My "Phoenix" G&L L2000

[bassilisk]

This has been an ongoing resurrection, many weeks in the making, that is finally complete. Road tests have finally been performed.

I saved my squirrely necked '81 G&L L2K by installing a Moses Graphite composite replacement neck. There was a touch of trickiness in the installation.
These necks require inserts for machine screws to be installed in them for assembly. Because these are 3* bolt necks I specifically asked Moses about the bottom insert possibly hitting the truss rod since it's on center. They assured my it was a clear shot. Right....more like a direct hit.
Thanks to the skill of my tech of many years he was able to overcome this minor setback and make it work successfully.
*This is only an issue with the 3 bolt layout - newer G&L's with more bolts have no issues.

I also had a brand new G&L preamp harness installed to replace the original pre which was fried.

I have it strung with GHS Precision Flats (my current flat of choice) and it sounds wonderful. The notes are tight and focused, very rich in the lows and low mids, a bit of snap up top. There is a touch of compression but it is not sterile sounding at all. I find this to be a highly successful mod/upgrade over the original neck. I am very glad (and relieved) to have this work out!

(It's not a Gibson but I feel I should at least get partial credit for the beautiful hunk of mahogany that is the body of this beast.)

[gearHed289]

Very cool! You should be pretty happy with that bass. What is the width at the nut and the 21st fret? How much do those Moses necks go for?

[bassilisk]

Here's all the info on the Moses neck including price:

http://mosesgraphite.com/productpages/mm-144-music-man-gl-4/

It has a very comfortable profile as well - a shallow C. The standard frets are pretty narrow - I could've gone for something just a touch wider,
but it's a personal preference and I really have no problem with these.

Yes, I am very glad that I can finally use it. The neck it had, though playable, had enough minor issues to be annoying (slight twist), so I didn't play it very much.  Now it's definitely in the rotation again!

[gearHed289]

 

[Dave W]

That's a beautiful chunk of mahogany.

[bassilisk]

Thanks. Honestly Dave, I'm still not sure whether it's one or two pieces. If it's two they matched the seam perfectly....

One day I'll check it with a magnifier.

[Dave W]

Looking at the photos, it does seem to be one piece. Regardless, I meant the body as a whole is beautiful.

[uwe]

Looks nice and seems to offer a sensible tonal combination of the attack-happy graphite neck and the warm, more sluggish in reaction, maho body.

[bassilisk]

That's exactly right Uwe. Of the composites available the Moses necks are noted to be warmer. I've read posts from folks that dropped a Status neck into a Stingray
and that can easily be a clackfest if you let it (or want that). I knew a guy that had one of the early MM's with a graphite neck (I think it was supplied by Modulus at the time?) and he loved that nearly bottomless (literally) upper mids clicky tone. Sure it cut, but that isn't for me.

This combination is well suited. Dial back the snap a touch and it's chock full of focused fundamental with a G string that doesn't sound zingy.

[Rob]

I really like G&L's and think this is going to be a tone monster.

[uwe]

I find tone development on graphite necks so immediate, you're initially always ahead of the beat if you switch from a wood neck bass! I have a Status Stealth II and its ultra-precise immediacy always throws me off, but you'll never worry again about being audible. The notes seem to rush through the cable at twice the speed. Very mistakes-unforgiving. 

[uwe]

"... with a G string that doesn't sound zingy ..."

An old Stingray affliction especially in my experience.

[bassilisk]

I find tone development on graphite necks so immediate, you're initially always ahead of the beat if you switch from a wood neck bass! I have a Status Stealth II and its ultra-precise immediacy always throws me off, but you'll never worry again about being audible. The notes seem to rush through the cable at twice the speed. Very mistakes-unforgiving. 

This tone development is a fact. I had the bass at one of my regular gigs 2 weeks ago. A good friend was there who has seen us many times and is always good for some valuable feedback regarding my playing/sound. Though not a player himself he's got a good ear. His first comment was exactly that - the bass was very immediate, clear and prominent in presentation, and it was not a function of volume. He said it really punched through the mix, but wasn't overpowering the other players.

In other words, it had Ooomph!! I really like that!!!

"... with a G string that doesn't sound zingy ..."
An old Stingray affliction especially in my experience.

Indeed! That drives me crazy. Not uncommon on many Jazz basses either.

I'm going to re-include some pics - the ones I had here were lost when the free site I was using shut down. Now it's Imgur.

[Rob]

Sweet!

[Dave W]

If you PM me with the image links, I can re-insert them into your original post.