G&L Kiloton

[Nedmundo]

It's a G&L with an MFD, so of course I like it, but I used to have an L-1500 that didn't work so well through my rig, and I'm not sure this would be better. I love the passive simplicity though, and I might like the single coil mode too. No question I want to try it.

When I had the L-1500, I thought an HS version would be cool. Imagine an MFD single coil placed like a neck pickup on a J-bass, that would cancel hum with the bridge pickup in single coil mode. That might push me over the edge.

BTW, I agree this would be great as a fretless, just like the 1500.

 

[Antisyzygy]

I own an American Deluxe HH Dimension(and various G&L's/Musicman's) and it doesn't sound like a Stingray/Sterling/Sabre. It cuts through similarly but has its own sound. Definitely Fender'ish.
The Kiloton seems too close to the L1500 to me. But we don't know if that pickup wound is different. So we'll have to just use our ears.

You can hear it here :

 

[Antisyzygy]

Hmm... A passive bass with volume, tone and a switch that does parallel/single/series on a single humbucking pickup in the Stingray sweet spot (+/- .25")?
Hey! That's the exact same layout as the 1983 Ibanez RB820/RB920.

The G&L is a really nice looking instrument and I'm sure it will deliver in spades, but the total spent on my 820, 920 and 83 El Toro is still less than what I expect the Kiloton to cost ($1400ish).
View attachment 956852

It's main draw I think is the fact it's a G&L SB style bass. Simple, passive, yet effective.

Saddle lock bridge and aluminum post tuners. Plek job on the frets.

SB body (like a slimmed down P bass)

MFD pickup (high volume, full clear tone)

One volume, one tone.

Also a passive musicman-esque bass is neat.

 

[Antisyzygy]

It's ok I guess. I'm not impressed.

Has less tone control than a L-1000, L-1500, or L-2000. Not sure if it has the OMG mode when in single coil mode like the L-1000 has.

No preamp, but A preamp isn't really necessary with MFD pickups because they produce such a hot signal. The L series preamp does thicken the mid frequencies a little, but other than that it's not necessary.

If I were to buy another G&L bass with mfd pickups, I'd get either a L-2000 or M-2000.
You get more bass for your buck.

I don't know. I think I kinda get it.

The SB series is about simplicity. You have the SB-1, SB-2, etc. These always have two controls, that's it. They're surprisingly versatile as any SB-2 or SB-1 owner will tell you. They're geared towards people that like minimalist instruments but G&L did a great job giving them a wide variety of tones in their scaled-back control package.

The L series is about being a swiss army knife. You have the L2000, L1500, L1000 etc. each with their two band EQ and various extra switching options that make them tweakable and able to be fine tuned. You get just about any tone you can imagine out of a L2000 but the L1500 and L1000 are each like a Stingray and Super P bass respectively.

This Kiloton is basically a SB bass with a MFD humbucker. It has one pickup and two knobs like any other SB bass. The fact they added the switch seems to be just to make it have some tones a SB-2 would normally provide. Scooped from parallel, bridge tone from single coil, and fat sound from series.

An SB-2 provides similar tones by blending the pups. All neck is your fat tone. Neck + Bridge at equal volume is your scoop. Bridge is your single coil tone, but you can fatten it a bit by blending in some neck.

Anyway, I'm debating on ordering a Kiloton in a fretless version. I have a fretted SB-1 and a fretted SB-2 so I think it'd fit in nicely. That is given that fretless basses seem to do better tonally when you favor a bridge pickup.

 

[Runlikegregg]

I love the looks of this thing.
i want simplicity.
i have an SB1 and I love it. This looks like an even better version of that!

 

[Ender_rpm]

Oh my.....

 

[Wolfhound32]

Excellent!!

 

[Temcat]

After listening to the demo, am I the only one who would like the pickup to be closer to the neck, somewhere between the L-1500 and L-1000 positions so as to mellow the tone compared to the Kiloton (but not as much as with Wunkay)? The tone on the demo didn't impress me in any of the three switch positions.

 

[Antisyzygy]

After listening to the demo, am I the only one who would like the pickup to be closer to the neck, somewhere between the L-1500 and L-1000 positions so as to mellow the tone compared to the Kiloton (but not as much as with Wunkay)? The tone on the demo didn't impress me in any of the three switch positions.

Sounds like you would just prefer a L2000 or SB-2.

I think this is a bass for Stingray lovers.

 

[Temcat]

Sounds like you would just prefer a L2000 or SB-2.

I think this is a bass for Stingray lovers.

If I were to choose between these options, yes that would be my preference (in fact, SB-2 Tribute is currently my main player). However, I do see an opportunity for another passive single-MFD instrument.

A potentially interesting variation on the Kiloton would be a two-pickup version, with the second pickup being a tad closer to the neck than the L2K neck pickup. Of course, that would not be simple anymore.

 

[grrg63]

gawd I like this and the MM Caprice, I'd have a hard time picking between them.
If you could get them in medium scale I'd have serious gas.

 

[gwangi]

Okay I really need to see a Kiloton fretless demo.......PLEASEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEE!!!!

 

[bassbenj]

I love G&L basses, but this just looks like another attempt to be an Ernie ball StingRay etc. Fender tried it with the Dimension bass to mixed reviews.

I hate to be the negative Nancy here because I'm a major G&L fanboi, BUT! This one sure seems like some psychological experiment to test the gullibility of goober bass players to unadulterated pure sales hype and fantasy. Listen to me. Is there anyone here DUMB enough think that slapping a standard MFD pickup on an SB-2 body is somehow the discovery of the millennium and that alone will produce a bass with all the atomic power that caused the Empire of Japan to surrender unconditionally? PUHLEASE! GIVE ME A BREAK! What you have is my L2500 with most of it's important features either missing or turned off. Allow me to make a modest suggestion. Just ignore all that Marketing Hyperbole. Go buy a nice USA L2500 (especially in fretless). Learn what a 5 string is all about. Take some time to learn what all the knobs and switches on it do. And take my word for it, THEN you will be ready to bring the empire of Japan to it's knees with your bass.

 

[dedpool1052]

To me, this bass is a good introduction to players of what the L series is all about while maintaining the simplicity of the SB series.

 

[Antisyzygy]

To me, this bass is a good introduction to players of what the L series is all about while maintaining the simplicity of the SB series.

You put it much simpler than I could. That's pretty much how I feel about it.

The SB-2 has a treble and bass control basically just with it's two volumes. Treble from bridge, bass from neck.

This bass doesn't have two pickups to blend so you have the switch to EQ it a bit instead.

 

[Iridescentone]

I hate to be the negative Nancy here because I'm a major G&L fanboi, BUT! This one sure seems like some psychological experiment to test the gullibility of goober bass players to unadulterated pure sales hype and fantasy. Listen to me. Is there anyone here DUMB enough think that slapping a standard MFD pickup on an SB-2 body is somehow the discovery of the millennium and that alone will produce a bass with all the atomic power that caused the Empire of Japan to surrender unconditionally? PUHLEASE! GIVE ME A BREAK! What you have is my L2500 with most of it's important features either missing or turned off. Allow me to make a modest suggestion. Just ignore all that Marketing Hyperbole. Go buy a nice USA L2500 (especially in fretless). Learn what a 5 string is all about. Take some time to learn what all the knobs and switches on it do. And take my word for it, THEN you will be ready to bring the empire of Japan to it's knees with your bass.

What makes you think we haven't already done that, Nancy?

News flash; An L-2500 is not the be-all/end-all bass that some seem to think it is.

 

[Handyman]

I'd love to give this thing a whirl.

Now give me the TWO kiloton - take a sb2 and swap the bridge pickup with the MFD humbucker.

 

[Antisyzygy]

I'd love to give this thing a whirl.

Now give me the TWO kiloton - take a sb2 and swap the bridge pickup with the MFD humbucker.

That's what I thought this was going to be.

Over at the G&L Club we had a discussion, collectively that is, and it was mentioned by a head guy over there something was coming. The guy dropped some hints that made it sound like it would be some blend of existing basses.

I was wishing for a P/MM style bass.

This is actually pretty cool though. I think it would make a killer fretless bass. I'm sitting here in the market for one and now I'm tempted to order one of these. The issue would be I'd have to save up some more, or I could get a fretless I had my eye on locally sooner rather than later.

If they make a tribute model I'd be tempted to buy it as a mod project. I'd stick my own Split MFD in there.

 

[dedpool1052]

A potentially interesting variation on the Kiloton would be a two-pickup version, with the second pickup being a tad closer to the neck than the L2K neck pickup. Of course, that would not be simple anymore.

I'd like that as well, sort of like the Tookay prototype here

 

[TDR1138]

If they make a tribute model I'd be tempted to buy it as a mod project. I'd stick my own Split MFD in there.

+1