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G&L Club Part 7

#7,561
Last night I took my Fender Tony Franklin fretted bass to band practice instead of my LB-100. The TF is arguably one of Fender's best basses but for some reason it sounded sluggish tone wise to me if that makes any sense. Both basses are strung with chromes flatwound strings but the LB-100 seems to have a zing to it I couldn't coax out of the Fender. Maybe it's that the TF has a maple board and the LB rosewood? Or is there something special abou the LB pickup?
 
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#7,564
My L1505 is strung with DR Legends Flats. Recently took it to my weekly acoustic jam session, old time country, a little classic rock & some bluegrass influence stuff.

I was able to get it dialed in to the warmest woodiest tones, very organic sounding. I got many compliments on the tone.

I had been thinking for a while my next bass was going to be a StingRay fretless match to my SR5, and now I'm thinking Ernie Ball's decision to drop the fretless option may be a moot point; I'll be setting my sights on a fretless G&L
 
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#7,566
jcburn said:
I want G&L to offer the Kiloton 5 neck on an L2500, even just as an option. Can't see why it wouldn't work...same amount of frets, same scale length, same 6 bolt pattern.
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I just read the spec's - I had seen that the Kiloton had gone to a 4/1 headstock profile but didnt know that the neck profile was different. When I got my L1505 they were only building one 5 string neck, and thats what mine is. However it seems that the Kiloton is slightly wider, but with a tighter radius. I guess allot would depend on what the bridge spacing is and how the back was rounded. No substitute for playing one I suppose. If I could change anything on my current G&L it would be neck width, would like to make it slightly less wide. On my 4 strings I like the narrow slender jazz neck feel, and it took me a long time to find a 5 string I was happy with.
 
#7,567
Ran 210+115+D800+ + G&L L2000 last night. Man, that bass and amp are made to go together. For some unknown to me reason, I'd never really run up the input gain much. Ran it about 1 o'clock last night, voicing just before 9 o'clock. Digging in pretty hard with a pick, man I had a nice grinding furry tone going.
 
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#7,568
Bulky Bass said:
Last night I took my Fender Tony Franklin fretted bass to band practice instead of my LB-100. The TF is arguably one of Fender's best basses but for some reason it sounded sluggish tone wise to me if that makes any sense. Both basses are strung with chromes flatwound strings but the LB-100 seems to have a zing to it I couldn't coax out of the Fender. Maybe it's that the TF has a maple board and the LB rosewood? Or is there something special abou the LB pickup?
Click to expand...

I think the TF is one of Fender's best, and IMO the best Fender bass I've played aside from my own MIA Jazz was an early TF. It was fantastic.

But I wouldn't be surprised if the LB-100 has a little more focus or "zing." This would be partly due to the pickup, but also the G&L bridge and six-bolt neck attachment. If your LB-100 has a quartersawn neck, that could affect the tone as well.

I do think Fender's P-bass pickups have improved in recent years. Last year, I tested a new American Pro back-to-back with a new LB-100, and they sounded similar but the G&L had slightly stronger output. (And keep in mind the recent American Standards and American Pros have a higher mass bridge, which nudges them slightly closer to the LB-100's construction.)
 
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#7,570
jefff100 said:
I just read the spec's - I had seen that the Kiloton had gone to a 4/1 headstock profile but didnt know that the neck profile was different. When I got my L1505 they were only building one 5 string neck, and thats what mine is. However it seems that the Kiloton is slightly wider, but with a tighter radius. I guess allot would depend on what the bridge spacing is and how the back was rounded. No substitute for playing one I suppose. If I could change anything on my current G&L it would be neck width, would like to make it slightly less wide. On my 4 strings I like the narrow slender jazz neck feel, and it took me a long time to find a 5 string I was happy with.
Click to expand...

The new neck is wider but also much more rounded feeling. A rolled edge sort of. I think narrower front to back as well.

I had a L2000 that pretty much has the same neck they use on their 5 strings, the 1.75" nut 12" radius one.

I had the same problem finding a good 5 string neck coming from Jazz bass style ones and honestly this Modern C 4+1 from G&L worked for me.

They use the same neck on the JB-5.
 
#7,571
My Kiloton 4 has become my main player. I brought my SB-2 to a jam session Friday night but was missing the tone of the Kiloton. It's an amazing bass!!
I just got a Bergantino AE410 which I planned to run my Mesa Walkabout through. But a couple of weeks ago I got a GK MB200 - Freaking CRAZY little amp! I have gigs on 5/5 and 5/12. I'm bringing both of those heads and will alternate on different sets. Playing either through the Berg at home won't show me what it will do...so I'll experiment on the gigs :D.
 
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#7,573
armybass said:
I keep telling myself I don't need a Kiloton 5 and that my current G&L's are capable of getting me those tones and then I watch the video again of Steve playing it an I'm like, I must have that bass.
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I have gotten numerous compliments on my tone with my Kiloton 4 through a GK Backline 600 connected to a JBL 215 PA cab. Single coil mode is just absolutely "Da Bomb"! I can't wait to stretch out the Walkabout and MB200 through my AE410 in a couple of weeks.
 
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#7,579
Luigir said:
Regarding the kiloton: does anybody have it and an L2000 too? I assume that you could get a kiloton like sound on the L2000 just choosing the bridge pickup, passive mode. Am I missing something?
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I've owned two different L2000s before and have a Kiloton now.

The Kiloton pickup has less for highs and more honky overtones vs. the L2000 bridge pup.
 
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