Might as well add that MFD's wide open isn't everyone's cup of tea either. But knock yourself out
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Neither of my GL's have MFDs......
The one on the left does.
It's just a different flavour of MFD.
It's just a different flavour of MFD.
My bad, I should have clarified I was commenting on the volume portion of the quote. But whatever. Sorry for offending.
That actually has nothing to do with my post. We are talking pickup height and mfd tone. Which oh by the way I own an sb1.Might as well add that MFD's wide open isn't everyone's cup of tea either. But knock yourself out
Does anyone have a newer L-2000 Tribute that can comment on the quality, playability, neck profile, etc? I've owned a bunch of US G&L's but only one tribute, a LB-100. The cheaper used US models aren't as plentiful as they used to be.
I traded my P-bass V for a mint G&L JB-5. It's the best "Jazz Bass" five string I've played.
here's my beloved L1K reissue. We're not gigging, so here's what I'm doing instead:
Could've sworn they themselves called it an MFD.
For some reason, they just call it an alnico humbucker.
G&L L-1000 Bass 2015 Fullerton Red w/ Alnico MDF | Big B's Music Bazaar | Reverb
According to the build sheet.
They also list it as bridge pickup, which is kinda funny.
IIRC, when they were available for a short time, they were spec'd as MFD alnicos, when ordering from @RocketMusic
I think that the one on the left uses Alnico magnets as pole pieces instead of a ceramic bar under the pole pieces.
That's because MFD is a specific pickup design that utilizes ceramic bars.
"Their name stands for 'Magnetic Field Design' as they essentially transfer the magnetic field to the top of the pickup rather than the middle. This is achieved via a unique construction that utilizes a ceramic bar magnet (installed beneath each coil) with soft iron pole pieces. Magnetic Field Design pickups also yield about twice the output per wind, making them less noisy than most conventional pickups while allowing for greater overall output."
Alnico humbucker is pretty much alnico humbucker, I don't think they some unique construction there.
I might be able to help. My dealer has a new LB-100 in stock and I own an M-2500 Tribute and L-2500 Tribute.
The LB-100 has a thicker neck than my 2015 MIM Fender P. The finish is natural and looks flawless.
The necks on my M and L 5ers are both more shallow than the new LB-100 at the store. Both my G&L Tributes play as well as I could ask for, the quality jumps out as superb the moment I look at or pick one of them up. The tuners have the most smooth and precise feel compared to my other basses. Sound is awesome! The strings on my L recently started to sound old and I was shocked to see that the GHS Round Core Boomers were one year old. I typically change round core strings about every 6 months. A side benefit of MFDs might be saving money on strings LOL.
In summary, I couldn't be happier with my G&L Tribute basses. Let me know if you have anything specific I can answer for you.
Thanks for the input.
Interestingly enough, I just ordered one of each sort of by accident. I had put a lowball offer on a 90s US L-2000 on Reverb last night. This morning, figuring it would declined anyway, I picked up a L-2000 Tribute off the classifieds here. Well, the lowball offer got accepted so I guess I'll be able to compare the US and Tribute side by side. (and one will likely be up for sale soon!)
I'll be interested in your thoughts regarding the comparison.
There's always this nagging thought I have, perhaps others do too, regarding upgrading to a USA build. In my case I have two Tributes and for slightly more than I have into them I could have had one G&L built in the USA.
Oooh, that's a nice red one!
But the ad clearly states that it's MDF, not my favorite tonewood.
I really like these short-run L1ks that have the back-mounted controls without the chrome plate underneath.
This is my 3rd GL bass that has alnico pickups. (Jb2 and lb100) They're all great sounding pickups,
so I can't really imagine I would be any happier with a MFD. Ya never know till ya try, right?
One of these days, I would like to try a Kiloton. (Except I'd still prefer it without a pickguard).
Here's my new G&L Tribute LB-100. I like this one so much, I'm gonna get the Tribute in Jazz for my collection when I get this one paid off. I'm gonna keep rounds on this one... love the tone. My MIM Fender Player P has flats.
Cool. How do you compare this to the MIM Fender P bass in fit, finish, and playability?
The G&L LB-100 is superior to the Fender Player and my MIM Fender P is a nice bass.... better bridge, better neck and body and hotter pickup which I like. I prefer the finish on the G&L over the Fender. The G&L was perfect out of the box... while I had to do some adjustments to my MIM Fender P to get it to where I wanted it. Playability is a draw... both basses are smooth as butter and have low as possible action without buzzing. Nothing against MIM Fenders... they are fine basses, but the G&L's overall quality is better and it cost about $200 less than I paid for my Fender Player P.
