Where to get an SB-2

[NineSpine]

Im looking all over online and I cant seem to find any place that sells the SB-2. Anyone have any ideas?

[rkingly]

A couple tributes & a gorgeous green american SB 2 on ebay right now.
good luck, I love my sunburst SB 2!

[rkingly]

Oops forgot the baby blue SB 2 also on ebay.

[NineSpine]

I was hoping to find a brand new one.

[Jimtoonz]

The G&L web site has a dealer list. If there are not any in your area, PM me and I'll give you the addresses of some of the dealers with a good web presence.

[NineSpine]

btw, the reason Im asking is because Im trying to choose between an American P and the SB-2. The main issue is that I despise J-style necks, and that's the standard on the SB-2. I wanted to try and order one with the L-2000 style neck on it (I forget the # at the moment).

[spideyjg]

Originally Posted by NineSpine

btw, the reason Im asking is because Im trying to choose between an American P and the SB-2. The main issue is that I despise J-style necks, and that's the standard on the SB-2. I wanted to try and order one with the L-2000 style neck on it (I forget the # at the moment).

You will not find anyone who hates the Fender Jazz neck more than I do. Worst is the Geddy Lee model but in general the Jazz necks feel like twigs.

That said the USA SB-2 and JB-2 have more wood around the profile and don't have that twiginess that I loathe. The Tribby SB-2 and JB-2 are twiggy.

Jim

[ErnieD]

I was wondering why so many rave of the Geddy jazz, is it the sound? I was at a rehearsal once and a guy had his in a corner of the room. I asked to see it and the neck felt like a twig, tiny in my hands, then again I only play 5ers and I got big mitts. But the neck was such a turnoff, I played a couple scales and handed it right back to him to put up. I did not feel like playing on it at all from the feel of the neck. Its a good looking bass though, I'd hang one on my wall. I even have a MIM Jazz 4 that I can play from time to time that feels OK to me. I'd like to try a SB-2, they make a 5er?

[Nedmundo]

Spidey is right; the G&L #8 neck has a meatier profile than a Fender J. No "twigginess" at all. I have an American Series Jazz and two G&L's with the #8, so I'm intimately familiar with both.

I also have an American Series Precision, and almost bought another one instead of the SB-2 (you know, one for flats and one for rounds). Honestly, the Fender is a little more comfortable to me, I think mostly because of the rolled fingerboard edges. Apparently G&L has these now, so perhaps that's no longer a difference, and the SB-2 is a real player for sure. But I also love the 1.625" nut width on the American Precision. The neck just fits my hand perfectly.

Tone wise, they're very different. The Fender's pickup is relatively low output, with a slightly muddy low end and soft attack. It sounds great in many band mixes, but overall it's somewhat lacking compared to good aftermarket pickups like Lindy Fralin, which I have now. The G&L MFD split-coil has massive output, no mud whatsoever, and very aggressive attack with a "gritty" feel similar to the Fralin. For rock, I don't think it gets any better. I was cranking up Live at Leeds on the way to work this morning, and itching to let it rip on "Sparks," "Shakin' All over," etc. with my SB-2.

[NineSpine]

Thanks for all the info.

So the Tribute has a different neck than the American? That's what it sounds like Spidey was saying.

The type of music I play is a range of pretty mellow to pretty intense post-rock. It's hard to describe if you dont know the genre but it's generally instrumental music which is very ambient and melodic, intersected with very "doomy" heavy stuff that is of the slow, repetitive variety.

Im having a hard time deciding which of these basses is going to be right for me. For reference, I had a G&L L-2000 and found it a bit too "boomy" for me.