Effects, G&L Basses, and Passive Electronics.

amos · #1 05-11-2012, 01:40 PM

I've been planning on getting a passive bass for a while now, they are a good compliment if you do a lot of experimentation with effects and seem to also be less of a headache when it comes to recording (sometimes). I know G&L passive MFD pickups are still pretty hot. I've been looking at getting a custom lefty SB-2 for a while. Will G&Ls play nicely with effect racks or other systems that work best with passive basses?

EskimoBassist · #2 05-11-2012, 01:44 PM

I have a G&L L2500 which has active pickups and a Epiphone Thunderbird which has a hot output, never had a problem using them with my effects. I do run them both first into a buffered tuner and then a compressor, so that may have something to do with it as obviously they may mitigate the impendence.

At the end of the day you could easily get a variable impedence buffer to make your basses play more nicely if they're having a trouble with your gear.

father of fires · #3 05-11-2012, 01:44 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by amos

I've been planning on getting a passive bass for a while now, they are a good compliment if you do a lot of experimentation with effects and seem to also be less of a headache when it comes to recording (sometimes). I know G&L passive MFD pickups are still pretty hot. I've been looking at getting a custom lefty SB-2 for a while. Will G&Ls play nicely with effect racks or other systems that work best with passive basses?

The MFD's will pound the input of most effects. It is actually quite annoying. I love my G&L SB-1 but I wish it played nicer with effects.

You can attenuate it in some ways but that requires even more components.

Sometimes the high output can be great for really pushing a dirt box but sometimes you want a softer overdrive which can be difficult to achieve.

Lo-E · #4 05-11-2012, 01:45 PM

I don't use effects a whole lot, but I use them now and then and have not found them to have any trouble getting along with my G&L L2ks. They play nice.

mpdd · #5 05-11-2012, 02:08 PM

sb-2 to wmd geiger counter to dr.q to mesa d180, no problem so far, but it's definitely noise pop or electro funky

Toastfuzz · #6 05-11-2012, 02:21 PM

You talkin the G&L P-J model? With no tone control?

The hotness of the pup + no tone is what kept me from buying one. I use alot of effects and didn't want the hassle.

I'd expect the L2000's to fare better, with their active/passive switch, more controls, and balance-able pickups. But I've never actually tried either.

One opinion I can make is that once I got a simple 2-knob P bass ('83 Ibanez, not Fender) I found that it made playing with effects much easier, way less variables involved in the process. Volume to control the power of the input and Tone to control the harmonic output.

bigchiefbc · #7 05-11-2012, 03:03 PM

I have an L-2500, and I have to say that I really don't have any problems with any effects at all. The only exception is a couple fuzzes that want a passive signal, which is easy enough to do with the active/passive flipswitch.

amos · #8 05-11-2012, 03:23 PM

Yeah, the SB-2 is the p/j with no tone control. an SB-1 would be fine too. the SB-1 I played was lighter than my Carvin LB70, and had a great jazz neck, but thumps like a P. If there is another bass like that out there that I could get in lefty, I'd be interested. I'd like to save $600 and buy a tribute L2000 but I'm looking for more of a p-bass vibe.

I mean the difference between an SB-1 and a P-bass is just hotter output right? They are both one volume knob and one tone knob. I do like the previous poster who mentions the simplicity of those two functions, it makes perfect sense, it's basically what I'm looking for.

bassgod0dmw · #9 05-11-2012, 03:31 PM

For me it depends on the effect. My ASAT doesn't play nicely with my OC-2 no matter how it's set. Active, passive, series, parallel, whatever. It's just too hot and clips it every time. I need to play VERY lightly to make it work.

amos · #10 05-11-2012, 03:36 PM

Yeah my active Carvin clips the OC-2 when I play hard, so I just turn the volume knob on my bass down. It sounds like the passive MFDs are hotter than my active Carvin pups! With the G&L basses there obviously is no preamp, but if the signal is just as hot as an active, I'm going to unfortunately have to look elsewhere, as everything I do now uses effects for the most part, and having a lower output bass seems to make things easier.

amos · #11 05-11-2012, 03:39 PM

My requirements are pretty simple, I don't need anything fancy. A light body, thin profile/jazz neck, p-bass tone, left-handed available. Offtopic, but does anyone have any quick suggestions?

bassgod0dmw · #12 05-11-2012, 03:46 PM

MDF's are pretty hot on all of G&L's guitars/basses.

P bass special?

mmbongo · #13 05-11-2012, 04:05 PM

TC Electronic pedals are the only ones I've found that can handle high output basses like G&L. They will handle up to line level, so stick with TC as much as you can. Electro Harmonix are good too. MXR, EBS, Digitech, Boss, and BBE pedals are very easily overloaded. Ask me how I know

What I do is use an EHX KO pedal first in the chain. I lower the volume of it going through all my pedals, then I turn up the gain on my EBS MultiComp which is last in the chain and that brings the level back up to go to the amp.

amos · #14 05-11-2012, 04:25 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by mmbongo

TC Electronic pedals are the only ones I've found that can handle high output basses like G&L. They will handle up to line level, so stick with TC as much as you can. Electro Harmonix are good too. MXR, EBS, Digitech, Boss, and BBE pedals are very easily overloaded. Ask me how I know

What I do is use an EHX KO pedal first in the chain. I lower the volume of it going through all my pedals, then I turn up the gain on my EBS MultiComp which is last in the chain and that brings the level back up to go to the amp.

Yeah I haven't actually bought the bass yet, I needed to do this research first. I'm also picky as hell about signal processing.

TussinBot. · #15 05-12-2012, 10:21 AM

I use an sb-2 and have only had problems with fuzzes. Other than that Ive used wahs, reverb, delay, overdrive, and modulation without issue. The sb-2 has crushed pretty much every muff variant Ive tried except the PPB, and its beautiful with the TAFM due to the input gain knob. I don't see any need to stick to one specific brand of pedals like someone else mentioned. I have a bass fuzz deluxe on the way so I can comment on that when it gets in. I cannot comment on rack effects though. I suggest getting one used though, if you don't like it re sell it at cost, and if you do like it resell it and get your custom one. The sb-2 is really aggressive, but I wouldn't be too concerned about it working well with pedals or effects.

amos · #16 05-12-2012, 04:57 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by TussinBot.

I use an sb-2 and have only had problems with fuzzes. Other than that Ive used wahs, reverb, delay, overdrive, and modulation without issue. The sb-2 has crushed pretty much every muff variant Ive tried except the PPB, and its beautiful with the TAFM due to the input gain knob. I don't see any need to stick to one specific brand of pedals like someone else mentioned. I have a bass fuzz deluxe on the way so I can comment on that when it gets in. I cannot comment on rack effects though. I suggest getting one used though, if you don't like it re sell it at cost, and if you do like it resell it and get your custom one. The sb-2 is really aggressive, but I wouldn't be too concerned about it working well with pedals or effects.

I definitely need to be able to use it with pedals like the mammoth clone, IE oxide, Copilot Orbit.

If I could find a left-handed SB-1 or SB-2 used I wouldn't need to order a custom one

bigchiefbc · #17 05-12-2012, 06:00 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by amos

I definitely need to be able to use it with pedals like the mammoth clone, IE oxide, Copilot Orbit.

If I could find a left-handed SB-1 or SB-2 used I wouldn't need to order a custom one

I've used an Oxide and an Orbit with my actives with no issues. I actually like how the Orbit works with my G&L. The Mammoth definitely needs a passive signal. No idea how it specifically would do with a really hot passive, though.

amos · #18 05-12-2012, 06:08 PM

A local shop has an SB-1 on the floor. I think I need to just go down there and test it out with an oc-2 and a fuzz.

amos · #19 05-12-2012, 06:10 PM

What about recording? I know in the past I have had issues using my active bass when recording, clipping inputs on audio interfaces, even when going through my BBE pre first. I would hope a passive G&L would make this less of a headache.

amos · #20 05-12-2012, 06:13 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by bigchiefbc

I've used an Oxide and an Orbit with my actives with no issues. I actually like how the Orbit works with my G&L. The Mammoth definitely needs a passive signal. No idea how it specifically would do with a really hot passive, though.

Yeah, I know the Oxide and others work fine with actives, as my main axe right now is an active.

But since I've been wanting to get a bass with a P-bass tone, I figured I might as well get a passive one since having only an active bass for a couple years now has been occasionally inconvenient.

For instance... the PCBs are jammed in the preamp enclosure on my Carvin, wires everywhere, not all nice and tidy like preamps you see these days. more than once I've had to resolder connections, once right before a gig.