Surprise, surprise...NBD: Vintage G&L

[Dark Horse]

Andy ,
-- this was a great bass for me over the years ,
and i hope you enjoy it as much as i did .
very cool to make your acquaintance ...
wishing you the best ,
dave

I’ve been playing it a lot today ...really digging it ! I think there’s a good reason it “found its way to me”...it’s a keeper !

I hope you love the jazz too ! And it was absolutely great to meet you as well !

 

[GlennRH]

There's a nice example of an early G&L. Well done, Dark Horse.

I never really liked the gloss finish or the skunk stripe on the neck. (Had both on an '80 G&L guitar.)

However, the laminate (curved-under) fingerboard and the crinkle-black bridge and control plate more than make up for those.

Play that bass in with the knobs and switches just right, with the right strings, and the right technique. The bass itself will teach you how to play it. Then, you'll never want to play anything else.

 

[GlennRH]

lawsuit headstock

FWIW: The term "lawsuit headstock" came into use when G&L placed "by Leo Fender" decals on them.

 

[five7]

What a sweetie. The old ones sound so good. Let one go I wish I wouldn't have. Congrats!

 

[keto]

So jelly. If I could 'like' it 5x I would.

 

[joinercape]

I had one of those too, mine was sunburst and maple fingerboard, wish I had kept it. Surprisingly versatile sound wise, and very comfortable to play. Great find, hang on to it!

 

[joinercape]

Me with my old G&L L-1000, late 80's, early 90's not sure, but a long time ago. Great bass, wish I kept it. Hang on to it Andy!

 

[bolophonic]

Sweet!

 

[twinjet]

I did some trading today with @DaveDeVille ...he’s fantastic to do a trade with, exactly as you’d hope a regular Talkbass member would be.

Anyway, I came home with a 1982 G&L L-1000 ....this is such a great bass ! It has a great neck...kind of a wide, flat C...very different from my normal Jazzes , but not too far off of my 64 Precision, so it’s nice and comfortable. Digging the tone too...super versatile for a single pickup bass. I’ve owned hundreds of basses, but this is actually the first vintage G&L I’ve owned. I’ve had newer ones and sold vintage ones, but never owned one as a keeper...I think it’s gonna sound great live. Plus it seems reasonably light ...I haven’t weighed it, but seems close to my Jazzes in weight. I know some of these old GandL basses can be tanks.

Anyway, enough talk ....I know you really only want to see pics...



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Your best NBD to date!! Golly. Makes me miss my L2K!

(Work trip, no sale . Took my beater.)

Thanks, yours is too - mine was pretty beat up when I got it, but is cleaning up nicely... The nice thing about those years is the nitro finish - easy to touch up if you want, but also "road wear" nicely, too - and the krinkle black hardware is the bomb, IMO...

Mine isn't a lightweight, but is lighter than the ASAT I had before - at 9 and 1/4lbs

My '89 L2K is 10 lbs., 14oz. Heavier than my daughter when she was born, by 7 oz. Yeah, G&L liked cranking out anvils.

 

[Dark Horse]

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Me with my old G&L L-1000, late 80's, early 90's not sure, but a long time ago. Great bass, wish I kept it. Hang on to it Andy!

Nice ! That’s a good looking bass. I kinda wish mine had a maple neck, but I’m happy with the rosewood.


Yeah, I’m thinking this ones a keeper.

 

[Dark Horse]

Your best NBD to date!! Golly. Makes me miss my L2K!

(Work trip, no sale . Took my beater.)

My '89 L2K is 10 lbs., 14oz. Heavier than my daughter when she was born. Yeah, G&L liked cranking out anvils.

Ouch , that’s way too heavy for me !!! I’ve definitely seen lots of heavy G&L basses. 10#+ seems to be the norm, at least for the older ones.

This one is just under 9.5#, which is right at the threshold of “too heavy” for me .... doable, but it’s also my heaviest “keeper” bass. Breaking your neck makes ya need to be picky about bass weight.

 

[Wisebass]

I came home with a 1982 G&L L-1000

Andy ,
-- this was a great bass for me over the years

Hi guys

you just made me travelling in time

1982 was the year when I started playing bass ...
on a very crappy SG copie that wasn' t mine (I hate mudbuckers ever since )

This G&L beauty was in the window of our local guitarshop....drool (I had "GAS for bass" the first time in my live )

one year later (1983) I bought a cheap Ibby (not enough money to get that G&L, which of course was sold by then )

happy NBD Andy


greetings (to Dave too )

Wise

 

[dan1952]

I slept on a similar vintage L1000 at a local pawn shop (oh, it's been here for a month, it'll be here tomorrow) for $400 about 6 months back. Oopsie...

 

[Dark Horse]

I slept on a similar vintage L1000 at a local pawn shop (oh, it's been here for a month, it'll be here tomorrow) for $400 about 6 months back. Oopsie...

Ouch, Dan .... I would’ve thought you would’ve jumped on that ! Was it one of the Anderson pawn shops ?

 

[Dark Horse]

Hi guys

you just made me travelling in time

1982 was the year when I started playing bass ...
on a very crappy SG copie that wasn' t mine (I hate mudbuckers ever since )

This G&L beauty was in the window of our local guitarshop....drool (I had "GAS for bass" the first time in my live )

one year later (1983) I bought a cheap Ibby (not enough money to get that G&L, which of course was sold by then )

happy NBD Andy


greetings (to Dave too )

Wise

I’m guessing that G&L’s have inspired “first time G.A.S.” For many people !

 

[Pbassmanca]

Here’s a closeup

View attachment 2770956

Are those TI Flats or Roto flats? (Or some other flats? )

 

[2saddleslab]

My long departed L1K was a tone monster, with the pickup placement in the "sweet" spot.

Enjoy that classic, DH!

 

[lakefx]

Nice trade! My '82 L-1000 is awesome and I sold all my other bases because it was the only one that got any play for a long time.

 

[Trebizond]

It's very satisfying to hear someone having a like experience with an early G&L. I have an '82 L1000. The wide flat neck is very similar to a 1960 P-Bass I also own, except the L1000 has no neck dive like the Fender does. The sound is just remarkable. It has to be one of the most potent single pickup passive basses ever designed.

 

[Dark Horse]

Are those TI Flats or Roto flats? (Or some other flats? )

I think Dave said he put TI flats on there