G&L L5500

When I first saw this bass I had not heard much about G&L. I was just blowing time in the music store and vaguely considering a new bass. I was immediately struck by the translucent emerald green finish. The wood grain through it was stunning. I went home and tried to research the bass online, mostly to no avail. I ended up calling the company and the president of the company got on the phone with me. He told me the bass was made in the USA about 1994, with a swamp ash body and maple neck. It has acitve pickups, a P-style body, G&L bridge, locking tuners. The neck is rather chunky (a plus in my book) and feels great in my hands. My main complaints are the heaviness of the bass and the volume/tone knobs. Don't plan on a marathon with this thing. The knobs are a black plastic, with a volume, tone, and then stacked treble/bass. I had trouble with the stacked knobs at one point and discovered that they are no longer available. I finally found an inventive tech who was able to create a tool that fixed the problem.

This thing is a beast. Do not worry about cutting through the mix. I play a mixture of rock, emo, and acoustic rock. This bass is great for the heavier stuff. It has a very aggressive sound that blasts through the mix (especially with a pick). It also has great slap tones. A have had a couple of funk players pick it up and try to walk off with it. I find that the bass in itself is quiet. I play through an Acoustic 220 head and 2 X 15 cab and a Line 6 bass POD. Forget the distortion settings. This bass drives my amp hard enough to pull out great distorted tones. I have to roll way off on the treble during the acoustic sets and play fingerstyle to get the warmth I like. Overall, this bass is versatile enough to accomplish everything I need. The only reason I do not give it a 10 is that I do not have the option to switch to passive and in some settings the preamp is just far too powerful for the amp.

I bought the bass used, but the action was perfect. No buzz and great intonation. Finish is gorgeous and the frets are well dressed. My only complaint is the knobs. I would have preffered chrome, bur have found none that are compatible.

I think I could attack a fleet of Hummers and then plug in and play. Like I said, this thing is a beast and feels solid in your hands. Hardware is solid and stays in tune well. I often pull it out of the case after traveling and find that it is still in tune. The finish has held up remarkeably well. I play hard and often and it is still near mint. I did put strap locks on due to the weight of the bass. I love this bass and felt that was a good investment. I think this bass will probably outlive me. I have played without a backup, though I do not recommend it. This is an active bass with no passive option and it wails on batteries. If the battery goes out, you'll need a screwdriver and about 5 minutes to change it out.

I have dealt with the company just the one time, and the president of the company contacted me promptly, sent me papers on my guitar, diagrams of the wiring, etc. Then we sat and talked about basses for about 15 minutes on his bill. I feel confident that they will go out of their way to help me.

I have been playing about 5 yrs. I also own a BC Rich, an Acoustic 220 head, Acoustic 2 x 15 cabinet, Line 6 Bass POD, an Alvarez acoustic-electric, a Martin Backpacker, a 1960's Hofner Les Paul copy, and a cheap Austin strat knockoff for my kids to bang around on. If this thing were stolen, I would weep. I would probably play some other basses before buying another because they are rather hard to find (only 260 were made). Like I said, with a passive option and metal knobs I would give this thing a 10.