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

[thevintagesound]

Hey guys,
Again thanks for all the suggestions on the controls. For me, I've always had the thought of "set it and forget", (ie turn everything up like on most), that way if something is off, just turn up, and I dont have to fiddle with things while playing. I don't stay in one place and like to move around. Thinking I will hit up the local guitar shops and see what else is out there, see if I bond with something. Cheers!

 

[68Goldfish]

I can’t imagine overthinking the bass this much. Just turn the volume down to about 80 percent or so, set the eq knobs about half way. Decide witch pickup combo/coil tap configuration you like and play it. There’s only like half a dozen killer sounds with some simple switch flipping without even getting serious about it. Front pickup in single coil/ passive mode....excellent. Both pickups in series...again excellent. Put some new strings on it and play it.

 

[TomB]

I can’t imagine overthinking the bass this much. Just turn the volume down to about 80 percent or so, set the eq knobs about half way. Decide witch pickup combo/coil tap configuration you like and play it. There’s only like half a dozen killer sounds with some simple switch flipping without even getting serious about it. Front pickup in single coil/ passive mode....excellent. Both pickups in series...again excellent. Put some new strings on it and play it.

...then again, if you need a suggestion to go shopping, that shouldn't be hard to find here LOL!

 

[Torrente Cro]

Hey guys,
Again thanks for all the suggestions on the controls. For me, I've always had the thought of "set it and forget", (ie turn everything up like on most), that way if something is off, just turn up, and I dont have to fiddle with things while playing. I don't stay in one place and like to move around. Thinking I will hit up the local guitar shops and see what else is out there, see if I bond with something. Cheers!

I set and forget tone knobs, and choose between sounds using switches: pickup choice and serial/parallel.
It is easy, fast and effective.

 

[mcnach]

It's not so much a specific tone as a specific control. I like to have a lot of ability to toy with my low-mids in the moment. For me, and it's definitely a personal thing, that's where I feel like I can do the most on the fly adapting. Every time someone has explained to me their process for focusing on changing those specific frequencies, it's sounded sort of convoluted.
ETA: Right now, my day-to-day go-to instrument is active with a mid pot, and I'm worried the G&L would turn into another " one thing here, one song there" bass like a few of my others that mostly live in my practice room.

After using my L2000 stock for a while, I installed a John East MMSR in it. The 3-band, 3-knob, with stacked mids control (semiparametric). I think you might like that. The 'mids' go as low as 100Hz, so plenty of adjustment scope for your low mids.

The passive controls on the L2000 work well but it's true, they're not as intuitive as a dedicated active mids control, if it's mids that you want to focus mostly on.

 

[mcnach]

Ive been considering an L2000 Tribute but I don't like that it doesn't have a mid control, all active basses should have one IMO. I hear that its a pretty mid-heavy sounding bass, which I hate. Thats why I don't get along with the Stingray, no way to dial out those awful mids. Is the L2000 similar?

Those 'awful' mids are very controllable even on a 2-band Stingray, but you do need to experiment a bit with how the low/treble controls interact before they become intuitive. I think a lot of people just dime the controls and go "oh, too scooped" so turn both down equally and get a a thin middy sound and conclude the bass is not for them.

The passive controls on the L2000 don't work the same way, obviously they're different, but they require the same "play a bit with them" before they become intuitive too, but they have a wide range of adjustment... they just don't work like typical active boost/cut controls.

 

[mcnach]

@Cuzzie
Clarify, I worked on it, while on the production line as an employee of G&L, it went out into the world and got the snot played out of it.
Found it's way back to me and during disassembly I found my initials on the neck (so I shaped it and did the fretwork, fretwork was my main station)
View attachment 3439715
I knew Leo well, ate lunch with him, drove him home, and he helped me change the generator belt on my 56 VW Kombi. Irreplaceable memories !!!
*Edit : one of my bandmates at the time was out of work. I could not get him in at G&L, nor Rickenbacker (a few miles away) and Charvel was too far of a drive. He got an interview at Fender, and a job. He's still there, one of the well known master builders...

I love hearing stories like these. Thank you for sharing

 

[Xjenrbcjsmsbfjw]

After using my L2000 stock for a while, I installed a John East MMSR in it. The 3-band, 3-knob, with stacked mids control (semiparametric). I think you might like that. The 'mids' go as low as 100Hz, so plenty of adjustment scope for your low mids.

The passive controls on the L2000 work well but it's true, they're not as intuitive as a dedicated active mids control, if it's mids that you want to focus mostly on.

The idea sounds pretty cool. I'll keep it in mind in case I ever run across one with some miles on it that I deem somewhat sacrificial.
I don't tend to mod up my stuff very much. Don't get me wrong, I'm not one of those a**holes who acts like someone is doing somethong wrong when they mod their own things, but if I enjoy an instrument at all, I tend to try to keep as much of the original character as I can, even the bits of it that I don't love. That being said, if something has hit that irredeemable level, it's game on; get ready for some franken-bassing.
It really is just my approach though. I have a friend that I'm pretty sure gets more joy out of the instruments he doesn't like than the ones he does, because then there's something to screw with. It's definitely fun to watch.
I may have overexplained there. I just don't want to come off as one of those "HOW DARE YOU MAKE CHANGES!!!" guys.

 

[Dave Neal]

I've had the bass now for about 6 years. Removed my preamp and tone controls, made each pick up switchable from parallel to single to series a while back. It helped a little in the tone. Ran that way for a bit, but just wasnt happy with it. So I put it back to stock wiring again with the preamp and tone controls, just not digging it. Dull sounding, even with the bright switch enabled, it peaks in the upper mids, not the good ones. Was hoping that with all the switching, I could get something a little more "modern" sounding. Big influence here lately has been Dave Hollingworth from Dorje and Toska. The G&L cant seem to get the clarity on the mids through top end. Looking at just the pickups straight in on a spectrum, there's tons of lows but no high end. Its also missing that low mid growl.

Trying to figure out where to go with it. It was given to me years ago by a friend and would be hard to sell it. New preamp? Pickups?

I can't give an opinion on an L2000 but I can on the M-2000... totally solid bass that can do anything tonally. Great playing and looking instrument.

 

[/\/\3phist0]

I can't give an opinion on an L2000 but I can on the M-2000... totally solid bass that can do anything tonally. Great playing and looking instrument.

Underwhelming? Nah

 

[Newbilong]

The L2000 is a great bass.

First get the right strings for you. I prefer rounds on the L2000 because you can achieve a wider range of tones than with flats.

Then play around with pickup height. Lower those pickups gradually until you find the sweet spot where everything sings.

 

[Mike Romanowski]

I had a “82” one and the biggest thing that struck me about it was it just felt overweight and gangly to me. I just never could get comfortable playing it. And also what some previous posters said about those pickups being overly aggressive almost to a fault. That made it hard to dial in just right, so amp selection seems to me to be a little more critical with these. But I never saw any need to start changing the electronic or pickup makeup of these. With right strings and setup these did do a nice job and once you got them dialed in right with your amp they were definitely tone monsters whether in active or passive mode. But I could never, ever say I found them underwhelming by any stretch of the imagination.

 

[One Way]

I had a “82” one and the biggest thing that struck me about it was it just felt overweight and gangly to me. I just never could get comfortable playing it. And also what some previous posters said about those pickups being overly aggressive almost to a fault. That made it hard to dial in just right, so amp selection seems to me to be a little more critical with these. But I never saw any need to start changing the electronic or pickup makeup of these. With right strings and setup these did do a nice job and once you got them dialed in right with your amp they were definitely tone monsters whether in active or passive mode. But I could never, ever say I found them underwhelming by any stretch of the imagination.

I agree with your thoughts on amp selection. My M2500 sounds fantastic through my Ampeg BA-112v2 practice amp. With my Fender Rumble 500 head and 410 Cabinet I need to back off the bass and low mid tone controls to about 9:30 - 10:00 to get a clean sound. Difference between amps? The Ampeg has an input pad switch for active basses or hot signal input, the Fender does not. This has me testing new amp heads

 

[Pet Sounds]

I have owned two of them and never bonded with either. They're very well-made, but I found it hard to dial in the found I wanted. I have heard others play them live and they founded good, though.

 

[DirkP]

I've had the bass now for about 6 years. Removed my preamp and tone controls, made each pick up switchable from parallel to single to series a while back. It helped a little in the tone. Ran that way for a bit, but just wasnt happy with it. So I put it back to stock wiring again with the preamp and tone controls, just not digging it. Dull sounding, even with the bright switch enabled, it peaks in the upper mids, not the good ones. Was hoping that with all the switching, I could get something a little more "modern" sounding. Big influence here lately has been Dave Hollingworth from Dorje and Toska. The G&L cant seem to get the clarity on the mids through top end. Looking at just the pickups straight in on a spectrum, there's tons of lows but no high end. Its also missing that low mid growl.

Trying to figure out where to go with it. It was given to me years ago by a friend and would be hard to sell it. New preamp? Pickups?

My experience is very similar, I owned a L2000 for nearly 20 years and a Lynx for nearly as long. Sold both 5 years ago and don't miss the L2000. Prefered the Linx. I bought the L2000 being convinced that it kind of can do the Stingray, a P, a J and a Sabre and more. I started to really prefer Fenders classic designs. I don't like the pickups and the preamp of the L2000. And it is in a way too much with the strong magnets and the preamp. Has a sound of its own, always, that I don't like, esp. as you describe in the mids. I don't think it was the climax of Leo Fenders work. I even like the Stingray way more. And I don't care much about the design. The J, the P and the Stingray have such a unique look, they are real classics. The L2000 looks like a naked Precision with an ugly headstock. Ducking away...

 

[P. Aaron]

I just changed the strings on my L-2500 to DR Nickel Loriders and it's a completely different animal! It mellowed out the harsh highs that it had and tightened up the lows. Don't give up, it's a great bass if you hang in there! You might have to tweak your amps eq to accommodate those insanely hot pickups.. they sound great once you get her dialed in though!

I use DR Low Rider Nickels on my Precision V. I love them on that bass.

 

[/\/\3phist0]

My experience is very similar, I owned a L2000 for nearly 20 years and a Lynx for nearly as long. Sold both 5 years ago and don't miss the L2000. Prefered the Linx. I bought the L2000 being convinced that it kind of can do the Stingray, a P, a J and a Sabre and more. I started to really prefer Fenders classic designs. I don't like the pickups and the preamp of the L2000. And it is in a way too much with the strong magnets and the preamp. Has a sound of its own, always, that I don't like, esp. as you describe in the mids. I don't think it was the climax of Leo Fenders work. I even like the Stingray way more. And I don't care much about the design. The J, the P and the Stingray have such a unique look, they are real classics. The L2000 looks like a naked Precision with an ugly headstock. Ducking away...

Bah, 2500s can be beautiful
Like both ends of Leo's design spectrum.

 

[DirkP]

Not my kind of bass... But I think I should be less offensive. I just remember in the early 90s, when I bought my G&L new - it was a lot of money for me back then, there was on older guy at the FDP forum (the Fender Bass forum) that kind of wrote the same about the L2000 I wrote above, and I justed hated him... Or when I did read the Fender Bass book and it was obvious that Jim Roberts was rather underwhelmed with G&L basses, I hated him too... Now that I'm old and wise I knew they were right! With a Jazz you get 64 usefull sounds, with a G&L you get 1578 rather not so usefull sounds. Just my experience and opinion.
But to do G&L justice the quality was more then o.k. and it had a much nicer sunburst finish than any Fender I own. I wanted to lick the finish of the bass.

 

[/\/\3phist0]

Not my kind of bass... But I think I should be less offensive. I just remember in the early 90s, when I bought my G&L new - it was a lot of money for me back then, there was on older guy at the FDP forum (the Fender Bass forum) that kind of wrote the same about the L2000 I wrote above, and I justed hated him... Or when I did read the Fender Bass book and it was obvious that Jim Roberts was rather underwhelmed with G&L basses, I hated him too... Now that I'm old and wise I knew they were right! With a Jazz you get 64 usefull sounds, with a G&L you get 1578 rather not so usefull sounds. Just my experience and opinion.
But to do G&L justice the quality was more then o.k. and it had a much nicer sunburst finish than any Fender I own. I wanted to lick the finish of the bass.

Prime example of to each his own.
I currently have a stack of basses, and a warehouse has passed through my hands over time.
The L2500 gets more stage time than anything else.
The last Bass that I bonded with like this was an 82 Carvin LB90. So my chosen tool for tone, although popular is not everyone's favorite.

Surprise! Not everyone likes chocolate either. (There is something very wrong with them )
I've never ever gotten along with Jazz basses, so there! Something wrong with me I suppose.

 

[GonzoBfiddy]

I've had the bass now for about 6 years. Removed my preamp and tone controls, made each pick up switchable from parallel to single to series a while back. It helped a little in the tone. Ran that way for a bit, but just wasnt happy with it. So I put it back to stock wiring again with the preamp and tone controls, just not digging it. Dull sounding, even with the bright switch enabled, it peaks in the upper mids, not the good ones. Was hoping that with all the switching, I could get something a little more "modern" sounding. Big influence here lately has been Dave Hollingworth from Dorje and Toska. The G&L cant seem to get the clarity on the mids through top end. Looking at just the pickups straight in on a spectrum, there's tons of lows but no high end. Its also missing that low mid growl.

Trying to figure out where to go with it. It was given to me years ago by a friend and would be hard to sell it. New preamp? Pickups?

I have 3 great "L" Series basses (L2000, L2000 fretless, & L2500) and have always had similar complaints about the tone. For me the high end was more than adequate but the bottom end was lacking. I'd had them all for several years before I 'discovered' the tone controls on the L-Series are "cut-only", no boost. I changed the pre-amp on the L2500 to an Aguilar OBP-3 based on a friends' suggestion and it transformed the instrument. The OBP-3 sounds better than the stock "pre" even it's bypassed. The active mode was just more of the good stuff. Maybe you should consider changing the pre on it and see what happens. The L-Series are awesome other than the tone config for my tastes. It's worth trying some options before you ditch it.