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G&L Love
- Thread starter edfriedland
- Start date
Just heard a rough mix from a live show with Chop Shop, the whack trio gig I do every Sunday with Matt Smith and Bryan Austin. Damn, the L2.5 sounds huge, it's...massive in fact. We're in the process of putting together tracks for a live CD, so at some undetermined point in the future people will be able to hear it.
Love is the keyword... though my L-2500 fretless gave me some hard time initially until I found a good setup, the right strings, plus it really needed a small fix at the bridge to make through-body stringing trouble-free. Now, with D'Addario Chromes and pole pieces removed on the outer coils I'm in tone heaven....
Originally I planned to do the known 7-bolt full bridge mod to make it through-bridge only, but at a closer look I found all that might be needed is to file/carve generous roundovers to the sharp-angled sink-head holes in the bridge in order to remove grip there and to allow build-up of a downward/forward vector pressure, otherwise string grip tends to pull the bridge away from the surface a little, making for a dull sound with less than stellar sustain. Additionally I used way longer screws for those lonely two remaining lock-down screwpoints.
I think G&L would act wise to rethink the bridge attach before they start to spread out its potential issues into more basses in their line -- yeah, I'd love to see JB and SB 5ers, too. When keeping the cast metal design as is they should use traditional attach and string-through-bridge because that is what the bridge was designed for and what is working well.
Therefore the 7-bolt attach and through-bridge stringing should be made standard for US and Tribute 5ers while through-body could still be an option for US models for those who really want/need that.
Just my 2ct., YMMV
Originally I planned to do the known 7-bolt full bridge mod to make it through-bridge only, but at a closer look I found all that might be needed is to file/carve generous roundovers to the sharp-angled sink-head holes in the bridge in order to remove grip there and to allow build-up of a downward/forward vector pressure, otherwise string grip tends to pull the bridge away from the surface a little, making for a dull sound with less than stellar sustain. Additionally I used way longer screws for those lonely two remaining lock-down screwpoints.
I think G&L would act wise to rethink the bridge attach before they start to spread out its potential issues into more basses in their line -- yeah, I'd love to see JB and SB 5ers, too. When keeping the cast metal design as is they should use traditional attach and string-through-bridge because that is what the bridge was designed for and what is working well.
Therefore the 7-bolt attach and through-bridge stringing should be made standard for US and Tribute 5ers while through-body could still be an option for US models for those who really want/need that.
Just my 2ct., YMMV
I have 3 G&L's a 2006 L2500 blonde with a maple board a 1997 L2500 frettless in green & black swirl with an ebony board. Both of these have the actives removed and wired for full coil tapping. My 3rd one is a 1990 SB1 all stock 4 string. The mods to my 2500's are thanks to the G&L fourm here for info and diagrams. All 5 of my basses are strung with LaBella Black Nylon Tape Wound Flats. I too love G&L
"Massive and huge "are the operative words. These basses control the low end in a combo. These basses are not for the timid.
Agreed. The only "problem" I have with my L2000 is taming it or toning it down. IT WANTS TO BE HEARD!
Nice ASAT! I think "old" in G&L terms is sometime beforee the late 80's. Not sure when they switched to the series/parallel switch. I'm not certain if ASATs ever came stock with the earlier version of the switch.
Chef
In Memoriam
Heresy!
I haven't encountered any issues stringing through the body, but I will take a look at it now that it's been brought up. I'm not sure going through the body is necessary, but since there were only two screws holding the bridge down, I figured it was best to do it that way. But if the string is grabbing the bridge away from the body... that would suck. I haven't noticed a deficiency in sustain, that's for sure, but no point in leaving the door open for a problem. However I do notice a huge difference in tone with the saddle lock tightened or not.
If I were to get rid of the through body option, I'd probably still want to have the choice to put the B through....
Chef
In Memoriam
Long ago now, I had the bridge rip off my 2500 Tribute.
G&L did fix it, and I've only heard of one or two others with this problem, also long ago now.
G&L did fix it, and I've only heard of one or two others with this problem, also long ago now.
I use my L2k now for jazz, hard bop and such.(shoulder says "no upright for you, old man!")
I use the K switch option with both pups or the neck pup in serial mode. It serves as a backup to my Sadowsky. I get many compliments on the G&L's sound. Strung with GHS brite flats right now.
I split my time between Manhattan and the east end of LI. The humidity has been a major hassle this year. As the weather changed, many of my other basses ( fender, mm, etc. ) became unplayable until adjustments. However the G&L and the Sadowsky necks held like ROCKs. No issues at all. The only other basses of mine with no issues are pre-CBS Fenders. My G&L was bought in 2007. Swamp ash body, beautiful finish red burst. 8 neck.
I never have the volume full on. Usually passive with the bass and treble rolled down almost half.
I am GASing right now for a JB2.
I use the K switch option with both pups or the neck pup in serial mode. It serves as a backup to my Sadowsky. I get many compliments on the G&L's sound. Strung with GHS brite flats right now.
I split my time between Manhattan and the east end of LI. The humidity has been a major hassle this year. As the weather changed, many of my other basses ( fender, mm, etc. ) became unplayable until adjustments. However the G&L and the Sadowsky necks held like ROCKs. No issues at all. The only other basses of mine with no issues are pre-CBS Fenders. My G&L was bought in 2007. Swamp ash body, beautiful finish red burst. 8 neck.
I never have the volume full on. Usually passive with the bass and treble rolled down almost half.
I am GASing right now for a JB2.
G&L doesn't recommend stringing through bridge due to the two-tiny-screws issue you've noted. You've probably also noticed that the through body holes in the bridge are countersunk and look suspiciously like they were originally intended for bridge attachment screws.
For what its worth, I string through bridge simply because it means I can use any old string meant for 34" scale basses. D'Addario normal long scale strings, for example, won't fit string through body.
The bridge attachment mod was really simple.
My previous circa-2003 L2500 came with a case of bridge lift from the previous owner that no amount of dorking with the two factory attachment screws would fix. Not sure if that was due to ill-advised through bridge stringing without adding extra screws or just normal use. The extra screws from the bridge attachment mod managed to squish the bridge back in place, though.
For those of you who have never pulled of your G&L bridge, the way these things mate with the body is pretty unique.
I don't think there is a huge chance of the bridge pulling out but it has happened to people in the past. (Why G&L didn't put a couple extra screws in the thick end of the bridge to hold it down I'll never know)
The newer bridges have a tab that sticks down into the body to take the string force that pretty much prevents the pull-out.
But nevertheless people do the "bridge mod" which is screws through the thru-body holes to hold the bridge down. Personally I want BOTH options although my experience is that if you go through-body many strings require the extra long versions which means you have to order them online. So I just cut through all the crap and now my standard G&L bridge mod is to install two 8-32 threaded inserts in the bass and screw the bridges down with 8-32 stainless steel socket head cap screws. That sucker is going NOWHERE! Which still leaves the option of using either through body or bridge anchor. Currently I"m using bridge anchor and it's no different than thru-body as far as I can tell.
So until G&L comes to their senses and puts two more screws in the bridge, I strongly suggest the threaded insert mod to keep some serious tension between wood and bridge.
Agreed. The only "problem" I have with my L2000 is taming it or toning it down. IT WANTS TO BE HEARD!
Sounds like my kind of bass. Now if I could find one that had an unusual look about it, we'd be in business.
YMMV, but I'm keen on stringing through the body on basses. I've noticed the strings have a tighter feel about them this way.
I'm kind of a Johnny come lately to G&L so I can't speak to the "beginning" but I mentioned it because I could swear I saw some photos online of "early" G&Ls without the tab. But I could be wrong. I think it was with photos of G&L bridges that had pulled out of the body.
