That's interesting. My '07 SB-2, ser. # 42922, has the standard G&L ultralights on it with the tapered posts. I believe, however, that they're Schallers, though I have no absolute proof of that. I was speaking to Memo at G&L one day about making a new neck for that bass, and I asked him to please use the original tuners. He asked me why, and I said that I believed they were Schallers, and he said, "Ahhh, yeah," and chuckled. OK, so it's not proof, but it was good enough for me. I've never had a moment's issue with them. Even the Pings feel very smooth to me. It's just those paddles that become sloppy. G&L is aware of the problem, so I'm assuming that Ping is aware of it. Maybe they've fixed it. Subsequent replacement tuners I've bought from G&L in the last few years haven't caused me any grief.
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A word of caution regarding Tribute basses: Over the last five years or so, I have bought seven different G&L Tribute basses. Some I still own, most have moved on. I recently bought a used Tribute L-2500 with a plan to mod it so I could switch one coil or another (or both) into single coil. During that process, I noticed that (1) the caps on the bass rolloff pot were improperly wired, and (2) that the center of three jumper wires on the pickup selector switch had never been soldered in place. This meant that, with the pickup selector switch in the "both" position, the bridge pickup was not working. So both the "bridge" position and the "both" position on that switch were doing exactly the same thing. Both of these wiring mistakes were that way from the factory. This is the second Tribute series bass I've bought that had a wiring issue from the factory. That's a whopping 29%. I bring this up to mention that, if you buy a Tribute bass (or any bass for that matter), it pays to check the wiring against a proper schematic or wiring diagram as part of your initial inspection.
Some G&L low tone therapy with my L2K
Fly me to the moon and let me play among the stars...
Since the Roto Bass and Pro Steel sets I use on my SB-1 are a little heavier than ideal for my maxed-out truss rod, I decided to experiment with a 40-60-80-100 set, so that I could at least remember what it felt like to play this neck with a properly low action.
Despite going for a set of Swing Bass (the 16yo Lagavulin of bass strings, right?) the bass sounds bored stupid. I've got both knobs dimed trying to get some life out of it.
With the Heavy 50-110 Swing Bass, it sounded fantastic, but now, only having a total tension within the neck's capabilites to manage, it sounds sullen (Just as it did when it arrived with 45-105 nickels)
49-109 La Bellas, 50-110 Roto Bass, 50-110 Pro Steels, 50-110 Swing Bass, 45-105 Chromes, 50-100 Fender flats — these have all sounded really good in their various ways. (The Fenders also raised the action alarmingly so they came off instantly)
40-100 Swing Bass, 45-105 Roto Bass, 45-105 GHS Boomers — all moody.
And I can't work out: is this a simply a coincidence? or is the bass needing to feel itself to be at its very limit before it truly sings?
Despite going for a set of Swing Bass (the 16yo Lagavulin of bass strings, right?) the bass sounds bored stupid. I've got both knobs dimed trying to get some life out of it.
With the Heavy 50-110 Swing Bass, it sounded fantastic, but now, only having a total tension within the neck's capabilites to manage, it sounds sullen (Just as it did when it arrived with 45-105 nickels)
49-109 La Bellas, 50-110 Roto Bass, 50-110 Pro Steels, 50-110 Swing Bass, 45-105 Chromes, 50-100 Fender flats — these have all sounded really good in their various ways. (The Fenders also raised the action alarmingly so they came off instantly)
40-100 Swing Bass, 45-105 Roto Bass, 45-105 GHS Boomers — all moody.
And I can't work out: is this a simply a coincidence? or is the bass needing to feel itself to be at its very limit before it truly sings?
I would guess that it's more likely the mass of the strings than the tension on the neck making the sonic difference. With the skinnier strings, have you tried raising the pickup height to help the pickup sense more string movement in the magentic field?
Just a guess, but that might help...
EDIT - and related, you might also try goosing your gain staging (i.e. turn up the input gain on your amp) to account for the potentially less hot signal coming from the bass with the skinnier strings.
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Damn near the same method I use.
And that's with all basses.
I hate that "twisted string-chorus" effect.
I recall reading the same thing on a pack of DR HiBeams, due to the round core.
The aesthetics of that bass are phenomenal.
I've a amp-sim / cab-sim / everything-sim box. I'm using all my usual range of home-grown presets, but am adding a global eq to lift the bass and treble — still the bass sounds *and feels* bored. When I first got it, the pickup was higher, and it sounded bored in a different way then. To be fair on the bass, perhaps it finds the way I play quite boring..... 
For what it's worth, the 45-65-85-105 Roto Bass nickel-plated rounds brought a smile to the bass's face when tuned up to F Standard. The 50-65-85-110 Pro Steels are relatively low in tension, actually lower than the shortlived Boomers, but they have that extra Daddario stiffness helping, I guess.
I think it's just a moody instrument, needs challenging, and fair enough, they've all got characters. My Yamaha BB424 was a very generous soul — but didn't sound as good as the SB-1.
For what it's worth, the 45-65-85-105 Roto Bass nickel-plated rounds brought a smile to the bass's face when tuned up to F Standard. The 50-65-85-110 Pro Steels are relatively low in tension, actually lower than the shortlived Boomers, but they have that extra Daddario stiffness helping, I guess.
I think it's just a moody instrument, needs challenging, and fair enough, they've all got characters. My Yamaha BB424 was a very generous soul — but didn't sound as good as the SB-1.
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Yesterday, with my band's first public performance since before COVID !!!
Everybody seemed to enjoy the tone of my Kiloton 5 (new to them).
The song is Illinois Jacket's "No Sweat".
Sorry the video stops just when my solo starts (not my fault)
https://1drv.ms/v/s!Ar7K8QVSpnb2kHOQ9f2ZnhmDo3D6
Everybody seemed to enjoy the tone of my Kiloton 5 (new to them).
The song is Illinois Jacket's "No Sweat".
Sorry the video stops just when my solo starts (not my fault)
https://1drv.ms/v/s!Ar7K8QVSpnb2kHOQ9f2ZnhmDo3D6
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Thanks ! I even like playing that bass better since I got that strap, and the white letters match the white block inlays, kind of LOL. Nowhere anywhere will anyone pull out a bass and strap that looks the same, I dig that. Andromeda black may not be for everyone, but it's for me %100. Love that bass !
Setting up my new L-2000 to taste has proven a real challenge. No guidance I'd found led me to "the sound in my head". Maybe this unorthodox approach will help someone where traditional approaches to MFDs may miss the mark.
To complete the setup, I set both pickups at a distance equaling half the radius of an MFD pole piece under the 1st and 4th strings, strings depressed at the 12th. From there, I lowered both pickups 1/6 of a turn at a time, giving a listen (pickups blended, series, passive, max vol and eq), then repeating that cycle until landing on -5/6. This has resulted in a punchy, articulate, more chime-y than ping-y tone with great sustain.
From there, fiddling with all the controls, I can dial up several Jazz bass and modern humbucker adjacent tones, though nothing like a P bass. I'll add that my L-2000 never satisfies when soloing either pickup as each alone sounds hollow to me (G&L preamp version 1.3). I've heard other L2Ks sounding good soloing one or the other and many pages back posted a link to a video demonstrating a dozen sweet tones from a single setup.
What do the pros look and listen for when adjusting an artist's MFDs to achieve a predetermined character?
To complete the setup, I set both pickups at a distance equaling half the radius of an MFD pole piece under the 1st and 4th strings, strings depressed at the 12th. From there, I lowered both pickups 1/6 of a turn at a time, giving a listen (pickups blended, series, passive, max vol and eq), then repeating that cycle until landing on -5/6. This has resulted in a punchy, articulate, more chime-y than ping-y tone with great sustain.
From there, fiddling with all the controls, I can dial up several Jazz bass and modern humbucker adjacent tones, though nothing like a P bass. I'll add that my L-2000 never satisfies when soloing either pickup as each alone sounds hollow to me (G&L preamp version 1.3). I've heard other L2Ks sounding good soloing one or the other and many pages back posted a link to a video demonstrating a dozen sweet tones from a single setup.
What do the pros look and listen for when adjusting an artist's MFDs to achieve a predetermined character?
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This is certainly an exacting formula you've come up with. Thanks for sharing your process. I have one question. When you refer to setting "both pickups at a distance equaling half the radius of an MFD pole piece under the 1st and 4th strings," are you doing that with the strings depressed at the 21st fret or just with them sitting normally? I ask because I recently bought a Tribute L2500, and I'd like to try your approach.
Hey all, before I take this to the classifieds or start removing preamp and pickups, anyone here have any interest in this beauty?
Excellent condition, USA made 2019 G&L JB5 bass. Spec sheet tells the build story, quality throughout. Currently loaded with Nordstrand NJ5FS pickups and an Audere 3 band Pro JZ3 z-mode preamp w/ sweepable mids.
Weighs in at 10..5#
Also comes with a second tortoise pickguard, the original pickups and control plate.
A like new hard case and at $1550.00 Paypalled and shipped it's a steal for a bass of this quality, features and extras.
Excellent condition, USA made 2019 G&L JB5 bass. Spec sheet tells the build story, quality throughout. Currently loaded with Nordstrand NJ5FS pickups and an Audere 3 band Pro JZ3 z-mode preamp w/ sweepable mids.
Weighs in at 10..5#
Also comes with a second tortoise pickguard, the original pickups and control plate.
A like new hard case and at $1550.00 Paypalled and shipped it's a steal for a bass of this quality, features and extras.
Dang, that's a pretty bass!
And I can vouch for the sound of those pickups with an Audere preamp. I'm using them in a parts bass and they sound fantastic together.
Damn man, I had a beautiful blueburst L-2500 (US), birdseye maple neck, that I traded away for ...
Ya know, I think I'll leave that part out. Why advertize what kind of idiot you are? Let's just put it this way, the deal was so bad - for me, I mean - that the guy drove back to my house, like days later, and slapped $500 bucks in my hand. What kind of guy does that? (Answer: A Canadian.)
Yup, that was the second worst trade I've ever made. THE worst was when I traded away a vintage Fender Precision Deluxe (original, "doublewide" humbucking bridge pu) that:
- A. I flat out LOVED
- B. I would KILL for today
Afterthought: I'm realizing people are probably wondering why the hell I traded away the Fender P(D) in the first place. The answer: Five..String..Fever!
Yes indeed, I decided I needed to play 5 if I was gonna be a respectable Soul/R&B player. (Like when - the HELL - was I EVER gonna be a frickin Soul/R&B bassist?!! Our definition of the dream gig was playing Top 40/Classic Rock from Yesteryear for corporate D-bags drunk enough to dance in front of their execs. Laughable. (Me, not the corporate D-bags.)(Okay yes, them too.)
Anybody else, who grew up on 4, and still happily playing 4 today, ever come down with Five..String..Fever? Did it make you do something (as) stupid? Or worse, as STOOPID?
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Post a funnier picture than the one above - Parallel Universe Edition- Latest: Richland123