L-2000

Bass Player Magazine (United States)

By Jim Roberts

The late Leo Fender will long be remembered as the father of the electric bass. (I think he built some guitars, too). Leo's first offspring, the Fender Precision Bass, came on the market in 1951, and it quickly revolutionized the way music was made. By the late '50s, Leo had perfected this instrument and was ready for a new challenge. So, in 1960, he introduced the Fender Jazz Bass. This creation required even less tinkering, and by 1962, Fender had settled on a configuration that remains essentially unchanged today.

After selling Fender Musical Instruments in 1965, Leo tried to retire--but he couldn't. By 1972, he was back in the instrument business, and one of his first designs at Music Man was another 4-string that has proven to be a classic: the StingRay Bass. The ever-restless Leo soon moved on again, and in 1980, he formed a new company with his old friend George Fullerton (George and Leo, thus G&L). Still unconvinced that he had built the best electric bass he could, Leo soon came up with another creation: the L-2000. This "American Original" wasn't the only bass he designed at G&L, but it has proven to be the most popular. Is it another classic? Let's find out.

Construction. Okay, it looks like a P-Bass. Are you surprised? It's hard to improve on that shape, and Leo didn't bother to try. He had more important things on his mind (see Electronics below).

The L-2000 has an ash body with a bolt-on maple neck and that familiar square heel block. The attachment has been refined somewhat from the original Fender design, though: there are only three bolts, and there's a neck adjuster hidden beneath the triangular plate. By inserting and turning an allen wrench, you can slightly alter the neck tilt for precise action adjustment. (Although the owner's manual tells you just how to do this, you shouldn't fool around with it unless you know what you're doing.) The neck joint on the test bass was admirably tight all the way around, promising good sustain. [Note: The L-2000 now uses 6-bolt neck attachment]

Every G&L neck is made from a rock-maple blank that has been sawed in half. Why? Well, after the sawdust settles, a slot is milled into one side, the truss rod (encased in a plastic tube) is inserted, and the two sides are glued back together. Leo felt this method helped to relieve stress in the wood and make it less likely for the neck to warp. Only a survey of long-term G&L owners could tell us whether this is really true, but I've never heard anyone complain about an L-2000 with a twisted neck. (Jazz Basses, on the other hand...)

The back of the neck has a satin finish, and it feels great under your thumb: smooth, fast and as non-stick as a Teflon pan. I'd describe the neck as "wide and flat," a shape I prefer--you may not, so you'll want to check this out.

With the proliferation of 24-fret and even 26-fret basses, a 21-fret fingerboard seems quaint. It's just right for me, though--I'm content to have that high E--and the lower horn has been nicely shaped for easy upper-register playing. Even with the clunky heel block in the way, I found it smooth sailing all the way up to the 19th fret. To get beyond there, I had to bring my thumb around, but the highest notes rang out clearly, without buzzes or rattles. All in all, a very playable neck.

The die-cast zinc bridge is another Leo Fender brainstorm, and it features a setscrew on the lower side (i.e., near the controls) that pushes the saddles together so they won't shift from side to side. This is a simpler solution that machining channels beneath all of the bridge pieces, and it undoubtedly makes the unit less expensive to manufacture. Clever. The four individual saddles are fully adjustable for both height (with setscrews) and intonation (with phillips-head screws), and the mass of the unit contributes to the instrument's excellent sustain. The other hard-ware is more-or-less conventional, although the tuning machines have aluminum posts, rather than steel, to reduce their weight. All of the wrenches needed to adjust the bridge, neck truss rod, and pickups are included in the case.

Electronics. Those things that look like a couple of Music Man humbuckers are actually an all new Leo Fender design, and they sport the patent numbers to prove it. Each pickup has eight adjustable pole pieces, making it easy to get an even sound across all four strings. The forward toggle switch (i.e., the one closest to the neck) is a 3-way pickup selector that lets you run either pickup or both; the toggle in the middle lets you choose between series or parallel operation. These two switches provide a wide range of tones, from gut-rattling deep bass to razor-sharp highs. The rear toggle switch lets you choose passive, active or active with a treble boost. There are rotary bass-cut controls, too, so the range of tone-shaping possibilities is fairly mind-boggling. Leo clearly didn't want to leave anybody's preference out.

The control cavity is accessed from the rear by removing six screws and lifting off a metal cover. The active preamp, which resides on a small circuit board, was recently updated for lower noise and better performance. It's powered by a 9-volt battery that's tucked neatly into a separate compartment alongside the main cavity. The wiring for the series/parallel switch, located in the center of the cavity, is accessible, if you're inclined to tinker, you could rewire it and/or attach capacitors to further vary the L-2000's sound. (Once again: If you don't know what you're doing, don't mess with it.) A copper shielding plate covers only the bottom of the control cavity.

Comments. The L-2000 is a well-designed, well-made, easy-to-play bass--and it sounds great. Admittedly, not all of the 18 possible toggle-switch combinations are useful, but many of them are--for instance: (1) for a killer slapping tone, use both pickups, parallel and active with treble boost; (2) for a warm, thick "P-Bass" sound, switch on the neck pickup only, series and active without the boost. If you're a bass-beater or get easily confused onstage, manipulating the three little switches might not be your idea of fun, but this kind of versatility is great. The L-2000 isn't a "one sound' axe that will become obsolete when the Next Big Thing hits the pop charts.

Aesthetically, the L-2000 is a bit conservative, but very handsome. The transparent colors look great, and the finish work on the test bass was nearly flawless. The fretwork was also excellent, and the only setup problem we could discover was a G-string nut slot that appeared to be a hair too deep, causing a minor rattle at the first fret. Although not lightweight, the L-2000 is quite comfortable, thanks to its good balance whether on a strap or in your lap. And at $1,200 list, including a hardshell case, it's an exceptional value.

So...is the G&L L-2000 the last Leo Fender classic? Will it stand the test of time, as the Precision and the Jazz and the StingRay have done? Will collectors be clamoring for vintage L-2000s in 30 years?

Don't bet against it.