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G&L Kiloton
- Thread starter Bulky Bass
- Start date
I get that. The question was what Kiloton HAS that L-1500 lacks. I've not had a chance to play an L-1500 but I bet it can mimic the Kiloton tone pretty close in the passive mode with the treble cut (obviously, minus the single coil mode which is a simple mod anyway). So why would one choose Kiloton over L-1500, except for the slim body and the coil tap? (Oh yes, and the pickguard!)
They work in passive mode, too, that's the difference. I mean, most basses have the treble cut aka tone knob, but bass cut is rare. And active instruments usually have both boost and cut.
The tone rolled off in split coil mode gets the 'P' tone that I want in my head (which I know isn't what a P actually is).
Pretty dang cool for the passive/simple approach. Wonder what one paired with the M pre would be like.
I know I could get lynched, but I would rather have this than a P. I bet it would kill with flats.
Pretty dang cool for the passive/simple approach. Wonder what one paired with the M pre would be like.
I know I could get lynched, but I would rather have this than a P. I bet it would kill with flats.
Just placed an order for one. My supplier listed a few that were ready to ship from CA. I picked the three tone sunburst with rosewood fretboard. It comes with the white pearloid, but i asked them to either swap it or ship separate a black pickguard.
VERY PUMPED! My first G&L!
VERY PUMPED! My first G&L!
You're going to love it. G&L basses, in my opinion, are superb and have a much more solid feel than most other basses I've played.
Actually - the comparison to a 2500 is legit - but even more to your point - it's a 1500 with a pickguard and no preamp.
But, I don't think this is about groundbreak - it's about groundshaking. It's for dudes who like the MFD sound and want something a little simpler.
Given that (especially in the bass department) G&L is, like Fender, saddled with Leo's legacy, most of its products will be recombinations of features of other G&L basses.
I agree this is no revolution - but it's a nice variation on a couple of perennial classics - the 1500 and the SB1.
Are the 1500s REALLY a 1/4 inch closer? based on the lined up pictures poster above, it seems to me the bridge pole pieces are in the same place (remember it's the pole pieces that determine the portion of the string sensed and the different in the overall position (centre or neck pole pieces) is the difference in width - now of course this is nit-picking and I would tend to consider the center of a pickup as the comparison point - but it's not exactly CLOSER - it's just not centred on the MM.This pic has the split coil added to a L1500. Since the L1500 pickup position is 1/4" towards the bridge vs a Stingray, and the MFD is about 1/4" narrower than a Stingray pickup, it makes sense that there is about 3/8-1/2" in between the pickups. They look good together, and I'm sure they sound great.
Being a P-bass fan, thats the main reason im getting one. I appreciate the technology in the G&L line ups, but ive never liked having a ton of tone controls on a bass. I prefer playing around the bass to get different tones than playing the same spot and turning knobs. I also like the simplicity of a passive circuit. I also prefer not having the change batteries. Lastly, ive always wanted to try a stingray, but avoided because im not an active fan. This bass ticks all the boxes, while still being made in the USA, at a very reasonable price point.
Prefering the SB body to the L series as well, its a no-brainer! Im not a huge fan of the name of the bass, but thats easy enough to remove if I end up keeping the thing!
I don't think people tend to measure TNT in kilotons - those measurements were created specifically to compare the energy/force released by large weapons, in particular Atom/Nuclear/Hydrogen weapons. Given what happened to a certain country at the end of WWII - it's an understandable sensitivity (especially if one looks at that particular poster's avatar).
While I think this is VERY cool - I will say - if you like Ps = the SB is the way to go - gives you both P tones AND G&L flavours.
With the volume backed off a little you get conventional Fender-y P tones - with it all the way up you get G&L clarity and high output.
I'm not putting down 1500-ish things (that's the G&L currently sitting in my basement) - but even in passive mode it is NEVER getting into PBass territory.
Yeah, to my mind (and I DO get the appeal of this bass) it mostly just reminds me that I've felt for a LONG time that G&L should offer a pickguard option on the Ls and Ms - the way the offer most of their guitars with and without pg (or at least at one point did - DO they still?). Maybe I'm wrong - but that seems like a simple option - it wouldn't even require different routings - the electronics could still go through the back and the p/gs just be cut to accommodate the pickup and control positions - or not go where the controls are ala many Ibanez/Yamaha and newer MMs.
