G&L Club Part 7

[BassPilot]

I know that this is old territory, but I've been unable to find what I'm looking for in the club archive, or anywhere else. I have an SB2 with no tone control. I'd like to change out the "J" volume pot for a stacked pot to provide a passive tone control to affect the tone of both pickups. Does anyone have a schematic that is specific to the SB2 that shows how this could done?

I got an SB-2 with V-V in December. I'm fine without the tone control but I'm curious to hear your impression of what the tone control brings to this bass. I've read others reports that the impact is minimal and the benefit negligible. But please do report back with your impressions.
FWIW, I absolutely love the SB2. And I like the body style and neck so much that I bought a Kiloton 4 a month ago.

 

[Antisyzygy]

I got an SB-2 with V-V in December. I'm fine without the tone control but I'm curious to hear your impression of what the tone control brings to this bass. I've read others reports that the impact is minimal and the benefit negligible. But please do report back with your impressions.
FWIW, I absolutely love the SB2. And I like the body style and neck so much that I bought a Kiloton 4 a month ago.

So I have owned an SB-2, an SB-1 and a LB-100 at the same time for awhile.

I also modded my (former) SB-2 to have tone pots. They were stacked Volume/Tones with the ability to isolate them, without volume loss as well. It was a special circuit that kept the stock SB-2 functionality.

Anyway, it was nice having them and it made the bass kind of look awesome. However, in practice I didn't use them all that much except for a light cut. Even the crazy settings you could think of with that control scheme, while fun, didn't pull me that much away from the wide open tone, perhaps with a bit of a different P/J volume blend.

So I'd say after all that, if I could do it over again, I'd keep the SB-2 the way it was. Your amp settings plus picking the right strings can pretty much simulate any tone you can get with a tone pot as far as the audience is concerned. Try a warmer sounding set of strings and your bridge volume could really feel more like a tone pot.

Also, limitations can fuel creativity. Try the volumes at different levels like even 90% P and 90% J. Anyway, I'm sure you know the bass. However the advantage of using that bridge pickup like a tone pot is that you have a mid-scoop when both pickups are on full, but varying degrees of brightness or even "airiness" (brilliance) as you turn the bridge pickup volume down little by little.

I sold everything but my SB-1, as it was just the bass I preferred. I like simple and I found a good set of strings to match my tone preferences. I also ordered a Kiloton recently which is why I sold everything except one bass.

Anwyay, keep it VV, that's what I'd recommend. But play around with some different strings if you're not liking something. You can get that bridge pickup sound, at various volumes, working like you want it.

 

[BassPilot]

So I have owned an SB-2, an SB-1 and a LB-100 at the same time for awhile.

I also modded my (former) SB-2 to have tone pots. They were stacked Volume/Tones with the ability to isolate them, without volume loss as well. It was a special circuit that kept the stock SB-2 functionality.

Anyway, it was nice having them and it made the bass kind of look awesome. However, in practice I didn't use them all that much except for a light cut. Even the crazy settings you could think of with that control scheme, while fun, didn't pull me that much away from the wide open tone, perhaps with a bit of a different P/J volume blend.

So I'd say after all that, if I could do it over again, I'd keep the SB-2 the way it was. Your amp settings plus picking the right strings can pretty much simulate any tone you can get with a tone pot as far as the audience is concerned. Try a warmer sounding set of strings and your bridge volume could really feel more like a tone pot.

Also, limitations can fuel creativity. Try the volumes at different levels like even 90% P and 90% J. Anyway, I'm sure you know the bass. However the advantage of using that bridge pickup like a tone pot is that you have a mid-scoop when both pickups are on full, but varying degrees of brightness or even "airiness" (brilliance) as you turn the bridge pickup volume down little by little.

I sold everything but my SB-1, as it was just the bass I preferred. I like simple and I found a good set of strings to match my tone preferences. I also ordered a Kiloton recently which is why I sold everything except one bass.

Anwyay, keep it VV, that's what I'd recommend. But play around with some different strings if you're not liking something. You can get that bridge pickup sound, at various volumes, working like you want it.

Antisyzygy - Thanks for posting your experience!
I primarily use the neck pickup and depending on the style I'm playing I pull that volume back to warm it up if needed. Full volume and that pickup is a MONSTER! I'm playing Mesa amps and for more R&B stuff, pulling the Neck pu back to about 60% and the treble on the amp to 9 o'clock is just about perfect (well, an LB-100 <<might>> be better).
I don't have any plans to mod either of my G&L's. I think they're great basses as stock. I was just wondering if someone else recognized value in adding a tone pot.
P.S. You're gonna LOVE the Kiloton!!!

 

[Cat-A-Tonic]

I got an SB-2 with V-V in December. I'm fine without the tone control but I'm curious to hear your impression of what the tone control brings to this bass. I've read others reports that the impact is minimal and the benefit negligible. But please do report back with your impressions.
FWIW, I absolutely love the SB2. And I like the body style and neck so much that I bought a Kiloton 4 a month ago.

I have an old USA L-1500 with an additional SB pickup (stacked volumes)
and a Bartolini 3-band preamp (stacked mid on treble, separate bass)
with 3-way mid freq switch
and an active/passive switch (bypassing the EQ).

This pic is before I swapped the P pickup for an SB (MFD).
For some reason the P had been wired out of phase which was weird and noisy.
It's all good now.

 

[Paulabass]

Just picked up my second G&L, so I thought, I'll join the club if they allow my type.
First G&L- A C.'92 Legacy. This thing, tho nowhere near a pretty as modern G&L's, served me well as a bar bass for 100's of gigs. It's not retired yet, but I don't take it out much, cause it's just pure meat and potatoes.
My new G&L L-1500. This thing is a work of art. I've always liked single pickup basses, I have some P's, a single p/u Modulus, and a few others. Bought is out of the final, final, final clearance rack for $600 in unplayed condition. Somebody added a chrome thumb rest, but it's actually in a useful position, and doesn't look out of place.
Not many L-1500's on google with the scraped bindings, I think they are a nice finishing touch.

 

[dave64o]

I have an old USA L-1500 with an additional SB pickup (stacked volumes)
and a Bartolini 3-band preamp (stacked mid on treble, separate bass)
with 3-way mid freq switch
and an active/passive switch (bypassing the EQ).

View attachment 2936503

This pic is before I swapped the P pickup for an SB (MFD).
For some reason the P had been wired out of phase which was weird and noisy.
It's all good now.

Yum! drool

 

[jmlee]

They go across the outer lugs of the stacked 500KA pots to approximate 250KA. Effective resistance of the pot and two 1M resistors is about 250K. The curve will be near audio taper but not quite because of the fixed resistors. Still, close enough for rock & roll. You can leave the resistors out and just use the 500KA pots, but the bass will sound a bit brighter than normal.

And you're welcome.

Ken...

Oh, 2 one Meg resistors across...250 kohm stack seems much simpler.

 

[jmlee]

I got an SB-2 with V-V in December. I'm fine without the tone control but I'm curious to hear your impression of what the tone control brings to this bass. I've read others reports that the impact is minimal and the benefit negligible. But please do report back with your impressions.
FWIW, I absolutely love the SB2. And I like the body style and neck so much that I bought a Kiloton 4 a month ago.

Where I find the tone control useful is when I'm playing on the P-pickup only. Dial volume back a bit on the hot MFD for a more vintage P-like sound and then use the tone control to pull some highs off. Nice. I also like the tone control rolled off a bit with the P-pickup only going full bore. When you blend in the J-pickup the tone control is a bit redundant. BTW, the sound you get blending the J-pickup into the P-pickup, J back maybe a quarter turn and tone dimed is fat and sweet *but* it does not sound like the P-pickup alone with the tone rolled off. The tone control just gives more options which I like.

 

[AngelMoncada]

I got an SB-2 with V-V in December. I'm fine without the tone control but I'm curious to hear your impression of what the tone control brings to this bass. I've read others reports that the impact is minimal and the benefit negligible. But please do report back with your impressions.
FWIW, I absolutely love the SB2. And I like the body style and neck so much that I bought a Kiloton 4 a month ago.

I have an SB-2 with the factory tone knob and I would say that while the standard setup is versatile enough, having the tone pot gives even more versatility. Granted, there are ways around not having one like what has been mentioned before e.g. amp eq and string choice(VERY important IMO), but I feel like the tone pot allows me to get warmer vintage sounds(treble rolloff) easier while using the only the P pup. Yes, bringing in the J will yield a brighter sound but I do think that blending the pups changes the inherent tone of the bass(which is not necessarily a bad thing, just different).

 

[BobaMosfett]

For those of you in possession of an L/M-2500 and a JB-5 or Kiloton 5: how would you describe the difference in the neck, and more precisely, the fretboard radius? Do you prefer one or the other, or do both have their pros and cons?
I ask, because I'm trying to decide on the specs of an L-2500 I want to order in the future. The standard radius is 12", but 9,5" is an option. For both the Kiloton and JB 5's, 9,5" is the standard.
Unfortunately I don't have the option to try them out, so I hope the fine folks of this club can give me some input!

 

[keto]

Question - my L2K I posted on the last page, it doesn't seem to sustain very well. For example, during Comfortably Numb, where there are a lot of long sustaining notes, even with my compressor on a medium-high squeeze, notes die away quite quickly. By comparison, my Stingray sustains much better. Is this common? My best guess is that it may be due to the light wood I chose for the build - it's a 7.5 lb bass, whereas the Ray is 10-10.5 ish. Normal would you think?

 

[jmlee]

Question - my L2K I posted on the last page, it doesn't seem to sustain very well. For example, during Comfortably Numb, where there are a lot of long sustaining notes, even with my compressor on a medium-high squeeze, notes die away quite quickly. By comparison, my Stingray sustains much better. Is this common? My best guess is that it may be due to the light wood I chose for the build - it's a 7.5 lb bass, whereas the Ray is 10-10.5 ish. Normal would you think?

There could be lots of causes, with body wood well down the list. Strings would be the first bet. As well, if your pickups are too close to the strings, magnetic interference will damp out notes fairly quickly. Make sure you've got good witness bends at the nut and saddles as well.

 

[/\/\3phist0]

There could be lots of causes, with body wood well down the list. Strings would be the first bet. As well, if your pickups are too close to the strings, magnetic interference will damp out notes fairly quickly. Make sure you've got good witness bends at the nut and saddles as well.

Add : "Action too low" to the list. Fret buzz steals energy from the string vibration.
But no , short sustain is not a normal attribute of G&L products.

 

[guy n. cognito]

Question - my L2K I posted on the last page, it doesn't seem to sustain very well. For example, during Comfortably Numb, where there are a lot of long sustaining notes, even with my compressor on a medium-high squeeze, notes die away quite quickly. By comparison, my Stingray sustains much better. Is this common? My best guess is that it may be due to the light wood I chose for the build - it's a 7.5 lb bass, whereas the Ray is 10-10.5 ish. Normal would you think?

My 7.8 lb G&L sustains for days.

 

[Nedmundo]

For those of you in possession of an L/M-2500 and a JB-5 or Kiloton 5: how would you describe the difference in the neck, and more precisely, the fretboard radius? Do you prefer one or the other, or do both have their pros and cons?
I ask, because I'm trying to decide on the specs of an L-2500 I want to order in the future. The standard radius is 12", but 9,5" is an option. For both the Kiloton and JB 5's, 9,5" is the standard.
Unfortunately I don't have the option to try them out, so I hope the fine folks of this club can give me some input!

According to the knowledgebase on guitarsbyleo.com, the L and M series are 12" radius only, but 12" is an option on the Kiloton and JB-5. I prefer 12" radius on basses and guitars generally, but it's darned near essential to me on a five string bass, and I love the neck on my M-2500. I haven't tried the JB-5 or Kiloton 5, but if I ordered one I'd specify a 12" radius.

Flatter fretboards just work better with my hands and technique for whatever reason, and produce less of a "hump" to reach over on a fiver. Heck, I'd probably prefer an even flatter board on my M-2500, like 16". On four string basses, and even more so on guitars, I don't mind a 9.5" radius. I love the necks on my Fender Jazz and Strats, which are all 9.5".

 

[Antisyzygy]

It's a bit premature, as it's still in transit, but I said I'd post pics of my Kiloton 5 order. It was ready in about 2 weeks! Nuts.

I ordered through Rocket Music. Greg knows his G&Ls and answered every question I had, which were many. Sorry Greg! However, for me at least , it was a great experience and I'd definitely go through him again. Thanks to Rocket Music!

G&L Latest Arrivals

These pics are courtesy of Rocket Music :

It turned out better than I had hoped even. They picked some good grains. Greg pointed out the slight flame in the neck, which is appropriate because the bass looks like MAGMA.

 

[A-Ro]

It's a bit premature, as it's still in transit, but I said I'd post pics of my Kiloton 5 order. It was ready in about 2 weeks! Nuts.

I ordered through Rocket Music. Greg knows his G&Ls and answered every question I had, which were many. Sorry Greg! However, for me at least , it was a great experience and I'd definitely go through him again. Thanks to Rocket Music!

G&L Latest Arrivals

These pics are courtesy of Rocket Music :

View attachment 2942409

View attachment 2942409 View attachment 2942410 View attachment 2942411


It turned out better than I had hoped even. They picked some good grains. Greg pointed out the slight flame in the neck, which is appropriate because the bass looks like MAGMA.

Very nice! Congrats!!!

 

[RocketMusic]

Hmmmm... looks like I underexposed the bass itself as I was trying to fight the glare sort of effect of the satin frost. Try this photo on for size. Photoshop to the rescue!

 

[Antisyzygy]

Very nice! Congrats!!!

Hey thanks. I feel like a jerk when I post things like this but I'm not trying to brag.

Mostly it's good to hear experiences as a potential buyer.

Also I couldn't find this color in satin with these options anywhere. So I had to guess a bit. Maybe it can help someone. Though credit for that goes to the photographer and web host now.

 

[A-Ro]

Hey thanks. I feel like a jerk when I post things like this but I'm not trying to brag.

Mostly it's good to hear experiences as a potential buyer.

Also I couldn't find this color in satin with these options anywhere. So I had to guess a bit. Maybe it can help someone. Though credit for that goes to the photographer and web host now.

Post away! This is TalkBass for Pete's sake!!! Lol

I'll be doing the same thing in a few weeks when mine comes in from @RocketMusic too!