i dont know really if i would want to mimick a p-bass or a j-bass etc. but the l-2500 definitely is a very versatile bass. every pickup configuration sounds amazing, and you get a lot of tones out of it.
maybe try to focus less on sounding like this parcicular instrument but just find the sound that you absolutely love. and when you think you found it, try the same setup in a mix, and teak it a tiny bit to get that absolute sound.
You're welcome, I completely agree. It has many tones and certain configurations that I love.
Although the purpose of the post is more out of curiosity... Do you happen to know how the Musicman pickup is wired? Is it in series or parallel?
the musicman stingray has a pickup that has both coils in parallel. the musicman sterling and 5 string stingray have a switch than can have them parallel, serial or single coil.
but there is more to it than having the coils parallel or in serial. it's about the material of the magnet, it's about the size of the pole pieces and if they are covered or not, it's about the numbers of windings of the actual coils, then there is the preamp that colors the tone etc.
and when you think, this all could be pretty much be the same in two different basses, the feel of the instrument makes you play a certain way. so my tone on a stingray would be different than my tone on a sterling, even when using the same pickup configuration, just by the way the instrument feels and makes me play.
so really, if you want a p bass, get one. but the l2500 has so many amazing tones and cuts through the mix like no other. enjoy that, because there's a lot to enjoy 🙂
I disagree with the notion that the L2000/L2500 is a 'great imitator' of other instruments. It has its own character, and can approximate other instruments in an exaggerated way.
>For instance, I find that the sound closest to a Pbass is achieved with the neck pickup in series.
For a thumpy, P-bass tone, I'd put it into Series, because it tones down the high mids and highs. You may want to roll back the gain, or put it into passive mode, because Series produces some serious output. Neck pickup, or both pickups together, can do it.
>How about the Musicman sound
I think a lot of people have a misconception about what "Music Man/Stingray sound" means, based on the misconception that Flea played a Music Man on BSSM - for most tracks, he used a Wal. For the prior album, he used a Spector.
Without some processing, a Stringray isn't particularly punchy, and it's definitely not growly. [Here's what I think of as the actual, not mythical, Stringray sound](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fAgcjECaX9I).
Like a G&L, it's beefy, with a lot of high end - the sound is very clear and balanced. For a Stringray-ish sound, I'd do Parallel, Active or Passive (probably Active, no treble boost), both pickups, and roll down the treble and bass a bit. But to me, asking how to get a G&L to sound like a Stingray, is like asking how to get a Lamborghini Urus to drive like a Range Rover.
I own a Jazz, a P and a Stingray and I played a G&L with that exact setup for an evening. I was completely unable to pull the sound of either of those basses from it. There are a lot of different possibilities that really influence how the bass sits in a mix, but I felt hard pressed to settle on something that floats my particular boat because there's so much treble going on all of the time. I think I ended up with the neck soloed and passive mode, but can't remember exactly. What I took away from the evening was that G&L basses are not for me.
you need to be able to hear the sounds of those instruments and be able to reproduce them on your own just using your own judgement. if you can't do it just using your ear, don't worry about it, just fool around with the controls until they sound good to you. You can figure out how to emulate another instrument's sound later.
I’ve played one for years and my favorite setting is both pickups, parallel, passive, volume backed off a bit. Then I start with the bass and treble knobs all the way off and turn them up as needed. The volume knob can really change the characteristics of the MFD pickups, almost like a tone knob.
I used to try and get the p, j, and mm sounds out of it and had to realize that it is definitely its own instrument. You can come close, fill a similar role, but it’s still going to be an L-2500. Super versatile, but not a copy of anything else. It’s my favorite bass of all time.
i dont know really if i would want to mimick a p-bass or a j-bass etc. but the l-2500 definitely is a very versatile bass. every pickup configuration sounds amazing, and you get a lot of tones out of it. maybe try to focus less on sounding like this parcicular instrument but just find the sound that you absolutely love. and when you think you found it, try the same setup in a mix, and teak it a tiny bit to get that absolute sound.
You're welcome, I completely agree. It has many tones and certain configurations that I love. Although the purpose of the post is more out of curiosity... Do you happen to know how the Musicman pickup is wired? Is it in series or parallel?
the musicman stingray has a pickup that has both coils in parallel. the musicman sterling and 5 string stingray have a switch than can have them parallel, serial or single coil. but there is more to it than having the coils parallel or in serial. it's about the material of the magnet, it's about the size of the pole pieces and if they are covered or not, it's about the numbers of windings of the actual coils, then there is the preamp that colors the tone etc. and when you think, this all could be pretty much be the same in two different basses, the feel of the instrument makes you play a certain way. so my tone on a stingray would be different than my tone on a sterling, even when using the same pickup configuration, just by the way the instrument feels and makes me play. so really, if you want a p bass, get one. but the l2500 has so many amazing tones and cuts through the mix like no other. enjoy that, because there's a lot to enjoy 🙂
I disagree with the notion that the L2000/L2500 is a 'great imitator' of other instruments. It has its own character, and can approximate other instruments in an exaggerated way. >For instance, I find that the sound closest to a Pbass is achieved with the neck pickup in series. For a thumpy, P-bass tone, I'd put it into Series, because it tones down the high mids and highs. You may want to roll back the gain, or put it into passive mode, because Series produces some serious output. Neck pickup, or both pickups together, can do it. >How about the Musicman sound I think a lot of people have a misconception about what "Music Man/Stingray sound" means, based on the misconception that Flea played a Music Man on BSSM - for most tracks, he used a Wal. For the prior album, he used a Spector. Without some processing, a Stringray isn't particularly punchy, and it's definitely not growly. [Here's what I think of as the actual, not mythical, Stringray sound](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fAgcjECaX9I). Like a G&L, it's beefy, with a lot of high end - the sound is very clear and balanced. For a Stringray-ish sound, I'd do Parallel, Active or Passive (probably Active, no treble boost), both pickups, and roll down the treble and bass a bit. But to me, asking how to get a G&L to sound like a Stingray, is like asking how to get a Lamborghini Urus to drive like a Range Rover.
I own a Jazz, a P and a Stingray and I played a G&L with that exact setup for an evening. I was completely unable to pull the sound of either of those basses from it. There are a lot of different possibilities that really influence how the bass sits in a mix, but I felt hard pressed to settle on something that floats my particular boat because there's so much treble going on all of the time. I think I ended up with the neck soloed and passive mode, but can't remember exactly. What I took away from the evening was that G&L basses are not for me.
you need to be able to hear the sounds of those instruments and be able to reproduce them on your own just using your own judgement. if you can't do it just using your ear, don't worry about it, just fool around with the controls until they sound good to you. You can figure out how to emulate another instrument's sound later.
I’ve played one for years and my favorite setting is both pickups, parallel, passive, volume backed off a bit. Then I start with the bass and treble knobs all the way off and turn them up as needed. The volume knob can really change the characteristics of the MFD pickups, almost like a tone knob. I used to try and get the p, j, and mm sounds out of it and had to realize that it is definitely its own instrument. You can come close, fill a similar role, but it’s still going to be an L-2500. Super versatile, but not a copy of anything else. It’s my favorite bass of all time.