So by chunky neck do you mean kinda sluggish? I would prefer a slightly thinner neck but I would be fine that. Also how's the weight? I plan to start gigging with my next bass purchase and just want to make the perfect decision. Haha thanks shawshank!
The neck is really big. It's about the biggest you can get in a four string bass. The nut is 1.75 inches across. The back profile is somewhat chunky.There may be some old P basses with bigger necks. But it's still a pretty large neck.
The fretboard radius is also pretty flat at 12". I prefer a rounder one around 7" or 9.5", but others don't. You have to try each and see which you prefer.
The electronics and pickups are really awesome. The pickups are high output and punchy with some bell-like overtones on top. Some people may consider them harsh but you can always use your treble knob to cut some highs.
The control scheme is a little confusing at first. Just remember the knobs are for cutting frequencies, and the switches aside from your pickup selector switch are for boosting.
The middle switch is a series/parallel switch. The higher volume setting is series mode and has a perceived bass boost. The parallel setting has a flatter tone where you can hear the brighter highs.
The preamp switch (closest to the output jack) has settings OFF / ON / TREBLE BOOST. When the preamp is on you get an output boost. In treble boost mode your tone will get significantly brighter.
Your knobs are volume, treble, bass. They work even in passive mode (preamp off) which is a rare thing. Usually you don't have bass frequency controls in a passive bass or bass mode.
I'd suggest learning not to be afraid of using the knobs to cut some highs or lows out. That is especially if you're using the switches for any sort of boost. Try it and see. The bass was designed for you to do that. Some people can't get past the controls. However they give you a ton of tones to work with.
The bridge on the L2000 is really great. It's probably the best one I've ever had experience with on a bass (in my opinion). It's the same design on all G&L basses and its unique. Google "Saddle lock bridge".
The body, neck, frets and finish work are all superb on most G&Ls. Even the Indonesian ones.
Overall the L2000 tribute is a really unique and good quality instrument, but if you're looking for a smaller neck on a L2000 then you're going to have to order it from the US plant or find a used American-made one that someone ordered with a smaller neck.
I couldn't get past the huge, flat neck on my old L2000 Tribute so I sold it. However I have a L2000 on its way here that has a modern P bass sized neck. I loved the Tribute model except for the neck. It was the flat radius and large profile together that did it.
Don't be discouraged though. You can get used to anything if your practice with it. One of my favorite necks was a 1.75" wide P bass neck on a Fender Road Worn P bass. That is in spite of playing the narrower, thin Jazz bass style neck for almost my entire bass playing career.
