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New bass day: G&L content

Handyman

Handyman

Sep 4, 2007
3,243
2,089
Fort Collins, CO
#1
I got my first G&L today- a beautiful L-2500 I picked up from Mark Robers in the classifieds.

I'm just shocked how great this thing sounds. Its incredibly punchy, and has a huge array of sounds I've just barely started to explore. This may finally be the bass that unseats my 2-Tek Hamer Cruise as my #1 after 8 years.

I've got some threaded aluminum spacers on the way so I can do the 5 screw mod and stick my normal set of D'Addario XLs on this thing.

Oh, and here are the obligatory pictures! :D
l2500_stand.gif


l2500_body.gif
 
#8
Stacatto said:
^

Congrats, and great pic, too! More on spacers mod., please?
Click to expand...

Basically, the two #8 screws attaching the bridge aren't strong enough to hold it onto the body when doing through-bridge stringing. In fact, this bass already has a bit of bridge lift going on, I'm assuming from at attempt at through bridge stringing in the past. Unfortunately, most standard scale strings won't fit on these basses when strung through body. I'd rather not keep around special strings just for this bass.

The idea of the mod is to stick a #6 machine screw through each string ferrule, and screw it into a 1/4" threaded spacer in the back. That gives it plenty of strength for dealing with through-bridge stringing. The threaded spacers can be hard to find at local hardware stores, though.

There'a a great write up of it here.
http://www.bassesbyleo.com/l2500_bridge_mod.html
 
#9
Nice. I love mine!

Where did you order the threaded spacers? I was thinking doing that made, but I thought I'd have no trouble getting the needed parts at my local Home Depot or Lowes. Not so?

IMG00028-20100721-1413.jpg
 
#10
StuartV said:
Nice. I love mine!

Where did you order the threaded spacers? I was thinking doing that made, but I thought I'd have no trouble getting the needed parts at my local Home Depot or Lowes. Not so?
Click to expand...

Very nice bass there!

I couldn't find threaded spacers at Lowes or HD. Allegedly Ace Hardware has them, but the nearest one is on the far side of town. Being the lazy person I am, I just ordered them on line. :)
 
#13
So I got the five screw mod done, and installed a three position switch so I can do single/parallel/series switching. So far I'm loving this thing. Took it to practice this week, and everyone else like the sound, too.

IMG_3002.gif


IMG_3008.gif


I'm looking for the right set of flats now. The B on the Chromes was to dull and thudy. I put on some Rotosound 77s and love the sound, but the 45-130 set was way too stiff. I'll figure something out. :) Perhaps I'll get the 40-100 Roto set, and keep to 130 for the B.
 
#14
Handyman said:
Basically, the two #8 screws attaching the bridge aren't strong enough to hold it onto the body when doing through-bridge stringing. In fact, this bass already has a bit of bridge lift going on, I'm assuming from at attempt at through bridge stringing in the past. Unfortunately, most standard scale strings won't fit on these basses when strung through body. I'd rather not keep around special strings just for this bass.
Click to expand...

Why would you want to do such a mod just to accomodate the strings? My L2500 came strung through body stock with D'Addario strings. I currently string it through body with DR Sunbeams, have had Lo-Riders on it as well as Fender's newer Pure Nickels and never had an issue with string scale. I would have maybe considered switching strings before performing such a mod, which seems kind of counter intuitive, IMO. But maybe you think the tone is better?
 
#16
mmbongo said:
D'Addario XL's fit on my L-2500 through body too (but I prefer DR or Dunlop..which also fit fine). Not sure why that would need to be done. I'd much rather get the added punch from through body stringing.
Click to expand...

Do you buy the long or standard scale strings? My set of EXL170 strings just didn't fit. The outer winding on the B and E strings didn't reach the nut. The experience of numerous other folks at bassesbyleo.com is similar. Many other standard scale strings work just fine, though.

When I got the bass, the two bridge #8 screws weren't properly securing the bridge to the body. There was about a 1/16" gap between the back of the bridge and the body, and no amount screw tightening would fix it. The five screw mod is an extremely simple way to hold the bridge on the way it was intended.

The G&L bridge is very nice, but it simply wasn't designed to be used with through body stringing. Removing the bulk of the screws used for holding it onto the instrument wasn't a very good way to accommodate it.

Either way, installing or reversing this mod is entirely trivial. Its just putting a machine screw through the hole, and tightening a spacer.
 

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