Q: to those who have a modded Fender Jazz

[austinso]

With a J-retro or audere and souped up pup's

Is the L-2000/2500 better at getting the sound you want?

I guess the real question is whether the L-2000/2500 achieves what people try to get with the modifications to the preamp/pups (i.e. spend the money on the mods or just buy a G&L instead).

Just curious what you guys think!

Austin (new to TB)

[Chef]

In my opinion, you're never gonna get a J type bass with two relatively weak single coil pickups to sound as big and mean as an L2XXX, no matter what preamp you put in there.

Just go buy a used Tribute L2XXX for ~$350-$400 and call it done. You'll spend way more than that p[impin' yer Jazz.

[plankspanker13]

Originally Posted by Chef

In my opinion, you're never gonna get a J type bass with two relatively weak single coil pickups to sound as big and mean as an L2XXX, no matter what preamp you put in there.

Just go buy a used Tribute L2XXX for ~$350-$400 and call it done. You'll spend way more than that p[impin' yer Jazz.

Not to mention getting the extra 2 frets up high, unless you get the J24, which might give the L2XXX family a run for the money in some settings.

[Nighttrain1127]

I just got a Tribute L2K and there is not a Jazz I have heard that will Do What the L2K can do as far as Growl and Lows. I have a MIA 75 Jazz RI and an 02 American Jazz with Lindy Frailin pickups that had an Audere Pre in it and to my ear it sounds better passive than with the Audere. So the answer is the L2K can do much more than a Jazz Much more versatile. The L2K can do the Jazz sound and very close to the P-Bass sound.

[Eublet]

I've had two retro's, one in a Jazz clone. The goal was never to make it sound like an L2x00. The Jazz is a great bass on it's own, and the J-retro just gives you more control over it. It's the same way with the tonal options on an L-2000 or 2500. Imagine if all you had on that bass was two volume knobs and a tone. A bit more limiting. The pre's in the L2000/2500 opens it up. It's the same way with the J-retro in a jazz. I'm happy with both tones. I also have a G&L SB-2, configured with vol/tone vol/tone, and it is awesome also. None of them are the same.

[Eublet]

Originally Posted by Nighttrain1127

So the answer is the L2K can do much more than a Jazz Much more versatile. The L2K can do the Jazz sound and very close to the P-Bass sound.

It can do a bit more perhaps, but it doesn't sound like a jazz. It has a focused tone like any dual-pickup bass does. But it's not like a jazz. If you want a jazz tone, you need a jazz bass. Same goes for the P bass.

IMHO.

[spideyjg]

Originally Posted by Nighttrain1127

So the answer is the L2K can do much more than a Jazz Much more versatile. The L2K can do the Jazz sound and very close to the P-Bass sound.

A 2K with single coil option can come really close. The mystiqe of the Jazz is the dual volume control of 2 single coil pickups.

My BABE really comes close to the JB-2 with both pickups wide open but less so once you start blending.

Jim

[Nighttrain1127]

Of course I was generalizing. you can get an L2K to sound Jazz Like and P-Bass like and Stingray like But it will not totally replace any of them but it gets closer to sounding like those basses than they get to sounding like an L2K. If that makes any sense.

[austinso]

Thanks for the thoughts guys...

As a background, I had been debating on whether to get a L-2500 or a American Deluxe fiver (1997), but pulled the trigger on the Fender. I've been thinking about potentially putting in Nordy's or Audere/J-retro just to see if I could tweak it a bit more (I know I know...I've got the Suhrs), but it made me think about the L-2500s and their well-documented output and their tonal control. Buyer's regret? Nah...just made me think a bit about why I should even bother changing anything. I think the L-2500 will always be on my GAS list.

But (at the risk of thread drift), when you start modding the jazz with higher output pups or more extensive shaping with a different preamp, then at what point does the jazz lose its jazziness?

[Chef]

If you have a 1997-ish, with the big pole suhr pickups, I'd never change those out.
Great stuff, those.

[Eublet]

Originally Posted by Nighttrain1127

Of course I was generalizing. you can get an L2K to sound Jazz Like and P-Bass like and Stingray like But it will not totally replace any of them but it gets closer to sounding like those basses than they get to sounding like an L2K. If that makes any sense.

that's for sure. The L2500 is a very good chameleon, but that growly character always sticks out.

[spideyjg]

Originally Posted by Eublet

that's for sure. The L2500 is a very good chameleon, but that growly character always sticks out.

Ya know, I hear folks go ga-ga over the "growl" from a Jazz and compared to what my 2K's do the Jazz doesn't even purr.

My new 2500 LE is just mean as can be.

Gratuitous pic...



Jim

[pbass2]

Originally Posted by spideyjg

Ya know, I hear folks go ga-ga over the "growl" from a Jazz and compared to what my 2K's do the Jazz doesn't even purr.


My new 2500 LE is just mean as can be.

Gratuitous pic...



Jim

Nice---I have a black/maple L2500 too--just curious, what is "LE" about yours?

[ljazz]

To my ear, the L2X00, while as mean and growly as can be, lacks the "focus" that a good P or J have. It's very big sounding, and doesn't alway work for me like a P or J does.

My L2000 is growing on me more and more, especially after I threw on a set of TI SA's. But it still feels a bit loose in the booty sometimes.

I love passive J's..... I've toyed with the idea of Audering my MIA Jazz.... I use a Radial BassBone, and find I dig the sound of my Jazz through the first channel (without mid scoop) more than I do through the eq'd second channel. The Jazz stays "as is".

Ljazz

[Chef]

Lacks focus: try rolling the bass off on the bass some.
Make sure you're in parallel, not series.

[Eublet]

I never think of a jazz as growly unless the bridge pup is soloed. It is very focused and has lots of clarity to me. The L2000/2500 has a lot of growl, so not quite as focused or clear. Precisions are even less clear down low, lacking punch, although they have a singing quality up higher. All IMO. I guess that's why I say each bass has it's place, and I don't care to try and compare them and make one great than the other.

If I had to choose just one bass, I admit it would be tough to choose between the Jazz or the L2000. I might just pick an SB-2 in that situation.

[pbass2]

Originally Posted by Chef

Lacks focus: try rolling the bass off on the bass some.
Make sure you're in parallel, not series.

Took me a while to get used to doing this with my L2500, but once I did I finally got that bass to sit "clear" in a mix, even down low. If I use series, I roll off even MORE bass. I use Parallel 90% of the time. In fact, I didn't "get" series for a long time on this axe--I thought it was blurry and useless. But front PU solo'd, series, roll off significant lows 'til it's not too wooly--a very cool "round" sound.

[Chef]

There's a lot of hidden tones in a G&L.
The tone stacks work completely different than anything else.

There's a whol 'nuther world by rolling the volume back some too.

[JMDT]

The closest jazz pickups I've heard to my L2500 are the dimarzios. I see the Jazz bass and the L2500 as completely different animals. There not meant to sound similar and no matter what you try they each have their own character. I find the L2500 more suited for rock and praise and worship music, while the Jazz seems better suited for country and funk. To my ears, the L2500 is loud and punchy while the Jazz lacks puch, but makes up for it by a smoother, brighter character and a single coil "growl" when the strings are plucked hard. Two different tools in the shed IMHO.

[Chef]

It's quite easy to replace the two positon series parallel switch with a three position switch that will allow your 2XXX to have a single coil option.
$15 swtich, move 8 wires around. The schematic is floating around here somewhere.

Then all you gotta do is decide which ones
The factory uses the set closest to the neck and closest to the bridge, when they wire them tat way.

You can also use a four position switch to add inside single coil sets.