Hello. Did anybody here try M2500 against MJ-5? Or maybe even the four string versions.. I have the MJ-4, but recently started to play five string bass (something completely different - Human Base Roxy). But I would like to have MJ-5, because I love that sound, but it is discontinued and not really likely to find one. So I am wondering how the M compares with MJ. There is lot of discussion about M vs L and I get it - those MFD pickups are clearly common denominator. But the onboard preamp is the other half of equation which for change share M with MJ. I quite often play only the neck pickup on the MJ and I really liked the sound of neck pickup on Ed Friedland's review of M2500...
Enjoy the benefits of a premium membership!
Upgrade Account
-
TalkBass has been independent since 1998. Add your voice.
Create a free account to reply to discussions, view embedded media, and browse with fewer display ads.
Join free Log in
Want zero display ads or expanded classifieds tools? Compare plans.
I really like my M2500 Tribute, bought it new 4 years ago. I don't have experience with the MJ.
I will say when I've brought the M to sessions or jams with musicians I haven't previously played with a common comment about the M tone is it is distinct in the mix without being loud. Every note is heard, however I don't find the tone sterile or too hifi.
There are plenty of tones available from the M series thanks to the pickup pan knob in addition to the EQ. It has its' own voice relative to my other basses, a G&L JB Tribute, Sire V7, and Fender P. I find the M voice very useful and at a recent performance it sweetly handled the baseline of Something by The Beatles in addition to the gritty tone for Rockin In The Free World by Neil Young.
Based on my experience I don't believe it will sound like a single coil JB but you may really like the voice of the M series. Hope this helps.
I will say when I've brought the M to sessions or jams with musicians I haven't previously played with a common comment about the M tone is it is distinct in the mix without being loud. Every note is heard, however I don't find the tone sterile or too hifi.
There are plenty of tones available from the M series thanks to the pickup pan knob in addition to the EQ. It has its' own voice relative to my other basses, a G&L JB Tribute, Sire V7, and Fender P. I find the M voice very useful and at a recent performance it sweetly handled the baseline of Something by The Beatles in addition to the gritty tone for Rockin In The Free World by Neil Young.
Based on my experience I don't believe it will sound like a single coil JB but you may really like the voice of the M series. Hope this helps.
Idly browsing the Sweetwater listings, I see....
2 × CLF L-1000s in Royal Purple (both 8.1 lbs) at $1,599
1 × CLF L-1000 in Macha Green (8.9 lbs) at $1,955
I was presuming this is the price rise in action, but the much more expensive one has a lower serial number, so what do I know?
Paying more for a bass to be less purple seems counter-something
2 × CLF L-1000s in Royal Purple (both 8.1 lbs) at $1,599
1 × CLF L-1000 in Macha Green (8.9 lbs) at $1,955
I was presuming this is the price rise in action, but the much more expensive one has a lower serial number, so what do I know?
Paying more for a bass to be less purple seems counter-something
Anecdotal experiences aside, I don't see any way to equate Sandberg's excellent reputation for attention to detail with G&L's obvious lack of it. And it's not just because of all the recent G&L cockups we read about here. G&L has a history of ignoring issues for years on end (spring ping, anyone?), not to mention some pretty sketchy CS and communication problems at times.
I'm a long time G&L fan from Day 1, but there comes a point where unresolved issues, along with a seeming conga line of new issues, add up to paint a not-so-pretty picture re QC. G&L's reputation is on the line, especially these days when folks have come to (justifiably) expect higher levels of QC and CS that are commensurate with soaring prices. Standing back looking at the big picture, one can easily get the impression that G&L isn't as interested in QC as their customers are. They can do better, and they should...if they care enough to.
IMO, their both to blame. The store, and whomever at G&L is supposed to catch the duds before they ship out to retailers.
Here's a video of me and the chonks in action. This is part of my personal videos and not part of my youtube channel. Took er to a gig this past saturday and WOW. She delivered. Kept it series and on the neck pickup. I altered the treble levels based on the needs of the songs. For slappy songs I had both pickups in series with the controls all the way up. it sounded amazing. What a bass! I'm excited to get a L1K Series 750.
I have an L-1000 and there have been no QC issues, fwiw. But my question here is: for those playing an L-1000, and preferring flatwound strings, what strings are you using? I'm currently using La Bellas but the texture is too smooth, too 'slippery'. Nice tone but the 'feel' isn't right.
Thanks for your input. I like your description "distinct in the mix without being loud". Also "not strile or hifi" which some of the comments might suggest, but that probably leads from the common comparision with L2K. There are not many G&Ls around on stock here in EU - when I bought that MJ some seven years ago I had opportunity to choose only between it and the L2K. I went with the more traditional one. And as much as I tried to study the tri-tone preamp in advance, I was puzzled with it at the shop anyway..
Is the pan knob in your M good? On my bass (as I said it is almost the same preamp) it has quite narrow range so I ended up using it more as a three way switch. BTW the pickups on MJ are humbuckers as well - well, hum cancelling singles EA x DG. So they are different than classic singles on JB - there is no noise when soloing one of them. But sure AlNiCo vs MFD is something different.
Anyway, it seems that even the M series was discontinued as well - they disappeared from the Tribute catalog and from the normal Fullerton sub-site as well. Only build to order.. :-(
@Cube Bass I owned both L2500 and M2500 Tributes. I purchased the M first and after reading all the reports about the goodness of the L2500 when my local shop received a new Tribute for inventory I bought it. Both are great instruments however for what I play the pickup selector switch was limiting compared to the pan knob of the M. I find the pan knob very useful to sculpt tone. I watched Ed Friedland's YouTube video comparing the L series to the M series and from my perspective he focused on how the M is able to sound like the L. One detail he brings up is that the M pickups are wired in series however when the pan knob is in the center detent the pickups are then wired in parallel. I wish he would have also demonstrated how the M has additional tone choices vs the L but perhaps he covered that in the video dedicated to only the M2500.
I ultimately sold my L2500 because I found the M series to work better for me based on the usefulness of the pan knob. For what it's worth I found my L2500 to have a much brighter native tone, I'd often roll the treble tone knob nearly all the way off, compared to my M which I perceive having a more balanced tone signature with the 3 tone knobs centered. YMMV
@Cube Bass , check your messages, I just sent you some sound files with my M in the mix
I ultimately sold my L2500 because I found the M series to work better for me based on the usefulness of the pan knob. For what it's worth I found my L2500 to have a much brighter native tone, I'd often roll the treble tone knob nearly all the way off, compared to my M which I perceive having a more balanced tone signature with the 3 tone knobs centered. YMMV
@Cube Bass , check your messages, I just sent you some sound files with my M in the mix
Last edited:
IvanBassist
Commercial User
- Jun 8, 2008
- 3,757
- 11,170
- Disclosures
- Content Manager at Darkglass Electronics, Dingwall Guitars Artist
Some clips of the Matador during a rehearsal.
I've used GHS P flats on my L-1000 for a while. The only LaBellas I've tried are the Low Tension Flats, which do have a glossiness to them. The GHS have a slightly softer top end, but are fairly close overall in terms of tone, and less glossy feeling than the LaBellas.
My favorite flats from a tactile sense are the Fender 9050s, which I don't find to be glossy at all, though the set I have is about 7 years old, so that may have something to do with it too. But they are very mid-focused flats, less thump, so not really tonally near the LaBellas. The GHS flats, to me, have a tactile feel that's somewhere in between the Fenders and the LaBellas.
I've not put any flats on my L1k yet, but I've used Labella LTFF set on my jb2,
and Daddario Chromes on my LB100. The chromes sounded great, but they felt a bit stiff to me.
I felt the same about them on one of my Rickenbackers…
The LTFF set was smooth, and were so easy to play that I really had to watch
my plucking/picking pressure to keep from overplaying. I replaced them with GHS pressurewounds.
I'm really wanting to try a set of Labella white tapewounds on the L1k, but the DR Pure Blues I have on there now sound really good to me.
I'm going for a 4 hour drive in two days to go and fetch a L-2000 "Signature Edition" from 1991!
Excited like before a first date
Excited like before a first date
I'm going for a 4 hour drive in two days to go and fetch a L-2000 "Signature Edition" from 1991!
Excited like before a first date
Hope you score!
The M-series pickup coils are always wired in series. The pan/blend, by default puts the 2 pickups always into parallel. So the coils are hardwired in series, always; the 2 pickups together are wired in parallel, always. The pan knob simply blends how much of either pickup is sent to the output. With all the other possibilities of the L-series, I kind of appreciate the pickup selector options vs. the more infinite sweep of tones that a blend would give.
I'm mostly a single-coil guy, so I've never considered the L2500 inherently bright by that standard. I love my fretless L2500 (owned for 12 years now - and will most likely get a fretted Series 750 sooner than later), but I hardly ever roll the treble off the L2500, and sometimes boost a bit externally. I don't quite like where the treble boost sits, so I generally leave it off. Of course, my bass is a fretless and what works great for fretless doesn't always work for fretted.
As you say, YMMV!
Proof that some Youtoob bassists are also real gigging bassists! Good job! Great tone, too!
