G&L L-2000 Bass Royal Purple Metallic - B-stock

Never thought of purple for a bass? When it looks this good, why not? The G&L L-2000 in Royal Purple Metallic blends G&L's active and passive electronics with their dynamic MFD pickups for tone that is fit for a King.

This bass is a B-Stock that was used once as a rental for Tony Orlando's band (seriously, see it on You Tube) at a recent state fair gig. It's like new and was handled gently by the sound company that rented it.

This USA-made G&L L-2000 Bass features:

• Alder body, Royal Purple Metallic finish, 9.0 pounds
• G&L #12 Neck (1.625" width at the nut), 12" radius
• Light tint satin finish maple neck
• Maple fingerboard
• (2) Single G&L Magnetic Field Design (MFD) Humbucker pickups
• Volume, Treble and Bass controls
• Passive, Active, or Active with upper EQ boost, activated by lower mini-toggle
• Series/Parallel pickup mode (middle mini toggle)
• Three position pickup selector (upper toggle)
• Massive patented Saddle Lock Bridge ( a locking saddle screw on right side of bridge clamps the saddles together for better sustain)
• Lightweight Aluminum tuning pegs for better instrument balance
• Plek ® laser-guided fret finishing
• Deluxe hardshell tolex case
• List price $2000

Test gear: BBE Bmax preamp, Carvin DCML1000 power amp, Carvin 4x10 cabinet

This is our first G&L in Royal Purple Metallic, and while "purple" is not the first color that comes to mind when we think of guitars, we quickly grew to like it. Far from toy-like, the subtle metallic sheen adds a lot of depth and complexity to the finish. It probably also looks great under stage lights.

The array of switches and knobs may look at little complex at first, but it only takes a moment to become familiar with their functions. From top to bottom the three knobs are Volume, Treble and Bass. In the active mode these controls provide true frequency boost and cut. In passive mode they work much like G&L's passive treble and bass controls on their Legacy guitar series.The top toggle is a three-way switch that works exactly like a three-way pickup selector on an electric guitar (neck, both, bridge).  The middle toggle puts the pickups in series or parallel mode. Parallel has a leaner, brighter tone, while the series mode adds a more pronounced midrange fullness. I liken parallel to a "JB" mode and series to the fatter warmer "PB" tone. Players who like to slap or really attack the strings will like the parallel mode, while those who prefer to lay down a big bottom end might opt for the series mode. Lastly, the bottom toggle controls whether the guitar is passive, active, or active mode with a treble boost.

The difference between active and passive is not dramatic, but active mode is a little crisper with a slightly quicker attack and more responsive tone controls. Neither is "better" but active mode is naturally more flexible, and you might only need passive mode if your battery goes dead or if you play an amp with very limited headroom.

With all this tone shaping capability, the G&L L-2000 is capable of anything from bright steely treble tones, to fat growling low end. With good dynamic range and excellent overall sustain, it's really just a matter of a little experimentation to dial in the guitar for a particular sound or style of music. In all cases the active MFD pickups were quiet, with smooth top end and a tone that is best described as composed and controlled. Maybe not the ticket for punk or thrash, but works for just about anything else.

The G&L L-series bass guitars have stood the test of time, and are still one of G&L's most popular bass guitars. With outstanding flexibility, great controls, solid hardware and G&L's wide ranging MFD pickups, the G&L L-2000 is perfect for studio players, performers and those who enjoy a professional level bass that can span a wide range of styles.