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G&L L2000 Tribute vs MM Stingray

MarshallNole

MarshallNole

Guest
Dec 1, 2013
414
96
#1
I have pretty much narrowed it down to the G&L L2000 Tribute or the MM Stingray for my next bass. I currently have a beginners Ibanez SR300. My main goal is to get a bass than can get you closer to a Wal tone without the pricetag, and upon searching these forums it appears both of these bass guitars will do the trick.

If you had to choose, which of these basses would you prefer and why? I certainly like the price of the L2000 better, but the Stingrays are beautiful bass guitars. I'm left handed, and the lefty model of the L2000 only comes in one color.

Just trying to get some pros/cons/thoughts on these two basses.
 
#2
I can't speak too much for the G&L L2000 Tribute, as I've only played the US-made L2000 in stores, but they seemed nice and the build quality was high.

As far as Stingrays are concerned, I love mine. The build quality is incredible and plays effortlessly, just a great bass. Depending on the Wal tone you're going for, it could be the ticket. I'm a huge Tool/Justin Chancellor fan and the Stingray Classic combined with a Darkglass BK3 got me close enough to his tone without having to sell my truck for a Wal.

Just be aware that there are different levels of quality and country of origin between the L2000 Tribute and a MM Stingray.

L2000 Tribute = Mid-Level, made in Indonesia
MM Stingray = Higher Priced, made in USA
 
#3
I have two L2K's and a Stingray. They sound very different from each other, so I would try them both out first. Personally, I love my L2K's (usa models). I am not too thrilled with my Stingray and have been thinking about selling or trading it. It's really a personal preference thing, but if you are going to plunk that much down on one of these, try them out first.
 
#4
Bingo. Tool/Justin Chancellor is literally the exact reason I got into playing bass guitar. I know I will never match his tone, but I want something somewhere in the ballpark.

mdr0430 said:
I can't speak too much for the G&L L2000 Tribute, as I've only played the US-made L2000 in stores, but they seemed nice and the build quality was high.

As far as Stingrays are concerned, I love mine. The build quality is incredible and plays effortlessly, just a great bass. Depending on the Wal tone you're going for, it could be the ticket. I'm a huge Tool/Justin Chancellor fan and the Stingray Classic combined with a Darkglass BK3 got me close enough to his tone without having to sell my truck for a Wal.

Just be aware that there are different levels of quality and country of origin between the L2000 Tribute and a MM Stingray.

L2000 Tribute = Mid-Level, made in Indonesia
MM Stingray = Higher Priced, made in USA
Click to expand...
 
#5
Im happy to see you brought this here Marshal, you should get a lot of great opinions on this here.

Lets help this guy out and give him as much input, opinions and experiences as possible all! This bassist is a newer player and wants to learn so I think he can use any and all input from those who choose to provide it.

I will share my exp with you here, again :), I own and play as my go to an Ibanez ATK. This is a wonderful bass IMO, great tone, great playability, great feel, great look and its really versatile. I have heard some say that the ATK was Ibanez' answer to the MM. I have picked up and played many a MM's in stores and at friends houses/jam spots and there are many similarities in them. I always like the way the ATK felt and played more. It seemed "stronger" and or more solid. But then you didnt ask about ATK's. I guess I should shut up ;) I cant speak of the G&L's personally, only can go by what I hear. But you know all this about me too, I figured I would try and give this thread a boost to get you as much input as you could to make a well informed decision.
 
#6
A better price comparison to the L2K Tribute would be the Sterling by MusicMan series or the SUB line. I have no experience with any of them, sorry.

US made L2000's and Stingray's on the other hand, I've got lots of experience :). Both are very well made basses but do somewhat different things despite how similar they look.

An L2000 is a very aggressive bass with the ceramic pickups, has useful switching options (and simple mods can take it further), great finish, options for what neck you want, etc.

A Stingray is IMO, a simpler bass. They what they do VERY well, feel incredible, sound incredible, and are a classic for a reason.

Do any stores in your area carry them? The best advice is to go out and play them to see what you like better.
 
#9
Just thought I'd get some opinions on these two :). I feel bad constantly bugging you via pm.

Any and all input is appreciated!

gregmon79 said:
Im happy to see you brought this here Marshal, you should get a lot of great opinions on this here.

Lets help this guy out and give him as much input, opinions and experiences as possible all! This bassist is a newer player and wants to learn so I think he can use any and all input from those who choose to provide it.

I will share my exp with you here, again :), I own and play as my go to an Ibanez ATK. This is a wonderful bass IMO, great tone, great playability, great feel, great look and its really versatile. I have heard some say that the ATK was Ibanez' answer to the MM. I have picked up and played many a MM's in stores and at friends houses/jam spots and there are many similarities in them. I always like the way the ATK felt and played more. It seemed "stronger" and or more solid. But then you didnt ask about ATK's. I guess I should shut up ;) I cant speak of the G&L's personally, only can go by what I hear. But you know all this about me too, I figured I would try and give this thread a boost to get you as much input as you could to make a well informed decision.
Click to expand...
 
#14
MarshallNole said:
Just thought I'd get some opinions on these two :). I feel bad constantly bugging you via pm.



Any and all input is appreciated!
Click to expand...


Oh you can't bug me, I love talking gear and I like helping in any way I can. It's like I had said, the G&L is most def going to be more versatile and you'll be able to get a lot of different tones and nail down more genres, including 90's alternative and so forth, the kind of music we both are inspired most by. The MM are very nice basses indeed but the thing with them is as stated above, they sound like MM and there's no way you're really going to be able to change that. While that may be great for some, it may not work for others. I personally think you'd be better off with the G&L for what you're trying to accomplish. Plus, if your tasted change a little like mine did over the years as you learn more, you'll be able to adjust your tone/sound easier with the G&L as opposed to the MM.
 
#16
Caveat: I have no real idea what a Wal sounds like.

I have a L-2500, an EBMM Sterling 5 H, and have had a StingRay 5 H.

If you're debating between 2 basses and you don't already have a preference based on the sound of those 2 basses, then I'd say you should look at comfort and pick whichever feels better to you. As a side note, if you shop well and purchase on the used market, you can always buy either one, try it, and then sell it for what you paid for it (like I said, IF you shop well and buy used).

For the 4-stringers, I'd say the first thing you ought to look at is the neck sizes. I haven't tried a 4-string StingRay, but I always read that their necks are CHUNKY. If you like your Ibanez (which has quite a slender neck), you might not like the StingRay neck.

In that case, I would suggest looking at an EBMM Sterling, instead of a StingRay. The Sterling neck is more like a Fender Jazz (i.e. much closer to your Ibanez neck than a StingRay neck). Plus, on a 4-string, the Sterling H will give you a 3-way switch, offering Series, Single Coil, and Parallel modes, where the StingRay is only Parallel, with no switch. Also, the Sterling will have a pickup with ceramic magnets, which will sound a bit more aggressive than the StingRay pickup (which has alnico magnets).

On the L-2000 side, if you get a Tribute you will only have one option for the neck. But, if you get a US-made L-2000, then you have several choices for the neck width and profile, so you can get what you want there. And if an EBMM StingRay (or Sterling) is within your budget, then so is a US-made L-2000 as they are generally about the same, when purchased new, and the G&L is usually a bit less on the used market.

Personally, I've had my L-2500 for a couple of years and my Sterling 5 H for about 6 months. Since I got my Sterling, I haven't really had any desire to play ANY other bass. The Sterling rules my roost!
 
#19
From my Google search the IBanez SR300 appears to have a 1.75" nut with 12" neck radius, same as the G&L L2000 by default.

According to the MM site, the sterling and stingray have 11" neck radius.

StuartV said:
Caveat: I have no real idea what a Wal sounds like.

I have a L-2500, an EBMM Sterling 5 H, and have had a StingRay 5 H.

If you're debating between 2 basses and you don't already have a preference based on the sound of those 2 basses, then I'd say you should look at comfort and pick whichever feels better to you. As a side note, if you shop well and purchase on the used market, you can always buy either one, try it, and then sell it for what you paid for it (like I said, IF you shop well and buy used).

For the 4-stringers, I'd say the first thing you ought to look at is the neck sizes. I haven't tried a 4-string StingRay, but I always read that their necks are CHUNKY. If you like your Ibanez (which has quite a slender neck), you might not like the StingRay neck.

In that case, I would suggest looking at an EBMM Sterling, instead of a StingRay. The Sterling neck is more like a Fender Jazz (i.e. much closer to your Ibanez neck than a StingRay neck). Plus, on a 4-string, the Sterling H will give you a 3-way switch, offering Series, Single Coil, and Parallel modes, where the StingRay is only Parallel, with no switch. Also, the Sterling will have a pickup with ceramic magnets, which will sound a bit more aggressive than the StingRay pickup (which has alnico magnets).

On the L-2000 side, if you get a Tribute you will only have one option for the neck. But, if you get a US-made L-2000, then you have several choices for the neck width and profile, so you can get what you want there. And if an EBMM StingRay (or Sterling) is within your budget, then so is a US-made L-2000 as they are generally about the same, when purchased new, and the G&L is usually a bit less on the used market.

Personally, I've had my L-2500 for a couple of years and my Sterling 5 H for about 6 months. Since I got my Sterling, I haven't really had any desire to play ANY other bass. The Sterling rules my roost!
Click to expand...
 

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