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NBD: G&L L-2000

Discussion in 'The BASS Place' started by sabuchan, Jan 25, 2021.

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  1. Jan 25, 2021 #1
    sabuchan

    sabuchan TDPRI Member

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    Found this G&L USA L-2000 Bass in a Japanese Listing site. It was listed by a local used guitar shop, and they are having a big bargain till the end of Jan. I visited the shop and tried it. The sale price was lower than many Japanese and Indonesian Tribute models of similar condition listed on the net.

    Although I'm a novice bass player who has just started to play a bass a couple of months ago with a used Squier VM Mustang Bass, I could not pass up it.

    Here's my first long scale bass, G&L L-2000 in natural. The neck is a little chunkier than the Mustang bass (1 5/8 at the nut. PB size?). Looks like the bass has not been modded except for the volume and tone knobs. According to the sales receipt in the case, it was purchased by the original owner as a new in early 2005.


    I've never had a guitar or a bass with an active circuit, it may take some time before I sort out the control nobs and the switches in the G&L.
     
    Last edited: Jan 25, 2021
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  2. Jan 25, 2021 #2
    Piotr

    Piotr Tele-Afflicted Silver Supporter

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    These are good basses, congrats!
     
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  3. Jan 25, 2021 #3
    WingedWords

    WingedWords Friend of Leo's

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    That's a bass for life. Enjoy it!

    Just a note (you probably know this, but just in case) - fading batteries can make active circuits sound horrible. Change regularly (maybe annually) and unplug the lead from the jack socket when you're not playing.
     
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  4. Jan 25, 2021 #4
    brookdalebill

    brookdalebill Tele Axpert Ad Free Member

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    Cool!
     
  5. Jan 25, 2021 #5
    sabuchan

    sabuchan TDPRI Member

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    Thanks so much for the reminder. I left it plugged in last night and realized this morning I had to unplug when I finished practicing. The battery should be O.K. since the shop replaced it recently.

    I hope this G&L bass is a keeper for life.
     
    Last edited: Jan 25, 2021
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  6. Jan 25, 2021 #6
    Hey_you

    Hey_you Tele-Holic

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    Grads on a nice score!
     
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  7. Jan 25, 2021 #7
    ping-ping-clicka

    ping-ping-clicka Friend of Leo's Ad Free Member

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    Congratulations , that is a beautiful bass , aren't you the lucky one.
     
  8. Jan 25, 2021 #8
    sabuchan

    sabuchan TDPRI Member

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    I am primarily a guitar player, but I enjoy playing a bass so much since I got the Mustang Bass in Nov. I wanted a long-scale one. I've been thinking about getting a Yamaha BB434, which is a made-in-Indonesia model and quite popular in Japan. However, I've been having hard time finding a nice used Yamaha and the used USA-made G&L was only US$100 more than the new BB434 and came with a nice hard case.
     
    Last edited: Jan 25, 2021
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  9. Jan 25, 2021 #9
    WingedWords

    WingedWords Friend of Leo's

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    Blimey, that was a bargain!

    What amp are you playing through?
     
    Last edited: Jan 25, 2021
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  10. Jan 25, 2021 #10
    tah1962

    tah1962 Friend of Leo's

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    Nice bass! Enjoy.
     
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  11. Jan 25, 2021 #11
    sabuchan

    sabuchan TDPRI Member

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    I have a used Vox Pathfinder Bass 10, a practice 10W amp. However, I live in a small house in the densely populated part of a city. I play the bass through Zoom B1 four multi bass effect pedal and Bheringer BDI21 DI into a mixer and headphones most of the time.
     
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  12. Jan 25, 2021 #12
    Tall-Fir

    Tall-Fir Tele-Meister

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    So congrats on your new G&L bass! Enjoy and have fun.

    Love the look of your G&L. I have a G&L LB-100 in natural with maple neck, nearly the looks of yours. G&L makes great basses.
     
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  13. Jan 25, 2021 #13
    harpdog

    harpdog Tele-Holic Silver Supporter

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    Great bass...mine is a G&L Tribute Kiloton. Wonderful instruments
     
    Last edited: Jan 25, 2021
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  14. Jan 25, 2021 #14
    lousy13

    lousy13 Tele-Meister

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    I had an L-2000 that I stupidly sold and now have a Kiloton. G&L makes a great product for the dollars especially used. Congrats and enjoy.
     
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  15. Jan 25, 2021 #15
    tery

    tery Doctor of Teleocity

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    That ought to be a good one !!!
     
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  16. Jan 25, 2021 #16
    spupilup

    spupilup TDPRI Member

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    I own an L1000 and an L2000. A word of warning, turn down the two tone controls and run the volume about 3/4's up. The MFD pickups are really powerful. You may even find you have to back them off a little to get them under control. I included a diagram of what all the switches control. Check out TalkBass.com where you'll find out plenty about these basses. There's also BassesByLeo.com that is dedicated to G&L basses.

    Good luck, it looks like you got a really nice bass there!..

    L2000preamp.jpg
     
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  17. Jan 25, 2021 #17
    sabuchan

    sabuchan TDPRI Member

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    Thank you so much for your tone tips and suggestions. The diagram help me understand how to use the knobs and the switches.

    Mine doesn't have a coil tap option installed, but some L-2000s sold here have a 3 position (series/parallel/tap) switch. It looks like an authorized G&L dealer in Japan added the tap option. I noticed that while searching for L-2000 information on the net in Japanese.

    I have registered to TalkBass.com. I haven't fully checked it out yet, but the forum is a great resource for everything about bass.
     
  18. Feb 3, 2021 #18
    emisilly

    emisilly Tele-Afflicted

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    Back in my gigging days I had 2 of them. Absolutely stellar basses that I never, ever should have sold! Ugh...
     
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  19. Feb 3, 2021 #19
    EsquireOK

    EsquireOK Friend of Leo's

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    Congrats.

    An L2K was my first bass that I actually owned myself. Same body color as yours, but with a fretless streaky ebony board.

    The controls are easy.

    Knobs (closest to farthest): volume, treble, bass.

    Switches (closest to farthest): pickup selector, series/parallel (normal/mid-cut), three position active/active/passive switch. One of the active positions is brighter than the other. The series/parallel is for the pickup coils, not master (like the El Toro and Interceptor).

    The "K Mod" is cool too. Replaces the series/parallel switch with a series/split/parallel switch. Lots of soldering on a tiny-ass switch in order to do the mod...but it adds some Jazz Bass flavor to the bass.

    I don't really get the "these pickups are super hot" vibe – not at all. That vibe would be the El Toro/Interceptor, on which the middle switch is a master series switch. Combine that with the active boost, and play through a powerful amp...look out!

    1 5/8 nut is right between classic P and classic J. It's a "compromise" neck, which suits most people OK. I prefer the P width of the Lynx, but 1 5/8 is perfectly playable. I usually choose that width when I order necks for my J Bass builds that are being assembled from already finished bodies. It widens the lower register of the neck, while still fitting a J Bass neck pocket. A 1 3/4 neck will not fit a J neck pocket, without mods to the pocket...which I don't want to do if the body is already finished. If the body isn't finished yet, then give me 1 3/4 all the way. I will just open up the pocket a bit before finishing.
     
    Last edited: Feb 3, 2021
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  20. Feb 3, 2021 #20
    Killing Floor

    Killing Floor Tele-Meister

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    Absolutely great bass! Those pickups will punch you in the throat. Enjoy.
     
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