G&L in trouble...?

[itu]

I wish F will start using G&L headstocks only. 

 

By the way, where's Kubicki? 

[Jonesy]

14 minutes ago, itu said:

I wish F will start using G&L headstocks only. 

 

By the way, where's Kubicki? 

 

Ha! Yes, that'd make so many people rage quit in protest and would be amazing!!

[Russ]

13 minutes ago, BlueMoon said:

Question: if Fender were to take over G&L, would they keep the batwing headstock? Winner or loser?

Personally, if this comes to pass, I'm expecting that Fender will re-release the range under the Fender banner, but rename them the "GL-2000", "GL-2500", etc as a nod to where they came from. If they did that, hopefully they go back to the cleaner look of the non-CLF versions, with the rear-mounted controls and without the weird lumpy metal control plate. I'd love to see the brand survive as G&L, but I'd be alright with that, I think. 

 

I'd actually be OK with the idea that they might do what they did with the Jazz Bass Plus back in the 90s after they acquired Kubicki, and use the G&L pickups and electronics in a Jazz Bass. 

[Russ]

38 minutes ago, itu said:

I wish F will start using G&L headstocks only. 

 

By the way, where's Kubicki? 

They became independent from Fender in 1991  and started producing the Factor basses themselves again. They're still going and are producing Factors on a to-order basis, although Phillip Kubicki himself died in 2013. 

[tauzero]

On 28/09/2025 at 12:02, Woodinblack said:

I really don't get what is bad about the headstock, I never saw it. It itsn't objectively bad like the sire or James Tyler, or bite(?) or even the moderne (which I like as it is so stupid).

 

I don't see what's bad about the Sire headstock, except, of course, that there is a headstock. It looks a little more function over form that the fugly Fender monstrosity.

[tauzero]

13 hours ago, Jonesy said:

It seems I'm in a minority here, but.....not only do I tolerate the G&L headstock, I really like it (in a 4 string. The 5er looks weird, but that's what you get for adding a pointless extra string). 

 

So when you add a functional extra string, for people like me, the 5er looks fine?

[tauzero]

As G&L are purportedly an innovative brand, it could be a route for Fender to bring out its own headless range and enter the latter part of the 20th century.

[kodiakblair]

13 hours ago, Jonesy said:

I hope G&L get helped out and their staff all get their jobs back. 

 

10 hours ago, Ben Jamin said:

Hope Fender can integrate staf

Not likely, post from an employee after today's meeting.

 

"Latest update on TGP:

I'm sad to say it's true. I just got back from my "meeting". I was told they are winding down the company and letting go of all the employees. They dodged the Fender question so i'm assuming they bought it.

33 years of doing the right thing and the rug gets yanked out from underneath you. It's hard to take, but thankful for those years."

[rwillett]

All this talk of G&L has made me want to go and look out to buy one. 

 

I once tried a bass but the neck was too thick so I didn't get on with it. Any suggestions for a wider neck and slightly thinner neck?

 

I'm going to look around for a bass and possibly a guitar as well and see if they are any good. 

 

The headstock looks fairly normal to me. Can't see anything wrong with it, no better, no worse than others. 

 

Hate to see any guitar/bass company go out of business though. 

 

Rob 

[Woodinblack]

12 minutes ago, rwillett said:

All this talk of G&L has made me want to go and look out to buy one. 

 

Well, the prices will go up now, they will have finally achieved desirability

[rwillett]

 

5 minutes ago, Woodinblack said:

 

Well, the prices will go up now, they will have finally achieved desirability

 

I've not really seen them around so they never really register with me. I did look in the second hand section here and the last 5-6 seemed to have sold. 

 

Lots of people seem to like them so I'll now keep an eye out and see if they work for me. 

 

Thanks

 

Rob

[Ben Jamin]

The L-series basses are so good, if you can get your hands on one. In particular the MFD pick-ups, really flexible pre-amp and the saddle-lock bridge are uniquely G&L.

 

I haven't tried them but the Fallout (beefy short scale) and Kiloton (Stingray/Pbass mix?) are meant to be ace.

 

'Vintage' models like the El Toro are ace, and on the guitar side there are some really great designs like the Espada or Comanche. 

 

Such a massive shame to see G&L go. I'll be holding onto my L2500!

Edited 7 hours ago by Ben Jamin

[snorkie635]

Ahhhhhh! All things must pass.

 

 

Another piece of the jig-saw of my life gets lost under the carpet.

[neepheid]

Well, it gives me no pleasure to say this, but I effing knew it.  I've been saying on and off that they were in bother for the past couple of years.

 

I hope that whoever buys what's left (Fender seem to be the front runner) isn't doing it just to hoard the name.

[miles'tone]

3 hours ago, Woodinblack said:

 

Well, the prices will go up now, they will have finally achieved desirability

Typical of the G&L story...now they've closed they're getting the advertising they always needed 🤷

[simisker]

15 hours ago, Russ said:

If they do what they did with SWR, they'll keep them around for a while, then, after a few years, take the bits they like, add them to the Fender range under the Fender badge, and shutter them. 

 

Anybody that's had any experience with corporations and acquisitions knows this is true, sadly. It's just a matter of timescales, and the ease of business transference.

 

For the first few years, it'll be "Fender G&L" or "G&L by Fender", until one day someone in management realises they can gain personally by arranging a strategic brand absorption / "realignment".

 

The brand will die in a C-suite Powerpoint pipedream promise.

 

 

Edited 3 hours ago by simisker

[Stub Mandrel]

G&L by Squier 🙂

[wateroftyne]

The general feeling is that if Fender does buy it, it’s to gain the right to use Leo’s name & image, rather than to continue the G&L brand. 
 

Time will tell, I guess…

Edited 3 hours ago by wateroftyne

[bloke_zero]

Sad news. As well as the brand, all those people out of a job!

Whatever you think of the headstock the technological steps forward: MFD, active/passive tone shaping, locking bridge, 6 bolt neck are worthwhile. I'd really hope that Fender might incorporate some of that into new models if they are the buyer. 

[ezbass]

FMIC didn’t change the Gretsch brand, very different I know, but Charvel and Jackson still exist and they’re definitely Fender shaped objects.

[BigRedX]

Just now, ezbass said:

FMIC didn’t change the Gretsch brand, very different I know, but Charvel and Jackson still exist and they’re definitely Fender shaped objects.

 

But none of those are directly in competition with Fender, whereas G&L by the very definition are supposed to be the guitars and basses that Leo would want you to buy over those from his previous companies.

 

My feeling is that fender will have bought them to reclaim the Leo Fender heritage. They'll pay lip-service to the brand for a few years and then everything will be quietly dropped. As we've seen over the years, Fender's core user base don't want any developments to their instruments since the pickup positioning on the Jazz bass was changed.

[LukeFRC]

11 minutes ago, BigRedX said:

 

But none of those are directly in competition with Fender, whereas G&L by the very definition are supposed to be the guitars and basses that Leo would want you to buy over those from his previous companies.

 

My feeling is that fender will have bought them to reclaim the Leo Fender heritage. They'll pay lip-service to the brand for a few years and then everything will be quietly dropped. As we've seen over the years, Fender's core user base don't want any developments to their instruments since the pickup positioning on the Jazz bass was changed.

If most their business is in guitars then I’m not sure G&L will have kept the Fender C-suite up at night. 
what it might let them do is have fender as the heritage brand and G&L as the wackier ideas brand, in bass world like you said they haven’t really changed much that catches on since moving the jazz pickup - it gives them two/three bass models that actually do something different - a decent 5 string and a more muscular humbucker 

[BigRedX]

9 minutes ago, LukeFRC said:

it gives them two/three bass models that actually do something different - a decent 5 string and a more muscular humbucker

 

Fender could have done all those things with a little R&D if they had really wanted.

 

The thing is Fender know that their core market aren't interested in these things. Also G&L's market for Fender-ish designs with a bit more innovation is already pretty saturated, and I bet there's a fair few G&L owners who don't even know of Leo Fender's involvement with their guitar or bass.

[LukeFRC]

13 minutes ago, BigRedX said:

 

Fender could have done all those things with a little R&D if they had really wanted.

 

The thing is Fender know that their core market aren't interested in these things. Also G&L's market for Fender-ish designs with a bit more innovation is already pretty saturated, and I bet there's a fair few G&L owners who don't even know of Leo Fender's involvement with their guitar or bass.

You pick up the issue in your reply - it's not R&D but brand positioning 

[Musicman20]

54 minutes ago, LukeFRC said:

If most their business is in guitars then I’m not sure G&L will have kept the Fender C-suite up at night. 
what it might let them do is have fender as the heritage brand and G&L as the wackier ideas brand, in bass world like you said they haven’t really changed much that catches on since moving the jazz pickup - it gives them two/three bass models that actually do something different - a decent 5 string and a more muscular humbucker 

The G&L humbucker basses / active basses are ridiculously powerful. Really good instruments.