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Sad news indeed. There’s something about G&L that just doesn’t fly with the market and it’s been that way for years. Prices of used USA basses are proportionately low compared to US Fender or US MM equivalents. Some of the US L2000 instruments that you see for sale used go for Japanese Fender prices and the Tribute line used prices are rock bottom (I’ve sold a couple in the last 2 years). I had a few of each and the quality/sound/playability is as good as anything comparable but they have remained very niche. A few times over the years I’ve had compliments on my G&L basses especially a US trans-orange L2500 I had but people said that they couldn’t get past that headstock. One person said that the G&L headstock makes it look like it’s aimed at the country music sector. I couldn’t disagree. G&L has lacked faces too, in a recent Andertons video on why Andertons is still in business, Lee Anderton says that they keep good stocks of and sell lots of instruments that customers’ favourite guitarists/bassists are playing. G&L just isn’t on the radar of many buyers in the way that Fender and MM are. There isn’t a high profile artist roster and there’s not a history of legendary stars out there playing them in the same way you see Fender and Gibson etc. G&L marketing focuses on the Leo Fender legacy and “the best instruments Leo made”. All commendable and worthy but I don’t think that figures in the buying decision of many people. The landing page of the website says “Made in Fullerton since 1980” - who cares about this except for me and few other crusties? It presumes that you know the history of Fender and significance of it, whereas most Fender owners have no idea where Fullerton is nevermind that it was where so many great Fender instruments were made. The product info is all “features” like Saddle Lock Bridge and Dual Fulcrum Vibrato; that’s like a car manufacturer putting “Fuel Injection”, “16v” or “ABS” on their products, it’s old hat, we expect all this and a lot more these days. There’s a bloke in a G&L top and jeans sitting down playing a natural JB. Then there’s pictures of Leo and other G&L blokes in plaid shirts in the workshop, one is even holding up a competitors guitar (it’s a Fender). That’s the shop window of G&L today. None of that helps get these amazing instruments into the hands of potential buyers. I’ve dealt with G&L customer service a coupel of times in the past and it’s so far above and beyond expectation, it’s like dealing with a boutique builder that focuses on your need, they’re fantastic. I’ve had a pickup sent out FoC from California and another time they shipped me a tuner to replace one that was bit stiff. I really hope G&L comes through this in whatever way, the products are fantastic but they need a serious business rethink to get them out there selling decent numbers. Spector went through a rough patch in 2007-09 with distribution, image etc. Prices were disproportionately low but now it’s bounced back. Fender went through a rough patch in the 80s until the management buy-out.

This is why I have completely given up on the traditional bass rig. Fine if you can guarantee to always be using your rig, but at multi-band gigs with backline sharing this is hardly ever possible. Using multi-effects I had got to the point where my rig was simply there to make my sound loud enough for me and the audience to hear, and for any gig where the bass was going through the PA what most of the audience heard was very much down to the sound engineer. Even if I bypassed the pre-amp of whatever bass rig was at the venue my sound was still being shaped by the cabs, so I've stopped using other peoples bass rigs and now go straight into the PA from my effects - currently a Line6 Helix Floor. That way I have eliminated as many uncontrollable variables for my sound as possible. For the very few gigs where there is no PA support for the bass I have an FRFR cab, that has the dual advantage of not only being far more neutral sounding that an typical bass rig, but will also fit in places on stage where there is no room for an amp and cabs. On stage so long as I can hear that I am in time and in tune with the rest of the band I am happy. I've stopped obsessing about getting a perfect sound on stage, because for the majority of gigs I do, it's simply not going to happen. Maybe if my band starts playing 1000+ venues on a regular basis I can be a bit more diva-ish! FoH I'll have a quick listen to check that my sound is in the ballp[ark of what I'm expecting and it usually is, mainly due to the sorts of gigs we play the sound engineers know what sort of bass sound I'm aiming for. And if they don't I'll play them some of my "guitar" patches and soon sorts them out! TLDR: my sound comes from the Helix. On stage I just need to be able to hear myself and the rest of the band. FoH I trust the PA to do the right job.

Old school flats? Don't try to find a set of flats that feels like a set of rounds. That's not what they do. Get the heaviest set of LaBella flats you can find, and love the thump.

Doing this from a distance rather than being hands on the thing. I think that PCB is the culprit. It is probably going to be what's called "surface mount" electronic components which are mega fiddly to do anything with unless fully equipped with big eyes (magnifier eyepiece) and a suitable soldering set. So not really fixable for most people. The "problem" is a well known effect in circuit design, so I would be tempted to investigate the options, see what Cort have to say, because... if this is a one off fault, they should offer a replacement, it looks to be be an easy plug connector. But if it's an oversight in design, custard pie in face is called for, because... if this is a Mark Bass EQ or any well known designer, this is such a basic "design out" problem. One of the first tests any designer will do is to check for this power on/off glitch. Ask Cort for their opinion. The big clue is, BG volume set to 0% and there's no problems.

If only there were a website where all of the major ear plug manufacturer's ear plugs were tested for their actual audio response with sound examples normalised and compared to the source tracks. It would give us a fighting chance of choosing an ear plug that suits our needs. For example, in certain settings a set of ear plugs I have lack clarity and they are quite boomy, but they can be useful in other settings where the low end appears missing. I wanted a set of reasonably cheap "flat" ear plugs for general use for more speech intelligibility too and I went on a search to find answers... oh wait... here's one:- https://www.hearadvisor.com/earplug-rankings thank me later Also be surprised at how bad a response some are too (taking in to consideration A-weighting and the like)

Movin' On Up - M People

No, I still get the pop even when switched to passive. It only stops with volume at 0% or with the battery removed.

It does indeed. Yet another reason it followed me home 👍

Can't answer this, and can give a reason why I can't. We record, on the guitarist's phone, every rehearsal. The recordings are very useful for learning/improving our original material. The bass tone sounds to me like my bass tone. Last rehearsal we were in a smaller room, so I used the studio Laney with its 15" cab. Sounded pretty close to my sound in the room. On the recording it was just this horrible, indistinct mush. There seems to be so many variables to bass tone I think we need to accept just a close approximation of this holy grail!

The problem with Mike Read is he's a massive tool...

I`d use the tone control on my bass for this, set the punk sound to full on tone, then back off as needed for the dub/reggae.

Geez, don't give Moog any ideas...

Very good

I know how I want to sound for each of my bands, although all slightly different invariably it`s a permutation of scooping mids and adding highs so nothing drastic. What I have found is that when I get an onstage sound I like with an unfamiliar amp I then back off the bass/lows a notch on the dial, it might not make the onstage sound as pleasing but I find it then fits in the mix better.

Mike Read isn't though. Warning - do not play, political content.

I feel like genres like ska and even jazz are much less problematic. (I personally find reggae a little more tricky but it depends on context).

Genuinely fascinating! Wonder what they chat about?

Greco 4001/4003 types ran from the early 70s through into the 90s/00s, so it depends! At the point in the 70s where the Chushin Fakers were available, Greco's versions were Fujigen Gakki's 2388B & 2388B/DX models, the DX being through-neck & the most comparable. I don't think there's much in it - all of the Japanese factories active in this era were capable of extremely high quality & any through-neck MIJ Rick copy is a high-end instrument within its range. I own a Chushin Faker and it's a solid, well-made & very playable bass - however I've never owned a Fujigen-made one so I can't make a direct comparison.

Those heavy old things? GR Bass AT212, 11.5kg.