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Anyone likes G&L L2000?

#21
I LOVE my L2000 (and L2500) and they are both Tributes. I was going to buy a USA model, but wasnt sure it was worth it for me to spend the extra money when the Tributes are pretty awesome. So, dont dismiss buying a Tribute or a used USA model, you can end up with a great bass for alot less money.

And, I can get pretty much any tone I want to get frm them..
 
#23
Aspidites said:
This thread needs some L2000 photos, here's mine.

P1000691.png


P1000699.png
Click to expand...

It looks so sexy ！！ o(∩_∩)o...
 
#31
Jakobus22 said:
I also own a L-2000 tribute and I absolutely love it; can't possibly imanige that a USA L-2000 is worth all that extra money. Just go play a L-2000 Tribute in a local store and see for yourself!
Click to expand...

They are worth the extra money (IMO).....Yes, I've played both models, still own my US made L2K and JB-2.

There are actually a number of things that are, in my opinion, better on the US made models vice the Tribute (no offense intended). The hardware is better and lighter; even with the addition of CNC machines, the body blanks and necks are handcarved and feel very vintage/worn in/comfortable in contrast to the Tribby's I've played. The finishes are, simply, a complete step up from the Tribute instruments as well. Additionally, fretwork, setup, etc. have been noticeably better on the domestically hand-crafted G&L's in my experience.

It's totally your call on whether those things matter to you or whether the US-made model is in your budget. There's no denying that the Tributes are fine, fine basses. For a US-made, handcrafted bass, however, the G&L prices are a ludicrous steal on the market for their price and quality point.
 
#33
Jim Roseberry said:
FWIW, I have a nice US L2k.
It's great...
It's got a real gutsy/crunchy aggressive sound.

I'd say you can get P'ish and J'ish tones out of it.
Not an exact J tone (due to the humbuckers and them being ceramic). With a split coil mod, you'd get closer to a true J tone.
Click to expand...

+1

Although mine is currently strung with LaBella flats so the tone is defintely not "crunchy" but it will take your head clean off if you stand in front of my amp. :smug:
 
#34
Jim Roseberry said:
FWIW, I have a nice US L2k.
It's great...
It's got a real gutsy/crunchy aggressive sound.

I'd say you can get P'ish and J'ish tones out of it.
Not an exact J tone (due to the humbuckers and them being ceramic). With a split coil mod, you'd get closer to a true J tone.
Click to expand...

This is true. I've got a tribute (ash) and an Am. L-2500 (freless) . I have the Trib modded with single coil switch. A single coil setup give a much cleaner and pure tone than the humbucker wiring. Of course with just one pickup in single coil mode it hums just like a J bass.

I don't know what Joebone means by "ceramic pole pieces" since the pole pieces are all steel or iron as far as I know. The magnets are down under the pickups (not through them like a J pickup) and I think they are ceramic. I'm not sure if at some time they came with alnico.

My experience is that the American models all have wood "to die for" and the Tribute is just slightly less impressive. However the tone as far as I can tell is not different in the Tribs. I really don't like the tone of the basswood tributes, however. And I must say that strings are very important to the way the bass feels to you. They come with SIT slap-style uber bright strings which I left on it for a long time (even bought more) and that caused me to have trouble really identifying with the bass. And then one day I went to hear this band and the bass player had an L-2500 with tone that was tearing the place down! An investigation revealed he was using D'Addario half rounds. I switched and though if you really want a big slap tone it's not there anymore, but that bass(es) now comes alive in my hands! And the half-rounds prevent neck chews on the fretless. Yep strings do count!
 
#35
So on this ceramic/alnico thing - I've mis-spoken in part. The issue is the material from which the magnets are made. However, I've been told (perhaps incorrectly) that you can also spot the difference from the pole pieces on the EBBM basses, with the pole pieces on the alnico pickups looking dull as compared with the others...however, I heard this bit after I'd had an opportunity for side-by-side visual inspection. Anyhow, my brain is now retaining this difference at the pole-piece level, which truly isn't correct!
 
#40
I've had a few of them over the years and still have an earlier one. While I've never been a fan of the L2000 preamp, I find the passive mode to be exceptionally good. My favorite L2000 tone is the neck pickup alone in series and passive.
 

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