G&L Tribute JB-2 Bass Guitar – Natural Gloss

Building the Perfect Bass

The G&L Tribute JB-2 rocks the best qualities of all the electric bass guitars ever designed by Leo Fender — the man who invented the instrument. The Tribute JB-2s acclaimed Alnico V single-coil pickups deliver the coveted tone of the best-sounding early-‘60s J-style basses. To provide the pickups with a solid tonal foundation to amplify, the Tribute JB-2 includes another Leo Fender innovation — the G&L Saddle-Lock bridge — which blows away the comparatively primitive bridge designs found on vintage basses by efficiently transferring string vibration to the instrument’s comfortable, resonant, sleekly sculpted body. In fact, every component of the Tribute JB-2 — from the neck and fingerboard to the unique, ultra-stable 6-bolt neck joint — represents more than a half-century of innovation, all in the name of performance. From its flawless playability to its impeccable tone, the G&L Tribute JB-2 is ready to rock.

A Tone Machine for all seasons

After many years of studying vintage pickup designs, G&L Vice President of Engineering Paul Gagon dove into the treasure trove of original schematics at Leo Fender’s private factory skunkworks and arrived at the design for G&Ls excellent Alnico V single-coil pickup. Back in the early 60s, the specs for pickups coming down the assembly line actually varied quite a bit. So Gagon had to discover where the magic was in his search for the elusive holy-grail tonal qualities coveted by bassists worldwide. We’re here to say that the result — G&Ls excellent Alnico V single-coil — does not disappoint. On its own, the middle pickup is round, fat, deep, and punchy. The bridge pup serves up definitive Jaco growl. And together, they deliver a funky, slightly scooped sound that’s ideal for slap-style playing. Tonally, its the best of all worlds.

Saddle-lock bridge increases resonance and sustain

Another G&L innovation has found its way into the Tribute JB-2 — the G&L Saddle-Lock bridge. The Saddle-Lock bridge reduces the lateral movement of the saddle pieces by tightening an Allen screw on the side of the bridge. Additionally, the Saddle-Lock bridge has a solid protrusion on its backside that is sunk firmly into the instrument’s body wood. Together, these two features make it easier for string energy to travel into the body and translate into a rich, resonant, and sustaining sound.

A legacy of innovation and quality

Today, G&L USA instruments are built at the same Fender Avenue factory in Fullerton that originally housed Fender production and manufactured early Music Man instruments. Leo’s private workshop remains the heart and soul of the factory and is regularly visited by music lovers from across the planet. Although not widely distributed, G&L instruments are held in high esteem among savvy musicians and collectors. The company’s relatively small-scale American production operation, employing a blend of computer-assisted CNC machine processes and handcrafting by expert luthiers, allows for a range of customization that is not possible with large production lines. City Music is proud to offer such a fine line of distinguished musical instruments

G&L Tribute JB-2 Electric Bass Features:

• Sleekly sculpted solid swamp ash body
• Bolt-on maple neck, Medium C profile, clear satin finish
• Brazilian cherry fingerboard
• 6-bolt neck joint; 34″ scale length
• 2 G&L Alnico V single-coil pickups
• Per-pickup Volume controls; Master Tone control
• Leo Fender-designed G&L Saddle-Lock bridge