G&L Tribute Fallout Short Scale Review

G & tribute Fallout bASS

WOW VERY SMOOTH NECK, THE side of the frets rounded, Great tone, really GOOD FEAL to the whole bass, & NO BATTERY!!!.

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Short on scale, long on tone.

I am not new to G&L, owning an ASAT Classic and an SB-2, however due to a wrist injury needed a shorter scale than my Jazz bass and after seeing a couple of online videos decided upon the Fallout. This bass is sizeable for a 30" scale and while there is some modest neck dive on my example, this is not unsurmountable with a broader strap and certainly no more than my Jazz bass.… read more The sound is simply great.. I was a little concerned that a short scale bass would be a bit short in oomph, but this bass is not short of tone. I play mostly fingerstyle with occasional use of a pick, and there is good heft in the low end.. The MFD pickup is high output and with tone rolled off by about 50% its just a great, pleasing tone.. Going to a single coil would fit fusion and slap techniques for sure.. and OMG mode with a bit of overdrive would fit heaviergrungier styles. Economic in price, short in scale and long in looks, tone, quality & feel.. There is nothing to dislike at all..

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G&L Tribute Fallout Bass Guitar

Geez! I just received my G&L T.F.B.G. short scale last week and I haven't been able to put it down. I love the feel and I love the sound. The Tribute can't be beat for the price. I can't wait to put some LaBella low tension flats on it. Also, I had the bass at my doorstep one and a half days after I ordered it! How does Sweetwater pull that off?! Thank you Matthew L (my sales rep)… read more for a happy sale. Can't wait to order that G&L LB-100 soon… Bottom line: if you're looking for a short scale P-type bass that has other usable tones, buy this axe!

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Plays great with flatwounds

I love this bass! It's my first short scale bass and I find myself playing this more than I play my PJ bass recently. Has a lot of low end and the pickups are really hot. Sounds great with my band. I play this with Daddario Chromes 45-100 and previously had Ernie ball Regular slinky on it. Sounds great with both but I love it more with flats. For a short scale instrument it doesn't… read more feel small at all compared to other short scales I've tried. Its actually pretty big in body size and length compared to other short scale basses I've tried being that it's only slightly smaller than my full sized P bass. Though I find the size as a pro rather than a con as I'm not a small guy and I didn't want a short scale bass that would look like a toy when I'm holding it. In terms of neck feel, it has a very smooth satin neck that I love. Not too small or narrow in terms of feel. Coming from a P bass it feels right at home. For a better review that sold me on this check out the reviews on youtube by Bass Whisper TV or Low end lobster for more in depth reviews.

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Amazing!

At 62, my arthritis limits my ability to play my beloved P bass. Although I'll never sell my Fender, a short scale bass was the answer. I'm AMAZED at the quality and tone of this bass at this price point. Fit and finish is perfect and the satin neck finish feels great. Shout out to Bevin for his hard work during the decision-making process! Always a great experience at Sweetwater!… read more A+

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Great Short Scale

Really nice bass. Excellent hardware. Very precise tuners. Heavy duty bridge. Nice fret edges. Pickup is amazing. The output is crazy for a passive pickup. I also have a Sterling Ray SS4 and it is easily twice the volume. Has a thicker sound and more thump in comparison to the Sterling, which is still a very nice bass. The way G&L has the bridge positioned, it makes the… read more bass feel more like a regular long scale with your fretting hand position than other short scales. You don't feel cramped when playing it. I also like the position of the pickup. It feels more natural to where I normally rest my thumb to play most of my long scale basses. I knocked off half a star because it does have some neck dive, which I think can be attributed to the long head stock and the big tuners. A good strap cares for that issue. I use the Fender Weighless stretchable strap. Great bass for a great price. Good job G&L. My sales rep. Randy Poteete was awesome in handling the order.

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Not bad, but maybe shortscale isn't for me.

I am mixed on this bass (and shortscale in general) The pros are the fret spacing is a bit closer so less stretching and this has good tone. Also the bridge is rock solid. Now the cons- Has a little neck dive (not the worst but it is there) Tuning is real tough and I am not sure how Ed Frieland gigs with this, because unless you are very gentle in your playing, the strings go… read more in and out of tune quite a bit. It really isn't much smaller then a standard bass- it actually seems like it mostly shorter in the body, the total reach to the low Frets is maybe 1 to 2" less then a standard 34". You can't slap on this bass at all- not sure if it because the lower tension or what. But you can't, no bounce off the fretboard at all. The low E is not strong, I put 105's on it and that helped some but still the massive low E punch will never be there. Most notes on the low E are muddy and the tone is not clear.

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A presence that is amazing.

PROS: Has a powerful presence that others do not: I've had a Sterling Music Man Stingray SS, Ibanez Mezzo, Ibanez SDR500, Fender SS, etc... None have that amazing presence and tone. CONS: Heavy, and some challenges with my Low E string. I've read that Low E string challenges are very common with SS Basses. I don't like making adjustments so it may not be an issue for those that… read more do. But because this Bass sounds so incredible it's not going anywhere!!

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Awsome Shortie

Wasn't planning on a new bass...but. I've played SS for years & couldn't pass up the opportunity to play the Fullerton (USA) series Fallout. After a few minutes I knew I wanted this bass but wasn't in position to spend $1.3K on an impulse purchase. So I checked out the Tribute, mainly the Ed Friedland demo, & decided to take the plunge. After I unbox I check two things...neck adjustment… read more & fretboard edges/fret ends. Neck was adjusted with just a slight relief, just the way I like it (thanks Guitar Gallery). I like a slightly radiused fretboard edge & polished fret ends, which I usually have to do myself...not so this time. Fretboard edge was radiused & fret ends were beautifully trimmed & polished with no sharp ends to be found. Since I don't like rounds I installed a set of flats, adjusted the action accordingly & tuned it (tuning was spot on at the octave). The MFD pickup is what makes this bass stand out. I've always been a P bass guy & this bass delivers. Play it in parallel & you get a fat P bass sound. Play it in split & you get more of the neck pickup on a J bass. Series (what G&L calls OMG) is the best of both, and then some...fat, punchy & defined sound. I consider it Leo's best (passive) pickup ever. Bottom line is this little bass plays & sounds great. I really couldn't tell any difference between the Tribute & Fullerton versions. Never thought I'd consider a $600 bass a bargain...I do now. Only change I'd make is to offer the Olympic White with a red tort pickguard instead of black.

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This thing is a tiny monster

I'm not prone to writing reviews, but I quickly fell in love with this bass. I cracked it open (after waiting out the suggested 24-hour adjustment time with difficulty), and was immediately struck by how pretty it is. Strapped it on ... and was immediately struck by neck dive. Dang. Fortunately, I have a wide strap so switching took care of that, but it's something to pay attention… read more to if you want one of these. And if you're on this page, odds are you want one. Having just the one pickup, it puts out very different sounds with the 3-way switch and the tone control. You can get your rumbly thumpies, and also more trebly growl if you want it. I was also surprised by how responsive it is to different styles of playing. Without changing settings, picking vs. fingers sounds very different. (I know this is always true, but it's particularly pronounced with this bass.) The sustain was also a pleasant surprise. I guess I just figured that a smaller body would suffer in that regard, but I'm happy to be wrong. While some settings work for me more than others at first blush, I'm pretty sure that with time and exploration I'll be able to make use of all of them. If I'm still in love like this after a while, I might move my big basses and get another one of these as a backup, or maybe to put some flats on for tunes on which that would be more appropriate. This is a very nice instrument, and the only thing keeping me from the full five is that neck dive. Easily corrected, but still.

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Looks beautiful and sounds beautiful

I never played a G&L before this bass, and I understand why the company has such a cult following. This instrument cranks. I am not a professional bassist by any means, but this short scale certainly makes me feel that way. The pickup puts out a ton of volume and clarity, and the three-way selector switch offers very dynamic options. "OMG" mode will take the roof off of your house… read more if you turn the volume knob more than a click. It's also very in tune and pretty when desired. While it is visually stunning, it did have some slight finish cracks near the neck pocket. I've read this is common with guitars and basses with bolt-on necks, but it does seem to be a recurring theme in SW return/demo models and Fallout reviews online. There was also a little black grime around a bit of the fretboard and some extra nut glue that dripped onto the headstock. If you're someone who absolutely must have a pristine and mint quality instrument in every way, this might be a downside for you. Having tested some MIM J, P, and a couple Mustang basses, the G&L Fallout was the clear winner for me. I had a preference for short scales pretty early in my search. To me, both this and the Mustangs have a desirable evenness of sound, whereas the P, J, and other full scale basses are rattlier down low. Unlike the Mustangs, though, this bass's pickup selector allows for more tonal variety. The Mustangs seem to always sound the same to me no matter how the tone knob or selector switch is used. Add to that the fact that this bass will run you anywhere from $100-300 cheaper than a MIM Mustang, and you're off to the races. Buy one. You won't regret it.

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G & L Tribute Fallout Bass

I never saw myself being happy with a short scale bass. All of the ones I have tried over the years seemed to sound like crap and had no appeal. Over the past few years that seems to have changed with many manufacturers and builders coming up with shorter scale basses that don't sound bad and are actually decent, useable alternatives to the standard 34" scale instrument. Recently… read more is occurred to me that one might be a good idea for some of the gigs we've been doing where space is at a premium. I've always liked G & L instruments. Ed Friedland even has some youtube videos about this bass. He likes them a lot and even plays a US made one with the Mavericks. If Ed likes it, that's good enough for me. Gigged with mine this past weekend and it worked and sounded great!

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Small Bass

This short scale bass sounds really good, however as the strings are shorter than a regular bass, tuning is super sensitive. I really only have trouble with the Big E. The tuners are very good quality, it's just a short bass not like my Jazz Bass. The result is that it's very easy to play with my small hands.

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The Guitarist's Bass

I'm a drummer first and foremost, but started playing guitar about eight years ago. That got me curious about bass, and I started out on an Epiphone EBO a couple of years later. I liked the short scale, but the single pickup was muddy and limited. I owned an Ibanez 300 series with active pickups, a couple of Squier Jazz basses and a P-bass. All decent basses, but eventually I pared… read more my collection down to a 70's Classic Vibe Jazz as I wasn't playing bass very much. Recently, I started playing bass at church, and found that my 61 year old shoulders were struggling with the weight of the Jazz, and the scale length was a stretch after playing guitar. I decided to look for a decent short scale, and after checking out some different models, I found the G&L to be one of the more intriguing short scales out there. I made the trip to Sweetwater, and was impressed by the feel and versatility of the Fallout. The single humbucker covers a lot of sonic territory, and has some serious output, so much so that I had to lighten up with both right and left hand. The bass itself weights eight pounds, four ounces; not much more than my Epi Les Paul 60's Tribute. The 30 inch scale is a lot easier to deal with, especially from the nut to the fifth fret. The pickup position is great for a thumb rest, and the controls are located logically for both easy access and being out of the way. The maple neck has no lacquer or enamel on it, and is extremely playable. Overall, it's a great bass ergonomically. It wouldn't take most guitar players who want to branch out and learn bass much time or effort to feel comfortable with the Fallout. It's also a sharp looking instrument---as a drummer, I appreciate the White Marine Pearl pick guard. It was in tune out of the box, and the quality is outstanding for this price point. Th only thing that keeps me from giving it a full five stars is that if you're looking for something that does slap and pop, this isn't your bass. It can up to a point, especially the slap, but you have to mute like crazy to get a decent sounding pop. That's not a big deal for me---not a lot of opportunity for that at my church gig! Everything else about the bass, from ergonomics to sound to looks is exactly what I required and hoped for. I would recommend it highly to anyone looking for a quality short scale bass.

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Big Sound in a Small Package

Historically, I haven't gotten along well with short scale basses. They sound ok, but feel like toys in my hands. Well, I decided to give it one more shot and purchased the G&L Tribute Fallout bass in Olympic white and I'm glad I did. Let me assure you: this thing is no toy. It arrived safely and well set up; all I had to do was plug it in and tune it and I was ready to rock.… read more And rock I did. The MFD pickups are very hot, dynamic and, DEEP. The neck is comfortable, the forearm contour is well-executed, and it balances well on a strap. And did I mention THUNDEROUS sound? It reminds me very much of the vaunted G&L L1000, only in a smaller package. After playing the bass heavily for a week, my only complaint is that it makes me want to shell out for a US Fallout bass.

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Awesome short scale bass

The Jet Black G&L Fallout is the first short scale bass I have owned and I think it's awesome. The humbucker delivers a big fat sound and some variations in tone can be achieved with the tone control and the series/split/parallel switch. The guitar weight is balanced, it looks good and is fun to play. It's not American made but it's good G&L quality. A great buy for the money.

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Short Scale Beast

First short scale bass I've owned that didn't feel like a toy. I have several 34" scale G&L'S, happy that they finally came out with a SS.G&L MFD pickups deliver great tone. Like a P bass on steroids! Thanks to Luke and all the folks at Sweetwater!

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Such an awesome bass!

I was really surprised by the amazing deep bass this guitar puts out. It really has an amazing tone, and I really love the 3 way switch for the pickup! You won't be disappointed!! Love it

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More than I Expected

As soon as I picked it up I was surprised, this Bass has some heft for its size, well built, feels good, and easy to play. Tone wise very full and fat. I did put Flatwounds on it. But really full and loud. All 3 modes really work, Really like it. Came setup perfectly

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