MusicMan vs G&L

[M-Bass-M]

I'm well aware of the revered status that StingRays have in the bass world, which is certainly fuelling some much unwanted GAS right now. I'm also aware that Leo Fender moved on from MusicMan to form G&L. As such, I'll look at something like the L2000 and see that it is very similar to a HH StingRay.

So what I don't get is, why so little expressed love for the G&L? I mean tonally, does it compare at all to the StingRay? Or are they actually damn good basses, but people give them little time because they're not part of the established Fender/MusicMan/Rickenbacker Elite?

Cheers

Mark

[stingrayPete1977]

There is a load of threads on here that cover this if you have a search around,And you will find a lot of love here on BC for G&L both new and old too.

[dub_junkie]

The L-2000 doesn't sound like a Stingray but it does do a great range of tones. Some of the P type sounds in passive/series are quite close imitations ( to my ears) and it has a lovely 2 pickup slap tone with the active/parallel switch settings. Compared to a HH Ray,with the G&L you cant have different combinations of the two humbuckers apart from both being on at the same time but you get parallel and series and active or passive.there's also a active with treble boost setting but like the L-1500 is very bright - I rarely ever use this setting. I mostly just run my L-2000 passive with the battery out.

An L-1500 in parallel mode is much,much closer to the MM tone but the top end is fierce and will hurt your ears if you don't tame it. With the treble pulled back a bit, it sits in a mix much the same as a Ray if maybe a bit more upfront. It's nowhere near as versatile as the L2K but the L-2000 doesn't sound like the L-1500 either and that's why I have both. imo the L-2000 is a great bass for covering a lot of tones without much fuss. The switching is dead easy and becomes second nature in no time.

I've said it before but I've found a G&L's tone doesn't disappear the way a Stingray/Sterling can with a couple of guitars,drums and the like going full tilt. I've compared the MM's to G&Ls at the same rehearsals with the same amp settings and the G&L's tone was way bigger and ballsier (that was when I had a couple of Asat basses with the same pickups and circuit as the L2K) I'm not knocking the MM tone which I love btw,just an observation from personal experience with owning both at the same time.
Whether the G&L is the sound you want you'll need to try one for yourself. They're definetely darker sounding than MM's to my ears at any rate.

[Bassnut62]

yeah, what he said, 100%

The only reason my old Ray doesn't see as much action on the front line these days is becasue my G&L Asat is such a versatile beast. However it doesn't nail the Ray sound, which I do miss.
Different animal but just as great in a Leo Fender way.
My solution is to have one of each of the most brilliant bass designs in history IMO:
Precision, Stingray, Jazz, G&L Asat (or L2000)
I really don't feel the need for anyother basses!

Edited August 6, 2010 by Bassnut62

[M-Bass-M]

[quote name='Bassnut62' post='916646' date='Aug 6 2010, 08:03 AM']My solution is to have one of each of the most brilliant bass designs in history IMO:
Precision, Stingray, Jazz, G&L Asat (or L2000)
I really don't feel the need for anyother basses![/quote]
Ha, a worthy goal, but not necessarily practical! Maybe if Lady Luck pays special attention to my lottery numbers this week...

Thanks for the info. It seems that while the G&L offers a lot more tonal variety, this comes at the expense of the raw Ray sound. It is as you say: if you want a "true" P/J/Ray tone, then get an original. If you want something that could do all three albeit not quite, then a G&L can certainly provide that versatility.

It's clear that I'll need to invest in a Ray at some point, if just to get it out of my system! They have a few at my local guitar shop, so if I've got some time to kill I'll go give them a try.

Cheers

Mark

[scalpy]

[quote name='M-Bass-M' post='916671' date='Aug 6 2010, 08:43 AM']Ha, a worthy goal, but not necessarily practical! Maybe if Lady Luck pays special attention to my lottery numbers this week...

Thanks for the info. It seems that while the G&L offers a lot more tonal variety, this comes at the expense of the raw Ray sound. It is as you say: if you want a "true" P/J/Ray tone, then get an original. If you want something that could do all three albeit not quite, then a G&L can certainly provide that versatility.

It's clear that I'll need to invest in a Ray at some point, if just to get it out of my system! They have a few at my local guitar shop, so if I've got some time to kill I'll go give them a try.

Cheers

Mark[/quote]

Oooh steady now, some of us G&L fans don't take to the P/Jazz/Stingray not quite business! Part of G&L's problem has been that obviously the fenders came first and were great, the stingray came along and consolidated the success of active basses around at the time, and bass players haven't seen G&L as an evolution of those 3, but as a summary. Well, I don't think I'm alone in preferring the former attitude, the G&L sound is a development of what came before, and if you can get over what your ears have become used to when using or listening to the ancestors, can offer a great deal in terms of tone and different character. Leo said they were the best instruments he ever made!

[nig]

Apart from the points dub junkie made which are spot on, its all in the taste and in the fingers, rays are the best one trick pony in the world, LTOOKAYS are a lot more subtle.

[Musicman20]

My friends Dad had a double pickup version of a USA G&L (not sure of their models).

Looked awesome, and we all sat and compared it to my old Ray 4 H which was the same finish (natural).

The G&L did have a unique tone, and its 'G&L'. Nice bass, but for me, Id always craved the Ray sound, so Ive stuck with them.

[Ou7shined]

[quote name='scalpy' post='916808' date='Aug 6 2010, 10:58 AM']Oooh steady now, some of us G&L fans don't take to the P/Jazz/Stingray not quite business! Part of G&L's problem has been that obviously the fenders came first and were great, the stingray came along and consolidated the success of active basses around at the time, and bass players haven't seen G&L as an evolution of those 3, but as a summary. Well, I don't think I'm alone in preferring the former attitude, the G&L sound is a development of what came before, and if you can get over what your ears have become used to when using or listening to the ancestors, can offer a great deal in terms of tone and different character. Leo said they were the best instruments he ever made![/quote]
This.
The G&L bass range has quite few different flavours and it would be as inaccurate to discuss all G&L's as "this sound" as it would all Fenders. I presume for the purposes of this discussion we are mainly talking about L2k's as they are the most common and versatile bass.

[Bassnut62]

[quote name='M-Bass-M' post='916671' date='Aug 6 2010, 08:43 AM']Ha, a worthy goal, but not necessarily practical! Maybe if Lady Luck pays special attention to my lottery numbers this week...Mark[/quote]

I should add it's taken nearly 30 years to achieve this goal and some good choices at the right moment, plus a bit of luck!

[WalMan]

Loads of love for my L2.5k's. Really versatile. Sound great. Not actually that heavy, and have put my Wal Pro1/Custom hybrid into semi retirement.

I LOVE'EM!!!

[Rayman]

Stingrays are fab, I've had two of them, but now I've got a couple of G&Ls, I'm in no hurry to find another 'ray.

If I found a grand to spend tomorrow, I wouldn't be looking for another Musicman, I'd be looking for another G&L.

[WalMan]

[quote name='Rayman' post='917497' date='Aug 6 2010, 10:14 PM']Stingrays are fab, I've had two of them, but now I've got a couple of G&Ls, I'm in no hurry to find another 'ray.

If I found a grand to spend tomorrow, I wouldn't be looking for another Musicman, I'd be looking for another G&L.[/quote]
Your twins are almost the same as mine Must get some photos of mine sorted for the twins thread

[thisnameistaken]

I think the L2000s sound better than Stingrays, they just don't look as good.

Both feel fairly similar to me. I don't like playing them.

[Lfalex v1.1]

Make mine a Bongo HH!

(Runs away very quickly, being pelted with stones by both camps...)

[M-Bass-M]

Go on then...explain yourself

On a slightly different tack, which of the following represent the "best" imitation?

Ray by Sterling vs StingRay
Tribute G&L vs USA G&L
Fender MIM vs Fender MIA

[Bassnut62]

[quote name='scalpy' post='916808' date='Aug 6 2010, 10:58 AM']Oooh steady now, some of us G&L fans don't take to the P/Jazz/Stingray not quite business! Part of G&L's problem has been that obviously the fenders came first and were great, the stingray came along and consolidated the success of active basses around at the time, and bass players haven't seen G&L as an evolution of those 3, but as a summary. Well, I don't think I'm alone in preferring the former attitude, the G&L sound is a development of what came before, and if you can get over what your ears have become used to when using or listening to the ancestors, can offer a great deal in terms of tone and different character. Leo said they were the best instruments he ever made![/quote]

i agree - there is a direct line of inspiration & DNA that can be drawn starting with P, then J, then Ray, then Asat or L2k.
This next bit might be a leap too far for some.................then Sandberg California JM4 [i](Bassnut stands back and waits for bricks and raspberries to be thrown and blown)[/i]

I honestly believe Sandberg have extended Leo's principles quite brilliantly in a production bass that the Big Man himself would've been proud to have created. Here's one to have a look at below.

Anyone want to agree/disagree? - maybe this should be a fresh thread; so please feel free to ignore this last bit.

Edited August 7, 2010 by Bassnut62

[stingrayPete1977]

I think there is enough real difference between the Fender,Musicman and G&L to see them as different models but with a clear DNA wheras loads of other stuff (and Im not going to pick on Sandberg as most manufacturers have similar stuff even Alleva,Sadowsky etc at the top end)are basically copies,There I said it! Also Leo was dead and buried by then so the trail ends there for most people,You can say he might of liked them but no one will ever know he might of hated them too?

Leo's "best guitars and basses I ever built" is also a bit weak for me,He was hardly going to say "Go and buy a pre CBS it will be worth a fortune where this is a semi budget version that is a bit out of date for the 80's" was he? Not that it matters now as time has moved and they have there own followers but at the time they were old hat just like my Stingray would of been too.

[Lfalex v1.1]

[quote name='M-Bass-M' post='917735' date='Aug 7 2010, 09:41 AM']Go on then...explain yourself [/quote]

Ummm...
I've already got a 'Ray5 (fretless)
The last 'Ray 4 I tried (3EQ) was good. Did the 'Ray thing, and did it well, but that was it.
I just can't abide pick-up selector switches. Must. Have. Pan. Pots. Or at least V/V/T/T! This doesn't bode well for the G&Ls. Which is a pity, as the last ASAT I played was really nice.

Then there's the [s]toilet seat[/s] Bongo. The 4 HH I played when trying out basses last was superb (although I bought a Status Streamline). I don't mind the aesthetics, it played well, and the sound... Storming! Loads of variety available from the electrics; Neodymium HH pick-ups with a pan pot and a 4-band eq. Well made and finished, too.

[Rayman]

Yeah, toggle switches etc can be a pain in the butt, however I've gotten used to mine and don't have a problem with them at all, and to be honest, I hardly ever touch them, I tend to stick to [i]my[/i] sound on both basses for most songs in the set.

I agree with Pete, Leo was always going to say his last designs were the best. I don't actually agree that G&Ls are the best basses he made, I think the Fender Jazz and Precision were the best basses he made, and I'd put the Stingray and the G&L L2000 somewhere equally behind them.

Walman, yep, let's be seeing yours, and maybe one day I'll own a Wal, the one bass that has still eluded me all these years.

Edited August 7, 2010 by Rayman