G&L Tribute JB-2 - Sonic Blue

Players fond of the old adage “if it ain’t broke…” haven’t played a JB•2. You see, the G&L JB•2 is all about refinement, blending “holy grail” Alnico single-coil tone with modern Leo Fender improvements.

The JB•2’s classic Alnico V pickups have tone reminiscent of the best examples from the early ‘60s, thanks to the work of Paul Gagon, G&L VP Engineering. Gagon found his inspiration reviewing original prints stored in Leo Fender’s private laboratory at G&L, but that was just the start. About 30 years ago, Gagon was an R&D; engineer at another company when he was tasked with finding out what was so special about the early bolt-on basses many players raved about. Gagon tirelessly analyzed many examples of what were considered holy grail basses, spending time out on the shop floor talking to builders still working in the pickup department since the ‘50s, all on a quest to discover where the real mojo was – and wasn’t. What he learned from the builders matched his own engineering analysis. You see, back in the day, the actual spec of pickups coming down that old production line varied considerably. That meant coming up with the right specs was more challenging than simply following the prints, and Gagon’s persistence paid off as the JB-2 serves up delicious, classic tone.

While the pickups are the origin of the tone, the JB•2 will surprise you with a clarity and sustain unmatched by old basses with their rudimentary bridge design. You see, the JB•2 features an innovative G&L Saddle-Lock bridge to transfer string energy right into the body end-grain for an incredibly resonant instrument. If you’re ready to let go of the past but still love that classic Alnico tone, get your hands on a JB•2 and experience a brilliant mash-up of old-school and new-school Leo. Once you play a G&L Tribute Series, you’ll never look back.

SPECIFICATIONS:

• CONSTRUCTION: bolt-on
• SCALE: 34"
• PICKUPS: 2x G&L Alnico single coil pickups
• BODY WOOD: Poplar & Ash Top over Poplar
• NECK WOOD: Hard-Rock Maple with Maple or Rosewood fingerboard
• NECK WIDTH AT NUT: 1 1/2"
• NECK RADIUS: 12"
• NECK PROFILE: medium C
• FRETS: 21 medium jumbo, nickel
• TUNING KEYS: Traditional open-back
• BRIDGE: Leo Fender-designed G&L Saddle-Lock
• ELECTRONICS: One volume control for each pickup, master tone