I'm now ALL G&L

[cb56]

Just bought this Blueburst L-2500, older version 4+1 Headstock, solid ash etc...from fenderjazz68. This is just like the clear finish one that I foolishly traded away last year. This will gig along with my L1505. I'm excited, can't wait till it gets here.


Yeah, I know, not as extensive of a collection as some of you folks have, but I'm happy about it.

[sunbeast]

Thats a nice bass- I may be crazy, but I'd love to have an older solid body L2500. Something about all that weight just feels better to me- mine is one of the newer ones with the "American Tilia" + ash top. I love the sound, but the majority of basses I've owned have been early 80s basses made of walnut, mahogany, maple, etc....I've just gotten used to holding a significant hunk of wood for hours at a time, my L2500 isn't really that light, but almost feels like a toy in comparison to what I'm used to!

I guess what I'm trying to say is- Anyone wanna trade an older anchor-weight L2500 for one thats only around 6 months old (and super-light)....?

Eh, I'm sure I would miss mine pretty quick if I got rid of it too! Though my new SB-2 is much heavier, which I like alot (and is a beast of sound as well- though not quite like the L2500!).

Karl

[cb56]

My old L2500 was solid ash too.

I'm kind of a hefty guy so the extra weight doesn't bother me at all. The bass just feels more solid or something. Although my L1505 is the Tilia/ash combo and it's nice too.

[Lordcliff]

Wow, those are both sweet. I almost like the blue more though. And I really prefer the older 4+1 head stocks, don't know why.

[cb56]

Well the blue '95 L-2500 arrived today and it measures up to the clear finish one that I used to own. Has all the same good qualities as my old one plus a couple not so good qualities that are the same as my old one. Buzzes alot in series mode but since I don't use series mode that much it doesn't matter. Just kind of wierd that my newer version L1505 doesn't buzz in series mode at all. Also the B string sounds a little dull with both pickups on, even so that is my favorite setting on the bass. The B has a real nice growl tone when the using bridge pickup only, but hey that's my L1505's job to get that tone. The neck is superb just like I expect fom a G&L. This is the happiest I've ever been with my basses.
Oh yeah, one more thing. The blueburst looks even better in real life than it does in any photos I've seen.

[Trevorus]

That Blueburst is similar to mine... That said, it looks HOT!

[DavePlaysBass]

Series mode in a L-2500 uses caps which create hum. The L-1505 does not have the caps. The caps suck all the highes from one of the two coils giving the "single coil with bass boost" series setting. If you want to change it up, there is stuff at the Dude Pit I have posted.

You can easily pull the caps out of the circuit and make it like the newer Tributes or the L-1505. Or you can switch the order of the coils in one of the two pickups and get hum cancelling when both pups are on. Stock, the two pickups in series are hum adding (oops ;-) )

On my L-2500, I did not use the series setting with the caps. The D and G string seemed to get lost in the mix. Many love that setting though on the pit. The key may be to back off teh volume and the bass a bit.

Dave

[cb56]

I should have figured you would have some info on this. Not sure i want to go messing with it because it sounds so good in parrallel with both pups on. Oh btw, I tweeked the setup put on some new strings, lowered the neck pickup a bit and now the low B sounds great.

[sunbeast]

My newer L2500 came with the normal series mode (which is hum-cancelling), but I added a push-pull pot for the treble cut so it makes series mode into "single coil with bass boost" like on older G&Ls. I actually prefer the noisy option, apart from the noise of course!
The B string on mine was also pretty "flat" sounding, until I started using DR strings- now its pretty even sounding, though it does sound best with the bridge pickup soloed like you said.

Karl

[DavePlaysBass]

The La Bella Hard Rockin' Steel 0.128 B is a good B. It has a taper. Never tried one on a G&L but if steel is your thing, La Bella is a good string.

Dave

[cb56]

Originally Posted by DavePlaysBass

You can easily pull the caps out of the circuit and make it like the newer Tributes or the L-1505. Dave

How easily? can an electronics dummy like me do it? How will it effect the tone in parrallel or will it at all?
got pictures of this procedure?

[spideyjg]

Sounds as if it is like the wunkay and L2KE. You will see 2 little green "chicklets" on the series/parallel switch. Take 'em out and you're done.

Never have seen the innards of a 2500 to say for sure but Dave knows his stuff.

Jim

[sunbeast]

Originally Posted by cb56

How easily? can an electronics dummy like me do it? How will it effect the tone in parrallel or will it at all?
got pictures of this procedure?

It won't affect the parallel mode at all- the caps are just attached to the area on the switch that runs one coil through the other coil for series mode. If I were you though, I would just do as Dave suggests and reverse the wiring of one pickup- this makes the noisy mode hum-cancelling when both pickups are on, and "single-coil w/ bass boost" sounds better in my opinion to the normal series mode (which is what you get when you remove the caps). Or, you could bve crazy like me and add a switch which will give you both modes- but it takes a little more work....

Oh, DavePlaysBass also posted a diagram for doing all these modifications on the Dudepit- I linked it here on a post about the single coil mod (I got that idea from Dave's Dudepit post)-

Karl

[DavePlaysBass]

On the series / parallel switch (12 pins on the bottom of it) you will see two big green "chiklet" caps. If you just unsolder (or clip) one end of each of the capacitors (does not matter which end) and cover the lifted end with electrical tape, you can get hear what series without the caps sounds like. Easy to put back if you do not like it.

Dave

[cb56]

Originally Posted by DavePlaysBass from the pit

....The first mod is simply removing these two caps.

This will change the series setting a bit. The capacitors take away a lot of highs which result in an overall response that is very bottom heavy. When the caps are taken out, there will be a lot more highs in the series setting and it will not have the “bass boost” function as much as it will just give a 6 dB boost relative to the parallel setting and will roll off at a lower frequency. I have not tried this but I think it would be good.

Should I take this to mean that there will still be bass boost in series, just not as much. Or no bass boost at all? I'm tempted to try this if all I have to do is clip the caps. as long as I'm still getting some bass boost in series.

[cb56]

OK, I just opened it up and see the two green chiclet things (caps?) two larger ones that each have one end soldered to the 12 pin board. The other ends of both are braided together and seem to be soldered to treble control. So if I clip the ends of both caps from the 12 pin board and leave the rest just hanging there still connected, is that ok? Electrical tape on the loose ends of course.

[spideyjg]

As long as you remove either side you will be fine. All things being equal I'd lift the lead off the switch contacts.

Jim

[DavePlaysBass]

Originally Posted by spideyjg

As long as you remove either side you will be fine. All things being equal I'd lift the lead off the switch contacts.

Jim

Jim is correct. I am an engineer which means I do things quick and dirty and then have a technician clean up when I am done. I believe Jim comes from a technician back ground so we are naturally at odds . If you are skilled with the iron you should remove one end. On the other had clipping a lead and then soldering it back together later is probably easier then lifting the leads cleanly and then reconnecting later.

Clipping and resoldering is not as sturdy. But a quick and dirty engineer like myself has done it before and gotten away with it.

Dave

[spideyjg]

Originally Posted by DavePlaysBass

Jim is correct. But a quick and dirty engineer like myself has done it before and gotten away with it.

Dave

You do the thinking and leave the soldering to me.

If you unsolder the leg at the switch you can reverse it without needing new caps.

Probably no technical reason but if you lift the leads off the pot you remove the ground but the caps are still attached to the pickup leads and if the floating lead touch something you will introduce noise.

Jim

[DavePlaysBass]

Originally Posted by cb56

Should I take this to mean that there will still be bass boost in series, just not as much. Or no bass boost at all? I'm tempted to try this if all I have to do is clip the caps. as long as I'm still getting some bass boost in series.

You always give something up. Here's a ballpark simulation to give you and idea what's up technically. But your ears will be the judge in the end.



The G&L old school series connections (L-2000E, L-1000, L-2000, L-2500, and Asats up until sometime in the last 5 years) do the "single coil with bass boost" arrangement. What they do is connect the two coils in series and place the capacitor in parallel with the bottom coil (capacitor goes from the middle of the series string directly to ground). This capacitor sucks out highes from the bottom coil while aslo boosting lows with a resonance type deal. See graph.

When you pull the caps you gain highes and lose lows. Is that good or bad? In a heavy band situation I did like the Series with bass boost and the Treble boost setting on the preamp. Ultra fat and modern and nasty. However, you will get hum with the stock wiring. If you really dig the series with cap sound and play with both pickups, you can make the two pickups hum cancelling when played together. This is more complicated than just cutting the caps but it is not that bad. If going that route, I would recommend buying a $25 three way switch from digikey and going the series / parallel / single coil route.

And if you really want to get crazy, I have the ultimate mod getting drawn up at this time. I will first do surgery on the Climax (simpler) and then move on to the L-2000 if it works out. Don't ask unless you want more geekdom ....
Dave