G&L Tribute L-2500

I tell you what, the only thing that separates my L2500 Tribute from a ???premium instrument??? like a MIA Jazz are the tuners and plastic nut. Everything else is totally premium compared to anything else out there on the market in the sub $1000 range.

The body is two pieces of nicely figured swamp ash and you really have to look carefully to see where they???re joined. The body is also really light ??? my L2500 Trib weighs in at 8.5 lbs ??? because it???s small.

The neck is quartersawn maple with a nice grain as well, and mine has some nice flaming in it! The frets are nicely finished and level. The fretboard edges seem rounded and make playing comfortable. The neck is also attached to the body with six bolts which makes it really stable and gives this bass sustain to rival a neck-through bass. This bass has a 34" scale and fairly narrow string spacing. That took a little getting used to since I'm used to an 18mm or 19mm spacing, but the 16mm spacing here makes it possible to play faster fingerstyle.

The bridge is huge and has a flange underneath that extends into the body adding to resonance and punch. You can also either top load the strings or through the body, which allows you to choose a more vintage tone (top load) or a punchy modern tone (through body). The bridge also has a set screw on the side, and when tightened it pushes the bridge saddles together adding to sustain. One thing to note on the bridge: if you're going to string through the body you can't use a B larger than .130. I tried a set of D'Addario Chromes and the .132 B wouldn't fit through the hole. You can top-load larger strings, though.

The electronics are really the stars of the show here, though. The pickups are the same USA made MFD humbuckers they install in the USA made G&L L2500???s. The pole pieces are large and individually adjustable for sound balancing and customization. The preamp is the same design and gives the same sound, even though it???s made in Korea. There are three knobs and three switches. The knobs from front to back are: volume, treble cut, and bass cut. The switches from front to back are: pickup selector, parallel/series, passive/active/active with treble boost. Notice how I said you???ve got treble and bass cut. Other passive basses have a tone control which is a treble cut only. This bass allows you to cut treble and bass. Just the switches alone allow for 18 different tones ??? pretty versatile.

My only gripe with this bass is the tuners. They are nice, heavy-duty open gear tuners but they???re heavy and they contribute to neck dive. It???s not a lot of dive but it is noticeable. I plan on replacing them with Hipshot Ultralights and that should take care of the problem.

The only other thing I would change would be a blend knob rather than a pickup selector switch, but that???s minor. The switch allows for quick changes. I might replace the switch with a blend pot, but I???ll probably leave it as is.

I give it a nine only because a blend knob seems like an obvious choice here and really broadens the tonal possibilities. It's really more of a 9.5.

These humbuckers have massive output! I used to own an Ibanez BTB555 that has Bartolini MK1 pups and an active preamp. I had all of my Line 6 Bass PODxt patches set for this and they worked well for the Conklin Groove Tools bass I was borrowing until my L2500 Tribute came in. I had to go through and cut the bass setting of each patch by 20% - 30%!

This bass is growly. It doesn???t matter what setting you have it on it???s going to be growly, but this is a very good thing! This is a growl that other basses aspire to! This is a growl to rival a sixties Jazz Bass. Some would say that it has an aggressive sound ??? I would say it???s just not a smooth sound.

I think the thing I like the most about this bass is that it???s passive at heart. There are a lot of active basses out there that have a passive option but you lose tone control when in passive. This is a passive bass that has an active option. You don???t have bass and treble boost like on other active basses, but as bassy and bright as these pickups are you really wouldn???t want to! In passive the sound is bright and clear. Switching to series boosts the bass and drops the highs, instantly thickening the tone. Switching to active simply boosts the signal and adding the treble boost gives you more cut. Check out the sample sound clips here: http://www.glguitars.com/frameset.htm. Click on audio clips and follow the links to the clips of the L2500. These are all slap/pop clips but you???ll get an idea of how it sounds.

The switches and preamp allow you to approximate three of Leo Fender???s classic basses ??? which is no surprise since the L2000/L2500 was one of Leo Fender???s last bass designs and what he considered his greatest bass design. In parallel, passive, and with the bass down a bit you get a very Jazz Bass type sound. Neck pup soloed in series and you???ve got a Precision Bass type sound. Bridge pup soloed in active and you get a Stingray type sound.

With roundwounds and the right EQing this bass can be used for anything. Put some half-rounds on there and you get a nice middy thump. I???m currently using some nickel plates steel rounds and the sound is great. Stainless would be very bright but if that???s what you???re into go for it!

The B-string is good but not great. Even though it's 34" scale it is taut when strung through the body, but not as clear and piano like as a Lakland 35" scale B. That might be a function of the strings that I'm using. If you want a truly great B-string I'd go with a Lakland 55-01/55-02.

Everything on my L2500 Tribute is spectacular! The build quality is very nice. The amber stain is even and the poly finish is flawless. This is as well made as any bolt-on bass I???ve ever owned, and that includes an MIA Jazz. I haven???t set the action yet myself but it???s pretty darn low right now. The guy who owned it before me had it professionally setup so I can't comment on how it was out of the box. Fit and finish are something that one can reasonably rate, but it isn't fair to rate the initial action/setup of a bass straight from the factory. Everyone should know how to do all of their own setup adjustments..

Because this is a passive bass with an active option I wouldn???t hesitate to use this without a backup. The woods are quality, the hardware is solid, and it???s all put together very well. I can totally see having this bass for years and years!

I haven???t had deal with them yet. Check other reviews for this info.

I've been playing for six years and I've owned a lot of basses. I used to own an L2000 Tribute and have regretted selling that bass. If you're going to own one bass this would be the best choice! Even paying $100 extra for the Hipshot Ultralight tuners still gives me a $1000+ bass for around $650 new. The sound, build quality, and playability are wonderful. I'd like to own a US made model someday, but this will do for a long time.

Purchased in 2006; Maple fretboard, naturla finish; Came with a gigbag and a - well, let's call it cable :-)
2 humbucking pickups, 3 way pu-selector; mid-bosst switch, 3 way passive-active-active&boosted highs switch. volume, bass, treble-knob
bride: g&l style, 5 strings

i play in a rock cover band, and this bass fits all of my needs. it delivers loads of - USEABLE! - modern, sounds. the mid-switch is killer! if you activate it, you cut through any wall-of-guitar-noise in the higher registers! wouldn't recommend it to a jazz-player, though.
haven't played it in the studio yet, but it's tonal diversity is remarkable.
there's a hint of hiss ...

bass came setup a-ok. no probs

i just can't imagine that anything/anyone could "hurt" this baby. its so sturdy - fantastic.
apart from that: since it's (partly) active, i wouldn't gig it without a backup

no problem yet. warranty: 2 years (european law)

i've been playing for 20 years. apart from the tribute, i own a zon legacy, a fender precicion, an ibanez musician fretless, and a hamer chaparall 12-string. ampwise, i own an ampeg/peavey rig, but play through a yamaha bbt500 amp w/ a custom fmc cabinet (2x12" + 8") - KILLER!
i asked a lot of questions before i bought this bass, and i was pleasantly surprised by the tone and quality of my tribute 2-5er. i'd definitely get another one if it was stolen. i am also thinking about aquiring a tribute 4-string.
this bass can do it all. it has all the sounds a rock-bassist needs, and is built like a tank.

I've had this for two years now (2006) and bought it new. Made in Korea. Made of solid woods, but not, apparently, selected solid woods. I suppose they pick them with their eyes closed. Treble, bass and volume pots, switches for single / humbucker, passive / active, pickup selector. Uses MFD pickups like its big brother,and the same active electronics. Mine is the blue burst which is the translucent blue over the natural body; nice effect. Maple neck and fingerboard. String through or not is up to you. Given that it's a five string the neck is quite thin and comfortable to play, and doesn't feel any bigger than my MusicMan.

I play all sorts of stuff but gig regularly with a sixties cover group. I used a Fender Sting P bass and a MusicMan until I bought this. Now I use this. All the P and StingRay tones, plus some. Good ole Leo. The tonal palette is wide and varied, and doubles because you keep tone control with the bass switched to passive, when the tones all change but remain good. Never played in a studio, but through a desk into a PA it is fine, no hiss, rumble, groan or creak. I use it with a Samson Airline pickup and a Hrtke VX3500 combo, the one with paper cones. Unlike the p, it has more than one tone. Unlike the StingRay it doesn't need new strings every five minutes. Is it possible Leo was practising on those??

Straight from the box to a practice with a gig two days later, The action is a little bit high, but then I had two four strings, and this has that amazing bottom B which needs room to vibrate. The action causes no problems at all. The pickups are individually adjustable, but that's just a talking point for me:- they were set up fine when I bought it and have stayed so. Neck is apparently adjustable, but I've never done anything to it. Everything looked and worked well.

Gigged at least once a week for two years, practice almost every week, kicked over by Kev the fairly accurate drummer, and it never missed a beat. Which is more than we could say for Kev. The hardware shows no sign of wear, and is still tight. There is no sign of wear to the finish, not even the usual belt rash, which is a pity cos I've always wanted a relic-ed bass - it won't be this one. I use this without a backup when we gig, and I don't expect to ever need a backup. However the strap buttons are made of cheese; I fitted strap locks as soon as possible.

Never met them.

Beside this I have the P and the MusicMan and a really grotty Ventura fretless. Samson Airline pickup, Hartke VX3500 combo, Boss tuner, Tone Works effects pedal.
I've been playing in bands for twenty years, bass for four.
I'm still not sure if I really need the five string, but I do love the bottom B, and of course there are always two octaves directly under your hands.
If it were lost or stolen I might consider the Tribute four string, or I might get another five. Nothing else. I tried the "real" G&L, both as player and listener, and there is a visible difference but no other. I tried other basses, like the dream Ricky, a Fender Jazz and a couple of second hand Status jobs, but none offer the same as this. Each offered something I liked, but lacked something else. This didn't and doesn't.
What do I love? Most things, although I wasn't keen on the strap buttons.
What do I hate? The fact that I can never justify buying another bass.
Oh, and the price. The price of the P would have bought this and the wireless pickup. The price of the StingRay would have bought this and the Hartke.
Think about it.

Made in 2004. Tributes are put together in Korea but use USA electronics.
3-way pickup switch, 2-way series/parallel switch, 3-way passive/active/active with treble boost switch, volume knob, treble knob, and a bass knob. Both pickups are large, exposed post, magnetic field humbuckers.
The neck on mine is rosewood and body in natural finish swamp ash.
Came with a nice G&L gig bag and allen wrenches-though none fit the tuners (?)

This is my first bass but I'm happy with the sound. Still, to be sure I wasn't fooling myself, I had three semi-pro and pro players play it.
They ranged in styles from rock, R&B, and blues. All were very impressed. One skipped supper to play it an extra hour while I went and ate.
I usually turn down the bass a little as it can be slightly boomy on some bass speakers.
The electronics are very quiet.

There's a little bit of space under where the neck joins the body. But neither I nor others have noticed any odd sounds and the sustain is at least 30 seconds on every string (even on old strings).
I've heard of some people adjusting the pickups down even with the body to avoid the magnetic field from bending the strings when playing high on the neck. But I've never had a problem with that. I did have to set up the B string when I got it but nothing else.
There is a small screw missing connecting one of the tuners to the head. But it doesn't seem to be effecting anything so I left it alone.
The action amazes everyone I've ever let touch this bass.

The only thing I didn't like about the hardware was the buttons.
Little bitty things that quickly became inadequate. So I put schaller strap locks on them. That led to a problem as the replacement screws were much smaller than the originals. It stuck two toothpicks in the bottom hole and that fixed that one. The top hole required three toothpicks and wood glue. I haven't had a problem since (3 months).
I don't have to tune if I keep the bass in the same environment.
When I change to places with other temperatures, etc. I will only tune slightly and then all the strings will be consistent in how off they are. This was true even when my bass bounced around in my Humvee while driving on unfinished roads in Iraq.
I don't have a backup and I feel a little uncomfortable about that. The passive switch is reassuring should my battery go out.

It is under warranty but don't remember for how long.
I won't pull out the paperwork till I need it.
I've never called the company but I've surfed the G&L website for help. It is the worst web site I've ever been on to find information.

I've only been playing bass for a little under a year. This is my first bass. However, I've been singing on stage for 41 years and have had opportunity to hears lots of different basses.
I am very pleased with this bass.
Before buying this bass, I had opportunity to play a Fender P bass from Mexico and an Ibanez SR505. It's not fair to compare as those are not meant to be in the same catagory as this bass-if I understand right. The L2500 is unquestionably superior than either of them.
I had to buy this without trying it first because I was deployed in Iraq at the time. So I went on two harmony central forums and asked around about several basses. This bass frequently got recommended to try.
For my first bass I think I made an excellent choice. I am very satisfied with the playability, sound, feel, and even look of this bass. I've already played it on stage 50 times or so and often hear very favorable responses from the listeners.
It normally sells for around $600. I got a great deal but would still recommend this at it's normal price.

2005 model with the G&L active electronics setup. You can call the neck fast, (or call it small), maple fretboard with nice grain, and natural ash finish. I think it's light but haven't weighed it; I'm guessing a little over 9 pounds. This is my first active bass, but the electronics seem to have above average flexibility; even without the blend control that many of us are used to. The bridge is string though or top load, and is similar to the USA model where a set screw on the side can apply sideways pressure to the saddles to increase bridge mass. It lacks nothing in the features department in my opinion except for inclduing a manual/booklet/diagram of how the switches work. Cool feature: in passive mode you keep your access to the tone controls. Good stuff.

I play in cover bands and needed 5 string versitility which is why I bought this bass. There are enough options from the pickups and electronics to get any sound I'd ever use for rock, pop, dance, blues, funk, or country. The dynamic ability of this bass really stands out when you move your plucking hand from the neck toward the bridge; many usable colors emerge. My favorite sound is a P-Bass like thump. You can't get any bad sounds no matter how you turn the knobs. I've been experimenting lately and it may turn out I like the bass better in passive mode with those massive humbuckers and access to the tone controls; go figure. So far it's been very quiet, much more so than my 70s Jazz bass, which, like the previous reviewer, I don't like to take out anymore. My main rig is a GK 700RBII, BBE Sonic Maximizer, Furman power protection, and an Aguilar GS212 cab. Even through my back up rig of a Behringer head and Avatar 1X15 cab it sounds great. I get tons of compliments on my sound now.

I ordered mine from a dealer and the setup was good. There's an ever so slight gap in the neck pocket but it doesn't seem to affect playability or intonation. The finish is perfect and gorgeous. The controls, which in reviews at other sites were called problematic, don't seem to be so on my bass. My neck suffered from shrinkage during it's winter shipping, according to the dealer, and the fret ends became sharp. I thought there was something wrong with the bass, but I consulted my Dan Erlewine repair guide and Dan says this can happen, so I filed the fret ends a millimeter or so and it's fine. Interestingly, one of the bridge saddle top set screws worked loose and popped up, which I didn't notice until I ran my hand across it. I don't know if it happened during shipping or if I'll need to pay closer attention on an ongoing basis. It didn't affect the tone of intonation. The plays really well/easy, but it's a stringed instrument, and at a modest price point, so there is a 'little' string buzz that I'll try to adjust out.

As good as this bass is, I'm not convinced it will give me the 32 years of trouble free service like my old Fender Jazz has. But what will these days? For this price range the hardware seems excellent. I was anticipating the switches to be frail and skimpy, but they seem fairly sturdy. I'm not going to baby this bass by polishing it and detailing it every time I change the strings like I do my Jazz. I'll wipe it down and let nature take it's course. The strap buttons seem under sized, but time will tell. The neck needs an adjustment already, but I'll attribute that to climate conditions. With import electonics at this price I won't play without a backup (again, I never take a backup with my Jazz). Since I've only had it a month, I'll give it the benefit of the doubt.

I've never had to deal with G&L. My other G&L is a USA Legacy 6 string and the quality is so high that it's the guitar I use to measure all others against. I will gig without a backup to that guitar. I can't rate something I've never used, but my guess is they'd get high marks.

I've been playing 35 years, mostly guitar for the first 32, and bass exclusively for the last 3. I own a Tele, Jazz, G&L Legacy, 2 MusicMan combos, this G&L bass, and yeah, Leo rules. I own an ES355, Ibanez Prestige RG model, Yamaha 5 string bass, and a sinful amount of miscelaneous gear. I don't regret buying this bass for a second. Would I buy it again? If I couldn't find a used USA G&L L2500 with a maple fretboard, in a finish I could stand, yeah, in a heart beat. It lacks nothings and I wouldn't change a thing. I love the variety of tones, solid sound, and playability, but most of all I like the compliments on my sound. How often do bass players get that? If you play in a cover band, this your bass. If your a rising indie rock star, you can lock on to 'your' sound with this bass, no doubt.

Same bass as everyone else mentioned with all the same features. I bought it in Spring of '04.

I wasn't sure I wanted active pickups, but now love the versatility they provide. The three switches are a little confusing at first, but no problem after you play around with them for awhile.

My other bass is an early '70's Jazz Bass and I never use it anymore when I play out. This one provides all the features I need. And I don't want to risk anything happening to the Jazz Bass.

Mine is the blueburst model with a maple fretboard. Looks good to me.

I play in a blues band and it fits just fine. I can get a nice mellow deep tone and a rocking growling bass. In fact last night the sound guy told me I was too loud. Well, I had my amp, an old Sunn Sceptre, turned to "2." Other bass players at jams always play the amp louder. The 2500 Tribute has a lot of tone and volume. I run the Sunn, which is about 34 years old, through an Ampeg caqbinet with one 15" speaker cabinet and a couple of ports.

I have not used it in my studio much yet, mostly at gigs. I have no complaints. It fills out our sound very nicely. Now if I could only play bass better.

I had no problems with the fit, the finish, the pickups or any of that other stuff. The guy where I bought it set it up for me before I took it home. He does very good work.

This thing should last as long as my Jazz Bass. It's heavy and seems very solid. I have replaced the active battery once in almost two years of playing. I have had to tighten up the strap buttons a couple of times, but have had no problems with the tuners or the neck needing an adjustment.

I have broken three strings, an E, an A and a D. That's something I never did with the Jazz Bass, so I'm not sure what's happening with that. I should check with my set up guy.

I never have had to deal with G&L, but the shop where I bought it from, Rosewood Music, in Jefferson City, MO has always backed up their equipment and have been very helpful.

Bought it new and I have to thank them for the great price I got.

I've been playing bass since about 1968 or so. I have a number of guitars and as mentioned one other bass, the Jazz Bass from the early 1970's.

If the 2500 was stolen or damaged beyond repair I would buy another one. I really like the fact that this bass allows for varied tones. It plays very well and really can't think of why I would want another bass. I would like McCartney style Hofner, but that would just for the excess of it.

Mine was made in early/mid 2000's. Just bought it Christmas of '05 (new). 22 frets, 5 strings of course, the Premium model has a nice swamp ash body, which makes all the difference. The non-Premium has a basswood body and man, let me tell you, spring for a Premium. Ash sounds SO much better. I got the natural finish. Rosewood fretboard, but comes in maple too. I personally like the tribute bridge and the pickups are pure perfection. Nice open tuners.

Lots of features on this bass. Honestly, a bit too many. Three knobs: volume, bass and treble. Three switches: one that switches between passive/active/active + treble boost; one that that switches between pickups in serial/pickups in parallel; and one that switches between pickups (neck/both/bridge). Active + treble boost??? Come on. Is that really necessary? And why not a dial, rather than a switch so I can get different blends of different pickups instead of just three static positions. What am I a guitarist? I'd have preferred three dials (pickup mix, volume, tone) and one switch for passive/active, but whatever.

But, the variety of tones I can get just from the bass has led me to completely eliminating any and all pedals between me and my amp, which is nice.

I LOVE THE TONE I GET WITH THIS BASS. In nearly every combination of switches with the volume, bass and treble all the way up, I can get something I like for some style of music. My favorite is both pickups, series/parallel in the "down" position, active mode. Nice big full growly tone with plenty of punch. Switch to the bridge pickup and I get a little more definition. Switch the parallel/series switch to the "up" position and I get some more definition. Switch to active + treble boost mode and I get more definition than I know what to do with. Switch to the neck pickup, parallel/series switch down, dial out some treble, and back to normal active mode and I get that full, sub-harmonic, no definition sound. Might as well be playing out of an upright with felt pads on my fingers. Super versatile. Everyone is nearly exactly what I want for its application too.

FYI, everything I've heard says this thing plays as well as an American. I've talked to a lot of guys in the G&L bass forum at the Dude Pit, and they vouch for it, definitely. Just like a previous poster said, close your eyes and you can't tell the difference. Try finding an American Fender fanatic that will say that about a MIM/MIJ strat or a Squier?

Hmmmm...well right from the factory the action was TERRIBLE. Bridge needed raising, nut was cut too close, not enough angle to the neck, intonation was only so-so. Thing buzzed all over the place on every string. And it came with those S.I.T. strings too, which I'm not a huge fan of. It was all fix-able stuff. But I was disappointed. The finish was fine though. No flaws, scratches, anything. Beautiful natural finish shows off the ash. Nice.

Yeah, this thing will definitely take a beating. Hardware, wood, all of it will stand the test of time and the usual amount of wear that comes from seeing regular but careful use. The strap buttons are nice and oversize and yes, very solid. It is my primary and only bass right now.

Time will tell.

I love this bass. I'd buy another if it was stolen. I compared it to a lot of other basses in the under $800 category, and it came down to this one, used American Five-string Fenders, MusicMan SUB 5, and the Lakland 55-01. It's as good or better than all of them IMHO. Do your own comparison, it was a close one for me, but this one was the clear winner at only $589 for a brand new one with return policy and warranty.

Koren made 5-string bass. Knobs: Volume, treble, bass. Three switches: pickup selector, pickups parallel/series, passive-active-active(treble boost). Color: High gloss natural. Pickups: 2 humbuckers. Strings thru body bridge. Active electronics. What else do you need ?

Sound is smooth and full(with the growl present all the time :o), but can get crispy and bright if needed. I can get all the tones i need from the bass. This bass is also dead quiet while not playing.
I play blues, country, traditional Finnish dance music - some funk & disco. This bass is suitable for all these.

Setup was quite ok. Some fret buzz, but adjusting the truss rod and bridge did the job and now it's almost perfect.
Finish is excellent - i have nothing to complain about that.

Seems to be built to last forever ! I have had it only for 2 months and can't tell you anything about long time durability.

I've been playing bass >30 years and i've been all the time looking for a "perfect" bass in price range <1000 Eur(~1200$).
I've had some Ibanez, Yamaha, Fender and Squier basses, but none of those have been just the real bass for me.
But now my search is over ! This bass has all i need with an unbelieveable playability. And i got it with extremely nice price - greetings to Germany for that.

It must be a 2004-2005 model. I own the red sunburst model.
6 bolts on the neck with 5 open tuners. Two big pickups. 3 switches (pickups selector, series or parralel, and the boost (active pickups) switch.)

Great features.

I've played an American Fender Jazz, an old Hohner (not Hofner) PJ Bass, a 5 string Stingray and this Tribute L-2500. The most versatile is, by far, the Tribute. I can approximate the sound of nearly all the basses I know. It can be punchy, mellow, dark. I can play Tool, Rage against the Machine, Red Hot. The only thing is that I don't think it would fit with jazz, too punchy. For jazz, I prefer (laugh if you want) my old Hohner, she's soooo deeeep...

Everything was set up properly, the action is fast. The finish is well... glossy cherry sunburst with a satin finish neck. No scratch, no buzz, electronics are perfect.

I haven't "tested" the reliability of this bass. I don't know if I will. I mean by "tested", smashing it on my bass amp like a freak. But it seems like it could handle a couple of hits.

1 year warranty.

For the price, it's one of the best I think. I've tried the "real" l-2500 by G&L and for 600-800$ less I found the Tribute would suit my needs just as well as the "real" American G&L.

Would buy another one if stolen or lost.

I give it a 10 for the price/quality.

Made in Korea in 2004. 21 frets, 5 strings. Swamp ash body with maple/maple neck. Volume, bass cut, treble cut, pickup selector, series/parallel switch, preamp on/off switch. 2 MFD (very hot) humbuckers. G&L Tribute L-2500. Cherry Burst finish on body and satin finish on neck. P bass body style. G&L bridge copy (string through or top load). 34" scale. Came with a decent enough gig bag and standard adjustment tools. Have to give it a 10 for the variation of tones due to the highly adjustable preamp and electronics set up.

I play in a punk/hard rock band. We do a couple of Who and Small Faces covers and originals. I play it through a Behringer BX3000T and through a Peavey 2X15" with Black Widows. The bass isn't noisy at all. It has a very deep bass tone with plenty of growl and high end to cut through. G&L sets up their basses with the pickups WAY too close to the strings. The pickups are the hottest I've ever played. I had to back both all the way down as far as they would go. Now my main setting (for fingerstyle rock) is both pickups on, in series, preamp on without treble boost, and the bass knob at 100% and the treble knob dimmed to about 75%. Very punchy and articulate this way. BTW....this bass growls more than any I've played. You can subdue it but the growl will always be present. If you've ever played a double P bass pickup config this is kinda close to that with more high end and more growl but the same deep bass punch. I've not done enough experimenting with the electronics to realize the basses full potential but it is a veritable sound lab in one instrument. Play it live twice and loved the tone...so did the sound man. No dislikes about it. Damn good import for the money.

Setups are subjective. I always have to put any of my basses through a rigorous setup after receiving from the factory. This bass was no different. Had to do a truss rod adjustment, change the strings, lower the saddles, lower the pickups and re-intonate. No finish or wood flaws that I can see. Frets were filed nicely. Once set up...the action is low and fast.

No issues here. Built like a tank. I bit light but that makes it easier to play for longer periods. Much lighter than my SUB5 that this replaced. I would use it without a backup seeing it's my only bass now.

Never dealt with them.

Been playing for 14 years. Played many cheap and a few expensive basses. This is up there close to the top. If it were lost or stolen I would definitely replace it with another.