Thumpiest G&L?

[Mick Markey]

Hands down...the L-1000 in single coil with bass boost.

It's definitely the big daddy, and fatter than any of it's brothers.

You will likely need to recone your speakers.

 

[eff-clef]

My Tribute SB2 with the tone mod actually outthumps or outbottoms my L2000. For those of you who have the two models, have you found this to be the case?

John

YES (to SB-2 split pup), but the L2000 with the neck pup switched to series is pretty thumpy. I have both and love them equally!

 

[RicPlaya]

Hands down...the L-1000 in single coil with bass boost.

It's definitely the big daddy, and fatter than any of it's brothers.

You will likely need to recone your speakers.

Any fatter then a L2K with the neck pup solo'd?

Is there a difference with pup placement between the models with the neck pup of the L2K, versus the single coil of the L1000?

 

[Mick Markey]

Yep, it is fatter than the L-2000 neck pup.

Mainly because you are running in single coil, which is less transparent than the bucker sound.

It is also running through the bass boost mode, which really adds a nice low end fatness that is hard to describe. You have to hear it !

I have played many L-2000s, even the new ones with single coil option. I have also played several new style and old style SB-2s. They are all exceptional sounding basses.

However, the L-1000 has the fattest bottom of them all.

 

[sunbeast]

Yep, it is fatter than the L-2000 neck pup.

Mainly because you are running in single coil, which is less transparent than the bucker sound.

It is also running through the bass boost mode, which really adds a nice low end fatness that is hard to describe. You have to hear it !

I have played many L-2000s, even the new ones with single coil option. I have also played several new style and old style SB-2s. They are all exceptional sounding basses.

However, the L-1000 has the fattest bottom of them all.

Its a common misconception that the L1000 was the only G&L with the "single coil with bass boost" function. "Single coil with bass boost" was on all early L1000s AND L2000s until the 90s, when they changed the wiring to the current "series" mode. In fact, the only difference between "single coil with bass boost" and "series" is that SCWBB adds one capacitor per pickup that cuts out the high frequencies from one coil in a series connection (so essentially you are hearing the full signal from one coil- "single coil", "with" only the low frequencies from the other coil- "bass boost"). The only thing that early L1000s had that L2000s didn't was normal "single coil" mode (which is actually generally MORE clear than humbucker/ parallel mode). Also, the L1000 neck pickup is in the same location as the L2000 neck pickup.

Having said all that, the lack of the bridge pickup and the active preamp in the L1000 does in my experience have a noticeable effect on the tone from the L2000 neck pickup. Its not a huge thing, but I would say that my 1982 L2000 was actually slightly darker and thumpier than the 81/82 L1000 that I owned when in the same coil selections...I prefered the slight amount of extra clarity of the L1000, but couldn't get used to the single pickup.

Karl

 

[GeneralElectric]

I dunno, my modded L1000 gets pretty deep and thumpy. I'll post a link to a clip in a few days.

 

[sunbeast]

I dunno, my modded L1000 gets pretty deep and thumpy. I'll post a link to a clip in a few days.

I wouldn't argue against that (especially as compared to any non-G&L bass!), but there is no evidence to suggest that it would be any different than the neck pickup on an early L2000 when in passive and "series"- as all the electronics are identical. The tonal effect of the added preamp electronics and the extra magnetic interference from the 2nd pickup DO have some effect, but its not huge...

Karl

 

[m bazz]

If you looking for real old thumping on G&L here it is:

 

[GeneralElectric]

I wouldn't argue against that (especially as compared to any non-G&L bass!), but there is no evidence to suggest that it would be any different than the neck pickup on an early L2000 when in passive and "series"- as all the electronics are identical. The tonal effect of the added preamp electronics and the extra magnetic interference from the 2nd pickup DO have some effect, but its not huge...

Karl

My bass doesn't have the stock electronics in it, although it still has the mini-switch. It has a bartolini in the bridge It doesn't take away any lows and adds a nice chunky quality to it.

 

[metron]

Its a common misconception that the L1000 was the only G&L with the "single coil with bass boost" function. "Single coil with bass boost" was on all early L1000s AND L2000s until the 90s, when they changed the wiring to the current "series" mode.

Hey Karl how's everything going? I thought the single coil with bass boost was dumped in '83 at the same time the e-series was dropped and the new headstock was introduced on the L2000. I had an '83 and I'm pretty sure it had regular series/parallel though I never checked the wiring.

 

[sunbeast]

Hey Karl how's everything going? I thought the single coil with bass boost was dumped in '83 at the same time the e-series was dropped and the new headstock was introduced on the L2000. I had an '83 and I'm pretty sure it had regular series/parallel though I never checked the wiring.

Nope- as far as I know, it was only the last of the L1000s that didn't have OMG. I know alot of L2500s had it (which is responsible for seemingly endless "my L2500/L2000 is noisy in series mode" threads), so I think that alone is evidence that it lasted at least into the 90s. I almost never see old L2000s and never see old L2500s listed as having "single coil with bass boost" (they are almost always listed as having "series/ parallel" settings)- I think even G&L stopped calling it SCWBB at some point even though the wiring was the same (I known I've seen at least one G&L schematic that said "series/bass boost" instead).

I'm no expert on this subject by any means, but have read way more than my share about G&L instruments in the last 3-4 years, and my limited direct experience and reading have led me to this conclusion...maybe GGJaguar can chime in and clear it up once and for all- he probably has an L1000 and/or L2000 from nearly every year of pre-BBE production!

Karl

 

[sunbeast]

Hey Karl how's everything going? I thought the single coil with bass boost was dumped in '83 at the same time the e-series was dropped and the new headstock was introduced on the L2000. I had an '83 and I'm pretty sure it had regular series/parallel though I never checked the wiring.

Oh- and I'm doing great! Off topic- but the weather and natural surroundings in Portland are definitely making my move here worthwhile. Not to mention the music scene...I was just in Denver for the Leonard Cohen show at Red Rocks a couple weeks back though. Holy cow, was that an experience!

How have you been?

Karl

 

[jfh2424]

The only thing that early L1000s had that L2000s didn't was normal "single coil" mode (which is actually generally MORE clear than humbucker/ parallel mode). Also, the L1000 neck pickup is in the same location as the L2000 neck pickup.

Karl

I remember reading this somewhere too. However, wouldn't a single coil sound be less boomy or thumpy than the series sound? Not to knock that sound at all...actually, I've never heard the single coil sound on a G&L. I'm basing this on what I've heard on basses from other companies.

John

 

[sunbeast]

I remember reading this somewhere too. However, wouldn't a single coil sound be less boomy or thumpy than the series sound? Not to knock that sound at all...actually, I've never heard the single coil sound on a G&L. I'm basing this on what I've heard on basses from other companies.

John

In general, normal Single coil IS very much clearer and less boomy than series. What we've been discussing in this thread though is something called "single coil with bass boost" (AKA "OMG" mode by some folks) found instead of series on early G&Ls (different wiring than your standard single coil). It is essentially the full signal from one coil with the added bass frequencies only from the other coil. Pretty ingenious if you ask me! It is still clearer to my ears than normal series mode, but also alot deeper and thumpier. Old L1000s had both regular single coil and "single coil with bass boost"...

Karl

 

[jfh2424]

Ah, ha, I get it! I am really not very hip to all this electronic stuff, but I am slowly learning.

Thanks for the explanation, Karl.

John

 

[Mick Markey]

Nope- as far as I know, it was only the last of the L1000s that didn't have OMG.

The L-1000 always had the OMG mode...though the electronics did change slightly, the L-1000 has always had this setting, even the few made post Leo era.

 

[metron]

Nope- as far as I know, it was only the last of the L1000s that didn't have OMG. I know alot of L2500s had it (which is responsible for seemingly endless "my L2500/L2000 is noisy in series mode" threads), so I think that alone is evidence that it lasted at least into the 90s. I almost never see old L2000s and never see old L2500s listed as having "single coil with bass boost" (they are almost always listed as having "series/ parallel" settings)- I think even G&L stopped calling it SCWBB at some point even though the wiring was the same (I known I've seen at least one G&L schematic that said "series/bass boost" instead).

I'm no expert on this subject by any means, but have read way more than my share about G&L instruments in the last 3-4 years, and my limited direct experience and reading have led me to this conclusion...maybe GGJaguar can chime in and clear it up once and for all- he probably has an L1000 and/or L2000 from nearly every year of pre-BBE production!

Karl

Oops I think I should clarify - I thought the single coil with bass boost was only available on the L2000e and dropped in 1983? I'm pretty sure the 5-1983 L2000 I used to own had standard series mode. It sounded pretty different from the 82 L2000e I have now.

Oh- and I'm doing great! Off topic- but the weather and natural surroundings in Portland are definitely making my move here worthwhile. Not to mention the music scene...I was just in Denver for the Leonard Cohen show at Red Rocks a couple weeks back though. Holy cow, was that an experience!

How have you been?

Karl

Cool man good to hear! I am still working on remodeling the house I bought last year. It's starting to come together. Someday I will have time to play music again.

 

[TDR1138]

My '89 L2k has the Single Coil w/ Bass Boost mode. Also, I still have the original catalogue that came with the bass, and it shows SCw/BB as the standard switching option on both the L1k and L2k

 

[metron]

My '89 L2k has the Single Coil w/ Bass Boost mode. Also, I still have the original catalogue that came with the bass, and it shows SCw/BB as the standard switching option on both the L1k and L2k

Hmmm. I was checking out GGJaguar's site and it lists the 82 L2000e with a single coil/humbucking switch, an 83 L2000 with series/parallel, and I believe an 89 L2000 with coil/humbucking switch.

 

[nig]

And no one mentioned the el toro, my L1K is a thumper but for earthquake lows the bull in OMG mode is a beast.