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NBD: G&L CLF Research L-2000

Michael Rosen

Michael Rosen

Mar 21, 2015
65
421
Okoličná na Ostrove, Slovakia
#1
I have just bought my first G&L after being fortunate enough to obtain Fender Precision and Jazz basses and lots of Music Man Stingrays, and I thought I might share the experience with you.

This is the evolution of the Stingray, as far as I know. Always wanted to have one, it was the missing piece for my collection of Fender’s creations. Looks vintage and old-fashioned, but man… Sounds like a P bass on steroids, and with both humbuckers engaged, it is aggressive as hell. These US made models are so rare in my country, this beauty was the last one in stock, I had to jump on the deal.

The bass is such a masterpiece: very comfortable to play, the glossy tinted neck is not bothering me at all, the body is so light, and those electronics… Wow, I still cannot believe how practical and versatile they are. I can dial in vintage and modern sounds, slap and pick sounds. Pickups are super responsive and clean, every note is round and well defined. At first, the switches can look complex, but once you learn the best combinations, it is not that hard to use them. For me, the only con is the bridge pickup solo’d: sounds a bit thin to my ears, even in series/active mode. But I’m not into that Jaco vibe at all, so that’s just a subjective opinion.

All in all I cannot praise high enough this bass, and the brand as well. They deserve much more recognition; in my opinion the L-2000 is the pinnacle of Leo Fender’s engineering. If you can, buy one.

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#5
I've been keeping my eye out for the purple burst with maple neck, already dig their sound, just need to find one at my preferred weight which is always a little bit under 9 pounds. A bit tough with an ash body and maple neck but that's what I'm looking for.
 
#6
Congrats! Killer axes. I love the CLF look with the metal control plate. The MFDs are their own thing. They are indeed aggressive. You may find if you haven't already that rolling the volume knob(s) down a bit, like around 80%, tames them and puts the bass in a less monstrous, more "vintage" tone zone. It's almost like being able to switch from overwound pu's to regular wound, the way they open up when turned down a bit. Super versatile.
 
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#8
The thing about the L is that there is nothing else like it. I have the L 2500 USA model and it plays really well. There is that middy "eRRR" thing that is hard to dial out but really works in a loud mix. In my band I play the M series for +- active tone controls, a little less heat, and a flatter starting point.

But if you need a big balls bass that can just bulldoze through everything, it's the L.
 
#11
klokker said:
The thing about the L is that there is nothing else like it. I have the L 2500 USA model and it plays really well. There is that middy "eRRR" thing that is hard to dial out but really works in a loud mix. In my band I play the M series for +- active tone controls, a little less heat, and a flatter starting point.

But if you need a big balls bass that can just bulldoze through everything, it's the L.
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I always end up with flats on my MFD basses (L2500, Kiloton). It sort of takes the aggro-ness down a bit (and that midrange thing you describe). Plenty of grind still on tap, but with the volume knobs down a bit, passive, I can totally go old school.
 
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#16
Congratulations Michael. The L2000 is truly a swiss-army knife of available tones. That mid-forward aspect of its sound became an essential part of "my" sound going back to my serendipitous discovery of a lone L2000 hanging on the wall of now long-gone Ace Music in 1989. As a wee lad, I had finally saved enough money to buy my first new bass. That natural-finish Swamp Ash bass called to me. It weighed a ton, but THAT SOUND.

Enjoy yours in good health!
 
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#20
MojoPin said:
I've been keeping my eye out for the purple burst with maple neck, already dig their sound, just need to find one at my preferred weight which is always a little bit under 9 pounds. A bit tough with an ash body and maple neck but that's what I'm looking for.
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https://www.sweetwater.com/store/de...l-clf-research-l-2000-bass-guitar-purpleburst

If that's too heavy you could always do a build to order with a lighter wood. As an aside though, I have a JB with an ash body and it's 9 lbs on the nose and feels very light.
 
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