Surprised by my G&l L-2500....

[Tunaman]

Spacing is the same. The G&L neck is a tad fatter front to back.

clutch, thanks, lets see if I can pull this off

 

[engedi1]

I think I'm going to sell my AWESOME Bongo 5 HHp & "downgrade" to a L-2500, use the $ towards another 4 (Which I use much more often)

Spacing & Neck between the 2... a huge difference, not that bad?

one of my students has a Bongo HH fiver, and the neck is perhaps a little slimmer than an L-2500. I would recommend playing several different L-2500's if you can and make sure you find one with a neck you like. These are very different basses. The Bongo has 24 frets and a more modern tone, although still very full. The l-2500 is beefier-a real rock n roller.
There is no reason why you wouldn't be happy with the G&L as long as you realize it won't have the top end or high mids that your bongo will have.

 

[Lordcliff]

I came to the same conclusion a few years back. Started with a L-5500 (that I later sold) actually, but got a L-2500 (with a 4+1 headstock) to have a "real" G&L, and really preferred the 25. Sold my PreGibson Tobias, Zon, USA Spectors, even my Rickenbacker... And yes, I miss them all, but they never had the attack of the G&L in a band setting.
Other than my Tobias Model T, which I will never sell, I have two L-2500s, L-1505, and just got another L-5500

 

[Tunaman]

one of my students has a Bongo HH fiver, and the neck is perhaps a little slimmer than an L-2500. I would recommend playing several different L-2500's if you can and make sure you find one with a neck you like. These are very different basses. The Bongo has 24 frets and a more modern tone, although still very full. The l-2500 is beefier-a real rock n roller.
There is no reason why you wouldn't be happy with the G&L as long as you realize it won't have the top end or high mids that your bongo will have.

Oh the Bongo HHp 5 is FANTASTIC I love it... its all about cost to playing time. It has the highest cost & least playing time. I want to put the money into another 4 string that will get played more & still have a very serviceable 5 in the L-2500. I play gospel at church which is the ONLY time I use a 5 string if we have funny tuning. Other than that I'm all 4 strings. For those small times I'll be just fine with the L2500

We'll see. Wait for an Amazon deal or a used L2500... one JUST sold for $450, thats low money for an awesome instrument

 

[engedi1]

We'll see. Wait for an Amazon deal or a used L2500... one JUST sold for $450, thats low money for an awesome instrument

Just my .02 here, but I think your best bet would be to get a used L-2500 right here on TB. They show up with regularity. I would get a USA and not a tribute model. I know, many love their tribute models, but you take some risks with used ones. My student had a tribute with a neck as thick as a canoe. When he played my USA, he immediately sold the tribby and bought a USA for himself. You can get a used USA for the $900 to $1000 range and you just can't beat it?

 

[bassbenj]

Just my .02 here, but I think your best bet would be to get a used L-2500 right here on TB. They show up with regularity. I would get a USA and not a tribute model. I know, many love their tribute models, but you take some risks with used ones. My student had a tribute with a neck as thick as a canoe. When he played my USA, he immediately sold the tribby and bought a USA for himself. You can get a used USA for the $900 to $1000 range and you just can't beat it?

I totally agree. I love my Tribby l-2500. I got it new for about $600 when they first came out. But then I got a used USA for the same price and later a second one. Quite frankly I don't understand it. They say the pickups are the same. (and they seem to be) And they say the electronics is the same (sure looks the same to me!) The bridge is the same (except the Tribby says "Tribute" on it and that sure can't change the tone!) But there sure is SOMETHING different the tone of those USA basses. They somehow have a certain "authority" that the tribby doesn't. Whatever is causing it, I don't know. I'm starting to think that maybe tonewood DOES matter! One thing I do know is that every G&L USA I've seen has wood grain to die for!

 

[sad_katz]

I totally agree. I love my Tribby l-2500. I got it new for about $600 when they first came out. But then I got a used USA for the same price and later a second one. Quite frankly I don't understand it. They say the pickups are the same. (and they seem to be) And they say the electronics is the same (sure looks the same to me!) The bridge is the same (except the Tribby says "Tribute" on it and that sure can't change the tone!) But there sure is SOMETHING different the tone of those USA basses. They somehow have a certain "authority" that the tribby doesn't. Whatever is causing it, I don't know. I'm starting to think that maybe tonewood DOES matter! One thing I do know is that every G&L USA I've seen has wood grain to die for!

The pickups are 100% the same, but the rest of the electronics between the Tribby and MIA are different. At the very least the pots are of higher quality in the MIA guitars.

 

[engedi1]

The preamp absolutely makes a difference. Think of Musicman basses. You could the same pickup in a bass made with similar woods and it will NOT sound like a musicman. This is also true of my sadowsky which has a special preamp tone. I find the tone of the G&L preamp to be very musical and useful, and I would not want to be with out the one in the USA models. I think Sad Katz is correct. With the tribute models G&L is NOT doing what Sadowsky and lakland due with their imports, where they put in the identical preamp in a bass made overseas. The tribbies are different.

 

[DanHibiki]

They are the equivalent, just made in another factory, probably with a different components source. And for the people who don't even use the preamp on the L series it doesn't make any difference.

The main thing that is causing the USA sound superior is probably your willing to hear it that way...

 

[jharms80439]

Per the glguitars.com website, USA basses have a "G&L Saddle Lock with chrome-plated brass saddles" bridge. Tribute basses have a "G&L Saddle Lock bridge, string-through-body configuration.* Nickel plated die-cast saddles" bridge. Also tuners are different.

I expect both would contribute to tone differences even if the preamp, pickups and tone control parts/switch parts are the same...

 

[kellyrojo]

I am in with the G&L love. My US L2000 is a gigin beast. I think I payed 600 or maybe even 550 for that thing used from GC online and it showed up in 8-9/10 condition with only some rust on the PUps to worry about but who cares?
I never had a chance to try one but with all the love they get on here I just went for it. What people are saying is correct...the key to this bass is how it sits in the mix live. It sounds good on its own and it is versitile and all that but live? Pshawww! One of my drummers gets ticked when I dont bring it!

Its been mentioned 1000 times but I'll say it again a huge key to that ballsy tone is in the Volume knob. If you open it full it will be aggressive as but if you back it off a bit it gets a great vintage Pish tone. I usually run it passive, parallel or series, V 80% B 80% Tone 50% and you have a nice old school P thump with that........yum