G&L Club Part 7

[zink182]

I've been trying to find a pharaoh gold CLF L-2000 for a couple of days now. Are they just completely out of stock?

 

[Jim C]

So, I have been lurking here for a while and it's been a while since I was a G&L owner. Been an EBMM, Spector and Lakland guy for a long time now. But, having my interest piqued here with a classified and finding a deal I couldn't refuse I thought I'd give one a try. Been 30 years since my last 80's era L-2000 that I refinished myself. At that time it was complimented by one recording guy that it was the best sounding best he'd ever recorded and I couldn't disagree. But that was along time ago and you know how things go. Fast forward to last year when out guitarist needed some repair for a problem with an ASAT Strat style 6 string. While digging in and fixing the issue I was really impressed with everything about it. Build and component quality, feel, finish, etc. I hadn't come across many guitars as good in a long time. So that planted the seed for a bass. But I didn't actively pursue until I saw the JB-5 in the classifieds that stuck with me. And interestingly, looking back through the last 50+ pages or so of this thread I don't see a lot of discussion on them. Very few YouTube videos or reviews. But here I am with a nearly new 2019 LPB JB-5, decked out with Nordstrands and an East preamp, as well as a couple pickguard options and ready for duty. Also came with the original pickups and controls if I ever get bored and I have an Audere Pro Z 4 band Jazz pre I'll probably drop in at come point. First impression is that it's a good as I'd expected and the paint is fabulous. I am also well familiar with the electronics package as I have had both in a few Laklands along the way. There is an outside shot that this becomes my #1 with it's 34" scale and 17mm spacing vs the Lakland 35/19.

Beauty! Their finishes are the best for the price but I too don't love the pups in my US JB. Seems like for close to $2K I shouldn't have to replace the pups. Mine feel lifeless and without any real impact and very unlike a Fender J. OTOH, perhaps a lot of you guys like them?

 

[ahbass2500]

Beauty! Their finishes are the best for the price but I too don't love the pups in my US JB…. OTOH, perhaps a lot of you guys like them?

I did not mind the stock JB pickups. I prefer the Nordstrand pickups that I swapped to and the Aguilar pickups that ultimately ended up with in it. I think the better upgrade is a preamp. I never tried the stock pickups with the East J tone I put in the bass. I might have kept stock pickups with the pre if I had tried that combo first. While I like a passive J setup sometimes I want more flexibility. J tone let's me have both.

 

[woodyng2]

Yep, I love the passive sound of the stock JB pickups in my JB2. They are anything but lifeless….
I had a Spector NS2J with an Aguilar obp3 preamp and active emgs, and just could never bond with the sound of it. (Although the bass was a lovely player!)

 

[LoveThatBass]

Mine is a USA SB-2. You're correct that the pickups and bridge are the same on your Tribute as on my SB-2, which is very cool. (This is not true of basses with alnico pickups like the JB and LB-100. Those pickups are made overseas to G&L specs, but their bridges are the same as the USA models.This according to inquiries I made on the Basses by Leo forum.) I determined to wire mine the way I did because on passive basses I've owned over a lifetime of playing bass, I never rolled the tone control off, so in my case, why have one? However, tone is subjective, so everyone has to decide what they want for themselves. The TI jazz flats will indeed help solve the string noise. Have fun!

My only issue with the SB-2 Tribute model is while they do use large style Alpha Pots they have splined push on knobs, they didn't clean the rosin splatter off them(not a huge issue as it will brush away)and the cavities, while painted with sheilding paint is done so haphazardly. I am going to put copper shielding in and test the bass to make sure it didn't effect the tone then I will change the pots to quality CTS with solid shafts and knobs. All in all it is a great bass, just don't know why they would take such pains to put out a quality instrument while doing a somewhat messy electronics install. Especially when all it needed was the splatter to be brushed off. Don't let this make you shy away from this bass as it is a great value with excellent play-ability and tone.
The cavities are more than deep enough to add stacked pot if you ever wanted to. I originally was going to do this but now seeing how much turning the volume pots effects the tone, I do not think I will. Just a great bass all around. BTW: Fender has it's issues too. I know, I own two and have owned several.

 

[Nedmundo]

Not sure, either, but I think the US models all have 6-bolt necks since the early 2000s.
No idea why GL kept the metal plate 4-bolt design for the JB.

Back when the JB was released, a G&L retailer explained (on another forum) that, during development, they discovered a 20-fret neck and four-bolt attachment helped produce a more vintage J-bass tone, which they wanted for that model. IIRC, he said they were surprised how much of a difference it made. Seems like a reasonable explanation to me, because it would be more efficient to just use the same six-bolt necks as they do on other models.

 

[dwellers]

Back when the JB was released, a G&L retailer explained (on another forum) that, during development, they discovered a 20-fret neck and four-bolt attachment helped produce a more vintage J-bass tone, which they wanted for that model. IIRC, he said they were surprised how much of a difference it made. Seems like a reasonable explanation to me, because it would be more efficient to just use the same six-bolt necks as they do on other models.

Seems like a very reasonable explanation. And I suppose if you A/B'd the JB and JB-2 you'd hear the difference since pickups are identical, yes?

 

[woodyng2]

Back when the JB was released, a G&L retailer explained (on another forum) that, during development, they discovered a 20-fret neck and four-bolt attachment helped produce a more vintage J-bass tone, which they wanted for that model. IIRC, he said they were surprised how much of a difference it made. Seems like a reasonable explanation to me, because it would be more efficient to just use the same six-bolt necks as they do on other models.

Well, that makes sense for the idea of getting the more traditional (Fender) tone.

 

[jglunt]

Seems like a very reasonable explanation. And I suppose if you A/B'd the JB and JB-2 you'd hear the difference since pickups are identical, yes?

That makes sense, especially if you consider that the Tribute JB has a 4-bolt 20-fret neck, but the Tribute SB-2 and Kiloton have 4-bolt 21 fret necks. They have no other bass to compare their sound too and sound great with the 21 fret neck. Of course, it appears somebody at Cort pulled a bunch of the 21 fret necks off the stack and bolted them to the "Turquoise Mist" JBs at one point, because a lot of those became the deals at a couple of the "big box" online music stores. Of course, they could not be properly intonated. G&L has since corrected that problem, but if you're buying one used, it pays to count the frets. I'm told that longer adjustment screws on the bridge will fix that intonation problem and that G&L will even supply them. The later ones had the proper necks.

 

[jglunt]

Seems like a very reasonable explanation. And I suppose if you A/B'd the JB and JB-2 you'd hear the difference since pickups are identical, yes?

I do know that the pickups on the Tribute JB-2 are both the same size, whereas the ones on the JB have a slightly longer bridge pickup as jazz basses do. That might just be the cases or the actual wiring, I don't know. I was told that Paul Gagon developed the JB-2, including the pickup specs that Cort is still supposed to be using.

 

[JIO]

I do know that the pickups on the Tribute JB-2 are both the same size, whereas the ones on the JB have a slightly longer bridge pickup as jazz basses do. That might just be the cases or the actual wiring, I don't know. I was told that Paul Gagon developed the JB-2, including the pickup specs that Cort is still supposed to be using.

I had a dark blue 2000 MII Squier Jazz w/o a pg that had same size pu's. IIRC Cort was making them for Fender/Squier. (Cort's of the same period had the same blue finish)

 

[Kubicki Fan]

I have not been playing with this LB-100 for a while but I got the urge to spend time with it and it is glorious.
The tone, the feel, the aesthetic: blow my mind. P-bass at its best, except...

... the output from the G string is markedly lower than the other three. There are no dead spots, every note sustains fine but all along the string the sound is weaker. Acoustically, it is a very loud bass and all strings sound as they should and consistent and balanced with each other.

Could the magnets under the G lost their mojo? Has this happened to anyone else's bass? This bass is about six years old.

Thanks for any help/suggestions in advance.

 

[jglunt]

I have not been playing with this LB-100 for a while but I got the urge to spend time with it and it is glorious.
The tone, the feel, the aesthetic: blow my mind. P-bass at its best, except... the output from the G string is markedly lower than the other three. There are no dead spots, every note sustains fine but all along the string the sound is weaker. Acoustically, it is a very loud bass and all strings sound as they should and consistent and balanced with each other.

Could the magnets under the G lost their mojo? Has this happened to anyone else's bass? This bass is about six years old.

Thanks for any help/suggestions in advance.

I don't know what that could be. I'm sure you've adjusted the pickup height. Could it be your G string has gone dead? Those are my only two very amateur guesses. If neither of those work, I'd try getting in contact with Memo Romero at G&L and run it by him. (714) 897-6766. I think his ext is 156. He helped me fix a weird buzzing problem I was having with my 2018 Kiloton.

 

[Kubicki Fan]

I don't know what that could be. I'm sure you've adjusted the pickup height. Could it be your G string has gone dead? Those are my only two very amateur guesses. If neither of those work, I'd try getting in contact with Memo Romero at G&L and run it by him. (714) 897-6766. I think his ext is 156. He helped me fix a weird buzzing problem I was having with my 2018 Kiloton.

I have ruled pup height and dead string out, but thanks for the suggestion!!

 

[jglunt]

I have ruled pup height and dead string out, but thanks for the suggestion!!

Then I'd try calling Memo. Maybe you can even sweet talk him out of a new pickup. If not, there are a myriad of pickups available. G&L has both the alnico or the MFD version for 80 bucks. I've toyed with the idea of dropping an MFD into my Tribute LB100, but I put an active EQ into it, and I'm afraid the MFD might overdrive it.

 

[Kubicki Fan]

Then I'd try calling Memo. Maybe you can even sweet talk him out of a new pickup. If not, there are a myriad of pickups available. G&L has both the alnico or the MFD version for 80 bucks. I've toyed with the idea of dropping an MFD into my Tribute LB100, but I put an active EQ into it, and I'm afraid the MFD might overdrive it.

I will follow your suggestion and talk to the expert

I must say that the G&L stock pickup holds its own even compared to the greats: Bill Lawrence, Nordstrand, Fralin, Lollar, etc... If it comes to having to replace the pickup, then I might consider one of those.

 

[LoveThatBass]

I will follow your suggestion and talk to the expert

I must say that the G&L stock pickup holds its own even compared to the greats: Bill Lawrence, Nordstrand, Fralin, Lollar, etc... If it comes to having to replace the pickup, then I might consider one of those.

I have MFD's on my SB-2 and output is very balanced across the strings and the P style pickup is adjusted lower to outside (E&G)

 

[dedpool1052]

I've toyed with the idea of dropping an MFD into my Tribute LB100

My sister from another mister, @Mammoth_Bass , has done that numerous times.

 

[Mammoth_Bass]

My sister from another mister, @Mammoth_Bass , has done that numerous times.

Yes highly recommend! I just prefer the Lb body style

 

[Kubicki Fan]

Yes highly recommend! I just prefer the Lb body style View attachment 4486434View attachment 4486435

LB-damned!