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G&L guys, how do you like the passive tone?

#21
Tommy Tourbus said:
How's the passive mode tone? Does it sound as good as a passive classic Fender P or J, or do you pretty much need the pre-amp engaged to get the really good sounds out of it?
Click to expand...

Most everyone prefers the passive tone best. Me too. My fretless L-2500 almost never goes to active mode.

The Tribute fretted L-2500 on the other hand while usually in passive mode does at times use the active settings. On that bass I have replaced the factory SIT strings with identical strings because they are so uber bright. Thus when needed you can pull some really nice slap tone or that low action "Conklin-style" tone with the very bright upper edge out of this bass. At times I've pondered changing strings to ground-wounds or the like to get a more traditional "fat" style tone and loose that ultra bright stuff which as others have noted really is a bit harsh. But for now I just like the versatility of having that bright top end there if I want it and I can easily roll it off if I don't.

My G&Ls don't have batteries either, but are powered by a TRS cable directly from the amp. That way the active mode is always there if I want it and I don't have to worry about dead batteries.
 
#22
My SB-2s are passive only, so no comment there (other than that they sound awesome). With the El Toro, I think my favorite tone is series mode in passive. But when in non-series mode I use active/passive depending on pickup selection. Bridge-only I like active, otherwise it is just a little thin. This setting drives my Groove Regulator beautifully. For neck-only and both pickup settings, I could go either way. Nice having active available for a quick boost as needed. The El Toro is very flexible.
 
#23
Love both passive and active on my Tribute L-2500.

They are both excellent and different enough to be useful. Though I could easily live with only one or the other, it's nice to have the choice between the more articulate active sound or the smoother passive tone.
 
#25
I pulled the preamp out of my fretted L2500 and my fretless stays in passive mode 90% of the time. I only use active (non-treble boost) if I need a little bit of boost or to buffer a long cable run. The treble-boost mode gets switched on very, very rarely - almost never.
 
#26
Tommy Tourbus said:
How's the passive mode tone? Does it sound as good as a passive classic Fender P or J, or do you pretty much need the pre-amp engaged to get the really good sounds out of it?
Click to expand...

I own an L-1000, which is only passive. With the 3-way p/u toggle on the MFD humbucker set in the middle position (single coil only) it pretty much sounds like a super Precision bass. Set toward the bridge, it sounds like a super-duper Precision bass after you've EQ'd it to sound rounder and fuller. I tend to roll off some bass tone in this position as it's a bit too much of a good thing IMO. Even when passive the MFD humbucker has significantly higher output than, say, a Precision; recording engineers may need to turn down the trim/input level on the board to avoid a 'farty' signal, especially if the p/u toggle is set in the bridge-ward position - again, rolling off some bass tone is also helpful here.


Beyond your question with regard to Fender's post-Fender work: As I hear it, the G&L L-1000 represents a true advancement and improvement of the beloved Fender sound. This in contrast to Music Man, which went for something totally different and came up with great-sounding basses in the process - yet not so much an improvement upon the Fender sound as a successful departure into new territory.
 
#27
I just recently got me a fretless 1981 L-2000 E and I have trouble understanding what the active electronics are for in this bass. (Granted, it is a fretless conversion, but it looks like I will be playing it single-coil neck, passive only).
 
#29
IMHO, passive mode on a L-2500 is most useful with fresh strings (I mean rounds here). When the strings get old, passive mode lacks the necessary treble to my ear, and then you can turn on the preamp to compensate for it.

BTW, you can get an even nicer passive sound from this bass by taking out the battery and the preamp.
 
#30
I guess I hear things a bit different from others. In my opinion, active is louder than passive, but that's about it. If you switch from passive to active and turn the volume down to where it was when it was passive, I don't really hear a huge difference. Active with treble boost is another story, though.

I have yet to read or hear about someone who uses these basses primarily in active mode, whether here on TB or elsewhere.

John
 
#31
Both my '83 fretted and '85 fretless L2000s spend most of their time in active mode.

I usually use the neck p'up in parallel (or both p'ups,sometimes) and I string them with nickel roundwounds.

I don't find the active mode to be all that bright sounding, really. The active/treble boost setting is a whole other issue, however. I never use that.

I'll run those basses passive every once in a while for a particular song, but if I want a passive sound for a whole set I'm more likely to just play a Fender.

I'm not knocking the sound of an L2K running passive - it sounds great - I just like the way the preamp sounds so I use it most of the time.
 
#32
I have a '97 L2500, and for some reason I found that the stock preamp didn't have enough low end. I wound up getting a Pensa/Suhr preamp. I lost that whole passive control thing, but I'm not a passive player so I don't care. There is no more top end sizzle either.
 
#35
Been playing an L-2500 and L-1505 for over 3 years exclusively.

I've yet to use active at a gig, but I've recently rediscovered it during practice and I do find it useful at home in quieter condition, playing along with tunes on the radio, etc. I'll put the tone dials at about 50% to start, engage active and then dial in something that works for various recordings. I did recently record a song on my L-2500 in active mode for the first time and I think it came out sounding great ... powerful lows, clearly defined, no unusual bite.

So, a year ago I would have said I only used passive. Passive does sound great, especially at live volume. I've used it for classic rock, jazz, blues and even heavy metal. But there is room to explore the active mode too.
 
#36
Joe_K said:
Been playing an L-2500 and L-1505 for over 3 years exclusively.

I've yet to use active at a gig, but I've recently rediscovered it during practice and I do find it useful at home in quieter condition, playing along with tunes on the radio, etc. I'll put the tone dials at about 50% to start, engage active and then dial in something that works for various recordings. I did recently record a song on my L-2500 in active mode for the first time and I think it came out sounding great ... powerful lows, clearly defined, no unusual bite.

So, a year ago I would have said I only used passive. Passive does sound great, especially at live volume. I've used it for classic rock, jazz, blues and even heavy metal. But there is room to explore the active mode too.
Click to expand...

Lets see some pics of that 1505.
 
#37
jfh2424 said:
I guess I hear things a bit different from others. In my opinion, active is louder than passive, but that's about it. If you switch from passive to active and turn the volume down to where it was when it was passive, I don't really hear a huge difference. Active with treble boost is another story, though.

I have yet to read or hear about someone who uses these basses primarily in active mode, whether here on TB or elsewhere.

John
Click to expand...

I use my L2000/L2500 in active mode exclusively. I love the power. I do agree that there is not much tonal difference (IMO) other than the volume increase between the two though.
 
#38
Aspidites said:
Lets see some pics of that 1505.
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Mostly I have gig shots, so you get me with them as well, and even some stage shrubery (and I'll sneak in one of my 2500)

BodyFront1.jpg


JeremyDJJoe.jpg


JeremyJoe.jpg


Joe08.jpg


JoeCrawlers.jpg


JoeHateFX.jpg
 

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