Bassnut62

I believe there really is something magical about instruments designed by Leo Fender that were made when he was still personally involved in the company.
As evidence of this I submit to the court pre-CBS Fenders and pre-EB Music Mans.

So I wonder if anyone reckons there is anything magical about G&Ls that were made before Leo died in the early 90s, i.e. when he was still personally involved in the design and manufacture of these fine instruments.
What does this UK bass jury reckon?
and
Does anyone else reckon early G&L basses are sleeping classics that will in future enter the legendary realms of a pre-CBS Fender and a pre-EB Music Man? If so, why?


Think I might post this over on Talk Bass too for a bit of US comment, seeing as G&Ls are more readily available over there....

[quote name='Beedster' post='910538' date='Jul 30 2010, 07:03 PM']Pre EB 'ray is to my mind not far off a pre-CBS Precision, i.e., magical. Go for it

C[/quote]

I completely agree with this. I reckon there is something magical about instruments designed by Leo Fender that were made when he owned the company. In fact I've been building a small collection: 63 Precision, 79 Stingray and 89 G&L Asat. I reckon the G&L is a sleeping classic that is very affordable at moment. In fact I'm gonna start a thread about G&Ls.....

[quote name='Sibob' post='910875' date='Jul 31 2010, 01:43 AM']What are the three on eBay?, my very brief search only came up with a black '78 at £1800 (too much), and a natural one in America with bidding around £500

Cheers
Si[/quote]

There's a thread running in this same forum titled - who's gonna buy this.
Someone posted links to the 3 pre-EB Rays in this thread

+1 with Gnasher - you can't polish a turd, I'm afraid...no offence intended.
bet to clean up signal - get high quality cables (I use George Ls) and go for qulaity over quantity when it comes to choosing pedals.
IME most chepaer pedals just don't stand up to close aural scrutiny.

my 79 Ray sounds perfect, balanced and effin' awesome!
my friend's 77 Ray does all of that; but the G string is weak.
the pup pole under my G string is a long way off-centre; not sure about his.

[quote name='Prime_BASS' post='907808' date='Jul 28 2010, 07:28 AM']The classics have string mutes.-
If everyone thought like that there would be no basses already run in -
At the minute it's a buyers Market, I wouldn't buy a new bass right now unless it was amazing and I planned on keeping it a few years.-

Fender are doing alright, EBMM are doing alright. No experience of G&L so can't comment.[/quote]

someone earlier was saying about the new classics having string mutes - it sounded like maybe people thought the originals didn't.

you're right there would'nt be any run-in basses for the likes of me; so I'm glad we all have different tastes and that there are new quality Rays out there for people to enjoy and buy. having said that I did recently buy a brand-new Sandberg California, cos it is that good an instrument that I want it for a good long while.

seems like quite a few might buy that then!
at £1580 it does sound a bit more reasonable; but..........
- the originals have string mutes
- I personally like my instruments run in
- I don't want the depreciation
- IMO nothing ever sounds/plays as good as the real deal, especially with Leo's designs - they all seem better when he owned the company, ref Fender, MM and G&L.

Anyway, I expect these'll be good instruments and worth the £700-900 that they'll be worth in a couple of years when they're a bit run in!

I just read review of EB MM Stingray Classic for £2k.
Looks nice, but who's gonna buy it?
If you had £2k for an original Ray you could get a real one for less than that, rather than a more expensive repro version.
Am I missing something here?

having gone down the same road a little, i.e. wanting reasonably priced analog delay, I ended up realising tap tempo was pretty essential and that digital emulators can cop analog extremely well these days. My choice was Tech21 Boost DLA TTT for about £130 via TalkBass classifieds. I reckon the Boss DD20 looks pretty impressive too.

I've beenusing Mark at HotRox for about 15 years now for Bassman service. He's alays done a great job at a fair price and he really knows his onions around amps and valves. Reckon he'd be tought to beat on price too. He'd probably price match too, if you can get same thing cheaper elsewhere.

yup, i would never part with mine either.
it is such a high quality and reliable head - one of the best kep secrets about I reckon.
works great with some nice effects too, it keeps everything clear and sweet.
I drive it with a Catalinbread SFT to transform it into a snarling, punching beast when required - looking to run the SFT on 18v soon too, which should make my Bassman 135 capable of crushing all before it.

What cabs are you running yours into?

[quote name='thebassman' post='884346' date='Jul 2 2010, 09:00 PM']1x12at7, 2x7025 (12ax7).

What you got mines a 1978.[/quote]

great amps
mine's a 79 i think - eyes left!

[quote name='4 Strings' post='880868' date='Jun 29 2010, 12:41 PM']Apologies. Really I should stay faithful to my Jaydee, but currently I wouldn't be without my 1979 Stingray.
(Pic from previous owner, now has black scratchplate and generally shinier).[/quote]

+1 i went for my 79 MM Ray too

if i didn't already have a good covering of fuzz n dirt with ZVex Wooly Mammoth and Catalinbread SFT and EHX BassBalls, I would be seriously tempted by Pickle Pie B as an out and out Muff type distortion.

Someone was asking what a Wunkay is...it's a G&L 1000 - nice bass alot like a cross between a Precision and a MM, made by the fair hand of Leo too.

As for this thread....Gadzooks this is a tough one to call.
It's out of 79 MM, 63 P, 89 G&L Asat and 08 Sandberg California JM4 Supreme, acquired in that order.
I love them all though and for different reasons.
I've owned the MM since 84 and played it the most; all the wear is my own. So I guess it would probably be that one.

yeah, I heard Bono had to cancel cos he damaged his ego. No chance they would've put something that size back together in time!

while were in this area......what is so great about Muse and Chris too-many-basses Wotsit?

To my ears, Muse are actually really uninteresting and not remotely doing anything new or different. New material sounds like sub-U2 stadium rock. I thought we got done with all that in the 80s. Early old material seems OK to me; but nothing outstanding.

I just don't get it with Muse and I have tried. Please help me understand.

Ta and no offence to all you Muse fans - respect and all that.

oh yes this pedal is the business - i've had mine for over a year now and love it to pieces. it i so useable and well funky. It has an fx loop too. So you can really embed other effects in the filetered signal, rather than after or before; which often sounds a bit too spikey to me.

still love my EHX Bass Balls tho and the Qtron is still a class act. But if i could only take one, it would be the Groove Regulator - it offers more tasty filter sounds than any other filter i've tried.

[quote name='yorick' post='874123' date='Jun 22 2010, 08:50 AM']Combine the best of both worlds and get a Sandberg JM. MM style pickup in the bridge, and a J where it should be. Well made and sound great.[/quote]


+1 re Sandberg Cali JM4 - this is what mine's like, follow link:
[url="http://www.sandberg-guitars.de/basscat-overview/calj-series/caljmsupreme"]http://www.sandberg-guitars.de/basscat-ove...es/caljmsupreme[/url]

It's not just an MM pup at the bridge tho - it's even better; you can flick the switch and the MM humbucker flips to a 4 pole single coil pup, i.e. a J pup. Also you can go active or passive.

This is truly a far better Fender J than a Fender J....and I am not biassed, I am a Fender addict; but this Sandbdrg really is better than any Fender I've ever played, including pre CBS Ps and Js.

pm'd re bf-3

[quote name='thisnameistaken' post='871149' date='Jun 18 2010, 09:33 PM']Yeah I've seen the ASATs before but I've never liked the look of them. Even without the humungous dugong-like upper bout that is the current fashion I think single-cutaway basses don't look right.[/quote]

think Telecaster body!

sh1t! I've had bad GAS doe one of those; but been too busy to look at BC for last few days!
Hey Danny, let me know if your sale fals thru.
ta

[quote name='stingrayPete1977' post='871330' date='Jun 18 2010, 11:19 PM']This is my pre [/quote]

nice - not seen a natural pre EB with a white scratch plate

another note re preEB Rays......there were bad ones too - a mate of mine has a dreadful '77 that is virtually unusable due to electrics; but i stick to my guns a good preEB is the nuts!

another note re preEBs - mine was my main bass from '83 to '09......now I have to go to a chyropractor regualrly for back and neck problems; but whoever said art didn't require a bit of pain and sacrfice

[quote name='thisnameistaken' post='870389' date='Jun 17 2010, 11:48 PM']The L-2000 has excellent electronics. Visually they're pretty uninspiring (unless you like boring-looking basses) and they feel like P basses (which is why I don't have one), but there are so many sounds available, if you liked it you probably wouldn't need another solid-body bass.[/quote]

i agree great electronics on the L2000; but the Asat Bass is very interesting looking - check my avatar for one.
it has same pups and electrics as L2000.
Very versatile and good sounding all-round Fender sounds with plenty of heat in those pups

[quote name='stingrayPete1977' post='870932' date='Jun 18 2010, 05:05 PM']All the proper shops have gone now,Anyone remember Musical Exchanges in Birmingham? All them tunnels of cabs with no speakers for peanuts and basses in every shape and brand with prices to match! Brilliant I still like a look in any secondhand shops when around the country just in case they have a 59 Les paul for £50 or a pre EB Stingray marked up as a good Ernie Ball copy for £70! Not found any yet but one day............[/quote]


absolutely.....what a store.
I bought my 63 Precision there about 12 years ago for £1250 and we are talking a complete real '63 PLake Placid Blue P Bass.....here's the evidence.

[quote name='bh2' post='870095' date='Jun 17 2010, 06:27 PM']Yes... had to sell off my '78 Ray last year... got £1300 for it.

[/quote]

that looks exactly like my 79 Ray! IMO pre Ernie Ball is the only real Ray. None and I mean none of the EB Rays I've tried come close to the real deal.
So my advice to the OP is forget that £1700 EBMM and get a real one for probably less money!
It's only my opinion!!! So appologies to any EB Ray fans.