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G&L Club Part 7

I don't think I've posted in here yet. Count me in!

Got my first G&L in Oct. 2016. The MJ-4 which I recently modified to have an extra top string. C# standard.

Recently got a Fallout short scale from their clearance & garage sale sections. Ended up turning it into a 5-string cello with an additional low string. Except, I added an extra top string to the instrument. Lol.

I plan on further modifying both! That Fallout seriously needs a new finish. :vomit:

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Several posts back, I asked about possibly wiring single coil mode on the underwound MFD humbuckers on the M-2x00 basses, and I got some good advice and ideas. I also emailed Memo at G&L on Sunday about this as I was looking at a couple Tribute M2000s on Reverb (and still am). Bright and early Monday morning, I received a response from him. Here it is: "The M2000 pickups are not wired to be splitable from the factory. These pickups are wired in series, If you wanted to do the series/single coil function you will need to reconfigure the wires on the pickup to do this."

So first, you'd have to wire the coils in parallel, because if not, shorting one coil to ground would cut off the other coil. So a switch set up for series / parallel / single coil would probably be needed. That's a lot more trouble than I think I'd want to go to, and maybe a notch or two above my pay grade as well.
It's good you got an answer on that. I am still curious as to whether or not you can use those pickups with passive electronics.
 
So, while checking out a possible bass purchase, I came across an interesting thing that seems more common than I realized.

The open A string (and only that one) had a funky natural chorus sound on it. Looked at a lot of possible remedies including different strings, pickup height adjustment, string spacing adjustment etc. Since it wasn't my bass, I didn't want to mess too much but whatever I did, the chorus was still there. It was noticeable enough that the producer of a project I was hired for said the bass was unusable unless I avoided the open A always. And by the way, not a G&L bass.

Now, playing my SB-1 today and I notice a similar effect on the E string. Yikes! Before I start changing strings and trying other things, I'm wondering if anyone else has had a similar experience with their bass(es) and what the remedy was.

Thanks!
 
So, while checking out a possible bass purchase, I came across an interesting thing that seems more common than I realized.

The open A string (and only that one) had a funky natural chorus sound on it. Looked at a lot of possible remedies including different strings, pickup height adjustment, string spacing adjustment etc. Since it wasn't my bass, I didn't want to mess too much but whatever I did, the chorus was still there. It was noticeable enough that the producer of a project I was hired for said the bass was unusable unless I avoided the open A always. And by the way, not a G&L bass.

Now, playing my SB-1 today and I notice a similar effect on the E string. Yikes! Before I start changing strings and trying other things, I'm wondering if anyone else has had a similar experience with their bass(es) and what the remedy was.

Thanks!
I had that going on my LB-100 at one point. A good setup with some proper filing of the nut by someone who knew what they were doing helped. Also anything you can do to increase the break angle over the nut - properly wrapping the string on the tuner, or possibly adding a string tree that would pull down the A (or in your case, the E) would help as well.

Try playing the string that's giving you the issue, but put a little pressure on the string between the nut and tuner with your finger. See if that solves it. If it does, you know where to focus your attention.
 
So, while checking out a possible bass purchase, I came across an interesting thing that seems more common than I realized.

The open A string (and only that one) had a funky natural chorus sound on it. Looked at a lot of possible remedies including different strings, pickup height adjustment, string spacing adjustment etc. Since it wasn't my bass, I didn't want to mess too much but whatever I did, the chorus was still there. It was noticeable enough that the producer of a project I was hired for said the bass was unusable unless I avoided the open A always. And by the way, not a G&L bass.

Now, playing my SB-1 today and I notice a similar effect on the E string. Yikes! Before I start changing strings and trying other things, I'm wondering if anyone else has had a similar experience with their bass(es) and what the remedy was.

Thanks!
I had various interesting chorus and rattle effects at specific fretting combinations on my 2018 SB-1.
Things like fretting an F power chord on the E's F2 and playing the C3 on the A and getting a weird rattle on the A string up near the nut.
Had the nut replaced, and the bass has been rock solid since.
 
I had that going on my LB-100 at one point. A good setup with some proper filing of the nut by someone who knew what they were doing helped. Also anything you can do to increase the break angle over the nut - properly wrapping the string on the tuner, or possibly adding a string tree that would pull down the A (or in your case, the E) would help as well.

Try playing the string that's giving you the issue, but put a little pressure on the string between the nut and tuner with your finger. See if that solves it. If it does, you know where to focus your attention.
Another place to look at the nut is whether it is cut a hair too low. This will lead to a very slight buzz against the first fret when open that does indeed sound "chorus-y". If it looks like a possible cause, you can test this by putting a tiny piece of paper between the string and the nut, just enough to raise it slightly off the fret.
 
I've been looking at a couple of SB-2 Tributes and was wondering if there's much difference between one made in 2008 versus a newer one? Any advantage to buying one over the other? Anything other than obvious stuff to be aware of/look out for?

--EDIT--
Spelling, again...
 
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So, while checking out a possible bass purchase, I came across an interesting thing that seems more common than I realized.

The open A string (and only that one) had a funky natural chorus sound on it. Looked at a lot of possible remedies including different strings, pickup height adjustment, string spacing adjustment etc. Since it wasn't my bass, I didn't want to mess too much but whatever I did, the chorus was still there. It was noticeable enough that the producer of a project I was hired for said the bass was unusable unless I avoided the open A always. And by the way, not a G&L bass.

Now, playing my SB-1 today and I notice a similar effect on the E string. Yikes! Before I start changing strings and trying other things, I'm wondering if anyone else has had a similar experience with their bass(es) and what the remedy was.

Thanks!
Changed the strings from the stock .105 to a .100 (DR Pure Blues). Seems to have lessened the chorus. I really can't trust my ears at this point because there's always some natural chorus sound to a vibrating string, especially on a P bass. I don't "dislike" the sound but I don't want the recording engineer to disqualify the bass like he did on the previous one. I just LOVE the SB-1 and it records really nicely.

Thanks for the tips. If I still hear it I may dive into some deeper suggestions/solutions.
 
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Oh, and fun fact: as I was checking out the nut on my SB-1, I measured with the calipers and it measures 1.55", not the 1.625" of the spec. Kiloton is exactly 1.5". Always thought it was a little thin (which I like btw), but that sure seems far off from the spec. Anyone else find this too?
 
I've been looking at a couple of SB-2 Tributes and was wondering if there's much difference between one made in 2008 versus a newer one? Any advantage to buying one over the other? Anything other than obvious stuff to be aware of/look out for?

--EDIT--
Spelling, again...
I think the '08 would be a solid bass. The neck radius should be the same as a newer one. I think the '08 will have a single action truss rod. That's advantageous because you can replace the truss rod nut and even put a washer under the nut if needed. You can also remove the strings and pull the truss rod nut off to lubricate it. None of that can be done to the truss rod on a newer one.
So, while checking out a possible bass purchase, I came across an interesting thing that seems more common than I realized.

The open A string (and only that one) had a funky natural chorus sound on it. Looked at a lot of possible remedies including different strings, pickup height adjustment, string spacing adjustment etc. Since it wasn't my bass, I didn't want to mess too much but whatever I did, the chorus was still there. It was noticeable enough that the producer of a project I was hired for said the bass was unusable unless I avoided the open A always. And by the way, not a G&L bass.

Now, playing my SB-1 today and I notice a similar effect on the E string. Yikes! Before I start changing strings and trying other things, I'm wondering if anyone else has had a similar experience with their bass(es) and what the remedy was.

Thanks!
Just a couple questions. On the SB-1, does this occur only on an open E or even if you fret the string? I would think if it's only on the open E, it is probably the nut. If it happens even when you fret it, it might be a twisted string. I have a couple basses that seem to do that, but not on open strings. Wild guesses here, so take them for what they're worth.
 
I think the '08 would be a solid bass. The neck radius should be the same as a newer one. I think the '08 will have a single action truss rod. That's advantageous because you can replace the truss rod nut and even put a washer under the nut if needed. You can also remove the strings and pull the truss rod nut off to lubricate it. None of that can be done to the truss rod on a newer one.
Thanks! Good info. I appreciate the response!
 
Just a couple questions. On the SB-1, does this occur only on an open E or even if you fret the string? I would think if it's only on the open E, it is probably the nut. If it happens even when you fret it, it might be a twisted string. I have a couple basses that seem to do that, but not on open strings. Wild guesses here, so take them for what they're worth.
Yep, just the open E...nothing fretted. New strings (DR Pure Blues btw) seem to have helped so I think I'll just live with it for now before looking at a change of the nut.

Thanks!
 
Yep, just the open E...nothing fretted. New strings (DR Pure Blues btw) seem to have helped so I think I'll just live with it for now before looking at a change of the nut.

Thanks!

Most likely just needs the nut dressed. That can happen when the slot isn't quite round and the witness point isn't on the very leading edge of the nut. You won't likely need a new nut unless dressing it takes away too much material, but a competent luthier should be able to handle that with a few passes of the right file.

Also, make sure the string is wound around the post "top down", so that the after-length is pushed all the way down toward the surface of the headstock. It's less common on the E-string, but more common to have chorus-y tones on the open A string if the after-length isn't pulled down with enough angle to seat the string over the witness point of the nut.