My trip plays well at home, but has never felt right with my band (not enough) bottom. I have recently installed a US G&L fretless neck with flat wound strings and still I'm not happy with the sound. I'm going to put it up for sale.
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I hate my trib L2500
- Thread starter skidmarkbass
- Start date
Your L-2500 doesn't have enough bottom? Typically the complaint (if there is one) is that they have too much bottom. You try putting that thing in series mode (middle selector switch forward)?
Yeah, it sounds like something is malfunctioning, or your pickups need adjusting. Try raising and lowering them, and see what happens. Those MFD's are so hot that adjustments make meaningful tone differences.
Also, do you get enough bottom through the same rig using other basses? If so, what are they?
Also, do you get enough bottom through the same rig using other basses? If so, what are they?
I had similar feelings about my -97 ASAT, then I removed my battery. "read somewhere that preamp uses battery in passive mode" Until then I felt that there was something always muddying my low middles. And that's the reason why it felt that there wasn't enough low end. Now I'm happy G&L owner with clear growling sound and all the bottom I need. Who uses active modes anyway?
What amp rig are you playing it through ?
What settings do you have your amp on ?
What settings do you use on the bass ?
What settings do you have your amp on ?
What settings do you use on the bass ?
I had similar feelings about my -97 ASAT, then I removed my battery. "read somewhere that preamp uses battery in passive mode" Until then I felt that there was something always muddying my low middles. And that's the reason why it felt that there wasn't enough low end. Now I'm happy G&L owner with clear growling sound and all the bottom I need. Who uses active modes anyway?
this is an interesting theory?? I may give this a try.. although my 96 L2000 has plenty of low end, Im wondering if there is some muddyness down there??
Back when I was a wee lad I thought my ASAT was lacking "Bass", especially at loud gigs. I had it in active, series, both on & all knobs cranked. What I didn't realize was that the bass was putting out far more Bass than what my head could handle. By turning the Bass knob back to around 7 the whole rig got clearer, punchier and meatier. What I thought I wanted was Bass. What I needed was less Bass so the low-mids could punch through.
Good point. One of the first things to learn with the G&L is not to go "balls to the walls" on any of the tone shaping, either in the bass or on the amp. I finally started everything in the middle and work out, quite different than I'd do with some of my other gear.
Ok I tried pulling the battery out and there is a huge difference in tone, and yes more mids less low end. I even had to start turning the bass knob on my bass up again! Anyway, the bass strings just seem to sound more alive and the tone cuts a bit better as well.
Good! I noticed that too, it's so much clearer and sounds just as it should. Try the difference in series without battery! Maybe I should do some sample recordings with and without the battery.
Thank you guys for the advice to remove the battery in the passive mode! Tried it today on a rehearsal - makes a noticeable difference. I may end up abandoning active mode altogether 
Funny, about the fact that L2XXX have TONS of bottom. When I first got my L2.5K in '97, it didn't have any bottom whatsoever. I took it to Rudy's music in NYC, and the tech totally agreed with me. He said "wow, that's weird..."
So he let me plug into a Pensa/Suhr outboard preamp to see how I liked the sound. We settled on an onboard version of that preamp and now it has more bottom than any bass I have ever played. In series mode, I have to totally roll off the bass knob 100% so my preamp won't clip.
Must have been something wrong with the first-run of the L2.5K active preamp modules. I still have the circuiit board, and it's printed Rev. 1 on it. Not sure how many revisions they had, but obviously they've corrected the bass putput...
So he let me plug into a Pensa/Suhr outboard preamp to see how I liked the sound. We settled on an onboard version of that preamp and now it has more bottom than any bass I have ever played. In series mode, I have to totally roll off the bass knob 100% so my preamp won't clip.
Must have been something wrong with the first-run of the L2.5K active preamp modules. I still have the circuiit board, and it's printed Rev. 1 on it. Not sure how many revisions they had, but obviously they've corrected the bass putput...
- Mar 30, 2007
- 4,017
- 321
- Disclosures
- Endorsing Artist: Genzler Amplification/Spector Basses/Mojo Hand FX
So do a lot of you guys pull the battery out and just run your L series in passive mode?...I have to admit, I just tried it and it does sound pretty good...
Wow! Thanks for the tip on taking the battery out. It seems to have made a big positive difference in the clarity and tone...will have to try it on a gig to know for sure.
I've noticed clarity issues with my L-2500 since I started playing a jazz with EMGs (they're extraordinarily bright and clear), so much so that I can't much stand the G&L anymore. I might also go ahead with a single-coil mod sometime in the future, but this combined with less drastic EQing could actually be enough to do what I want.
I s'pose some might argue it takes away a tool from a swiss army knife...so maybe its not for everyone, but wow, it does make a difference and I didn't expect it to.
I've noticed clarity issues with my L-2500 since I started playing a jazz with EMGs (they're extraordinarily bright and clear), so much so that I can't much stand the G&L anymore. I might also go ahead with a single-coil mod sometime in the future, but this combined with less drastic EQing could actually be enough to do what I want.
I s'pose some might argue it takes away a tool from a swiss army knife...so maybe its not for everyone, but wow, it does make a difference and I didn't expect it to.
You're not losing EQ or the switching. About the only thing that you really are losing is the ability to have a long cable without signal degradation.
You can approximate single coil by adjusting one side of the pickup higher than the other. It looks kind of funny, but it'll give you an idea of capability and help you decide if you want to do the mod.
Ken...
