As of right now, I've had offers of a black '89 L-2000 with rear mounted controls (with the body supposedly of Poplar), an '85 L-2000 in Mahogany (front mounted controls), and an '84 SB-2 in Flame Maple with a burst finish and maple board neck. The first design SB-2 featured two J-style MFD single coil pickups. This style was only manufactured from 1984-1986, and I'm guessing that there were less than one thousand of these made. After that, the SB-2 went to MFD versions of the P-J pickup combination. I've also had two people offering to buy my S-500 outright for an unspecified amount, although these are folks well versed in the guitar's value.
Back in 1993, without realizing it, I bought a ten year old guitar that today is becoming a collectible. It has more than doubled in value from what I paid for it back then. Folks are saying that it will more than likely do the same (or better) over the next ten years.
Prices on Leo era bass guitars have kept pace as well. Of course there is a reason for that.
Leo Fender invented the electric bass guitar with the introduction of the Fender Precision Bass in 1951 (check one of these out, you will be surprised!). Nine years later, he would trump himself with the introduction of the Jazz Bass. After leaving CBS/Fender, Leo formed CLF Research, and through this company, designed what would become known as the Stingray bass guitar for Music Man. In 1979, after some serious business problems with Music Man, CLF was dropped and G&L was formed. One of Leo's first designs for the new company was a bass guitar, the L-1000. The pinnacle of Leo's design effort is today seen in the L-2000. It is said that Leo spent his last day on Earth putting the finishing touches on a new bass instrument (actually a baritone guitar). Leo designed some of the most influencial bass guitars to ever be built (G&L never built his final design).
The L-2000 sounds just so fantastic, and I want one badly!
Rob Smith
I AM the bass player!
GUITARS: '93 ZON Sonus 4, '85 G&L L-2000 (Mahogany), '05 Schecter Stiletto Custom 4, '06 SX SJB-62MG (Fretless), '07 Squier Bronco (project), '06 Ibanez AEB10E-BK acoustic bass, '70s Epiphone OO-sized acoustic, '94 Peavey Reactor (extreme makeover edition)
AMPS: '03 Ampeg BA115 bass combo, '86 Peavey MkIV Series 400 bass head, SWR Workingman's cabs, 2x10" & 1x15", '00 Peavey Micro Bass