L-1500/1505 discussion/appreciation thread

cb56 · #1 07-10-2006, 02:06 PM

As brought up in another thread, I've noticed after doing a search that the L-1500/1505 has gotten a little of a bad rap here. Kind of the Red Headed Stepchild of the L-2000/2500. So I'd though I'd start a thread for those of use who like this bass. Show some pictures and discuss some of the personality "quirks" of the L-1500/1505 as compared to the L-2000/2500, Musicman stingray. Discuss your favorite settings, modifications etc...

cb56 · #2 07-10-2006, 02:06 PM

I'll go first. Here is my L-1505 that I bought a few weeks ago.

To give you some background, in the past I have owned an L5000, 2 ASATs and an early L2500 and foolishly traded them away to find something better.

I've finally decided that G&L is the bass for me and went out and bought this L-1505.

My only complaint about my L2500 was that I wasn't able to get a tone in between both pickups on and the bridge pickup only. I needed a FAT tone that growled all the way down to the low B. The L-1505 really seems to get that tone that I couldn't with the L-2500.

One thing that I don't like about the L-1505 is the fact that when you turn the pre amp on, there is a tremendous amount of treble boost. Unlike the L-2500 which has a 3 way pre amp switch off/on/on with treble boost, the L1505 has a 2 way switch. Off/On with treble boost and the treble boost is at a higher frequency than the treble boost on the L-2000/2500.
Thanks to the nice folks over at the dudepit I have found a fix for this that changes the pre amp to Off/On (no treble boost). I plan on getting this done in the next couple of days and will report in with the results.

Anyway, as it is, I prefer the bass in passive mode, parrallel setting with volume and tone controls all the way up sometimes backing off the bass control to about 75% when needed.

spideyjg · #3 07-10-2006, 02:09 PM

Is a Climax close enough? Can I play too?

Jim

cb56 · #4 07-10-2006, 02:17 PM

Sure can. Jump right in.

spideyjg · #5 07-10-2006, 03:00 PM

CB,
Does the L-150X have a stereo jack to turn on the pre amp only when the plug is in ala the L2K?

The Climax doesn't, so the pre is on 100% of the time drawing down the battery. I have a 3 conductor jack to mod this asap. Also it draws 200microamps as opposed to 50 micro for other G&L preamps. What about the L-150X?

Jim

cb56 · #6 07-10-2006, 03:23 PM

You got me there. I'm not electronically savvy at all. The L-1505 has an on off switch for the pre so I assume it's not on all the time. Matter of fact I think I can still use the bass with no battery at all in passive mode. Is this what your asking? Also I can tak a pic of the control cavity if that would help.

PeppermanL2K · #7 07-10-2006, 03:34 PM

Jim, are you saying that the pre in the Climax draws the 200microamps as opposed to the 50 micro? Cause I see on the pic of the pre, it just says G&L Bass Preamp Rev. 1.0. Outside of the op-amp update, it's the same pre as in the L2xxx series, right?

spideyjg · #8 07-10-2006, 03:34 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by cb56

You got me there. I'm not electronically savvy at all. The L-1505 has an on off switch for the pre so I assume it's not on all the time. Matter of fact I think I can still use the bass with no battery at all in passive mode. Is this what your asking? Also I can tak a pic of the control cavity if that would help.

Get a pic of the cavity. While in there take a look at the jack. See how many terminals it has. Only 2 and it is a non switching jack, 3 and it is an on/off jack.

Jim

spideyjg · #9 07-10-2006, 03:40 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by PeppermanL2K

Jim, are you saying that the pre in the Climax draws the 200microamps as opposed to the 50 micro? Cause I see on the pic of the pre, it just says G&L Bass Preamp Rev. 1.0. Outside of the op-amp update, it's the same pre as in the L2xxx series, right?

Yep Phil,
Measured the Climax vs 3 other G&L's and all others were 50 the Climax was 200. Also the Climax drain is always there where the others only if the jack is plugged in.

Jim

cb56 · #10 07-10-2006, 04:13 PM

Not the world's greatest photog, but here is the control cavity of my L-1505 (stock). I count 2 black and 1 white wires going to the jack.

spideyjg · #11 07-10-2006, 04:55 PM

One black wire will be from the battery and the other to the circuit board.

If that is the case it is wired like the L2K and the preamp will only be on when a jack is plugged in.

I am going to mod my Climax that way to conserve battery life.

Jim

pepsican · #12 07-10-2006, 06:06 PM

Heres mine:

I love the bass even though I don't play it as much as i should because it's a 4 string. You can hear it being played if you go to the link in my sig. Im playing through a fender bassman 300t and an aquilar 8x10

lug · #13 07-11-2006, 11:11 AM

Odd. The schematic for the Climax/L1500/L1505 shows a three conductor input jack and the signal path to a different pin on the opamp than the L200/L2500.

ric stave · #14 07-11-2006, 12:56 PM

I'd like to hear more opinions on the tone differences between the L1505 and the L2500 from people who have tried both - especially about the switch for the active electronics that is off/on on the L1505 but off/on/on w/hi freq boost for the L2500.

Thanx

cb56 · #15 07-11-2006, 04:21 PM

When I had my L2500, I mostly used the preamp on with no treble boost. With my L1505, the on position has a treble boost that you cannot shut off and it's a higher frequency than the L2500's on with treble boost.

I have no idea why the would do this. I can't imagine why they wouldn't just give the player the same options with a three way toggle just like the L2500.
But there is a fix for this just by replacing a resistor. It will make the on position sound just like the on position w/no treble boost on an L2500. Matter of fact I am going to have someone look at my bass in a couple of hours to see if they will do the resistor change for me. I'm a big chicken when it comes to these things. I'll let you know how it turns out.

ric stave · #16 07-11-2006, 05:54 PM

Yeah, that's interesting - I'd like to know if that's on purpose electronically, or if it's just a function of where the pickup is placed.

PeppermanL2K · #17 07-11-2006, 06:03 PM

Now, Stingray 4's and 5's are quite hi-fi sounding instruments with a crisp high end. Could the extra treble boost on the L15XX's be designed to get past the more vintage sound of the MFD and approach a more hi-fi sound?

spideyjg · #18 07-11-2006, 08:10 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by ric stave

Yeah, that's interesting - I'd like to know if that's on purpose electronically, or if it's just a function of where the pickup is placed.

For whatever reason Leo decided to put a huge treble boost in the preamp of the Climax/L-1500. Dave has analyzed it and found the resistor that if changed will drop the amount of boost.

My take is that in the Climax that big treble boost allows you, in single coil mode, to run the treble control all the way down to reduce hum then the huge treble boost gives you back a lot of the high end without the hum.

I need to get some switches to mod the Climax to parallel/single coil/series.

Jim

cb56 · #19 07-11-2006, 08:24 PM

Ok, just got back from Vic's place. He's the one that did this mod for me and all I can say is WOW what a huge difference. The high end is now at a useable frequency with the pre amp on. IMO my L1505 is now much more musical sounding. I would highly recommend this mod to anyone who finds the preamp to be too harsh in the high end. thanks again Vic for doing the work for me. I also need to get over to the dudepit and thank Dave for sharing this info with us.

spideyjg · #20 07-11-2006, 10:02 PM

I could record the L2K bridge vs Climax but the strings are TI Superalloys and a bright GHS on the climax so strings are vastly different.

Jim