G&L L-2000 Bass - Anyone finding it underwhelming?

I love mine, but I guess it’s not the sound you’re looking for. Have you tried brighter strings? I have hi-beams on mine and it has loads of high end.

 

Usually nothing but rave reviews on them and Im about to pull the trigger on a used one. I'll take it off your hands cheap if you put it back to stock configuration!

 

Maybe you're looking more for an M2000? Don't know that I've heard many/any that are unhappy with their L2Ks.

 

Underwhelming is a word I could use for quite a few basses I've tried just this past year, but it's a word I'd never associate with any L2000...not even a Tribute.
Dull sounding?
Anything but.
I've had several bassists beg me to trade my bass for theirs because it can do everything.

As mentioned above, the right strings can turn it into an entirely different bass. What kind of strings are you using? Have you tried better strings?
Other than that, I've heard about people not being able to bring the best out of their L2000...maybe one story a year...and I sometimes wonder if it might simply be the amplifier they're using or something else entirely.
As for keeping it, if it doesn't work for you, sell it to someone who can enjoy it for what it is...or maybe take ot to a tech and see if something is actually wrong with it that you might have missed.

 

Both pickups, a pick and series mode? Beastly tone! It’d be interesting to put a different preamp in it. For sure new strings.

 

I wouldn’t ever describe the L2000 as dull or lifeless, but I wouldn’t describe it as modern either. So I don’t know if it would ever totally get you tone like Dave Hollingsworth (had to look him up) with the L-2000 with the stock electronics. Maybe a new preamp? The videos I saw with Dave Hollingsworth playing looked to have active soapbars and a 2-band preamp. Maybe an EMG BTS would get you in that ballpark, but I’m just speculating.

 

I think that with L2k tone pots are essentials of the sound, if you open them too much the sound is mud.

While I play all my other basses with 100% open tone pots, with L2K I go between 20 and 50%, both bass and treble.

As far as I know, these pickups are too hot to let them do what they like, you have to restrain them.

 

I believe the L2000 preamp controls are active (ie boost/cut) and not passive (ie cut only). Likely they’re flat in the middle of their sweep.

You would want to restrain something if it wasn’t sounding how you wanted and needed a change. It sounds like you do. Knobs are meant to be turned.

 

I owned a L2500 Tribute. Could not love it, no matter how much I tried. Something about the feel threw me off, it did not seem lend itself to controlling the dynamics with my fingers. In an ensemble setting, it felt uneven. Some notes jumped out, some were too soft. Even on a given note I often felt like some frequency was too loud or too soft, but when I tried to compensate with the controls, it got boomy or muddy or overly clicky or whatever. It was either lost in the mix or stuck way out in an unpleasant way.

I had a similar experience with a USA ASAT that I borrowed. Nicely made, but just didn't work for me.

 

I had one of the L-2000 the American one. Great bass but I wasn't overly impressed. I can't remember quite was was off about it. Sometimes you may just get a dud or maybe its the strings. The wonders of the bass world.

 

The Treble and Bass controls are passive. Cut only. That's why they work in passive mode.

I love my L2KE and my L2500 but they arent for everyone. If you just dont bond with it for whatever reason it's ok to sell it and move on and try something else. No sense keeping it around if it just isnt working for you.

 

Mine was anything but muddy- I sold it because it was too aggressive and the electronics could be noisy.
The tone pots are passive only so wide open, they are at zero; from there, you cut bass or treble. Also, it’s a bass that doesn’t like to have the volume knob cranked- the PU’s are really hot. It’s inpor to know how all the switches work with each other because if you don’t, there are some poor sounds you can get.

 

I loved the L 2500 I had. It sounded terrific and played great. The electronics in them are unique but effective. I have an M 2500 now and like it a lot.

 

Buy another bass?

 

I was digging my Tribute L-2500 until I started playing my cheapo SBMM Ray4, which just sounds great with very little tweaking. Maybe a tiny bass boost. Now when I go back to the L-2500 I feel like I'm missing some edge. Probably not a fair comparison, but I thought the L-2500 could do everything until I got used to the Stingray sound. Now my bands are just going to have to deal with me showing up with a cheapo bass, lol.

 

It happens, some are a dud, but I suspect it's very few.
I made a thread about how I tried an Alder one a year ago & it sounded like a dud.
Came back 3 months later & tried an Ash one & it sounded so good I bought it!

 

Have the L2000, have struggled with it for over a year. It sounds best when running SS bright strings. I run a MM Sterling for those sounds. So I tried flats on the G&L. It’s has deep lows, is a little squirrelly with mids but I can get a decent dull thud from it, like any P bass.

 

Yep.