No Used Jazz Tribbys For Sale?

[efhole]

I know this is probably a stupid question, but why do I never see any G&L JB-2 Tributes for sale on this site or on ebay? The reason I'm asking this is because I have been seriously thinking about buying one, but without being able to try one out, I'm hesitant to take the plunge. I'm wondering if there simply aren't any out there selling that much OR the owners simply don't want to part with them. I'm dying for a jazz bass and have tried many fenders at the local GC, but once you've had a G&L, nothing else IMO compares to the quality a G&L gives. I already have a USA L200 Custom, but really got the itch for a jazz. Please HELP with input.
Thanks

[Chef]

Tribute JB2's only just recently came out.
They're only $499 new; you needn't worry about quality, they're damn fine basses.

[drumbook]

A STEAL for $499!!!!!!

[efhole]

Okay, quality aside, how about the sound and the setup? Anyone have a comparison of what these basses sound and play like? Are they comparable to a MIM Fender or more closely related to another popular jazz bass you might have played recently? Yesteray I played the "24 Fret" Fender Special jazz bass with a quilt top and Seymour Duncan Basslines and it played like a dream. Very punchy with active electronics and the action was set just right. I think this bass was made in Korea. I can get one of the for around $500, yet I love my G&L and would like to stay in the fold if I knew the sound of the JB2 was similar to the Fender. I hate these sight unseen decisions!!

[Dr. Cheese]

Originally Posted by drumbook

A STEAL for $499!!!!!!

No, the street price is $449.99, not $499. I have one and it is a great sounding jazz, at least as nice as a Geddy Lee.

[Chef]

Even better deal

[drumbook]

Other than the fact it has a slightly skinnier neck profile, my JB-2 Trib Indo is a great playing, looking, and sounding instrument. If I didn't have a few too many basses at the moment, I would buy the SB-2 version as well at the ridiculous price of $449.

My advice to "efhole". Buy it, you'll love it!!!!!!

[Nedmundo]

Originally Posted by efhole

Yesteray I played the "24 Fret" Fender Special jazz bass with a quilt top and Seymour Duncan Basslines and it played like a dream. Very punchy with active electronics and the action was set just right. I think this bass was made in Korea. I can get one of the for around $500, yet I love my G&L and would like to stay in the fold if I knew the sound of the JB2 was similar to the Fender. I hate these sight unseen decisions!!

If you want something that sounds like Fender's 24 fret Jazz, I don't think the JB-2 is for you. I've played both, and the active Fender has a modern, hi-fi tone that to my ears is quite different from the vintage passive J tone of the JB-2. (In fact, even Fender's active American Deluxe Jazz has a more vintage tone than the Jazz 24 IMO.) The G&L is more like a passive American Series Fender Jazz.

[plankspanker13]

As one who owns both the J24 and the Tribby JB-2, I can offer a decent opinion here. The former is quite nice, and is great in a recording environment, but does not have a switchable passive bypass "song-saver" (as I call it) function. If your battery craps out on the gig, you are SOL.

The Tribby JB-2, being passive, is a great workhorse axe, with a considerably high output level for a passive axe. It also has plenty of highs, at least, that's what the bandmates tell me (turn the treble down a bit, will ya?).

About my only beef with the Tribby is the cheap feel to the pots, and that's a relatively minor thing at the gig, expecially since I use a Boss NS-2 to mute when not playing, and would incorporate a volume pedal for the same function, if necessary.

I got my Tribby as a passive workhorse for bar gigs, and it really does the job. The P-style body, coupled with the J-style neck, electronics and sound, make this bass a new hybrid archetype, and I am contemplating the eventual purchase of a USA-made version.

[Chef]

pots are cheap.

[efhole]

Thanks for eveyone's input. I'm leaning heavily toward the G&L even though the Fender plays and sounds great. My gut instinct keeps telling me to go for it and for $449, there's not much to lose if it isn't what I'm looking for. I'll keep ya'll posted.
Thanks

[plankspanker13]

My JB-2 Tribby won the passive workhorse sweepstakes over the Fender Geddy Lee Jazz on the basis of ergonomics and price. It is indeed a tough call when pitted against the J24 however. This is where your sense of what matters most should kick in.

To me, there will always be Fenders, and Fender-players; a G&L still sets you apart a bit, and any musician in your audience will know that you are about evolution as a bassist when you have a G&L hanging from your strap (and assuming that your playing is at least mediocre).

It's all about the little things that make either the JB-2 Tribby or the J24 the great instruments that they are. IMHO, Fender took a lot of cues from the likes of Ibanez and Warwick with many of the features found on the J-24, which is also available as a 5-string. The Tribby is just the offshore version of Leo's final refinement of the venerable Jazz bass, but with the P-style body, and 21 frets.

I'm glad that I have both, and a 'wick for special occasions too. All are great tools, with their own voices and feel (though the feel between them is similar enough for my hands to have equal comfort and functionality on any of the basses). There's also the matter of economics. $500 sounds like an awfully good price for the J24, and if the axe is new, it might be the better buy. The Tribby "street price" mentioned in this thread is also on the low side of what I have seen it selling for, but hey, you pay what is asked and don't ask questions if you are comfy with the deal.

[efhole]

I suppose, in this case, it's all about the tone. The workhorse quality doesn't play a factor for me. I play upright in my normal band and only use electric to play in my little novelty garage band with my 2 sons, but nontheless, enjoy this more than the former, getting the privledge to crank out some good ole SRV tunes and other blues standards with the boys. I'm sure this would be a hands-down decision if I had both basses sitting beside each other, but unfortunately, I don't have that option. Plankspanker13: In a test of tone, which bass would you give the upper hand to? I love the sound of the J24 at the local GC and it has many options (kinda like an L2000) for a different array of sounds. However, I also enjoy plugging in a good Fender J bass and cranking up on it too. Can you provide insight that might sway me either way? How similar is the JB2 to the regular Fender Jazz?I totally agree with your comments about havng a G&L hanging from the strap though.

[Chef]

It ain't about what's hanging form the strap, for me anyway.
It's about having good tools.
The JB2 is a great tool.
On my USA, the neck is a little deeper than standard Jazz; which is good, I like a beefier neck. I really like the satin finish on the neck as well. Both of these may be due to my upright backround.
Sonically, I find the JB2 "brighter and more aggressive" than the 62 J RI I used to have; enough so that I've got stainless flats on it.
Comparing to a J24 isn't really fair, those are active, right?

[efhole]

Chef, you are correct. The J24 is active which will produce a different sound altogether. Things I immediately liked about the J24:
Deep, Low end growl
Fast neck that played like butter
Low action
zippy mids and highs
Very punchy
In addition, it has a quilted maple top, which is secondary for me, but nontheless still looks a bit more classy.
Would anyone care to sum of the "likes" of the JB2? Also, to plankspanker13: If you had to choose one either one to sell, which one would it be and why?
I appreciate everyone's input. In the end, whichever way I go with this, I can thank you guys for helping me with my decision.

[plankspanker13]

Comparisson between the two is definitely apples-to oranges, due to passive vs active and 24 vs 21 frets. The more fitting comparisson is against a standard Jazz, regardless of where it is made. I could concur with Chef that the Tribby is rather aggressive by comparisson. In fact, mine is run thru a 20' cable into my effects, and then into my amp, where I use the active input (attenuates input level -6dB). Any other passive bass requires the passive input, which does not attenuate the input level. That should be testament enough to the quality of the Tribby J. I might also add that the shielding job is par excellance.

Efhole is looking for a recommendation; I make mine based upon what he already has, which is a tonally versatile, active G&L bass. The J24 also answers to this description, and there are J-purists out there who will always be against active electronics. The J-24 does have a very snappy natural sound, and that may be too much for some guys. Flats would tame it nicely. The Tribby is also bright, but passive electronics will only allow rolling that off; flats may not be necessary, unless the player prefers them. My recommendation would therefore be in favor of what would round out efhole's bass-sound toolkit, and likely have a lesser impact on his budget, but there is one final aspect to consider.

It is my understanding that the J-24 is no longer in production (at least the cherryburst finish version, according to my good friends at the Bass Place), whereas the Tribby JB-2 is just hitting its stride. Considering that I have owned several Fenders, including several J-basses, and would say that my J-24 is the best of the lot of them, my recommendation might be to get what may not be obtainable next year. There's always the hope of a holiday bonus/tax refund with which to acquire a Tribby down the line.

This thread has made me do a lot of A/B testing of the two types in question, and I will also add that the Fender feels ever-so-slightly faster on the neck to me. I do realize that this is a most subjective area and mileage may vary.

[Chef]

look, here's one now:
G&L JB-2 Tribute - MINT - PRICE DROPPED!!! $375 Shipped

[Dr. Cheese]

I would compare the JB-2 to a Fender Geddy Lee Jazz. The JB-2 has better pickups, the tuners may be tough better, and the bridges are even. I considered trying to sell mine because Robear's GB75 is up for sale, but I have decided not to let go of my JB-2 to buy it, I sure cannot get another Jazz this nice for so little money new, unless I get another JB-2.

[Maj. Lee FUBAR]

This may be against the rules, but I have a JB-2 Tribute in natural (ash) gloss with rosewood fretboard for sale in the classified section of TB if anyone cares to take a look:

Link to for sale thread.

MLF

[Chef]

look up two major, i already posted you.