G&L Tribute Fallout Short Scale - Olympic White Review

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..

---

Cancel Comment

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!

---

Cancel Comment

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.

---

Cancel Comment

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.

---

Cancel Comment

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.

---

Cancel Comment