Has anybody ever tried to play a B-E-A-D string set on a 4-string bass ? I am curious to know if the neck would resist unless the string gauge is lesser than on a fiver (requiring less tension). The nut grooves would need to be filed.
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G&L Club Part 6
- Thread starter Bryan R. Tyler
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I'm doing this for 15+ years, using the low four strings of standard five-string sets. Zero problem with the necks, the tension is basically the same if not even lower.
There's absolutely no reason not to do this. I don't currently, but I'm thinking about doing it with one of my 4-strings.
Doner Designs
Steve Doner
- Jun 2, 2012
- 5,784
- 6,819
- Disclosures
- Doner Designs is an alias for Steve Doner
I doubt it. You don't like the G&L bridge? I think that's one of the reasons G&Ls sound so good. That big chunk a metal got soul!
Doner Designs
Steve Doner
- Jun 2, 2012
- 5,784
- 6,819
- Disclosures
- Doner Designs is an alias for Steve Doner
I suppose a lot of purists will say we ruined this with the custom stuff on the back, but its all reversible and we like it....
http://www.talkbass.com/forum/f8/nbd-g-l-m3500-six-pack-986767/
http://www.talkbass.com/forum/f8/nbd-g-l-m3500-six-pack-986767/
I just bought one for another bass with identical bridge spacing (along with a bunch of replacement pots to make my amber L-2500 usable again).
Doner Designs
Steve Doner
- Jun 2, 2012
- 5,784
- 6,819
- Disclosures
- Doner Designs is an alias for Steve Doner
a little story here.
i've had my '81 L1K for a little over 2 years now and have tried to love it but could never gel with it. tried my usual dr hibeams on it, but the E didnt sound consistant with the other strings. had the frets levelled/dressed and the bass set-up. still didnt feel or sound right. the saddles bottomed out and i couldn't get the action where i wanted it. then i adjusted the micro-tilt and got the action nice and low. it felt better but didnt sound better. so i kept going back and forth about either selling it or trying to figure it out and keep it. i asked others on here and they suggested lowering the pickup because it might be dampening the low E. well, it worked, almost. i ended up taking out the adjustment springs and screwed the pickup down into the body as far as it would go and lowered the pole-pieces as well. much better but something is still off. discouraged, i decide im gonna sell/trade it and put it in it's case for about 2 months. i pull it back out and begin restringing and messing with it again. also,my bass is a lefty so the set-screw is located on the e-string side. i begin comparing the tone of the low-e with the set-screw tightened and backed off. well, as it turns out, the saddle-lock feature was causing some weird resonance that made the low-e sound "choked" or "dead". so it was a combination of the pickup and bridge causing the bass to not live up to my expectations. now i strung it up with light guage ghs boomers (40-55-75-95) and the bass just absolutely kills. it plays quite easily and the action is stupid low (around .95mm e-side, around .65mm g-side). all in all, it's been two years of fighting this bass, but in the end it was all worth it. when everything is dialed in just right, L1ks are reallly killer basses. that's my G&L story.
*edit*
yes, my grammar sucks. so sue me.
i've had my '81 L1K for a little over 2 years now and have tried to love it but could never gel with it. tried my usual dr hibeams on it, but the E didnt sound consistant with the other strings. had the frets levelled/dressed and the bass set-up. still didnt feel or sound right. the saddles bottomed out and i couldn't get the action where i wanted it. then i adjusted the micro-tilt and got the action nice and low. it felt better but didnt sound better. so i kept going back and forth about either selling it or trying to figure it out and keep it. i asked others on here and they suggested lowering the pickup because it might be dampening the low E. well, it worked, almost. i ended up taking out the adjustment springs and screwed the pickup down into the body as far as it would go and lowered the pole-pieces as well. much better but something is still off. discouraged, i decide im gonna sell/trade it and put it in it's case for about 2 months. i pull it back out and begin restringing and messing with it again. also,my bass is a lefty so the set-screw is located on the e-string side. i begin comparing the tone of the low-e with the set-screw tightened and backed off. well, as it turns out, the saddle-lock feature was causing some weird resonance that made the low-e sound "choked" or "dead". so it was a combination of the pickup and bridge causing the bass to not live up to my expectations. now i strung it up with light guage ghs boomers (40-55-75-95) and the bass just absolutely kills. it plays quite easily and the action is stupid low (around .95mm e-side, around .65mm g-side). all in all, it's been two years of fighting this bass, but in the end it was all worth it. when everything is dialed in just right, L1ks are reallly killer basses. that's my G&L story.
*edit*
yes, my grammar sucks. so sue me.
That's really odd! I've never seen that with any of my G&L L2500 basses. In fact I've never noticed ANY tone difference between locked and unlocked. (though I lock the saddles just to give me the warm fuzzies, not because I hear anything). I never would have thought a right hand bridge on a left hand bass would ever cause trouble! The only bridge problem I ever had was a bass (Aria) that would slowly lower the saddles during the gig. No question LXXXX basses really kick major butt.
yeah, it was really the oddest thing to me as well. a feature that's meant to improve tone/sustain ends up hurting it. either way, the bass really does kick major. it's my first and only G&L. i found it used at GC for $700 with the OHSC, case keys, allen wrenches and inspection tag dated 2-27-81.
Nice.
Of course it sounds huge!
Here's my most recent one, a '95 with a #7 maple neck. Totally killin' bass.
That is nice looking bass! Congrats!
I finally got to plug it into my rig the other day and it changed everything.
Fender 300 Pro - '75 SVT 810 - and the '85 SB-1
So Good i almost died.
I gotta get my hands on one of the ASAT Hollowbodys now....
I've always been a little skeptical about the "benefits" of saddle locking bridges. I recall having a G&L where one of the saddles would lift up off the bridge plate slightly if the locking screw was tightened too much. I don't bother tightening them on my G&L's, doesn't seem to make any difference to my ears.
I just got an ASAT three tone sunburst. #6 neck frettless ebony fretboard with ghost lines. 
Can I have a number?
Can I have a number?
Doner Designs
Steve Doner
- Jun 2, 2012
- 5,784
- 6,819
- Disclosures
- Doner Designs is an alias for Steve Doner
Count me in! Just picked up this L2500 Tribute carved top this week.
How are the contours on that carved top? Does it give you a sharper (less comfortable) edge on the top contour? Love the look but afraid of the feel.
Doner Designs
Steve Doner
- Jun 2, 2012
- 5,784
- 6,819
- Disclosures
- Doner Designs is an alias for Steve Doner
I'm a big fan of natural, but that black ice is a really cool look and the grain seems to show through pretty well in the pictures. Do you notice much difference in quality vs your Tribs?
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