Thanks, good price from G&L too, I think that and a set of steel rounds will be a good place to start
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If you're going to do that, you might want to look at an SB-1.When my LB-100 arrived, it had the stock alnico pickup and nickel-plated rounds. I too found it underwhelming. I've now got a Dimarzio pickup in there, with steel rounds. But before I took the alnico pickup out, I quickly tried stringing it with flats. That also gave the bass a lot more character, stopped it from seeming underwhelming.
In your shoes — so used to the MFD humbuckers in your L-2500 — putting an MFD split into the LB-100 would probably be the obvious thing to try. But fitting some flats would be an easier experiment....
When my LB-100 arrived, it had the stock alnico pickup and nickel-plated rounds. I too found it underwhelming. I've now got a Dimarzio pickup in there, with steel rounds. But before I took the alnico pickup out, I quickly tried stringing it with flats. That also gave the bass a lot more character, stopped it from seeming underwhelming.
In your shoes — so used to the MFD humbuckers in your L-2500 — putting an MFD split into the LB-100 would probably be the obvious thing to try. But fitting some flats would be an easier experiment....
Can I ask which Dimarzio you chose?
Its the "Model P" DP122. It's not quite as warm and full-bodied as an MFD. Combined with Daddario Pro Steels there's a raw edge. MFD plus Rotosound Swing Bass is a bigger, more glorious tone, but doesn't have that mean, biting quality.
But, to be sure, these are pretty subtle differences.
Thanks, Rotosound Swing are my go to string. Unfortunately can't get the MFD here in the uk without doubling the price of the actual pickup in postage...unless someone knows differently?
You might want to try one of the UK dealers? In theory, they could have G&L slip a pickup inside the case of a bass that is already being shipped to them. That might save you some shipping expense?
International Dealers | G&L Musical Instruments (glguitars.com)
Or if you're in need of more things from the US, in the past I have received items from various places and aggregated them all into a single box to help save my overseas customers some shipping expense. It stinks to have to spend money to save money, but sometimes that's just the way it is.
The DP122 is livelier than the relatively anemic LB-100 alnico. If you like meat with your potatoes try either of the higher-output Dimarzio Relentess P's. With every MFD and too many SB's my other P that cuts the juice is the Relentless; currently in a Lakland US Glaub I stole from Joe Principe.
From my understanding, the SCM L2K pickup has an additional 2 wires attached than the standard Pickup does, to allow the pickup to be wired to split the coils into Single Coil Mode, using the front coil of the neck humbucker pickup (coil toward the neck) and the rear coil of the bridge humbucker pickup (coil towards the bridge) to run in Single Coil Mode in addition to, Parallel and Series. (otherwise each humbucker runs its 2 coils together in humbucking mode, either parallel or series setting) Instead of a 2 way toggle switch with Parallel/Series, the bass will have a 3 way toggle with Parallel/SCM/Series.
I'm not sure if both Pickups have to be SCM pickups for this to happen, nor am I sure how the wiring is accomplished.
I will say, my L-2000 has the factory SCM option, and it adds additional tones that are nice. I'd recommend getting a bass with the SCM option.
There's also a way to mod a L-2000 to do this with the original pups, called a K mod. I'm sure others here know more specifics than I. Good luck !
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Um, you can do the K-Mod on every L2k, it is just a switch and some soldering. (I've done it two times so far.) So what is so special with SCM humbucker pickups?
Um, They come with 2 additional wires attached from the factory, as stated in my previous post
Boring preamble:
I've been deciding whether or not I want a third bass for flats. I do love playing flats, but I get a bit frustrated with them, and the things I like about them make me similarly frustrated and dissatisfied with rounds. So adding a bass with flats to my life would just mean getting annoyed with one bass, then turning to another and getting annoyed with that. That doesn't sound fun, does it? Better just to commit to one without the other hanging around undermining my affections for it.
During that mental adventure, I figured out the best specs for me: a pair of alnico J pickups, lightweight body, gloss maple fb, P neck. Ideally, a JB-2, but an MJ-4 would work too, as pickups and/or preamps are easily taken out.
A 2014 MJ-4 like this is currently for sale: redburst empress body, 7.2 lbs, gloss vintage tint maple fb, 1⅝" fb nut, 12" radius. Since I can't be the only person on the planet interested in a pair of Js sitting in a lightweight P, here's the heads up, now that I've finally decided not to go for it:
[Invalid or Expired Link Removed]
MJ-4 on Reverb
While that Reverb listing is only a month old, it replaced one which was about 9 months old. I know absolutely nothing about that seller.
Redburst is a hard finish to photograph nicely, which they've proved with their horrible pictures. Here's a much nicer photo of a G&L redburst with a maple neck:
I've been deciding whether or not I want a third bass for flats. I do love playing flats, but I get a bit frustrated with them, and the things I like about them make me similarly frustrated and dissatisfied with rounds. So adding a bass with flats to my life would just mean getting annoyed with one bass, then turning to another and getting annoyed with that. That doesn't sound fun, does it? Better just to commit to one without the other hanging around undermining my affections for it.
During that mental adventure, I figured out the best specs for me: a pair of alnico J pickups, lightweight body, gloss maple fb, P neck. Ideally, a JB-2, but an MJ-4 would work too, as pickups and/or preamps are easily taken out.
A 2014 MJ-4 like this is currently for sale: redburst empress body, 7.2 lbs, gloss vintage tint maple fb, 1⅝" fb nut, 12" radius. Since I can't be the only person on the planet interested in a pair of Js sitting in a lightweight P, here's the heads up, now that I've finally decided not to go for it:
[Invalid or Expired Link Removed]
MJ-4 on Reverb
While that Reverb listing is only a month old, it replaced one which was about 9 months old. I know absolutely nothing about that seller.
Redburst is a hard finish to photograph nicely, which they've proved with their horrible pictures. Here's a much nicer photo of a G&L redburst with a maple neck:
Oh, that has the neck i like, except I prefer my Fender shaped objects to have rosewood fretboards.
That weight, and the neck specs are real tempting.
My '01 jb2 only weighs 8 pounds, but has the narrow nut and smallest radius.
That weight, and the neck specs are real tempting.
My '01 jb2 only weighs 8 pounds, but has the narrow nut and smallest radius.
Normal MFD Humbuckers come with 5 cables: 2x hot/GND for each coil, 1x gnd for PU grounding. What else can one ask for?
I'm not sure of the specifics, but I have read that from the factory the SCM pups have 2 additional wires. You'd have to hunt down a stock wiring diagram or someone else with more knowledge can maybe state why they do it like that. The K mod sounds simple enough, but if ordering a bass from G&L, it's only like $50 extra to just get the SCM added
When experimenting with La Bellas and Chromes on my two G&Ls, I found — much to my surprise! — that I actually prefer these shiny strings paired with the LB-100's glossy maple fb.
Perhaps because with everything being shiny it made me play with more care and poise?
Are these the only two flats you have tried? I am curious what you dislike about flats. I was not a fan of the tension on Chromes, but most of my basses now have flats since I started using TI Jazz Flats.
The easiest $50 anyone ever earned: rather than put in a two-way switch and wire it up, you put in three-way switch and wire it up ever-so-slightly differently
I really like certain pics of redburst finish. I very nearly ordered it on my BTO, but decided against it because I wasn't completely sure what I'd be getting.
I thought I'd mention something of which you might already be aware. The pickups on an MJ-4 are not regular single coil jazz pickups. They are noiseless jazz pickups, and on mine, it sounds like the coils within each pickup are wired in series--just an educated guess. While they're great pickups--so great that I don't understand why G&L doesn't still make them--you won't get a "normal" jazz sound out of them.
