L-2500 Tribute = buzzing pickups

[*ToNeS*]

Hey guys, I just bought a nifty new G&L L-2500 Tribute. Love the thing, it's perfect in every way... except the pickups buzz/hiss noticeably when I'm plugged in but not playing. It's really irritating, and renders this axe pretty useless in a recording situation.

I sent it off to have it looked it, and the tech came back and said that this problem was common across G&Ls because the pups are so hot or something like that. Well for me this is an absolute deal-breaker - I've had far cheaper and nastier basses without this problem, and am considering selling it.

I read somewhere that this is easy to fix, however - is that true? I've got a guy putting copper into the pickups at the moment, but allegedly this won't do much to help. Anyone have a similar issue?

 

[unclejane]

Hey guys, I just bought a nifty new G&L L-2500 Tribute. Love the thing, it's perfect in every way... except the pickups buzz/hiss noticeably when I'm plugged in but not playing. It's really irritating, and renders this axe pretty useless in a recording situation.

I sent it off to have it looked it, and the tech came back and said that this problem was common across G&Ls because the pups are so hot or something like that. Well for me this is an absolute deal-breaker - I've had far cheaper and nastier basses without this problem, and am considering selling it.

I read somewhere that this is easy to fix, however - is that true? I've got a guy putting copper into the pickups at the moment, but allegedly this won't do much to help. Anyone have a similar issue?

Yep, both of my G&L's buzz pretty bad in series mode. Not as bad as my rick 4003 tho .

I havn't decided yet if I'm going to try to fix it. I've chased buzzes before and that could just lead to madness.

Instead, I'm probably just going to invest in a good noise gate if I start recording with em in a situation where the buzz is objectionable.

Note also it's quiet with the PU's in parallel mode, so that's an option too...

LS

 

[Ken Baker]

Hey guys, I just bought a nifty new G&L L-2500 Tribute. Love the thing, it's perfect in every way... except the pickups buzz/hiss noticeably when I'm plugged in but not playing. It's really irritating, and renders this axe pretty useless in a recording situation.

Do you own any other active basses? I may have an idea here.

I sent it off to have it looked it, and the tech came back and said that this problem was common across G&Ls because the pups are so hot or something like that. Well for me this is an absolute deal-breaker - I've had far cheaper and nastier basses without this problem, and am considering selling it.

It's my understanding that G&Ls aren't too common in Australia. As such, there are probably few techs that have actual experience with G&Ls - either Tribute or USA. Suffice it to say that the tech is incorrect in his assessment that hissing is common to all G&Ls.

Unless....

I read somewhere that this is easy to fix, however - is that true? I've got a guy putting copper into the pickups at the moment, but allegedly this won't do much to help. Anyone have a similar issue?

Without being able to put hands on your bass, my guess is that a quick, easy, and free fix is possible. Let me share something with you:

I have beside me a new (well, bought in late July) USA L-2500. Absolutely normal in every way as regards the electronics. I just plugged it into a G-K 400RB. Then I turned the volume on the bass completely down, dimed the treble & bass, and flipped it to active. I then turned on the amp and slowly cranked up the volume on the bass. At 85 to 90 percent I starting getting a little hiss, and wide open it was notably noisy. Then I backed it off to normal playing settings (treble & bass at about 75% and volume at about 70%) and it got quiet as a churchmouse.

My point is that if you're diming the controls as would be normal for most passive basses, don't. Back them off and the hissing should go away. BTW - this would be true for most ANY active bass. Please try this.

Having typed all that (my fingers are getting hoarse), if there is lot of hiss at all volume levels, it is remotely possible that there is a problem with the preamp. To test, pull the battery and attempt to play in passive mode. If the hiss goes away, contact your dealer for warranty service.

Ken...

 

[*ToNeS*]

I played an active Spector for years and it was quiet as a mouse. Didn't have exposed pole pickups though, perhaps that's part of the G&L's problem?

Too true, you've got to fight to find G&Ls over here and the guy did sound a bit lost when we were talking about it - not really what you want to hear from the bloke messing with the innards of your bass!

It's been fully-shielded and I'm due to pick it up from the shop, so we'll see how we go. Ken, I'll give your advice a go and offer up a little prayer to the bass gods that I'll be able to hang onto this thing. I swear, there's nothing like G&Ls and to be thwarted by mere hiss? Get outta town...

 

[Ken Baker]

I played an active Spector for years and it was quiet as a mouse. Didn't have exposed pole pickups though, perhaps that's part of the G&L's problem?

Nope. There are poles under the plastic covers of non-exposed pickups. They're just, well, covered.

It's been fully-shielded and I'm due to pick it up from the shop, so we'll see how we go. Ken, I'll give your advice a go and offer up a little prayer to the bass gods that I'll be able to hang onto this thing. I swear, there's nothing like G&Ls and to be thwarted by mere hiss? Get outta town...

May be bass gods be with you! Let us know what happens.

Ken...

 

[Caimanson]

For reference my Tribute L2500 is totally quiet.

 

[*ToNeS*]

For reference my Tribute L2500 is totally quiet.

Yep, just chuck some salt on the wound there...

 

[4Mal]

I've had a few L-1, L-2, SB-2 and JB-02 MIA G&L's ... my Trib L-2500 is more well shielded than any. The exposed / non-exposed pole pieces aren't the issue - plastic covers do not limit RF/EM.

The G&L pre is mighty hot. As Mr Baker mentions running it flat out might not be the place where the best tone resides. IMO- the best G&L L series sounds - which to me are the best G&L sounds - are those from the Passive side of the L2K - the pre-amp doesn't do much for me tonally -

Think about what that pre was meant to do - 10 db boost to drive long cable runs, and then a treble boost on top of that for the sole tone change attributable to the pre - The Bass & Treble controls remain passive even when the pre is on.

The G&L approach is way different than that of Specor, Yamaha, Warwick,et al where the pre means active EQ - and to a large extent - the pre is the sound of the bass - In the L-series the pre is essentially and add-on to an already great sounding instrument ... try recording the passive mode and see if you don't agree.

 

[Ken Baker]

I've had a few L-1, L-2, SB-2 and JB-02 MIA G&L's ...

The G&L pre is mighty hot. As Mr Baker mentions running it flat out might not be the place where the best tone resides. IMO- the best G&L L series sounds - which to me are the best G&L sounds - are those from the Passive side of the L2K - the pre-amp doesn't do much for me tonally -

Mr. Baker?! Am I, like, in trouble or sumpin?

I can't wait for the JB-1. Jazz stylin' and MFD goodness. Hope it isn't shelved in this lovely economy. OTOH, I may already have something like that.

Ken...

 

[stuntbass77]

I had a problem with my Tribute 2500. I was getting a metal ping sound when I hit the strings. Turn out that under the pickups are springs and as soon as I removed them and replaced them with foam the noise went away. I also had a loose solder joint on one of the pots I had to hit with a soldering gun. Was a great bass other then that; would consider them one of the best made imports (better then the fender imports anyway).

 

[Ken Baker]

I had a problem with my Tribute 2500. I was getting a metal ping sound when I hit the strings. Turn out that under the pickups are springs and as soon as I removed them and replaced them with foam the noise went away. I also had a loose solder joint on one of the pots I had to hit with a soldering gun. Was a great bass other then that; would consider them one of the best made imports (better then the fender imports anyway).

Interesting. I thought "Spring Ping" was a JB-2 thing. This is the first I've heard of it with the humbuckers.

Another fix that allows you to keep the metal springs is to insert either a piece of foam or a small strip of very thin (1/32") neoprene in the middle of the spring. This will damp the vibration of the spring and kill Spring Ping.

Ken...

 

[tornadobass]

I had spring ping with my Korean L-2500. I like the flexibility of spring adjusters over foam, so I put little pieces of foam inside the springs...no more ping. And the shielding on this bass is very effective, very little noise in either pickup mode.

 

[1954bassman]

You might check the ground wire under the bridge. I have three G&L's, and one is dead quiet (most of the time) another is very suseptable to any interferance / noise, and my EMG equiped L5500 is almost dead quiet 100% of the time.

Another vote here for running passive, and backing off slightly on both the bass and treble. Give it a try, I know it goes against common practice, but G&L's are uncommon beast!