So, about a year and a half ago I picked up an L-1505 for chump change. I'd expected to flip it to make some cash but I went and got all stupid and played the thing.

I swear...it was only ten seconds my meaty hands were around the neck, but that was all it took.

I've been playing it ever since.

Unfortunately I'm not really all that thrilled about it tonally. I tend to be a P OR J kinda guy and the L-1505 fakes it decently, but not great by any means.

The other day I walked into a shop and played a MIA L-2000 and was just blown away by the sound of it. That's what I've been looking for.

I'm considering whether it would be worth it to try and liquidate the L-1505 and get an L-2500, and whether I should go with a MIA or a Tribute.

The MIA's are a little more than I'm willing to part with and unfortunately I don't see L-1505's go for sale all that often to know what the price difference might be.

However I am fairly confident I could unload the L-1505 and use the cash to get a Tribute.

Adding to this confusion is the L-1505 thread rolling around with the resistor change mods that make the active mode actually, well, usable.

If the mods are "all that" I at least might consider keeping it. Otherwise I need to figure out a way to land an L-2500 in my hands.

Any suggestions or comments I'd appreciate greatly.

Thanks for your time.

I have an L-1500, not a 1505, but maybe some of my experiences will help, because I'm also a P and J guy at heart. I've found the 1500 isn't as "plug and play" as a P or J, because it doesn't always work with everything set flat. In my experience, that's because its high mids can "honk" in some rigs/cabs, and make a big chunk of the fretboard sound thin. (I think the acoustic brightness of mine contributes to this.) So, sometimes cutting those and boosting low mids really helps, along with judicious series/parallel selection. But if you can get your hands on an Aphex Bass Xciter, you should try it. That little blue box makes a world of difference on the 1500. I don't like relying on pedals to get "my" tone, but in this case it's worth it.

I don't have enough experience with the 2500 to be able to comment on U.S. vs. Tribute.

Sell used L1505 and buy used US L2500. They will go for about the same amount.

I'm with Lug on this one. The price delta should be minimal.

I'm not sure the prices will be the same. I watched and almost bid on a nice L-1505 a few months back, and it sold for only $550. Most seem to go for more, but a 2500 in similar condition almost certainly should go for at least $100 more. There's probably some overlap, but I'd wager the average price for a 2500 is higher. They do cost more new, for what that's worth.

get either a brand new tribute or a used MIA they go for about the same, if you decide to get the tribute, dont worry they are so worth the money