How close to P-bass tone can you get with G&L

brucehum · #1 01-10-2009, 06:54 PM

Until my shop gets my G&L L2500 USA, in 2-3 months, I am playing in my band my current #1 bass, a Fender passive P-bass deluxe special, and sometimes my Epiphone Thunderbird IV Goth. We play classic hard rock (Deep Purple, Rainbow, Judas Priest, with some Saxon, UFO...) My band clearly prefers my Fender P-bass sound to the Epiphone Thunderbird one (even if the current UFO player uses one). Well, singer prefers the T-bird because it looks cool... and both him and me are the more heavy metal influenced members of the band.

So, once I get the G&L, I hope at first to be able to reproduce as exactly as possible the P-bass tone, and then slowly evolve that tone into a more personal choice.

My understanding is that I can get a pretty accurate 'pure P-bass' tone with a G&L L2500?

note: if answer is no, band will have to get used to it. That's the good thing of playing an instrument that bands have trouble finding replacements

unclejane · #2 01-10-2009, 07:30 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by brucehum

Until my shop gets my G&L L2500 USA, in 2-3 months, I am playing in my band my current #1 bass, a Fender passive P-bass deluxe special, and sometimes my Epiphone Thunderbird IV Goth. We play classic hard rock (Deep Purple, Rainbow, Judas Priest, with some Saxon, UFO...) My band clearly prefers my Fender P-bass sound to the Epiphone Thunderbird one (even if the current UFO player uses one). Well, singer prefers the T-bird because it looks cool... and both him and me are the more heavy metal influenced members of the band.

So, once I get the G&L, I hope at first to be able to reproduce as exactly as possible the P-bass tone, and then slowly evolve that tone into a more personal choice.

My understanding is that I can get a pretty accurate 'pure P-bass' tone with a G&L L2500?

note: if answer is no, band will have to get used to it. That's the good thing of playing an instrument that bands have trouble finding replacements

I can get pretty close with my L2500 by using only the neck pickup. Series mode gives the fattest version of the sound and seems to be closest to the P. Parallel is a little more nasal sounding.

You may have to EQ it a little bit since there's so much more of everything than from a precision, but the overall tone is a lot like the P.

The band won't be able to tell the difference

LS

Ken Baker · #3 01-10-2009, 09:21 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by brucehum

My understanding is that I can get a pretty accurate 'pure P-bass' tone with a G&L L2500?

note: if answer is no, band will have to get used to it. That's the good thing of playing an instrument that bands have trouble finding replacements

The band will have to get used to it - quickly, and hopefully easily.

G&L L series basses aren't Fenders and cannot be made to sound just like a Fender. Close, maybe; but exactly just ain't gonna happen.

It's a G&L bass, Leo's last evolution of bass. If he'd not sold Fender and stayed with it to the end, tinkering and developing all the time, the Precision lovers of the world would be genuflecting at what we now know as the L-2000. Your L-2500 is just the 5 string extension of that evolutionary milestone.

Ken...

ljazz · #4 01-11-2009, 02:26 AM

The versatility of the L series basses is just incredible, and my band drools when I bring out my L2K. Ken is right, it will not completely nail the P bass...... but it can achieve that low mid punch if set up and eq'd properly. And here is the real beauty of it.... a flip of a switch, and a turn of a knob, and all of a sudden you have different tonal characteristics coming from the same animal (yet is still sounds distinctly L2K!).

Ljazz

jfh2424 · #5 01-11-2009, 06:16 AM

In the real world, with guitar amps blazing and drummers pounding away, that is where the L2000 shines. To me the real difference between a front pickup series L2000 and a Pbass is that you can sometimes lose the Pbass in the mix. The L2000, though, will give you a similar low end that you won't lose.

You will enjoy it!

John

lug · #6 01-11-2009, 08:39 AM

To get close,you have to go front pup only roll off the bass control a bit.

francisl2500 · #7 01-12-2009, 07:06 AM

+1 ...for everyguys that said GnL are specials with BIG personnality and many "possibilyties"( not sure where the"y" goes) i'm with everybody for those points and be quiet the rest of the band, they will just have to grab theirs pants with two hands...L 2k and 2.5k just kill
Francis
P.S. roll on/off bass knob on your GnL bass will do "part" of the job for Pbass

Infernal Affair · #8 01-13-2009, 10:24 AM

It'll get close enough, but neck pickup soloed in series is gonna be straight up ballsier. Your band may end up liking it more.

Madcity Fats · #9 01-13-2009, 02:37 PM

It depends on the model, I think. With an SB-1 or SB-2 (2nd gen) you can pretty well nail the P tone with the split neck pup dialed back just a notch. On the L1000 I can get close if I cut the volume a little and the bass a lot. Strangely, I think the coil tap setting gets closest.

Of course, my LB-100 is a dead ringer, but maybe that's unfair since it sports a vintage-style Alnico in place of the MFD.

I can't stress this enough: If you want a great P bass with the build quality, bridge and bi-cut neck design of G&L be on the lookout for a Legacy or LB-100 bass (they're the same thing). These occasionally show up on eBay and routinely go for hundreds less than most MIA P basses. A better bass for less money, in my opinion.

earlgray · #10 01-13-2009, 10:32 PM

As much as i love the sound of a p-bass, for me, i really prefer the meatier sound of the G&L MFD pickups. I've got a p-bass that never makes it outta the closet because there's always a G&L nearby that sounds better.

FWIW, my 2nd gen SB-2 can do close to a p-bass, but the growl is still there. if i had a chance at a 2nd gen SB-1, I'd definitely be all over that...

ljazz · #11 01-14-2009, 02:43 AM

+1 on the SB1..... I have an '87 SB1..... roll the vol back about 25%, tone to taste, and you're all over the vintage p bass sound. Roll the vol back up, and you get nastier.

With TI JF's, it's friggin' awesome..... Pino would dump his Fender if he had a chance to play it..... okay, maybe not, but it does sound incredible.

Ljazz

goatrider · #12 01-14-2009, 08:14 AM

Yes the 2500 should be versatile enough to get a reasonably close p-bass sound to start with, and then ween your band off of that sound.

brucehum · #13 01-14-2009, 08:43 AM

Thanks for all the answers. I'll try that (once I get the bass... oh the wait!!!)

I've been playing bass, taking classes, etc. for 1year and 2 months. Bandmates have been playing guitar for 30 years and their 'ear' is much better than mine (for now at least).

That's why I wanted at first to try and get a nice P-bass like tone.

TDR1138 · #14 01-14-2009, 11:58 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by brucehum

I've been playing bass, taking classes, etc. for 1year and 2 months. Bandmates have been playing guitar for 30 years and their 'ear' is much better than mine (for now at least).

Just keep in mind that you don't need to have played for 30 years to have a good ear for tone. If it sounds good to you, that's your sound. I've known people that have played for 15+ years and I think their opinions on tone are horrible, and conversely, I've known people that have never played that can recognize good tone when they hear it...

IME, the L2k can approximate the P tone when it's on passive, neck pup, series, and the treble/bass rolled off a little. And the SB2 will do the same when played with the neck pickup only, with the volume knocked down to about 75%. But, when you mix the bass in with the rest of the band, the distinctions between a P and a G&L become pretty insignificant. Plus, with the G&L, you've got that extra oomph at your fingertips...