G&L L5500 Custom

I came across my G&L L5500 by way of an associate who wanted to trade me for it. It was probaly the best move I have ever made concerning a musical instrument.I have owened one of the earliest Spector basses ever produced and over time I came to dislike it, I also own an alembic persuader and a rick 4003.Since I aquired the G&L it has become the only one that I play on a consistant basis.The tonal range is perfect for the styles that I play (jazz, r&b, gospel,and rock).The only problem that I had with it is that I like to adjust my own action and I couldn't get the G string to lay as low as I like so I had to file a deeper notch in the saddle. and since then I have not had a single problem with it.

As I stated previously I play jazz,r&b,gospel,and rock(the hard stuff)and this bass seems to be able to come across very well in all of these styles. I am currently playing through Hartke amps an I constantly get compliments on my tone from other bass players.
It is extremly quite and I use a vareity of tonal settings.When ever I do a gig with one of my other basses (I do at least 2 gigs a week) my guitar player always tells me that the G&L sounds better.

Once again as I stated earlier the only adjustment that I had make was file a deeper notch in the saddle of the G string so it would lay as low as I like.

This bass is a solid all around Bass Guitar. I use it for at least 95% of my gigs and I gig at least 2 night a week. the only complaint that I can think of is that when the battery in the pre-amp dies your tone will suck big time, so I removed all but 2 of the screws on the back cover so that I can replace the batteries quicker during gigs. Once I set this bass up to my liking I rarely have to make any adjustments.

Never had to call for support

I have been playin bass for 33 years and I have owend many many basses.If this bass were ever lost or stolen it would be hard for me to find another that suits my needs the way this one does.It's hard to say what your favorite feature is because you have to consider the total package, when you find an instrument that is just right for you It's just right for you.

This L-5500 Custom was made in 1997, the only year the L-5500 Custom's were available. It was manufactured at the G&L factory in Fullerton, Ca. USofA. It sports 21 frets, and is a five string model with two EMG active pickups. The neck is rock maple, satin finished and fast, and maple fretboard. No skunk stripe on the rear. The body is made of swamp ash with a natural wood binding around the body. The top is flat, much like a Telecaster with no arm contour. The profile is that of an L-2000 (P-Bass type). The back does have the belly contour, and the edges of the back side are rounded and comfortable. The color is a very attractive premier honeyburst finish.
Controls consist of a master volume, a blend knob and a stacked bass/treble knob. The knobs are all black plastic, and should be metal, either black or chrome in my opinion. The bridge is the massive G&L fixed bridge that has a set screw which 'locks' each individual string saddle into one mass, increasing sustain. Works quite well. The tuners are the G&L lightweight variety which are tapered, forcing the strings to wrap down upon themselves. They are set up in a 4+1 arrangement.
Came with a locking G&L hardshell case and enough allen wrenches to do anything that needs doing.

This bass suits my style well. I play mostly rock and it sounds good. I use an SWR SM-400S head and an SWR 4x10 cabinet mostly. I also use a GK 400RBIII from time to time and an SWR Workingman 12 for a practice amp. No effects. This is the first five string bass I've ever owned and I like it. The pickups are nice and quiet. I have several other G&L basses and an ASAT guitar, and all are noisy from poor cavity shielding (though not bad enough to be worrisome). The sound is full overall, but a bit brighter than I am used to. I can back that down a bit with the controls and tweaking the amp. There are not as many possibilities sound wise with this bass as there are with an L-2000 or an L-2500 with the MFD pickups and three toggle switches. However, that is not to say you are exactly limited. You can pull out a variety of tones with this bass, and I am quite pleased with it.
Haven't gigged or recorded with it yet, (just got it), but it shouldn't be a problem. It will probably be better recording-wise than my other noisy G&L's, and should gig well. All my other G&L's do!

I bought the bass used, and it came perfectly set up. The action is nice and low, with no buzzing anywhere on the neck, which is arrow straight. The pickups are quite hot and consequently ride a bit lower than others. The frets all look good, with next to no wear, and all are nice and level. The finish on the body is very nice, no noticeable flaws of any kind. The swamp ash used for the body is hefty, though I'm used to that. The wood has a very attractive grain structure, and the honeyburst finish is even and subtle. I dislike a 'burst' type finish that looks harsh and spraypainted on. I prefer a very subtle blending of the colors so there is no obvious line of demarcation.
The nut is cut just fine, evenly spaced and not too deep. The bridge is polished and chromed, though not as much time was spent polishing the individual saddles prior to plating. The fit between the neck and the body is a tad wider than on my other G&L's. Doesn't seem as tight, though the sound is fantastic so apparrantly this doesn't have a negative impact. The cut for input jack is recessed, and the jack sits in a very well made recessed hole, so it fits flush. Nice touch.

This bass should stand up to live playing. The only drawback I can find with it's anticipated durability are the plastic knobs. In a custom bass they really should be made out of metal. I may look for replacements of some type. The finish is deep an looks quite thick. Nice and glossy and even. I can't find any scratches and it was used when I got it. The strap buttons are large and sturdy, shouldn't be a problem. Neck is also large and sturdy, and shouldn't be a problem either. If playing live I would either place a fresh battery in the battery compartment prior to each gig or bring another of my G&L basses as back up. If the battery dies on this one, you've had it. On the L-2000 or L-2500 you have the option of switching the electronics into passive mode, and that would save you in the event of battery failure. No such option here. Just make sure your battery is good and you should have no problems.

Never needed it on ANY G&L product.

I've been playing off and on since about 1985 or so. I have a G&L L-2000, G&L JB-2, Fender Precision Bass, Brian Moore I4 bass, Yamaha BB450, and a Fender BG32 acoustic. I've had several others over the years that I've traded/sold off. I really like the quality of the G&L line, and as a result have sold off most all of my Fender's, save the above mentioned P-Bass. The only thing I wish it had is metal knobs. I just can't believe with the rest of the quality of this bass, that they would put plastic knobs on it. Oh well, might not matter to anyone else. Overall I am WELL PLEASED with this bass, and if lost or stolen I would try mightily to replace it, but that might prove difficult. I don't know how many were made, but they were only made 1 year.