine basses and I would love to have a G&L. (I already own a Stingray 5)
 

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