Members Mind Riot Posted January 4, 2008 Members Share Posted January 4, 2008 In my personal experience, one of the biggest differences between lower cost and higher cost guitars is fret and nut work. On cheaper guitars, the frets are usually installed and the guitar is shipped out, and if they're level or not is left entirely to chance. To date, the only machine made to my knowledge that can level and dress frets is the Plek machine, which is still a very expensive proposition. Perhaps in the future every overseas guitar factory will have a row of Plek machines and you won't be able to buy a bad playing guitar, no matter how cheap. But these days, fret and nut work is still a tedious, detailed and painstakingly precise job that significantly raises the price of any instrument. I bought my G&L Tribute L-2500 about two years ago, and I've been meaning to level and dress the frets on it for a while now but I couldn't seem to get around to it. I've always been very happy with the sound and look of the bass, but I knew it could play better. Well, I finally buckled down and did the frets on it a couple weeks ago, and I documented it for the forums. I usually share my fret work threads in Electric Guitar and so I thought I'd just link to the original thread to share it here: http://acapella.harmony-central.com/forums/showthread.php?t=1838665 Boy, does this thing play better now. I can't believe it took me so long to get around to it. My bass is one of the L2500 Premium Tributes, which means it's made of swamp ash with a maple neck if my memory serves. Personally, other than perhaps better pots and tuners, I don't see much difference between this and an American made G&L L-2500 now. I know you can get different neck shapes and finishes from an American G&L, but those are more preference options that quality differences. The pickups are the same, the electronic options are the same (as far as I know), the bridge seems identical except for the stamped name, and now this bass has had a detailed and precise fret job and setup, and it plays as good as it sounds. Personally, being able to do my own fret and nut work makes it harder and harder to see any justification for buying the more expensive instruments (not that I could afford them anyway) when the MIK stuff like this is made so well with such good components. It seems to me that the last gap between this and the higher end stuff is in the detail work which I now do myself on all my own guitars. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members Bogster Posted January 4, 2008 Members Share Posted January 4, 2008 Cool! Awesome choice on finish, too. I'd love to level the frets on my G&L, but I know I'd screw it up. Best to leave it to the experts. I have a Tribby L-2500 and it's a mystery to me why anyone would really even buy a U.S. made G&L anymore. The difference between the two-both aesthetically and tonally-are nearly non-existent. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members Mytola Posted January 4, 2008 Members Share Posted January 4, 2008 My Tribute L2000 is a really nice instrument. The tuners are replaced with hipshots, and I think it has had a good fretjob at a point in its life. I'm not sure, as I bought it used, but it plays so extremely well. I just purchased a Tribute L2500 too. I Love these basses! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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