G&L Club Part 7

[deepestend]

The JB2 is the one with a P-style neck, right? I think that's a contrast to the SB1, unless I'm remembering the specs wrong.
I was wrong, JB2 has the 1.5" nut width, never mind.

Yeah, will definitely be a different neck feel.

 

[TomB]

The JB2 is the one with a P-style neck, right? I think that's a contrast to the SB1, unless I'm remembering the specs wrong.
I was wrong, JB2 has the 1.5" nut width, never mind.

It does have a "P-style" body. Some really prefer that for a J-style bass.

 

[woodyng2]

What do people think of the Tribute JB2? One for sale near me. Love my 80's SB1 and would love to get a J type bass in the same mold. Will I like it?

I really like my US JB2, but would probably like the neck on the tribute version better.(much flatter 12" radius compared to 7.5").
I assume the pickups are the same in both, and mine have a great classic J output.(not very hot).
You might want to upgrade to higher quality pots/cap on a Tribute.
The body shape is the main reason I bought one, I've owned several J basses over a 50 year period, always loved the sound, but not the ergonomics.

 

[One Way]

I had a JB Tribute with the 12" radius. Really loved that bass and used it for a number of studio sessions. Mine had a poplar body with ash cap. The one was fantastic, I did have DR Pure Blues strings on it otherwise it was just as it came from the factory.

 

[OldBlue61]

What do people think of the Tribute JB2? One for sale near me. Love my 80's SB1 and would love to get a J type bass in the same mold. Will I like it?

Personally, I love mine. Mine is a 2009, and I've had it about 2 years now. I'm running LaBella flats on it and it sounds great. I prefer the P-style body shape over the J-style, though I know that not everyone feels the same.

 

[TDR1138]

I assume the pickups are the same in both, and mine have a great classic J output.(not very hot).

Pretty sure the Trib has (or had at one point) pickups that were made by a foreign manufacturer (unlike the L and SB models) and that both pickups were the same size, which would limit replacement options.

 

[Ricky Rioli]

Have decided that to pair the Low Tension Flats going on my SB-1, I'll be swapping the pickup for a hum-cancelling Lindy Fralin Split Jazz pickup.

Halfway between a 51 P and a 57 P, right? Right

 

[lowfreqgeek]

Just in case anyone is interested and hasn't seen my post in the classifieds, I've put my 1987 SB-1 up for sale. I've owned it for about 6-7 years and it's been a great bass, but I have too many basses. I'm primarily a 5-string and fretless player, and I lean toward Jazz and 2-pickup configurations. I'm keeping my LB-100 (w/MFD) and my #1 P that I've played for almost 20yrs.

For sale 1987 G&L SB-1

1987 G&L SB-1 with the black crinkle bridge and aluminum pickguard. The black finish has a few dings and some checking on the back, but its in great condition overall. Weight is right ~8.5lb on the bathroom scale. 1.625" neck, 9.5" radius. 21-fret maple neck. The frets are in very good...

• lowfreqgeek (+70 /0 /-0)
• Mar 1, 2025
• Updated May 2, 2025
• Views: 900
• Reaction score: 7
• Comments: 4
• Category: For Sale: Bass Guitars
• g&l g&l sb-1 sb-1

$900.00

$875.00

9 watching

 

[Nedmundo]

Have decided that to pair the Low Tension Flats going on my SB-1, I'll be swapping the pickup for a hum-cancelling Lindy Fralin Split Jazz pickup.

View attachment 7167108

Halfway between a 51 P and a 57 P, right? Right

I'm not sure it's halfway between a 51 P and 57 P, but those are fantastic pickups IMO. I've had a set in my Fender J for almost 20 years, and they're my favorite hum-canceling J-bass pickups out of several sets I've tried. They sound close to classic single coils, and have solid output. It's greatl to be able to favor (or solo) either pickup on stage with zero noise, and still have great J-bass tone. (I also love the Lace Man 'O War set in my G&L JB, but they're true single coils and supposedly aren't completely hum-canceling, but noise has never been an issue.)

I hope you dig it!

 

[Ricky Rioli]

I'm not sure it's halfway between a 51 P and 57 P

I am.

Start with a 51 pickup. Replace each pole piece with a pair of smaller pole pieces (à la 57). Split the coil into two halves (à la 57). The jazz neck pickup is located in between the 51 and 57 positions.

Keep the 34" scale, have a 1⅝" nut, keep the one vol, one tone controls, contour the body, reshape the pg, keep the 4 in line headstock.

More details are 57, but having the pole pieces in a single line is 51, and will have a bigger effect on tone than the others put together.

 

[deepestend]

Just in case anyone is interested and hasn't seen my post in the classifieds, I've put my 1987 SB-1 up for sale. I've owned it for about 6-7 years and it's been a great bass, but I have too many basses. I'm primarily a 5-string and fretless player, and I lean toward Jazz and 2-pickup configurations. I'm keeping my LB-100 (w/MFD) and my #1 P that I've played for almost 20yrs.

For sale 1987 G&L SB-1

1987 G&L SB-1 with the black crinkle bridge and aluminum pickguard. The black finish has a few dings and some checking on the back, but its in great condition overall. Weight is right ~8.5lb on the bathroom scale. 1.625" neck, 9.5" radius. 21-fret maple neck. The frets are in very good...

• lowfreqgeek (+70 /0 /-0)
• Mar 1, 2025
• Updated May 2, 2025
• Views: 900
• Reaction score: 7
• Comments: 4
• Category: For Sale: Bass Guitars
• g&l g&l sb-1 sb-1

$900.00

$875.00

9 watching

I have one that maybe in a year or two older in burst. Mine has a maple body and is really nice and punchy. The neck feels great.

 

[lowfreqgeek]

I have one that maybe in a year or two older in burst. Mine has a maple body and is really nice and punchy. The neck feels great.

The neck on this one is thin front to back. It really feels great, too. It also has a clarity and growl that my LB-100 doesn't have, even with the same MFD pickup. The LB-100 has a little more sentimental value for me as I got it from a friend and EE mentor of mine for almost nothing (I traded a barely-used set of tires for it in early 2018), so that's the one I'm keeping.

 

[ahbass2500]

Strings are not coming until tomorrow. Hopefully they deliver early in the day, because I really want to try it.

Tribute L2500 swapped to M2500 pickups and Underhill Filter Preamp. Controls are Volume, Pickup Selector, Filter Frequency, Switched Filter Boost, Bass Boost/Cut stacked on Bass Frequency, Treble Boost On/Off.

 

[deepestend]

The neck on this one is thin front to back. It really feels great, too. It also has a clarity and growl that my LB-100 doesn't have, even with the same MFD pickup. The LB-100 has a little more sentimental value for me as I got it from a friend and EE mentor of mine for almost nothing (I traded a barely-used set of tires for it in early 2018), so that's the one I'm keeping.

Mine did not come with the MFD pickup. I eventually replaced it with a Nordstrand NP4A (the one with slanted poles) and it fits that bass really well. Tried a few P pickups but that's the one that took.

 

[svtbass]

Strings are not coming until tomorrow. Hopefully they deliver early in the day, because I really want to try it.

View attachment 7167505

Tribute L2500 swapped to M2500 pickups and Underhill Filter Preamp. Controls are Volume, Pickup Selector, Filter Frequency, Switched Filter Boost, Bass Boost/Cut stacked on Bass Frequency, Treble Boost On/Off.

This could be interesting. Some version of T/B/M cut/boost is definitely de riguer with these pickups.

 

[metron]

Just in case anyone is interested and hasn't seen my post in the classifieds, I've put my 1987 SB-1 up for sale. I've owned it for about 6-7 years and it's been a great bass, but I have too many basses. I'm primarily a 5-string and fretless player, and I lean toward Jazz and 2-pickup configurations. I'm keeping my LB-100 (w/MFD) and my #1 P that I've played for almost 20yrs.

For sale 1987 G&L SB-1

1987 G&L SB-1 with the black crinkle bridge and aluminum pickguard. The black finish has a few dings and some checking on the back, but its in great condition overall. Weight is right ~8.5lb on the bathroom scale. 1.625" neck, 9.5" radius. 21-fret maple neck. The frets are in very good...

• lowfreqgeek (+70 /0 /-0)
• Mar 1, 2025
• Updated May 2, 2025
• Views: 900
• Reaction score: 7
• Comments: 4
• Category: For Sale: Bass Guitars
• g&l g&l sb-1 sb-1

$900.00

$875.00

9 watching

Awesome bass right there. Good luck!

 

[Crispus]

I like the EB cobalt flats on my Tribby SB-2. They sound badass with those pickups.

Yeah, I have a set on my sb-1, like them for pick, fingers or slap. Just works for me…

 

[ahbass2500]

After a decent amount of play time, I can confidently say the M2500 pickups and Underhill preamp were a solid choice.

Notes:
- M2500 pickups are certainly lower output than L2500, but not by much, which surprised me. Comparable to stock pickups in parallel (believe the M pickups are wired series).
- Plenty of sonic range here and nearly all of it is usable.
- Punchy, with enough low end to keep me happy. This is my second bass with the Underhill bass control. It provides enough low end adjustment, but is not as much range as many bass controls (only +/- 7.5db range).
- Boosting the filter on higher frequencies gets a nice snappy tone (almost an active Jazz bass sound). Add the treble boost to push the top end even farther without getting harsh.

 

[FearNoEvil65]

I finally got my L-2000 back from G&L, a different bass after 3 necks including the original neck on the first bass all had issues and G&L agreed to build me a new one altogether. This bass is definitely built better than the previous, and I chose Ash instead of Empress (that the original bass had) for the body.
I was initially a bit upset after being told by G&L it would weigh 8lbs or less with the Ash body, it weighs close to 9.4lbs.
I've decided to keep the bass because it plays so well. And I really really want an Andromeda L2K.
I love my G&L's but the company can be difficult to deal with on warranty issues and the communication is sometimes spotty.
Anyways, interestingly this bass with Ash body sounds much better IMO than the other with Empress did, less trebly and more solid sounding.
I've read wood doesn't affect tone much but it seems to in this case. This new bass also has more glitter undercoat, I like that it's really sparkly.
Hope everyone is doing well. Here's some pics of my new L2K.

 

[bullitproof]

I finally got my L-2000 back from G&L, a different bass after 3 necks including the original neck on the first bass all had issues and G&L agreed to build me a new one altogether. This bass is definitely built better than the previous, and I chose Ash instead of Empress (that the original bass had) for the body.
I was initially a bit upset after being told by G&L it would weigh 8lbs or less with the Ash body, it weighs close to 9.4lbs.
I've decided to keep the bass because it plays so well. And I really really want an Andromeda L2K.
I love my G&L's but the company can be difficult to deal with on warranty issues and the communication is sometimes spotty.
Anyways, interestingly this bass with Ash body sounds much better IMO than the other with Empress did, less trebly and more solid sounding.
I've read wood doesn't affect tone much but it seems to in this case. This new bass also has more glitter undercoat, I like that it's really sparkly.
Hope everyone is doing well. Here's some pics of my new L2K.View attachment 7169298View attachment 7169299View attachment 7169300View attachment 7169301

Is that Andy Irvine? Killer G&Ls BTW congrats!