Question M 2000 Bass

[The Oldie]

Hi All.
I used to be active in bands in the 60's-70's and in the past year have started playing again for my own enjoyment. I have owned a Gibson EB 3 and a Fender Jazz long ago. My present bass is an Overwater Classic Jazz pattern instrument. This suffers from a G string fifth fret muted "C". That is it only has about 40% of the volume and sustain of a normally played fret. Leo was aware of this sporadic problem as a musician asked him about it. He took a G clamp and attached it to the head of the Jazz to add more mass and the problem disappeared. Not all Jazz type guitars have the problem, but some do.
I am about to order online a G&L M 2000 bass and cannot try the instrument.
My question. Is anyone aware of a similar fault occurring with G&L basses and the M 2000 in particular.
My thoughts are that Leo would have ironed the problem out but I thought I would ask you knowledgeable guys to make sure.
TIA guys.

[yowhatsshakin]

Cannot really answer your question but wanted to point out that Ed Friedland demoes the M-2500 in the video embedded on this page on the G&L website.

- Jos

[Ken Baker]

Hi All.
I used to be active in bands in the 60's-70's and in the past year have started playing again for my own enjoyment. I have owned a Gibson EB 3 and a Fender Jazz long ago. My present bass is an Overwater Classic Jazz pattern instrument. This suffers from a G string fifth fret muted "C". That is it only has about 40% of the volume and sustain of a normally played fret. Leo was aware of this sporadic problem as a musician asked him about it. He took a G clamp and attached it to the head of the Jazz to add more mass and the problem disappeared. Not all Jazz type guitars have the problem, but some do.
I am about to order online a G&L M 2000 bass and cannot try the instrument.
My question. Is anyone aware of a similar fault occurring with G&L basses and the M 2000 in particular.
My thoughts are that Leo would have ironed the problem out but I thought I would ask you knowledgeable guys to make sure.
TIA guys.

What you're describing is an uncommon, but far from unheard of, issue with some instruments. It's a relative dead spot on the G string at the 5th through 7th frets on a 4 string bass, and it has to do with the resonant mass of the neck. If it happens on a 5 string, it will likely be elsewhere on the neck. It is not consistent at all, and I haven't heard of it with modern G&Ls at all. I have a late-80s SB-2 (#6 neck) that has the problem a tiny bit, and it has been mitigated through string choice. I also have a mid-80s El Toro that doesn't show the issue at all.

TL;DR. Don't worry about this with a new M-2000. You'll love the bass.

Cannot really answer your question but wanted to point out that Ed Friedland demoes the M-2500 in the video embedded on this page on the G&L website.

Or he could come over to the joint across the road - BassesByLeo. It is unlikely that Ed would even discuss a dead spot unless he ran across one in a review. Even then he'd probably adjust it away, which can many times be done with good success.

Ken...

[The Oldie]

Thanks for your replies guys. Much appreciated. I use a Fender "Fatfinger" on my present instrument. Improves response, but not by much. String choice does seem to matter with Elixir being the best and La Bella being the worse. And yes, the strings I've loved since 1965 are La Bella.
I ordered my G&L M-2000 with case yesterday. Black with a maple fingerboard. Never had a maple fingerboard before, always wanted one. Come to think of it I've never played an "active" bass before. They hadn't been invented in my day.
BTW when I bought my Fender Jazz (American made, no satellite factories then) in 1967 it cost £184 (UK) or about $220.
Thanks again. I'll continue this thread when I receive the instrument then probably migrate to the "bassesbyleo" forum.