G&L Club Part 7

[jmlee]

Please be patient with me as I am very new to G & L basses. I just acquired a 2014 USA L-2000. I am a bit confused as to the parallel/series switch. Is the series essentially a coil tap? On the G & L website it sounds like when in series the humbuckers are changed to singles in series to produce a jazz bass type sound!

Welcome aboard!

Think of each pickup as having two coils of wire, each surrounding a set of 4 permanent magnetic pole pieces that you see emerging as the screw adjustments on the top of the pickup.

In parallel mode, each of the two coils in the pickup acts as a separate circuit, with the induced currents in each—produced as the string moves within the magnetic field of the pole pieces— passing independently (but more or less simultaneously) through each individual coil before being summed up at the end.

In series mode, the two coils are linked together to form a single circuit. The same induced current runs through one coil and onward through the second coil (passing through both).

If there were a single coil operation (which can be had with an L-1000 or even with an L-2000 that has a switch modification), the induced current would flow through only one of the coils and the other coil would be ignored.

In practical sound terms, the parallel mode will seem a bit thinner, brighter, and more rich in midrange frequencies, while the series mode will seem more bass-rich, a bit mid-scooped, warmer and louder overall.

Hope that helps.

Edit: I was thinking afterwards that it may not be obvious, but the parallel/series switch makes a change in the way that *both* pickups function—regardless of whether you have selected the neck pickup only, the bridge pickup only, or both. It's not possible to have one pickup in parallel mode and the other in series mode.

 

[Jackcrow]

I haven't done it myself but I have replaced a pickup in a L-2000 before. It's not bad if you can follow the wiring diagram but there's quite a few wires in there.

 

[TDR1138]

Can I have G & L add the K mod? Will this have any affect on the other functions? Will I need to change the pickups?

Any decent tech can. G&L wouldn't do mods to customer basses. Stock pickups are fine, but you need a 4PDT on/on/on switch.

 

[jmlee]

Any decent tech can. G&L wouldn't do mods to customer basses. Stock pickups are fine, but you need a 4PDT on/on/on switch.

I think that you can request the k-mod with an option order bass. I may be wrong. @RocketMusic can confirm this. Maybe it's only on a custom shop instrument.

I've done it myself on two L-2500s. It's a fiddle but not all that hard.

 

[Larry Balara]

Welcome aboard!

Think of each pickup as having two coils of wire, each surrounding a set of 4 permanent magnetic pole pieces that you see emerging as the screw adjustments on the top of the pickup.

In parallel mode, each of the two coils in the pickup acts as a separate circuit, with the induced currents in each—produced as the string moves within the magnetic field of the pole pieces— passing independently (but more or less simultaneously) through each individual coil before being summed up at the end.

In series mode, the two coils are linked together to form a single circuit. The same induced current runs through one coil and onward through the second coil (passing through both).

If there were a single coil operation (which can be had with an L-1000 or even with an L-2000 that has a switch modification), the induced current would flow through only one of the coils and the other coil would be ignored.

In practical sound terms, the parallel mode will seem a bit thinner, brighter, and more rich in midrange frequencies, while the series mode will seem more bass-rich, a bit mid-scooped, warmer and louder overall.

Hope that helps.

Edit: I was thinking afterwards that it may not be obvious, but the parallel/series switch makes a change in the way that *both* pickups function—regardless of whether you have selected the neck pickup only, the bridge pickup only, or both. It's not possible to have one pickup in parallel mode and the other in series mode.

Thanks! it helps alot!!

 

[Larry Balara]

In a nutshell, parallel means that the positives of both pickups and negative of both pickups join to each other (+ to +; - to -). Series means the positive of one pickup joins to the negative of the other pickup. Series has a bigger sound typically with more lows. Parallel is a tamer sound. In a standard G&L Lseries bass, there is no single coil option.

Thank you!!

Series is not a coil tap. You would not have single coil mode on your L-2000 unless it had the "K-mod" (the series/parallel switch would have 3 positions if that were the case).

Parallel and series are 2 ways to wire the coils in each pickup together in order to produce different tones. In comparison to parallel, series will provide more output and more midrange, while having less treble response. Parallel will have less output, more deep lows and treble. To me, parallel sounds more "modern". Neither of these modes on an L-2000 sound anything like a jazz bass to me IMO.

Series is not a coil tap. You would not have single coil mode on your L-2000 unless it had the "K-mod" (the series/parallel switch would have 3 positions if that were the case).

Parallel and series are 2 ways to wire the coils in each pickup together in order to produce different tones. In comparison to parallel, series will provide more output and more midrange, while having less treble response. Parallel will have less output, more deep lows and treble. To me, parallel sounds more "modern". Neither of these modes on an L-2000 sound anything like a jazz bass to me IMO.

Thank you!!

 

[Larry Balara]

I think that you can request the k-mod with an option order bass. I may be wrong. @RocketMusic can confirm this. Maybe it's only on a custom shop instrument.

I've done it myself on two L-2500s. It's a fiddle but not all that hard.

Are there instructions on the G & L site or somewhere else to do this?

 

[TDR1138]

I think that you can request the k-mod with an option order bass. I may be wrong.

Yes, but OP was referencing a used 2014 model.

 

[Iridescentone]

I haven't done it myself but I have replaced a pickup in a L-2000 before. It's not bad if you can follow the wiring diagram but there's quite a few wires in there.

Ah yes, G&L's appetizing wiring technique...just add sauce to taste.

(sorry fellow Gleeks, but you know it's a little funny, ameright?)

 

[jglunt]

I believe the K-mod wiring diagram is available at bassesbyleo.com. That, a few parts, and somebody who has a little experience at mods could get it done if they wanted to.

 

[Btbp]

Just putting this out there - looking to buy a '80/'81/'82 L-2000 body.
I never saw G&L bodies on stratosphereparts so thought to ask here.

 

[TomB]

I think that you can request the k-mod with an option order bass. I may be wrong. @RocketMusic can confirm this. Maybe it's only on a custom shop instrument.

I've done it myself on two L-2500s. It's a fiddle but not all that hard.

I could never do it myself but someone did it to an L1500 I had and it was def worth it. G&L's single-coil mode is very cool, IMO. The original L1K wiring scheme - parallel, single, OMG is still my fave!

 

[Larry Balara]

I could never do it myself but someone did it to an L1500 I had and it was def worth it. G&L's single-coil mode is very cool, IMO. The original L1K wiring scheme - parallel, single, OMG is still my fave!

Did you lose any of the previous functions?

 

[RocketMusic]

I think that you can request the k-mod with an option order bass. I may be wrong. @RocketMusic can confirm this. Maybe it's only on a custom shop instrument.

I've done it myself on two L-2500s. It's a fiddle but not all that hard.

Yep, it's an option on the regular USA "Build To Order" L-2000/L-2500/ASAT basses. $59 gets 'er done.

The option code is SCM which stands for Single Coil Mode. It's also known as K-Wiring, but I'm not sure where terminology that comes from.

 

[TDR1138]

It's also known as K-Wiring, but I'm not sure where terminology that comes from.

Supposedly because the original request for this came form a Japanese dealer Kurosawa (or something like that).

 

[craigb]

yep - TB reference: Which single coil mod for G&L L-2000 is most like a J Bass (that references Paul Gagon on BBL)

 

[TomB]

Did you lose any of the previous functions?

It came to me that way. Just look up the k-mod for G&L basses. I expect there's plenty of answer to your question, though I haven't looked for it.

 

[Holdsg]

K-MOD FOR PLAY9ING K-POP... you can thank me later.

 

[Alex-Thompson]

Hi folks. I think I'll procure another Tribute L-2000. I'm not in a rush so was wondering if G&L ever do Tribby special editions? I love the square block fretboard markers I've seen on other G&L basses , for example (do they ever do that). Plus right now they only sell the blueburst or the tobacco burst. I already have a tobacco burst and I'm not sure if I love the blue.

so just wondering if I should hold out for a special edition. I kind of dig the natural and orange. Neither of which they produce in Tribby format anymore

 

[dedpool1052]

Never seen a Tribby with block inlays,
But there have been some MIJ Tributes that had a "premium" label on the headstock.

I know my buddy @fcleff has had two of the MIJ Tributes, and said they were both beastly.