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G&L L-1500 diagram: 3rd pot has dedents?!

#2
...more specifically, the item labelled VR1 (bass cut) in this schematic:
Seems to have a dedent, unlike the VR3 (treble cut).
1000015889.jpg

Maybe this is a previous owner's mod? Or they replaced the original with whatever they had available?
 
#4
bpabon said:
Maybe this is a previous owner's mod? Or they replaced the original with whatever they had available?
Click to expand...

No matter which way, it's a valid mod.

If I had a passive bass control with a standard pot, but I was getting my best and preferred bass level with the control dialed back towards center, then I would've installed a center detented pot. Essentially an 'automatic' position setting for my preferred setting that's at, or near, center of rotation.

If more bass needed, dial control in one direction from detent. For less bass, dial control the other direction from detent. Preferred bass level needed again? Rotate pot 'til it hits the detent.

So, the question to you is, do you like the bass level with the control at detent? If so, don't change the pot, as you can now increase or decrease the bass content around your preferred detented position.

If you don't like the sound of, or the feel of, the detent position, just change the pot.

You have choices, man LOL
 
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#8
I suppose I can see the reasoning behind wanting a detent. That said, the pot has a lot of play and some intermittent hum, so I may replace. This is the finest bass _I_ have ever owned so I want to get the most out of it. I'm grateful for the various perspectives and I will take better images in the future.
lowfreqgeek said:
The bass pot is a 1Meg ohm (reverse taper, I think?) and does not have a detent. If the previous owner replaced it with a different value and taper, it's not going to give you the expected bass response or range of the original.
Click to expand...
Interesting....I just noticed that someone sells a reverse audio taper with a center detent, intended for the L-2000
Maybe that is what happened.
 
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#10
bpabon said:
Or they replaced the original with whatever they had available?
Click to expand...

bpabon said:
I just noticed that someone sells a reverse audio taper with a center detent, intended for the L-2000
Maybe that is what happened.
Click to expand...
Either scenario is very possible. The corect 1M, reverse taper pot isn't a common value. It's not super rare, but it's not something you'd find easily without some familiarity with electronics suppliers and some experience sourcing that sort of thing.

That's a prime market for an ebay seller who just happens to find themselves with a bunch of pots that are well-suited to the application and, as @fig points out, a center detent would be pretty handy in that spot (I can confirm that I run the bass cut on all three of my G&Ls right near 50%).
Perhaps the seller is also aware that you can no longer just order one from G&L.

All that said, you'll still need to confirm that what you have in the instrument is the correct value. Given that it seems that the switch isn't original, there's no telling what other changes have been made - for the better or not. The reverse taper is a key factor in the bass cut's behavior.
 
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