THE G&L THREAD

[neepheid]

2 hours ago, Steve1250 said:

Kiloton Tribute, my 2500 is a USA model. I considered the l2000 tribute but there doesn't seem to be much difference in the neck width between that and the 2500

 

 

 

Reason I ask is, you pointed it out - the L-2000 is the obvious choice for nailing the L-2500 sound in a 4 string, but the Tribute L-2000 has a neck like a half baseball bat (at least mine did).  If you went USA L-2000, it can be specced with a Jazzy neck if you prefer.  Quite a few people went for that, so if you could snag a USA L-2000 second hand, it might have a more Jazzy neck.

 

The Kiloton will give you some of the L-2500's bridge pickup sounds, but there's no line boost, no treble boost.  On the other hand, it has single coil mode which a stock L-2500 won't have.

[snorkie635]

7 hours ago, dmckee said:

Just to follow up on my rambling GAS problem, for anyone vaguely interested….. I resolved it - by buying the Fullerton Deluxe L-2000. 😀

 

Had it out at a rehearsal tonight.  Very happy with it. Sounds and feels fantastic. I’d forgotten how much I love the body shape and the neck is beautiful. 
 

So, here it is with its wee brother. Turns out they came out the factory about 3 weeks apart. 
 

 

A classy looking pair indeed. Good luck with the new purchase. Could be that someone in Anderton's is lying trapped under the 'beastie-bass' in some dark corner of their stockroom. Looks like you came out on top. 👍

[dmckee]

4 minutes ago, snorkie635 said:

A classy looking pair indeed. Good luck with the new purchase. Could be that someone in Anderton's is lying trapped under the 'beastie-bass' in some dark corner of their stockroom. Looks like you came out on top. 👍

Yeah. I don’t think this has always been the case, but from the limited ‘research’ I’ve done, the current batch of Tributes do seem to be VERY heavy.  This Fullerton one though - perfect. 

[Steve1250]

7 hours ago, neepheid said:

 

Reason I ask is, you pointed it out - the L-2000 is the obvious choice for nailing the L-2500 sound in a 4 string, but the Tribute L-2000 has a neck like a half baseball bat (at least mine did).  If you went USA L-2000, it can be specced with a Jazzy neck if you prefer.  Quite a few people went for that, so if you could snag a USA L-2000 second hand, it might have a more Jazzy neck.

 

The Kiloton will give you some of the L-2500's bridge pickup sounds, but there's no line boost, no treble boost.  On the other hand, it has single coil mode which a stock L-2500 won't have.

 

I've got the single coil mod on my 2500 but never use it, I really wanted the 2000 to work for me but don't think it will. I cut through the nerve on my fretting hand index finger a few years ago and I'm finding the large neck difficult when compared to my jazz. Doesn't sound like the Kiloton will work for me as I don't like the bridge pickup solo'd. Is it just me or are G&L's getting really hard to find here in the uk?

[BillyBass]

44 minutes ago, snorkie635 said:

A classy looking pair indeed. 

Classy indeed, good description.  Ordinarily, grey would be my last choice of colour for a bass, there is too much grey in my life as it is, when I look up at the sky.  These basses, however, really do look classy.

[snorkie635]

3 hours ago, Steve1250 said:

 

I've got the single coil mod on my 2500 but never use it, I really wanted the 2000 to work for me but don't think it will. I cut through the nerve on my fretting hand index finger a few years ago and I'm finding the large neck difficult when compared to my jazz. Doesn't sound like the Kiloton will work for me as I don't like the bridge pickup solo'd. Is it just me or are G&L's getting really hard to find here in the uk?

They do indeed seem to be scarce - esp. USA models. Here's hoping the situation improves soon.

[Steve1250]

Think I may have solved my problem, Premium series made in Japan, the l2k has a jazz type neck, reading around the quality seems to be very good and shipping doesn't seem to be problematic either. Now to see what I can find!

[dmckee]

22 hours ago, BillyBass said:

Classy indeed, good description.  Ordinarily, grey would be my last choice of colour for a bass, there is too much grey in my life as it is, when I look up at the sky.  These basses, however, really do look classy.

I totally agree. I’m not sure I would ever have chosen grey for a bass, but now that I have them, I think it really works for both of them. There’s a very subtle sparkle in there too. 😃

 

A couple of other early observations:

- the L2000’s neck is just lovely. I think the 1 5/8” medium C shape is perfect, as is the satin finish. (Interestingly, I don’t notice much difference between that and the Fallout’s slim C). 

- with previous L2000s I always ran with both pickups on, but since getting the Fallout I have discovered the joys of the neck pickup on its own, in passive mode. Like an L1000 I guess. The difference in tone between just neck or both pickups on seems more pronounced on this bass than I remember it being. Both are great sounds, but right now I wonder under what circumstances I’ll opt for using both pickups on…. 

[SurroundedByManatees]

Got this one in last week, a nice fretless in see through blonde finish. Probably late 80s.

 

 

 

[TheGreek]

IIRC doesn't the M2000 have a jazz neck opposed to the P neck?

[neepheid]

11 minutes ago, TheGreek said:

IIRC doesn't the M2000 have a jazz neck opposed to the P neck?

 

Nope, half way between (unless you go for made to order then you can have whatever you like, as long as they offer it)

 

From the website - "The return of the classic “C”-shape 1 5/8” neck, discontinued by G&L in the 1980s"

Edited July 6, 2023 by neepheid

[Badscrew]

2 hours ago, SurroundedByManatees said:

Got this one in last week, a nice fretless in see through blonde finish. Probably late 80s.

 

 

 

 

1991, the "Leo Fender Signature" basses were made the year he died.

(I have one but fretted)

[dmckee]

4 hours ago, SurroundedByManatees said:

Got this one in last week, a nice fretless in see through blonde finish. Probably late 80s.

 

 

 

Love that. You don’t see many fretless L2Ks around. Where did you find it? 

 

[Badscrew]

5 hours ago, SurroundedByManatees said:

Got this one in last week, a nice fretless in see through blonde finish. Probably late 80s.

 

 

 

[SurroundedByManatees]

35 minutes ago, dmckee said:

Love that. You don’t see many fretless L2Ks around. Where did you find it? 

 

I bought it from a dealer on reverb. I hadn't seen one before myself and liked the creamy looks with the ebony fretboard. The placement of the pickups seemed good for a fretless, so did some research and ending up buying.

The fact that I just sold my '66 jazz didn't help not buying it 😉. 

 

It's really a fun bass to play, and I like how it sounds. Especially with pickups solood, brings out the mwah more apparent than with the two pickups active.

 

 

[peterbata]

On 06/07/2023 at 08:29, SurroundedByManatees said:

Got this one in last week, a nice fretless in see through blonde finish. Probably late 80s.

 

 

 

I would love to hear it played. Although, I'm certain that it must sound as great as it looks. Congratulations on a terrific find.

[gjones]

On 22/05/2023 at 18:30, dmckee said:

I’m having a major G&L GAS problem (as a result of enjoying my Fallout so much) and I need help…. 

 

First, I thought I might buy a cheap JB-2. Ordered one from Andertons but it was really heavy and I was underwhelmed by the tone. So, the current rabbit hole is the L-2000, which I have had and liked before….

 

SO, Anderton’s have L2000 Tributes at  £449, but I’m worried they’ll be at least as heavy as the JB-2 was. (I had them weigh some SB-2 and they were over 11 lbs apparently!). 

 

OR, being a little silly, I could buy the Fallout’s big brother, the pearl grey L-2000 that’s in GG in Glasgow, at £1399. They weighed that one for me and it’s a decent 8.4lbs. BUT, that’s a lot of money and oddly it doesn’t seem the have the usual hard case you normally get with USA G&Ls. And I’d prefer a different colour this time, I think. 

 

OR, I wait and see if a CLF Research L-2000 pops up, as they seemed to be selling at reasonable prices when they were around. Just doesn’t seem to be any anywhere right now.

 

OR, I put my wallet away, stick with what I’ve already got and try and stop this madness. 😃

I do believe we met at a Sunshine Delay gig about 10 years ago. I recall you were waiting for a US G&L L-2000 to be delivered and were very excited (I think you may have been playing a Tribute on that day). I'm glad you've now got over your obsession with G&Ls

 

I actually ended up buying a G&L L-2500 Tribute and they are great basses.

 

[dmckee]

1 hour ago, gjones said:

I do believe we met at a Sunshine Delay gig about 10 years ago. I recall you were waiting for a US G&L L-2000 to be delivered and were very excited (I think you may have been playing a Tribute on that day). I'm glad you've now got over your obsession with G&Ls

 

I actually ended up buying a G&L L-2500 Tribute and they are great basses.

 

😂😂 I seem to drift away from G&Ls periodically, but they pull me back in! I do now have 2….. I was probably also just excited to be talking to someone about basses! 

Edited July 12, 2023 by dmckee

[SurroundedByManatees]

4 hours ago, peterbata said:

I would love to hear it played. Although, I'm certain that it must sound as great as it looks. Congratulations on a terrific find.

Thanks!

 

I'll be recording some stuff with a friend of mine in autumn I guess, and would love to use it. Meanwhile I'm practicing my fretless skills😉

 

The fretless sound is truly terrific with loads of mwah, while sounding full, and the sound has some pleasant depth to it. The eq isn't needed much necessarily, actually passive mode would do just fine too.

 

On a fretted L2000 I prefer the setting with both pickups engaged. On the fretless, the sounds are nicer with only one of the pickups engaged imo. Engaging both pups takes out some dynamics and limits the mwah-factor. 

 

[SurroundedByManatees]

3 hours ago, gjones said:

 

I actually ended up buying a G&L L-2500 Tribute and they are great basses.

 

The Tribute L2000 I once owned sounded and played just as nice as my USA Asat I owned at the time. I should have kept that one....it looked great, was lightweight, and sounded the deal. 

 

Probably GAS led me to another bass that went ...and so on.

[peterbata]

2 hours ago, SurroundedByManatees said:

Thanks!

 

I'll be recording some stuff with a friend of mine in autumn I guess, and would love to use it. Meanwhile I'm practicing my fretless skills😉

 

The fretless sound is truly terrific with loads of mwah, while sounding full, and the sound has some pleasant depth to it. The eq isn't needed much necessarily, actually passive mode would do just fine too.

 

On a fretted L2000 I prefer the setting with both pickups engaged. On the fretless, the sounds are nicer with only one of the pickups engaged imo. Engaging both pups takes out some dynamics and limits the mwah-factor. 

 

Play it in good health. I can feel and hear the shear excitement and enthusiasm in your posts.

[dmckee]

I just picked up this M-2000 Tribute from eBay for £300. It needed a wee bit of TLC, but a fret polish, new batteries and strings, and a set of Ultralites, and it’s good to go! Similar to L-2000 obvs but a bit smoother/more polite, tonally. A really nice bass and a real bargain actually. They don’t seem to pop up often, so glad I grabbed this one. 

 

 

Edited August 12, 2023 by dmckee

[jezzaboy]

The necks on these are less of a handful than the L`s. Nice bass!

[dmckee]

11 hours ago, jezzaboy said:

The necks on these are less of a handful than the L`s. Nice bass!

I think it’s the perfect size. Are the current Tribute L2000s still 1 3/4”? The USA L2000s have been 1 5/8” for a while now….. 

[neepheid]

Finally replaced the tort pickguard on my Tribute LB-100 with a white pearl one, copied expertly from the original by Brian Pillans (earlpilanz on eBay).

 

 

As Baga Chipz would say - "MUCH BETTAAAH!"