mcnach Posted February 27, 2012 Share Posted February 27, 2012 (edited) This will sound like sacrilege to some, I expect. Certainly if I suggested doing this to an 80s USA G&L L2000!!! But here it goes: I used to own a lovely natural/maple Tribute series L2500. Loved it. Except I don't use 5-strings much, so I let it go and promised to buy a 4 string version. Which I did, a couple of weeks ago. I now own Jakester's Tribute series G&L L2000, in lovely natural/maple. ... and I love it. BUT... it reminded me of something I never quite liked about the L2500: preamp/passive tone controls. I love those MFD pickups. But the tone controls... they are clever, and I love how turning down the treble seems to somehow enhance the mids, especially when playing with the bridge pickup alone... but I may be too used to active tone controls and I miss that. The preamp... it's just a two position preset. Nice boost, but that's about it, I can live without it. So I am seriously considering gutting the L2000, and installing a Stingray preamp. Ideally a John East MMSR 3-band (bass and treble on one knob, mids and mid-frequency sweep on another, and volume... so keeping the 3-knob configuration). Or something along those lines. The mod should be non-destructive, so the original preamp could be reinstalled should I decide to get rid off this beauty. Any thoughts? [i][b]Edit 7th March 2012:[/b] title altered to reflect the fact I've indeed gone with a John East MMSR preamp[/i] Edited March 7, 2012 by mcnach Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
neepheid Posted February 27, 2012 Share Posted February 27, 2012 Do what you like. If you keep the original loom and it can be non-destructively removed and put back in afterwards if you decide to move the bass on then I don't see the problem. I presume you're going to keep the first two switches (pickup selector and series/parallel), so what you going to do with the last one? Passive safety valve? Kill switch? Just leave a dummy switch in? Replace it with a battery state LED? So many possibilities I never use the "active" settings on my Tribute L-2000 - the treble boost sounds nasty to me and it's plenty loud as a passive instrument anyway. I've been thinking for a while now of making mine 100% passive and making it possible to switch between humbucker/OMG/single on both pickups. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mcnach Posted February 27, 2012 Author Share Posted February 27, 2012 [quote name='neepheid' timestamp='1330341700' post='1555830'] Do what you like. If you keep the original loom and it can be non-destructively removed and put back in afterwards if you decide to move the bass on then I don't see the problem. I presume you're going to keep the first two switches (pickup selector and series/parallel), so what you going to do with the last one? Passive safety valve? Kill switch? Just leave a dummy switch in? Replace it with a battery state LED? So many possibilities I never use the "active" settings on my Tribute L-2000 - the treble boost sounds nasty to me and it's plenty loud as a passive instrument anyway. I've been thinking for a while now of making mine 100% passive and making it possible to switch between humbucker/OMG/single on both pickups. [/quote] I have not decided what to do with the extra switch, to be honest. It may just stay as a dummy. A preamp bypass is a possibility but to be honest, I *never* use that option in any bass I have, except to check the passive sound once in a while. Or I could put a blue led in there. Why? Because I can. No, seriously, I have no idea. Maybe a passive option that automatically engages a capacitor (to simulate a passive tone rolled off situation)... I don't know. I'm a little averse to having many switches and options. I can't resist trying all the combinations while I'm playing and it distracts me. I was terrible with my Warwick Corvette $$ for that reason, and why the Stingray just felt right I have read about the "OMG" setting... but what is it??? I could live without the series/parallel switch too... I seem to use only the series one. I love the Pbassness of that neck pickup in series. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
neepheid Posted February 27, 2012 Share Posted February 27, 2012 [quote name='mcnach' timestamp='1330350847' post='1555994'] I have read about the "OMG" setting... but what is it??? [/quote] Ou7shined is the man to ask regarding this having studied it in great depth and replicated it in one of his basses, but basically it's applying a capacitor to the output from one of the coils of the MFD while leaving the other to come through unmodified. Don't ask me how but it results in a super bassy sound, like a bass boost and seems louder, which seems impossible considering all you're doing is taking away some of the treble frequencies from one of the coils, but that's what my ears are telling me! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Machines Posted February 27, 2012 Share Posted February 27, 2012 As long as youre keeping the MFD pickups then its not too much heresy ! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mcnach Posted February 27, 2012 Author Share Posted February 27, 2012 [quote name='neepheid' timestamp='1330352057' post='1556006'] Ou7shined is the man to ask regarding this having studied it in great depth and replicated it in one of his basses, but basically it's applying a capacitor to the output from one of the coils of the MFD while leaving the other to come through unmodified. Don't ask me how but it results in a super bassy sound, like a bass boost and seems louder, which seems impossible considering all you're doing is taking away some of the treble frequencies from one of the coils, but that's what my ears are telling me! [/quote] hmmm, that sounds interesting! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mcnach Posted February 27, 2012 Author Share Posted February 27, 2012 [quote name='Machines' timestamp='1330355982' post='1556086'] As long as youre keeping the MFD pickups then its not too much heresy ! [/quote] Getting rid off those pickups??? NEVER! That's what makes the bass be what it is, I think. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jakester Posted February 28, 2012 Share Posted February 28, 2012 Hmm, interesting! I was considering fitti a u-retro to it, before I sold it, because I love the j-retro in my jazz. I was also going to get the single coil mod done, and I'm considering fitting a blend pot to the 5er rather than the switch. You could get a mid boost from East separately? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mcnach Posted February 28, 2012 Author Share Posted February 28, 2012 [quote name='Jakester' timestamp='1330457605' post='1557890'] Hmm, interesting! I was considering fitti a u-retro to it, before I sold it, because I love the j-retro in my jazz. I was also going to get the single coil mod done, and I'm considering fitting a blend pot to the 5er rather than the switch. You could get a mid boost from East separately? [/quote] I like the J-Retro (I have one) but I prefer the MMSR. I could but just the mids module, but I want the whole bass/treble active EQ thing. I already ordered the JE MMSR preamp (3-band, 3-knob) . The wiring on the G&L scares me... how busy is that!!!??? Hopefully I will cut the correct wires the first time around and it will all proceed smoothly... I'm leaving the pickup switch and the series/parallel one. The one for the preamp will just be a dummy initially, and possibly forever. If I play that bass live and someone is paying too much attention to what i do, I can always start fiddling with the switch to confuse them Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Prime_BASS Posted February 28, 2012 Share Posted February 28, 2012 I say do it! Gut the switches aswell! so glad I did it to my Sterling. Now it's essentially a 'Ray in a sterling's body, as I chanmged the pickup to alnico aswell. It lost 0.1 of a pound aswell. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
scalpy Posted February 29, 2012 Share Posted February 29, 2012 Probably the trickiest thing you'll have to negotiate is G&L's infamous tacky foam that holds the board in place. Stickier than beelzebub's bogies! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mcnach Posted February 29, 2012 Author Share Posted February 29, 2012 [quote name='scalpy' timestamp='1330498873' post='1558297'] Probably the trickiest thing you'll have to negotiate is G&L's infamous tacky foam that holds the board in place. Stickier than beelzebub's bogies! [/quote] ha! it is sticky indeed! I think I'll leave it in place and cut the wires away from it rather than unsoldering at the PCB. It'll also make it easier to refit, should I ever want to restore it Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mcnach Posted March 7, 2012 Author Share Posted March 7, 2012 Well, the preamp arrived today. I planned to do the deed tonight, but something's come up and it's just not going to happen. However, I had about 40min... so I could not let it be. I gutted the bass and I'm here writing to you all about it as I don't want to rush in the installation and make a mistake.. or worse: succeed and not have time to actually try it properly!!! Lots of cables, what a mess the original electronics are! However it was simple to choose which cables to cut. No "blue wire? red wire?" moments. It's dead simple. I hope! Pickups wired to parallel/series switch, which then feeds the pickup selector, which then goes into the rest of the circuit, which I removed. The bass was in great condition but one of the several owners must have had some issues with the knob. One pot had a broken shaft and the knob was held with glue and another had the two sides of the split shaft bent inwards... so I'm glad I will have solid hardware now and I won't find one day something dropping from the gig bag I quickly checked that the MMSR preamp is going to fit inside... and it seems it will be ok A bit tight in parts, and tons of room in others... but it will be ok Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mcnach Posted March 7, 2012 Author Share Posted March 7, 2012 Original guts... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mcnach Posted March 7, 2012 Author Share Posted March 7, 2012 gutted!!! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mcnach Posted March 7, 2012 Author Share Posted March 7, 2012 It seems like I will be able to fit the new bits in there... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mcnach Posted March 7, 2012 Author Share Posted March 7, 2012 despite being simple... don't forget to take a few notes, just in case! can't wait till I can finish this!!! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mcnach Posted March 7, 2012 Author Share Posted March 7, 2012 Now, what to use to cover the hole left by the preamp switch? ... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mcnach Posted December 6, 2012 Author Share Posted December 6, 2012 (edited) I can't believe it was March when I did that!!! It was only YESTERDAY that I fitted the back cover and took it to rehearsal with me. No, of course I had installed the preamp earlier... yes, last month Anyway... it sounds ENORMOUS!!!!!!! In my view, a nice improvement over the original circuitry. I made a small mistake when wiring it all up, but once I paid attention I realised what I had wired incorrectly, and it's all good. Those pickups are beastly. What a bass. That's all, simply a general "wheeeeeee!!! love this bass!!!" type of comment Edited December 6, 2012 by mcnach Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Prime_BASS Posted December 8, 2012 Share Posted December 8, 2012 off topic but I just read through your sig.... Where do you keep all that stuff? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Graham Posted December 9, 2012 Share Posted December 9, 2012 I love my Tribute L2000 but do agree it could do with a pre-amp upgrade, I keep hoping John East will bring out an L-Retro.... I'd want to keep the master volume / pickup switch, the series / parallel switch and a active passive switch. Swapping out the tone controls and making the active and treble boost better would be good though - these are all features I'd want to keep, but just improved versions of them as the active mode is just a line boost as far as I can tell and the toe controls are quite subtle. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mcnach Posted December 9, 2012 Author Share Posted December 9, 2012 [quote name='Prime_BASS' timestamp='1354978770' post='1892560'] off topic but I just read through your sig.... Where do you keep all that stuff? [/quote] I´m lucky to be allowed to have one room for it. The condition is... it all must fit in there, nothing in the rest of the house Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mcnach Posted December 9, 2012 Author Share Posted December 9, 2012 [quote name='Graham' timestamp='1355040182' post='1893157'] I love my Tribute L2000 but do agree it could do with a pre-amp upgrade, I keep hoping John East will bring out an L-Retro.... I'd want to keep the master volume / pickup switch, the series / parallel switch and a active passive switch. Swapping out the tone controls and making the active and treble boost better would be good though - these are all features I'd want to keep, but just improved versions of them as the active mode is just a line boost as far as I can tell and the toe controls are quite subtle. [/quote] Mine keeps the series-parallel and the pickup switch, of course. Just not passive-active one... I could,, there is room for it, but I´m ok without it. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Graham Posted December 9, 2012 Share Posted December 9, 2012 [quote name='mcnach' timestamp='1355057359' post='1893380'] Mine keeps the series-parallel and the pickup switch, of course. Just not passive-active one... I could,, there is room for it, but I´m ok without it. [/quote] hmmm.......I could always swap the 3-way pre-amp switch for a 2-way and make it a simple active / pre-amp bypass.....just been looking at the East MM circuits on bass direct, very tempting; particularly as the 3 knob version has a push - pull treble boost - like the 3rd position on the L2000 pre-amp switch. I wonder if on of the electrical engineers at work could rig a slight mod to keep the tone controls working in passive mode. This is all Pie in the sky in all honesty though as I'm broke at the moment. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mcnach Posted December 10, 2012 Author Share Posted December 10, 2012 [quote name='Graham' timestamp='1355066080' post='1893553'] hmmm.......I could always swap the 3-way pre-amp switch for a 2-way and make it a simple active / pre-amp bypass.....just been looking at the East MM circuits on bass direct, very tempting; particularly as the 3 knob version has a push - pull treble boost - like the 3rd position on the L2000 pre-amp switch. I wonder if on of the electrical engineers at work could rig a slight mod to keep the tone controls working in passive mode. This is all Pie in the sky in all honesty though as I'm broke at the moment. [/quote] If you used a stacked pot for the volume, I'm sure the bottom part could be wired with a cap to give you a passive tone control... ask John, he's quite receptive to simple custom mods, from my experience. At the very least he would be able to tell you whether it can easily be done or not, for a particular preamp. The treble boost, however, is pretty subtle, nothing like that on the L2000. I tend to forget it's there. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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