G&L Tribute Fallout Short Scale - Candy Apple Red Review

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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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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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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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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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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