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How do you like the G&L preamp?

paulraphael

paulraphael

Apr 13, 2006
624
302
Brooklyn
paulraphaelson.com
Disclosures
If you heard me play, you'd stop reading what I write.
#1
I have no complaints about mine, but I've never owned a higher end bass. To my ears it sounds pretty transparent. And I like that it's simple, without active tone controlls. But I've heard some criticisms of it.

Has anyone upbraded the preamp (but left the pickups, tone controls etc. the same)? Or tried with an outoard preamp like the Sadowsky? Maybe tried something with 18 volts? I'm curious to know what people's impressions are.
 
#2
Due to the setup (passive tone controls) I'd almost call it a line level amp. Even the treble boost circuitry is external. I like it because it really lets the original sound of the bass through, never sounds "proccessed" for lack of a better term. They really should shield the damm things though.
 
#3
Yeah, i agree on the shielding. I had a local tech shield mine, and clean it up on the inside ... he said all the wires were two feet longer than they needed to be!

the bass is much, much quieter than it was when new.
 
#4
paulraphael said:
Yeah, i agree on the shielding. I had a local tech shield mine, and clean it up on the inside ... he said all the wires were two feet longer than they needed to be!

the bass is much, much quieter than it was when new.
Click to expand...
I love G&L's with a passion but not for their control cavities:

Link Removed
 
#5
I changed my preamp out years ago. I have a Pens preamp from Rudy's Music (Rudy Pensa). THey also offer the preamp in an external version that you plug into, but I went with the internal one. I think my bass sounds great with it. Much more bass boost than the stock pre, which is why I replaced it in the first place. It sounds great with the stock pickups.
 
#6
paulraphael said:
Yeah, i agree on the shielding. I had a local tech shield mine, and clean it up on the inside ... he said all the wires were two feet longer than they needed to be!

the bass is much, much quieter than it was when new.
Click to expand...

How do they do that? Do they line the cavity with some kind of foil than ground it?

My tribute 25K doesn't buzz, but I have the opportunity to purchase a late 90's American 25K that, according to the owner, buzzes when the series/parallel switch is in parallel. I'd like to buy it but I don't know what to do about it.
 
#7
ustabawannab said:
How do they do that? Do they line the cavity with some kind of foil than ground it?

My tribute 25K doesn't buzz, but I have the opportunity to purchase a late 90's American 25K that, according to the owner, buzzes when the series/parallel switch is in parallel. I'd like to buy it but I don't know what to do about it.
Click to expand...

It buzzes in series, not hardly at all in parallel. If there are no noise sources (i.e. sitting in front of a monitor), series is just awsome. I typically record in parallel, play live in series. It's no worse than a typical single coil bass like a Jazz or a Rick.
 
#8
lug said:
It buzzes in series, not hardly at all in parallel. If there are no noise sources (i.e. sitting in front of a monitor), series is just awsome. I typically record in parallel, play live in series. It's no worse than a typical single coil bass like a Jazz or a Rick.
Click to expand...

You're right. I re-read his email. He said when the middle switch is clicked towards the bridge. That's series.
 
#10
MAJOR METAL said:
If I am used to the Sadowsky onboard preamp will the G&L preamp be a let down for me ?
Click to expand...

Dunno but many of us just run the G&L's passive. IMHO the pre, when engaged, just boosts the signal but doesn't color it. Remember the G&L controls are cut only. Many other on board pres are cut/boost. Apples and oranges.

There is the treble boost setting but I never use that . The things are bright enough as is for me. :D

Jim
 
#11
Kevin,

When your bass comes in, I'll go through the electronics with you. It's preamp is a totally different animal than a Sadowsky pre but in a lot of ways it's more useable combined with all the switching options. I have an Alleva~Coppolo Standard 4 which I love and while technically it's a much higher end bass than any of my G&Ls, I get a lot more useable tones out of my G&Ls.
 
#12
spideyjg said:
Dunno but many of us just run the G&L's passive. IMHO the pre, when engaged, just boosts the signal but doesn't color it. Remember the G&L controls are cut only. Many other on board pres are cut/boost. Apples and oranges.

There is the treble boost setting but I never use that . The things are bright enough as is for me. :D

Jim
Click to expand...
I disagree a bit. I've found that engaging the pre clarifies the sound. With one pickup/tone controls setting I can have old school woof (in passive) and then clean it up by going active or active/treble.

You're right, though - it doesn't really color the sound like other pre's - more of a boost.
 
#14
MAJOR METAL said:
Thanks Matt , I am looking foward to it.
Click to expand...
I'm actually not sure how it would compare with the Sadowsky pre. All I know is that this is a passive bass with an active pre. It sounds great passive - old schooly. Engage the pre and you do get a boost in volume and clarity, but the tone remains constant. If I were you I would try your G&L through the Sadowsky and see what you get!
 
#15
lug said:
It buzzes in series, not hardly at all in parallel. If there are no noise sources (i.e. sitting in front of a monitor), series is just awsome. I typically record in parallel, play live in series. It's no worse than a typical single coil bass like a Jazz or a Rick.
Click to expand...


Series is not a humbucking setting in many G&Ls. In the old days they called series "single coil with bass boost". Leo connected the two coils in series with a 0.1uF connected at the center point. This pulls all the highes out of the bottom coil so just the lows add to the output of the top coil.

If you run both pickups at the same time, the two pickups are hum ADDING. You can make the single coil with bass boost hum bucking with both pups on if you reverse the order of one of the series strings.

I believe Tributes do not have the 0.1uF caps so all series settings are hum bucking.

I have written some info on this that is in the "How Toos" area at The Dude Pit G&L Forum.

Dave
 
#16
DavePlaysBass said:
Series is not a humbucking setting in many G&Ls. In the old days they called series "single coil with bass boost". Leo connected the two coils in series with a 0.1uF connected at the center point. This pulls all the highes out of the bottom coil so just the lows add to the output of the top coil.

If you run both pickups at the same time, the two pickups are hum ADDING. You can make the single coil with bass boost hum bucking with both pups on if you reverse the order of one of the series strings.

I believe Tributes do not have the 0.1uF caps so all series settings are hum bucking.

I have written some info on this that is in the "How Toos" area at The Dude Pit G&L Forum.

Dave
Click to expand...
I have a Tribute and there's no hum to be found.
 
#17
ustabawannab said:
How do they do that? Do they line the cavity with some kind of foil than ground it?

My tribute 25K doesn't buzz, but I have the opportunity to purchase a late 90's American 25K that, according to the owner, buzzes when the series/parallel switch is in parallel. I'd like to buy it but I don't know what to do about it.
Click to expand...

He painted the cavity with conductive paint, and then grounded everything to one point with a star ground.

Someone mentioned the Coppolo preamp ... Jimmy coppolo was actually the guy who did this for me. Excellent work. The control cavity looks nice now and is dead quiet (originally it looked like something you'd get in the mail from the Unabomber).
 
#18
fourstringbliss said:
I disagree a bit. I've found that engaging the pre clarifies the sound. With one pickup/tone controls setting I can have old school woof (in passive) and then clean it up by going active or active/treble.

You're right, though - it doesn't really color the sound like other pre's - more of a boost.
Click to expand...

The quality of your guitar cord, and also the input impedance of your preamp will influence your impressions of this. In passive mode, the sound of the instrument will be much more influenced by these factors.

With a cheap, higher capacitance cord, and with a low input impedance preamp (a lot of older amps) passive mode will give a more vintage sound, with rolled off highs. With a low capacitance cord and high input impedance preamp, the difference between active and passive will be much more subtle.
 
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