My L1000 has a volume control. It works great 
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I've never heard of such a thing. Where is it located?My L1000 has a volume control. It works great
There's also something as simple as an attenuation pedal (EHX Signal Pad) to tame the MFDs or a boost pedal to bring other things up to the level of the MFDs.Questions for everyone who says the MFD's are sometimes too hot.
What's the first thing in your signal chain? Anything? Or are you going straight from bass into amp?
Are you using any type of distortion on the amp?
Have you ever tried using a compressor? That'll tame some of the extra loud stuff, and depending on the item, either keep the tone the same or give a certain character/saturation while potentially allowing overall volume reduction if desired. Rack units have two channels / inputs & outputs.
Typically I'm going into an EQ then compressor or vice-versa before I go into fuzz or anything else.
Also, there are mixers like what The Gig Rig just put out.
The Guitar Tech - Input Signal Manager
TheGigRig Guitar Tech: an input signal manager that runs up to four instruments and lets you level match them. Two outputs, silent tuning, full MIDI control.shop.thegigrig.com
I'm sure Good Wood Audio or others do or could make something similar. These'll allow one to keep multiple instruments plugged in, adjust the output, and select which is active, and have an output for a tuner.
I don't switch between MFD and non-MFD basses at a gig. I'll bring either or. So I just make adjustments on any pedals or preamps that I'm using. I'm not a big effects guy, but the only pedals I've had issues with MFDs or overly hot signals have been muff variants, where the signal creates a swell effect with the fuzz.
I wonder if there would be a small market for the MFD J's for some custom builder? It seemed like there was building interest when G&L pulled the plug.Not to detract or distract from my previous question...
What's the difference between the MFD single coil on the SB-2 compared to the MFD J in the limited edition Jazz basses?
I'd like to get my hands on at least one of those, if not a full set of the MFD J's.
I've usually gone straight into the amp with the MFD basses I've owned, which include my current M-2500, and an SB-2 and L-1500 I owned previously. The hot output is usually addressed by turning down the input gain or engaging the pad. The exception, which I mentioned somewhere above, is the Eden head at my current bands' rehearsal/performance space, with which I need to cut the volume on my M-2500 by about 25%. (This shows the advantage of active electronics: the tone doesn't change at all when I cut the volume.)
But when the L-1500 was a main gigging bass (2006-07), I was in a band that called for effects, so I often had a pedalboard including tuner, overdrive, delay, chorus, and an Aphex bass Xciter to fatten up the L-1500's tone (worked like magic, btw).
My current amp is a G-K MB500, and I sometimes use the "Boost" channel for some overdrive. In fact, the longer I've had the G-K, the more I've used that channel. If I'm not using that head, I'll sometimes use an Earthquake Devices Blume bass OD pedal, but that's rare--I'm almost always going straight into the amp.
For awhile I regularly used a compressor, but that was many years ago. I may have used it with the SB-2 and L-1500, but I don't think I've ever used it with my M-2500. (When my Roland Cube Bass 100 combo is pressed into service for small gigs or as a bass monitor, I'll engage its on-board compressor, but I don't think that's what we're talking about.)
There might very well be. "Out of the norm" Jazz Bass pickups seem to sell, like the Lace pickups and the various active EMG Jazz Bass sets, for example. These sound different than your normal J pickups, so why not an MFD version? It seems to be the size of rhe MFD pickups that could be a problem.
I can't speak to anything internal on either pickup, but the single coil MFD on the SB-2 is much larger than a regular Jazz Bass pickup, plus it's mounting screws are on the ends instead of the sides. The single SB-2 version would require some routing of the bass and enlarging the hole in the pickguard for the neck pickup in order to be used on a regular Jazz Bass.Not to detract or distract from my previous question...
What's the difference between the MFD single coil on the SB-2 compared to the MFD J in the limited edition Jazz basses?
I'd like to get my hands on at least one of those, if not a full set of the MFD J's.
First, I thought G&L did make conventional J-sized pickups and sold a few JB's with them near the end. Some TB members have them. As for fit, I seem to recall that they are taller than normal. I was curious if they would require additional depth routing. Dimarzio J's often do, IME.
True that. G&L did begin manufacturing MFD jazz bass pickups shortly before their demise, but @Mister_GothFrak was asking about the difference between the SB-2 MFD single coil and the JB MFD single coil. The JB MFD is indeed taller than a normal jazz bass pickup. I was told by G&L's Memo Romero that they were not planning to offer the JB MFD pickup for sale because they just didn't fit in most regular jazz basses due to that depth. The MFD single coil in an SB-2 is larger all the way around.
I run into a broughton high pass filter and then a darkglass compressor. Filter out those lows that make everything sound muddy and then compression because I like how it fattens up the sound.
Questions for everyone who says the MFD's are sometimes too hot.
What's the first thing in your signal chain? Anything? Or are you going straight from bass into amp?
Are you using any type of distortion on the amp?
Have you ever tried using a compressor? That'll tame some of the extra loud stuff, and depending on the item, either keep the tone the same or give a certain character/saturation while potentially allowing overall volume reduction if desired. Rack units have two channels / inputs & outputs.
Typically I'm going into an EQ then compressor or vice-versa before I go into fuzz or anything else.
Also, there are mixers like what The Gig Rig just put out.
The Guitar Tech - Input Signal Manager
TheGigRig Guitar Tech: an input signal manager that runs up to four instruments and lets you level match them. Two outputs, silent tuning, full MIDI control.
I'm sure Good Wood Audio or others do or could make something similar. These'll allow one to keep multiple instruments plugged in, adjust the output, and select which is active, and have an output for a tuner.
i usually just eq the diamond compressor to get the LB100 with ti flats to sound like the L2000 with nyxl rounds going straight into the tube amp
Size, in every direction, sound, and lower output. The SB2 2nd generation bridge pickup is identical to both single coils in the 1st generation, other than minute differences later on from supply chain changes. Those single coils are far lower output than other MFD's, similar to Alnico J output, but MFD tone. They're a J with a touch of P. Chef used to say he thought they were the best J pickups ever made. In the past, I wouldn't disagree, except now some of us have JB MFD's and that J pickup hits the ball out of the park. I'll bet Chef (RIP bro) is jamming a pair in his grave.Not to detract or distract from my previous question...
What's the difference between the MFD single coil on the SB-2 compared to the MFD J in the limited edition Jazz basses?
I'd like to get my hands on at least one of those, if not a full set of the MFD J's.
The JB MFD is much hotter than an SB single, fuller sounding, basically more of everything. I love my 1st gen SB's and Lynx but it's a different animal than the JB MFD and of course, the pickup locations aren't the same.
The JB MFD's are the same length and width as JB Alnico,s except 1/4" deeper. I have two JB MFD basses and a killer Alnico JB.
Plus, the SB single coils are both the same length, unlike the JB's. No one is going to do that. A pair of SB singles cries for a blend control, which has been done by a couple TBer's in 1st gen SB2's. I'm going to do that in my fretted/fretless pair, although supposedly, I'm going to do a lot of things.
For comparison, I have all the pickups (both L&M-series hummers included) For comparison, I have all the pickups (both L&M-series hummers included)being discussed, pretty much in multiple pairs and most include a fretless. I want an M-series fretless but have that covered with a neck swap from my second SB1 fretless. Eventually, I'll source a JB fretless neck to swap into my silver JB MFD.
Those thinking they could manufacture MFD's that would sound like MFD's- that "homerun", most likely, would be called a foul. On top of that, G&L never enjoyed a significant market share, so realistically, few players would care.
Mighty Mite has the original G&L winding machines; makes their own pickups and has a buttload of G&L pickups to reverse engineer if they want to.
Play the shite out of your MFD's and be happy.
I feel Dimarzio Model Js are sort of that pickup. I have them in my MJ-4. Had to squeeze the foam way down though. They're a bit taller than normal.
Yes, in the past I have deepened the routes for DiMarzios. It was needed in my setup, especially given how hot they are - string clearance was greater than average.
JB MFD basses were routed 1/4" deeper than alnico JB's. Putting MFD's into a non-MFD JB, there'd be no room for foam or adjustment, so that's a no go. Measured them against my 2009 JB with alnicos.
OK, too much time on my hands today, but lamenting G&L's demise a bit so here's my JB-5. After having numerous G&Ls over the years from Trib and USA L2500s to a Kiloton V this is the one I have kept and plan to do so, and it is pretty much neck and neck with my Sadowsky PJ5 for my main money maker.
2017 JB-5 (bought used just last year), alder/maple, had it completely shielded out the wazoo, had to replace a tuner and clean up other bits and finesse the setup, but became as good a passive J fiver as you can find. Amazing neck, finish, etc. It ain't light but it hangs just right. Has a push-pull series/parallel mod. Stock G&L pickups. I use series 90% of the time, has flats RN, just a killer, keeper, world-class bass. RIP G&L.
2017 JB-5 (bought used just last year), alder/maple, had it completely shielded out the wazoo, had to replace a tuner and clean up other bits and finesse the setup, but became as good a passive J fiver as you can find. Amazing neck, finish, etc. It ain't light but it hangs just right. Has a push-pull series/parallel mod. Stock G&L pickups. I use series 90% of the time, has flats RN, just a killer, keeper, world-class bass. RIP G&L.
