Romeo2 Posted May 15, 2016 Share Posted May 15, 2016 Fellow Basschatters, here's my first world problem. I bought this fine M2000 G&L Tribute series from Thomann some time ago, a lovely bass, mahogany core, maple cap, transparent black with binding. Neck is between a P and a J, easy to play, not too skinny. Sound is fat from those two humbuckers and 18V preamp with added flexibility of tone controls and a blend knob. I felt it was sometimes too fat and in my quest to make it more like a super J I had it modded with two coil switches so the humbucks can become any of the single coils combinations. I also added black knobs with lines so I know where my settings are - with such powerful and plentiful flexibility I wanted to see the settings and not keep guessing where the sweet spot is that I last had it at. Here's a photo of it: [attachment=219368:IMG_1387.JPG] Now the thing is I find myself not playing it that much, nothing wrong with it, I just tend to go to the L2000 one just so much more. I also have a Squier PJ which I pick up when I need a passive, classic tone. So I was thinking of perhaps selling the M2000 and I know GAS will not allow me to have a three-guitar stand and two basses... I never had a fretless so I will probably end up buying a fretless. Do I sell the M2000 and then try to buy a fretless or de-fret the M2000? The dilemma here is that the G&Ls don't seem to attract a good resale value, even after the mods I have done to this one I don't expect it to go for a lot, even though it has never been gigged and is in superb condition, always had flats on so frets are like new (spent £575 plus £70 for the coil mod, and people sell their G&Ls on here for like £300 or something, crazy!). De-fret at my local workshop is £90 (I will not attempt doing it myself). Sell and buy a fretless, or keep and de-fret?? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Machines Posted May 15, 2016 Share Posted May 15, 2016 Only defret if you never intend to sell as it will be worth even less than it is now otherwise. Nb I'd pay £400 for that configuration if I was in the market currently. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RhysP Posted May 15, 2016 Share Posted May 15, 2016 Mods of any sort nearly always devalue an instrument, no matter how much better the person that did them thinks they make the instrument. Having it de-fretted Would probably devalue it even further. If it was my decision I'd just try & sell it & buy a fretless with the money. If I then had absolutely no luck selling it then & only then might I consider having it defretted. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Romeo2 Posted May 15, 2016 Author Share Posted May 15, 2016 Machines, RhysP - thank you. Interesting, useful stuff. I am quite surprised at the statement that a mod will decrease an instrument's value, regardless whether it improves the instrument or not. I would have thought that modding a vintage Fender would do that but these single coil switches add the flexibility of single coils without taking away the humbucker sound (in middle position of these three-way switches) to a fairly affordable range instrument, surely makes it a [i]better[/i] instrument..? Any thoughts on whether this bass would make a good fretless? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
neepheid Posted May 15, 2016 Share Posted May 15, 2016 (edited) [quote name='Romeo2' timestamp='1463342503' post='3050664'] surely makes it a [i]better[/i] instrument..? [/quote] That is your opinion, and will not be necessarily shared by your market. Having owned both an L and an M-2000 I can say with some certainty that any M I buy in the future I'd like to be left alone. As a modder myself I doubt I'd be happy with someone else's mods, mainly because they're not my mods - it's such a personal thing. I won't go as far as to say that no mod ever increases value, but I will say from extensive, painful experience that I have never EVER got the perceived (by me) value out of a mod on resale. Beware of non-reversible mods (says he who keeps on doing them ). I added a battery box to my Yamaha SBV500 when I made it active - there was absolutely no room under the pickguard for the battery and it'd be a faff to change if I had to lift the pickguard to do it. It's now got an EMG-BQC 3 band EQ in it. Does that mean it's worth £100 more that it otherwise would now? Nope, absolutely no way - because all the the majority of people will see is that I've carved a great big dirty hole in it. Yes, I think the mods improved the bass otherwise I wouldn't have done it but it'll be harder to sell now, you bunch of ungrateful philistines! Edited May 15, 2016 by neepheid Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Delius Posted May 16, 2016 Share Posted May 16, 2016 [quote name='Romeo2' timestamp='1463342503' post='3050664'] Any thoughts on whether this bass would make a good fretless? [/quote] I have an M2000 fretless and it's absolutely great, so I would think so. That said, in some respects I did prefer my old L2000 fretless... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Romeo2 Posted May 18, 2016 Author Share Posted May 18, 2016 Neepheid, yes those bloody philistines really don't know what's good for them! By the way, it may be your posts on this very forum about G&Ls that made me buy the M2000 to pair it up with my L2000, yes, I blame you Delius, here I was getting quite convinced that it is best just to sell it but you are a proud owner of a fretless M2000 which you seem to like, hmmm... I think I may need to flip a coin at one point since I am so bloody undecided but thank you all for your input. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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