opinions? Between two passive 90's G&L's

[markob]

Early 90's SB-1: Really like the feel and tone at low volumes. Have not played through my rig at volume. Condition good to very good. Roseboard. Couple of dings and ouches.

Late 90's LB-100. Have not played. Better condition maple board.

I know my basses. I think I know the difference in tone pups on these two. SB-1 w/MFD split coil. Bolder than standard P and then some. Smaller body.

LB -100 Pretty much a P G&L style as far as tone and feel.
Both priced the same. the SB-1 will have an additional because it doesn't come with a case. (ridiculous)
I have active Lulls. 4 and 5 string. Sold my P's to fund those. Would like a passive P style beater so to speak and really like the early-ish G&L products. If the SB-1 had a maple board (my preference for P styles) I'd have it by now. I play worship/rock/jazz/funk/country.

Love to hear opinions on just these two if you have experience with "these". I know the variables. I know it's my call and I will make my decision. Thanks.

[SturmUndDrang]

I special ordered an SB1 recently. Heard a lot of good things, remarks like P bass on steroids, so I took a chance. Very well built instrument but that mfd pickup left a lot to be desired in my opinion. The more you turned it up the worse it sounded. Most of my other basses sounded great when I cranked up the gain on my mesa walkabout 1x 15 combo. But with the SB1 I had to keep the gain in check otherwise the true harsh nature of the mfd reared it's ugly head. The controls were a pain to deal with. You can't achieve a smooth roll off with the volume. It acts more like a second tone knob and only started cutting volume at about 75% down. Balancing the vol with the tone was also a challenge. The tone was either way too bright turned up and only seemed effective when the volume knob was turned most of the way up. I ended up trading mine in and taking a loss because I had no desire to spend money modding it or trying to sell it myself.
I think it's telling that G&L has been offering the SB1 for some years now as a custom order yet has never included it on their web site. Yet the LB100 has recently been reintroduced and immediately makes an introduction on their online catalogue. I'm sure lots of people love their SB1 or SB2 but I could not bond with the mfd. Do yourself a favor and stay with an alnico pickup bass. I do have to say the G&L construction is top notch and their bridge and quarter sawn neck options are nice. Good luck with your decision.

[DLaunder]

SB-1 for me please. I've owned mine since I was a kid and didn't realize what I had until I restored it to playable condition recently. I was always a type of guy who didn't care for the whole P thing, but boy was I wrong. I'm loving this bass!

[Templar]

Originally Posted by markob

Early 90's SB-1: Really like the feel and tone at low volumes. Have not played through my rig at volume. Condition good to very good. Roseboard. Couple of dings and ouches.

Late 90's LB-100. Have not played. Better condition maple board.

I know my basses. I think I know the difference in tone pups on these two. SB-1 w/MFD split coil. Bolder than standard P and then some. Smaller body.

LB -100 Pretty much a P G&L style as far as tone and feel.
Both priced the same. the SB-1 will have an additional because it doesn't come with a case. (ridiculous)
I have active Lulls. 4 and 5 string. Sold my P's to fund those. Would like a passive P style beater so to speak and really like the early-ish G&L products. If the SB-1 had a maple board (my preference for P styles) I'd have it by now. I play worship/rock/jazz/funk/country.

Love to hear opinions on just these two if you have experience with "these". I know the variables. I know it's my call and I will make my decision. Thanks.

I would go with the SB-1, the MFD is the heart and soul of the G&L sound. The LB-100 and Legacy basses are "just another P bass", albeit very nicely built.

Dunno what the "new" SB-1's are like, but I've owned many of the 90's ones and loved them all. Never experienced any of the afore-mentioned issues with mine. The MFD pickups are strong, lots of horsepower there, excersise some restraint.

[markob]

Thanks guys for the knowledge. Much appreciated.