Back pickup sound

DCOOPER · #1 09-24-2008, 02:20 PM

Hi folks.This may be a daft question but i was wondering if you play an L2000 or L2500 with the bridge pup do you bassicaly get a Stingray sound?The pup seems to be in the same position as the Ray and they are both designs of the same man!!

Ken Baker · #2 09-24-2008, 02:54 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by DCOOPER

Hi folks.This may be a daft question but i was wondering if you play an L2000 or L2500 with the bridge pup do you bassicaly get a Stingray sound?The pup seems to be in the same position as the Ray and they are both designs of the same man!!

You can get kinda-sorta close to a 'Ray tone, but you can't nail it. They are two very different beasts.

The pickups are not in the same position; the G&L's is closer to the bridge.

The pickups are WAY different, the SR's being an Alnico humbucker and the G&L's being ceramic. The G&L's is also natively hotter.

The EBMM has a fully active preamp and EQ and relies to a great extent on its preamp for tone shaping, where G&L uses an active/passive system and can get by just fine without the preamp in play. In fact, G&L L series basses are fully capable monsters with the battery removed!

So, no. They are different, though you can get close. You can also get close to a P sound and a J sound. What's really cool is that the L-2000 sounds like an L-2000.

Ken...

francisl2500 · #3 09-24-2008, 02:59 PM

the closer you could get IMHO is when you make mod on your bass to get single coil inner /inner and play it both in active mod .
Francis

Ken Baker · #4 09-24-2008, 03:37 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by francisl2500

the closer you could get IMHO is when you make mod on your bass to get single coil inner /inner and play it both in active mod .
Francis

Perhaps, but then you start getting to the point where one really needs to ask, "Do I want an L-2500 or an SR5?"

Over the years, I've read postings from lots of people looking to "Really cop the P sound" or "Why can't I flip some switches and make this thing sound just like a Jazz?" Or a Stingray.

Jim has made a science of adjusting his L-2000 and getting really close to the tone of famous players. String selection, playing style, and the bass itself all come into play. But note that I said "really close", because it isn't exact.

I can think of only one pair of basses that can get really close to one another in native tone, and that's the L-1500 and the 1H Sterling. Roughly the same pickup location and both with ceramic magnet pickups. The electronics are obviously different, but if the Sterling is set flat and the coils are tapped the same, there is a great resemblance.

All of which leads me to this: You want a Precision sound, get a Precision. If you want a Jazz sound, get a Jazz. Or a 'Ray, or a Ric, or a Gibson. The L-2000 is an amazing instrument that can do almost anything asked of it - except sound exactly like something else. Which is okay because they have a great voice all by themselves.

Ken...

francisl2500 · #5 09-24-2008, 04:08 PM

Yes Ken but you what? i only have 2 basses: one old pb(1970) and my trib 2500. Asume also that my first to go is the L2500 for every job , every kind of music and that L2500 is perfectly stock from the store without any mod (except a little green buterfly on the headstock gaven by my 5 years old girl before a big show ). But,... it's always a pleasure to play and explore the entire range that these basses are made for, i'm always like a jumping kid when i heard someting new from that bass . it's my pleasure to use a maximum of these combination in show just to change the sound color and look on every faces the surprise that make.
I bought this bass cause that sound kick my ass not beacuse it sound like one or another.
Francis

Ken Baker · #6 09-24-2008, 04:47 PM

I guess I should have been a little more clear. Sorry.

There have been many people that pick up and play a G&L bass and they really like it a lot. The balance is good, the neck feels great, etc. But one of their biggest concerns isn't how the bass feels in their hands or whether they like the tone as-delivered, but whether the G&L can be made to sound like another bass. Typically, these folks will want it to sound like a Fender bass of some type.

I'm not a G&L snob. I just find it curious that folks would want a very distinctive sounding bass to sound like something it isn't.

As you know, the L-2500 is a virtual Swiss Army Knife in the bass world. But even for all that, it just isn't going to sound like a StingRay.

Ken...

Nedmundo · #7 09-24-2008, 05:38 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Ken Baker

I can think of only one pair of basses that can get really close to one another in native tone, and that's the L-1500 and the 1H Sterling. Roughly the same pickup location and both with ceramic magnet pickups. The electronics are obviously different, but if the Sterling is set flat and the coils are tapped the same, there is a great resemblance.

This is true. I also think the L-1500 in active mode, with the pickup in parallel, sounds similar to a StingRay with its active treble boosted. Otherwise it doesn't sound much like a 'Ray to me. It is much more like the Sterling.

rok51 · #8 09-24-2008, 06:06 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Ken Baker

All of which leads me to this: You want a Precision sound, get a Precision. If you want a Jazz sound, get a Jazz. Or a 'Ray, or a Ric, or a Gibson. The L-2000 is an amazing instrument that can do almost anything asked of it - except sound exactly like something else. Which is okay because they have a great voice all by themselves.

Ken...

Amen.
My G&Ls (both Tributes) sound different than 'p' or 'j' basses. That's okay with me. Maybe I can get somewhat close. But, honestly, the G&Ls just kick butt...and are versatile, to boot. I just happen to like the G&L sound ( a recent convert ) and what it brings to our band's sound.

Kim

lug · #9 09-25-2008, 08:58 AM

http://www.box.net/shared/static/u7tl6veova.mp3

Back pup, parallel mode if I remember correctly. Doesn't sound much like a Stingray to my ears. I think you get closer with both pups mixed and serial. I wish I had a back pup, serial recording but I don't. FYI, G&L website has lots of samples of the various settings.

spideyjg · #10 09-25-2008, 02:25 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Ken Baker

Jim has made a science of adjusting his L-2000 and getting really close to the tone of famous players. String selection, playing style, and the bass itself all come into play. But note that I said "really close", because it isn't exact.

Ken...

Moi? I use a Cafe Walter headphone amp and my .mp3 player to dial in a matching sound to a song. Don't give a damn what bass was used I can usually dial it in on the 2K

Back pickup, in series, controls wide open, and using a pick gets a damn fine rendition of the bass sound on the Nightwish CD Dark Passion Play. At least for me.

Check out For The Heart I Once Had and Last of the Wilds in particular.

The other Nightwish CD's Once and Century Child I use both pickups and a Sansamp BDDI.

Jim

quickervicar · #11 09-25-2008, 03:36 PM

I only solo the bridge p/u on my fretless L2k. I can get a wicked Jaco nasal snarl out of it, but no Pino.

metron · #12 09-28-2008, 01:43 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by quickervicar

I only solo the bridge p/u on my fretless L2k. I can get a wicked Jaco nasal snarl out of it, but no Pino.

Yeah I find that the solo'ed bridge pup on an L2000 is much more like a solo'ed jazz bridge pup than a Stingray. I use it for that punchy nasal sound as well.

Kyon` · #13 09-28-2008, 03:05 PM

I actually like how my G&L can mimic just about everything but not exact, but has it's own sort of beef. I've found that running both pickups with active in series gets closer to a ray sound with the G&L bite. The bridge reminds me more of a bridge j pup, roll a bit of the treble back and run in parallel and you get a Jaco nasal tone.