Munurmunuh Posted February 10, 2021 Share Posted February 10, 2021 Just now, Cuzzie said: G&L L2000 The photo pinched from this old advert G&L Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Al Krow Posted February 10, 2021 Author Share Posted February 10, 2021 Cheers Gents. Yeah heard a lot of good things about G&L basses, but they seem to have a much "louder" fan base in the US than over here, although folks who have them over here seem pretty happy with them too! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Cuzzie Posted February 10, 2021 Share Posted February 10, 2021 (edited) Depends entirely what you want out of your pick ups and pre amp Craftmanship is good tho Edited February 10, 2021 by Cuzzie Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Munurmunuh Posted February 10, 2021 Share Posted February 10, 2021 I've an G&L SB-1 on the way. I'm hoping that and my BB424 will make a very happy pair, for what I want out of a bass, at any rate. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
javi_bassist Posted February 11, 2021 Share Posted February 11, 2021 When I was looking for a five string (and I got my BB735) I tried a G&L-2500 Tribute and I have to admit that I fell in love with the neck. It was really impressive. The sound was fine, but it wasn't what I was looking for. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Muzz Posted February 11, 2021 Share Posted February 11, 2021 I found the SB-1 was very nice, a much more a Jazz neck than the 2000s (I had a couple), which were baseball bats by comparison. Obviously, it depends on your neck preference...the 2000s have, erm, sturdy pickups... 🙂 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Muzz Posted February 11, 2021 Share Posted February 11, 2021 10 hours ago, Ricky Rioli said: I notice someone's replaced the horrible clacky switch with a pan pot there - I never understood that; the 2024 is pretty much the ultimate 'sleeper' bass - they're as well built as anything I've ever played (and I'm including handmade luthier exotica, Alembics and the like here), but look very...workmanlike...apart from that wayyyy-too-big pickup selector switch, which is clacky and rattly... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
gobasserk Posted February 11, 2021 Share Posted February 11, 2021 (edited) . Edited February 11, 2021 by gobasserk Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Cuzzie Posted February 11, 2021 Share Posted February 11, 2021 34 minutes ago, Muzz said: I found the SB-1 was very nice, a much more a Jazz neck than the 2000s (I had a couple), which were baseball bats by comparison. Obviously, it depends on your neck preference...the 2000s have, erm, sturdy pickups... 🙂 Sturdy indeed........ Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Al Krow Posted February 11, 2021 Author Share Posted February 11, 2021 1 hour ago, javi_bassist said: When I was looking for a five string (and I got my BB735) I tried a G&L-2500 Tribute and I have to admit that I fell in love with the neck. It was really impressive. The sound was fine, but it wasn't what I was looking for. What were the key differences in sound? The G&L Tribute seem to be similarly configured to the Yamaha TRBX series from a pup perspective? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Munurmunuh Posted February 11, 2021 Share Posted February 11, 2021 30 minutes ago, Muzz said: apart from that wayyyy-too-big pickup selector switch, which is clacky and rattly I had been wondering if the clack rattly selector switch on my 424 was any cause for concern. Good to know it's standard 😁 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Al Krow Posted February 11, 2021 Author Share Posted February 11, 2021 (edited) 5 minutes ago, Ricky Rioli said: I had been wondering if the clack rattly selector switch on my 424 was any cause for concern. Good to know it's standard 😁 As we know a selector switch isn't as versatile as a knob as it's just 3 positions vs multiple blend options with a knob. However it does work well IMO and makes it very easy to switch (excuse the pun) mid song if you want a different tonal flavour and / or fully engage the grit of your bridge pup etc. Edited February 11, 2021 by Al Krow Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Munurmunuh Posted February 11, 2021 Share Posted February 11, 2021 37 minutes ago, Muzz said: I found the SB-1 was very nice, a much more a Jazz neck than the 2000s (I had a couple), which were baseball bats by comparison. One reason for buying a USA G&L is that you can have any neck on any body. Mine will be 1½", but the factory default for the SB-1 is 1⅝". The Indonesian-made Tribute series, though, you get what you get. Off the top of my head the Tribute SB-2 is 1½" and the Tribute L-2000 is 1¾". Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
gobasserk Posted February 11, 2021 Share Posted February 11, 2021 If the switch is too weak for someone's standard, a replacement won't exceed anyone's budget... not worth mentioning 🙂 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Cuzzie Posted February 11, 2021 Share Posted February 11, 2021 (edited) 15 minutes ago, Al Krow said: What were the key differences in sound? The G&L Tribute seem to be similarly configured to the Yamaha TRBX series from a pup perspective? Look into and research MFD pick ups and the preamp - that will give you your answer if you already know what TRBX are like - configuration and similar placement is one thing - how it is is another. Tribby’s also have a different neck profile to the USA ones as well Edited February 11, 2021 by Cuzzie 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Munurmunuh Posted February 11, 2021 Share Posted February 11, 2021 Just now, Al Krow said: As we know a selector switch isn't as versatile as a knob as it's just 3 positions vs multiple blend options with a knob. However it does work well IMO and makes it very easy to switch (excuse the pun) mid song if you want to a different tonal flavour. I prefer a straightforward selector switch - I've a blend knob on my TRBX and find it totally useless - finding something perceivably different between 100% neck and 50%/50% is like searching for a needle in a haystack. I was wondering if it was just me, but someone recently bumped an old thread on TB about blend controls, which contained some technical explanations as to why blend controls so often seem to have no gradations, no better than selector switches. I can't say I understood them, but the whiff of science was enough to reassure me that I wasn't just being cloth-earred. I saw that some recent EBMM bass with two pickups had a 5 way selector: solely neck, mostly neck, equal, mostly bridge, solely bridge, and wondered if EBMM had had to fine-tune the preselected blends very carefully. Certainly, to return to your point, having five reliable sounds seems more useful in performance than trying to find those two tiny spots on the blend knob where the dominant pickup isn't totally obliterating the other. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Cuzzie Posted February 11, 2021 Share Posted February 11, 2021 30 minutes ago, Al Krow said: As we know a selector switch isn't as versatile as a knob as it's just 3 positions vs multiple blend options with a knob. However it does work well IMO and makes it very easy to switch (excuse the pun) mid song if you want a different tonal flavour and / or fully engage the grit of your bridge pup etc. Switches can be more or less than 3 positions and it all depends how you wire them Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
javi_bassist Posted February 11, 2021 Share Posted February 11, 2021 50 minutes ago, Al Krow said: What were the key differences in sound? The G&L Tribute seem to be similarly configured to the Yamaha TRBX series from a pup perspective? I think the BB had more of a vintage sound, more round and I prefer the lows of the BB. The G&L sounded more modern I guess (or what I think it's more modern), more sharp. I also preferred the preamp of the BB (I think I'm probably the only one here who likes it). I didn't get along with the electronics of the G&L. No because they were bad, but they were not for me. But the construction was 10/10. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
krispn Posted February 11, 2021 Share Posted February 11, 2021 G&L pick ups are known for their high output and the reason they’re not as popular IMO is that while folks love them they can be harder to tame due to that output. As to blends they’re grand I suppose but having VVT can be even more of a fiddle as not all tone tapers are the same. Obviously we all get to know the sweet spots and I set my pots to all line up at a blend position I like so while both on full doesn’t look right I know once those pots are in line it’s where I like the blend on the VVT bass. Some simple wee ‘hacks’ can make certain tone recall a bit easier. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LukeFRC Posted February 11, 2021 Share Posted February 11, 2021 1 hour ago, Al Krow said: As we know a selector switch isn't as versatile as a knob as it's just 3 positions vs multiple blend options with a knob. However it does work well IMO and makes it very easy to switch (excuse the pun) mid song if you want a different tonal flavour and / or fully engage the grit of your bridge pup etc. There are electrical positives to selector switches as it means there's less loading on the pickups. 1 hour ago, Al Krow said: What were the key differences in sound? The G&L Tribute seem to be similarly configured to the Yamaha TRBX series from a pup perspective? G&L MFD pickups are crazy, hot output and with really wide frequency range sound. Imagine a MM sound but a bit more single coil style clarity humbucker and with a massive punch. It's Leo's next progression of Pickup design going from Fender -> Musicman -> G&L Not played a TRBX but the BB's I've played have been more at the Fender end of soundstyle.... Highly recommend trying out, as it's something different. I loved my G&L L1000 but did sell it... I'm glad I owned one but for me there are other basses that fit what I want better. (given a larger income and more space I would still have it) 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Al Krow Posted February 11, 2021 Author Share Posted February 11, 2021 24 minutes ago, krispn said: G&L pick ups are known for their high output and the reason they’re not as popular IMO is that while folks love them they can be harder to tame due to that output. 2 minutes ago, LukeFRC said: G&L MFD pickups are crazy, hot output and with really wide frequency range sound. G&L = high ouptut seems to be the consensus. Interestingly I think the 424/5 pups are also pretty high output and there's a lot of love for them across these pages, with folk managing to tame via the simple expediency of lowering pup heights. Speaking of lowering, if I can briefly do that with the conversational tone for a moment - would you ever consider an Ibanez to be an "Ibby"? Just sayin' 😁 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Muzz Posted February 11, 2021 Share Posted February 11, 2021 I'm very flexible as far as the Switch Vs Blend debate goes (I have basses with both), it was more that the 2024 switch felt like a £5 switch on an otherwise fantastically-made instrument...I wouldn't be surprised to find it's the same one as on my 414, which at £180 second hand is much more the price range for a switch like that. It's also too big a hole to replace with a smaller, better-made switch... 😕 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
krispn Posted February 11, 2021 Share Posted February 11, 2021 I tend not to abbreviate names too much but saying P and J is pretty expeditious when referring to a bass i.e. saying pass me the .... P. It’s like some said recently abbreviations in language or especially typing usually save time. An example I confess 9 keystrokes must ‘fess 11 keystrokes. Odd right! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Munurmunuh Posted February 11, 2021 Share Posted February 11, 2021 16 minutes ago, Al Krow said: G&L = high ouptut seems to be the consensus. Interestingly I think the 424/5 pups are also pretty high output and there's a lot of love for them across these pages Heres a demo of an MFD split coil. My like of the noise it makes feels very much related to my choosing the 424 over the 434 - a really firm, ringing sound. Not exactly a subtle basic sound, but... *searches for metaphor* ....but the roar of a tamed beast is better than the yapping of a riled lapdog, no? 😁 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Al Krow Posted February 11, 2021 Author Share Posted February 11, 2021 Thanks for that. Actually I liked the tone of the SB-1 a LOT, but that's probably 'cos it's not a million miles from my 1025 (which we're all bored to death knowing what a fanboi of, I am). What I would say is that the preamp on the SB-1 does sound better / livelier than on the 735A, but I guess you would hope that to be the case given the price jump (for a USA made). Are the G&L Tributes essentially the same bass but Indonesia rather than USA made? The SB-2 would be the config I'd go for as it's classic PJ, however it seemed to get mixed reviews on TB (and tbf you very rarely get a bad Yammy review) and from what I've seen they're not available as a 5 string? 1 minute ago, Ricky Rioli said: Not exactly a subtle basic sound, but... *searches for metaphor* ....but the roar of a tamed beast is better than the yapping of a riled lapdog, no? 😁 Btw - I loved that quote! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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