What's up with the G&L preamps on eBay??

manoverboard_21 · #1 10-07-2007, 12:52 AM

There's tons of G&L preamps on eBay going for like $25. There said to be Version 1.0 right off the factory line. Are they any good??

sunbeast · #2 10-07-2007, 08:41 PM

Just to be clear- the G&L preamp is just a line-level booster, essentially- gives you a lower impedance signal and with that, an extended frequency range. They don't have any adjustable EQ, blending abilities, etc...Version 1.0 is also an older one (I think they are 2.0 in new G&Ls now- there are also 1.1). That said, they do what they do pretty well- don't know if $25 is a good price or not for what they do (I suppose it is if you're missing one from a G&L!)...

Karl

manoverboard_21 · #3 10-08-2007, 05:56 AM

So the preamp wont give active eq controls like on the G&L basses??

nig · #4 10-08-2007, 06:29 AM

G&L basses works both passive and active, the active has 2 positions, no 2 is a treble boost, as the above thread said, the preamp ramps up or supplys the passive signal through an active circuit board, I got a rev 1.0 of this guy as a spare no probs, as my climax basses have this tone circuit. if you go to g&l resource pages linked from the g&l site you can bone up on the pre amps.

nig · #5 10-08-2007, 06:34 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by manoverboard_21

So the preamp wont give active eq controls like on the G&L basses??

out of interest do you have a g&l bass ? they are active/passive, apart from the L1K's, SB 1's, lynx and a few other models, but basically the L2K series, the L1500 series, including asats, (later el toro's with their own dual pole pups) and climax's all use the MFD pup and an active/passive arrangement, please feel free to expand on my thread... ( im thinking spidey and chef here).

BobaMosfett · #6 10-08-2007, 07:06 AM

Aside from the treble boost-mode, no current G&L bass gives you active eq controls. The bass and treble controls on the L-series are passive. That way, they work in active mode as well as in passive mode.

nig · #7 10-08-2007, 09:02 AM

@ BobaMosfett, thats true, but theres somthing else at work when active, as the treble and bass controls kind of act as tone shelving controls, we had a long thread on this topic on another forum and I bow my head to you guys with greater knowledge than me.when you say, 'no current G&L bass gives you active eq controls. The bass and treble controls on the L-series are passive.' What do you mean exactly ? as they are still instrumental in shaping the pre amp activated tone, but not active themselves, is that it ? Thanks guys.

Nedmundo · #8 10-08-2007, 09:32 AM

[quote=nig;4765627when you say, 'no current G&L bass gives you active eq controls. The bass and treble controls on the L-series are passive.' What do you mean exactly ? as they are still instrumental in shaping the pre amp activated tone, but not active themselves, is that it ? Thanks guys.

[/QUOTE]

To your last question, yes. In most basses with fully active EQ, the tone controls can boost and cut, and are powered along with the preamp. (I think Sadowsky's preamp is boost only, but that's not the norm.) So if the bass is run passive, the tone controls don't work. G&L's tone controls are cut only, and not powered. They are entirely passive, and have the same functionality regardless of whether the preamp is on. The treble cut works just like the treble control on most passive basses; the passive bass cut is unusual.

spideyjg · #9 10-08-2007, 10:02 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Nedmundo

To your last question, yes. In most basses with fully active EQ, the tone controls can boost and cut, and are powered along with the preamp. (I think Sadowsky's preamp is boost only, but that's not the norm.) So if the bass is run passive, the tone controls don't work. G&L's tone controls are cut only, and not powered. They are entirely passive, and have the same functionality regardless of whether the preamp is on. The treble cut works just like the treble control on most passive basses; the passive bass cut is unusual.

What he said.

Saves on typing.

Jim

nig · #10 10-08-2007, 12:18 PM

the passive bass cut is unusual.....I like that

thanks Nedmundo, now we are all sorted,its as clear as...erm mud, no, sorry, day.

manoverboard_21 · #11 10-08-2007, 05:02 PM

I currently have an OLP Stingray 5 with a Carvin splittable humbucker. I wanna use the G&L 1.0 to give myself the vol/bass/treble with the active passive switch and coil tap as in the G&L basses. SO I wanna turn my vol/vol/tone into G&L controls

sunbeast · #12 10-09-2007, 09:37 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by manoverboard_21

I currently have an OLP Stingray 5 with a Carvin splittable humbucker. I wanna use the G&L 1.0 to give myself the vol/bass/treble with the active passive switch and coil tap as in the G&L basses. SO I wanna turn my vol/vol/tone into G&L controls

To get the bass and treble controls, you just need to buy a couple pots, capacitors and resistors. They are both passive controls, meaning that the preamp doesn't effect them. The treble cut is actually just a normal tone circuit, so you don't even need to fool with that- to make the bass cut, you might look on the G&L website for the L2000 wiring schematic, it is essentially just a resistor on a 1Megaohm pot...

Karl

manoverboard_21 · #13 10-10-2007, 06:40 AM

So the 1.0 G&L circuit board is completely useless then??

manoverboard_21 · #14 10-10-2007, 06:50 AM

I saw the diagram for the L2000 show an active preamp. I want that diagram but a simplified version for someone like me...

tornadobass · #15 10-10-2007, 11:41 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by manoverboard_21

So the 1.0 G&L circuit board is completely useless then??

No...it certainly is useful...provides a more defined, somewhat brighter sound than without.

sunbeast · #16 10-10-2007, 02:00 PM

Hopefully ok that I post this....
http://www.kbconsulting.org/images/l...ng_diagram.pdf
L2000 wiring diagram
About as simple as it can get!

Karl

manoverboard_21 · #17 10-10-2007, 09:00 PM

Thanks guy for your help. Thanks KArl for that diagram, thats perfect. Now If I wanna use that diagram but only run one pickup and eliminate the pickup selector switch but keep the active passive and coil tap switches what mods would I need??

sunbeast · #18 10-11-2007, 01:59 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by manoverboard_21

Thanks guy for your help. Thanks KArl for that diagram, thats perfect. Now If I wanna use that diagram but only run one pickup and eliminate the pickup selector switch but keep the active passive and coil tap switches what mods would I need??

The coil switch on the diagram is essentially like having two different DPDT switches that turn at the same time. The top 6 poles of the switch are for one pickup and the bottom 6 are for the other. For one pickup, just buy a DPDT on/on switch and wire your pickup like one half of that switch (top or bottom). The white wire that would go to the pickup selector will now go to the treble cut (taking place of the yellow wire from the pickup selector switch in the diagram). Everything else would be the same.

Karl

manoverboard_21 · #19 10-11-2007, 02:24 PM

Thanks Karl

manoverboard_21 · #20 01-31-2008, 11:24 AM

SO as far as the 10K and 10M resistors and the .047, .0002, .0022 and .001 capacitors, what values of voltage should i look for and should I just go to Radioshack or spend a little more and get Orange Drops??