QUICK HELP ADVICE NEEDED ON NEW/OLD L2500

[funkythumb]

Hey all,
I need some advice. Even though I owned an L2500 years ago, I'm kinda new to the G&L family.
I just bought a used 2002, L2500 on the bay. Bass is in cosmetically amazing condition (burst).
Bass came yesterday. I did a set up and played it with the dead DR Low Riders it came with and there wasn't a problem.
I restrung the bass with Elixir Nanowebs and didn't string through body but rather through the bridge.
I plugged the bass in and HUM city. Really loud hum that would get me fired on a gig.
I love the tone of the bass but can't deal with hum.
I'm getting the hum in all settings: parallel or series, all pickup combinations, it's pretty horrible.
The seller says that he'll give me my money back or will give me $350 to fully gut the bass and replace everything.
What should I do? How do you guys deal with the hum without rewiring and losing bottom?

[GGJaguar]

The bridge on L-2500s can sometime lift slightly if they are bridge-strung rather than through-body strung. The slight lift in the bridge could result in the ground wire (under the bridge) losing it's metal-to-metal contact with the bridge thereby causing hum. You might loosen the strings and tight the bridge mounting screws to see if it still hums.

Good luck!

[vroc38]

I wonder if the ground connection to the bridge somehow was broken. You might want to check that. BTW, there has been at least one case of a Tribute L2500 bridge being pulled off the body when strung through the bridge. Both the Tribute and US L2500 bridges are only fastened to the body with two screws. Stringing through the bridge is recommended.

[funkythumb]

where is that ground connection usually found?

[cbass1]

under the bridge, take off the bridge and there it will be, I strip that wire back a bit and fold it under the part of the bridge that sinks into the body, lotsa contact

[Madcity Fats]

Originally Posted by funkythumb

where is that ground connection usually found?

The ground wire comes up through a hole beneath the bridge where it's pinched against the underside to make contact. It runs to the ground terminal on the output jack. From the control cavity, it's the lonely black wire coming through the wood from the direction of the bridge.

[funkythumb]

thanks you guys

[funkythumb]

CB I'll give you a call later today. Thanks so much. I've got a lunch thing and gotta run. :-)

[CElton]

Originally Posted by funkythumb

Hey all,
I need some advice. Even though I owned an L2500 years ago, I'm kinda new to the G&L family.
I just bought a used 2002, L2500 on the bay. Bass is in cosmetically amazing condition (burst).
Bass came yesterday. I did a set up and played it with the dead DR Low Riders it came with and there wasn't a problem.
I restrung the bass with Elixir Nanowebs and didn't string through body but rather through the bridge.
I plugged the bass in and HUM city. Really loud hum that would get me fired on a gig.
I love the tone of the bass but can't deal with hum.
I'm getting the hum in all settings: parallel or series, all pickup combinations, it's pretty horrible.
The seller says that he'll give me my money back or will give me $350 to fully gut the bass and replace everything.
What should I do? How do you guys deal with the hum without rewiring and losing bottom?

Here is what Roger Sadowsky had to say about coated strings.

Originally Posted by Sadowsky

One word of caution on colored/coated strings. Most of the ones I have encountered are non-conductive. That means that the strings defeat the purpose of having a string ground via the bridge. That translates into hum that does not go away when you touch your strings. Just something to be aware of and to listen for if you like colored or coated strings.

Roger

I've used Elixirs before and never had this problem but I guess it's something to think about.

Have you tried putting the old DR's back on to see if the hum is gone?

[funkythumb]

thanks Chris. I haven't put the DR's back on yet. I've got them soaking in denatured alcohol. Trying to revive them.
I may end up keeping the bass and using non-coated strings.

[cbass1]

should be a follow up thread: show your G&l's with coated strings and oh by the way how is the hum?

[funkythumb]

Did two gigs with it this weekend. No hum!!! Engineer thought it was the best sounding bass I've brought.
I've electricity issues at home!!! Lovely.

Thanks for all the help.

[FidgetStone]

Regarding coated stings . . I've got Fender tape wounds on my ASAT currently and it is quiet as a mouse. I was afraid that it might hum but, thankfully, my fears were not realized.

The L-2500 has TI flats on it and is also quiet.

[funkythumb]

Well all, a hum update. It turned out to be a weird electrical issue in my house which was made worse by a certain cable.
The bass has been dead quite on gigs, thank goodness.
Thanks to all for the advice. :-)